Fruit Bat

A couple of ours from Lisson Grove, Paddington direction have defected to Millwall because it's too sanitised at The Bridge now for their liking

Great story. Bumped into a good few Reading Chelsea over the years. I'm told matchdays the trains to Paddington are ram jammed

I was working in Aldgate a few years back and started drinking in a pub run by a CFC face and proper hard nut who grew up in Charlton. At the time of that game he had a wrangle on the go flogging Charlton lottery tickets, he was well chuffed when the club portacabin office got torched that day because he owed the club a few bob and all paperwork records went up in smoke. BTW his pub was the unofficial HQ of the East London Glasgow Rangers Supporters Club. Showed all the games on a dodgy beam back and the place used to get festooned with flags. One afternoon someone was rude to his wife who was serving; he unplugged the telly and said ' Pick up your flags and piss off' One bloke fronting up a pub of well oiled Glasweigans and they did duly depart. RESPECT

Same as the Cup except we had the side enclosure as well. We took 3 Specials there as opposed to the normal one. Can remember everyone being really pissed off coming home; the Cup was all we had to play for. Games like that brought out 'sleeper' CFC fans who couldn't be arsed with run of the mill home games IMO. There was also a smattering of nutters like my cousin who had no interest in football or Chelsea but went to the odd game with his mates that did, because he was up for punch up.

Classic away game Derby in the Cup. Massive turnout.

North Cheam Social was similar size and showed all the games on a dodgy beam back. Full of old faces. Once a month it used to host Surrey Soul Train; similar age group to the football crowd. ' Stretch Mark Night' There's a social club on Upper Richmond Road Putney that also gets, or used to get loads of Chelsea in.

Went to a great big barn of a social club near Wembley for a few finals and semi finals- got to be same place Willesden direction from memory

I'm guessing DH was a bit older than your average skinhead and more able to buy top notch clobber?

Before I could afford a Pringle I used to pinch me old mans Argyle Marks and Sparks jumper. I also had a cheapo red acrylic diamond number which was such a poverty model the front diamond wasn't symetrical with the V Neck.

Fantastic time. Gullit was a bit like Hoddle with pace. I saw him in the 88 Euros when he effectively ended Kenny Samsom's International career. Time and time again he bombed past him like he was walking in treacle.

The Whitewall steps in the background.... The Sway that temporary end was informally known as for obvious reasons. Everyone used to pile down those really wide gangways when we scored.

I use to where various golf jackets and other lightweight ' nanny goats ' but I don't remember ski coats until 85 when labels on the outside were becoming rare. Just polo necks with a couple of layers underneath if necessary plus a jumper on top seemed the standard garb, even at aways such as freezing Oldham much to my Mum's chagrin. Safari coats were big for a bit probably late 81 early 82, normally in Burgundy. I went to Spurs v Arsenal night game my last year at school for a night game and remember a lot of the Arsenal firm including many black lads wearing them. I had a canvas type material version which was the last thick coat I wore to football for a good while. If you look online at casual photos from say 81 to 84 - Pompey had their own photographer almost and theyre's rakes of pictures of them - well dressed mob - you'll hardly see a coat on display anywhere.

Agreed. He's his usual forthright and amusing self there but a bit off the mark regarding the 80's stuff there RIP. He was 10 years older than me. I don't remember anyone wearing the clothes over 25/26 maximum

I remember Campari Ski Jackets. Never owned one. The scene wasnt' really associated with coats IMO

BTW that looks like well known CFC character Gerry Kelly below left to Bates with half his face obscured.

That image is one of my lasting memories from Chelsea programmes. A tabloid did a number on him after Brighton which led to him loosing his job; did he get banned from the Bridge? This pic was 9 months or so afterwards.

. RIP. He was a bit of a hero to all aspiring teenage Jack the Lads. So believable in that role it appeared as though he wasn't acting, which is the sign of great acting. I really wanted one of those burgundy leather bomber jackets he wore from the second series on for a couple of seasons. Height of Minder fame he lived in Merton Park. My mate Wayne lived nearby and asked him for his autograph. Not sure whether he doorstepped him or asked him on the street, but he told him to f..k off all the same. Must have caught him on a bad day!

Southampton 84/85 I didn't go but remember reading in the papers a fence got demolished outside the ground which seemed a bit pathetic and probably wasn't the case.

Is that the demolished East Stand? Compensation claims stepping on rusty nails...

Equates to roughly £160 today

We were also in the seats. Don't remember buying them from a tout; back at those glorious pay at the gate days you could pretty much sit where you wanted- wasn't it just brilliant when you could get a phone call from a mate on a Saturday morning " so and so's driving up to Sheffield, d'you fancy it..." Back to that game, we'd only just sat down when I saw this herd of raggamuffins heading over and I remember saying " Heads up, we might be in trouble here" PJ from Kennington " Not with this lot behind us we wont!" Cue load of faces on average 8 years older and 3 stone heavier! Happy times

Portsmouth at home it was first worn from memory. My addled brain forgot we were sponsorless for a good while. I was at that Liverpool game two. Very little segregation in The Annie Road End. They all came over snarling either just before or just after kick off. Very young, loads of cagoules and bad skin on display.

Why no shirt sponsorship; thought Gulf Air arrived on the scene start of 84?

The Falcon Kitchen was on Falcon Road Battersea. Well dodgy place!

I went to Palace v Sheff Utd midweek 78. PH moved down south for a few years, and through friends of friends we stood together; he's four years older than me. SUFC didn't bring many down and took a bit of a slap in The Whitehorse End. At the end of the game they sung some weird song along the lines of ' we'll get you at home' I played football with his brother Mick years down the line, and also saw Paul with the Sheffield mob when we played them in the Cup early 90's. There were hundreds of them but looked a bit sheepish, probably because they took a mauling earlier in Camden.