Some friends of mine way back in the 60s dubbed Eddie F .. 'The Perfect Human' .. an over exaggeration but an understandable one ((:>)
My dear, late friend, Steve Tarrant used to call him that Lincs.
Did you by any chance know Steve, he lived in Albany Park in those days.
got the old grey matter ticking over here Misty .. I knew a Ray and Phil Tarrant back in the days, they were acquaintances rather than bosom mates of mine .. (I lived in the Lewisham/Blackheath/Lee Green area back then) .. could they be any relation? .. they were more music dancing and 'fashion' than football fans .. they lived around the Bexley/Sidcup area as I recall .. this would have been the late 60s .. they went to the Black Prince in Bexley a lot, to The Witchdoctor in Catford and to the Mistrale Club at Beckenham Junction .. They drove around with a few mates in a big old Ford Consul .. was Steve involved in the coal or timber trade? .. I am sure that the Tarrants I knew were (another dead and gone occupation) .. they were very nice, very tough lads, very smart and earned well from the family business as I recall .. anyway .. we're going back 47 or so years here !!!! .. thanks for the memories ((:>)
As for Eddie .. he along with Mendonca is probably my all time CAFC 'hero' .. a fantastic player, not so hot as a manager, a disciplinarian perhaps ahead of his time .. as a motivational player, people like Mike Bailey, Alan Campbell, Len Glover, even Mike Kenning would have learnt a lot from him. Eddie Firmani is one of those people who seems just indestructible
Some friends of mine way back in the 60s dubbed Eddie F .. 'The Perfect Human' .. an over exaggeration but an understandable one ((:>)
My dear, late friend, Steve Tarrant used to call him that Lincs.
Did you by any chance know Steve, he lived in Albany Park in those days.
got the old grey matter ticking over here Misty .. I knew a Ray and Phil Tarrant back in the days, they were acquaintances rather than bosom mates of mine .. (I lived in the Lewisham/Blackheath/Lee Green area back then) .. could they be any relation? .. they were more music dancing and 'fashion' than football fans .. they lived around the Bexley/Sidcup area as I recall .. this would have been the late 60s .. they went to the Black Prince in Bexley a lot, to The Witchdoctor in Catford and to the Mistrale Club at Beckenham Junction .. They drove around with a few mates in a big old Ford Consul .. was Steve involved in the coal or timber trade? .. I am sure that the Tarrants I knew were (another dead and gone occupation) .. they were very nice, very tough lads, very smart and earned well from the family business as I recall .. anyway .. we're going back 47 or so years here !!!! .. thanks for the memories ((:>)
As for Eddie .. he along with Mendonca is probably my all time CAFC 'hero' .. a fantastic player, not so hot as a manager, a disciplinarian perhaps ahead of his time .. as a motivational player, people like Mike Bailey, Alan Campbell, Len Glover, even Mike Kenning would have learnt a lot from him. Eddie Firmani is one of those people who seems just indestructible
Must be a different family Lincs, but thanks for the response.
I used to to the Black Prince pretty much every Sunday from around 1965, also the Austral and the Iron Curtain.
I once worked with a lady who was Billy Bonds girlfriend for a while. She told me Bill used to take her to The Witchdoctor a lot!
Happy days.
btw, Eddie turned down a much more lucrative offer to stay and play in Italy to return to his beloved Valley. Great man.
My favourite all time Charlton player. No one else comes close.
Memories of Eddie returning from Italy in 1963 are still as fresh as they were 51 years ago.
When he moved to coach in the US, in the 1970's, he was known as the "Golden Turkey" I believe.
My sentiments exactly. I told my dad that we had signed Eddie Firmani. He said brilliant, we will win today son. Manchester City 1 Charlton 3. 5th Oct 1963. ( I had to look that bit up!)
I was doing some work at a branch of office Angels in Liverpool st about five years ago and the young girl on reception got chatting to me and the subject of football came up she said "my grandad used to play for Charlton"
I expected some name I'd not know but instead she said "Eddie Firmani , have you heard of him?"
Great player, I thought he would become a really good manager but alas that was not to be. Although he was our manager during the 68/69 season which was one of my all time favourites.
I remember being in awe at his first game back. Having heard that he was South African and back from playing in Italy I had no real idea what to expect - but it was just so exciting.
He had such presence, tall and tanned and with his hands hanging from his wrist and he did not disappoint.
Spoke to the man once when we were riding high just after he had taken over the reins as the manager, very polite and happy to have a chat, no airs or graces top player top human being.
I remember the excitement in the local press when he returned to us, then scoring 2 goals in his first game away. As a 17 year old I could'nt wait to see him, first home if my memory serves me well he scored in around the 11th minuet - odd fact to remember! Forget who we were playing and the final score. But still remember his goal-
at the south end, low shot from just outside the penalty spot. Wish I'd seen him at his peak.
Like others have said, my first Charlton hero. As a boy, as Len said, you could tell he exuded class. I read somewhere that he had a nickname in Italy of Chicken or Turkey because of the way he ran. I know we tried to copy it in the playground. Must have looked right plonkers. Check out his goalscoring record. It's phenomenal.
When he moved back from Italy Eddie and family lived in a lovely house in Barnfield Wood Road, Bromley South, Beckenham area and his wife used to have a shop in Plumstead High Street selling wool and knitting stuff.
My memory of Eddie Firmani is the way he managed to escape tackles. I can't for the life of me remembering the game, but I remember two or three lumps trying to hack him down midway between the halfway line and the edge of the penalty box. He seemed to glide away from the tackles, then pushed the ball wide to Peacock, who crossed low for him to float into the box and tap in. It all seemed so effortless. My Dad told me he was a special player before he returned and went on about him all of the time. I think I even tried not to like him when he first came back, but as usual, my Dad was right.
When he moved back from Italy Eddie and family lived in a lovely house in Barnfield Wood Road, Bromley South, Beckenham area and his wife used to have a shop in Plumstead High Street selling wool and knitting stuff.
Not many people know that.
The granddaughter I spoke to lived in Beckenham I think with her parents.
Comments
Memories of Eddie returning from Italy in 1963 are still as fresh as they were 51 years ago.
When he moved to coach in the US, in the 1970's, he was known as the "Golden Turkey" I believe.
Did you by any chance know Steve, he lived in Albany Park in those days.
As for Eddie .. he along with Mendonca is probably my all time CAFC 'hero' .. a fantastic player, not so hot as a manager, a disciplinarian perhaps ahead of his time .. as a motivational player, people like Mike Bailey, Alan Campbell, Len Glover, even Mike Kenning would have learnt a lot from him.
Eddie Firmani is one of those people who seems just indestructible
I used to to the Black Prince pretty much every Sunday from around 1965, also the Austral and the Iron Curtain.
I once worked with a lady who was Billy Bonds girlfriend for a while. She told me Bill used to take her to The Witchdoctor a lot!
Happy days.
btw, Eddie turned down a much more lucrative offer to stay and play in Italy to return to his beloved Valley. Great man.
I told my dad that we had signed Eddie Firmani. He said brilliant, we will win today son.
Manchester City 1 Charlton 3. 5th Oct 1963. ( I had to look that bit up!)
I expected some name I'd not know but instead she said "Eddie Firmani , have you heard of him?"
Only thing was her name was Chelsea!
He had such presence, tall and tanned and with his hands hanging from his wrist and he did not disappoint.
Stevie Tarrant was damn cool as well.
if my memory serves me well he scored in around the 11th minuet - odd fact to remember! Forget who we were playing and the final score. But still remember his goal-
at the south end, low shot from just outside the penalty spot. Wish I'd seen him at his peak.
Glover whipped over the crosses Eddie put them away.
Even at the young age I was then I knew I'd seen a special player.
As a boy, as Len said, you could tell he exuded class.
I read somewhere that he had a nickname in Italy of Chicken or Turkey because of the way he ran.
I know we tried to copy it in the playground. Must have looked right plonkers.
Check out his goalscoring record. It's phenomenal.
Not many people know that.