I think it was fully concreted in the mid 1930’s, there’s a photo somewhere of builders working on it with Sam Bartram helping out pushing a wheelbarrow. The covered end roof went on about the same time.
Summer of 1936 as we prepared for our season in the top flight.
Was in the Hatchet pub in Bristol and on the wall was a framed page of a 1932 local Bristol sports paper, mostly covered boxing, but happened to have a small piece referring to Charlton and the signing of Cyril Pearce. Was the prelude to relegation to Div 3 and Jimmy Seed's appointment.
The above photo is where I stood, except more to the left, behind the goal. This is where I watched the 7-6 game. I am sure there was not a crowd to cover all the people claimed to be there 😂
Interesting photo , just before being promoted to division one. The East terrace was then extended to it's full height. The advertising hoarding doing the job of stopping people from watching the game from their back gardens.
Is it definitely The Valley?? Admittedly it looks like the east terrace taken from the south west corner, but the “skyline” in the top left isn’t as familiar. (But there are few other grounds that it could be).
Is it definitely The Valley?? Admittedly it looks like the east terrace taken from the south west corner, but the “skyline” in the top left isn’t as familiar. (But there are few other grounds that it could be).
Is it definitely The Valley?? Admittedly it looks like the east terrace taken from the south west corner, but the “skyline” in the top left isn’t as familiar. (But there are few other grounds that it could be).
My thoughts too, not sure that is the Valley.
Agree. I don’t think this is The Valley. The white wall is too high, the background doesn’t look right, and it’s not a picture that has appeared before.
My father wrote this 4 yrs ago, sadly he can't attend matches any more, next September will be his 80th as an ADDICK
Long term fan Paul tells us about his unusual first trip to the Valley as told to his son.My first game at the Valley was in September 1945. I was nine years old, the Second World War had only ended a few months earlier and I was soon to go off as a new boy to my school in Broadstairs.I had spent much of the war living with a family in Hertfordshire as an evacuee but had witnessed in London the Battle of Britain, the Blitz and the V 1 and V2 raids.
My introduction to a lifetime Addicktion dates to Charlton Athletic’s first post-war home league game, a clear sunny 1st September day against Leicester City. My mother was a friend of Eileen, wife of Stanley Gliksten, who with his brother Albert owned Charlton. I went with the Gliksten boys David and Michael (later Charlton chairman himself) in the Gliksten’s rather grand car and sat with them meaning the first time I watched a game at the Valley was from the Director’s box.
Before the game, I remember being with others as the team exited the dressing room and wishing them luck. After the match ( which Charlton won 2 -1 with goals from Don Welsh and Arthur Turner) I saw Jimmy Seed’s team, including Sam Bartram, in the big communal bath whilst the captain, Don Welsh, bathed in a separate, individual tub.At half time I remember a military band playing as they matched to and fro across the pitch. At that time the players shirts had no numbers and no club badge, spectators were not segregated and some did have rattles.
Now 84, 75 years a loyal supporter, I can’t imagine a life without Charlton , sometimes with dismay but also with ecstasy. There is no other club for me and Charlton are a very special club, our successive promotions from Third Division to runner up in Division One was unique, our famous 7-6 win unequalled in the English league, no other club gained promotion to the top flight whilst without their own ground and created their own political party. And we are known as a friendly club with an enviable record for looking after our players present and past. Nick Hornby infamously wrote that he did not know how it was possible to support a club like Charlton, well, our successes maybe fewer than Arsenal’s but there are so much sweeter. And don’t forget we’ve beaten Liverpool 7-0 and Manchester United 8-1.
Could it be Port Vale’s old ground, the Old Recreation Ground?
Don't think so. There is a small retainer wall with railings in the picture which is like the Valley. Port Vale, Old Rec Ground doesn't have that in old photos.
Is it definitely The Valley?? Admittedly it looks like the east terrace taken from the south west corner, but the “skyline” in the top left isn’t as familiar. (But there are few other grounds that it could be).
Yes I wondered, but think it must be though. Did they photoshop in those days!
Is it definitely The Valley?? Admittedly it looks like the east terrace taken from the south west corner, but the “skyline” in the top left isn’t as familiar. (But there are few other grounds that it could be).
My thoughts too, not sure that is the Valley.
Agree. I don’t think this is The Valley. The white wall is too high, the background doesn’t look right, and it’s not a picture that has appeared before.
I wasn't convinced when I first saw the picture ... the slope of the terracing didn't look steep enough ... but ...
... look at that house roof and chimney stack under the player's right arm.
Do we know the player, by the way?
Right. I'm off to buy a Morris Car now. They have the lowest upkeep costs, you know.
Is it definitely The Valley?? Admittedly it looks like the east terrace taken from the south west corner, but the “skyline” in the top left isn’t as familiar. (But there are few other grounds that it could be).
My thoughts too, not sure that is the Valley.
Agree. I don’t think this is The Valley. The white wall is too high, the background doesn’t look right, and it’s not a picture that has appeared before.
I wasn't convinced when I first saw the picture ... the slope of the terracing didn't look steep enough ... but ...
... look at that house roof and chimney stack under the player's right arm.
Do we know the player, by the way?
Right. I'm off to buy a Morris Car now. They have the lowest upkeep costs, you know.
Is it definitely The Valley?? Admittedly it looks like the east terrace taken from the south west corner, but the “skyline” in the top left isn’t as familiar. (But there are few other grounds that it could be).
My thoughts too, not sure that is the Valley.
Agree. I don’t think this is The Valley. The white wall is too high, the background doesn’t look right, and it’s not a picture that has appeared before.
I wasn't convinced when I first saw the picture ... the slope of the terracing didn't look steep enough ... but ...
... look at that house roof and chimney stack under the player's right arm.
Do we know the player, by the way?
Right. I'm off to buy a Morris Car now. They have the lowest upkeep costs, you know.
Have just been reading up on the bomb damage to the Greenwich and Charlton area during WW2.
Does anyone have a picture of Charlton station before it got hit by a German V1 and totally destroyed? Have found some pictures online of the post-blast damage, but not what it looked like before that.
(I'd always wondered as a kid why the Charlton station building seemed more "modern" than other stations)
I've been playing with the Britain From Above website and they have at least one aerial image of Charlton, showing the Valley and the station in 1933. There are lots of images in the area but the map doesn't make it easy to work out which areas are covered by which images. This one's easy because there's a massive, easily-identifiable football ground in it. You'll need to register to zoom into the image and actually see anything. https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW040932
That photo in the link, only shows one side of Victory way for the J&P site, the main factory was on the right side going down the hill.
I haven't posted on here for a long time .. but when something factually incorrect appears ... well, what would you do?
The main J&P site in Victoria Way (not 'Victory Way' @guinnessaddick) was very definitely on the right hand side going UP the hill.
I meant Victoria Way, there was a lot of land on the right going up, the buildings on that side were mainly srotage, the main factory was on the left going up when I worked there for 7 years in the 80’s.
1980's? I thought that Johnson & Phillips was taken over by Delta Cables (Delta Metal?) in the 1960's.
Certainly Delta occupied the left hand side as you go up the hill.
I used to be woken up for school by the 7am 'call to work' bell of J&P in the 1950's.
I've posted a picture below of the end of Delta Cables in 1987.
A couple of weeks ago, at my wife’s pension lunch, I sat next to a guy who used to work for Delta. He said they went from being the biggest brass manufacturers in the world to disappearing very quickly once the Chinese got involved.
I know some of those factory units on the right of Victoria Way were used as customs bonded warehouses in the 90's, a friend of mine worked on the forklifts there.
Two copies of photos that came into the museum today.
No date or other info.
The lack of damage to the Covered End dates them, I believe, from 1934 to 1940.
It's not certain they are from the same game.
The pitch invasion suggests 1936 v Port Vale but the two match photos show the back of the East terrace having been concreted so maybe after promotion in 1936.
I was there……remember walking up Victoria Way for a 75 bus with tears in my 10 year old eyes. I would say that moment was without doubt the most pivotal moment in our history. We should have won too, we blew it, only needed to draw……I believe the crowd was 58,000.
Comments
Long term fan Paul tells us about his unusual first trip to the Valley as told to his son.My first game at the Valley was in September 1945. I was nine years old, the Second World War had only ended a few months earlier and I was soon to go off as a new boy to my school in Broadstairs.I had spent much of the war living with a family in Hertfordshire as an evacuee but had witnessed in London the Battle of Britain, the Blitz and the V 1 and V2 raids.
My introduction to a lifetime Addicktion dates to Charlton Athletic’s first post-war home league game, a clear sunny 1st September day against Leicester City. My mother was a friend of Eileen, wife of Stanley Gliksten, who with his brother Albert owned Charlton. I went with the Gliksten boys David and Michael (later Charlton chairman himself) in the Gliksten’s rather grand car and sat with them meaning the first time I watched a game at the Valley was from the Director’s box.
Before the game, I remember being with others as the team exited the dressing room and wishing them luck. After the match ( which Charlton won 2 -1 with goals from Don Welsh and Arthur Turner) I saw Jimmy Seed’s team, including Sam Bartram, in the big communal bath whilst the captain, Don Welsh, bathed in a separate, individual tub.At half time I remember a military band playing as they matched to and fro across the pitch. At that time the players shirts had no numbers and no club badge, spectators were not segregated and some did have rattles.
Now 84, 75 years a loyal supporter, I can’t imagine a life without Charlton , sometimes with dismay but also with ecstasy. There is no other club for me and Charlton are a very special club, our successive promotions from Third Division to runner up in Division One was unique, our famous 7-6 win unequalled in the English league, no other club gained promotion to the top flight whilst without their own ground and created their own political party. And we are known as a friendly club with an enviable record for looking after our players present and past. Nick Hornby infamously wrote that he did not know how it was possible to support a club like Charlton, well, our successes maybe fewer than Arsenal’s but there are so much sweeter. And don’t forget we’ve beaten Liverpool 7-0 and Manchester United 8-1.
I wasn't convinced when I first saw the picture ... the slope of the terracing didn't look steep enough ... but ...
... look at that house roof and chimney stack under the player's right arm.
Do we know the player, by the way?
Right. I'm off to buy a Morris Car now. They have the lowest upkeep costs, you know.
No date or other info.
The lack of damage to the Covered End dates them, I believe, from 1934 to 1940.
It's not certain they are from the same game.
The pitch invasion suggests 1936 v Port Vale but the two match photos show the back of the East terrace having been concreted so maybe after promotion in 1936.
Anyone seen them before or have any clues?
I would say that moment was without doubt the most pivotal moment in our history.
We should have won too, we blew it, only needed to draw……I believe the crowd was 58,000.
stay safe my friend.