Play-Off final 1st leg. Charlton Athletic 1 (0) (Melrose 87) Leeds United 0 (0) Selhurst Park. Att 16,680
Charlton: Bolder, Humphrey, Reid, Peake, Thompson, Miller, Gritt, Stuart (Milne 46), Melrose, Waslh, Crooks.
Leeds: Day, Aspin, McDonald, Aizlewood, Ashurst, Ormsby, Edwards, Sheridan, Pearson (Ritchie 84) Baird, Adams.
Referee: Roger Milford (Bristol).
Match winner Jimmy Melrose estimated he had travelled 50,000 miles during the season from his home in Manchester to Charlton games.
Two days later Leeds turned the scores round with a 52nd minute goal from Ormsby and Lennie Lawrence prediction that the game would go to a replay was proved correct.
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Comments
It really does only seem like yesterday that I was at this game at the "singers" end of the Arthur Waite near all the Leeds fans and Walshie just worked enough space to get his cross in from the left and Jimmy Melrose thundered in a back post header past a certain Mervyn Day.
Some of the Leeds fans went mad at the final whistle and started trying to climb down from the away seats to get into the Arthur Waite terracing and I think some of them succeeded because there were a few punch-ups going on around us.
After the game my brother and I ended up getting chased by some Leeds fans in a road near the ground but we easily outran the fat northern bastards and ended up running all the way to Crystal Palace proper (where the park is) where we finally got a bus home.
Twenty years ago? Unbelievable.
I was in the arthur waite in the seats above the terracing and saw the leeds fan spill over and my dad grabbing my arm quite forcefully saying 'lets go!' ....
Amazing always loved Jimmy Melrose I never understood why we got rid of him, I remeber when his form dipped but that coincided to an injury to Walshie, which I think dried his supply up...
No, you're right, I think they did that for a couple of other games that season as well which involved the clubs with well known firms.
As for Jimmy Melrose, we had to let him go because his family were still living in Manchester and the travelling was getting to be a real strain for him so when Leeds came in the club agreed to release him. He was only there a short while and then went to Shewsbury where he was infamously head-butted by Chris "Afro" Kamara.
Scored 17 goals in that 86/87 season, top record for a team that was quite poor.
I agree with those singing the praises of Jimmy. I thought he was one of the best strikers we've ever had. I believe he found it difficult to settle in the south which was why he left us after such a short time.
Twenty years ago. It seems like only yesterday until you start filling in the period up to now with what has happened to our club.
Relegation to Div Two (old old)
Upon Park
Valley Party
Curbs and Gritty
Rob Lee sold to the Geordies
Back to the Valley
Curbs alone
Rufus, Kinsella, Robinson
Sir Clive
Stadium Rebuilt
Play Off Final
Premiership
Andy Hunt
Relegation to Div One (old)
Kiely
Promotion as Champs
Consolidation
Parker
DiCanio
England full backs x 3
Arsenal and Chelksi 4-2
Double over Liverpool and Chelski
Curbs tearful good bye
Relgation to Championship (New)
God I feel old!
Its just so hard to believe that its now more than 20 years since those famous Leeds games, I remember listening to the St Andrews game on my radio at home being terrified we were going to lose and then (to my shame) turning the radio off when Leeds scored because I could not bear to hear us lose.
I finally plucked up the courage to enter the living room about 20 mins later and my Dad (a Millwall fan) the score and he said, "Unlucky boy.....you won 2-1!" Cue prolonged bout of screaming from myself and my 14 year old twin brother who quickly went to get a tape in to record the ITV highlights with John Helm commentating!!!
Yippeeeiiiieee, Yippeeiiioooooo!!! Whatever did that mean?
still gets sung now, always wondered why?? what it means, i thought it was a sell hurst song for some reason!
John Helm - there for Yorkshire TV - gives comfortably the most biased commentary I've ever heard
he was practically choking when Shirtliff headed in the winner
I remember the day of the St Andrews game. I wasn't able to go but I remember being in a kind of dream all day. Very little work was done.
At home in the evening I couldn't even bear to hear the score, let alone the commentary. Come about 9.10pm there's a knock at the door. My heart leapt a few beats, it can only be my Dad at that time of night. He won't be knocking on my door if we've lost , I thought. My chest starts to swell with pride as I open the door. It is my Dad. He's been driving round and round Bromley listening to the commentary on the radio. He isn't smiling. My heart sank.
"You know what the score is then"?
"No I couldn't bear to listen"
"It's nil nil with seconds to go. Put the radio on"
"No" I say, "that would be tempting fate"
The news is on the TV. Its the middle of the General Election campaign and there's an extended bulletin. The BBC announcer says,
"The play off final replay between Charlton and Leeds has gone into extra time and Leed have just taken the lead. We'll try and get a result before the end of the programme"
"Shit, b*llocks bugger it, balls!!" I say.
"Are you going to put the commentary on?"
"No"!
We sat in silence and watched a lot of glad-handing and baby-kissing until just before 10.00pm
" And now the result of the Play off replay between Charlton and Leeds". . . . .
They flashed up the caption. 2-1!!!!
I went totally ballistic, the cheer could be heard all the way to Elland Road. We danced around the room punching the air. I then remembered it was my birthday. What a present! Unbelievable.
I sat up to watch the highlights and taped it for posterity. Magic.
he was practically choking when Shirtliff headed in the winner
.............
He does when interviewing Shirtliff after the match - when Shirtliff tells him that was the first time he'd ever scored two goals in a game. Great game, despite the Wembley final that was my favourite Charlton match, it had everything - intimidating atmosphere, I avoided three fights outside the ground before the match and acouple after the game, Leeds players trying to kick ours off the park, a great goal by Sheridan to put Leeds up and then those two late, late goals by Shirtliff just as the sun was finally setting on an English summer's evening.
Yes but I suppose you have to accept the Yorkie angle. What always struck me though, and I suppose times have changed , but why didn't Thames/LWT cover the game with say Brian Moore as commentator? That comment shows my age. None of them still here!
I almost wore that video out when i was a kid..... and when I was mascot I basically met that whole team... amazing for me as a kid.....
For the nostalgic........ http://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=905&p=16&style=2&forumId=6613&action=1&replytoid=2118324046
But I do remember Shirtliffe being interviewed on telly after the game.
He was asked: "As a Yorkshireman, how does it feel to have condemned Leeds to another season in Division 2?"
Shirts replied in his deadpan Yorkshire accent: " 'Appen I 'ave t'plaaaay f'Chaaaarton...."
I was there with Large and Jimmy - parents not really into away game sat the time - now would be the first on the coach.
I remember jimmy almost crying with anger when Leeds scored in extra time - me the ever pissimist telling him "that's it, we're down". Then when the winner went in everyone (1,500 ??) went mad and ended up near the front of the terracing and one of my shoes about 10 steps further up.
oh happy days.
Nothing changes eh Golfie? :-)
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