14 hours ago, Boyne said:

Proper ground. Proper home support.

My team.

On and I see that the' famous QPR away support are in the first picture.

v Burnley at The Bridge 24th Jan 1970.

5 mins or so of highlights.

1 hour ago, erskblue said:

Proper ground. Proper home support.

My team.

On and I see that the' famous QPR away support are in the first picture.

Agree, there is something special about the old ground. After the Shed End closed down in 1994 for refurbishment I moved to the old West Stand where I had a ST for three years before moving to the MHU in 1997 where I've had a ST ever since. Looking back to pictures of the old ground brings back so many memories.

When I reminisce about Chelsea in the past and of that season.

My kids say it's my Uncle Albert: " During the war !" moments

50 minutes ago, erskblue said:

When I reminisce about Chelsea in the past and of that season.

My kids say it's my Uncle Albert: " During the war !" moments

Ha ha, my kids say the same when I bang on about the 1980's, I remember in the 80's my parents would talk about the 60's and that would get on my nerves, when we are all going up to bridge on the train, we quite often reminisce about yesterday year, I always start with " back in 1980 something".....

3 hours ago, erskblue said:

When I reminisce about Chelsea in the past and of that season.

My kids say it's my Uncle Albert: " During the war !" moments

There is eight or nine of us who go to the Bridge for the games - we sit in different parts of the ground - and between us we have been going to Chelsea for more years than we care to remember. One of us has been going to the Bridge since the mid-sixties and the rest of us often call him Uncle Albert.

And talking of Uncle Albert, had to post the following.

 

12 hours ago, Boyne said:

There is eight or nine of us who go to the Bridge for the games - we sit in different parts of the ground - and between us we have been going to Chelsea for more years than we care to remember. One of us has been going to the Bridge since the mid-sixties and the rest of us often call him Uncle Albert.

And talking of Uncle Albert, had to post the following.

 

Cheers, great reply by Uncle Albert.

Chelsea v Derby County, Aug 15th 1970   Brief highlights.

The goals and the commentary by Barry Davies.

At The Bridge v Derby County from 1997/98.   '

MOTD Highlights approx. 5:45 worth. Enjoy.

20 hours ago, bluehaze said:

The legendary Sweden pre season tour. A mate of mine went. Has anyone seen Caths mate Liz lately? The said mate always thought it was her ambition to end up in the sack with one of our players.

Have to say I pissed far more times at the back of the Shed then I did using the portacabin by the main entrance or the bogs in the Bovril.

 

Football as a true British institution; 'The Great Game' starts with schoolboys being taught by famous footballers, followed by extended footage of the Football League War Cup Finals from 1945.

Footage of The Bridge and action involving Chelsea.

A 'documentary film' from British Pathe News.

28 minutes long. Interesting all the same.

Sheffield United v Bury (1902) | BFI  

This film is part of the Mitchell and Kenyon collection - an amazing visual record of everyday life in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth

Right at the end there is footage of William (Fatty !) Foulkes, our keeper in our first ever season . He played 35 times for us in 1905/06.

http://readtheleague.com/if-you-know-your-history/the-colossus

THE COLOSSUS -William Foulkes

by Vince Cooper | Oct 11, 2018 | If You Know Your History | 1 comment

By Vince Cooper

It has always been said that Goalkeepers are the real characters of football. Stories of eccentricity abound among custodians reminding us of the old adage ‘you don’t have to be mad to be a ‘keeper’ – but it helps.’

Perhaps the first, and still among the most famous, of the character-goalkeepers was , known most often as ‘Fatty’ for obvious reasons, but also by the much kinder nickname of ‘The Colossus’, who graced the game across two centuries. And whilst I’ll make no claims about the mental health of the man whose star shone brightly during the end of the Victorian and beginning of the Edwardian eras, he certainly had many of those traits that make the men who guard the last line of defence different.

Many reports, both from the time and since, reported his name as Foulke but it appears clear from his headstone, pictured below, that there was an ‘s’ at the end. For the purposes of of this article I have kept the name ‘Foulke’ in contemporary reports.

Foulkes was born in Dawley, Shropshire in 1874 and started his working life at the nearby Blackwell Colliery. It was while playing in goal for the colliery works team that he first came to the attention of the public. The Derby Daily Telegraph of September 20 1893 reporting on a local match, included the comment; ‘The feature of the game was the goalkeeping of W. Foulkes of Blackwell who certainly has the makings of a first-class custodian.”

Early days at Sheffield United. Almost svelte!

Within a year, Foulkes’s exploits had earned him a place in the professional ranks with Sheffield United, one of the biggest clubs in the country at the time, forking out £20 to sign him.

On September 1, 1894, the keeper made his debut for his new club, replacing the legendary Arthur Wharton between the posts. He went on to play in 29 of the 30 games that season and helped his team to a 6th-place finish.

Foulkes’s reputation quickly grew. A report in ‘Scottish Sport’ commented; ‘In Foulke, Sheffield United have a goalkeeper who will take a lot of beating. He is one of those lengthy individuals who can take a seat on the crossbar whenever he chooses, and he shows little of the awkwardness usually characteristic of big men.’ C.B. Fry, one of the best-respected players at the time, said; “Foulke is no small part of a mountain. You cannot bundle him.”

On England duty

With his team regularly challenging at the top of the table, Foulkes earned international recognition in 1897 when capped against Wales in a 4-0 win. This was to prove to be his only cap however as he could not dislodge the incumbent ‘keeper Jack Robinson, with many at the FA apparently not pleased with some of Foulkes’s antics. A report in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph highlighted the problem. “It is a pity that Foulke cannot curb the habit of pulling down the crossbar,” the report stated, “which on Saturday ended in his breaking it in two.

“On form, he is well in the running for international honours, but the Selection Committee are sure to prefer a man who plays the game to one who unnecessarily violates the spirit of the rules.’

An intimidating presence 

In 1897-98, Sheffield United, led by Ernest ‘Nudger’ Needham captured the championship, and finished with the best defensive record. Foulkes missed just one game and was described by many as ‘the best goalkeeper in the world.’ Forwards tried to intimidate him. According to reports, George Allan of Liverpool ‘charged him’ in one match and the big man; ‘losing his temper, seized him by the leg and turned him upside down holding his head in the mud’. Liverpool were awarded a penalty from which they scored and won the match.

The following season United struggled a little in the league but Bill added to his medal haul with a 4-1 FA Cup Final victory over Derby County and his form remained excellent. The editor of the Athletic News wrote; “His kicking from goal was as mighty as ever, and his good right hand, doubled up, banged out incoming shots with the force of a sledgehammer.”

Around the turn of the century Foulkes also had a short run of appearances wth Derbyshire in County cricket. He was said to be a fine batsman and slip fielder with one journalist joking that every time he came into bat; ‘there is an appeal against the light.’

Another Cup Final was reached in 1901 but United were undone by Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 in a replay, after the first match finished all square at 2-2. Foulkes’s performances, even in those defeats, was of the usual high standard. Reports suggested that it was the big man’s heroics that earned the second match and kept the score down to three in the replay.

Weight gain

Foulkes missed the start of the following campaign through injury and it took him a while to regain his place. This wouldn’t have been helped by his ever-increasing weight. After coming into the professional game weighing under 13 stones, the 6ft 4ib Foulkes had by now, ballooned to around 20 stones. When he did get back in the team, he was soon back to his best form, and continued to deal with opposing forwards in his own inimitable way. The Athletic News reported; “when forwards try to barge him he doesn’t claim a foul, but simply places that paw of his on the shoulder of the charging gentleman in a most fatherly manner, and pushes him aside with an expression of ‘get on one side little boy’ .” In a Sheffield derby match he fell on Wednesday striker Laurie Bell. “It was really all an accident,” he later recalled. “Just as I was reaching for a high ball Bell came at me, and the result of the collision was that we both tumbled down, but it was his bad luck to be underneath, and I could not prevent myself from falling with both knees in his back. When I saw his face I got about the worst shock I ever have had on the football field. He looked as if he was dead.”

In 1902, United and Foulkes reached another FA Cup Final with Southampton the opponents. The match, and the ensuing replay, might well have contained the big man’s greatest performances, as well as a defining moment.

The first encounter finished 1-1 but Southampton’s equaliser was shrouded in controversy. United led from the 2nd minute but it was only the efforts of Foulkes that kept the Blades in front. C.B. Fry, later wrote in Southern Echo; “The outstanding feature of the match was the grand goalkeeping of Foulke. He made a number of good saves, and on two or three occasions cleared the ball from what appeared impossible positions. Once, near the end, from a corner, he effected an absolute miracle with four or five men right on him.”

With two minutes to play, Southampton knocked the ball upfield and it fell to Harry Wood who had been tying his bootlaces and was in an offside position. When the ball came his way, Wood straightened up and ran on to score. The referee, Mr Kirkham consulted his linesman and they concluded that the ball had struck a United defender playing Wood onside.

After the match Foulkes went looking for Kirkham, ‘in his birthday suit.’ Linesman J. T. Howcroft later recalled; “I saw F. J. Wall (secretary of the FA) pleading with him to rejoin his colleagues. But Bill was out for blood and I shouted to Mr. Kirkham to lock his cubicle door. He didn’t need telling twice. But what a sight!

“The thing I’ll never forget is Foulke, so tremendous in size, striding along the corridor without a stitch of clothing.”

The replay took place a week later and United, with Foulkes described as ‘invincible’ by the Athletic News, running out worthy 2-1 winners. ‘The Colossus’ had his second FA Cup winners medal.

Over the following seasons, his ever-increasing weight was starting to affect Foulkes’s play. Although his size and girth proved a help in some situations, such as when Bolton forward Stokes ran through on goal but, as a newspaper report said; ‘the mountain of flesh which is posed by Foulke hove in sight, and appeared to paralyse the little Wanderer, who simply shot into the hands of the leviathan.’ But the ever-expanding girth made it increasingly difficult to reach low shots, a problem opposing forwards took advantage of. United fans started to berate him for his performances and he began losing some of his immense popularity.

The Chelsea line-up

In 1905, United decided that, if he wanted to remain with the club, Foulkes would need to take a pay cut. He refused and was transferred to League newcomers Chelsea for £50. It was reported that Chelsea, newly formed and in need of personalities, offered him the maximum wage. So he agreed to move to London and was immediately made captain.

In his first season at Stamford Bridge, Bill’s form was outstanding, he saved 10 penalties and his team finished 3rd in the second division. To draw more attention to his size Chelsea placed two small boys behind the goal. The boys started to collect the ball when it went out of play, and ball boys were ‘born’.

His prowess at saving penalties came to the fore during his time in London. In one match against Burton United he saved two from the same player. When berated by a teammate and asked why he didn’t put the ball on either side of the ‘keeper the man who missed simply stated; “I couldn’t, there was no room”.

However, the weight problems continued. One report claimed that he would arrive early for a breakfast which had been set out for the whole team and eat the lot. Whilst many of the tales attributed to him might be categorised as ‘urban myths’ (including that the ‘who ate all the pies’ song started with him), it can be confirmed that in a Chelsea match programme from December 1905 it was said; “Foulke says he doesn’t care how much they [forwards] charge him, so long as they don’t charge him too much for his dinner.”

Another tale from his time at Stamford Bridge sees the team travel to an away match. Foulkes was detached from his teammates at the railway station (including the one who had the tickets) and on informing a pair of ticket collectors who he was, was promptly laughed at. He picked both up, tucked one under each arm and carried them to the Station Master’s office to confirm his identity.

At Bradford

He spent a single season in London before moving back to Yorkshire and joining Bradford City in 1906, again for a transfer fee of £50. He was still performing well, with the local ‘Daily Argus’ newspaper stating that; ‘the mighty goalkeeper is doing a great deal in the direction of inspiring confidence in the team.’ But in November 1907, with his weight a continuing problem, he decided enough was enough and retired from first-class football.

Moving back to Sheffield, Foulkes had a shop in the city and also took over the ‘Duke’ public house. But he was soon accused of being involved in illegal betting, was fined £25 and lost his publican’s license.

Foulkes died in May 1916 at the age of just 42, with the official cause of death given as “cirrhosis”, an illness often brought on by excessive alcohol use. Reports at the time stated that he had set up a ‘Beat the Goalie’ sideshow on Blackpool seafront with players charged 1d a shot and given 3d if they scored. He caught a chill while performing and this led to his sad, and early demise.

Over 100 years after his death, memories of Foulkes linger. Mitchell and Kenyon footage showing the man in action stands testament to his size. His sporting prowess is documented in record books, and his uniqueness and personality shines through in some of the stories and quotes recounted above. And it’s surely fair to say that there is, and always will be, ‘Only one Fatty Foulkes’.

7 hours ago, bluehaze said:

Have to say I pissed far more times at the back of the Shed then I did using the portacabin by the main entrance or the bogs in the Bovril.

 

Looking at that picture I'm sure I can still here the faint echoes of the laurel and hardy music being whistled as the old bill walk through the shed. 

The late Ken Shellito. Funny how we had three players with spaghetti twirler ancestry around at the same time- Joe Fascione, Bonetti ( Rita Spaghetti as me old man called him) and KS.

9 hours ago, bluehaze said:

Have to say I pissed far more times at the back of the Shed then I did using the portacabin by the main entrance or the bogs in the Bovril.

 

I think it was Rotherham where the Karzi was open air. Pissing against a wall with a drain in the rain basically.

Edited November 1, 20187 yr by Ewell CFC

Close to where that picture was taken ( the West Side)I remember seeing a fight between two skinheads- both Chelsea presumably- the crowd opened up and they were going hammer and tong for a good minute before OB got there.

Cant remember who we were playing but that was about 79.

Also remember seeing a Chelsea on Chelsea fight on the platform at FB around then, and another one at half time in the concourse when we played Sheffield Wednesday away in the cup some time late 90s.

Edit: Sheffield Wed’ was Feb 99. On the cover of the programme were Zola and Benito Carbone as Italian Mafia Hitmen from memory. That was a proper punch up with a circle formed around them. Looked like a grudge being settled.

Edited November 1, 20187 yr by Ewell CFC

56 minutes ago, Ewell CFC said:

Close to where that picture was taken ( the West Side)I remember seeing a fight between two skinheads- both Chelsea presumably- the crowd opened up and they were going hammer and tong for a good minute before OB got there.

Cant remember who we were playing but that was about 79.

Also remember seeing a Chelsea on Chelsea fight on the platform at FB around then, and another one at half time in the concourse when we played Sheffield Wednesday away in the cup some time late 90s.

Edit: Sheffield Wed’ was Feb 99. On the cover of the programme were Zola and Benito Carbone as Italian Mafia Hitmen from memory. That was a proper punch up with a circle formed around them. Looked like a grudge being settled.

Derby away in 83 not the cup game some Chelsea fighting each other. Zenith Data final same again although both over fairly quickly and my mate offering some fat geezer out at Selhurst Park against Wimbledon . Edit: early 84 the Derby game was massive snowstorm for 10 minutes I was convinced the game would be abandoned.

Edited November 1, 20187 yr by bluehaze

Has anyone been to a Chelsea game that was abandoned?. I remember Palace in the Zenith the game was called off just before the start because of high wind and they thought the glass in the East Stand would shatter or something like that.

24 minutes ago, bluehaze said:

Has anyone been to a Chelsea game that was abandoned?. I remember Palace in the Zenith the game was called off just before the start because of high wind and they thought the glass in the East Stand would shatter or something like that.

Yes I recall that happening before with high winds though fortunately very rarely.

1 hour ago, Ewell CFC said:

Close to where that picture was taken ( the West Side)I remember seeing a fight between two skinheads- both Chelsea presumably- the crowd opened up and they were going hammer and tong for a good minute before OB got there.

Cant remember who we were playing but that was about 79.

Also remember seeing a Chelsea on Chelsea fight on the platform at FB around then, and another one at half time in the concourse when we played Sheffield Wednesday away in the cup some time late 90s.

Edit: Sheffield Wed’ was Feb 99. On the cover of the programme were Zola and Benito Carbone as Italian Mafia Hitmen from memory. That was a proper punch up with a circle formed around them. Looked like a grudge being settled.

I remember going to bridge with my old man in April 83 our near relegation season to div 3, v QPR, they were going up so it was their promotion party!! They filled one pen of the North Terrace, pathetic support as always, we were sat up in East Stand and a fight broke out in the benches between two blokes, they tumbled across benches laying into each other, 3 or 4 blokes behind us were QPR fans hiding up in the top of East Stand, one said typical Chelsea fighting amongst themselves, my old man for the rest of the game was periodically arguing with them, they eventually got their commupence at end of game, because they came down steps into east Stand concourse just as gate 13 came surging out singing, my dad told me to step back, as we watched  our QPR friends being swept along in the surge never to be seen again!!! "Boys in Blue division two"

1 hour ago, bluehaze said:

Has anyone been to a Chelsea game that was abandoned?. I remember Palace in the Zenith the game was called off just before the start because of high wind and they thought the glass in the East Stand would shatter or something like that.

Yes remember that one, got out car at parsons green, as people were walking away from ground, had driven up from Worthing way, turned back and headed home, popped in a pub on way back near home where a load of other Chelsea had, had same idea.

Edited November 1, 20187 yr by chi blue
Spelling

13 minutes ago, chi blue said:

Yes remember that one, got out car at parsons green, as people were walking away from ground, had driven up from Worthing way, turned back and headed home, popped in a pub on way back near home where a load of other Chelsea had, had same idea.

First off that made me laugh where you've put spelling as reason for edit don't do it again chi or it's detention for you young man. Me and my mate went to a Aussie pub in Earls Court where the floor was swimming in empty cans of Fosters and Swan. I used to like Swan it was in a black tin you could only get it in pubs I think.

Edited November 1, 20187 yr by bluehaze