On a tense visit to the Valley the other evening for our play-off final (great disappointment) I remembered how it used to be when entering via the Sam Bartram turnstiles.
Back in 1958 for the penulitmate game of the season against Blackburn Rovers (another great promotion anti-climax) about a half dozen of us (all around 9 years of age) used to cycle from Catford to Charlton and park our bicycles in a back garden off the track leading to the turnstiles for 6 old pence: those were the days. I wonder what has happened to those guys I hope they are well ( I think Jim Collins used to join the clan and probably Maurice Gubbins from Longhill Road and maybe Alan Breeze, and Ray Lambert, Phil Sanderson and Alan Brind from Torridon Road School days. If any of you are out there pay us a call.
Those were the days when parents were not afraid to let their children get out and take their chances, and kids wanted to do just that and get some fresh air and exercise, an all together much healthier environment. OK, traffic was less then but we still used our sense to negotiate the back douibles which is still possible today.
Unfortunately, the balance has gone too far the other way and kids are just not getting enough exercise and independence these days (and, Christ, they are all armchair supporters with no local patriotism in footaball!)
I read today a great article on Eddie Firmani http://bit.ly/bwRMdj: a real Charlton great of the late 1950's / 1960's: they don't make them like that today!!
OK: that's the end of an inital new post in a spare moment that I have. Perhaps I will continue in due course, as the mood takes me.
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2 comments:
Mike:
Nice one!
Hope you find the time to keep it going at a pace suitable for your busy retirement ;-)
Hi Mike, different generation but I grew up in Catford but went to the posher school at the other end of the street - Sandhurst :-)
Keep up the blogging, you'll be a welcome addition
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