Wasn't alive at the time, could someone tell me why it was Palace who we groundshared with initially? Why not Millwall or West Ham, or even Gillingham? Or was Selhurst the only option?
Weren't they were the ony ones who would have us? Getting chucked out of the ground and getting promoted in the same season. Those were the days!
That's what Palace fans want you to believe. No one else was asked and we didn't get chucked out. We left because, apparently, we couldn't continue with a three-sided stadium . . . and returned seven years later to a three-sided stadium. We couldn't continue without the main car park . . . which we then covered in Portakabins when we came back.
There wasn't much 'sharing' as I remember it, more that we were treated as rather poor lodgers. A couple of portacabins and three or four pitchside boards with 'Charlton welcome you to Selhurst Park' on them which appeared on (our) matchdays and disappeared back into the groundsman's hut as soon as the game was over. I vaguely remember the club badge on the back of the old stand but on a normal weekday there was absolutely nothing else to tell you we played there.
What was strange if I remember correctly was when we played Palace and we were the home team, their fans had to support from the away end at their own ground!
Going back a few years, I'm sure Lennie Lawrence came out with something to the effect that we very nearly merged with P***** .What stopped it was John Sunley (who was club president, although he had a pretty low profile) wasn't happy about the ownership of some land at Selhurst and wouldn't have it. Now I seem to remember reading this in one of the special editions of the local press at the time of the play-off final, but it never seemed to arouse much comment. Does anybody else remember reading this?
Like most people who went through the Selhurst/Upton Park years I could go on for hours about it, all I'd say to those who weren't there is don't ever think Palace were doing us a favour.
Going back a few years, I'm sure Lennie Lawrence came out with something to the effect that we very nearly merged with P***** .What stopped it was John Sunley (who was club president, although he had a pretty low profile) wasn't happy about the ownership of some land at Selhurst and wouldn't have it. Now I seem to remember reading this in one of the special editions of the local press at the time of the play-off final, but it never seemed to arouse much comment. Does anybody else remember reading this?
Like most people who went through the Selhurst/Upton Park years I could go on for hours about it, all I'd say to those who weren't there is don't ever think Palace were doing us a favour.
Sorry to say but if any Charlton fan thinks Palace did us a favour then I think they are deluded or secret Palace fans lol
The fact is, we was in enough debt as it was and Palace charged us rent. How can that favour us when Palace gained income from us. They certainly needed someone to ground share with them as they were close to going out of buisness twice recently.
Palace fans have been fed the propaganda that they saved us. Not true. They sang "You are the shit of selhurst park" and thats how they treated us from the top to the bottom. The rent was inflated and we had little control over when and how we used the stadium outside of the 90 minutes every match day. Noades and Fry hatched a plan for a single club, similar to Robert Maxwells plan for Oxford United and Reading.
PS How many listers have their names in the back of Battle for The Valley
that period of my life was a complete clusterf**k of one disaster after another, and then we went to selhurst....its all my ex wifes fault...it all went wrong after i married her!!, since i divorced her we have done really well..
There wasn't much 'sharing' as I remember it, more that we were treated as rather poor lodgers. A couple of portacabins and three or four pitchside boards with 'Charlton welcome you to Selhurst Park' on them which appeared on (our) matchdays and disappeared back into the groundsman's hut as soon as the game was over. I vaguely remember the club badge on the back of the old stand but on a normal weekday there was absolutely nothing else to tell you we played there.
If I remember correctly, Millwall had refused to share with us, which led to more sour feelings from our fans cos we had accepted them in the past (the 20s or WW2?).
There was a good feature about Wolves before the game on the box yesterday - reminded me a lot of us - big old dilapidated ground, years of neglect, dwindling support and now with a big new stadium and a large reinvigorated support. A sleeping giant being re awoken.
If I remember correctly, Millwall had refused to share with us, which led to more sour feelings from our fans cos we had accepted them in the past (the 20s or WW2?).
Weren't they were the ony ones who would have us? Getting chucked out of the ground and getting promoted in the same season. Those were the days!
That's what Palace fans want you to believe. No one else was asked and we didn't get chucked out. We left because, apparently, we couldn't continue with a three-sided stadium . . . and returned seven years later to a three-sided stadium. We couldn't continue without the main car park . . . which we then covered in Portakabins when we came back.
Was there not also an issue about and adjacent to Valley Grove being reclaimed and being sold off for housing, which now has been sold off and has houses built on it?
I have never bothered to hate other Clubs, I have always found negative thoughts to be destructive, so I have many happy memories of Lennie and co, although I am no admirer of Ron Noades. Every Club has its history, and that's a very interesting part of ours, slightly improved because I was living in South Croydon at the time. I must admit however that every time I arrive at The Valley Stadium I gaze in awe at what has been achieved.
The last time I went to Fulham the first £100 a week footballer Johnny Haynes was playing. it will be nice to go back.
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And as an added bonus there is a picture of my daughter and me in it :0)
Like most people who went through the Selhurst/Upton Park years I could go on for hours about it, all I'd say to those who weren't there is don't ever think Palace were doing us a favour.
The fact is, we was in enough debt as it was and Palace charged us rent. How can that favour us when Palace gained income from us. They certainly needed someone to ground share with them as they were close to going out of buisness twice recently.
In the immortal words of Chairman John Fryer in the Croydon Advertiser 1986 - "We shall never, never return there. It is not going to happen."
What is the collectibile edition ?
I searched Aamazon under Rick Everitt and despite that name being emblazed on the cover, it only comes up under Richard..
Superb book. Just going through it again and noticed for the first time a picture of my mum and sister under the Valley This way sign. Brilliant.
I have never bothered to hate other Clubs, I have always found negative thoughts to be destructive, so I have many happy memories of Lennie and co, although I am no admirer of Ron Noades. Every Club has its history, and that's a very interesting part of ours, slightly improved because I was living in South Croydon at the time. I must admit however that every time I arrive at The Valley Stadium I gaze in awe at what has been achieved.
The last time I went to Fulham the first £100 a week footballer Johnny Haynes was playing. it will be nice to go back.