The week that was - 5th April 1999. West Ham United 0 Charlton Athletic 1

Great day that was.

Drunk with a West Ham mate in a very very dodgy boozer pre and post match (its been knocked down now)

Remember going loopy for Stuarts goal, and I also remember the Charlton fan in the pub after who just about got to the Charl in Charlton before getting laid out sparko.

Good old fashioned 10am - midnight drinking session with a streaky 1-0 win thrown in.

I remember us playing in that Ecru kit and was impressed with Bowen and Barnes. My boys were 10 and 12 at the time and we skipped out during injury time as we'd driven up, only to have a couple of West Ham want to start on a bloke with two young lads. Fortunately some other West Ham told them to behave and we skipped off.



Just found this match report to jog memories:

Record signing Graham Stuart snatched all three points with his first goal for

Charlton to lift the Addicks out of the relegation zone.

The former Sheffield United forward repaid a huge chunk of his £1.1million

transfer fee with the only goal of the game after 75 minutes to give Alan

Curbishley's side renewed hope of beating the drop.

Stuart took advantage of some terrible Hammers defending to nip in and slot

home after Richard Rufus' knockdown It ensured Charlton's first win in five

games, a season's double over West Ham and took them out of the bottom three.

Harry Redknapp's Hammers had won their last three home games to put them in

pole position in the race for a European place but they missed both the injured

Rio Ferdinand and a killer touch in front of goal.

The one thing not lacking was commitment from both sides, Neil Ruddock and

Carl Tiler conducting a private running feud throughout the game that the former

Liverpool defender looked keen to continue after the whistle.

Despite a huge number of chances for both sides it looked as though Charlton's

poor run would continue - they had taken only two points from the last four

games - as opportunities went begging.

They should have in fact taken the lead within the first minute as West Ham

were caught napping with only 45 seconds on the clock.

Danny Mills' through-ball was deftly turned into the path of Andy Hunt by

Stuart but Hunt fired his shot straight at goalkeeper Shaka Hislop who saved

well down to his left.

That served to wake the Hammers from their Bank Holiday daydreams and, in a

frenetic opening period, they came close to scoring.

After five minutes Paul Kitson thought he would score when he get on the end

of Scott Minto's pull-back from the byline but found his sidefooted effort from

12 yards blocked first by Chris Powell and then Mark Kinsella.

Marc-Vivien Foe then went even closer with a superb downward header from Marc

Keller's free-kick that bounced over the bar with Sasa Ilic well beaten.

The frantic pace of the game often came at the cost of much quality and Mills

was booked on 20 minutes by referee Steve Dunn for a reckless lunge at Keller.

Ruddock then drove a free-kick over and Lomas dragged a shot wide before Foe

joined Mills in the book for a clash with Stuart.

Charlton were then forced to make a substitution on 38 minutes when the

injured John Robinson was replaced by Mark Bowen.

Bowen, making his first appearance of the season after a succession of

injuries, then almost had a telling impact, crossing for Stuart who looked

certain to score from only six yards out but hit his shot straight at Hislop as

the keeper scrambled back across his goal.

At the other end, Lampard should have done better than chip over the bar after

being put through by Paolo Di Canio before the Hammers thought they had opened

the scoring.

Lampard's drive was only palmed away by Ilic and Keller bundled in the rebound

only to be denied by a linesman's flag raised for offside.

Ilic would have been grateful for the reprieve if not for the fact he had

injured himself trying to prevent Keller getting to the loose ball.

The Melbourne-born Yugoslav, who was knocked unconscious at Chelsea earlier

this season, crashed into the post and, after receiving lengthy treatment on the

pitch, was eventually stretchered off to be replaced by Andy Petterson.

There was still time for West Ham to hit the post in a frantic end to the

half, Pearce's header from Keller's cross clipping the upright before Mills

cleared off the line.

The action continued unabated in the second half, Hislop pulling off a

brilliant one-handed save to palm away Bowen's shot and four minutes later,

Hislop repeated the trick at the other corner, turning away Hunt's shot as

Charlton pushed for the winner.

At the other end, Lampard drove over, Keller's cross ran all the way along the

six-yard box and Petterson had to be alert to dash quickly from his line to deny

Di Canio.

Pringle then went close with a diving header from Mills' cross, Lomas doing

just enough to prevent the former Benfica player from directing his effort on

target.

When Kitson then blazed a left-foot volley over on 61 minutes it looked as

though amazingly the game was going to end goalless.

But with time running out West Ham committed defensive suicide to gift the

visitors the lead.

Rufus' knock down from Mills' free-kick should have been cleared but as the

Hammers defence and Hislop waited for each to take responsibility, Stuart nipped

in to steer the ball into the empty net.

That prompted Redknapp to bring on Eyal Berkovic for the out of sorts Kitson.

Di Canio hit the side-netting from a narrow angle but Charlton stood firm,

bringing on Keith Jones to strengthen the midfield, and they held on for a vital

three points.

AFKABartram said:

blimey, no memory of this!

sad thing is i now realise i was there (the ecru kit and Barnes are the things that have jogged it), but don't really remember anything else, not even winning

I was in my mates dads box for this one, they were all West Ham and ribbed me all the way through about plucky little Charlton until the rather attractive hostess returned with my winnings on Stuart for 1st goal scorer. Good day.

I remember it well. My era of going to every game as a young 17 year old caught up in our first season in the Prem. If memory serves me correctly, a disappointing defeat to Everton away either close before or just after. Kevin Campbell doing the damage. They were also in the shit

AFKABartram said:

AFKABartram said:

blimey, no memory of this!

sad thing is i now realise i was there (the ecru kit and Barnes are the things that have jogged it), but don't really remember anything else, not even winning

I don't remember the game at all. (I was probably there).

bank holiday monday sat in West Ham end by dugout.

Sat above the Charlton fans in the upper tier of what is now the trevor brooking stand. Remember having to look down on the massive celebration going on with the charlton fans, stuart, barnes etc.


Probably the best West Ham team since 1986 and hasn't been a better West Ham since.

paulsturgess said:

I vividly remember listening to this nervously - and longingly - on the radio as a 13 year old on a dutiful Easter family visit down to my Gran's on the coast. Then waiting up eagerly to watch our brief goal highlight at the end of MOTD. Proper lived every second of it back then!

Had to check I didn't write this - I also vividly remember listening to this on the radio as a 13-year old on a family outing somewhere!

Can't remember where though - we were out at the time, I was listening to it on my Walkman, and I remember seeing a boy of similar age wearing a Charlton shirt, and I called to him "We're one-nil up!"
His response?
"Oh... who are we playing?"
I had only just started getting interested in football that season (the home fixture against West Ham being the first match I had ever attended), so I was bitterly disappointed at my first genuine attempt at a football conversation with a stranger.

As others have alluded to, we went on to record some absolutely awful results afterwards and ended up getting relegated. Though I have it in my head that Graham Stuart scored a goal every other game for a few weeks at that time, so I thought he was amazing.

Remember , not very clearly , driving to this one and parking miles away but I'm pretty sure I was very close to where Stuart scored and we may have actually stood (in seated section) all game and had a great loop
Plenty of hand signals too and from the hammers to our right
Cue someone telling me our goal was at the other end

These were the glory years even though we went down , Thanks Curbs

As usual the Programme can be seen here

https://www.flickr.com/photos/addicks7-6/7406403744

Also available is the Teamsheet

https://www.flickr.com/photos/addicks7-6/7408119630

Want to see more Charlton Programmes, then visit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/addicks7-6/sets/