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Eddie Firmani
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I agree - we should have gone up that year but for too many unforced errors. I remember the last game of the season against Preston as if it was yesterday - summed up the season for me, we lost 1-0 but both Harry Gregory and Bob Curtis missed penalties.charltonbob said:
We robbed ourselves, too many drawn games 8 at home I think. At Selhurst (when a couple of thousand supporters walked from the Valley) we drew 3-3 after being 2-0 up, Derby away, cracking game we hit the woodwork 4 times & lost 2-1. Happy memories but we should have done better.HarpoLes said:
It was Millwall that “robbed” us more than Palace. They did the double over us, but lost twice to the Glaziers. I’ve never liked that lot from the (New) Den. 😁GeoffB said:In that 68/69 season the late Ray Treacy scored one of the all time great Charlton goals. Against Clough’s Derby team as well. We won 2-0 and the day before beat Middlesbrough 4-1 both at the Valley - looked like promotion but Palace foiled us - all my family gutted.0 -
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As the text says, for the first day of the 1953/54 season, all games kicked off early evening on a Wednesday. Any idea why that was in those days of austerity ?Just under 50,000 turned up to watch Charlton beat Sunderland 5-32
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I actually think that 68/69 was the last season that Michael Glikstein thought the club could handle promotion, Eddie was allowed to bring Ray Crawford and Mike Kenning in March of that year because we struggled to match the top two for goals scored. The following year, Lewis coach driver Dave Ripley, took my dad and me to see Charlton play out a nil nil draw at newly promoted Orient. When we drove back Dave showed us the Glikstein timber yards in that part of London, they went on for what like seemed miles. 18 months later we did the same journey, Charlton losing three two, Derek Bellotti having a mare in goal for us, when we drove back, same route as before, the timber yards were all gone. It meant nothing to me at the time but with all that we now know about that period and Michael Glikstein's eventual move to Australia, you could see that the end of the Glikstein era was being played out.sixsixandsevensix said:In the film Buster about the Great Train Robbery.Phil Collins who played Buster was around his pool and he opened a paper and said great Eddie Firmani scored a hat Rick.Buster was a Charlton supporter.When Eddie played in Italy he was known as the cool turkey.6 -
Remember When Eddie returned as manager, from his photo in the Mirror, getting off the train at Charlton station, must have been in the Mirror, I remember it as I went down to the Valley with my late father at that time, before I later went down with my friends from Springfield Grove.Bailey said:
I actually think that 68/69 was the last season that Michael Glikstein thought the club could handle promotion, Eddie was allowed to bring Ray Crawford and Mike Kenning in March of that year because we struggled to match the top two for goals scored. The following year, Lewis coach driver Dave Ripley, took my dad and me to see Charlton play out a nil nil draw at newly promoted Orient. When we drove back Dave showed us the Glikstein timber yards in that part of London, they went on for what like seemed miles. 18 months later we did the same journey, Charlton losing three two, Derek Bellotti having a mare in goal for us, when we drove back, same route as before, the timber yards were all gone. It meant nothing to me at the time but with all that we now know about that period and Michael Glikstein's eventual move to Australia, you could see that the end of the Glikstein era was being played out.sixsixandsevensix said:In the film Buster about the Great Train Robbery.Phil Collins who played Buster was around his pool and he opened a paper and said great Eddie Firmani scored a hat Rick.Buster was a Charlton supporter.When Eddie played in Italy he was known as the cool turkey.
Eddie was the first manager I liked, he brought in some exciting players, and the whole Valley was an exciting place to be.
Probably my sentimental view of days gone, but I used to love the evening games especially.
I often did not have the money to go in, so used to wait until half time, and the gates would open , and see the last half an hour, not sure you were supposed to do that, but quite a few youngsters did it.5 -
Anyone who saw the side that Eddie put together loved them Ken, I know my my friends and I did. He admitted sometime later that he made a mistake in breaking up that squad too quickly, selling Matt Tees to Luton, sacking Ray Crawford for failing to travel to Bisham Abbey for a specially arranged team training session, Ray Crawford declaring his wife was ill. If Charlton struggled to find the net the year before, getting rid of your best two strikers wasn't going to improve matters. They also suffered from long term injuries to Paul Went and Bob Curtis that season. Prolific midweek league reserve Paul Gilchrist, plus Ray Treacy and converted winger to centre forward, Harry Gregory failed to solve the goal scoring problem and Eddie was dismissed after losing to Leicester five nil at home, a game in which Eddie detailed winger Mike Kenning to mark his former Charlton team mate Lennie Glover, not a good idea, as being four nil down at half time was to prove.ken from bexley said:
Remember When Eddie returned as manager, from his photo in the Mirror, getting off the train at Charlton station, must have been in the Mirror, I remember it as I went down to the Valley with my late father at that time, before I later went down with my friends from Springfield Grove.Bailey said:
I actually think that 68/69 was the last season that Michael Glikstein thought the club could handle promotion, Eddie was allowed to bring Ray Crawford and Mike Kenning in March of that year because we struggled to match the top two for goals scored. The following year, Lewis coach driver Dave Ripley, took my dad and me to see Charlton play out a nil nil draw at newly promoted Orient. When we drove back Dave showed us the Glikstein timber yards in that part of London, they went on for what like seemed miles. 18 months later we did the same journey, Charlton losing three two, Derek Bellotti having a mare in goal for us, when we drove back, same route as before, the timber yards were all gone. It meant nothing to me at the time but with all that we now know about that period and Michael Glikstein's eventual move to Australia, you could see that the end of the Glikstein era was being played out.sixsixandsevensix said:In the film Buster about the Great Train Robbery.Phil Collins who played Buster was around his pool and he opened a paper and said great Eddie Firmani scored a hat Rick.Buster was a Charlton supporter.When Eddie played in Italy he was known as the cool turkey.
Eddie was the first manager I liked, he brought in some exciting players, and the whole Valley was an exciting place to be.
Probably my sentimental view of days gone, but I used to love the evening games especially.
I often did not have the money to go in, so used to wait until half time, and the gates would open , and see the last half an hour, not sure you were supposed to do that, but quite a few youngsters did it.4 -
Read his book Football with the Millionaires.Great player played in Italy the time John Charles did.I had a lot of Italian Restaurant customers who used to rave about him.Eddie ,Leary ,Tocknell all quality South African players.2
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GuQHnymkMc&list=PLoOh1dr5WC8m-x72gDql6uf3bm1pu7V4Q&index=2 The only film of a goal by Eddie that we have in the Museum video archive. WBA A FA cup 29.1.552
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The football club that I played for in the late 1960s were invited down to The Valley to watch a game. We were lucky enough to be showen around by Mr Firmani and we all ended up in Mr Glikstein,s office .Eddie Firmani had the neatest signature I have every seen. The man was even then something very special.5
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I was one of them. It was early in the season and Sunderland had spent a fortune (for those days) on players and it didn’t work for them that season.Blucher said:As the text says, for the first day of the 1953/54 season, all games kicked off early evening on a Wednesday. Any idea why that was in those days of austerity ?Just under 50,000 turned up to watch Charlton beat Sunderland 5-32 -
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Sadly, Eddie Firmani falling out with our best player, Alan Campbell, was another turning point in our declining fortunes. He publicly lambasted Campbell after a second half collapse against Hull at the Valley when we lost 4-1 and it made headlines in the Sunday papers. There was no way back after that and Campbell left shortly thereafter to Birmingham for £70,000. We never got close to replacing his midfield creativity.Bailey said:
Anyone who saw the side that Eddie put together loved them Ken, I know my my friends and I did. He admitted sometime later that he made a mistake in breaking up that squad too quickly, selling Matt Tees to Luton, sacking Ray Crawford for failing to travel to Bisham Abbey for a specially arranged team training session, Ray Crawford declaring his wife was ill. If Charlton struggled to find the net the year before, getting rid of your best two strikers wasn't going to improve matters. They also suffered from long term injuries to Paul Went and Bob Curtis that season. Prolific midweek league reserve Paul Gilchrist, plus Ray Treacy and converted winger to centre forward, Harry Gregory failed to solve the goal scoring problem and Eddie was dismissed after losing to Leicester five nil at home, a game in which Eddie detailed winger Mike Kenning to mark his former Charlton team mate Lennie Glover, not a good idea, as being four nil down at half time was to prove.ken from bexley said:
Remember When Eddie returned as manager, from his photo in the Mirror, getting off the train at Charlton station, must have been in the Mirror, I remember it as I went down to the Valley with my late father at that time, before I later went down with my friends from Springfield Grove.Bailey said:
I actually think that 68/69 was the last season that Michael Glikstein thought the club could handle promotion, Eddie was allowed to bring Ray Crawford and Mike Kenning in March of that year because we struggled to match the top two for goals scored. The following year, Lewis coach driver Dave Ripley, took my dad and me to see Charlton play out a nil nil draw at newly promoted Orient. When we drove back Dave showed us the Glikstein timber yards in that part of London, they went on for what like seemed miles. 18 months later we did the same journey, Charlton losing three two, Derek Bellotti having a mare in goal for us, when we drove back, same route as before, the timber yards were all gone. It meant nothing to me at the time but with all that we now know about that period and Michael Glikstein's eventual move to Australia, you could see that the end of the Glikstein era was being played out.sixsixandsevensix said:In the film Buster about the Great Train Robbery.Phil Collins who played Buster was around his pool and he opened a paper and said great Eddie Firmani scored a hat Rick.Buster was a Charlton supporter.When Eddie played in Italy he was known as the cool turkey.
Eddie was the first manager I liked, he brought in some exciting players, and the whole Valley was an exciting place to be.
Probably my sentimental view of days gone, but I used to love the evening games especially.
I often did not have the money to go in, so used to wait until half time, and the gates would open , and see the last half an hour, not sure you were supposed to do that, but quite a few youngsters did it.
That Leicester game is a painful memory, even after all these years. I was stood in the paddock between the old stand and the South terrace, so had a close-up view of poor old Mike Kenning’s evisceration at left back in that first half.1 -
My hero! Happy birthday Eddie.0
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According to Home and Away, the Sunderland fixture was originally scheduled for 1st May 1954, but both clubs (as did others) agreed to bring it forward as the original date was Cup Final Day. Sounds like a bit of a cock up in the fixtures front.Blucher said:As the text says, for the first day of the 1953/54 season, all games kicked off early evening on a Wednesday. Any idea why that was in those days of austerity ?Just under 50,000 turned up to watch Charlton beat Sunderland 5-31 -
Colin Cameron says they spent £61,000 on three players: Jimmy Cowan, Ray Daniel and Billy Elliot. Spending this amount was sufficient for Sunderland to be dubbed 'The Bank of England'. How times have changed.Blackheathen said:
I was one of them. It was early in the season and Sunderland had spent a fortune (for those days) on players and it didn’t work for them that season.Blucher said:As the text says, for the first day of the 1953/54 season, all games kicked off early evening on a Wednesday. Any idea why that was in those days of austerity ?Just under 50,000 turned up to watch Charlton beat Sunderland 5-31 -
I recognise the names now you mention them Stig. The only player from Sunderland that I remembered from those times was Len Shackleton.0
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These stories are incredible to read. I hope I have my own like this someday, but unfortunately, I can't see Charlton ever having the quality of players like Firmani, Bartram, Hales etc, and especially playing that many games. Football has just changed.
Thanks all for sharing the memories. Firmani must have been great, cause when I did Wigan away last season, a few of the older Wigan fans I spoke to couldn't stop talking about him.2 -
Eddie was one classy chap.I remember we were linked with Alex Ferguson but got Ray Crawford who was allegedly a bad influence.
I was at the Leicester defeat too . Was this the game that Allan Ellis got injured? Theo kept us up but the following season saw us go down
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I have been lucky enough to see Eddie Firmani play.
Of course my memory has probably been clouded over the years, but he is one player I say with confidence who could (fitness allowing) play at the top level in the modern game. He could kill a ball coming at him every which way stone dead, and he knew what to do with it after that.
I believe some film exists of him scoring goals when playing in Italy.4 -
They also bought centre forward Trevor Ford. He was banned for a while at Villa after admitting in a book that they got round the maximum wage by him playing a couple of frames of snooker every week with the boss which he of course won.Stig said:
Colin Cameron says they spent £61,000 on three players: Jimmy Cowan, Ray Daniel and Billy Elliot. Spending this amount was sufficient for Sunderland to be dubbed 'The Bank of England'. How times have changed.Blackheathen said:
I was one of them. It was early in the season and Sunderland had spent a fortune (for those days) on players and it didn’t work for them that season.Blucher said:As the text says, for the first day of the 1953/54 season, all games kicked off early evening on a Wednesday. Any idea why that was in those days of austerity ?Just under 50,000 turned up to watch Charlton beat Sunderland 5-3
As I have said before Eddie made his debut for Charlton at left back against Blackburn but was soon playing up front with Stuart Leary before going to Italy. Was a bit of a shock for both of them to be called up for National Service. Both served in the RAF.1 -
I think we missed 5 or 6 penalties that season, including one from Harry Gregory when we drew 3-3 at Palace in a ‘four-pointer’.bobmunro said:
I agree - we should have gone up that year but for too many unforced errors. I remember the last game of the season against Preston as if it was yesterday - summed up the season for me, we lost 1-0 but both Harry Gregory and Bob Curtis missed penalties.charltonbob said:
We robbed ourselves, too many drawn games 8 at home I think. At Selhurst (when a couple of thousand supporters walked from the Valley) we drew 3-3 after being 2-0 up, Derby away, cracking game we hit the woodwork 4 times & lost 2-1. Happy memories but we should have done better.HarpoLes said:
It was Millwall that “robbed” us more than Palace. They did the double over us, but lost twice to the Glaziers. I’ve never liked that lot from the (New) Den. 😁GeoffB said:In that 68/69 season the late Ray Treacy scored one of the all time great Charlton goals. Against Clough’s Derby team as well. We won 2-0 and the day before beat Middlesbrough 4-1 both at the Valley - looked like promotion but Palace foiled us - all my family gutted.
Ironically, we played Preston at home in the first game of 1969/70 and proceeded to miss a first half penalty (Bob Curtis, I think). Thankfully, we got another one in the second half and Paul Went lashed it home to seal a 2-1 win.
We weren’t very successful against Preston from the spot. Bob Curtis missed another one at The Valley in the last game of our 1975 promotion season just before half time when we were 0-1 down. Happily we came good in the second half, so it mattered not.5 -
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Eddie was a strict manager in certain departments and set some very high standards, one of which was no swearing……..at least in his presence. 🫢🙄1
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I've got to say, I'm incredibly impressed by people's recall of events that happened fifty or sixty years ago. I can barely remember what happened in last week's match. Ask me in a month's time and I'll have nothing in particular; it will be all mashed up in one general memory of Charlton matches amalgamated.5
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The memory may be playing tricks, but I think that another factor that hampered us in 1968/69 were injuries to both Paul Went and Keith Peacock, which kept each of them out for a significant number of games.
Another problem was too many draws at home.
Still, a memorable season and really only the second serious attempt at promotion after our first year down in 1957/58 until Lennie delivered us to the promised land after an absence of 29 years.3 -
I find I remember ‘moments’ more clearly than results.2
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Curtis' penalty was missed but Gregory's was saved. The goalie was injured and could only dive one way (to his left) but Gregory put his penalty that side and the keeper just fell on it. Curtis always went that way too, but he knew the keeper was going left so went to his unfavourable right, but squeezed it past the post.... In the end it didn't matter as we were six points shy of the Nigels. I probably cried that night anyway though!bobmunro said:
I agree - we should have gone up that year but for too many unforced errors. I remember the last game of the season against Preston as if it was yesterday - summed up the season for me, we lost 1-0 but both Harry Gregory and Bob Curtis missed penalties.charltonbob said:
We robbed ourselves, too many drawn games 8 at home I think. At Selhurst (when a couple of thousand supporters walked from the Valley) we drew 3-3 after being 2-0 up, Derby away, cracking game we hit the woodwork 4 times & lost 2-1. Happy memories but we should have done better.HarpoLes said:
It was Millwall that “robbed” us more than Palace. They did the double over us, but lost twice to the Glaziers. I’ve never liked that lot from the (New) Den. 😁GeoffB said:In that 68/69 season the late Ray Treacy scored one of the all time great Charlton goals. Against Clough’s Derby team as well. We won 2-0 and the day before beat Middlesbrough 4-1 both at the Valley - looked like promotion but Palace foiled us - all my family gutted.1 -
Don't remember anything about Alex Ferguson (not saying we weren't linked) but as I have said previously we apparently had a bid accepted by QPR for John O'Rourke (70K from memory) who was having a great season but we pulled out & ended up with Ray Crawford. Ray of course was on his way down by this time but still looked a classy player, who can forget his goal at millwall ?Eddie was one classy chap.I remember we were linked with Alex Ferguson but got Ray Crawford who was allegedly a bad influence.
I was at the Leicester defeat too . Was this the game that Allan Ellis got injured? Theo kept us up but the following season saw us go down0 -
Such a memorable seasonBlucher said:The memory may be playing tricks, but I think that another factor that hampered us in 1968/69 were injuries to both Paul Went and Keith Peacock, which kept each of them out for a significant number of games.
Another problem was too many draws at home.
Still, a memorable season and really only the second serious attempt at promotion after our first year down in 1957/58 until Lennie delivered us to the promised land after an absence of 29 years.
As you say too many draws including the 3-3 at Palarse when we were winning
Keith Peacock got injured against Palarse in the 0/0 Cup game at the Valley and was a major loss
Oh what might have been……
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Gonna disagree with you there Brazilance. Everything has it's time, look at the exploits of Mendonca, Andy Hunt, Yann Kermogant, what we have witnessed in the last five years is almost exclusively down to ownership, yes there have been some awful players and managers but the so called owners have robbed us of todays hero's, that will change. Football then, didn't have the internet so we didn't have the level of information that is available now, it's my opinion as to why the stories told of the fifties, sixties and seventies are so fascinating. I've been lucky enough to .count two former Charlton players as good friends and I literally could talk to them for hours, just to hear them recount their stories.Braziliance said:These stories are incredible to read. I hope I have my own like this someday, but unfortunately, I can't see Charlton ever having the quality of players like Firmani, Bartram, Hales etc, and especially playing that many games. Football has just changed.
Thanks all for sharing the memories. Firmani must have been great, cause when I did Wigan away last season, a few of the older Wigan fans I spoke to couldn't stop talking about him.0 -
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