The thread on the demise of the old Covered End got me thinking, I was 14 when I first attended the Valley in 1983/84 so had a few seasons before we shipped out to Sellout, here are a few of my memories from that period,
FA Cup Replay against Spurs, we had drawn 1-1 at WHL with Mark Aizlewood equalising? A packed away end and Saying Goodnight to his Horse was sung over and over...It seemed ages to wait for the replay, and it was the first and only time I saw a packed East Terrace, we lost the game but I vividly remember Glenn Hoddle taking a corner where the NW quadrant is now and being amazed at the amount of coins being thrown at him, he stooped down, tucked one in his sock and winked! There was lots fo trouble on the Terrace during the game and outside, as I was waiting for my Dad afterwards I was
chased by a group of ruffians a couple of years older than me under the railway arches towards the Antigallican, just when I thought they would get me one shouting Yippe ayee! I screamed Yippe ayoo back then heard, its alright hes Charlton and they turned back...always liked that 'song' since then....
I also remember being very scared when Birmingham fans came in through the back of the stand, did I imagine this?
Not all of these memories were related to football violence (though this did appear an occupational hazard of watching football during this time) as I recall a great 3-3 draw with Grimsby, Rob Lee scoring a couple? But most of all Nigel Batch with curly hair playing for Grimsby and really joining in with the banter with us, I am sure he came back the following season and it was just the same....
Finally I have great pride (now) in saying I was put on my backside by a Killer blow when Derek Hales was warming up before a game, I was talking to my dad one minute and on the floor the next with everyone laughing, no signed shirt or handshake from the great man just a wave and my dad saying, when your in your 40's you'll remember this...well now I am
I realise that loads of you on here go back to the 60's and stuff so this may seem to modern to get nostalgic about but its 25 years + ago now .....where has that time gone.....
I did visit the valley once during our exile, I dont remember the date but Aswad's Dont Turn Around was playing in a nearby garden...I was on leave from the Army at the time, I sat in the Covered End and cried thinking we would never go back, sometimes I still cant quite believe we have.....up the addicks!
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Boro,Pompey,Chelsea,Newcastle,Brighton,QPR,Spurs,Birmingham,Leeds,West Ham in the night game cup game! early 80's and Arsenal in the testomonial.
These were all cracking games and always fun times in the covered end.
I remember that Grimsby game very well, It was the first time I got really wound up by the referee! I guess I was around 10, I remember Grimsby equalising late on, and asking my dad why the ref added so much time on for an injury to Hales I think it was (think he got the 3rd goal, along with those 2 Lee goals), not injury time boards then of course, but it felt like they were playing on forever.
Also remember the Watford cup game 1984, first time I saw Police horses at the Valley.
We also used to break in during the exile, My mates and I would come down from Herts on our holiday shopping visits to the West end, I'd drag them across London and just sit in the old seats.
Started going in1975 as a yoot.
Sitting under the netting at the front
The smell of the beer from under the stand at half time.
The oh so healthy stench of piss in the corragated iron khazi at the back
Roasted peanuts
the Chelsea 4-0 game when they started a fire
the Spurs cup game on the saturday
West Ham midweek a sell out and chaos outside
half time scores being paraded around the ground by a bloke witha board and you had to look at the programme to see what game was what.
Chipmunk crisps and bovril at half time.
Knees up mother brown.
Taking ends.
That day in 1985 against Stoke walking to the ground from my job building in Greenwich Hospital covered in shit and standing on that little bit of terrace at the side of the covered end.
It aint the fucking North Stand its the Covered end and always will be
I remember a game against Swansea. My memory may have some of the details wrong but. Torrential rain , so even smaller crowd than usual but almost everyone in covered end to shelter from rain. Relegation threatened, bankcruptcy looming, despondency everywhere. 2-0 down
Kicking into the covered end , got one back, The crowd not really getting behind the team as though survival depended on it. Equaliser ! Everything seemed rosy again ( for a few hours anyway!)
Amen to that : )