Pre-season trading show for the cameras on 15 August 1957, Ufton coaching local boys. Later that season Derek Ufton would play a role in football’s greatest comeback.
One of the many working class heroes who returned from the war with nothing and just got on the best he could, largely without complaint. Generous to a fault, always looked for the good, adored by us kids and five grandchildren. A Charlton fan of course.
Born 22 August 1921 at Winchester, died 12 October 2012
Tony Pawson was hardly a household name. He only played a couple of games for the Addicks in the 1950s. One of my all time favourite articles in VOTV was by Kevin Nolan in January in which Tony Pawson featured.
In the years following WWII games were played on Christmas Day usually starting at 11am with the reverse fixture - against the same team - played the following day. On Christmas Day, 1959 we hosted Tottenham and were cleaned up 0-3. The Charlton fans who traipsed across London for the return fixture at White Hart Lane on Boxing Day would not have had any expectations of a win.
There were a couple of changes through injury for Charlton from the Christmas Day team, included among them Tony Pawson, an amateur well known in Corinthian circles but not beyond. He arrived unannounced in the Charlton dressing room where, according to Derek Ufton, the team concluded Manager Jimmy Seed must have taken temporary leave of his senses.
Spurs took a second-minute lead which they doubled on 34 minutes. Totally off the pace and out of his depth, Tony Pawson’s solitary contribution was a comically botched corner kick which left him flat on his back - which Billy Kiernan somehow converted to halve the lead. Minutes later Kiernan scored again. Half time 2-2.
With minutes to go in the game Alf Ramsey cleared off his goal line and Pawson, with his eyes closed by his own admission, crashed the ball past Ted Ditchburn to make it 3-2 and a win for the Addicks.
Tony Pawson played cricket for Oxford University and Kent where he scored 3,807 runs at an average of 37. He was very popular with the crowds and his mischievous running between the wickets with Godfrey Evans emptied the bars.
Tony Pawson was a multi-talented sportsman and was for many years cricket correspondent for the Observer. In 1980 he wrote a well received autobiography entitled “Runs and Catches”. He was a member of England’s world championship-winning fly fishing team, a sport for which he became an authority, publishing instruction manuals. In 1988 he was awarded an MBE for services to disabled anglers.
As I mentioned, one of my favourite Voice of the Valley articles.
1959 was not the only Boxing Day game worth remembering for Charlton fans:
1967 - a brilliant fight back saw Charlton score three times in the last 25 minutes to clinch an unlikely draw against Norwich at the Valley
1999 - Charlton’s 2-1 over Crystal Palace at the Valley was the start of a great run of 12 successive league victories.
2003 - Charlton saw off moneybags Chelsea 4-2 with masterful performances by Scott Parker and Paolo Di Casio
2009 - A great comeback by Charlton against Swindon. Sam Sodje and Deon Burton had both been sent off and Swindon were leading 2-1 in the final minute. A long ball from Semedo reached Miguel Llera who finished superbly with a sublime lob to send Charlton fans home happy.
Strangely, Matthew Eastley doesn’t mention 1959 in his book “Charlton Athletic on This Day” - and our hero that memorable Boxing Day: Tony Pawson
But ….. Tony does make it into Stig’s “Charlton Athletic - Day by Day”.
Johnny Summers was born at Shepherds Bush on 10 September 1927 - died in London from leukaemia in London aged 34. He played 182 games for us between 1956-61.
Born 22 August 1921 at Winchester, died 12 October 2012
Tony Pawson was hardly a household name. He only played a couple of games for the Addicks in the 1950s. One of my all time favourite articles in VOTV was by Kevin Nolan in January in which Tony Pawson featured.
In the years following WWII games were played on Christmas Day usually starting at 11am with the reverse fixture - against the same team - played the following day. On Christmas Day, 1959 we hosted Tottenham and were cleaned up 0-3. The Charlton fans who traipsed across London for the return fixture at White Hart Lane on Boxing Day would not have had any expectations of a win.
There were a couple of changes through injury for Charlton from the Christmas Day team, included among them Tony Pawson, an amateur well known in Corinthian circles but not beyond. He arrived unannounced in the Charlton dressing room where, according to Derek Ufton, the team concluded Manager Jimmy Seed must have taken temporary leave of his senses.
Spurs took a second-minute lead which they doubled on 34 minutes. Totally off the pace and out of his depth, Tony Pawson’s solitary contribution was a comically botched corner kick which left him flat on his back - which Billy Kiernan somehow converted to halve the lead. Minutes later Kiernan scored again. Half time 2-2.
With minutes to go in the game Alf Ramsey cleared off his goal line and Pawson, with his eyes closed by his own admission, crashed the ball past Ted Ditchburn to make it 3-2 and a win for the Addicks.
Tony Pawson played cricket for Oxford University and Kent where he scored 3,807 runs at an average of 37. He was very popular with the crowds and his mischievous running between the wickets with Godfrey Evans emptied the bars.
Tony Pawson was a multi-talented sportsman and was for many years cricket correspondent for the Observer. In 1980 he wrote a well received autobiography entitled “Runs and Catches”. He was a member of England’s world championship-winning fly fishing team, a sport for which he became an authority, publishing instruction manuals. In 1988 he was awarded an MBE for services to disabled anglers.
As I mentioned, one of my favourite Voice of the Valley articles.
1959 was not the only Boxing Day game worth remembering for Charlton fans:
1967 - a brilliant fight back saw Charlton score three times in the last 25 minutes to clinch an unlikely draw against Norwich at the Valley
1999 - Charlton’s 2-1 over Crystal Palace at the Valley was the start of a great run of 12 successive league victories.
2003 - Charlton saw off moneybags Chelsea 4-2 with masterful performances by Scott Parker and Paolo Di Casio
2009 - A great comeback by Charlton against Swindon. Sam Sodje and Deon Burton had both been sent off and Swindon were leading 2-1 in the final minute. A long ball from Semedo reached Miguel Llera who finished superbly with a sublime lob to send Charlton fans home happy.
Strangely, Matthew Eastley doesn’t mention 1959 in his book “Charlton Athletic on This Day” - and our hero that memorable Boxing Day: Tony Pawson
But ….. Tony does make it into Stig’s “Charlton Athletic - Day by Day”.
Apologies for dragging up an old posting but I love this story so much and what better day to have another look.
SAM BARTRAM (my hero)
Born 22 January 1914 at Simonside, County Durham
Died 17 July 1981 (67) at Harpenden, Hertfordshire
Sam played in goal for Charlton for 22 years and was never dropped from the team until he retired in 1956
He holds four Charlton records -
Most FA Cup appearances (44)
Most appearances (623)
Most league appearances (579)
Oldest league player (42 years)
On 7 February 1948 Charlton lost 2-0 away to Manchester United. Sam was chaired off the pitch by both sets of players after the FA Cup 5th Round defeat. Bartram called it his greatest performance. "One match, and one moment, that stood out from all the others and remained carved in my memory. No Aunt Sally at a fairground event ever underwent so prolonged and furious a peppering".
Jimmy Seed wrote in his preface to Sam Bartram's autobiography - "When for the last time he took the goalkeeper's gloves from his gnarled hands - rough-hewn in service to Charlton - and hung up his worn and dilapidated cap, it gave me cause for reflection. I remembered his loyalty. No more faithful, constant and true-hearted man has played the game of football".
On 9 June 2005 Charlton legends paraded at the Valley for the Club's 100th anniversary and for the unveiling of the bronze Sam Bartram statue.
From: Charlton Athletic - A Nostalgic Look at a Century of the Club by Michael Walsh and Charlton Athletic on this Day by Matthew Eastley.
Never like to miss Bartram’s birthday.
If I knew how to do it I would change my name from Blackheathen to IsawSam
STUART LEARY
Born 30 April 1933 at Capetown, South Africa
Died in Capetown on 23 August 1988, aged 55
Stuart Leary is a worthy candidate for finest player ever to wear the Charlton shirt. As an all-round sportsman, a Kent cricketer of distinction, the South African had few equals. Charlton historian Colin Cameron described him as "a footballing genius".
He remains the Addicks' record league marksman with 153 goals. He played for the England Under 23s alongside Busby-babe Duncan Edwards but could not. Are the top England side because his father was not English.
His 403-game Charlton career came to an unfortunate end with a falling out with Manager Frank Hill and he was sold to QPR. His cricketing career continued - team-mates Derek Ufton and Syd O'Lynn were also in the Kent side. O'Lynn hailed Leary as the cleverest footballer he knew. Colin Cowdrey, Charlton director and Kent captain, likened him to George Best many years later.
Leary's tragic end - his body was recovered from the slopes of Table Mountain after he had been missing for five days - in Capetwon remains a mystery. Along with how Charlton could possibly have let such a great player go when all he neede was a break from relentless football and cricket (from Charlton Athletic - A nostalgic look at a century of the club).
Charlton achieved their record 6-1 away win at Sam Bartram's Luton Town on 10 February 1962. Said Sam after the game: "You can forget Jimmy Greaves and Johnny Haynes. For me, Stuart Leary is the greatest forward in the game. He can dictate the course of a match by slowing it down or speeding it up to suit his team" (Charlton Athletic on this Day by Matthew Eastley)
Remembered
Always like to remember Stuart Leary’s birthday. Legend.
Pre-season trading show for the cameras on 15 August 1957, Ufton coaching local boys. Later that season Derek Ufton would play a role in football’s greatest comeback.
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Pre-season trading show for the cameras on 15 August 1957, Ufton coaching local boys. Later that season Derek Ufton would play a role in football’s greatest comeback.
One of the many working class heroes who returned from the war with nothing and just got on the best he could, largely without complaint. Generous to a fault, always looked for the good, adored by us kids and five grandchildren. A Charlton fan of course.
Passed away in 2000, still sorely missed.
If I knew how to do it I would change my name from Blackheathen to IsawSam
The King of Rock ‘n Roll. No question.