Cobham

Wee Pat was the youngster of the team, and he now looks about 20 years younger than the rest of them, apart from Eddie Ned.
I'm currently reading Nevin's autobiog, which is a very good book. He obviously talks a lot about THAT season, and is full of praise for the whole team and the football they played, and absolutely loved John Neal. He singles out Tony McAndrew for praise for his personality and attitude off the field. He loved the North Walian nutters Mickey Thomas and Joey Jones, and says he got on particularly well with Pates and Bumstead. He mentions the near-telepathic understanding he had with Speedie, but is pretty open in saying they had zero in common off the field and really didn't like each other.

What a fantastic event it was. I've stuck a few random photos up, Tony McAndrew was one of the players there. I was lucky enough to have a quick word with him, a largely unsung important player to the squad. Lovely fella! The rest of the pictures are more well known characters ( to me anyway) some players, some fans. Some fans that were also players. 
Wonderful evening. Made my year. 

I took videos of speeches on the night. I also had pictures with the players but I’m sure you don’t want my ugly mug in those!!!  Will be happy to pass the videos  on to one of the Shed End Mods as I know certain length videos I can’t load.
It was a great night with Pat Nevin as MC. He started with Uncle Ken on stage, who went through his year from after the Bolton Game (82/83) right through 83/84. The funny thing during the evening is every time a player came on to talk about their stories Ken would come back in the conversation! As he is quite frail now, he walks with two sticks, Pat had to keep holding the Microphone for him to speak!
 
Each player was asked about the season and also their favourite game, goal and memory of the season. Us the supporters were mentioned a lot regarding our numbers home and away and how loud we were.
Canners speech began with his memory of his first game away to Palace the year before stating  “I have to say you guys gave me some fu#*#+g welcome!! A lot of people in the room were shouting “Not all of us” I for one was one, as I was 14 at the time and had many friends at school from different ethnic backgrounds and didn’t think that way. Also David Speedie was asked back on stage by Canners to say that a Misunderstanding years ago had been cleared up between the two of them and they hugged on stage a Canners stated they were like brothers now.
He also mentioned about meeting his dad for the first time after the 4-4 at Hillsboro. After the game he was so worried about what to say and would he recognise him as he walked out when he was a year old. He said “ I needn’t of worried, when I walked into the lounge he was the only black man there!!
 
I hope you haven’t found these bits boring and will post more if interested 
 

Living in Canada now so no way I could attend but really wish I could have been there. Any chance those of you who went (I'm looking at you Richard P 😉) could share your thoughts of the evening and any stories from players or fans? I'm not that bothered about pics, seen plenty of those, but apart from hearing that Batesy was on top form and Pat did a great job as compere I haven't seen that much about what was actually said by anyone.
I think it's unusual to have an event like this to celebrate a Div 2 Championship 40 yrs after the event, but I also think that says a lot about how special THAT season was for us. Did the players get that? Did they realise it at the time, or only more recently? Were they surprised at the interest after all these years? Did they appreciate how good our away support was back then? Notice how different it was to most others? Was the Speedie/Canoville 'reconciliation' onstage? Was anything said to the audience while that happened?
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, sounds like it was a roaring success and can't wait to hear anything you might have to share.

Living in Canada now so no way I could attend but really wish I could have been there. Any chance those of you who went (I'm looking at you Richard P 😉) could share your thoughts of the evening and any stories from players or fans? I'm not that bothered about pics, seen plenty of those, but apart from hearing that Batesy was on top form and Pat did a great job as compere I haven't seen that much about what was actually said by anyone.
I think it's unusual to have an event like this to celebrate a Div 2 Championship 40 yrs after the event, but I also think that says a lot about how special THAT season was for us. Did the players get that? Did they realise it at the time, or only more recently? Were they surprised at the interest after all these years? Did they appreciate how good our away support was back then? Notice how different it was to most others? Was the Speedie/Canoville 'reconciliation' onstage? Was anything said to the audience while that happened?
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, sounds like it was a roaring success and can't wait to hear anything you might have to share.

I couldn't make it either due to living just south of you Cobham. But it looked like a great time.
 
 

I’ve recorded a lot of the speeches but files too big to load

It was definitely sung think it's referenced in this game the Chelsea fans start singing it after one of Tambling's goals. They also sing a song to the tune of Yellow Submarine I can't make out the words though.
 

Coincidentally watched Dads Army last night and remarked that Bud Flanagan who sang the theme tune died shortly after it was recorded.
Used to like their big tune “ Underneath the Armpits..”

Strolling was just a song sung by us eons ago...we use to substitute the particular part of lyric to...A MOTOR CAR IS PHONEY ID RATHER SXXG A PONY....

A couple of our home attendances from March 1965 had actually caught my eye recently.
Sat 6th Match. FA Cup 6th round tie v Peterborough. 63,635 !
Then Wed 10th March  v Spuds. 51,390.
We won 5-1 and 3-1 respectively!😀
Some attendance v Peterborough!! The ‘magic of the FA Cup’ shown in that attendance.

Kalinka
 

That's the one. Blimey that's unlocked a memory haha. Think we only used it for that first year of Roman's ownership? Or not even the full year. Think it may have been binned around Xmas time of that first season. 

That game against Liverpool was when I really started to loathe the Fat Spanish Waiter. I mean I didn't like him before but that was when I really began to resent his nonsense. He used to come out with that crap that Liverpool has 'sussed us out' and were our bogey team. It was so stupid because the results didn't read that way at all but I guess the Champions' League result made many people believe him, certainly the media bought it hook, line and sinker. 
Then they came to the Bridge and we f**king battered them. They'd finished a million points behind us the season before and were simply not as good as us. This game showed it. We bossed them and in the ground you could feel it. We all knew it, their fans and ours, they weren't at the races. Crespo was magnificent. That disallowed goal was ridiculous, I was level with it and he was miles onside, it was just his brilliant movement (he was maybe the best at this that I've ever seen) but the lino couldn't believe anyone could be that far ahead of the defender and basically gave it because of that. It was a travesty.
Reina was humiliated by Crespo, completely humiliated. He was getting the piss taken out of him by the MH something rotten. I firmly believe this was why he raced out of his goal and scissor tackled Eidur, he'd completely lost it. It was a bad tackle and he got away with it. Then he weakly swiped at Robben's face in the area and got himself sent off. To be fair, Robben made a meal of it but I always felt he deserved to go for the tackle. I accept that he did get his toe to he ball but you could see it was always his intention to just take Eidur out. 
Anyway, what I hated about this is that the FSW managed to control the way the media reported the match by making it all about Robben's pathetic dive. The truth of it was that we had battered them. Reina was a twat that day, he'd lost control of himself, that should have been the story. 

This is waaaaaaaaaaay too difficult a question. How can we possibly choose one? It's one of these though, I make no excuse for choosing a top ten.
Bolton 1982-3, 1-0, don't need to explain that one.
Portsmouth 1983-4, 2-2, lots of fun was had that night including a full 90 mins of taking the piss out of Alan Biley and his Rod Stewart haircut. Also the clock if anyone remembers that. "What's the time, what's time, what's the time?" Mayhem on the A3 and on the trains.
Grimsby 1983-4, 1-0 emotional scenes, nearly died in a crush. Chelsea are back.
Arsenal 1984-5, 1-1, again, no need to explain this one. Chelsea are back (again).
Everton 1985-6 (Milk Cup replay after 2-2 draw at the Bridge), 2-1. Champions Everton beaten with 10 men after Darren Wood got sent off (is it cruel to say that may have actually improved the side?) One of the best Chelsea goals I've ever seen from King Kerry. Small Chelsea turn out but very vocal.
Man Utd 1985-6, 2-1, killed off their challenge for the title shortly after we'd blown ours (believe me QPR 6-0 is definitely not on this list) "Who the f**k are Man Utd?" for 45 mins after the game.
West Ham, 1985-6, 2-1, killed off the Pikey's challenge for the title, thank f**k. Really did not want them to win it. Good turnout, well up for it. Went a goal down but came back in a hostile atmosphere, one of the really great wins from that era. It was so important to win that one, doesn't bear thinking about the Pikey's winning the league.
Spurs, 2001-2, FA Cup, 4-0, brilliant atmosphere, like the old days, top quality revenge, "Normal service has resumed."
Arsenal 2003-4, Champions' League QF, 2-1, "Oh Wayne Bridge, scored a f**king great goal..."
Bolton, 2004-5, 2-0, "Have you ever seen Chelsea win the league?"
 
 

The two 4-nils, just days apart, only six weeks after losing our unbeaten run against them with that horrendous 5-1 drubbing when Gus did his little twirl. The second one for the most perfect hat trick from JFH but the first one at the Lane was my favourite. They came out kicking in that game convinced the hoodoo was over and they would do us again (check the highlights if you can find them, some absolutely appalling challenges went in and Spurs should have been at least a man down before the end of the first half, it was terrible refereeing). It was brutal and it was a battle before our class shone through. Great goals and a great win but mostly what an atmosphere! Proper old school away game at the Lane with some brilliant chants  - "6 weeks, it's only been 6 weeks" in reference to our annually increasing "It's only been 9 years" or "It's only been 10 years" songs. But my favourite was the famous "Normal service has resumed". Looking back on it we really put them back in their place and it might be fair to wonder whether our record against them since would have been quite as good had we not slapped them down again that week.

That game against Liverpool was when I really started to loathe the Fat Spanish Waiter. I mean I didn't like him before but that was when I really began to resent his nonsense. He used to come out with that crap that Liverpool has 'sussed us out' and were our bogey team. It was so stupid because the results didn't read that way at all but I guess the Champions' League result made many people believe him, certainly the media bought it hook, line and sinker. 
Then they came to the Bridge and we f**king battered them. They'd finished a million points behind us the season before and were simply not as good as us. This game showed it. We bossed them and in the ground you could feel it. We all knew it, their fans and ours, they weren't at the races. Crespo was magnificent. That disallowed goal was ridiculous, I was level with it and he was miles onside, it was just his brilliant movement (he was maybe the best at this that I've ever seen) but the lino couldn't believe anyone could be that far ahead of the defender and basically gave it because of that. It was a travesty.
Reina was humiliated by Crespo, completely humiliated. He was getting the piss taken out of him by the MH something rotten. I firmly believe this was why he raced out of his goal and scissor tackled Eidur, he'd completely lost it. It was a bad tackle and he got away with it. Then he weakly swiped at Robben's face in the area and got himself sent off. To be fair, Robben made a meal of it but I always felt he deserved to go for the tackle. I accept that he did get his toe to he ball but you could see it was always his intention to just take Eidur out. 
Anyway, what I hated about this is that the FSW managed to control the way the media reported the match by making it all about Robben's pathetic dive. The truth of it was that we had battered them. Reina was a twat that day, he'd lost control of himself, that should have been the story. 

The Fulham match was brilliant of course, one of the best that season.
Seeing the Cardiff match coming up reminded me once again of the lad who died at Huddersfield. The club held a minute's silence before kick off and Cardiff sang all the way through it. I was in Gate 13 so very close to them. The boys in there were not best pleased. The second the silence ended there was some serious vitriol hurled their way. I know it wasn't but I always like to think that some of what happened at Ninian Park later that season was payback for that. A scummy thing to do.

As the exits gates were opened because they had only two terrace turnstiles open!! There is no accurate numbers apart from our official  all ticket allocation. It was between 12,000 - 15,000. As packed in as Highbury 84

Where the boys in blue in division two and won’t be there to long!! 
I do. M H U season tkt

Another view at Brighton 84

Went to all three games, such a laugh and totally different to going away games now. Was in the seats at the side that started to get ripped out after being locked in after the game. Didn’t leave Pompey until 11pm and I had school the next day!!
Got a day off school for the Man City Friday night game!! Left the Bridge about midday by coach, had to go by coach for a suprise after the game.This was a three course meal and the first drink on Ken Bates and his wife at the time. He stood at the bar and bought everyone their drink as we filtered in. This was an invite to 200 fans who had been to the most games that season. What a night! Got back to the Bridge about 6am Saturday morning.
Grimsby was just the icing on the cake for a great season! So many fans there that got in for a tenner cash on the turnstiles. All ticket game and again the attendance was massively inaccurate as those that paid cash wouldn’t have been on the attendance. The gate men must have earnt a fortune.

3 iconic away games in a row. Man City, Pompey, Grimsby.
Saw us win the double at Wembley against Portsmouth, but wouldn’t swap the memory for that midweek game all those years back.
I was in the side stand where we had half the enclosure and the seats above. Most of Chelsea were behind the goal. 
Before the game, where our end met the terraced home side, it looked certain as if it was gonna go off, but somehow it didn’t.
Lost me mates after the game and got the slow train back on me own- in pre mobile days if you lost your mates you might not see them for the rest of the trip.

I see Huddersfield away is coming up. Some poor bloke was kicked to death if I remember correctly. Him and his mate (both scarfers not firm) tried to get to their car, they made it but he didn't manage to get in whereas his mate did. That's how I remember it anyway. Sometimes those smaller provincial towns could be the worst places.
My missus is from Huddersfield. I always brought this up when the mother-in-law ever said anything about the behaviour of Chelsea fans.