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Memories of the Valley Clean Up Operation
Comments
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Slightly crappy scans but they give you an idea of what it was like - enjoy !
Albertan (where it is currently -43C with the wind chill...)0 -
Thanks Albertan...
And thanks to everyone who was there.0 -
Nice one Albertan.....I'll have to get my old photos from the ex wife and see if I can get them scanned.0
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Great day, the fire in the centre circle was terrific - people just streaming up to it and throwing on anything they could get their hands on. The old WEesr Stand roped off for safety reasons, but a few managed to get into it to grab bits to keep the fire burning!0
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Remember being with about 6 mates and me brother (Nth London Addick). Walking around the throwing bits onto the fire clearing the weeds from the terraces. Then pulling down one of the old outbuildings behind the Jimmy Seed Stand. A great day. And One of the days that made me PROUD to be a Charlton fan.0
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I remember having my last every piss in the old "outdoor" toilet in the now west-stand carpark, helping Roger Alwen's wife lift out a tree from the East Terrace and finding loads of old yearbooks stashed behind the old stand. I have loads of photos of the day but cannot for the life of me find them!0
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I was reminded today by a couple of mates who came down with me on clean up day, just for the pure hell of it "bunked in" by the Sam Bartram gates, bought back a few memory`s. :)0
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I was eight or nine at the time, but remember it. Went to the ground with dad, we brought a shovel and pitch fork and other gardening implements. My dad is a keen gardener and was determined to weed the pitch.
I remember a fair number of people being there and people really getting stuck in; some guys where digging out the red pathway that runs around the pitch. Others (including me) were scrambling over the West Stand and having great fun feeding the fire and helping to demolish the Stand - eventually we were dragged off for safety reasons.
There was a general feeling of "Right, lets rebuild the ground with our bare hands".
The day ended with fans standing on the east terrace listening to a club official talk about the clubs plans for the Valley.
I think the club organized the day to see what sort of interest there was in Charlton coming back to the Valley. They got the fans answer that day.2 -
[cite]Posted By: LargeAddick[/cite]working too hard to have a bloody chat !!
Remember walking down Charlton Lane carrying a spade and fork. When I got there a JCB would've been more appropriate. Got a feeling of pride and comaraderie even though I knew no-one else there at that time. Think Golfie may have been with me, jimmymelrose was too young.
Oiiiiiiiii! I was there - too young! I was 13. You're memory is useless Large. It was just you and I that day on the East Terrace in the rain. I remember that we took shovels and spent ages tearing up the weeds. Can't remember much else except for the fire and a feeling that we could make it happen.
Golfie was at home moaning about it all, saying it was useless as we'd never get back anyway ;-0 -
Sorry about the YOU'RE.
Jeez, I'll be saying SHOULD OF next if I'm not careful.0 -
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great post Foulerr, i remember very few incidents from when i was 8, so a real good read of you remembering yours.0
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[cite]Posted By: foulerr[/cite]
I think the club organized the day to see what sort of interest there was in Charlton coming back to the Valley. They got the fans answer that day.
Nail on the head foulerr, what was achieved on the day itself may not have been too important but the message it sent to the board (and other Charlton fans) was massive.....0 -
I remember going to the ground with a dozen or so mates not all Charlton but wanted to help!
I think we got there early doors and was one of the last to leave!
It was my mates ball we played with as we were going to maryon park after for a kick about!
Those photos brought back some memorys!!
Makes you proud to be Charlton!0 -
[cite]Posted By: jimmymelrose[/cite]Golfie was at home moaning about it all, saying it was useless as we'd never get back anyway ;-)
That's made my day!1 -
[cite]Posted By: jimmymelrose[/cite]Golfie was at home moaning about it all, saying it was useless as we'd never get back anyway ;-
Now that is funny.
To my regret I didn't go. I know I intended to but I can't for the life of me remember why not. Fantastic to read all the stories and massive respect to those who did go.
I remember hearing about it afterwards and how many were there and thinking that the club was on the way back. It gave us all a huge lift to know that there were so many who cared.0 -
bump for DA90
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[cite]Posted By: AFKABartram[/cite]bump for DA9
Cheers, very emotional reading all that0 -
As I was 12 at the time smashing up the the old main stand was what myself and my brothers did. How no one got hurt still amazes me now.0
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I got married the day before and when I woke up the following morning my wife said "You want to go down the Valley don't you?" to which I replied "Yeah but it wouldn't be fair on you" She just said "go on, phone your Dad and get down there"
I did and Dad and me went down about an hour later. What she said still brings a tear to my eye. She knew I just had to be there,3 -
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Alex Wright said:
I think there was a large photo on the back page of the Mercury where I was carrying things across the pitch to be burnt.
There was. You me & 2 other guys, carrying a row of seats from the old stand to the bonfire.0 -
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Wonderful stuff Albertan.
Can I nick them for the Museum?0 -
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Tears to the eye is the overwhelming reaction I have to one of the best experiences ever as a Charlton supporter.
The day before we'd played a miserable 0-0 against Boro at Selhurst, on the Sunday morning I got up, and looked at the miserable grey rainy day, and said to myself 'well nobody's going to be there, but i'll go'. I planned to get there early (about 9.30 for 10), and stuck a spade across the rack on the back of my motorbike and set off thinking it might come in handy.
Driving there with the rain coating my visor I once again thought I would be the only one turning up, I turned down Floyd road about 9.30 and heard this weird clanking sound, and quickly realised it wasn't the bike.
Parked and got the spade and went in about 9.30, and realised the clanking was all the other people, who had also got their early, and brought spades and such with them. I swear to this day that when I first arrived there were already about 500 people there scattered around everywhere and simply, and determinedly getting on with it.
I believe Richard Redden then turned up with a big stereo and plonked it down near me at the centre of the East Terrace and played RRR on a loop. I got to work on the weeds on the East Terrace and with all of us working non stop it looked like the old Valley in well under an hour.
The fellowship was fantastic, I remember Steve Sutherland organising loads of weak tea in polystyrene cups from the Valley Club area, Lennie was there and made a little speech, and the wonderful Steve Gritt also arrived and walked around the newly cleared pitch with his family.
The reason it was fantastic, in the days well before computers and the internet, was getting there and realising it wasn't just me, all these other beautiful people felt the same way, and had hauled themselves down to the beautiful old magic place to kiss it back to life.
A really great day.5 -
Health & Safety would have a bloody fit if this happened in today's namby pamby times.1
