[Albion] 40 years ago today: Albion 2 Charlton 0 (att. 30,859 - but why?)

[Nottseagull]

Charlton arrived at the GG in14th place
and I don't remember them having a huge following for this game. The previous match against Notts County attracted 21,398, a few hundred up on the previous home match, which in turn was also a few hundred up on the one before. The next previous home match was Palace, but even that drew in over 7,000 fewer than this game. Can anyone remember why?

 

[TottonSeagull]

Apparently we used to have many shots on goal in those days!

 

[rigton70]

Hughton was not in charge.

 

[AZ Gull]

Charlton arrived at the GG in14th place
and I don't remember them having a huge following for this game. The previous match against Notts County attracted 21,398, a few hundred up on the previous home match, which in turn was also a few hundred up on the one before. The next previous home match was Palace, but even that drew in over 7,000 fewer than this game. Can anyone remember why?

It was Good Friday.

 

[catfish]

I remember that game well. We were going for the title amd it was Easter weekend. There's two reasons for the high attendance.

 

[Bry Nylon]

It was Good Friday.

That's our best chance of seeing a decent cross.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Top of the league good Friday and a local derby?

 

[Nottseagull]

But the Monday match was also a bank holiday - Bristol Rovers, with a decent turnout of 23,024. It doesn't seem to make much sense.

(That's right you youngsters, we used to play three times in four days!)

 

[tigertim68]

Because we had a good chance of being promoted to div 1

 

[Eeyore]

I remember that game well. We were going for the title amd it was Easter weekend. There's two reasons for the high attendance.

Beautiful weather too. A full away pen.

 

[Nottseagull]

Beautiful weather too. A full away pen.

That's a fabulous pic! So did Charlton just have the corner i.e. up to the staircase just to the north side of Gerry Ryan (or is it Lawro?)

 

[Eeyore]

That's a fabulous pic! So did Charlton just have the corner i.e. up to the staircase just to the north side of Gerry Ryan (or is it Lawro?)

I think the pic is from the JV book.

Looks like they have the standard pen. So I guess there is a couple of thousand in there. Apparently there were jams on the old 23 that day.

 

[Withdean and I]

Great photo! I was only 10 years old but that was one of my earliest and most memorable visits to the Goldstone.
I remember taking a plastic milk bottle crate to stand on and we arrive about 1.30pm and it was already heaving on the East Terrace.
In the run up to kick off it just got more and more rammed until we literally were packed like a tin of sardines.
Happy days!

 

[AnotherArch]

I think the pic is from the JV book.

Looks like they have the standard pen. So I guess there is a couple of thousand in there. Apparently there were jams on the old 23 that day.

The A23 was murder that day. Travelling down from Manchester, thought that I had loads of time to drop wife and toddler off at Patcham - until we hit the queues. It was a lovely day and there were loads of daytrippers on their way to the coast and in places the A23 was only single carriageway.
I detoured over Ditchling Beacon then got my mum to drop me off as parking would have been miles away (the cars were parked up the Drive/Woodruff etc all the way to Dyke road.)
I remember the Paul Clarke blaster from outside the box into the North Stand goal!
3 games in 4 days then.

 

[LVGull]

Beautiful weather too. A full away pen.

View attachment 107620

 

[cheshunt seagull]

I remember being surprised at how much fuller the terraces were getting when I arrived at about 2. It wasn't unusual in the 70s to get those sudden spikes in attendance on public holidays when we were doing well. Boxing Day v Bournemouth in 71/2 saw a crowd of 30k when the average so far that season was probably nearer 15. Crowds also seemed to get a boost when we moved a daytime game from a Saturday; I seem to remember crowds going up for those Sunday games in the early 70s. We talk a lot about fixture congestion but I we played Charlton that Friday and then played at Ninian Park the next afternoon.

 

[Giraffe]

It’s easy to forget how but in the old days when you could just rock up and pay at the gate attendances could vary massively just because it was a nice sunny day. Suspect that explains the difference between the two.

 

[Eeyore]

Beautiful weather too. A full away pen.

View attachment 107620

 

[papajaff]

When Wardy went to Forest, he was on a grand a week. Seriously good money then.

 

[Nottseagull]

Because we had a good chance of being promoted to div 1