A classic of epic proportions this one. 2-0 up, 3-2 down and played in front of a healthy crowd too.
Tuesday 4th October 1977. Charlton Athletic 4 (2) (Tydeman 16, McAuley 31, Peacock 66, Powell 71) Brighton and Hove Albion 3 (1) (Ward 38 57 (pen), Winstanley 62)
The Valley. Att: 19,098.
Charlton: Wood, Penfold, Warman, Tydeman, Giles, Berry, Powell, Abrahams (Gritt 77), Flanagan, Peacock, McAuley.
Brighton: Steele, Tiler, Williams, Horton, Winstanley, Cattlin, Potts, Ward, Mellor (Fell 71), Piper, O'Sullivan.
Referee: M Taylor (Walmer, Kent)
Penalty: Awarded against Penfold for a foul on Ward. Horton's first effort was saved by Wood but a retake was ordered for the keeper moving before the ball was kicked. The second kick was struck wide but Wood was adjudged to have moved again. Finally Ward took responsibility and slammed the third attempt past Wood.
Highest crowd: With a full midweek programme, Charltons gate was the highest in the second division.
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Comments
McCauley looked a half decent player that night but did not reproduce that form too often!
Laurie Abrahams, now there was a player that I could never quite get to appreciate. Never looked or ran like a footballer. Much like Peter Shaw and Mark Stuart.
Everyone was raving about Ward at the time. Going to be leading the England attack etc. OK he was pretty handy during this spell and he went to Forest eventually but never really cut it. Found his England 'claim to fame'.....
International career
In 1977, Ward had been selected for an England under-21 game against Norway. He scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win for England. He was selected for the full England squad against Luxembourg a month later but didn't make it onto the bench.
His only full cap came on 31 May 1980, in a 2-1 win over Australia. Peter Ward came on in the 85th minute, making his international career the shortest ever for an England player.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ward_%28English_footballer%29"
The winner from Paddy Powell was an absolute screamer.
A couple of 1-2's down the right wing and Paddy cut inside and let fly from 25 yards.
The keeper never even saw it.
And Paddy always reckoned his left foot was for standing on.....?!
Was that really 30 years ago? That's scary.........
Me too, Tel.........
I would love to see the highlights.....only 4 at the time!!!
Brighton were top I think. If not certainly top 3. Charlton were about 7th and Hales, Flanagan and Powell were at their peak.
I started a "give us a C" for the first time in my life in the Covered End and carried onto "What have you got"....... to me it appeared if the whole covered end joined in.
Proud lad!
http://drinkingduringthegame.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/4th-october-1977.html
I remember the match well and it was utterly wonderful. I believe Peter Ward had just been called up by England too, Brighton fans were out in force and thickened the uncovered end in a swathe of blue.
The bald facts are dramatic enough, what with the thrice taken penalty, and the scoreline swinging back and forth. However all the football played by both sides was equally dramatic, move after great move, and chances and opportunities were happening all the time. None of the players approached the game in a cynical fashion, all were playing for the joy of the game, the thrill of the sport, the challenge of the contest.
The crowd was really up for it all, sheer exhilaration could have almost been eaten with a spoon it was everywhere. The lights, the atmosphere, the fans, the players, the officials, the game, and of course the result, seemed to fuse into the most perfect Valley night you could ever have.
It was one of those defining games of the era that welded you to football and to Charlton Athletic. I would love to see a video of it again to see if it matches my memories, but it is still possibly the best game of football I have ever seen in my life.
Oi! How very dare you. Still the right side if 50 and gallivanting!
Spillars! I lived in Woolwich for a year and felt sick every Sunday when that hideous niff drifted south if the river.