Great player and started off well as manager guiding us to 3rd place in 1969 after seasons of mediocracy under Frank Hill and Bob Stokoe. I think it went to his head though as I remember reading somewhere at the time that he wanted the players to stop calling him Eddie and start calling him Mr Firmani. The following season (1970) he was sacked in March when we were bottom of the table. I think he did well later in his career though managing in the US.
yes he was a great player my, uncle Riley Cullum who was a Charlton player in the early 1950's thought him a better centre forward than Hans Jeppson and as good as Charlie vaughn (although a completly different type of player) .I an certain that when Eddiie returned to Charlton he had a long term ankle injury so he wore a high rugby type boot
Great player and started off well as manager guiding us to 3rd place in 1969 after seasons of mediocracy under Frank Hill and Bob Stokoe. I think it went to his head though as I remember reading somewhere at the time that he wanted the players to stop calling him Eddie and start calling him Mr Firmani.
Remember a few of the players saying it was like being back at school.
Hope that we get the opportunity to vote Eddie into the Club's Hall of Fame. A superb servant of Charlton who was light years before his time and would without doubt have been just as impressive in the modern game.
What great memories of my boyhood supporting Charlton this thread has given me. I remember Eddie's first match back at the Valley, strutting arround the pitch majestically, I was in awe of the mans skills. He must be one of the classyist players to pull on a Charlton shirt. I think he played at least once for Italy although born in South Africa, I belive he qualified because his grandfather was Italian. I have a program (somewhere in my loft) with an artical in the Football Leauge review which formed part of the matchday program about Eddie our newly appointed manager sitting at the feet of another young and upcomong manager called Brian Clough. Apparently Eddie wanted to learn how Clough managed his team.
I saw Firmani play. One thing I'm sure of is that he would have made it in this era. He had the relaxed attitude towards the ball of, for example, Claus Jensen. A ball could be played to him any old how, and he would have it under control instantly, and once it was his he could more or less do anything, except the mazy dribble. A good athlete, with pace and sharpness, a seemingly nerveless goalscorer...and has been demonstrated many times since he stopped playing, a football brain too. Younger fans won't have much idea about how good Firmani was, but let me say that he remains one of our best ever players, would make any Charlton all time top twenty I reckon.
Also a complete all round great guy. Always had time for an autograph or conversation when training. I remember he drove a Merc at the time, but never a flash guy. My centenary shirt bears the legend's name.
Thanks for posting that ETP. What a magnificent opening line, "You can sense the success just walking into the Valley. It bustles with the prosperous air of a team revelling in a spirit and skill that in a few short weeks has reaped them rewards that few could have dreamed of before the season started." That's poetry.
What memories of the day itself and also that whole period.
Firmani's first home game a fortnight earlier was a comfortable but rather untidy 3-0 win over Bury. The great man was clearly not yet match fit but enthralled a crowd of 24000.
The Cardiff match was spellbinding. It could easily have been a massacre. Firmani would have flourished in the modern game - that kind of talent is timeless - but what too of, say, the wingers Kenning and Glover ? I'm sure they would have successful in the modern era : talented and exciting players, indeed.
For Cardiff I was standing almost at the top of the East. The last few steps were a little steeper than the rest of the terrace, and because you were that little bit higher it was like looking down over a sea of heads. The Valley was wide open - the whole of the South terrace was still intact (before the top tiers were removed) and the only structures were the small Main Stand and the Covered End - and from the top of the East it was a panoramic view, not just of the stadium but far into the distance. The players were tiny figures but it was great to see the play spread out before you. Being able to move freely round all four sides of the ground of course it was possible to spend part of a match with the chess-board view and then later to get down behind the goal. Many people in fact changed ends at half-time.
On a beautiful day The Valley was truly a place like no other.
I saw Firmani play. One thing I'm sure of is that he would have made it in this era. He had the relaxed attitude towards the ball of, for example, Claus Jensen. A ball could be played to him any old how, and he would have it under control instantly, and once it was his he could more or less do anything, except the mazy dribble. A good athlete, with pace and sharpness, a seemingly nerveless goalscorer...and has been demonstrated many times since he stopped playing, a football brain too. Younger fans won't have much idea about how good Firmani was, but let me say that he remains one of our best ever players, would make any Charlton all time top twenty I reckon.
Also a complete all round great guy. Always had time for an autograph or conversation when training. I remember he drove a Merc at the time, but never a flash guy. My centenary shirt bears the legend's name.
What memories of the day itself and also that whole period.
Firmani's first home game a fortnight earlier was a comfortable but rather untidy 3-0 win over Bury. The great man was clearly not yet match fit but enthralled a crowd of 24000.
The Cardiff match was spellbinding. It could easily have been a massacre. Firmani would have flourished in the modern game - that kind of talent is timeless - but what too of, say, the wingers Kenning and Glover ? I'm sure they would have successful in the modern era : talented and exciting players, indeed.
For Cardiff I was standing almost at the top of the East. The last few steps were a little steeper than the rest of the terrace, and because you were that little bit higher it was like looking down over a sea of heads. The Valley was wide open - the whole of the South terrace was still intact (before the top tiers were removed) and the only structures were the small Main Stand and the Covered End - and from the top of the East it was a panoramic view, not just of the stadium but far into the distance. The players were tiny figures but it was great to see the play spread out before you. Being able to move freely round all four sides of the ground of course it was possible to spend part of a match with the chess-board view and then later to get down behind the goal. Many people in fact changed ends at half-time.
On a beautiful day The Valley was truly a place like no other.
GHF, my first ever game standing pretty much in the same place at the top of the East, just by the scoreboard. Magnificent view.
Moved down to behind (what is now) the away end goal just to the right, 10 steps back. In those days you pretty well had your own barrier to lean on with your family and mates.
Always got good banter with Charlie Wright from that position, and good view of the goals. Began to change ends at half time a bit later on when the Covered End were starting to get going.
On a beautiful day The Valley was truly a place like no other.
Except the day we played Middlesborough on a frozen pitch and everbody was in the covered end, bar one brave soul who stood the whole match halfway up the South terrace jumping up and down and doing the self hugging thing. The game was dire but this one guy was hilarious to watch.
I was doing some work in a branch of office angels a couple of years back and the receptionist there got chatting and when I told her I was a Charlton supporter she said "my grandad played for Charlton"
Expecting it to be some random who'd played two matches in the football combination she says "Eddie Firmani , have you heard of him?"
Her family were in Beckenham and she said he still came over to see them every now and then and was still working.
Comments
I remember Eddie's first match back at the Valley, strutting arround the pitch majestically, I was in awe of the mans skills. He must be one of the classyist players to pull on a Charlton shirt.
I think he played at least once for Italy although born in South Africa, I belive he qualified because his grandfather was Italian.
I have a program (somewhere in my loft) with an artical in the Football Leauge review which formed part of the matchday program about Eddie our newly appointed manager sitting at the feet of another young and upcomong manager called Brian Clough. Apparently Eddie wanted to learn how Clough managed his team.
Maybe more to come?
What memories of the day itself and also that whole period.
Firmani's first home game a fortnight earlier was a comfortable but rather untidy 3-0 win over Bury. The great man was clearly not yet match fit but enthralled a crowd of 24000.
The Cardiff match was spellbinding. It could easily have been a massacre. Firmani would have flourished in the modern game - that kind of talent is timeless - but what too of, say, the wingers Kenning and Glover ? I'm sure they would have successful in the modern era : talented and exciting players, indeed.
For Cardiff I was standing almost at the top of the East. The last few steps were a little steeper than the rest of the terrace, and because you were that little bit higher it was like looking down over a sea of heads. The Valley was wide open - the whole of the South terrace was still intact (before the top tiers were removed) and the only structures were the small Main Stand and the Covered End - and from the top of the East it was a panoramic view, not just of the stadium but far into the distance. The players were tiny figures but it was great to see the play spread out before you. Being able to move freely round all four sides of the ground of course it was possible to spend part of a match with the chess-board view and then later to get down behind the goal. Many people in fact changed ends at half-time.
On a beautiful day The Valley was truly a place like no other.
Moved down to behind (what is now) the away end goal just to the right, 10 steps back. In those days you pretty well had your own barrier to lean on with your family and mates.
Always got good banter with Charlie Wright from that position, and good view of the goals. Began to change ends at half time a bit later on when the Covered End were starting to get going.
Happy days.
Except the day we played Middlesborough on a frozen pitch and everbody was in the covered end, bar one brave soul who stood the whole match halfway up the South terrace jumping up and down and doing the self hugging thing. The game was dire but this one guy was hilarious to watch.
Expecting it to be some random who'd played two matches in the football combination she says "Eddie Firmani , have you heard of him?"
Her family were in Beckenham and she said he still came over to see them every now and then and was still working.