yes I was there aged 15 standing behind the goal and saw Tocknell's thunderbolt just grazed the post, what an attack Lawrie, Summers and the great Leary
I was sitting on the wall about half way between the post Tocknell hit and the corner flag.
Yes, a good stylish little player but he wasn’t a winger Js5......he usually wore the 8 or 10 shirt as I remember. He wasn’t a nailed on selection.....and I wouldn’t put him anywhere in the same class as most of the forwards we had at the time. He was never a certainty to be on the team sheet. Those ahead of him in the pecking order were of course Leary and Firmani as well as Edwards, Lawrie, Lucas and Mathews. I am surprised he was someone’s favourite player when you consider some of the forwards we had to choose from during that era. The competition was very strong and when picked never disgraced himself.
Most of his early games for Charlton he played as an inside forward, when Jimmy Trotter became manager, he played quite a lot as a winger, which I thought was his best position but I agree with you there were better players that kept him out of the team.
It's interesting how fans see certain players and rate them - I remember when my Dad was in hospital near the end of his life - I had him trapped and could quiz him (!!) - I got the impression he found Ronnie White exciting and a bit of an underdog - if he went to a game a Ronnie was playing it excited him - stylish was how described him
It's interesting how fans see certain players and rate them - I remember when my Dad was in hospital near the end of his life - I had him trapped and could quiz him (!!) - I got the impression he found Ronnie White exciting and a bit of an underdog - if he went to a game a Ronnie was playing it excited him - stylish was how described him
I rated Ronnie White very highly. No pace but close ball control and very classy. A bow-legged run, as I recall.
Ronnie White as they say divided opinion. Clever dribbler - on his day could excite and devastate defences Across the London clubs there were a number of similarly underused players. Johnny Williams has very similar skills but in the modern game their skills are better deployed It was always said that if Ronnie was not on the team sheet he would
I started going to the valley around January 1961 so although I saw the last month's of Leary and Sam Lawrie at the valley, my beginners opinion was they were both past their best.
Johnny Summers exploits have passed into legend. So it's a big regret of my Charlton life to have missed seeing him play.
The return of Eddie Firmani a few years later was such an exciting time for me.
Ronnie White was playing on Hackney Marshes when picked up by us. No pace but had great skill on the ball. He had a great partnership with Freddie Lucas.
I'm old enough to remember going to the Valley in the early 50's and watching the wonderful Stuart Leary play. In my view he was the best player I've ever seen play for Charlton---well before his time in the way he played in the deep lying centre forward position able to not only score goals but create as well. He had an amazing way of taking penalties----he just stood next to the ball and side footed the ball into the corner. No Lyle Taylor long walk up or normal players run up!
I'm sure we all heard Shelvey being given pelters by a few fans for what were seen as over ambitious plays that didn't come off, there are comparisons with Stuart Leary. In the days when playing a ball into space was something a bit revolutionary -you passed to a player - end of - Stuart Leary would play into spaces he anticipated players could see and move into. Groans and jeers from a minority in the crowd were not unheard of seeing misplaced passes which were simply because he was years ahead of anyone else on the pitch and many of those watching the game. Passing and vision was his great contribution. Me and my mates would always call out the dinosaurs near us who preferred to see old school kick and rush tactics, heaven forbid a sideways or backwards pass. Bit more banter in those days across the terraces between wannabe comedians and football pundits alike.
To most however Stuart Leary was recognised as an obviously thinking player, different from any other player on the pitch and in retrospect years ahead of the game as it was then being played.
I'm sure we all heard Shelvey being given pelters by a few fans for what were seen as over ambitious plays that didn't come off, there are comparisons with Stuart Leary. In the days when playing a ball into space was something a bit revolutionary -you passed to a player - end of - Stuart Leary would play into spaces he anticipated players could see and move into. Groans and jeers from a minority in the crowd were not unheard of seeing misplaced passes which were simply because he was years ahead of anyone else on the pitch and many of those watching the game. Passing and vision was his great contribution. Me and my mates would always call out the dinosaurs near us who preferred to see old school kick and rush tactics, heaven forbid a sideways or backwards pass. Bit more banter in those days across the terraces between wannabe comedians and football pundits alike.
To most however Stuart Leary was recognised as an obviously thinking player, different from any other player on the pitch and in retrospect years ahead of the game as it was then being played.
Spot on......I feel genuinely sorry for the countless thousands of Addicks who never got to see him play.
That’s interesting coz I remember the first piece of advice my dad ever gave me about football when I was about 5 or 6 was to play the ball into space for players to run onto - his favourite all time player was Stuart Leary - seems obvious now but when your in the playground at that age, passing the ball at all doesn’t instantly spring to mind - certainly wasn’t the last piece of advice he ever gave me about football mind u
Comments
Most of his early games for Charlton he played as an inside forward, when Jimmy Trotter became manager, he played quite a lot as a winger, which I thought was his best position but I agree with you there were better players that kept him out of the team.
Across the London clubs there were a number of similarly underused players.
Johnny Williams has very similar skills but in the modern game their skills are better deployed
It was always said that if Ronnie was not on the team sheet he would
Johnny Summers exploits have passed into legend.
So it's a big regret of my Charlton life to have missed seeing him play.
The return of Eddie Firmani a few years later was such an exciting time for me.
He had an amazing way of taking penalties----he just stood next to the ball and side footed the ball into the corner. No Lyle Taylor long walk up or normal players run up!
To most however Stuart Leary was recognised as an obviously thinking player, different from any other player on the pitch and in retrospect years ahead of the game as it was then being played.
Have really enjoyed hearing from people on this thread who have though.