Brilliant, my grandad and uncle took part in the clear-up, my dad didn't unforutnatley, i can't remember where he was but whenever he talks about it he seems gutted that he wasn't there to say the least!
Very poignant and a great find Epsom, I always look closely at the clean up day pictures as I was there for a long while (with a shocking hangover mind) and can remember it very clearly. I wanted to clean up the area on the East terrace where I stood as a kid.
I was there the night of the meeting at the town hall. Wasn't able to get in so just hung around with everyone else outside. When the news came through the whole place erupted. Didn't go to the clear up at the valley because (selfishly) I was playing football that morning.
just one of the 1st team turned up - the legendary Steve Gritt, holding his little daughter's hand.
Read that Lennie Lawrence didn't want the players to get involved as he wanted them to fully focus on playing and staying in the top flight. Maybe with hindsight it might have been better to get them involved to get a sense of what the club meant to us supporters and create a "us against the world" attitude.
Being born in 82 I was a bit young to comprehend what was going on at the club at the time and living in the West Midlands it wasn't as easy to keep up with news about the club.
My Dad used to travel down regularly for games at Selhurst though and would either leave me at my Nan's house or take me along depending on his and my mood at the time. Funnily enough the game vs Boro, mentioned in the article in that thread, is, I think, the earliest 'home' game I can remember attending, although I'm told I went to other's earlier than that although never at the old Valley. My Dad used to bring a fold up camping stool along if I was going with him so I could stand on it and see better and I remember vividly balancing on it and seeing Johnny Humprey's goal as it's always stuck with me because I knew even then that was a rare thing. Happy memories.
I remember my Dad once took me down to the derelict Valley and we found a gap in the fence and he showed me around. I think he wanted to make sure he'd shared it with me incase he never got to take me through a turnstile. I guess most Addicks will have gone on a pilgrimage at somepoint during the exile years. Dad went to the big clear-up and left me at my Nan's. I was only 8 so it was obviously the sensible thing to do, but I'd love to have been part of it. I do kind of wish I was 4 or 5 years older and remembered more of those days. I'm glad to be able to say I was there on Dec 5th, 1992 though. I'll never forget how happy my Dad looked when three tickets dropped through our letter box as I don't think he thought we would be able to get any.
The Premiership years were fantastic, but in many ways the Back to the Valley campaign was the club's finest hour and sets us apart from pretty much every other club.
What a brilliant thread. I too spent many an hour sitting on the old east terrace steps during our exile, just remembering the days when the Valley used to have such an amazing atmosphere. In particular I used to remember the 1968 (?) FA Cup game against QPR - when we lost 3-2 to a Rodney Marsh inspired Rangers team & the 1975 promotion clinching game against Bobby Charlton's Preston, with tears in my eyes.
I never really believed that a return was possible, but I was there at Woolwich Town Hall on that great night - sitting two or three rows from the front. Everyone KNEW what Roger Alweyn was going to say but to hear it was just amazing!
That picture of Steve Gritt & his daughter is also incredibly poignant. RIP Hayleigh.
The Torquay fans seem a very decent bunch, so good luck to them.
A lump in the throat now, brilliant thread, lucky enough to say I was there at the last & first games, also at the clean up & town hall, days & nights that will live me forever, makes me pwoper Charlton.....FACT :-)
What a great thread, just brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye, so many memories. The Valley of the 70's and early 80's. The eviction. Time spent in the derelict Valley. Watching them at the even worse Sellout Park. Upton Park and the 5th December 1992. The ups the downs and now the dawn of a new era. O how i love Charlton Athletic
Brilliant memories, great story and great pics! I remember flying home from Athens last summer and going almost over the top of the Valley and I felt so proud looking down on what we have now. I swore I saw Killer banging one in at the Covered End as we flew past!
This is an amazing thread. I have spotted myself in one of the pictures of the valley clean up. I'm on my brothers shoulders in front of the west stand (wearing a grey coat). I was 10 years old at the time. I can still remember that wet Sunday morning remembering that I was convinced that we would be back the following year as a top flight club. Great pictures
I was there the night of the meeting at the town hall. Wasn't able to get in so just hung around with everyone else outside.
Covered End was in the front row, remember seeing him on TV jump up in the air at the decision.
Quite right Chirpy, but I didn't want to brag. I was at the town hall meetings, clean up day, last game at The Valley, first game at The Valley, Selhurst, Upton park. You name it I was there.
Comments
My Dad used to travel down regularly for games at Selhurst though and would either leave me at my Nan's house or take me along depending on his and my mood at the time. Funnily enough the game vs Boro, mentioned in the article in that thread, is, I think, the earliest 'home' game I can remember attending, although I'm told I went to other's earlier than that although never at the old Valley. My Dad used to bring a fold up camping stool along if I was going with him so I could stand on it and see better and I remember vividly balancing on it and seeing Johnny Humprey's goal as it's always stuck with me because I knew even then that was a rare thing. Happy memories.
I remember my Dad once took me down to the derelict Valley and we found a gap in the fence and he showed me around. I think he wanted to make sure he'd shared it with me incase he never got to take me through a turnstile. I guess most Addicks will have gone on a pilgrimage at somepoint during the exile years. Dad went to the big clear-up and left me at my Nan's. I was only 8 so it was obviously the sensible thing to do, but I'd love to have been part of it. I do kind of wish I was 4 or 5 years older and remembered more of those days. I'm glad to be able to say I was there on Dec 5th, 1992 though. I'll never forget how happy my Dad looked when three tickets dropped through our letter box as I don't think he thought we would be able to get any.
The Premiership years were fantastic, but in many ways the Back to the Valley campaign was the club's finest hour and sets us apart from pretty much every other club.
I never really believed that a return was possible, but I was there at Woolwich Town Hall on that great night - sitting two or three rows from the front. Everyone KNEW what Roger Alweyn was going to say but to hear it was just amazing!
That picture of Steve Gritt & his daughter is also incredibly poignant. RIP Hayleigh.
The Torquay fans seem a very decent bunch, so good luck to them.
jan 24th 1970 was the FA Cup game with qpr
feb 3rd 1968 we drew 3-3 with qpr in a second division league game
before my time
Thanks to all contributors.
very moving pic of SG ,many a game spent on a sparsely populated south terrace in 60s and 70s !
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/the-sixth-round
Also against Arsenal in the FA Cup
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/f-a-cup-charlton-v-arsenal
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/football-league-cup-final
http://i39.tinypic.com/6f49k8.jpg
Many thanks for a fantastic thread Budleigh.