I'm not saying that it would be the equivalent of us signing Messi right now but, at the time, it certainly felt like it. Just a shame that we were never going to be able to hold onto him for a bit longer because history might have been so different in the short term at least.
He was indeed tiny. My uncle who had the faggot stand in Floyd Road at the time invited him home to Sunday tea and he had to sit on three cushions to reach the table comfortably, amazing.
Faggot van? Was this the 70's equivalent to a burger and sausage van?
I had Mr Brain's Faggots once, never again.
Nothing wrong with faggots, with a portion of pease pudding to compliment.
When I was a nipper living in an old Victorian terrace (long gone) in Ordnance Road I can recall 'Pease pudding, faggots, saveloys' being shouted in the street outside on a Saturday night. It was a weekly treat!
He was indeed tiny. My uncle who had the faggot stand in Floyd Road at the time invited him home to Sunday tea and he had to sit on three cushions to reach the table comfortably, amazing.
Faggot van? Was this the 70's equivalent to a burger and sausage van?
I had Mr Brain's Faggots once, never again.
Nothing wrong with faggots, with a portion of pease pudding to compliment.
When I was a nipper living in an old Victorian terrace (long gone) in Ordnance Road I can recall 'Pease pudding, faggots, saveloys' being shouted in the street outside on a Saturday night. It was a weekly treat!
God, I feel old!
Faggots and pease pudding just makes me think of war food.
These foods were no longer in fashion when I was a child in the 1980s. Along with jellied eels, liver/onions and suet pie.
My mum used to cook heart (ox imagine) for my step dad in the 80s. Frucking stank the house out.
I'm not saying that it would be the equivalent of us signing Messi right now but, at the time, it certainly felt like it. Just a shame that we were never going to be able to hold onto him for a bit longer because history might have been so different in the short term at least.
I compare it to say Rotherham or Preston signing Messi now. Obviously football has become a much bigger stage since 1984 & players nowadays are so much more recognised in the media, but we (like the 2 aforementioned clubs) were in the second tier of football, had recently been in the 3rd tier & hadn't been in the upper echelons for years.
Remember also that a year later Simonsen scored the winner for Denmark against England at Wembley.
I'm not saying that it would be the equivalent of us signing Messi right now but, at the time, it certainly felt like it. Just a shame that we were never going to be able to hold onto him for a bit longer because history might have been so different in the short term at least.
I compare it to say Rotherham or Preston signing Messi now. Obviously football has become a much bigger stage since 1984 & players nowadays are so much more recognised in the media, but we (like the 2 aforementioned clubs) were in the second tier of football, had recently been in the 3rd tier & hadn't been in the upper echelons for years.
Remember also that a year later Simonsen scored the winner for Denmark against England at Wembley.
Just wearing a Charlton shirt is enough for me, although I do remember him playing a pass to Carl Harris that was so good Carl didn’t see it and the ball ran out for a goal kick, my mate turned to me and said he’s far too good to be playing for us, Harris just turned around and clapped in admiration and looked our way with his hands outstretched and a facial expression of did you just see that!!!!!!
I'm not saying that it would be the equivalent of us signing Messi right now but, at the time, it certainly felt like it. Just a shame that we were never going to be able to hold onto him for a bit longer because history might have been so different in the short term at least.
After the 5-2 Chelsea win, a mate and me ended up back in Chislehurst doing a bit of a pub crawl; we'd been in the White Horse and Gordon Arms already and rocked up to number 3 (of 11) which was the Queen's Head. It was fairly busy about 5.45 and I squeezed my way up to the bar and the last person I had to lean over at the bar turned his head toward me as he took a sip of his lager. I was rather taken aback to be looking down on Mr Simonsen! I muttered something like "Oh, hello Allan" and he moved aside a bit to let me get served. I asked him if he wanted a beer but he hadn't really got started on the one he had so he shook his head and said no with a thank you. Once served, my mate and I stood chatting to him for a while; about Charlton, the game that day (we were so much still buzzing about his two goals!!!), about training in Spain and Germany compared with here, about the 7-1 Burnley defeat (He just shook his head and smiled with disbelief at that...). He was very gracious but you could see he was a bit shy.
It didn't take long to get through the pint, and we were off (Fox and Hounds next...) so said our farewell's.
His next home game would be the last he played for Charlton (Leeds, 0-1) and I think he knew that night in the Queen's Head that it was all about to unravel.
Great player but too good. No other player knew how to play with him. It was almost like “here’s the ball now go and score, while we watch”. Went to the England v Denmark match and cheered when he scored the winner.
After the 5-2 Chelsea win, a mate and me ended up back in Chislehurst doing a bit of a pub crawl; we'd been in the White Horse and Gordon Arms already and rocked up to number 3 (of 11) which was the Queen's Head. It was fairly busy about 5.45 and I squeezed my way up to the bar and the last person I had to lean over at the bar turned his head toward me as he took a sip of his lager. I was rather taken aback to be looking down on Mr Simonsen! I muttered something like "Oh, hello Allan" and he moved aside a bit to let me get served. I asked him if he wanted a beer but he hadn't really got started on the one he had so he shook his head and said no with a thank you. Once served, my mate and I stood chatting to him for a while; about Charlton, the game that day (we were so much still buzzing about his two goals!!!), about training in Spain and Germany compared with here, about the 7-1 Burnley defeat (He just shook his head and smiled with disbelief at that...). He was very gracious but you could see he was a bit shy.
It didn't take long to get through the pint, and we were off (Fox and Hounds next...) so said our farewell's.
His next home game would be the last he played for Charlton (Leeds, 0-1) and I think he knew that night in the Queen's Head that it was all about to unravel.
Great player!
Great story. Hard to imagine these days that a player of his calibre who reached the very pinnacle of the game, liked a beer so much that he'd barely had time to dry himself after his shower, before racing to the pub ! Saw all of his home games, unreal player. 5 foot nothing, skinny as a rake, yet he could out jump centre halves. His football brain was always 2 passes ahead of anyone else on the pitch!
Great player but too good. No other player knew how to play with him. It was almost like “here’s the ball now go and score, while we watch”. Went to the England v Denmark match and cheered when he scored the winner.
He passed the ball to where he expected our players to be ... all too often they couldn’t keep up.
A magical crazy time. I saw his first reserve game and couldn't believe he was playing for us. I got lots of mates from school (DartfordTech/Wilmington Grammar) to catch the 96 and come down to the Valley to see the Maestro. One was a massive Liverpool fan and he went to a few more games that season. I lost touch on leaving school but in 1998 I met him at Wembley, liverpool were long forgotten, he was a full on Addick. I wonder how many other fans came on the back of Simmo.
It wasn't just Simmo though. That era was just such a rollercoster, magical. Relegation fights but full on attacking football with Killer and my personal favourite Carl Harris. I loved his strep over and practised and practised until I could do a Carl Harris. The games against Wolves and Bolton were incredible backs to the wall recoveries. I went on the pitch after the Donaster semi and it was the first time I'd done that since then.
When Barcelona signed Argentinian forward Diego Maradona in 1982, Spanish league restrictions meant Simonsen was to compete with Maradona and Bernd Schuster for only two places allowed for foreign players in each starting line-up. Simonsen saw it as a personal insult, and asked Barcelona for his contract to be annulled.[8] He made a shock move to English Second Division side Charlton Athletic for £300,000 in October 1982.[13] He rejected offers from Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, in order to play for a club with less stress and attention.[8] Despite scoring nine times in 16 appearances, the club had trouble funding his transfer and wages after three months, and he was put up for sale.[13] Simonsen then chose to return to his childhood club VB in 1983.
I thought I ought to go and watch him play for us but it was during the time of my greatest apathy concerning Charlton so I couldn't be bothered. All too quickly he was gone so I didn't get the chance to change my mind.
Can't remember which home game. We were attacking the covered End. He received the ball to the right in oppositions half. Covered by 2 defenders he picked his spot, the narrowest of gaps between them, and hit the ball into the top right. I was directly in line standing in my usual spot on the East Terrace. Goalie had no chance. I may struggle to recall recent highlights but that goal lives in my memory. It was a privilege to see him play
Certainly the best player I have seen in a Charlton shirt, and although some of the younger fans will not believe it, we have had some very good players down the years
Comments
It would be good to put them on this one as well.
These foods were no longer in fashion when I was a child in the 1980s. Along with jellied eels, liver/onions and suet pie.
My mum used to cook heart (ox imagine) for my step dad in the 80s. Frucking stank the house out.
Anyhoo, back to Simonsen.
Remember also that a year later Simonsen scored the winner for Denmark against England at Wembley.
@ricky_otto told me you were partial to a faggot.
We made him a better player.
It didn't take long to get through the pint, and we were off (Fox and Hounds next...) so said our farewell's.
His next home game would be the last he played for Charlton (Leeds, 0-1) and I think he knew that night in the Queen's Head that it was all about to unravel.
Great player!
Saw all of his home games, unreal player. 5 foot nothing, skinny as a rake, yet he could out jump centre halves. His football brain was always 2 passes ahead of anyone else on the pitch!
Great memories and so proud he played for us.
It wasn't just Simmo though. That era was just such a rollercoster, magical. Relegation fights but full on attacking football with Killer and my personal favourite Carl Harris. I loved his strep over and practised and practised until I could do a Carl Harris. The games against Wolves and Bolton were incredible backs to the wall recoveries. I went on the pitch after the Donaster semi and it was the first time I'd done that since then.
From wiki
When Barcelona signed Argentinian forward Diego Maradona in 1982, Spanish league restrictions meant Simonsen was to compete with Maradona and Bernd Schuster for only two places allowed for foreign players in each starting line-up. Simonsen saw it as a personal insult, and asked Barcelona for his contract to be annulled.[8] He made a shock move to English Second Division side Charlton Athletic for £300,000 in October 1982.[13] He rejected offers from Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, in order to play for a club with less stress and attention.[8] Despite scoring nine times in 16 appearances, the club had trouble funding his transfer and wages after three months, and he was put up for sale.[13] Simonsen then chose to return to his childhood club VB in 1983.
https://twitter.com/cafcfacts/status/1326067502602981380?s=21