Fruit Bat

Enough cloth there to sail a tea clipper. Doug Roughvie and Kerry Dixon both favoured thigh huggers. I remember a short lived time in the late 80s when cycling shorts were sometimes worn under football shorts in theory to keep hamstrings warm. A bit of a fad like those nasal strips warn by Robbie Fowler; supposed to let more air in- why not just drill a couple of holes in your nose...

The running track looks like Hurlingham Park, a mile or so from The Bridge

Ron Suart had a good innings- 95

Ian St John spun a good yarn about this match. At the training ground on a table Shankly assembled a subuteo team in Man Utd colours. He went through the starting 11 individually...... ' Nobby Stiles, I've got bigger knomes in ma front garden..... Paddy Crerand....I've seen milk turn faster....Alex Stepney.... Dracula likes crosses more than him.... After rubbishing each player he knocked over their subuteo figure, leaving only three standing, Best, Law and Charlton. ' If you cant beat three players you don't deserve to call yourselves professional footballers'

First leg. Was walking round the ground and bumped into a face from my manor whose Millwall, who pointed me in the direction of a tout they'd just done business with. To this day I think he still reckons I'm Millwall and I wasn't going to correct him that afternoon. It did kick off in the stand I was in with fifty to eighty CFC who got tickets off the Chelsea tout Tweedy. Funnily enough I went to the Oval to watch England a while back, and recognised the same faces knocking out tickets there, North End Road boys who talked out the corners of their mouths.

It's difficult to fight in seating areas. Stockholm for the CWCF there was a square go between two Chelsea fans that went on for a fair bit, everyone gave them room and let them get on with it. I cant tell you how many times I've seen away fans get caught out at the Bridge sitting in small groups in the likes of the East Upper. Much safer with your own fans however I have bought tickets off touts and chanced it in home sections, Millwall in the cup 95 probably the diciest.

I'll pack his suitcase for him and drive him to Heathrow at breakneck speed. If I get points on me license so be it

Being thick or naive I never actually associated them with The Jam. In January 79 Grant Santino wore a pair when he won the World Disco Dancing Championship. The following Monday at school, a mate seemed chuffed he was donning the same footwear as himself. Was Weller wearing them back then?

Fantastic article.

Thats me top picture, front centre, wedge, dark V-Neck. When that photo first emerged a good few people I know recognised themselves.

When I first started going on my own steam in 78 used to get in the Whitewall ridiculously early, lean against a crash barrier, and casually plough through the programme from cover. to cover. ( Soon as it started filling up, ducked under the crash barrier and leant backwards against it, thus preventing turning my ribcage into scredded wheat whenever there was a surge) Come about 82 when I started drinking and spending pre match hours in the likes of the Adelaide or Palmeston,, the programme would go into the back sky rocket of me Fiorrucci or Lois jeans, to be read on the tube back to Wimbledon. Gave up on purchasing them probably late 80's. Slightly off piste, but palled up with some Croydon boys I met in Nice, prior to the Monaco Super Cup - Epic trip- one of the lads who went on to be an usher at my wedding, spent the night round his prior to going to Copenhagen in the Champions League- he fired me into his spare bedroom where there was every Chelsea programme from 1970 onwards, all bound up in plastic envelopes. Got zero hours kip that night, and not much for the next three days. PS Ended up in the sack with an full blown Eskimo out there. Long story...

Capacity listed there as 60,000 before the East Stand was rebuilt on a grander scale. As far as I'm aware when the new East Stand opened up capacity was reduced to 56,000, which was only reached on thereabouts against Fulham on Boxing Day, Palace in the Cup, and maybe Arsenal v Orient in the semi. I don't think any areas of terracing were shut till the late 70s, so why a reduction in capacity; post Ibrox less packing in on terraces maybe?

I'd heard the name but not sure I'd seen him. ( no pun intended) There we're a few characters on the trains back then. Winkle and No Coat John spring to mind.

Whose the bearded midget?

Meandering slightly but talking of Vinnie Jones, Sheffield Utd and hard men of that era, a mate of mine played for SUFC then, arriving late on the pro scene via Sutton Utd. Met Wisey in the players lounge up there and close up he stuck me as having a don't .... with me face, mad looking eyes, polite enough as he was. Billy Whitehurst was in a league of his own apparently. Vinnie Jones wouldn't go near him.

That fastest booking ever was straight from kick off weren't it. We had a few hard cases in that team, Cascarino, Wise, Peter Nicholas...

I played against Keith Jones when he used to turn out for Battersea Devas, who were a poo hot youth team for a while, a bit like Mitcham Royals a couple of years before. Tidy player who didn't do much spectacular but still stood out. Plenty of bunny about him, wind up merchant. I also saw him play in the South East Counties League - he was the only one of that batch who got signed pro from memory

Kevin Wilson also played for us at the time. I always get him mixed up with Sgt Wilson from Dads Army

Whenever I see that kit I think of Tony Dorigo at Maine Road Road. Whose number 8?

I'd say that was about as long as JH grew his barnet. The sensible family men types such as him, Bonetti, Harris, Houseman tended to lack sideburns and have fairly conventional hair, whilst the younger, wilder Kings Road pisshead players attitude shone through, by means of longer tousled hair and proper meaty sideboards I'd say as a general rule.

I've absolutely no unfulfilled wishes as a Chelsea fan. Between the ages of 9 and 18 we only spent 2 years in the top flight. The football was a bit rank at times, however we had a hardcore support and had great times home and away. The novelty of winning trophies waned for me a while back, and a by product of success unfortunately means you attract supporters who tend to be in it for reflected glory. If it turns to pot I'd wager atmosphere and passion would return to the Bridge. As long as I've still got a team to support that'll do for me

Watching from the opposite end we heard ' Chelsea, Chelsea' in the Stretford End, a gap opened up and that seemed to be the end of it . Not even sure I remember any flurries of punches.. Tactical withdrawal I guess. Nothing like West Ham at home a couple of weeks later. Similarly they came in from the West Stand about five minutes from the end and it really did kick off proper.

He really was a beast in the air. He was marking the likes of Joe Jordan, Cyrile Regis, Peter Withe, David Cross and I can't ever remember an opponent having the better of him over the course of a game.

In terms of crushes at home, Boro and Charlton in the play offs, I thought the Shed was well overloaded. Probably a combo of tailgating at the turnstiles and Bates being greedy and extending the official capacity. PS Tailgated the Villa Cup Final at Wembley, but eventually got slung out by stewards when they sussed there was some ' seat sharing' occuring.

Biggest crushes I remember were QPR Boxing days in that poxy School End terrace, Grimsby 84, and for some reason the Bovril Gate slipway before Liverpool in 78 ( Borota's debut. Plus maybe Cambridge in 82 I think. Talking of Grimsby that was without doubt the hottest I've been at football what with the combination of a warm day plus ram jammed in like sardines.