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Did the old west stand come from Highbury ?

Ducktapeshoerepairs
Ducktapeshoerepairs Posts: 1,047
in General Charlton

An Arsenal supporting cab driver told me the other week that our old West stand came form Highbury, is this correct ? Certainly look similar in these images

IMG_7609.jpeg ae5cd053-60b9-4292-92ce-0e443ff66a60.jpeg
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Comments

  • SporadicAddick
    SporadicAddick Posts: 7,163
    edited February 22
    “Cab driver talks bollocks” shock…
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,574
    SporadicAddick said:
    “Cab driver talks bollocks” shock…
    Strong 'butter brings me out in ghosts' energy. 
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,761
    No
  • Dave Rudd
    Dave Rudd Posts: 2,935
    edited February 22
    My understanding is that Aldershot were involved somehow, but I don't recall the exact details.

    We may have stepped in to buy it when Aldershot declined or couldn't pay.  I'm sure the Club minutes will be able to help.

    But ... from the Official Site:

    The Valley’s first grandstand, which included dressing rooms, was completed in 1922 at a cost of £14,000 and its distinctive multi-span roof would remain in place until it was replaced by a flat, modern cover in 1979 and, as the football club grew in stature, so too did The Valley. 
  • SporadicAddick
    SporadicAddick Posts: 7,163
    Dave Rudd said:
    My understanding is that Aldershot were involved somehow, but I don't recall the exact details.

    We may have stepped in to buy it when Aldershot declined or couldn't pay.  I'm sure the Club minutes will be able to help.
    Are you a cab driver?
  • Dave Rudd
    Dave Rudd Posts: 2,935
    Oggy Red
    Oggy Red Posts:45,072
    The old West Stand - or the Grandstand as it used to be known when I first went down The Valley.
    Wasn't it bought second-hand from Aldershot or someone about 1933 ..... .?

    I remember the old 4-gabled roof, with the letters CAFC on each gable facing the pitch.
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,761
    Dave Rudd said:
    My understanding is that Aldershot were involved somehow, but I don't recall the exact details.

    We may have stepped in to buy it when Aldershot declined or couldn't pay.  I'm sure the Club minutes will be able to help.
    There was a story that the stand, or in some versions the seats, came from the military tattoo grandstand at Aldershot but never seen any evidence to back that up.

    The Arsenal stand story is nonsense as the two pictured stands existed at the same time.

    The similarity is because they were built from the same design.
  • Dave Rudd
    Dave Rudd Posts: 2,935
    SporadicAddick said:
    Dave Rudd said:
    My understanding is that Aldershot were involved somehow, but I don't recall the exact details.

    We may have stepped in to buy it when Aldershot declined or couldn't pay.  I'm sure the Club minutes will be able to help.
    Are you a cab driver?

    Saarf of the river at 5.30pm on a Sunday?  Nah, mate.
  • MuttleyCAFC
    MuttleyCAFC Posts: 47,961
    The old West Stand was I think designed by Archibald Leitch who was responsible for a lot of stands in the 20s and 30s.
  • Dave Rudd
    Dave Rudd Posts: 2,935
    Ducktapeshoerepairs said:

    An Arsenal supporting cab driver told me the other week that our old West stand came form Highbury, is this correct ? Certainly look similar in these images

    IMG_7609.jpeg ae5cd053-60b9-4292-92ce-0e443ff66a60.jpeg

    Get your Arsenal mate back with this one ...

    Why do Arsenal play in red?

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  • SporadicAddick
    SporadicAddick Posts: 7,163
    edited February 22
    The West Stand was built by Messrs Humphreys in 1922. It had nothing to do with Aldershot.

    edit - also not a Leitch stand.
  • MrLargo
    MrLargo Posts: 8,035
    On a similar note, am I correct in saying that Gillingham's crappy away end is our Back To The Valley temporary West Stand? Possibly with a stop off at the British Open Golf between The Valley and Priestfield?
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,761
    Dave Rudd said:
    Ducktapeshoerepairs said:

    An Arsenal supporting cab driver told me the other week that our old West stand came form Highbury, is this correct ? Certainly look similar in these images

    IMG_7609.jpeg ae5cd053-60b9-4292-92ce-0e443ff66a60.jpeg

    Get your Arsenal mate back with this one ...

    Why do Arsenal play in red?
    The Forest lent them shirts isn't true either
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,761
    edited February 22
    MuttleyCAFC said:
    The old West Stand was I think designed by Archibald Leitch who was responsible for a lot of stands in the 20s and 30s.
    Not according to Simon Inglis. Humpreys Ltd used the same design plans though.


  • swords_alive
    swords_alive Posts: 4,688
    So what about the original floodlights? Did they come from Aldershot, arsenal or man Utd, or did we give some to Gillingham, or was we the first club to use them? 
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,507
    Google AI states that "In 1922, the first grandstand at The Valley—home of Charlton Athletic—was completed at a cost of £14,000. This initial structure included the team's dressing rooms and was topped with a distinctive multi-span roof that stood until 1979". Unfortunately, none of the links it is providing are working for me, so I can't confirm how accurate it is.
  • Dave Rudd
    Dave Rudd Posts: 2,935
    Henry Irving said:
    Dave Rudd said:
    My understanding is that Aldershot were involved somehow, but I don't recall the exact details.

    We may have stepped in to buy it when Aldershot declined or couldn't pay.  I'm sure the Club minutes will be able to help.
    There was a story that the stand, or in some versions the seats, came from the military tattoo grandstand at Aldershot but never seen any evidence to back that up.

    The Arsenal stand story is nonsense as the two pictured stands existed at the same time.

    The similarity is because they were built from the same design.

    I also note that Aldershot FC (original incarnation) were founded in 1926, so the only potential connection is the military one.  Another myth busted.
  • jose
    jose Posts: 1,006
    Arsenal go on about the length of time they have spent in the top flight, but they didn’t get their on merit.
    Woolwich rejects, they don’t count.
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,761
    swords_alive said:
    So what about the original floodlights? Did they come from Aldershot, arsenal or man Utd, or did we give some to Gillingham, or was we the first club to use them? 
    We were one of the last clubs to get floodlights.  They were built for us, no sloppy seconds
  • SporadicAddick
    SporadicAddick Posts: 7,163
    Although from memory when the original ones were taken down they were donated to Biggleswade Town?

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  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,761
    SporadicAddick said:
    Although from memory when the original ones were taken down they were donated to Biggleswade Town?
    Correct
  • SporadicAddick
    SporadicAddick Posts: 7,163
    Henry Irving said:
    Dave Rudd said:
    My understanding is that Aldershot were involved somehow, but I don't recall the exact details.

    We may have stepped in to buy it when Aldershot declined or couldn't pay.  I'm sure the Club minutes will be able to help.
    There was a story that the stand, or in some versions the seats, came from the military tattoo grandstand at Aldershot but never seen any evidence to back that up.

    The Arsenal stand story is nonsense as the two pictured stands existed at the same time.

    The similarity is because they were built from the same design.
    Swindon Town’s Shrivenham Road stand was previously used at the Aldershot Military Tattoo - no connection to Aldershot Town..
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,761
    Some floodlights in the Valley Room in the museum


  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,507
    Stig said:
    Google AI states that "In 1922, the first grandstand at The Valley—home of Charlton Athletic—was completed at a cost of £14,000. This initial structure included the team's dressing rooms and was topped with a distinctive multi-span roof that stood until 1979". Unfortunately, none of the links it is providing are working for me, so I can't confirm how accurate it is.
    Found it now: https://www.charltonafc.com/news/view/5caf45ff19c97/valley100-the-story-of-charltons-famous-home
  • Ducktapeshoerepairs
    Ducktapeshoerepairs Posts: 1,047
    Dave Rudd said:
    Ducktapeshoerepairs said:

    An Arsenal supporting cab driver told me the other week that our old West stand came form Highbury, is this correct ? Certainly look similar in these images

    IMG_7609.jpeg ae5cd053-60b9-4292-92ce-0e443ff66a60.jpeg

    Get your Arsenal mate back with this one ...

    Why do Arsenal play in red?
    Believe it or not, I am not still in the cab and no, he’s not my mate ! 
  • DOUCHER
    DOUCHER Posts: 8,590
    edited February 22
    jose said:
    Arsenal go on about the length of time they have spent in the top flight, but they didn’t get their on merit.
    Woolwich rejects, they don’t count.
    deserters  - 2 deserters in London that moved to the other side of the river - them and smallwall - put them both in the same bracket as MK dons
  • Airman Brown
    Airman Brown Posts: 15,823
    There was a temporary stand prior to the 1922 permanent construction. It is thought this may have come from the Aldershot military tattoo.

    The stand was modelled on the Arsenal one, hence the Leitch connection. I found the link with him and shared it with Simon Inglis.
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 27,323
    Henry Irving said:
    SporadicAddick said:
    Although from memory when the original ones were taken down they were donated to Biggleswade Town?
    Correct
    Legend has it that @Algarveaddick brokered the deal for his home town club 


  • stockportugaladdick
    stockportugaladdick Posts: 1,195
    Henry Irving said:
    Dave Rudd said:
    Ducktapeshoerepairs said:

    An Arsenal supporting cab driver told me the other week that our old West stand came form Highbury, is this correct ? Certainly look similar in these images

    IMG_7609.jpeg ae5cd053-60b9-4292-92ce-0e443ff66a60.jpeg

    Get your Arsenal mate back with this one ...

    Why do Arsenal play in red?
    The Forest lent them shirts isn't true either
    It is fairly well documented that Forest had a big involvement in Woolwich Arsenals (or Dial Square FC to be correct) choice of red and white kit in 1886 with Herbert Chapman adding the white sleeves on his arrival.

    @Henry Irving why do you think this is not true? 
  • Gillis
    Gillis Posts: 1,006
    Stig said:
    Google AI states that "In 1922, the first grandstand at The Valley—home of Charlton Athletic—was completed at a cost of £14,000. This initial structure included the team's dressing rooms and was topped with a distinctive multi-span roof that stood until 1979". Unfortunately, none of the links it is providing are working for me, so I can't confirm how accurate it is.
    Did it get it from the post twelve above yours?  ;) 

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