The Mount

Off_it

Anyone ever seen any pictures of what this ground used to look like? The Wikipedia entry likens it to a "fort" - sounds impressive!

I used to go to Mountsfield Park when I was a kid and remember some crumbled bits of concrete here and there, but never realised at the time that Charlton had played there - albeit briefly.

SoundAsa£

Went to school a few hundred yards from The Mount and lived a ten minute walk from there but it was by then just the shell you see today.On one side a little bit of the embankment is still there and my school (Catford Boys) used to play cricket in the centre of the oval that also still remains.
Johhny Summers used to exercise his whippet (Kim) in there everyday without fail, come rain or shine.

Paddy7

Also lived nearby and played in the park as a kid, oblivious to any link with my heroes. Until recently (and possibly even now?), the oval SoundAsa£ mentioned was still used during the winter as a Sunday football venue; two pitches with goals at the foot of the grass bank that was presumably the main terrace. ust couldn't believe it when I first learnt that CAFC had played there. And maybe those two-tone blue stripes lasy year had some history after all!

Big William

I think Richard Redden, who did a couple of Charlton books, said that after much looking he'd never located a picture of Charlton in action at The Mount. The nearest I've seen is a shot of workmen who were involved in building the terracing in a sort of group photo. I think they had an landslide or something similar during construction and someone was killed, the whole venture seemed to be cursed when you read about it.

InspectorSands

I swear I've seen one somewhere, but heaven knows where or if my mind has made it up.

It's a funny spot, though - went there once for a look and while part of the bowl is still there, it's hard to imagine a stadium being there.

AFKABartram

BW, those workman pictures are in Airman's Battle for the Valley book

Big William

"BW, those workman pictures are in Airman's Battle for the Valley book "

That reassures me I wasn't dreaming about 1920's football grounds, Ta.

I've only gone past the place on my way to S******t, in a similar vein I saw a story about Arsenals old ground The Invicta, which was somewhere near Plumstead Bridge- it may have been in the Kentish Independent it was so long ago. They had a picture of someone in their back garden and there were a couple of steps of terracing in the undergrowth, quite spooky in a way.

bingaddick

I've had a quick search of the internet and there don't seem to be any pictures on line anywhere. My Grandad lived in Catford at the time of the move there. I can't remember seeing any photos other than the ones AFKA referred to. Airman Brown would be the best to ask because he dug up alot of stuff for the Centenary Video.

ChicagoAddick

I've never seen a picture. I also went to Catford Boys and played cricket and footie in the middle. What alumni were you Sound as?

SoundAsa£

1959 to 1964.....if I say so myself it was a good school in those days,especially well thought of for sport (do you remember head of sport Dennis Ryans by any chance?),....I left the term before the new buildings came into operation.
There's a few others on the message boards that went there and I've seen a few posters on Friends Reunited from that era that mention the fact that they still support The Addicks....of course we were by far and away 'the big cheeses' in South London in those days.

InspectorSands

[cite]Posted By: Big William[/cite]In a similar vein I saw a story about Arsenals old ground The Invicta, which was somewhere near Plumstead Bridge- it may have been in the Kentish Independent it was so long ago. They had a picture of someone in their back garden and there were a couple of steps of terracing in the undergrowth, quite spooky in a way.

Still there - I went for a peek a few years ago. Arsenal had two grounds in Plumstead - they were mainly at the Manor Ground, which where the Griffin Manor Way industrial estate is (fans used to stand on the sewer embankment). They moved to the Invicta Ground for a couple of years because they couldn't afford the rent - that ground is where Mineral Street and Hector Street is now. If you peek over the walls into the back gardens of Mineral Street you can see what looks like terracing.