50 years an Addick
50 years ago yesterday, half an actual century ago, my Dad did something unwittingly that would go onto change the course of my life and for that matter my family.
Saturday, 15th November, 1975 was a day I will never forget. It was my first ever Charlton Athletic game that I went to.
The 1974 World Cup was the catalyst for my love affair with football. I have written about that extensively here, and for well over a year I was bugging my Dad to take me to a live game.
Going to football in those days wasn’t like it is now, there were no family enclosures, very few seats, the game was way past the 1966 bounce, and hooliganism was just starting out on the back of economic hardship, industrial unrest, strikes and power cuts. Yet, football stadiums were places for community and togetherness.
Post the 1974 World Cup I was desperate to be taken to a game. A lesson by the way to kids today who get whatever they want instantly. In hindsight my Dad played me well. My ‘support’ of Man United was he decided a primary school ground fad, and he cleverly drew me into the Charlton web, especially after their promotion from (the old) Division 3 the season previously.
My Dad was a lapsed Addick, after he met my Mum he used work most Saturdays but following Charlton’s promotion back to the second tier after a three-year absence, he finally succumbed to temptation and a fair amount of nagging and I also knew full well it wasn’t only me who was looking forward to the day like a 9-year old.
We were at home to table-topping Sunderland, who still had a number of players in their line-up from their historic 1973 FA Cup Final win over Leeds United (incidentally my first football memory).
This wasn’t my first ever football match, that was at Aldershot, which is a story for another day, but Shots’ Recreation Ground didn’t grab me like The Valley, and walking through the Sam Bartram entrance and down those mountaineous steps my mind and my life was made up.
I remember that I had never seen so many people in one place (the attendance was 22,307), we stood on the south terrace (now the Jimmy Seed stand of course) because that was less busy and it was a few years before segregation. There was a lot of red and white behind the goal, including a big Sunderland contingent.
The Big Match cameras were there with Brian Moore balanced on the East Terrace and I have added the nine minutes of highlights below. We lost 2-1 with Derek Hales equalizing for us. Derek Hales was later sent off for kicking out at one of their players, but from that day Hales was forever written into my catalogue of heroes.
Hales and the other ten players are engraved in my memory – Graham Tutt, Mark Penfold, Jimmy Giles, Phil Warman, David Young, Richie Bowman, Peter Hunt, Keith Peacock, Mike Flanagan and my favourite from that day on, Colin ‘Paddy’ Powell.
I was totally smitten, and it was love at first sight.
The programme is still a treasured possession and despite being only 20 pages (and costing 10p) it is a cache of information and history.
In the Comments section, the editorial wrote that the club were increasing the price of admission for youngsters from 35p to 40p due the persistent running onto the pitch after matches! This would take effect at the next home game against Luton (which we lost 5-1).
The highlights footage below still showed many fans running onto the pitch after the game.
Sunderland’s team that day included Jim Montgomery, Bryan ‘Pop’ Robson, Bobby Kerr, Vic Halom, Bobby Moncur and FA Cup hero Ian Porterfield.
The programme listed Derek Hales as the division’s top-goalscorer with 12 goals. We were in 8th place behind leaders Sunderland and Bolton. Bristol Rovers were in 5th. Below us in the table were Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, Orient and York City were bottom.
Our home attendances showed fluctuations in our support. 8,000 against Oldham and Oxford in the league but then 16,000 against Southampton and 32,000 for 1st Division QPR in a League Cup replay (12,000 more than there were at Loftus Road in the first game).
Echoes Across The Valley contained news of a ‘topping out’ ceremony for a new block of flats overlooking The Valley. Sam Bartram attended and Greenwich Council was expected to name some of the flats after him.
In the middle pages were black and white photos (above) of the previous weekend’s clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage. On one side ‘Jimmy Giles rising above John Lacy and Peter Mellor to head our equalizer’ in the 1-1 draw and in the other a photo ‘an anxious Bobby Moore heading clear of Derek Hales.’ Wonderful.
Finally in a lovely personal coincidence the referee that day was the legendary Jack Taylor (Wolverhampton), the same man who refereed the 1974 World Cup Final.
50 years ago, seems like yesterday. COYR.
Congratulations, young man! 66 years for me now, I reckon, whenever a day too long.
What a treat to see Derek Hales do the two things that he did best!
Yes indeed congratulations. I’m now in my 57th year and through all of the ups and downs I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Such a great club. Great to see the Video. I was at that match. Hales one of the best strikers we’ve had and not afraid to put it about!!! So nostalgic to see the Valley as it used to be. Memories.
Congratulations young man. The 1st match I remember was in 1953, and the opposition was Arsenal. Arsenal was my grandad’s 2nd team, as he had watched them before they took off to north London. I had never seen so many people in on place. Kids were passed over head down to front, otherwise they wouldn’t have seen a thing. I think the gate was over 50,000. Eddie Fermani, Derek Upton, Jon Hewie and Sam Bartram were playing, but their combined talents were overwhelmed by the Gunners, who ran out 5:1 winners. One particular incident I do recall was Bartram was beaten by an absolute screamer into the top corner. He remained where he was (lying at the edge of the six yard box) until after they had kicked off again, with fans yelling at him “get up Sam, you silly bugger”.So ended my sheltered life and my life as an addick began.
Congrats CA for supporting for fifty years. I can’t actually remember the first game I saw at The Valley, but it would have been during season 64/65 having bunked over the gates with some mates. ( That only happened for one season,until the club got wise, and installed barbed wire on top of the gates !!!!) Since then we had to enter through the turnstiles like everyone else.( I can still hear the click click click of those turnstiles) Frank Haydock,Dennis Edwards, Mike Bailey, Brian Tocknell were some of the names I remember from those days.Living almost next to the ground we used to watch all the reserves home games as well in the old Metropolitan League, where the ‘crowd’ was no more than a couple of hunred fans. Us boys would retreive the ball and throw it back when it was booted onto the empty terraces. Happy days.
An interesting piece Chig which somewhat mirrors my introduction to Charlton Athletic.
My memory of my first ever visit to The valley is vague, but with the help of Google I think I’ve worked it out.
Boxing day 1961, I would have been nine years old. My brother who was fourteen years older than me and really a West ham fan, took me along to this game. I remember little of the day, only that I came over faint and had to sit down on the terrace for a while. I think Mum had overwrapped me against the cold, and I overheated 🙂
We too were on the South terrace and incredibly we were playing Sunderland. Though on this occasion we won 2-0
There was something of a gap before I next visited The Valley. 1968 to be precise. I had just started my apprenticeship and another lad told me he and his mates went to all Charlton home games, why don’t I join them, and I did. Every home Saturday five or six of us would be at Gravesend station waiting for the 1.18 to Charlton. It got us there more than an hour early, which gave lots of time for chanting obscenities at the opposing fans. 🙂 If it was wet/cold or you missed that train. The 2.18 would get you there about ten minutes before kick-off
From that season on, I rarely missed a home game right up to 1984. At that point I was offered a promotion at work which meant moving from daywork to shiftwork. I had to take it the wages were much better. The knock-on from that was my visits became far less frequent.
Now I’m retired, but my visits remain less frequent mainly due to health reasons. But I get there when I can.
No matter what happens, I’ll always be a Charlton supporter. It’s impossible to shake it off.
Afflicted for life!!
Fabulous memories that will live forever CA…and congratulations…my dad took me to the Valley in 1965 and I’ve been a disciple ever since.
I used to stand against the red metal railings by the half way line tonwatch games and I still recall the peanut seller wandering amongst fans with a large sack of peanuts to sell….a treat for me every game.
I’m now in my 70’s and still go to The Valley every game and it’s in my blood !!!
Love it, Cliff.
Those peanuts were the best. 🥜 🥜
Been a supporter for 65 years used to come up to mid week games from Winchester when I was in the Army still go now 80year old.
Also my first home game…and it was a great game!…Previous atch was a very mediocre 3:0 loss to Colchester United at Layer Road in the FA Cup 🙂
Congratulations CA, I too in the 50 years plus Charlton supporters club , grew up in Bolton but my father was from plumstead so from a early age I’ve supported Charlton, my first recollection was late sixties with the likes of Peter reeves Ray treacy etc, first visit to the valley in 1971 coyr
Congrats Chicago Addick. I reckon I’m about four months behind you. My first live game at The Valley was a 1-1 draw vs. Orient 23 March 1976 so I would have been 9 years old. By the time we lost 0-4 to Bolton on th elast day of the season I was hooked.
Great stories everyone. Thank you for sharing 🔴⚪️
My first game was 1966, beat Preston 5.2. Stood half way up on the East Terrace. From that day on there has only ever been one team for me, my first season ticket was all the way back to 1981 after signing Phil Walker, had one every year since. By the way one of my school friends was playing in your first game v Sunderland, Richie Bowman, still meet up with him occasionally.
Never miss your reports on the games and congratulations CA.
My first match was in April 1954 and we beat Man Utd 1-0. My Mum took me and she regretted it to the day she died. I was 9 and doing well at Junior School, went to Aske’s Grammar and struggled, as all I was interested in was football and particularly Charlton. I had trials at the Valley under Charlie Hall but my Mum cut those short. She took me to the FA Cup tie v Arsenal with 71,000 there. I couldn’t see anything until some supporters lifted me over their heads to the front. From that day on, I always stood in the small enclosure to the right of the stand.
Besides attending virtually every home match, I booked with Lewis’ Coaches to travel to most away matches. My one regret was missing the 7-6 Huddersfield match as I had to go to a wedding , grrrr.
I live in Spain now, watch the highlights on tv, and long for the return to the Premiership under Nathan.
Keep up the good work, CA
Many thanks, David.
My first match was in 1946 and I recall being passed over people’s heads so that I could sit on the concrete walls that existed in the covered end.
It was my grandfather and father that had it in their blood. And at various times over those decades my two sons and their sons have cursed me roundly for not supporting a “big name”, but this is the joy of supporting, most of the time, an underdog.
But we have had no cursing this year. May it long continue.
So, tell me. When did your grandfather start supporting Charlton? He must have been there at almost the beginning?
And please don’t tell me your son and grandson’s aren’t Addicks?
Thanks for commenting, John.
Grandfather lived in Lewisham at the time of Charlton formation and my father went to school in Catford in the 1920s so Charlton was “just down the road”. I only know that my father said it was his father who introduced the addicks into the family.
We have family season tickets and so 2 sons and 3 grandchildren rotate attendance. I watch mostly now by streaming.
Fantastic.
Malcolm C
I started watching CAFC, with a school mate who played for the juniors, in the 1950s. One of the standouts then was Johnny Summers who had an amazing knack of scoring goals. I still remember his 6-6 equaliser in 1960 against Middlesborough and his hat-trick against Sheff W around the same era. I left England in 1968 and ended up in Australia but still keep a daily watch on happenings at the Valley. My first port of call is always your very informative reports.
The last time I returned to the UK was in May 2019 and I was staying with a group of Australian mates at St Andrews on a golf trip. On the day of the Doncaster semi-final I skipped my game of golf and caught the morning train to London. What a match and penalty shoot-out. At the end the crowd was rushing down to invade the pitch and I was rushing the other way so that I wouldn’t miss the midnight train back to Edinburgh. Fortunately I was back in St Andrews for my golf the next day. I’m 81 now and unlikely to return to England again, but that was certainly a great last visit to the Valley.