The Sunday we returned to the Valley to clear it. It was raining and i thought no one would bother.I drove over and when i walked in hundreds if not a couple of thousand were there. Stunned i watched on my own and then walked round the back of the Covered End and up one of the entrance stair ways to where we all use to stand. There already were 3 mates sitting there.No one arranged it and none of use knew the others would be there.We sat and watched in silence ,hugely emotional ----then naffed off to the RO as you do/did.
There are places that are pivotal to your life in many ways and The Valley ---The Covered End is for me.
Roland---Daisey----Burger Boy you can never understand.
You've said all this on this thread years ago. I read it yesterday.
The Sunday we returned to the Valley to clear it. It was raining and i thought no one would bother.I drove over and when i walked in hundreds if not a couple of thousand were there. Stunned i watched on my own and then walked round the back of the Covered End and up one of the entrance stair ways to where we all use to stand. There already were 3 mates sitting there.No one arranged it and none of use knew the others would be there.We sat and watched in silence ,hugely emotional ----then naffed off to the RO as you do/did.
There are places that are pivotal to your life in many ways and The Valley ---The Covered End is for me.
Roland---Daisey----Burger Boy you can never understand.
You've said all this on this thread years ago. I read it yesterday.
The Covered End is a fundamental part of my makeup and some of the big night games are my fondest memories of football.
The exhilaration of being young fit and gobby in a huge crowd of likeminded is intoxicating. In my minds eye i can still feel it smell it, the sounds and culture. Will take it to my grave.
My memory of watching from the covered end Harry Gregory punching ball in net against Rotherham ... and celebrating and the ref running to centre spot pointing for the goal !!!!
53 bus from Woolwich, The Valley Pub. 2 light and bitters , out again at 2, bag of chips and a sav from the chippy on church lane. Verbalise the opposition supporters, and when it kicked off hide behind the biggest bloke in a red and white scarf.
I can still smell the light ales in the bar underneath the covered end.
The first time you were big enough to be served was definitely a rite of passage
That brings to mind one of the great questions of the universe - whatever happened to light and bitter?
Alive and kicking in few select pubs. Including Royal Oak in Northumberland Heath, Courage best and a cold light ale. Perfect !
Remember going in the Royal Oak at lunchtimes during my last year at school at Avenue Road, take off the tie and blazer, sit in a huddle in the corner......there would be some of teachers at the other end of the pub, they would pretend not to notice us and vice versa. Happy days, not least because it was about 40p a pint then.
So many games and so many memories, the first game back at the valley is hard to beat. Taking my daughters for the 1st time, some of the Premiership games where little old charlton turned over supposedly greater opposition.
The only time I’ve ever got hit was at that Weds game at The Valley back in the 70’s They’d occupied the covered end early and we gradually arrived- anyway this Weds fan ran down hitting everyone on his way down hitting me with a glancing blow - after he hit me a Charlton fan grabbed him a hit his head on a barrier —and then chucked him to a policeman - that was an amazing day
I also remember standing behind Chris Slattery in the covered end against Millwall when he tried to fight off 3 or 4 of them and he got a right kicking - he was a brave(and a nice) guy!! I also remember Hull away in the in the 70’s - it was a bit like that scene in Zulu ( or that’s what it felt like then ) with loads of them surrounding hardly any of us. I think it was Dave Waldron, Kevin Hopkins and Jim Jarrett who were the main ones - I remember losing my cheap watch , I think I threw it at a Hull fan
The only time I’ve ever got hit was at that Weds game at The Valley back in the 70’s They’d occupied the covered end early and we gradually arrived- anyway this Weds fan ran down hitting everyone on his way down hitting me with a glancing blow - after he hit me a Charlton fan grabbed him a hit his head on a barrier —and then chucked him to a policeman - that was an amazing day
I also remember standing behind Chris Slattery in the covered end against Millwall when he tried to fight off 3 or 4 of them and he got a right kicking - he was a brave(and a nice) guy!! I also remember Hull away in the in the 70’s - it was a bit like that scene in Zulu ( or that’s what it felt like then ) with loads of them surrounding hardly any of us. I think it was Dave Waldron, Kevin Hopkins and Jim Jarrett who were the main ones - I remember losing my cheap watch , I think I threw it at a Hull fan
Happy Days - well sort of !!!
I think it was Jim Jarrett that was stabbed on the way back from Walsall at the service station...among others? He worn the white butchers coat?
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
The Covered End is a fundamental part of my makeup and some of the big night games are my fondest memories of football.
The exhilaration of being young fit and gobby in a huge crowd of likeminded is intoxicating. In my minds eye i can still feel it smell it, the sounds and culture. Will take it to my grave.
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
I might be mixing this up when there was a meeting with Coventry at the services. Yes the First day kn the third tier was hectic!
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
I might be mixing this up when there was a meeting with Coventry at the services. Yes the First day kn the third tier was hectic!
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
I might be mixing this up when there was a meeting with Coventry at the services. Yes the First day kn the third tier was hectic!
Definitely Coventry
Indeed it was Coventry and Jim was stabbed bad enough that it nearly killed him. When he recovered he never used to go to Charlton as much. Stopped going altogether years ago. He then sadly took his own life. I went to his funeral and there was a good turnout of Charlton to pay there respects. RIP Jim.
As for the other 3 Charlton supporters mentioned earlier in this thread Kevin Hopkins now lives in Spain but comes over 3 or 4 times a year to watch Charlton. I was with him at Wembley. Dave Waldren still comes occasionally. Chris Slattery passed away a few years ago.
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
he did loose teeth that day not sure about getying stabbed.
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
I was on the same coach as Jim and pretty much all the rest of the Eltham / Weling charlton boys. I don't Remember anyone getting stabbed, but Bob, McGlone got smash on head with a brick , that the bloke was carrying in a plastic bag. That was one wild day, our first game in the third tier, and what an introduction.
I might be mixing this up when there was a meeting with Coventry at the services. Yes the First day kn the third tier was hectic!
Definitely Coventry
Indeed it was Coventry and Jim was stabbed bad enough that it nearly killed him. When he recovered he never used to go to Charlton as much. Stopped going altogether years ago. He then sadly took his own life. I went to his funeral and there was a good turnout of Charlton to pay there respects. RIP Jim.
Too brave for his own good was Jim. Always remember Chelsea away on Boxing Day 1975(?). Our district line train pulled into Earls Court and Jim wanted to take on about 200 Chelsea on his own. His mates thankfully stoped him
Walking back to Bolton station in the early 80's, we were ambushed by about 50 of their lads. Kevin Hopkins got out a silver Parker pen and the Bolton lads scattered thinking it was a knife. Couldn't run after them because we were too busy laughing ourselves silly.
Walking back to Bolton station, we were ambushed by about 50 of their lads. Kevin Hopkins got out a silver Parker pen and the Bolton lads scattered thinking it was a knife. Couldn't run after them because we were too busy laughing ourselves silly.
The size and shape of most of us now we couldn't run even if we wanted to.
Comments
The exhilaration of being young fit and gobby in a huge crowd of likeminded is intoxicating. In my minds eye i can still feel it smell it, the sounds and culture. Will take it to my grave.
priceless !!!!
Happy happy days.!!
Things were easier then and happy days.
The Covered End!
They’d occupied the covered end early and we gradually arrived- anyway this Weds fan ran down hitting everyone on his way down hitting me with a glancing blow - after he hit me a Charlton fan grabbed him a hit his head on a barrier —and then chucked him to a policeman - that was an amazing day
I also remember standing behind Chris Slattery in the covered end against Millwall when he tried to fight off 3 or 4 of them and he got a right kicking - he was a brave(and a nice) guy!!
I also remember Hull away in the in the 70’s - it was a bit like that scene in Zulu ( or that’s what it felt like then ) with loads of them
surrounding hardly any of us. I think it was Dave Waldron, Kevin Hopkins and Jim Jarrett who were the main ones - I remember losing my cheap watch , I think I threw it at a Hull fan
Happy Days - well sort of !!!
Jim took his own life a few years ago RIP
Yes the First day kn the third tier was hectic!
When he recovered he never used to go to Charlton as much.
Stopped going altogether years ago.
He then sadly took his own life.
I went to his funeral and there was a good turnout of Charlton to pay there respects.
RIP Jim.
Dave Waldren still comes occasionally.
Chris Slattery passed away a few years ago.