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Lennie our Undersung Hero

Just watching the Carlisle game got me thinking  of our 3 promotions up there.My favourite was in 1986.2-0 down and we won 3-2 and carried Lennie around the pitch after the game.That game stands out in the memory as does The Battle of the Bridge,Beating Leeds at St Andrews the stand out other 2 games.Lennie built a wonderful squad and without victory on any of those games…. Well who knows how the story might have been rewritten.
Hopefully we are starting a new chapter for our Wonderful club.But today got me thinking of Lennie

Comments

  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,013
    I've met Lennie a few times and he's undersung possibly to do with his personality, which I wouldn't describe as endearing. I accept that I may have got an incorrect impression every time.
  • Powell2ThePeople
    Powell2ThePeople Posts: 385
    edited May 2023
    Lennie is a Charlton legend.    Very easy to forget what he had to work with and what he achieved.     Great times.  
  • blackpool72
    blackpool72 Posts: 23,683
    I used to srr him in Bibas in Bromley back in the day.
    A true Charlton legend.
    As Covered End says he wasn't the easiest to talk to.
  • raytreacy69
    raytreacy69 Posts: 955
    He wasn’t the easiest to talk to and I have met him many times.Must have had something about him though in the dressing room to get those teams playing for him in some of our darkest hours 
  • Yes you have to love Lennie. Without his efforts it's arguable we'd exist now.

    NB If Carlisle go up, I'll certainly be looking for an April or May away fixture there. Surely that would make promotion a certainty?  :)
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,602
    Charlton legend but I believe we weren’t a huge amount more than a job to him. Always seemed a nice guy whenever I’ve met him though.
  • ShootersHillGuru
    ShootersHillGuru Posts: 50,627
    Charlton legend but I believe we weren’t a huge amount more than a job to him. Always seemed a nice guy whenever I’ve met him though.
    Agreed. Don’t think he’s ever been very emotionally attached to us since leaving. Legend nonetheless.
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,013
    I think the last time I saw Lennie at a supporters club meeting he was promoting his book, possibly autobiography. 
    He couldn't finish one sentence without saying "in the book".
    I felt almost used/dirty at the end.
    No warmth at all, just felt like he wanted your money. 
  • Hal1x
    Hal1x Posts: 4,265
    shouldn't it be UNSUNG hero?
  • Charlton and on
    Charlton and on Posts: 966
    edited May 2023
    .
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  • meldrew66
    meldrew66 Posts: 2,562
    I think it was a mix of his personality and the way he shuffled off to Boro.
  • oohaahmortimer
    oohaahmortimer Posts: 34,160
    He knew our exact circumstances and that we as a club were skint and trying to raise the funds to get back to The Valley , yes he was Middlesbrough boss at the time but he lowballed us with a pathetic £250k bid for Robert Lee trying to play on our desperation for funds to return , so yes the miracles he performed will never be forgotten and for that he is a legend but to me it was an attempted snide move that bit him on the arse as Robert Lee was brilliant value for Newcastle at £750k and definitely took the edge of his hero status .
  • Mametz
    Mametz Posts: 1,254
    Irrespective of how he left or how he tried to plug his book, his success in getting us to the top division and keeping us there for four years in the most trying of circumstances were pivotal in keeping Charlton alive. The signings of players like Humphrey, Reid, Bolder,Shitliff etc on the cheap was the stuff of genius.
  • sillav nitram
    sillav nitram Posts: 10,169
    Mametz said:
    Irrespective of how he left or how he tried to plug his book, his success in getting us to the top division and keeping us there for four years in the most trying of circumstances were pivotal in keeping Charlton alive. The signings of players like Humphrey, Reid, Bolder,Shitliff etc on the cheap was the stuff of genius.
    Agree.
  • charltonkeston
    charltonkeston Posts: 7,367
    edited May 2023
    He went on to be an employee of Chrystal Palace. Unforgivable. 
  • RaplhMilne
    RaplhMilne Posts: 4,603
    edited May 2023
    Always seemed be able to find players who had lost their way a little bit, and then reignited their career at the Valley. The exact opposite of the current “Charltonised” that makes every new player go down hill quickly…. 
  • Starinnaddick
    Starinnaddick Posts: 4,345
    He told me once that the secret to successful management was not asking players to do what they were not capable of. 
    I used to see him now and again at the dogs when he had a runner and found him approachable and easy to chat to. May be a few drinks loosened him up. 
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,079
    I wouldn't have a bad word said about him after what he did for us, particularly at St Andrews.
  • lolwray
    lolwray Posts: 4,902
    I shared a dressing room for 4 or 5 years with Lennie mid to late 70s and knew him socially at the time.He was a really quiet bloke but was a clever if not a really gifted sportsman and looking back on it he made his shrewdness work for him in management. Not one to get excited in a negative way, not one to go overboard either . Curbs learned a lot from him I'd say.

    He was brilliant for Cafc..all things come to an end and you can't blame him for having a career after us and let's face it from being a part time pe teacher at Mallory school/defender for Carshalton to becoming a successful manager I'd say the boy done well 
  • Big William
    Big William Posts: 3,842
    Always seemed be able to find players who had lost their way a little bit, and then reignited their career at the Valley. The exact opposite of the current “Charltonised” that makes every new player go down hill quickly…. 
    That’s a very good summing up.
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  • JohnnyH2
    JohnnyH2 Posts: 5,344
    Without him the Club would have folded.

    We have had 3 great Managers in our history who either built the club to its highest status, saved the club or rebuilt the club.

    Lennie is one of them and the only one without a stand or anything at the club named after him. IMO totally wrong and disrespectful.
  • JohnnyH2
    JohnnyH2 Posts: 5,344
    He went on to be an employee of Chrystal Palace. Unforgivable. 
    So did Kiely.

    Gritty and Jimmy Seed both went to Millwall.

    It does not in anyway for me change how great they were for us
  • SporadicAddick
    SporadicAddick Posts: 6,866
    edited May 2023
    JohnnyH2 said:
    Without him the Club would have folded.

    We have had 3 great Managers in our history who either built the club to its highest status, saved the club or rebuilt the club.

    Lennie is one of them and the only one without a stand or anything at the club named after him. IMO totally wrong and disrespectful.
    And this is the issue with naming things after people - where do you stop? We are only at a point in our history. We haven't reached the end of history.

    In 100 years time, based on precedent, we'll have had another 3 managers that will have delivered similar transformational performance. We might even have a manager that beats Millwall regularly.

    They will all need a stand named after them...
  • JohnnyH2
    JohnnyH2 Posts: 5,344
    JohnnyH2 said:
    Without him the Club would have folded.

    We have had 3 great Managers in our history who either built the club to its highest status, saved the club or rebuilt the club.

    Lennie is one of them and the only one without a stand or anything at the club named after him. IMO totally wrong and disrespectful.
    And this is the issue with naming things after people - where do you stop? We are only at a point in our history. We haven't reached the end of history.

    In 100 years time, based on precedent, we'll have had another 3 managers that will have delivered similar transformational performance. We might even have a manager that beats Millwall regularly.

    They will all need a stand named after them...
    It does not necessarily have to be a stand, but at presant we have enough room to accommodate these 3 greats. 

    It will be a great problem to have when someone else emulates what these 3 achieved for our club
  • Big William
    Big William Posts: 3,842
    Until then, we’ll make do with the Karel Fraye toilet block.
  • Fumbluff
    Fumbluff Posts: 10,128
    Until then, we’ll make do with the Karel Fraye toilet block.
    Um, the Karel Fraey toilet duck is already in the Katrien Latrine…
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,079
    JohnnyH2 said:
    JohnnyH2 said:
    Without him the Club would have folded.

    We have had 3 great Managers in our history who either built the club to its highest status, saved the club or rebuilt the club.

    Lennie is one of them and the only one without a stand or anything at the club named after him. IMO totally wrong and disrespectful.
    And this is the issue with naming things after people - where do you stop? We are only at a point in our history. We haven't reached the end of history.

    In 100 years time, based on precedent, we'll have had another 3 managers that will have delivered similar transformational performance. We might even have a manager that beats Millwall regularly.

    They will all need a stand named after them...
    It does not necessarily have to be a stand, but at presant we have enough room to accommodate these 3 greats. 

    It will be a great problem to have when someone else emulates what these 3 achieved for our club
    Sir Lennie should have been the first to be recognised.