Killer
I’d recommend watching the 10 minute interview with Derek Hales where Ollie Groome recreates the infamous Q&A article I think from Shoot Magazine in the late 70’s.
Derek is sat in the west stand at The Valley looking very well and relaxed and it will be ten minutes very well spent.
My first memory of Killer was at the first ever Charlton game I went to. Sunderland at The Valley in 1975.
We lost, and Hales was sent off for kicking out at one of their players. He scored too, and from that day Hales was forever written into my own catalogue of heroes.
Many thousands of Addicks were either not born, or didn’t have the joy of witnessing him swiveling on a sixpence (as they used to say back then) and belting shots off with his hammer of a left foot.
He was the original sniffer dog, but that incredible goal at Chesterfield (in the video) reminded us that he did score a lot of goals from outside the box.
Hales remains our leading goalscorer, you have to wonder if anyone will ever get near his 168 goals.
He retired in 1985, but still to this day, if he strolled out in front of the Covered End and lifted his trademark fist in the air, whatever the age of those in that stand everyone would spontaneously scream ‘Killer.’
That was another of your “KILLER blogs”… Keep ’em coming CA
Derek Hales scoring against Hull City with a left foot volley from a cross by Colin Powell, after Powell ran the full length of the pitch, dribbling with the ball diagonally from his side’s own corner flag. The goal was voted goal of the season by ITV’s Big Match viewers. What a memory! Cheers Derek.
And there you have the architect of many of his goals – Paddy. He was lost without him. But I am very lucky to have seen that sixpence ground into the turf. Best comment from a fan on the rare occasion he tracked back – get back in the box Halesy you’ll get a nosebleed.
3 odd memories from me.
Hales after breaking his leg in the centre circle with the game going on around him dragging himself along trying to get the refs attention by shouting and pointing at his leg.
Going in goal for Charlton at Sunderland after a disgraceful injury to our goalkeeper Graham Tutt which ruined his promising career.
Malcolm McDonald the Fulham manager on Tv going on and on about how dangerous Hales was going to be which obviously inspired him, It’s was at craven cottage and I remember both central defenders jogging off at the end of the game with their shirts hanging off after being terrorised by Hales who scored at least one goal.
Think that Fulham game was in the FA Cup. 1980/81 – the year we went up.
I just remember him turning up for a charity game in the early 80s in a track suit boots slung over his shoulder what a legend
A juggernaut of a player who always gave 101 % killllllleeeer