Peanuts. Standing where ever I fancied. The half time boards. Night games, don't think many grounds suited lights as much as the valley. Legging it on the pitch at full time. Fuck, I even enjoyed the journey from abbey wood such was the anticipation of a game. I loved the valley as a kid
Sums it up for me to, except I never went on the pitch, dad would have murdered me. One other strange thing I liked was the smell of sugar from the Tate and Lyle factory from across the water.
The view from the top of the east terrance was something special,the smog over London and the site of working cranes along the river.Flying from the roof of the west stand the Union Jack and Charltons flag. Walking into the covered end to met your mates and looking around for the strange faces that would sum up how the day would pan out.Beer at half-time double diamond and then down to the Heights end for a bit more fun..........Happy Days indeed.....Now only sorrow and heartbreak plus 45years older.
Peanuts. Standing where ever I fancied. The half time boards. Night games, don't think many grounds suited lights as much as the valley. Legging it on the pitch at full time. Fuck, I even enjoyed the journey from abbey wood such was the anticipation of a game. I loved the valley as a kid
Sums it up for me to, except I never went on the pitch, dad would have murdered me. One other strange thing I liked was the smell of sugar from the Tate and Lyle factory from across the water.
People with better memories than me have already covered most of the nostalgia for the Valley ritual. One more thing I recall is the first modern club shop, with an enticing waft of new printed paper and plastic emanating from the door. They had a brief fashion for a varsity-style scarf, obviously red, with a couple of white stripes running down the length of them, dating from about the time of the "Valiants" re-branding, I think. I had one of those scarves for years.
The Evening Standard when it really lived up to its name, the local pink 'un, green 'un or whatever that my brother and I used to pick up on the way back to the station after away games. It was my job to cut out all the Charlton stuff from the papers and paste it into a scrapbook, as well as keeping the league ladder up to date. In the days when there wasn't much other info available about an average Division Two side between matchdays, that meant a lot.
Time it right with the buses and used to get back from a home game in time for Dr Who.
The football paper was ready by about 6pm I think on the corner of the Woodman pub car-park Blackfen, How did they print it and distribute so quickly before the days of mobiles and laptops.
Tell kids that today.........................................
these papers, out of interest, how many pages did they have and was there a fair few typos? I cant believe they would be able to sort a whole paper out in an hour or so.
I think it was usually something like a full edition, an earlier edition (or an edition prepared earlier) with just the essential updates, especially the football, of course. There was a time when you had a "stop press" bit at the bottom of the page and they would add a few extra minutes of report about the match in there, often printed sideways on. Sometimes, although the paper had the final score, the match report detail ended at the 65th minute, or something like that. It really gave the feeling that they were adding stuff right up to the last minute they could.
I seem to remember my brother more than once keeping us waiting for an extra half hour in the middle of Ipswich or somewhere like that, just to get the football edition, meaning we had to get a later train home. In those days, it often wasn't very pretty reading, because we tended to have a dismal away record.
Just the anticipation of a great day out.Walking from the station in 69 for the Palace cup game with my Dad and getting in the ground before KO .The ground was packed to the rafters .Still got that White programme somewhere.Never forget that season
Walking back up this road at the end of the game shoulder to shoulder, pigeon steps all the way to the top with the smell of fresh fried onions drifting in the air.
these papers, out of interest, how many pages did they have and was there a fair few typos? I cant believe they would be able to sort a whole paper out in an hour or so.
I seem to remember it was a normal sized paper, with most of the stories printed earlier in the day. There was an early edition with no football results, a second edition where you'd get the results and nothing else in the STOP PRESS column and then a final, classified edition with results, scorers, headlines and basic reports, most of which were written around half time so the first half had a reasonable report and the second half would be summarised in one or two paragraphs.
Amazing really when you consider that digital technology was a couple of decades away.
My first game at the Valley was a schoolboy international. I can't remember if it was late 50's or early 60's, my dad took me. Supporting Charlton has been a family curse. My uncle Joe was at the Valley with 78000, he said "their was 78000 in the ground and 78000 trying to get in"!!! Peanut sellers, "Peanuts tanner a bag" and program sellers"official Ear". Cycling from Eltham and parking my bike in a garden overlooking the Valley. Chatting to Charlie Wright during the game. Mud covered Matt Tees fighting gorilla centre halfs for headers. Ray Traceys wonder goal. So many good memories.
All the memories are making me feel old! I was there from 1963 and regularly went to the away games from about 1970. Nobody has mentioned Valley Away coaches and trains. Overnight trips to places like Middlesbrough and Sunderland. Long stops on the way home in clubs and pubs,: an away game could take all weekend! Home matches started with a few beers in the Valley Club and when that closed, the White Swan. We all must have spent a fortune following our club but then, it had players and staff worth every penny you spent. When will we have that level of satisfaction again?
Does anybody know what the building with the walls on the right of this picture was ? I only know this stretch of Woolwich Road from the mid-70s onwards and the area as it is now.
I know the lad holding the banner with just his left hand initials are CB (no full names allowed) same age as me and we went to a few aways together around that period but I don't remember that march. What was the occasion?
Does anybody know what the building with the walls on the right of this picture was ? I only know this stretch of Woolwich Road from the mid-70s onwards and the area as it is now.
The billboard on the right behind the wall appears to say Johnson and Phillips would have to ask family or look for old map of area...Do know that company had many buildings along that road and area.My dad worked for them from 1946 and lived just across the road.
I know the lad holding the banner with his left hand initials are CB (no full names allowed) same age as me and we went to a few aways together around that period but I don't remember that march. What was the occasion?
Walking to QPR i think or it might have been millwall. My brother is closest to the wall, I'm to his left.
Waiting for the turnstiles to open and then fast footing to the programme hut, in the hope that you got to get the best picks. Then waiting patiently for the players to sign your autograph book. Easily pleased!
How many remember in the fifties one special little kid; he wore a home-made Charlton football kit and bunked over the barrier from the east terrace onto the pitch and ran over to big Sam Bartram as the teams ran out. Did it every match!
I know the lad holding the banner with his left hand initials are CB (no full names allowed) same age as me and we went to a few aways together around that period but I don't remember that march. What was the occasion?
Walking to QPR i think or it might have been millwall. My brother is closest to the wall, I'm to his left.
It was the March to QPR in 1967. The full story of the March is found in VOTV 107 of August 2013. The building in the background is of course The AntiGallican.
I know the lad holding the banner with his left hand initials are CB (no full names allowed) same age as me and we went to a few aways together around that period but I don't remember that march. What was the occasion?
Walking to QPR i think or it might have been millwall. My brother is closest to the wall, I'm to his left.
They look like either DMs or monkey boots your wearing their mate .
I know the lad holding the banner with his left hand initials are CB (no full names allowed) same age as me and we went to a few aways together around that period but I don't remember that march. What was the occasion?
Walking to QPR i think or it might have been millwall. My brother is closest to the wall, I'm to his left.
They look like either DMs or monkey boots your wearing their mate .
I think 67 would be pre DMs. Cherry red cappers I should think.
I know the lad holding the banner with his left hand initials are CB (no full names allowed) same age as me and we went to a few aways together around that period but I don't remember that march. What was the occasion?
Walking to QPR i think or it might have been millwall. My brother is closest to the wall, I'm to his left.
They look like either DMs or monkey boots your wearing their mate .
I think 67 would be pre DMs. Cherry red cappers I should think.
I know the lad holding the banner with his left hand initials are CB (no full names allowed) same age as me and we went to a few aways together around that period but I don't remember that march. What was the occasion?
Walking to QPR i think or it might have been millwall. My brother is closest to the wall, I'm to his left.
They look like either DMs or monkey boots your wearing their mate .
I think 67 would be pre DMs. Cherry red cappers I should think.
I know the lad holding the banner with his left hand initials are CB (no full names allowed) same age as me and we went to a few aways together around that period but I don't remember that march. What was the occasion?
Walking to QPR i think or it might have been millwall. My brother is closest to the wall, I'm to his left.
They look like either DMs or monkey boots your wearing their mate .
I think 67 would be pre DMs. Cherry red cappers I should think.
To match your hair when you had some: )
Ad it happens, you're quite right. I was ginger.
Be thankful you are now a Baldybonce. I used to have long dark hair now i look like fucking snow white
Comments
The Evening Standard when it really lived up to its name, the local pink 'un, green 'un or whatever that my brother and I used to pick up on the way back to the station after away games. It was my job to cut out all the Charlton stuff from the papers and paste it into a scrapbook, as well as keeping the league ladder up to date. In the days when there wasn't much other info available about an average Division Two side between matchdays, that meant a lot.
The football paper was ready by about 6pm I think on the corner of the Woodman pub car-park Blackfen,
How did they print it and distribute so quickly before the days of mobiles and laptops.
Tell kids that today.........................................
I seem to remember my brother more than once keeping us waiting for an extra half hour in the middle of Ipswich or somewhere like that, just to get the football edition, meaning we had to get a later train home. In those days, it often wasn't very pretty reading, because we tended to have a dismal away record.
Imissthepeanutman
Amazing really when you consider that digital technology was a couple of decades away.
I can't remember if it was late 50's or early 60's, my dad took me.
Supporting Charlton has been a family curse.
My uncle Joe was at the Valley with 78000, he said "their was 78000 in the ground and 78000 trying to get in"!!!
Peanut sellers, "Peanuts tanner a bag" and program sellers"official Ear".
Cycling from Eltham and parking my bike in a garden overlooking the Valley.
Chatting to Charlie Wright during the game.
Mud covered Matt Tees fighting gorilla centre halfs for headers.
Ray Traceys wonder goal.
So many good memories.
Nobody has mentioned Valley Away coaches and trains. Overnight trips to places like Middlesbrough and Sunderland. Long stops on the way home in clubs and pubs,: an away game could take all weekend!
Home matches started with a few beers in the Valley Club and when that closed, the White Swan.
We all must have spent a fortune following our club but then, it had players and staff worth every penny you spent. When will we have that level of satisfaction again?
Easily pleased!
The building in the background is of course The AntiGallican.
I used to have long dark hair now i look like fucking snow white