Football's Strangest Matches

LenGlover

I rediscovered this book at the weekend.

Three Charlton matches feature:

The 1998 Play-off final which the majority of posters on here attended I imagine.

The 7-6 win against Huddersfield in 1957

The 6-6 draw with Middlesbrough in 1960

Despite being one of the "old gits" of the board I didn't attend either of the bottom two matches.

Did anybody else and what are their personal memories of the occasion?

EDIT: As Epsom Addick correctly mentions there is also the Hales Flanagan dust -up in a 3rd round FA Cup tie at The Valley in 1979.

EpsomAddick

I've got that book too - isn't the game when Hales and Flanagan had the punch up in there too?

LenGlover

[cite]Posted By: EpsomAddick[/cite]I've got that book too - isn't the game when Hales and Flanagan had the punch up in there too?

Maybe it is!

I'll have a look when i get home.

adamtheaddick

My old man did the 7-6, loads of his mates left early and loved lording it over them in the pub after! Always talks about it, more than sunderland and he was there to. Plus the 6 6 game but hardly recalls it think hed been on the mild.

fatrob

My uncle's first game was our record defeat away to Aston Villa

happyvalley

Not long after the 6-6 with Boro we beat Plymouth 6-4 at home on Boxing day, only to lose to them by the same score at home park the very next day.

Stig

There was the game at Stamford Bridge which was abandoned due to fog and Sam Bartram stayed on the pitch for 15 minutes not realising it was over. Rather more recently there was the game played at Stamford Beach; full marks to the DJ at The Valley for the next match for playing The Green Green Grass of Home.

guinnessaddick

[cite]Posted By: Stig[/cite]There was the game at Stamford Bridge which was abandoned due to fog and Sam Bartram stayed on the pitch for 15 minutes not realising it was over. Rather more recently there was the game played at Stamford Beach; full marks to the DJ at The Valley for the next match for playing The Green Green Grass of Home.

I sent the request in for it to be played.

Stig

[cite]Posted By: guinnessaddick[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: Stig[/cite]There was the game at Stamford Bridge which was abandoned due to fog and Sam Bartram stayed on the pitch for 15 minutes not realising it was over. Rather more recently there was the game played at Stamford Beach; full marks to the DJ at The Valley for the next match for playing The Green Green Grass of Home.

I sent the request in for it to be played.

Excellent. A good day's work that was Guinness.

Sevensix

Yes, I was at the real '7-6' against Huddersfield in December 1957. It was a few days before my 12th birthday. Fortunately my Dad wasn't in the habit of leaving games early so we saw the whole thing, unlike many around us on the East Terrace. 1-5 down, 10 men, 28 minutes to go. Then Johnny Summers, who became my instant hero, started banging in the goals (5) until we were 6-5 up. When we put in an own goal to make it 6-6, I was devastated. It wasn't meant to be like this. At the death, in went our 7th. We walked on air back up Lansdowne Lane to the 54 bus stop. All the newspapers were full of it next day, even though we were Division 2. Those were the days when they followed the best story, regardless of what league it came from.

I'm not sure if Summers' goal-scoring ratio has ever been beaten: 100 league goals in 171 league appearances. If we 'd only had someone half as good as him in the last 3 seasons........

In the late 50s/early 60s watching Charlton often involved lots of goals. In that season (57/58) our home results were 3-1, 2-0, 3-2, 1-0, 5-1, 0-3, 2-2, 2-2. 4-1, 4-1, 7-6, 2-0, 3-0, 3-1, 6-2, 4-2, 1-1, 2-3, 4-0, 4-1 and finally in the last game (when all we had to do to get promoted back to the 1st was draw), we lost 3-4 to Blackburn, who needed to win to go up in our place. That was when I found out that watching Charlton can kick you down as well as pick you up.

adrian

I suppose I have a previous edition : SOCCER'S STRANGEST MATCHES by Andrew Ward. 209 stories. Hales-Flannagan bust-up included but not the
play-off final. This is one of the number of pristine-condition books I will (try and) sell shortly on Ebay, or other. I understand programmes are
worthless because they're a bit recent, so are my VOTVs, VFRs and other fanzines but i've decided to clear my shelves, everything will have to go - soon.

Stig

Great post Sevensix.

LenGlover

[cite]Posted By: LenGlover[/cite]

[cite]Posted By: EpsomAddick[/cite]I've got that book too - isn't the game when Hales and Flanagan had the punch up in there too?

Maybe it is!

I'll have a look when i get home.

Yes you are right!

Initial post edited.

Thanks for your post Sevensix! Exactly the sort of memoir I was hoping for.

Simonsen

The 7-6 beats all but the Barnsley 5-3 must be up amongst the rest for the pattern of goals 0-3, 1-3 (all first half), 2-3, 3-3 etc, Futcher getting a hat-trick for them, them missing a penalty just when we'd started to get back into it, Futcher getting sent off (only time I've ever known someone get 3 then get sent off), us getting a penalty and scoring. And all in front of only about 3,800 fans.

falconwood_1

[quote][cite]Posted By: Simonsen[/cite]The 7-6 beats all but the Barnsley 5-3 must be up amongst the rest for the pattern of goals 0-3, 1-3 (all first half), 2-3, 3-3 etc, Futcher getting a hat-trick for them, them missing a penalty just when we'd started to get back into it, Futcher getting sent off (only time I've ever known someone get 3 then get sent off), us getting a penalty and scoring. And all in front of only about 3,800 fans.[/quote]

Steve Dowman scored in that game?

Simonsen

Dowman got our first just before half time with a header from a corner. Think he got a second (poss no.5) with another header. Moore scored the penalty and I think Lee and Flanagan got the others.