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First game back at the Valley - were you there ? your memories (30 years ago today)

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Comments

  • DanDavis
    DanDavis Posts: 1,131
    I remember the damn turnstile ripping the skin of the back of my ankle :)
  • I was out in Israel at the time on a kibbutz aged 18 and picking bananas. We used to have a little radio with us out in the fields and have BBC world service on for all the saturday footy. Remember the result coming in and just shouting out. The return to the Valley even made the back pages of the Jerusalem Post newspaper.

    There were only 3 things i brought back from my time in Israel:
    that copy of the Jerusalem Post (which i still have),
    the machete i used to cut down bananas
    and a south african girlfriend (which i dont have)

    Hard to believe its 20 years .
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,601

    I was out in Israel at the time on a kibbutz aged 18 and picking bananas. We used to have a little radio with us out in the fields and have BBC world service on for all the saturday footy. Remember the result coming in and just shouting out. The return to the Valley even made the back pages of the Jerusalem Post newspaper.

    There were only 3 things i brought back from my time in Israel:
    that copy of the Jerusalem Post (which i still have),
    the machete i used to cut down bananas
    and a south african girlfriend (which i dont have)

    Hard to believe its 20 years .

    Bit harsh using a machete on the girlfriend.
  • Chippycafc
    Chippycafc Posts: 14,148
    Was sat in the north stand just to the left of the goal where walshie scored...we would have beaten AC Milan that day (they were the kings of europe at the time just as barca are today). What was amazing was we played oxford utd just seven days later and couldnt fill the ground. Remember Paul Walsh missing a simple chance at the far post near the end, to this day i am sure he meant to miss.
  • Chippycafc
    Chippycafc Posts: 14,148
    Was also in the sun newspaper hugging me mate when we scored on the mondays edition, which i still have today.
  • Anna_Kissed
    Anna_Kissed Posts: 3,302
    Friday 4th Dec, 6pm: Train journey back to SE London from Winchester, where I was living and working at that time.
    Midnight: A can of London Pride, opened on the first chime of Big Ben, to toast in my 27th birthday.
    Sat Dec 5th: Noon: Off to The Valley, nice and early (to enjoy the legacy of The Valley Party, for whom I was a candidate, some two and a half years earlier).
    3:08pm (approx) : Colin Walsh scores, at the Covered End, giving me a most cherished birthday present. Oh, sweet joy.
    17.30: Off to the 'Who'd a Thought It?' in Plumstead, for a back to The Valley party. What a birthday!
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,225
    Happy 21st Everyone

    "Many Miles Have I Travelled..."
  • Alex Wright
    Alex Wright Posts: 8,214
    Live, love, laugh and be happy.

    Happy December the 5th everyone
  • PeterGage
    PeterGage Posts: 1,793
    The return to The Valley was pre- premiership and therefore the fourth official in those days for football league games was selected from Senior Amateur football, such as the Isthmian League. I refereed on the Isthmian league in those days and was (and still is) an avid Charlton fan. I asked the fixtures official if I could be appointed for the first game back at The Valley and surprisingly he agreed. I met him at the pub at The Standard prior to the game and gave him my two complimentary match tickets!

    The game started and I was seated next to the two dugouts. When Charlton scored (Walsh, 20 mins?) I jumped in the air with joy and it then dawned upon me that my so called neutrality had been comprised.

    After the game, we officials were invited into a reception where we were given a paperweight momentum of the occasion (which i still have and treasure) and I recall speaking with many of the Charlton past-heroes. One of the best days of my life.
  • BowieAddick
    BowieAddick Posts: 1,192
    edited December 2013
    It was my 26th Birthday, wonderful day great memories. Watching the video on the big screen on Saturday it still brings tears to my eyes watching Roger Alwen unlock those gates :)
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  • It was my 26th Birthday, wonderful day great memories. Watching the video on the big screen on Saturday it still brings tears to my eyes watching Roger Alwen unlock those gates :)

    And was my 22nd birthday - Happy Birthday for today BA!!

    Sat in the covered end, what a great day after enduring those no atmosphere Palace ground games, WHU wasn't so bad
  • WSS
    WSS Posts: 25,070
    Everyone was fourth official on that day weren't they?

    They also went to the Huddersfield 7-6 game.
  • I was there. Despite being 20 at the time I've only got a dim memory of the game, aside from the goal of course. I just remember looking all about the ground trying to recall how it was when I was last there, seeeing the old steep terracing still there, the scaffold walkways and singing 'we're back at the Valley'. A dream come true it was going back. The stadium, our league position and the noise we made seemed to get bigger and bigger from then on, culminating in our promotion to the prem.
  • RedChaser
    RedChaser Posts: 19,885
    WSS said:

    Everyone was fourth official on that day weren't they?

    They also went to the Huddersfield 7-6 game.

    And don't forget more recently the record 6-0 away win at Barnsley.........go on ask me :0)
  • cafckev
    cafckev Posts: 2,914
    What a great video. That gave me so many goose bumps moments.
  • E_cafc
    E_cafc Posts: 2,617
    Here is the entire last game at the Valley 1985 v Stoke City. Poor game but the half time and full time are entertaining and lots of young faces on show. 28 years ago!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE7d9wFPbDU
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,008
    Thanks for that E. I was on the terrace pre game. The pitch at HT & again at FT.

    Spotted Airman with "the sheet" at the end, on exactly 2 hours. Steve Allchurch the skinhead was standing next to him.

    I haven't seen Allchurch for ages.

    Bloody hell, I had tears in my eyes that day, walking up Charlton Church Lane afterwards.
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,225
    Worth a bump for tomorrow

  • Happy December 5th everyone! I wasn't even born at the time, but my dad went and he made sure I knew the importance of this day since I was a youngun.
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  • BowieAddick
    BowieAddick Posts: 1,192
    It was a very Happy Birthday for me :)
  • It was before my time, sadly, but I really wish it wasn't.

  • DeeBee
    DeeBee Posts: 1,033
    2 years later I was born :-)
  • ross1
    ross1 Posts: 50,974
    DeeBee said:

    2 years later I was born :-)

    It is a shame it was not 9 months later
  • I was too young to be there, but it still brings goosebumps to my body seeing that replay. I used to work in the same building as Walsh and every 5th December I used to email him and thank him for that moment. Such a nice bloke!
  • Callumcafc
    Callumcafc Posts: 63,766
    All the young'uns piping up and I'm another... Wish I went to say "I was there" but maybe it would've been too soon for a seven week old. :-)
  • boogica
    boogica Posts: 2,321
    Great day ,great memories .
  • Ledge
    Ledge Posts: 7,179
    Valley pub

    Jimmy seed

    Wonderful day
  • Just over two years before I was born.. still a great moment and means a lot...