20 Years; 20 Players: No.19 Jim Melrose
Here we are then just two to go to complete my list of 20 Players that I remember fondly over anyone else that has worn the Charlton shirt in my time as a supporter since 1975.
This has been becoming harder because after about 15, I could have chosen about another 15, but I vowed to name only 20, and therefore at no. 19 is Jim Melrose.
James Millsopp Melrose only played 48 games for the Addicks but he lives happily in my memory at a time when Charlton heavily influenced and shaped my early adult life.
Melrose signed from Manchester City (those were the days) for I think around £50,000 and replaced an ageing Mike Flanagan in our push for an unprecedented promotion to the top tier after leaving The Valley at the start of the 1995/96 season.
My brother and I were stood in the Cold Blow Lane when Jim Melrose made his Charlton debut. We went the traditional 1-0 down early, but Melrose equalized towards the end of the first half in right front of us.
We controlled our excitement but then in a moment never to forget Jimmy leapt onto the CBL fence and shook his fist in front of thousands of contorting faces spitting out expletives at the smiling Scot.
My bother and I still shudder at the memory.
We were both at Upton Park in October 1986 when the Scotsman scored our fastest ever goal. Just 9 seconds. We played really well that day, and the away end was dangerously rammed but superb fun.
Melrose scored some crucial goals for us including a hat-trick against champions elect Everton (who won the title by miles) plus both goals at home to Ipswich in the play-off semi and the oft-forgotten home game play-off leg against Leeds.
The one memory that lurks of Melrose is from a game where I can’t remember the opposition, but he made a meal of a tackle right in front of us at Selhurst and won the free-kick then looked up at the Charlton fans smiling knowingly and winked.
He was on Charlton TV a couple of years ago, and talked fondly of his time with us, and similarly I remember Jimmy very fondly too.
Appearances 48. 19 goals (1985 – 1987)
As a young teenager at one of my first away games with friends, the match at Upton Park remains one of my best football experiences. The Melrose goal, Colin Walsh’s peach, mixed with chants of ‘where’s your famous ICF’, and then being ever so slightly frightened by the home support, all made for a magical day!
It may have been a game before that at Upton Park or was it this one, where just outside of the away end police horses were running amok, and it was met by a good five minutes of ‘Goodbye Horse.’ Great times.