When Moscow Radio thanked Charlton

I am now in my seventh decade of supporting Charlton.   Unlike many people, I cannot remember the first game I went to.   The one that stands out most clearly in my mind is the 6-0 defeat of Liverpool on 26^th September, even more than the 8-1 win over Middlesbrough in the previous home game.   However, probably the first game I went to was the home game against Burnley on 22^nd August which Charlton won 3-1.

Getting to the game in those days involved walking from our house down to Plumstead Common Road, catching the 53 bus and then walking through Maryon Park amongst a large crowd.   My mother usually came as well as my father which could be a slight embarrassment as she was convinced that some referees had it in for Charlton and would shout ‘Dirty ref!’ in a loud voice long after the incident that had offended her.

Until I was seven years old, I went through the turnstile with my father and I was quite daunted the first time I went through on my own clutching a few old pennies to hand to the gateman.  We would then walk on to the East Terrace, standing some way back from the pitch, not far from where I sit in the East Stand today.

Some players were real attractions for a small boy and first and foremost among those was Sam Bartram who was known for his flamboyant style of keeping goal.   I particularly remember the match on 6^th March 1954 when Sam was presented with a special cake by Pompey skipper Jimmy Dickinson to mark his 500^th league match for the club (actually it was 497^th as the three matches played in 1939/40 didn’t really count).

It was a real shock when Bartram was not in goal and was replaced by his loyal understudy Eddie Marsh as happened on March 20^th 1954.   I asked my father why this was and he said that Bartram had been injured in training, although quite how that had happened is unclear as training usually involved running around the pitch and up and down the East Terrace.   The idea was that keeping players away from the ball made them hungry for it when the match came, but I think that the keeper did practice saving shots.

In any event I could see that Marsh was under real pressure in the Charlton goal and in a match full of fouls they scraped home 3-2.   However, Bartram was still out the following Saturday when they lost 4-1 at Huddersfield.   Perhaps he had strained his back lifting a heavy package in his shop round the corner.  My father was rather sceptical of this business venture, noting that people would go in there hoping to see Bartram and instead would meet a manager he had installed.

I have a rather worn version of the programme for the match against Wolves on 21^st November 1953.    Much was made of ‘Personality No.1’ in the Wolves team, Billy Wright.  It was noted that Wolves, like Charlton, had never won the title, but they won 2-0 on that day and went on to be champions, Charlton finishing 9^th.

 ‘Echoes Across The Valley’ noted that Moscow Radio had thanked Charlton for the splendid hospitality offered to three members of the Central Committee of Physical Culture.   However, ‘Our guests from the Soviet politely declined alcoholic refreshment and drank mineral waters.’  It was noted that a Finnish football coach who had been studying Charlton’s training methods and tactics had now been replaced by a Norwegian football administrator.

However, a suggestion that Charlton would fly out to South Africa to play one match in May was dismissed as very unlikely to happen.   It was explained that ‘Even in these days of the Comet [jet passenger aircraft which turned out to be liable to crash in midair] such a journey would be too big a strain on our players.’   Should they require entertainment closer home they could go to Leicester Square to see ‘From Here to Eternity’, the picture in the programme advert showing the famous clinch between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr.  Fans were assured by Beverley Baxter MP that the film had been ‘produced with passionate sincerity’.   Such an endorsement from a politician would go down less well today.

 Once we got home, my father would check his football pools coupon.   He never won a big prize, although he did win small prizes with the ‘Easy Six’ made up of matches that were difficult to forecast.  Sunday morning would see us make the long walk down to my uncle’s newsagent shop in Lakedale Road to collect the Sunday papers, but also to discuss the previous day’s match.   As the gas lamps hissed, customers would give their opinion on the game and the result.   One of the perennial subjects of discussion was perceived tensions between manager Jimmy Seed and trainer Jimmy Totter.   Eventually, of course, Trotter replaced Seed as manager.

It was, of course, a different game in those days.  Players were paid the same as a skilled worker which is how they were seen.   They would often walk to the ground or come on the bus and on Christmas Day might rely on a lift from fans.   The pace was slower, with no substitutes players had to play on if they could when injured, and the leather ball was heavy, particularly when much of the pitch was a sea of mud, as it often was.   With no floodlights, matches in winter were often played in gloomy conditions towards the end of the game, even with a 2.15 start.    What I did get was a taste for was supporting Charlton which has remained with me until today.

  

Remembering Sam Bartram

It’s Sunday 7^th March 1954.  Around the middle of the morning, my father and I walk down the hill from Plumstead Common to my uncle’s newsagents shop in Lakedale Road.  Our ostensible objective is to collect the Sunday papers for ourselves and some neighbours, together with a week’s supply of the Daily Mirror and the Racing and Football Outlook for my grandmother so that she can work on her continuing analysis of promotion and relegation prospects.

A less formal purpose is to chat about football.   The other main topic was politics and this often amounted to speculation about the sexual conduct of prominent politicians.    Of course, at the age of seven I didn’t realise what, for example, references to MP and newspaper columnist Tom Driberg’s preferences (he was gay) meant.  But as I leafed through the football pages, my uncle would advise me to always read ‘between the lines’ of any news story.  What was left unsaid was as important as what was said.   I shouldn’t take anything at face value, but develop an ability to criticise, some of the best advice I ever had.

Lakedale Road was then a bustling shopping centre, but it is relatively quiet by around 11 am on a Sunday in my uncle’s shop, so much so that you can hear the hissing of the gas lamps, perhaps interrupted by the passage of the Salvation Army band.    With no social media, Charlton fans knew that they could drop by for a few minutes chat.   Apart from the preceding day’s game, a favourite topic was the tensions between manager Jimmy Seed and trainer or coach Jimmy Trotter.

However, this was a rather unusual day in terms of Charlton coverage in the Sunday papers, or at least that is how I remembered it.   Memory can play tricks and when I searched the British Library newspaper archive online, the coverage was much more perfunctory than I recalled through a sepia glow.    However, the Daily Mirror did comment with some surprise on the Saturday that they had met a man who did not know what was happening that day at The Valley.

On the preceding day we had been at The Valley for Sam Bartram’s 500^th match for Charlton which was estimated to boost the normal gate by 10,000 (including Sam’s mother who travelled from County Durham).   Arguably it was actually his 497^th because the three matches at the start of the 1939-40 season before the outbreak of war had been expunged from the official record.  But let’s not allow a technicality to stand in the way of a celebration.  

Charlton had played Portsmouth that day, winning 3-1 and their skipper Jimmy Dickinson had helped Bartram to cut a giant cake (30 inches by 18 inches) supplied by Pompey on the pitch after the game. They also gave him a silver tankard while Charlton gave him a silver tea service.  On the way home we bought at least one of the then three London evening papers which brought out a late football edition and I cut out and the photograph of Bartram and Dickinson and pasted it on cardboard.   It was a treasured memento for many years.   Looking back at the photographs that some papers printed, Bartram’s principal look is one of embarrassment and he is referred to in one report as a ‘modest’ individual.

For me, Sam Bartram was a childhood hero and led to a lifelong fascination with the role of goalkeepers in the game (more of that in a subsequent post).   In the 21^st century heroes and heroines are regarded with a justified scepticism and I will come back to Bartram’s flaws later.

In addition to the Sunday papers, I would collect some comics.  A favourite was the Eagle in which Dan Dare regularly battled against the Venusian evil genius, the Mekon, who appeared to bathe in green pea soup.   However, I would also collect a new comic which started publication in 1954, the Tiger, and which featured Roy of the Rovers, the rovers being Melchester Rovers. 

Football-themed stories were a staple of British comics for boys from the 1950s onwards, and Roy of the Rovers was the most popular.  The strip usually saw Rovers competing for honours at the top of the English and European game, although in some years the storylines would see the club struggle for form, including relegation from the top flight in the early 1980s.  Roy’s playing career came to an end in 1993 when he lost his left foot in a helicopter crash.

The Tiger pioneered one innovation in the form of football ‘league ladders’.  You had to press out pieces of card for each team which contained some basic information on a tab such as the name of the ground and the team colours.  You then placed these in slots on a cardboard sheet for all four divisions (I can’t remember for sure how Scotland was treated, but I think just the top division was at the bottom of the sheet).    They have a retro appeal and reproduction versions can be bought online, the marketing blurb stating: ‘When I was a lad, there were only three channels on the telly, and when you weren't outside playing with your Raleigh Chopper bike or your Wembley Trophy football, you were indoors doing your League Ladders.’ The idea was that you could make adjustments after each week’s matches, but for me it provided the basis for a game which was a crude early form of Football Manager using a dice or playing cards in which Charlton somehow won the first division title.

Bartram, of course, never received significant international honours, other than three wartime internationals, touring Australia with an England XI in 1951 and played for the England B team (the international equivalent of the reserves). Why was that?  In part it was because Frank Swift (Manchester City) and Ted Ditchburn (Tottenham Hotspur) were also available.  Even then Spurs and City were seen as ‘big’ clubs.    Bartram did play for the Possibles versus the Probables in a pre-war trial and at one time was seen as a more likely selection than Swift, but the war intervened.  Hence he got the unwanted title of the ‘the finest goalkeeper never to play for England.’

A friend in later life who was a Portsmouth fan argued that Bartram was a ‘showman’. In Peter Chapman’s book The Goalkeeper’s History of Britain he states that Bartram was condemned as ‘playing for the gallery’ and called ‘a danger to football.’ Admittedly, Swift was also seen as something of a showman for throwing the ball out, something then seen as unorthodox (Swift had learnt it from water polo).  ‘To have sanctioned a second showman would have risked established tradition.  Protective of the nation’s sterner values, Bartram was where [the selectors] drew the line.’

From a 21^st century viewpoint, it is possible to argue for a more positive perspective on his style of play.  He did take risks and ventured out of his goal area more than was common in those days when the keeper was usually seen as a shot stopper on the line and one who was given less protection from referees than is the case today.   These days Sam might be called a sweeper keeper, a popular formula with some managers who consider that having a player standing about for most of the match represents an under-utilised asset.   Hence, a sweeper keeper is a goalkeeper who pushes himself up the pitch and stays close to the last line of defence. Johan Cruyff once said: ‘In my team, the goalkeeper is the first attacker and the striker is the first defender’.

Over sixty years later, I had an insight into Bartram’s role watching my non-league team Leamington.   For some years the keeper was one Tony Breeden, a somewhat volatile individual who had to leave after what was reported to be a vigorous exchange of views with the team captain.   Known to some opposing teams as the ‘barmy binman’, his chant at Leamington was ‘Tony Breeden, on the wing, on the wing.’

Breeden had a fierce and accurate shot and was often the penalty taker, indeed I saw him score against Wolves at Molineux in a penalty shoot out to win the Birmingham Senior Cup.   (He had less luck with his current team, Nuneaton Borough, where a video of him taking out the stadium lights from a penalty went viral).  However, on occasion he would burst out of his goal and race up the wing with the ball, completely confounding the opposition, before delivering an assist to a player near the goal.   I also saw him score from a free kick in his own half.  Admittedly, he did not ever score in open play, although I did see him hit the crossbar from the halfway line.

It has to be said that his conduct alarmed some fans, and it was something one could only get away with in non-league football.   Bartram did not do anything anywhere near as reckless.   However, the insight I gained was that part of Bartram’s play book was to unsettle the opposition by playing in a way that was then unconventional for a keeper at that time.

Bartram left Charlton to join York City as manager in 1956.   This meant that he had to sell off his sports business round the corner from The Valley. This was a shrewd investment, promoted through photos of excited young fans with Bartram.   My father thought that it was a clever but misleading ploy.  Fans would go round there expecting to meet Bartram and instead see the manager he had put in to run the shop.   My father also took the view that the goods on sale were over-priced.  He bought me some excellent football boots when I was seven, not realising that I had not inherited any of his talent as a non-league footballer.   They didn’t come from Sam Bartram & Co.

Bartram was released by York City in 1960 with two years to run on his contract so that he could join Luton Town.   He was let go by them in the summer of 1962 ‘by mutual agreement’ which no doubt meant that he was sacked with some kind of pay off.

When Charlton beat Liverpool 6-0

Continuing last week's feature on the 1953/4 season I look at the time Charlton beat Liverpool 6-0

Looking back at my first season following Charlton in 1953-4 there are certain matches that remain in the memory.   One of them was the 6-0 defeat of Liverpool on 26^th September 1953 in front of a crowd of 31,258.  This was Liverpool’s biggest defeat since 1934.  They were then managed by former Addick Don Welsh and were relegated as bottom club.

It is interesting to look at this match from the perspective of a report in a Liverpool paper.  ‘A foul against Liverpool at the fifth minute proved fatal to their cause, for Evans calmly headed Fenton’s free kick into the net while the Liverpool defence appeared to stand still.  This was indeed a blow for the Anfielders had opened promisingly.   For the next few minutes Charlton bothered the Liverpool defence quite a lot and Leary made a good shot which Crossley saved on the line.  The ball went out to Kiernan who raced into the centre and shot when most expected him to pass.  Evans who is particularly good with his head made another effort from Hurst’s centre.’

‘Whenever Liverpool threatened danger, the Charlton defence packed well and these tactics often checked the Liverpool advantage.  A Liddell corner went straight into Bartram’s hands.   Liverpool were testing the Athletic, and after a Liddell shot was dropped, Baron seized on the ball and shot, but a slight deflection ruined it and saved Bartram from anxiety.   Liverpool for the last 15 minutes had as much play as Charlton, but could not get a real shot at goal.’  (Memory can play tricks, but I have a vision of Charlton clearing well on their left in front of the East Terrace).  Spicer made a determined tackle to prevent Leary’s shot from becoming dangerous.  Bimpson gave Ufton the dummy but it got him nowhere for the Charlton defence stepped in to do their stuff.’

‘Leary was a little slow at making a shot from a good position, giving a Liverpool man a chance to nip in and block his effort.  Jackson made a jab into the goalmouth but Bartram had no difficulty in saving.  Liddell was here there and everywhere, but Charlton left few openings.  Crossley had to save a low shot from Hurst and Leary was not far off the target with a header.   Charlton went further ahead, Leary picking up a pass from O’Linn to give Crossley no chance from 15 yards’ range at the 43^rd minute.’

Charlton thus went in 2-0 ahead at half time.  Having been refreshed by a cup of tea and an orange, ‘Charlton undoubtedly looked the more dangerous side and Evans was unlucky to have a hefty shot blocked by Paisley.  Evans offered O’Linn a chance which he took quickly, but not accurately, the ball passing wide.  Charlton were in trouble a moment later but Hammond dropped back and kicked clear.  Charlton were well on top at this stage and Crossley had to turn a Kiernan angular shot over the bar.  Later, O’Linn came along with a header which was off the mark.’

‘There was a groan when Fenton offered the chance “on a plate” slewed his shot well wide of the far post.  There was a big shout for a foul for hands against Hughes who did perhaps handle, but quite unintentionally, the referee thought so too.’  An absence of intent wouldn’t have helped him today.  In 1953 my mother was always alert for evidence for what she thought was systematic referee bias against Charlton and would have made her views clear.

‘A Baron header was cleared off the line by Ufton.  Charlton missed a third goal when a free kick taken by Fenton was helped on by O’Linn.  He headed wide with most of the goal open to him.  Charlton had been bang on top for the last 20 minutes and Leary scored a third goal at 20 minutes when Crossley failed to hold a Leary shot which passed over his line.  Leary obtained his hat-trick and Charlton’s fourth goal when he ran through and took the ball close in before he smashed it beyond Crossley at 72 minutes.  After Crossley had got to his feet to save from Hurst, the referee awarded a penalty and Leary scored a fifth goal in the 74^th minute.  Evans scored a sixth goal for Charlton after 83 minutes.’  If Charlton had taken all their chances, they might have won by an even bigger margin.

The match against Cardiff City in March 1954 was memorable for me because Bartram was not in goal.  Apparently he had been injured in training.  For the outfield team training was focused on running round the pitch and up and down the East Terrace, supervised by Jimmy Trotter in his white coat which made him look as if he had just wandered in from the pharmacy counter at Boots.  The keeper was, however, allowed to see the ball during the week.  Bartram was also out the next week when Charlton 4-1 away at Huddersfield.   Eddie Marsh deputised on both occasions and one of my memories was of him fumbling a save with a frown on his face which left me worried for the rest of the match.   Fortunately, the Cardiff keeper also had a bit of a mare.

What I do not remember is that there was clearly quite a lot of tension between the two teams. ‘Play was over vigorous at times and at one period in the second half hustling and bumping were taken to such extremes that the referee had to issue words of advice to both teams.’  In what was a foul strewn match and both O’Linn and Leary were injured.   The Cardiff president was left with a bloody nose after a no nonsense Campbell clearance hit the roof of the stand and then bounced directly on to his nose.

A report from Wales blamed defensive blunders for at least two of the goals scored by Charlton. ‘Although there was plenty of honest endeavour in the City forward line it was never a smooth working unit mainly because of the tendency of the inside forwards to hang back.  The usually sound Graham Vearncombe [in goal] was not too sure of himself.  He did not position himself well for the first two Charlton goals, and he was not confident when running out of goal.’

‘Charlton made most of the running in the early stages, and after only a quarter of an hour Leary easily rounded Gale to cut in and put the ball across the City goalmouth for Hurst to apply the finishing touches.  When Firmani scored Charlton’s second in the 23^rd minute the City looked a well beaten side.  They staged a grand rally, however.  In the last 15 seconds of the first half Grant scored with a 20-yard shot and immediately the second half started Ford headed home a corner kick in his best style.’

‘For some time then Charlton were hard pressed to keep the City going into the lead.  This hectic spell gradually faded.’  For the winning goal Ayre surprised the defenders by challenging for a loose ball, and the ball was put to Leary’s feet in front of an unguarded net, leaving Charlton 3-2 winners. Cardiff finished one place behind Charlton who were 9^th and on the same number of points as Chelsea.

There were more disappointing results during the season, but I was left hooked for life.