9 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

I guess opening a sports shop was right up there with pubs as a post-football career option back in the day.

All my school sports kit came from Bobby Tambling Sports in the shopping arcade near Havant station  🙂 

If I remember correctly there was also Blunstone sports store in Reading just off the town centre, whether they were related or pure coincidence who knows. As you said a number of players had outside interests and businesses, probably because the money was sh*te and the careers were definitely not a long one, although if I recall there were many 'kids' in the first teams in those days, mainly journeymen, especially in the lower divisions. 

Above:Eusebio training at the Bridge. October 1964.

 

Edited August 23, 20241 yr by erskblue

On 20/08/2024 at 17:46, Boyne said:

Yes, a great picture of a great stadium. Very different from nowadays. A guy I knew was there in 1945 when we played Moscow Dynamo. Estimated that there was 100,000 in the crowd. There is a few games I'd like to go back in time to and the one against Moscow Dynamo is one of them. Now, where's my Tardis?!

My mate was at the Spurs cup replay in the 60s.

Crowd was 70,000 if I remember correctly. 

I'd like to have been at the Moscow Dynamo and that Arsenal game when the crowd was over 80,000.!

I've always wondered if many fans were injured at the Dynamo game, climbing onto roofs etc ?

I've said before, after the horrors of the war, a few broken bones was probably not worth reporting!

On 20/08/2024 at 21:14, Boyne said:

From season 54-55. Our first season as champions. Roy Bentley heading the ball. The old East Stand in the background.

North stand surely ?

Well it started in the East and ended up in the North às you can see in that fantastic photo of Eusebio in another picture up there 

Edited August 23, 20241 yr by The Rising Sun
Info

4 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

North stand surely ?

Well it started in the East and ended up in the North!

You're right. Goodness knows what I was thinking. Probably, too many beers!

On 21/08/2024 at 10:22, Sexyfootball said:

I guess opening a sports shop was right up there with pubs as a post-football career option back in the day.

All my school sports kit came from Bobby Tambling Sports in the shopping arcade near Havant station  🙂 

I know that parade of shops. Not from the area but was there a few years back in that semi dodgy pub/ bar….Yup,  Pubs, Sport Shops, Car Dealerships were the obvious post career options- Steve Perrymen had a sports shop in Ruislip direction. 
Ron Harris had a sweet shop in Ewell, which he worked in occasionally even during his playing days. Remember reading somewhere that Ossie turned up at the shop en route to training and helped himself to a few items of confectionery.

Chopper” I hope you’re gonna pay for them”

Can you imagine Sterling on 335 grand a week running a sweet shop on the Ewell By Pass….

 

 

7 minutes ago, Timmy Elms said:

I know that parade of shops. Not from the area but was there a few years back in that semi dodgy pub/ bar….Yup,  Pubs, Sport Shops, Car Dealerships were the obvious post career options- Steve Perrymen had a sports shop in Ruislip direction. 
Ron Harris had a sweet shop in Ewell, which he worked in occasionally even during his playing days. Remember reading somewhere that Ossie turned up at the shop en route to training and helped himself to a few items of confectionery.

Chopper” I hope you’re gonna pay for them”

Can you imagine Sterling on 335 grand a week running a sweet shop on the Ewell By Pass….

 

 

I seem to think that Micky Droy ran a garage while he was in his later years of playing, and in Bates’ book he said he was horrified to learn that MD had a contract with the club, from Mears, to service the club cars.  ‘Makes dropping him a bit of a challenge’ (or similar) he said.

21 hours ago, The Rising Sun said:

My mate was at the Spurs cup replay in the 60s.

Crowd was 70,000 if I remember correctly. 

I'd like to have been at the Moscow Dynamo and that Arsenal game when the crowd was over 80,000.!

I've always wondered if many fans were injured at the Dynamo game, climbing onto roofs etc ?

I've said before, after the horrors of the war, a few broken bones was probably not worth reporting!

I think officially the crowd was 68,000, with many left on the pavement. That Bridge News Ken Bates propaganda rag that used to get sent to members once a month, featured an article by Terry Venables, who cited that game and our support base in relation to us being “ Sleeping Giants”

By f**k did that expression get banded around a lot when we were sh*t

4 minutes ago, Gate 13 said:

I seem to think that Micky Droy ran a garage while he was in his later years of playing, and in Bates’ book he said he was horrified to learn that MD had a contract with the club, from Mears, to service the club cars.  ‘Makes dropping him a bit of a challenge’ (or similar) he said.

MD used to rent an arch off Chelsea going Romany mates of mine in Culvert Road Battersea for mechanical work. Just off Sheepcote Lane. If you get the train towards Victoria, on your right hand side you may notice a small plot with a couple of carivans, and a scaffold yard adjacent. They’re always a CFC flag flying. They’ve done really well for themselves and live overseas now, but return for Chelsea. Quite surreal kipping down in that place, with little sound insulation and your head extremely close to train track

On 20/08/2024 at 17:26, The Rising Sun said:

Frank Blunstone used to have a sports shop in Wandsworth somewhere, can't remember the road, our bus used to pass it on the way to football.

Doesn’t ring any bells. Used to get Chelsea badges and sew on patches etc from the sports shop on the top floor bof The Armadale Centre

On 20/08/2024 at 17:26, The Rising Sun said:

Frank Blunstone used to have a sports shop in Wandsworth somewhere, can't remember the road, our bus used to pass it on the way to football.

Doesn’t ring any bells. Used to get Chelsea badges and sew on patches etc from the sports shop on the top floor bof The Armadale Centre

1 hour ago, Timmy Elms said:

I know that parade of shops. Not from the area but was there a few years back in that semi dodgy pub/ bar….

Sounds like that must have been the The Star ... indeed dodgy. Long demolished and is now a car park !

An old school friend of mine used to arm wrestle for them in inter-pub comps. Played a lot of pool with him in there about 40 years ago !

Worked with a bloke from Leigh Park who deposited me at this place, en route to my parents who had recently moved to Chichester. Lost driving license at the time. Ten years ago or so. Saw two fights in twenty minutes in that place whilst waiting to get picked up. Rough as f**k

 

Nobby Stiles heads at OT in the 5th round of the FA Cup 1963. Looks Like Frank Upton, Bobby Tambling and possibly John Mortimore.

 

1

 

 

Possibly his last game for us?

Moved to Wiltshire in the mid 70s could not afford to see  Chelsea much so went with schoolmates to watch Swindon. Used to go into the Don Rodgers sports shop anything from fishing tackle to golf clubs, the only decent shop Swindon ever had. Anyway went in their before a Swindon v Millwall game a group of blokes all mid 20s + were buying darts it was only Swindon !

On 23/08/2024 at 12:13, The Rising Sun said:

My mate was at the Spurs cup replay in the 60s.

Crowd was 70,000 if I remember correctly. 

I'd like to have been at the Moscow Dynamo and that Arsenal game when the crowd was over 80,000.!

I've always wondered if many fans were injured at the Dynamo game, climbing onto roofs etc ?

I've said before, after the horrors of the war, a few broken bones was probably not worth reporting!

My Grandad was there. Amazing crowds  just after the war for obvious reasons. 22 dog tracks in London back then also. Wandsworth had a capacity of 20,000 which according to sources was regularly packed out, as were many others

2 hours ago, Timmy Elms said:

My Grandad was there. Amazing crowds  just after the war for obvious reasons. 22 dog tracks in London back then also. Wandsworth had a capacity of 20,000 which according to sources was regularly packed out, as were many others

Blimey didn't know there was that many.  I'm interested in where they were. Course there was us, white city, wasn't Wembley one too? Catford, Hackney . Must have been all over the gaff back then

I've only ever been once, that was to Catford, I actually owned an ex racing greyhound that couldn't race anymore from their charity many years ago. Astonishing to watch him run though.

2 hours ago, Timmy Elms said:

My Grandad was there. Amazing crowds  just after the war for obvious reasons. 22 dog tracks in London back then also. Wandsworth had a capacity of 20,000 which according to sources was regularly packed out, as were many others

Wow !

There were dog tracks at Brixton, Battersea, Mitcham, amongst loads of others .!

Well I never had a clue about that, cheers mate 👍

51 minutes ago, The Rising Sun said:

Wow !

There were dog tracks at Brixton, Battersea, Mitcham, amongst loads of others .!

Well I never had a clue about that, cheers mate 👍

Away at WHL Sep 84, 1130am ko, deadly Doug, John Chiedoze and Canners - our first match v them since the Cup quarter final at the Bridge in 82; lots of of our mob locked out, plenty of Hoo Hah on the Hign Road to Seven Sisters tube before and after.  Score was 1-1, King Kerry for us, Falco for them, Canners had a chance to win it late on and went for a rugby conversion instead of scoring.

Just now, Gate 13 said:

Away at WHL Sep 84, 1130am ko, deadly Doug, John Chiedoze and Canners - our first match v them since the Cup quarter final at the Bridge in 82; lots of of our mob locked out, plenty of Hoo Hah on the Hign Road to Seven Sisters tube before and after.  Score was 1-1, King Kerry for us, Falco for them, Canners had a chance to win it late on and went for a rugby conversion instead of scoring.

And Eddie in the same match.