I guess this is one for the oldies. Reading Drinking During the Game blog the other day there was a comment re the Covered End which rang very true to me. In the "real" days of the CE (before seating etc) is was a PLACE. Sure there was no real food,toilets,booze,shop,etc and when a goal was scored in could be dangerous
Now I know my mind is getting old and forgetful but I'm sure there was a bar right under the CE where you could get beer, bovril and hot (ish) pies.
I share many of the memories but most of all how the CE seemed to be ram full, all standing. all singing, loads of scarves above heads doing "You'll never walk alone", cascading down the terracing when a goal was scored, "Knees up mother Brown". Remember in particular one game in the late 60s against Norwich - we were 0-3 down at half time and fought back to 3-3. I was nearly deafened by the roars, and lost my voice for about 3 days after. Not such a great fan of the times our end was "taken" but usually won it back - me generally being behind my big brother who was (and still is) a bit tasty :-)
Sure that was a boxing day, 67/68? Harry Gregory scored the equaliser I think, why else would he run to the touchline & shake hands with old bill (true)
Covered end, access from the sides and the steps from the back, under the centre the bar. Bottles of light or brown ale, lager did not exist. Some people never left that bar it was open all game. The walkway out the back, went up to the east terrace and old valley club, or round to the small terrace and those awful bogs. Sargent Wall was the home main officer, he knew who to watch out for. Great days and nights. Cardiff coming across the pitch, SheffWeds in that game, one guy came at us with a small camping axe, tha was one of the nastiest fights ever saw at home. Great times
Covered end, access from the sides and the steps from the back, under the centre the bar. Bottles of light or brown ale, lager did not exist. Some people never left that bar it was open all game. The walkway out the back, went up to the east terrace and old valley club, or round to the small terrace and those awful bogs. Sargent Wall was the home main officer, he knew who to watch out for. Great days and nights. Cardiff coming across the pitch, SheffWeds in that game, one guy came at us with a small camping axe, tha was one of the nastiest fights ever saw at home. Great times
The guy with the axe, was that against Blackburn or did I dream that?
I share many of the memories but most of all how the CE seemed to be ram full, all standing. all singing, loads of scarves above heads doing "You'll never walk alone", cascading down the terracing when a goal was scored, "Knees up mother Brown". Remember in particular one game in the late 60s against Norwich - we were 0-3 down at half time and fought back to 3-3. I was nearly deafened by the roars, and lost my voice for about 3 days after. Not such a great fan of the times our end was "taken" but usually won it back - me generally being behind my big brother who was (and still is) a bit tasty :-)
Sure that was a boxing day, 67/68? Harry Gregory scored the equaliser I think, why else would he run to the touchline & shake hands with old bill (true)
I share many of the memories but most of all how the CE seemed to be ram full, all standing. all singing, loads of scarves above heads doing "You'll never walk alone", cascading down the terracing when a goal was scored, "Knees up mother Brown". Remember in particular one game in the late 60s against Norwich - we were 0-3 down at half time and fought back to 3-3. I was nearly deafened by the roars, and lost my voice for about 3 days after. Not such a great fan of the times our end was "taken" but usually won it back - me generally being behind my big brother who was (and still is) a bit tasty :-)
Sure that was a boxing day, 67/68? Harry Gregory scored the equaliser I think, why else would he run to the touchline & shake hands with old bill (true)
ps. Sorry for missing out Black Les...he was f**king 'ard.
Maybe matey, maybe. :-)
From the deepest recesses of my mind I've just remembered another stalwart - Albert. A right old nutter and a bit of a scallywag. Always wore a very nice tonic suit and was always up for a ruck.
How many remember running across pitch away to Chesterfield in the fa cup before the game and taking there end old bill could not keep up and they were. falling all over cause they were all sweathogs we were laughing so hard we could not get over the fence at their end. And who remembers the cup tie up in hull right after a snowstorm the old bill made us take our boots off outside the ground they got on our Lewis coaches on the way back and got off when we hit the motorway. The hull fans bombarded the coaches with snowballs as a farewell gift.-
Covered end, access from the sides and the steps from the back, under the centre the bar. Bottles of light or brown ale, lager did not exist. Some people never left that bar it was open all game. The walkway out the back, went up to the east terrace and old valley club, or round to the small terrace and those awful bogs. Sargent Wall was the home main officer, he knew who to watch out for. Great days and nights. Cardiff coming across the pitch, SheffWeds in that game, one guy came at us with a small camping axe, tha was one of the nastiest fights ever saw at home. Great times
The guy with the axe, was that against Blackburn or did I dream that?
Definately Sheffield Wednesday, have for a long time thought I must have imagined it but as Ralph mentioned it I'm now convinced it was true. Also remember playing Hull city first game of the season early 70s and about 100 of there fans with freshly cropped skinheads being chased out the covered end just after the start of the game.
Remember the match against Chelsea in the 70s the season after they were relegated walking into a packed covered end before the start and thinking what a lot of charlton supporters there were only for as the match kicked off all of a sudden out came the blue and white scarves that had been hidden under their jackets then a massive bundle and managing to get out unscathed only to watch the rest of the game from the east terrace.
Covered end, access from the sides and the steps from the back, under the centre the bar. Bottles of light or brown ale, lager did not exist. Some people never left that bar it was open all game. The walkway out the back, went up to the east terrace and old valley club, or round to the small terrace and those awful bogs. Sargent Wall was the home main officer, he knew who to watch out for. Great days and nights. Cardiff coming across the pitch, SheffWeds in that game, one guy came at us with a small camping axe, tha was one of the nastiest fights ever saw at home. Great times
The guy with the axe, was that against Blackburn or did I dream that?
Definately Sheffield Wednesday, have for a long time thought I must have imagined it but as Ralph mentioned it I'm now convinced it was true. Also remember playing Hull city first game of the season early 70s and about 100 of there fans with freshly cropped skinheads being chased out the covered end just after the start of the game.
definitely Wednesday ... hard to forget as I was standing very near him
How many remember running across pitch away to Chesterfield in the fa cup before the game and taking there end old bill could not keep up and they were. falling all over cause they were all sweathogs we were laughing so hard we could not get over the fence at their end.
Remember it very well ... Tel who is a CL member was also there. Good day out.
The funniest story i heard was of the pompey fan who got kidnapped by the bar after it kicked off and his mates had scarpered. Was given a choice of buying everyone a beer or getting a dig. Bought the beers then got a right hander anyway. Can't confirm its true but heard it from at least 2 people.
not a thread for just the hoolie stuff, although we have to admit it happened.
I remember the two groups of girls that use to come with us to the CE one was from Elsa Rd school and im sure a yng kate Bush was with em sometimes the other group was from Erith. Great times-----they even had our names written on their jeans ! (and no my name isnt Levi your clever bastards).
never saw the axe but did see the affects of a Blackburn hoolie getting hit with a hammer---not one i want to see again.
always stood in front of a barrier never behind one the surges when you got trapped against one was not a good place.
Loads of the old faces still go and some of their grand kids go now.
The funniest story i heard was of the pompey fan who got kidnapped by the bar after it kicked off and his mates had scarpered. Was given a choice of buying everyone a beer or getting a dig. Bought the beers then got a right hander anyway. Can't confirm its true but heard it from at least 2 people.
That story rings a bell Dave.
How could I forget about the surges, great laugh, but not if you were at the bottom of the terracing. The kids of today dont know they are born...when I was a lad..etc..etc
Lots of memories of the CE in the late 60's early 70's and I suppose most are associated with rucks but it was the place to be as all your mates congregated there we always stood right of the goal and as Greenie said in front of the barriers. Remember Millwall and Chelsea at our end which wasn't good but generally we always held our own. Have a big memory back in about 1973 when Bournmouth came down at the away fixture our coach was bricked so retribution was handed out large.
Having grown up in Cherry Orchard I knew all the faces but wasn't part of the inner crew mainly because I wasn't hard enough and partly because I didn't want to be but I still quietly admired them all......still do as a matter of fact. The point was that when you stood at the CE you was one of the boys didn't matter where you lived or who your mates were we were all Charlton and that is what counted. Totally different now but I now sit where I used to stand as I couldn't face being anywhere else.
Although it must have looked unorganised there was an unspoken strategy. The inner crew (around 50) would go in hard and then be backed up by the outer crew, and although they maybe never threw a punch in anger it was the fact that they were there, and that in turn spurred on the hard men.
Love this thread. Though at 25 it was long before I was even born. Great stories. Makes me wish I was there! I could have kicked some shins for you lads
Love this thread. Though at 25 it was long before I was even born. Great stories. Makes me wish I was there! I could have kicked some shins for you lads
Left side ....right side. Scoring and tumbling down the terraces. Friday night atmosphere always the best. Preston promotion game ...Covered End so loud. Bar at halftime ...many going down 5 minutes before and getting back 5 minutes late. Middle Park, Cherry Orchard, Blackheath Village, Royal Standard, Greenwich ...and many other crews. PC Jim. Being kicked down the terrace after ...probably stupidly ...standing up to West Hams' Mile End mob. Chelsea fire. Beating both Spurs and Chelsea over the course of a bank holiday weekend. Sharing the Covered End with SheffWed and refusing to move despite some obvious 'hardware' being displayed. Trying to get enough together to take Covered End back from the Spanners ...with very infrequent success. Bogs behind the Covered End ...haaa, just a brick wall basically.
I was showing my son the old picture of the Covered End in the Brighton program last weekend and telling him, that was the real Covered End ...what memories, barely scraped the surface with this post.
Loving reading this thread, never had the pleasure of the Covered End experience as I only started going when we were at Upton Park. Someone should write a book.
Loving reading this thread, never had the pleasure of the Covered End experience as I only started going when we were at Upton Park. Someone should write a book.
I'd have a go at that but I think it's a limited market. Plus I wouldnt want to step on Ackworths toes.
Loved being in the CE for night games, Preston promotion game was special. I remember around 50 Sunderland (mid 70"s) walking in to the CE really early, only a few kids (me included) and 2 older Middle Park boys, most ran but the Middle Park boys ran straight into them, it really went off, the Sunderland lot must have thought they were lunatics. I knew both of them by name as I was also from Middle Park and it certainly wasn't the last time I that I saw these two in the thick of it.
Arsenal at home in a testimonial, got pretty tasty with the Gooners behind the back of the CE, by this time the CE had seating.
Walking out the CE after a night game in the mid 70"s and watching my mates Parka burst into flames, someone had dropped a lit cigarette in his pocket, we burst out laughing at the time but the speed in which his coat went up was frightening, the walk back through Marion Park and across the Common to catch the 122 was very cold for him.
I can only remember Wednesday and Chelsea taking the CE completely. Weds had a huge mob and Chelsea started a fire in the CE and wrecked the social club behind the stand.
Great to see Middle Park mentioned here. Will never forget trying to 'remove' Millwall and failing ;-)
Fashion was pretty important too - we respected a well dressed crew more than a bunch of Scruffs.
Stereotypes is everything right? One of the more amusing memories I have as a nipper, was standing in the CE prior to kick off around the late 70's for a humdrum 2nd division fixture versus a northern team, Leicester keeps coming into the mind but not 100% sure. I was resplendent in the fashion of the day, compulsory DM's and donkey jacket, much too large for me, but I of course thought I looked the dogs. In walks a group of maybe a dozen blokes, resplendent in full flares (three button wasters the lot...) AND brand new Charlton silk scarves tied around their wrists. I mean they could not of looked more out of place and Northern if they had brought their whippets with them. They stood half way up the right side of the terrace by the gate in the CE, looking nervously around them. Those CE residents who were there and not in the bar underneath, clocked them, sussed that they were not "locals" immediately and started a resounding chorus of "Charlton", there was then a Mexican stand off that seemed to go on for half an hour but was probably half a minute and the chase was on, out they ran with twenty or thirty of ours chasing after them. That was it you see? none of your football factory bollocks, of guns and knives and organised meet ups, just the usual play out of events that happened all around the country at that time in football.
Some great memories on this thread - very similar to the B Mob/Cockney Firestarters one, for any latecomers.
One sad aspect looking back were the number of racist songs/chants at the time - sieg heil, vince hilaire song, lick my boots, monkey chants etc. Have to say though that these chants were prevalant at most grounds at the time, but the Welling skins in particular were heavily into the British Movement.
The Arsenal testimonial was when CE was still terraces and not seats as mentioned earlier on this thread.
Comments
From the deepest recesses of my mind I've just remembered another stalwart - Albert. A right old nutter and a bit of a scallywag. Always wore a very nice tonic suit and was always up for a ruck.
I remember the two groups of girls that use to come with us to the CE one was from Elsa Rd school and im sure a yng kate Bush was with em sometimes the other group was from Erith. Great times-----they even had our names written on their jeans ! (and no my name isnt Levi your clever bastards).
never saw the axe but did see the affects of a Blackburn hoolie getting hit with a hammer---not one i want to see again.
always stood in front of a barrier never behind one the surges when you got trapped against one was not a good place.
Loads of the old faces still go and some of their grand kids go now.
How could I forget about the surges, great laugh, but not if you were at the bottom of the terracing. The kids of today dont know they are born...when I was a lad..etc..etc
Having grown up in Cherry Orchard I knew all the faces but wasn't part of the inner crew mainly because I wasn't hard enough and partly because I didn't want to be but I still quietly admired them all......still do as a matter of fact. The point was that when you stood at the CE you was one of the boys didn't matter where you lived or who your mates were we were all Charlton and that is what counted. Totally different now but I now sit where I used to stand as I couldn't face being anywhere else.
Arsenal at home in a testimonial, got pretty tasty with the Gooners behind the back of the CE, by this time the CE had seating.
Walking out the CE after a night game in the mid 70"s and watching my mates Parka burst into flames, someone had dropped a lit cigarette in his pocket, we burst out laughing at the time but the speed in which his coat went up was frightening, the walk back through Marion Park and across the Common to catch the 122 was very cold for him.
Great to see Middle Park mentioned here. Will never forget trying to 'remove' Millwall and failing ;-)
Fashion was pretty important too - we respected a well dressed crew more than a bunch of Scruffs.
The Gooners in the friendly made the national press for all the wrong reasons. We arrived well after the kick off with a load of chaps from Woolwich.
The Wecome Inn (now long were gone) was a meeting place on a Sunday night.
two of the girls who use to come with us around 1974 were Pat and Jan both darlings one blonde and one brunette .Game on !!!
One sad aspect looking back were the number of racist songs/chants at the time - sieg heil, vince hilaire song, lick my boots, monkey chants etc. Have to say though that these chants were prevalant at most grounds at the time, but the Welling skins in particular were heavily into the British Movement.
The Arsenal testimonial was when CE was still terraces and not seats as mentioned earlier on this thread.