This just goes to prove that Charlton Athletic between 1936-1955 were one of the best teams in England. Having recorded their highest league finnish to date, 2nd in the First Division (1936-37) and then 4th (1937-38) and 3rd (1938-39), Charlton were one of the 'big four', however the War did not stop their success although the Football league and FA cup were abandoned and Charlton's squad depleted (60 in total were called up). The Football League War Cup was a tournment held between 1939-1945 to replace the league and FA cup. Charlton would appear in two Southern FLWC finals winning one (1943-44) and shared the FLWC overall trophy with Aston Villa (1944) after an air raid. It is common knowledge that Charlton would go on to two post war FA cup finals in 1946-47 winning the latter. Therfore Charlton's greatest era was the late 1930's and 1940's with one league runners' up, One Southern FLWC cup, One FLWC cup, One FA Cup and three final appearances altogether.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_League_War_Cup
P.S non of this information is on the CAFC website.
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Had a quick look and the 2nd, 4th and 3rd finish are on there!
Couldn't see mention of the War time cup finals but all real Charlton fans should know these things anyway!! : - )
Certainly room for improvement and a great deal more depth on the Club's history on the OS for sure.
;o)
It may interest fans to know that, during this period, we were invited to play exhibition matches against foreign sides, usually at a fee of around £1000 plus travel and accommodation costs. At their request, we played away to no less than Real Madrid and we were also invited to play the French National XI in Paris. In addition, there was a fairly acrimonious tour of South America where financial and accommodation arrangements were not always honoured. Nevertheless, such invitations were a measure of our status on the world football stage at that time.
Had the Club chosen a more ambitious investment/transfer policy in the early 1950's, there is every reason to think that we would have gone on to secure our place at
the top table in the way that, say, Arsenal have done. As an example, the £3000 that we decided we could not afford for Stanley Matthews seems like a pivotal decision now.
I've got the telegram from Real Madrid agreeing to the match. It was "liberated" from the old west stand boardroom when the ground was closed.
I'm getting on a bit, Oggy, but not ready for public display just yet.
Give me a year or two.
No and no.
There are loads of papers, pictures etc at the club but they are in no way archives. Really a job that needs doing.
The nearest thing to a "museum" is a couple of cabinets in the board room with some trophies, WInners medals, pendents, Colin Walsh's boot from the FGBATV etc.
The old Gym would have been a good museum spot but £££££££££££ again.
;o)
The charge was dropped, Oggy. They tried an identity parade, but no-one stood out.
IGMC