ShootersHillGuru said that he felt there there might be a WW1 connection.
There might be something in this. There is a memorial to the 58th London Division at Chipilly on The Somme that consists of a soldier kissing his mortally wounded horse goodbye. The song itself has that fatalistic soldiers outlook as in "we"re here because we're here because we're here "etc.
I thought 'Goodbye Horse' was connected to 'Henry Irving' (not our henry the other one)
Not for any other reason than they were both random. I know that it has nothing to do with it now. But sure it was earlier than the copper, could be wrong.
A Newcastle fan mate of mine once saw I had a copy of the Goodbye Horse fanzine and asked why we had a fanzine named after a Newcastle song. He used to go in the 70s and 80s, so looks like its been around for a while.
Is it not something to do with a copper who fell from his horse and the horse bolted? Or Two ......When a spanner was evicted from council house for non payment of rent, we as Charlton fans sang Goodbye house which with our scarf lundun accents sounded like Goodbye Horse.
I first head VFR away at Oxford probably about 1991ish possibly 92. Deffo not at selhurst, I stand to be corrected
It was defo sung at Selhurst on occasion - I heard it at Valley late 70's when my dad started taking me to Charlton - it's a song which seems to come and go - it's not exclusive to Charlton thou - it's a good laugh to sing as you can just go on and on and on and on !!!
Been singing it at least since the 70s,Middle Park mob used to sing it along with "Old MacDonald" & one about a "ferret sticking up my arse" usually when they all came up from the bar at half time mostly pissed (did they ever arrive before half time?).
Knees up Mother brown was sung at all the London grounds but the last time we started it at Villa away we were accused of being West Ham...shows how far Charltons fan base has moved away from its roots. We also had the "Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde" one from The Move - "Met my baby down at the Covered End", Lee Marvins " Wandering Star" Chickery Tips "Son of the Father".....you could go on forever...
I first head VFR away at Oxford probably about 1991ish possibly 92. Deffo not at selhurst, I stand to be corrected
It was defo sung at Selhurst on occasion - I heard it at Valley late 70's when my dad started taking me to Charlton - it's a song which seems to come and go - it's not exclusive to Charlton thou - it's a good laugh to sing as you can just go on and on and on and on !!!
I can't remember us singing anything at Selhurst! Apart from a really vicious "We should have stayed at the Valley" when the lights failed in an evening game. Away games were a different matter of course, almost like supporting a different club, the ghost of Old Charlton.
VFR is surely post Selhurst, and my Forest supporting mate keep claiming they started it.
I first head VFR away at Oxford probably about 1991ish possibly 92. Deffo not at selhurst, I stand to be corrected
It was defo sung at Selhurst on occasion - I heard it at Valley late 70's when my dad started taking me to Charlton - it's a song which seems to come and go - it's not exclusive to Charlton thou - it's a good laugh to sing as you can just go on and on and on and on !!!
Definitely sung in the Covered End and at away games years before we left The Valley. Remember everyone singing it at away games and the home fans not having a clue what we were singing and then frothing at the mouth in anger because we wouldn't stop singing it.
There were plenty of songs sung at Selhurst but none are suitable for here .We had a VERY tight following at Selhurst and while a lot had a issues going there,if your of a certain age many look back quite fondly at some of the memorys.
I first heard GBH at Brighton away in March 1975. Mick Kelly equalised up our end where we had thousands in a 1-1 draw. Song was sung on the old Lewis coach on way back to Sarf London.
I first head VFR away at Oxford probably about 1991ish possibly 92. Deffo not at selhurst, I stand to be corrected
It was defo sung at Selhurst on occasion - I heard it at Valley late 70's when my dad started taking me to Charlton - it's a song which seems to come and go - it's not exclusive to Charlton thou - it's a good laugh to sing as you can just go on and on and on and on !!!
I can't remember us singing anything at Selhurst! Apart from a really vicious "We should have stayed at the Valley" when the lights failed in an evening game. Away games were a different matter of course, almost like supporting a different club, the ghost of Old Charlton.
VFR is surely post Selhurst, and my Forest supporting mate keep claiming they started it.
Absolutely not post Selhurst. I used to join in with it many years before. In fact I recall contacting Steve Sutherland during the exile years to encourage him to organise a recording of VFR and had to tell him what it was as he didn't know it.
VFR obviously taken to our hearts more during that period and to a wider fan base.
As for GBH, not sure when that started but the West Ham incident was Old Bill unloading a horse from a wagon. Our stand had a great view of it becoming spooked, getting free and running off up the road. The song was then sung with great gusto and hilarity. The rest of the ground must have been very bemused. The song had been sung long before this incident.
Comments
There might be something in this. There is a memorial to the 58th London Division at Chipilly on The Somme that consists of a soldier kissing his mortally wounded horse goodbye. The song itself has that fatalistic soldiers outlook as in "we"re here because we're here because we're here "etc.
I belive this is how they say goodbye in belgium..
Navy origins?
In the RN (1940s-1950s)a horse was a girlfriend (usually a casual one!).
http://www.lufctalk.com/forums/index.php?topic=1281
CLASSIC LEEDS SONG!! from when a leeds fan dressed as a pantomine horse was escorted off the pitch vs Liverpool 1965.
Goodbye horse, goodbye horse,
I was saying goodbye to my horse,
And as i was saying goodbye to my horse,
I was saying goodbye to my horse.
Or Two ......When a spanner was evicted from council house for non payment of rent, we as Charlton fans sang Goodbye house which with our scarf lundun accents sounded like Goodbye Horse.
I have always said it was at a game against QPR when a mounted plod fell off his horse
Knees up Mother brown was sung at all the London grounds but the last time we started it at Villa away we were accused of being West Ham...shows how far Charltons fan base has moved away from its roots. We also had the "Ballad of Bonnie & Clyde" one from The Move - "Met my baby down at the Covered End", Lee Marvins " Wandering Star" Chickery Tips "Son of the Father".....you could go on forever...
VFR is surely post Selhurst, and my Forest supporting mate keep claiming they started it.
VFR obviously taken to our hearts more during that period and to a wider fan base.
As for GBH, not sure when that started but the West Ham incident was Old Bill unloading a horse from a wagon. Our stand had a great view of it becoming spooked, getting free and running off up the road. The song was then sung with great gusto and hilarity. The rest of the ground must have been very bemused. The song had been sung long before this incident.