Gate 13

Very nice obituary on The Sponge in the Telegraph, not sure if the link will get round the pay wall ... https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/01/28/tommy-baldwin-chelsea-footballer-fa-cup-europe-obituary/

So how come Deadly Doug’s short sleeve shirt has a club badge and Le Coq logo, but Patesy’s long sleeve shirt does not - answers on a post card please? This match, away at Everton - Osama bin Lineker on the left of the photo - was live on telly, a 1-1 draw I think? The commentator spent a lot of time droning on about “How dare Chelsea turn up at Everton dressed as Liverpool?” One in a long line of anti Chelsea twats on the telly.

Some night, a LC semi-final v a North East team, and a team including a former CFC favourite - Flash Walker, who is on the far right of the photo. The geezer in the centre circle trying to side step Eddie was called - I think - John Leftley who hopped out of the front of the benches and wanted to thump Walker for scoring against us. I have posted on this before including video footage of the bloke charging the North Stand armed with a plastic chair. The aggro was not just on the pitch and in the stands, but also in the players bar where Walker thought it funny to ask if any CFC players wanted tickets for the final, enter stage left David Speedie, fists flying. And if that wasn’t enough some of our mob ambushed Wet Spam at Parsons Green station on their way back from Wimbledon. All in one night, ahh those were the days.

Tommy “Sponge” Baldwin, so called because of the work, with and without the ball, he soaked up during a match. Never less than 100% effort and never went missing when things were not going well. His run off the ball drawing off a Leeds defender for Hutch’s equaliser at Wembley 1970 was classic Tommy. RiP my friend, when you have settled in upstairs you might put a heavenly 5 a side team together with Ossie, John Hollins, Cat Bonetti and Hutch.

And Dancing on Ice, CFC style, left to right (I think) Keith Jones, Pat Nevin, Nigel Spackman & King Kerry. I would very happily travel back in Dr Who’s tardis to those days, I loved following us then and meeting up with the top blokes who travelled everywhere to follow our team. Pass me a Kleenex I’m welling up. …

King Kerry on the snow

No, but I did go to Shrewsbury when it was brass monkey weather and Speedie and I think Rougvie started a snowball fight during the warm up before kick off. Ironically we wore all white that day, maybe to blend in with the snow. Happy days.

I think we are talking about the Boxing Day match in 81, we won 0-2 on the plastic, Flash Walker and Fat Arse Mayes scored for us. The writing painted onto the pitch referred to a bloke called Perry Buckland; unfortunately whoever did the painting failed to take account of where the TV cameras would be as the writing was upside down when broadcast! When Mayes scored near the final whistle at our end we all went mental; when things died down a geezer in front of me yelled out “F*** off Mayes you fat c***” - not bad for scoring the winner!

I thinks this is away at Grimsby after winning the Div 2 Championship, 1983-4. What I would not give for one of those shirts, long sleeve version - perhaps we should make Le Coq an offer?

Beating the Dippers 2-0 in the Cup in 82, I think the next match was the quarter final against the Spuds, which went very well in the first half …. Love the bloke going base over apex trying to get through the gate …

First match back in Div 1 at Highbury, 1-1 with that outstanding goal from Kerry. I think the photo image might be back to front as the shirt badges appear to be on the wrong side of the shirts?

Some match that, 2-2 I think, did Kerry miss a penalty, or two? And a skirmish or few with Pompey 657 crew?

Scratching my head but it might have been open for the Middlesbrough play off (and shut again afterwards …)?

Tea Bar, nice 3/4 view of the pitch, handy for a cuppa and away sharpish at the final whistle down the back of the old West Stand.

A few of our mob did much the same at Cambridge in 81/82 or thereabouts, not as many but they made the effort.

I have been trying to find this - this picture quality is not good. The blurb says it is us being escorted to the Den; I think it might be us leaving after the match heading to New Cross Gate - happy to be corrected. What a day ...

No problem mate, a big cheers from me.

I think this is the Cup Final replay at Old Trafford, 1970, I know the photo is B&W but Eddie Mac seems to be wearing the yellow socks we wore that (memorable) night.

After last season’s dross I thought this was much better. We are not the finished article but we had 11 blokes on the pitch who have the makings of a team - and looked like they gave a sh*t. We wont win the league but we will compete for top 4. For the impatient amongst us, think back to losing 6-0 at Rotherham and remember how far we have come since. Up the Chels - whisky and soda for me tonight.

Hope it woks this time ... regards to all who were there ... a hot day as I recall (the weather and the welcome - not)

Craig Burley’s kamikaze back pass cost us the 96 semi final at Villa Park - some of the team (Hughes certainly) ripped him big style for it. He has probably had a snot on ever since.

Copied Sorry, this is doing my head in, cant even post a link!

Copied

Hope this wo Hope this works, us at Millwall in 1990, good view of our mob in the away end. Enjoy.

The Den also has some nasty looking yellow (I think) spiked railings around the away end - not to keep the visitors in but to stop the local loons getting at them. The walk back to New Cross Gate station wasn’t much fun either. I was there for our 1-3 win in 89-90 or thereabouts, King Kerry with a hat trick, left, right and a header - the locals were not amused. After the final whistle we were escorted by plod to New Cross Gate, then on to a tube special that did not stop until Victoria. Their ambush teams at the stations up to Whitechapel we well miffed when our train zoomed through the stations non-stop.