Remembering the 1953-4 season

Unlike many Charlton fans I cannot remember my first game, but I can remember my first season in 1953-4.

In Voice of the Valley No.155 Rick Everitt looked back at 50 years of supporting Charlton. Everitt's experience at primary school in Welling seems to be somewhat different from mine a few miles away in Plumstead Common, admittedly fifteen years earlier. The only Charlton fan the VOTV editor knew at school was a teacher. As I recall, Charlton fans were thick on the ground at St. Margaret's, not least the late Tom Morris, later to be the club's official photographer.

I also do not recall the game being 'more marginal to everyday life.' Late every Sunday morning Charlton fans would call in at my uncle's newsagents in Lakedale Road to buy their smokes and Sunday papers and discuss Saturday's game.  Another frequent subject was the tensions between manager Jimmy Seed and trainer Jimmy Trotter.

Unlike many Charlton fans, I can’t recall my first game at The Valley.  The first game I can remember is the 6-0 defeat of Liverpool in September 1953.   I think that the first game I must have seen was the 3-1 defeat of Burnley in August 1953.  That was the first Saturday game of the season, Charlton having defeated Sunderland 5-3 the preceding Wednesday.   Sunderland were then known as the ‘Bank of England’ club, having gone on a summer spending spree of £61,000 (£1.6m at today’s prices, showing that transfer fees have outpaced inflation).   Perhaps that is why there was an attendance of just below 50,000, the second highest crowd of the day.  The match was played in the evening so it was possible to go after work.

However, there is something of a mystery about this game.  As I was preparing this article, a programme for this match dropped out of the back of a reference book, a well-worn programme I never remember seeing before.  It noted, ‘It is a new experience to start the season with an evening match in mid-week.’  The fixture was originally scheduled for May 1^st, but both clubs agreed it should be moved ‘to reduce the clash with the televised FA Cup final on that date.’   The coronation earlier in the year had led to a substantial growth in the number of televisions in homes, even if many of them had ten inch or twelve inch screens and were, of course, black and white.  The picture quality was not sharp.

Among the items in the programme were an announcement of an association with Bexleyheath and Welling, reviving an arrangement that had existed before the Second World War.  This was intended to give young players match experience.

It was noted that ‘Last season was one of the poorest on record for attendances at Charlton.  The main reason for it, and we are firmly convinced on this point, was the clash of our home fixtures with Arsenal.  This season, we are happy to report, our home fixtures alternate with those of Arsenal.  With this handicap removed, a more satisfactory state of affairs in regard to attendances at The Valley is confidently expected.’  The ‘Woolwich Rejects’ continued to have a local following and often were a stronger draw.

Average attendances did go up from 25,298 to 28,803, ranging from 13,441 (Newcastle United) to 56,664 (Blackpool and Stanley Matthews).   One reason for the increase may have been what were promised to be ‘greatly improved transport facilities’.  In a forerunner of Valley Express, London Transport put on special bus services.   One ran from Bexleyheath trolleybus depot and another from Grove Park bus station via Lee Green.  For fans further afield, services were being arranged from Dartford and Gravesend.  For the following week’s away fixture at Chelsea special cheap day return tickets to Fulham Broadway were being made available from all stations on the lines from Dartford and also from Catford Bridge and Grove Park.

Information about the full playing squad was included.   Most of them were less than 6 feet tall, exceptions including Sam Bartram who was six feet.  Players’ birthplaces were also listed and seven were from Charlton, Woolwich or the immediate area, but only three from elsewhere in London.  Six were from South Africa and five from elsewhere in South-East England.   Three were from Scotland, plus one from Berwick-on-Tweed.

Finding this programme was a pleasant surprise, but where did it come from?   Did my father make it to the match from his job in Stratford?  That certainly would have been possible.  Did my mother, a regular fan, take me?  It would have been way past my bedtime, although it was in the school holidays.  I think I would have remembered if my first game had beenan evening match, so the source of the programme must remain a mystery.

The attendance was more than halved for the Saturday fixture against Burnley.  Attendances at that time tended to fluctuate considerably.   If I was at the match, it was certainly a footballing treat for a Charlton fan, if one is to believe an effusive report that appeared in the Daily Herald.  ‘If you want to get tipsy for 1s 9d (8p), see Charlton Athletic.  Champagne Soccer for 35 minutes swept them to a home victory by 3-1 over dour, dangerous Burnley.’

‘Let Charlton produce this heady stuff – fast, exhilarating, unstoppable, seven-forward attacks (was the reporter seeing double?) – for the full 90 minutes and they’ll blow the top off all scoring methods.  They did not pull the cork out until Burnley’s grand Irish inside-right, McIlroy, beat Bartram with an under-the-bar smash.  “Wake up!” yelled the fans.  To their delight, Charlton frothed over with three wonder-bar goals by Kiernan (57 minutes), Firmani (69) and Leary (83).’

Fortunately, the reporter had by now exhausted his stock of alcohol analogies.  ‘How can future opponents stop them?  Burnley, a fine side, their defeat no disgrace, have solid defence in depth superior to most League sides and a strong attack.   This is what other clubs are in for if Charlton keep this form:- High-speed short passing raids with defenders made to look as if they were posts for zig-zag passing movements carried out on the training ground.  Sharp-shooting, distance no object; not only by forwards but also by Fenton and backs Hewie and Lock; sound defence; craft and cunning.’

‘Sighed Jimmy Seed: “Great stuff, but why do my lads only play it when they are down?  I’ll have to discover how to make them play like that from the kick offs.”  If he does, Charlton could be the best attacking team in years.’   The reporter forecast that ‘Chelsea won’t stop Charlton next Saturday.’  They lost 3-1 and over the season won fourteen games at home and lost fourteen away.

The next home game on a Saturday was against Middlesbrough and Charlton won 8-1, their biggest league victory.   Unfortunately, we did not go for some reason and I remember discussing the game at school, peeved that I had not been there (just as I was later to miss the 7-6 win).   However, Charlton won their next Saturday home match 6-0 against Liverpool and I will recall that game in a subsequent article.