The club's welcome decision to introduce a subscription match commentary for fans recalls for me the 'radio age'. There would be second half commentaries on top flight matches before Sports Report. One day for some reason we were not at The Valley and heard Charlton v. Bolton Wanderers on the radio.
By that time they had dropped the practice of an announcer reading out numbers over the commentary which corresponded to where the play was on the pitch. You could match this up with a cut out 'n' keep diagram from the Radio Times. This may have been the origin of the phrase 'back to square one'. See Square One
So let's go back in time. Of course what one can't re-create in words is the clipped, 'received' pronounciation of the commentator.
'Welcome to The Valley, the home of Charlton Athletic Football Club, on this rather chilly November afternoon. There's been quite a bit of rain during the week so the pitch has got churned up during the first half and there are a few pools of water.'
'It's a good crowd of 38,742 and many of them are massed opposite us on the great East Terrace of this historic ground. And now the players are coming out on to the pitch. Mr Urqhart, the referee, from Great Yarmouth, has blown his whistle and proceedings have commenced.'
'Hammond has passed to Ufton and he is running forward with the ball. Oh, he's been tackled by Bracethwaite. Now Higginbottom has the ball for Bolton and he's advancing on the Charlton goal. Bartram has come charging out of his goal. Higginbottom tries a shot. Bartram has saved. You can hear the appreciative shouts of the crowd from behind him in the Covered End.'
Were they better days? Other than we were in the top flight, no.
1 comment:
I loved those days. As a kid it was laying in bed (my parents thinking I was asleep) listening to midweek 2nd half commentaries on Radio 5. It was like reading a book, let your imagination run wild. Charlton were never on though.
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