Oh yes, was there when Lennie and Mark Aizlwood had to placate the madding crowd which initially got irritated over free train tickets. Few of us on here would play quiz matches subsequently at this venue. But didn't mind ultimately we ended up playing somewhere else (quiz that is) 😊
Was that when Treadgold was in charge of the Supporters club?
Oh yes, was there when Lennie and Mark Aizlwood had to placate the madding crowd which initially got irritated over free train tickets. Few of us on here would play quiz matches subsequently at this venue. But didn't mind ultimately we ended up playing somewhere else (quiz that is) 😊
Was that when Treadgold was in charge of the Supporters club?
He was chairman that night in 86, I always thought the free train tickets happened at the AGM in 85 and Jack Lindsell resigned after that night for Bill Treadgold to take over?
The actual footprint was quite a bit bigger than that (The walls were much straighter than my outline suggests). To the left of the club as you look from Harvey Gardens is a pair of 1950;s (?) club houses which are still there and which your footprint currently sits on top of. The Covered end now sits on top of much of the footprint of the club.
Could be left a bit but yeah it was behind the Covered End to the right although the red circled location looks as if it is over the pair of semis owned by the club where Sam Lawrie lived in one IIRC.
Could be left a bit but yeah it was behind the Covered End to the right although the red circled location looks as if it is over the pair of semis owned by the club where Sam Lawrie lived in one IIRC.
Knew the 2 girls who lived in the house on the right hand side out the 2. The one on the left always seemed empty
I lived in Charlton Lane until 1974 and I used the Valley Club as my local. The first steward of the Valley Club had one of the football club owned houses next to it while the other was used by one of the player's family. Harry Gregory lived there until 1970 and then Bobby Hunt had it. After midweek reserve games we would drink with the players in the Club and play on the football table. Bobby would give a commentary of the game and he was one of the funniest and friendliest people you could meet. On Saturdays evenings, after first team games. we would drink with some of the players in the smaller bar and on some days the referee and linesmen would also be there. Tony Glasson always used the Club after he had refereed. I spent many a good night at the Club and New Years Eve was one not to miss.
I used to go there in the mid 70s . Ray Don managed the place. Me and the boys would get off the Lewis coach after an away game and go for a few beers, then stagger home . I lived in westcombe park in those days . Happy memories .
Not sure how clear this will be as posting from phone screen grab but this overlays a historic map with what I assume to be the footprint of the developed covered end in yellow hatch.
I remember (ish) one night after we won at Stamford Bridge we ended up there and my hero Killer walked in for a beer. He went into a little bar bit at one end (posh bit ? ) and I plucked up the courage to say well played ( I think he may have scored a brace?). I think he said thanks and he would be watching the highlights later ? Anyway I was chuffed to speak to the man - proper starstruck!!!
Many treasured memories of spending a Saturday evening in the Valley Club with my parents. My dad was friends with Maurice Banham and we would often share a table with Maurice and Sheila. The height of sophistication was having scampi and chips in a basket about 10.00pm!! Remember going in there after we beat Preston to win promotion - that was a lively evening! Happy memories.
Drank in the small bar in the 70’s pre matches with my dad, would watch the queues forming at the turnstiles then decide if we had time for another pint. The doorman at the time was a guy called Alan Munn who I knew through work. Would love to know if Alan is still about and if he still attends matches.
Remember getting pissed at a player of the year do there, I think. I must have been 15. I remember acosting John Pearson and telling him what a good buy he was, but I just kept repeating, "good buy...good buy", I'm sure he thought I was bidding him farewell on repeat.
Drank in the small bar in the 70’s pre matches with my dad, would watch the queues forming at the turnstiles then decide if we had time for another pint. The doorman at the time was a guy called Alan Munn who I knew through work. Would love to know if Alan is still about and if he still attends matches.
Sadly Alan passed away last year (I believe, it's possible it was this year, I swear Covid has screwed my sense of time passing). He hadn't attended the Valley since around 2008 I think after he moved down to Hayling Island. I'm still in contact with Derek Peason though, who was involved with the Valley Club. He doesn't get to games either these days, having also moved down to the coast.
Edit: I sent the picture from the first post to Del and he reliably informs me that it's Ray Donn's jag you can see in the photo. They're still friends to this day.
Cant believe we are on to page two with no mention of the Bernard Manning gig there or the Hales v Cantello incident. I was there for Bernard Manning (and for Jimmy Jones who was poor by comparison) but too young for the Hales v Cantello incident. Perhaps someone with first-hand experience can re-tell it?
The only time I can remember drinking in there was the night of the meeting with Michael Norris & Lennie Lawrence held to talk to fans about the recent move to Selhurst. Went in there as a kid with my cousins a couple of times too.
Like @Redlanered, I went to the supporters evening with Alan Mullery and Ken Craggs back in 81/82. My two enduring memories of that evening are Mullery introducing (to rapturous applause) Mark Hulyer, who had just put £50,000 into the club through a Marman Ltd sponsorship, and some inadvertent humour from Ken Craggs, when he remarked that "the Bristols have come out" when discussing the resignation of City and Rovers from the Football Combination (the reserve league at the time).
I went to a Christmas do for players and supporters at The Valley Club nearly two years earlier back in December 1979. That was our worst season ever at second tier level, with only 6 wins from 42 games and something like 4 draws and 17 defeats away from home. The timing of the do was, however, propitious for the team, as we had just beaten Leicester City 2-0 and Les Berry told me that they had done us proud, as indeed they had. Sadly, though, normal service was swiftly resumed, including a 6-0 tonking at Wrexham in the FA Cup 3rd round.
I remember Mike Bailey running the Valley Club some years later and what a lovely bloke he was.
One truly vintage night was the Player of the Year evening in May 1988 just after we'd secured our Division 1 safety by drawing 1-1 at Chelsea, in a game aptly described by VoTV as like a match between Iran v Iraq. Bob Bolder was the worthy recipient of the award and Lennie Lawrence gave a superb speech, assuring us that "this club is in the best possible hands". What a great evening that was.
Went to a Player of the Year event there circa 1988 and John Humphrey won POTY again.
Taking the stage and directly addressing the entire first team squad in front of him he said, “Well folks, we managed to stay up again, God knows how we did it with this shower of shit though!”
Brought the house down!
We were in the top-flight at the time and yet we were all there, from spotty teenagers to middle aged fans, mixing with the players and having a chat like it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Miss Sandie Shaw", "Mr Colin Cowdrey" but just plain Brian Kinsey. The maximum wage may have been a thing of history by then but the social stratification of players as second class citizens was still going strong.
Comments
Does anyone remember Alan?
On Saturdays evenings, after first team games. we would drink with some of the players in the smaller bar and on some days the referee and linesmen would also be there. Tony Glasson always used the Club after he had refereed.
I spent many a good night at the Club and New Years Eve was one not to miss.
Place packed and lively
Eric " Nice Hall wrong Ffing place"
The doorman at the time was a guy called Alan Munn who I knew through work.
Would love to know if Alan is still about and if he still attends matches.
Edit: I sent the picture from the first post to Del and he reliably informs me that it's Ray Donn's jag you can see in the photo. They're still friends to this day.
I went to a Christmas do for players and supporters at The Valley Club nearly two years earlier back in December 1979. That was our worst season ever at second tier level, with only 6 wins from 42 games and something like 4 draws and 17 defeats away from home. The timing of the do was, however, propitious for the team, as we had just beaten Leicester City 2-0 and Les Berry told me that they had done us proud, as indeed they had. Sadly, though, normal service was swiftly resumed, including a 6-0 tonking at Wrexham in the FA Cup 3rd round.
I remember Mike Bailey running the Valley Club some years later and what a lovely bloke he was.
One truly vintage night was the Player of the Year evening in May 1988 just after we'd secured our Division 1 safety by drawing 1-1 at Chelsea, in a game aptly described by VoTV as like a match between Iran v Iraq. Bob Bolder was the worthy recipient of the award and Lennie Lawrence gave a superb speech, assuring us that "this club is in the best possible hands". What a great evening that was.
Taking the stage and directly addressing the entire first team squad in front of him he said, “Well folks, we managed to stay up again, God knows how we did it with this shower of shit though!”
Brought the house down!
We were in the top-flight at the time and yet we were all there, from spotty teenagers to middle aged fans, mixing with the players and having a chat like it was the most normal thing in the world.