The day he arrived in England, I was at work in Lee Green.
Just before midday, my Dad 'phoned me (which he never did) and asked me about this new player Charlton had signed and where did we get him from (he was a Cricket nut and a Bath City fan).
When I told him, he said "well he's just moving in opposite us and there's a big fuck off removal pantechnicon from Barcelona parked across our drive and I can't get my motorbike out to get to work".
Got to meet him for the first time after he turned out for his first game for the reserves. We got home from The Valley at the same time, him his Audi and me in my Cavalier - I of course went up to talk to the genius. I think he thought he already had a stalker.
Got to know him and his family quite well whilst he was here - a real gentleman.
EDIT: Funnily enough, Helen Shapiro lives in his old house now.
Take back what i said about Charlton not working as it should.
But something is wrong,Charlton magazine for the Burnley game 16 th Oct 1982 states Simonsen signed for us on Friday last week ie 8th OCT 1982.
Well when he pulled that Charlton shirt on for the first time and ran out onto the pitch one thing was for sure he was a class above everybody else.
- As I remember there was a long delay in getting his clearance to play involving Barcelona. We knocked them for a chunk of the £300,000 fee at some point, so this may have been at least part of the delay whilst Hulyer constructed a deal which meant not paying in full up front?
Was a pleasure just to watch him move about the pitch, no effort whatsoever, a footballing genius who was light years above our team of the day, I remember one little ball he played in behind the other teams defence that not any of our players saw or reacted too, the opposition right back (forget the team & player) actually clapped him & not sarcastically.
Still the best player the that ever played for Charlton. Not my favourite , that would be Killer but the most talented by a country mile and to think he turned down Real Madrid and Spurs to come to us. What was he thinking?
Genuinely, why did he come to us over those teams ?
Still the best player the that ever played for Charlton. Not my favourite , that would be Killer but the most talented by a country mile and to think he turned down Real Madrid and Spurs to come to us. What was he thinking?
Genuinely, why did he come to us over those teams ?
'Cos we're Charlton Athletic, Charlton Athletic FC The greatest football team, The world has ever seen'
At the time was working abroad most of the time. So only saw him play once, he was not very effective that day, i still remember thinking he's not big/strong enough, to easily knocked off the ball. Pity i did not see the games you guys did. Funny old game football.
Paolo Di Canio was the most talented player I ever saw play for us. Now there was a genius imo.
Still remember him playing his first game for us - a well attended reserve match. The phrase ' He made the ball sit up & talk' comes to mind. Along with a phrase used above - Paolo was thinking two moves ahead of the rest of the team! To think he was around 35 years old at the time.
Probably the best player I have seen in a Charlton shirt and there are plenty of others I have admired
^^^This, Wiki says 9 goals in 16 appearances but I always thought it was 14? Had the pleasure of seeing two European footballers of the year on the Valley pitch in the same match, Simonsen being one and Keegan the other for Newcastle.
He beat Chelsea on his own in a 5-2 thumping, trouble was he was like a grand chess master two moves ahead with his thinking of the rest of his team mates.
No you didn't mate, Keegan didn't play that day - he was out injured (eye injury I believe)
and it was 9 goals.
I expect you were at the 7-6 game as well
That's what I thought, not that he was at the Hudders game but Keegan didn't play for Newcastle.
And we just missed out on Keegan prior to this signing, too
Doubt we actually just missed out, we certainly went in for him but not until he had already agreed to sign for the Geordies & he wouldn't even talk to us. Even if he had I doubt we would have been able to match his wages even tho Simo must have been on a fair wack. Unfortunately Hulyer was depending on thousands of Charlton fans flocking to the Valley to bring in much needed cash to pay Simo but it never happened, despite an increase in attendances it was never enough & we couldn't afford to keep him. Newcastle meanwhile had the Scottish & newcastle breweries subsidising Keegans wages.
Comments
Just before midday, my Dad 'phoned me (which he never did) and asked me about this new player Charlton had signed and where did we get him from (he was a Cricket nut and a Bath City fan).
When I told him, he said "well he's just moving in opposite us and there's a big fuck off removal pantechnicon from Barcelona parked across our drive and I can't get my motorbike out to get to work".
Got to meet him for the first time after he turned out for his first game for the reserves. We got home from The Valley at the same time, him his Audi and me in my Cavalier - I of course went up to talk to the genius. I think he thought he already had a stalker.
Got to know him and his family quite well whilst he was here - a real gentleman.
EDIT: Funnily enough, Helen Shapiro lives in his old house now.
I notice Swansea had Jimmy Loveridge (later played about 7 games for Charlton) and Dean Saunders as sub.....
Charlton Athletic FC
The greatest football team,
The world has ever seen'
The Charlton......The Charlton
££££££
Paolo Di Canio was the most talented player I ever saw play for us. Now there was a genius imo.
Still remember him playing his first game for us - a well attended reserve match. The phrase ' He made the ball sit up & talk' comes to mind. Along with a phrase used above - Paolo was thinking two moves ahead of the rest of the team! To think he was around 35 years old at the time.