The Valley. When?

kentred2

This picture of the Valley was on Twitter. East terrace overgrown?! Small crowd but seating full. Half terrace towards covered end closed. The raised terrace behind it under construction/closed?

Pre my time (1967) I reckon but when?

Henry Irving

No replacement panels on the west side of the covered end roof so before it was bomb damaged in 1944?

The sparse ground and overgrown top of the east suggests war time

GlassHalfFull

No floodlights so pre-1961 ....

_MrDick

I definitely wasn't at that match ...

stonemuse

Henry Irving said:

No replacement panels on the west side of the covered end roof so before it was bomb damaged in 1944?

The sparse ground and overgrown top of the east suggests war time

There are a couple of gaps in the roof so agree it could be war time.

milo

when did the seats go into the paddock in front of the main stand? - it has to be after that

Henry Irving

Extensive research in the museum's records (a quick look on google) says

"A wartime football match between Charlton Athletic and Reading Football Clubs at Charlton's stadium, the Valley August 1944"

In this pic you can see someone in uniform near the top of the east Terrace

Henry Irving

And as @stonemuse spotted you can see the bomb damage on the covered end roof

Thankfully we no longer have to worry about damage to our club being caused by people from the continent.

milo

When did the big mirrorpix advert get sprayed on the pitch? - it has to be around that time, during the war I think

kentred2

Henry Irving said:

Extensive research in the museum's records (a quick look on google) says

"A wartime football match between Charlton Athletic and Reading Football Clubs at Charlton's stadium, the Valley August 1944"

In this pic you can see someone in uniform near the top of the east Terrace

Charlton 2 Reading 8. 3781

Chizz

We conceded 83,781 at home against Reading?

Must have been a Karel Fraeye game.

Miserableoldgit

That was just the half time score......

Terrific picture, someone's good a new screen saver.

;-)

killerandflash

The East terrace is seriously overgrown, and it was only 10 years old at that point! No wonder it fell apart so badly...

Cardinal Sin

Could be a black n white still of the opening home game next season. Flog all that redundant steel and those shiny red seats.

JorgeC

still under Roland ... 2019

25May98

We did love a bit of shrubbery on the East terrace. Circa 87-90 were probably when it was at its absolute best and a proper natural habitat for wildlife.

JiMMy 85

Ah, when you see pics like this you realise the depth of a club's history, and how 'lucky' each custodian of the club is to be in a position to carry the club forward.

If only they realised it too.

T_C_E

stonemuse said:

Henry Irving said:

No replacement panels on the west side of the covered end roof so before it was bomb damaged in 1944?

The sparse ground and overgrown top of the east suggests war time

There are a couple of gaps in the roof so agree it could be war time.

or we'd just played the spanners!

soapy_jones

Who'd of thought nearly 70 years later we would of been invaded by Belgians...

i_b_b_o_r_g

Around 1944 I'd say