RIP Robert "Bob" Smith and a name the players
The museum were sent this by the son of Bob Smith, who it turns out is @HerneBayaddick
With his permission I'm sharing this because I think it is a great story about being an Addick and to mark his passing but also to get some helping naming the players in the photos.
"Hi Ben and other museum trustees,
Finally got around to sending you the two photos I thought would be of interest to you. They are both of past Charlton players in a social context. The one on the left is one you may have seen before. It was taken at The Running Horses pub in Erith. I’ve marked it as 1975/6. It was a charity darts match. No doubt you can pick out all the payers on the right of the photo and some of the darts players are Charlton supporters I believe. I was there that night although not playing darts. The rabbit mascot in the middle belongs to me. (You will have to take my word that he is red and white)!
The other is, I hope a bit rarer and of interest to aficionados. This photo belonged to my father, who died in April. It was taken in 1963 at The Corner Pin pub in Slade Green, my fathers local. He reliably informed me that it was the occasion of Mike Baileys 21st Birthday, although as you see, he does not feature in it. The chap in the middle with glasses is the landlord, Len Robinson. I believe he was a Charlton fan and also keen on other sports and you would see the likes of Henry Cooper visiting during this time. Anyway, on the back of the photo my dad has written who he believes the players are featured. I know two for definite. One from the right is Charlie Revell and third from the left is Fred Lucas, who lived in Slade Green for most of his life and was on neighbourly terms with my dad. He says that on the far left is Mike Kenning and on the far right is Peter Firmani. He has a question mark against the guy one from the left with the name Reed. I would be interested to know if someone there can confirm the identities.
Just wanted to say a bit about my dad. He died in April of pneumonia, although had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for several years. I’m not aware that he went to see Charlton as a boy but actually started going to The Valley in the late 1940’s. He may have started earlier but unfortunately for him he was away in Aden and Palestine serving his country during 1946/7 and therefore missed our finest hour, winning the FA Cup.
During the time my dad worked on the trolley buses and in the Royal docks he would go to great lengths to attend home games, going straight from a shift at work, still with his conductor’s uniform on. He first took me to The Valley when I was about 8. Although I don’t remember the match, I loved the atmosphere and standing on the front railings of the terraces to get a good view. For me, as for many other offspring, the die was cast. He stopped going to matches briefly when we got related in the 70’s to Division 3.However,his enthusiasm and optimism soon returned and even when the club found itself without a home in the 1980s, he would get a lift to Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon matches with a friend, then get back in time to go straight out to work on a Saturday evening.
No matter what the odds suggested, he invariably looked on the bright side. I managed to get him to matches up until 2 seasons ago, when his health made it too difficult to go. Even though his dementia prevented him from grasping the details of the match, just being there made his face light up and got great joy if, and when Charlton managed to score. Reporting back to him on a match he’d missed– it was our second, or maybe third, 3-0 home defeat of the season, I said I’m afraid we lost 3-0 dad. There was a slight pause, then he said ‘yeah but we were a bit unlucky weren’t we?’ The dementia may have blunted his judgement but his spirit was still intact.
On a personal note I am so glad it looks as though we are getting new owners. At the time my dads health was failing, I knew he would not be to attend many more games. Latterly I was taking him by wheelchair. In the end I had to make, what for me was a heart-breaking decision. I couldn’t take part in the various protests at home games and take my dad too. I decided he would understand that the future of the club he loved was more important than getting him there. I hated it and therefore Mr Duchatelet et all for putting me in that dilemma.
My dad will be on the roll call at the memorial game tomorrow. Robert ‘Bob’ Smith.
Thanks for reading
Happy New Year
Les Smith"
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Comments
Played 29 games for us and died in 1975, at the tragically young age of 42!
sad to hear about the last couple of years. hopefully very soon we'll be rid of Duchatelet.
RIP Bob
Also, I was opposing goalkeeper to Frank Reed, when he appeared (I think) for Nat West Vets in what I think was one of his last games. I was not a veteran at the time, I was a last minute replacement for our regular keeper who cried off late.
Could it possibly be Peter Wakeham, the photo might be a bit early for him though.
Thanks for the contributions so far, particularly SoundAsa£ for confirming Frank Reed in the 1963 photo. As far as the chap on the far left is concerned, my dad had written Mike Kenning on the back but that could well be incorrect. Any ideas welcome.
For clarification on the 70's Running Horses photo, I believe all the Charlton players are to the right, namely Jimmy Giles, Keith Peacock, George Hope at the back and Paddy Powell, Phil Warman and Peter Hunt at the front. The characters in the left are the pubs darts team playing for charity. Maybe one of those is on here somewhere?
Moving story HBA - may you have many happy memories. The "we were a bit unlucky weren't we?" Is just classic. Brilliant.