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Sparrows Lane
HardyAddick
Posts: 1,653
Sparrows Lane was opened on 4 October 1987 (I was there), but where have our previous training grounds been?
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Before Sparrows Lane we spent the pre season 85/86 training on the Charlton Park Hockey Pitches
Before then we trained at Valley Leisure a ground just around the corner from Sparrows Lane4 -
Sparrows Lane was previously called Aries Sports Ground. I played cricket there many times against a team called Stansted who hired it on summer Sundays. I am pretty sure that Charlton used it on occasions before they bought it too.0
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That's correct we used to after Charlton Park for at least 2 seasons before the club bought it. Lennie I think got a mate and Mike Norris to buy it for the club as we had litterally no base with playing at SelhurstPedro45 said:Sparrows Lane was previously called Aries Sports Ground. I played cricket there many times against a team called Stansted who hired it on summer Sundays. I am pretty sure that Charlton used it on occasions before they bought it too.4 -
At the ground. Running up and down the East terrace to warm up. 5 a side in the car park. I remember Keith Peacock saying that Phil Warman was mad as he would slide tackle!4
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Did we move to Sparrows Lane as part of a broader strategy that included returning to the Valley? I note that the programme says “reviving our roots” and was wondering if this was part of bringing us back to our local community prior to coming back to the Valley?0
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At that time there was talk of moving back to the borough of Greenwich but no more than that so it could be said it was part of a broader strategy. As I said above the club simply had no base of its own (unless you include the portacabins at Selhurst) and Lennie got a mate and Mike Norris to purchase to at least give us a base.se9addick said:Did we move to Sparrows Lane as part of a broader strategy that included returning to the Valley? I note that the programme says “reviving our roots” and was wondering if this was part of bringing us back to our local community prior to coming back to the Valley?
Later that season Alwen and Norris (Directors at the time but did not own the club) started the conversations with Gilkstein 're purchasing the Valley but the decision to return was not made until March 894 -
CheerJohnnyH2 said:
At that time there was talk of moving back to the borough of Greenwich but no more than that so it could be said it was part of a broader strategy. As I said above the club simply had no base of its own (unless you include the portacabins at Selhurst) and Lennie got a mate and Mike Norris to purchase to at least give us a base.se9addick said:Did we move to Sparrows Lane as part of a broader strategy that included returning to the Valley? I note that the programme says “reviving our roots” and was wondering if this was part of bringing us back to our local community prior to coming back to the Valley?
Later that season Alwen and Norris (Directors at the time but did not own the club) started the conversations with Gilkstein 're purchasing the Valley but the decision to return was not made until March 890 -
We were training there way back in the 70's.
I used to go many times with my dad to watch training. Mark Penfold was just breaking into the team @ 16.
Keith Peacock gave me and my dad a lift in his Vauxhall Victor 101. He was playing then, thats how long ago it was!
Some days they trained at the Valley, other days, Sparrows Lane. We used to ring before to see where they would be training that day.5 -
We have such a lot to thank Roger Alwen for.......incalculable as a matter of fact.
His interventions at various junctures saved the club.......let there be ‘no doubt’ about it.
He has sort of slipped into the background these past years but those of us around in those ‘strange’ times at Smellhurst and Upton Park will never forget, as indeed should all fans then, now and going forward.
Nice fella too is Roger.20 -
Our 6 a side league used Sparrows Lane although I thought it carried on after 1987 for a couple of years. Did Charlton let out the ground for private use after they took it over or could I be mistaken on dates?0
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This is correct.queensland_addick said:We were training there way back in the 70's.
I used to go many times with my dad to watch training. Mark Penfold was just breaking into the team @ 16.
Keith Peacock gave me and my dad a lift in his Vauxhall Victor 101. He was playing then, thats how long ago it was!
Some days they trained at the Valley, other days, Sparrows Lane. We used to ring before to see where they would be training that day.
I played there for Catford Invicta in the early 1970's when we were coached by Mike Franklin (RIP).
Also, as mentioned on other threads, in the 1960's, the team trained at the Stones Sports Ground on Woolwich Road for many years. We also had the infamous gym (single storey wooden hut painted in black creosote or something like that) at the Valley. You can see it in some of the old pictures.3 -
I remember our youth team playing at the Meridian sports club Charlton Park Lane, for some of the time we were at Selhurst, used to watch them in the morning then go on to watch Charlton, we also had some meetings of the Valley Party there.
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I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.2
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See above.⬆️Wrinkley_Addick_SE9 said:I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.0 -
@T_C_E can add some first hand experience to this thread0
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Official opening by Colin Moynihan, the Miniature for SportHardyAddick said:Sparrows Lane was opened on 4 October 1987 (I was there), but where have our previous training grounds been?4 -
Didn't see that.Bad eyes and old age is my excuse.SoundAsa£ said:
See above.⬆️Wrinkley_Addick_SE9 said:I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.1 -
Stones sports ground was an absolutely massive bit of land ...played many a game of cricket and football there back in the day .also a reminder of the amount of industry off the lower road that complimented our following pre and post war ...knock off at 1.00pm on a Saturday ,down the pub for a couple and onto the valley for entertainmentWrinkley_Addick_SE9 said:I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.2 -
I was at that one
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Circa 1950 they did pre season training at Harveys Sports ground, Hervey Rd, Blackheath. I used to go down there in the school holidays.2
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Think Iain Dowie used the M6 once.2
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I'm sure Sparrows Lane was Unilever's sports ground at one time. I played against Uni;ever in the late 60's.
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lolwray said:
Stones sports ground was an absolutely massive bit of land ...played many a game of cricket and football there back in the day .also a reminder of the amount of industry off the lower road that complimented our following pre and post war ...knock off at 1.00pm on a Saturday ,down the pub for a couple and onto the valley for entertainmentWrinkley_Addick_SE9 said:I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.
I can picture it now.......thousands of men in flat caps and raincoats spilling out of Stones, Harvey’s etc etc after their Saturday morning shift. Into the pub then off to the game.lolwray said:
Stones sports ground was an absolutely massive bit of land ...played many a game of cricket and football there back in the day .also a reminder of the amount of industry off the lower road that complimented our following pre and post war ...knock off at 1.00pm on a Saturday ,down the pub for a couple and onto the valley for entertainmentWrinkley_Addick_SE9 said:I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.
Over the decades it must have been a routine carried out millions of times.
Happy days.......the classical but simple pleasures of the working man.
UP THE ADDICKS!!6 -
I think Stones was in use around 70/72 but as said suffered something terrible with flooding, before the retail park was built the ground dropped away as severely as it still does in Westmoor st? and a 5 minute downpour would leave unplayable for ages leaving the players back at the Valley using the small pitch in the enclosure in west stand car park or a single goal on a raised grass area around the area of where the security box is now. I don’t ever remember Sparrows lane being mentioned by Mr Banham although the Valley turf was his domain and I doubt he would ever attended if it was in use by the club then. There was a maintenance man ironically named Ray who did everything to maintain the ground and he used to send me up the floodlights with a bulb in a duffle bag if one had blown I loved that job Rodney Stone couldnt get me up there, he was the cahones of his day I often used to overhear comments about his style of management by various adults at the club although most of the reasons I clashed with him were probably down to me.Henry Irving said:@T_C_E can add some first hand experience to this thread
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My grandad worked at Stones for 50 years and played for the cricket team.lolwray said:
Stones sports ground was an absolutely massive bit of land ...played many a game of cricket and football there back in the day .also a reminder of the amount of industry off the lower road that complimented our following pre and post war ...knock off at 1.00pm on a Saturday ,down the pub for a couple and onto the valley for entertainmentWrinkley_Addick_SE9 said:I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.
I’ve got one of his cricket medals somewhere, will try and dig it out0 -
Did Stones make ship propellers?DaveMehmet said:
My grandad worked at Stones for 50 years and played for the cricket team.lolwray said:
Stones sports ground was an absolutely massive bit of land ...played many a game of cricket and football there back in the day .also a reminder of the amount of industry off the lower road that complimented our following pre and post war ...knock off at 1.00pm on a Saturday ,down the pub for a couple and onto the valley for entertainmentWrinkley_Addick_SE9 said:I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.
I’ve got one of his cricket medals somewhere, will try and dig it out
One of my many step fathers brought home a small brass propeller which my mother had as a door stop for many a year.0 -
One of the good things about SE London is the sheer number of company sports grounds that existed, which create a nice green area amongst the suburban sprawl. Areas like New Eltham/Avery Hill, and New Beckenham - the Kent cricket ground there was the Lloyds bank sports groundOrpington34 said:I'm sure Sparrows Lane was Unilever's sports ground at one time. I played against Uni;ever in the late 60's.
It's not something modern companies do though, you can't imagine Google having a sports ground!1 -
My uncle worked at J Stone for 50 years. The marine division (Deptford) made propellers including those for the QE and QM. I’m not sure if that part of the business continued when they upped sticks to Crawley in the 60s. He moved with them, as an incentive staff were offered new two bedroom houses at a peppercorn rent.1
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@Pedro45 & @lolwrayPedro45 said:Sparrows Lane was previously called Aries Sports Ground. I played cricket there many times against a team called Stansted who hired it on summer Sundays. I am pretty sure that Charlton used it on occasions before they bought it too.
I played football for Aries and before that for Unilever there. The person that got me to play for Unilever is someone I suspect you will know - Ken Say who I then persuaded to Umpire during the summer for Sidcup CC. The rest, as they say, is history!1 -
Yes mate, I can remember him telling me about how big the propellers for the Queen Mary were.T_C_E said:
Did Stones make ship propellers?DaveMehmet said:
My grandad worked at Stones for 50 years and played for the cricket team.lolwray said:
Stones sports ground was an absolutely massive bit of land ...played many a game of cricket and football there back in the day .also a reminder of the amount of industry off the lower road that complimented our following pre and post war ...knock off at 1.00pm on a Saturday ,down the pub for a couple and onto the valley for entertainmentWrinkley_Addick_SE9 said:I'm sure at one time they trained at The Stones Social Club where Halfords and PC World is now. Used to flood a lot though. Maybe that's why it's called Stone Lake Retail Park.
I’ve got one of his cricket medals somewhere, will try and dig it out
One of my many step fathers brought home a small brass propeller which my mother had as a door stop for many a year.1
