Photos of the Goldstone

[John Byrnes Mullet]

Has anybody got any photos or know a website where I can see inside the West Stand.
Would love to see what the boardroom looked like or the players bar or the changing rooms.
I read that after the last game people just ran inside and got what they could. I wish I'd have known I'd have been in there also.
What Archer, Bellotti and Stanley and co did was criminal, I will never forget.

 

[Northstander]

From what I recall, the players lounge was quite small!

 

[Spunk Bubble]

I recall popping my head into the players lounge once. Wooden panelling on the walls (I think). Classy !!. Very small though.

 

[Caveman]

Top post. I use to have physio on my Knee with Malcomn
back in the early 90's and remember the inside well.

Any pictures would be quality, some people must have them at home they could scan and post.

 

[BensGrandad]

The Executive Club wasnt very grand for what people paid to be a member.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I was a ball-boy for years at the Goldstone, plus with my Mum being chair of the Supporter's Club for a while, got to tag along to various meetings and stuff.

At pitch level, if you walked down the tunnel then left, there was a narrow concrete corridor, with black and white photos from pre-season training, from about 1984[?]. One showed the players struggling up a steep grass hill at what looked like Stanmer Park. At the front of the group was a young John Aldridge, who had been training on trial but was ultimately rejected.

On the right, there were the changing rooms, which were very spartan, and quite small. Directly across the corridor from the home one, was a little boot room, with what seemed like hundreds of pairs of boots hung on pegs. I found Terry Connor in there before a game changing a couple of studs, and he gave me the old ones, instead of throwing them away. I was KING in the playground on the Monday, I can tell you. I took a perfectly good stud out of my own boots to replace it with a worn down one in the hope of aquiring 'Billy's Boots' like magical skills, but alas.

Next door on the right, past the away changing room was the laundry / kit room, with a couple of washing machines, driers, etc and miles of pipes. The ball-boys used to change in there.

Further along the corridor, the next right was a small door which took you out into the concourse below the West Stand, and out through the players entrance into Newtown Road.

If you carried on past that door, you got to the player's bar, possibly via a flight of stairs [I'm struggling to remember], but I think on the same level. The bar was, as someone else recalls, very small - about the size of your average living room, with a bar in one corner. Wood panel on the walls, and hardly any seats.

If you went down the tunnel and turned right, the first door on the right took you to a small kitchen, which served tea, biscuits and sandwiches to the executive club - the room directly below the director's box. When you saw people go down the stairs from the director's box, they were going to this room, which was nothing special. Cheap furniture. A couple of tressle tables of egg sandwiches and Peak Freans. A few years later, when my younger sister was going out with Mark Ormerod, we would be in there at half time in the reserve matches eating all the custard creams. The only thing of note in there was some really great old pictures on the walls, and old pennants from visiting teams, etc.

The boardroom was a really gloomy place, as it was all wood panelled, with dark carpets, and had no natural light. It too had a bar in one corner, and two big tables. I was in there for some reason with my Mum, and Greg Stanley gave me a massive cigar. I was only about 13 at the time, but he said I should keep it for later! Never did get to smoke it.

Its all a while ago, so apologies if any details are wrong, but that's how I remember it all.

Hans

 

[Barrel of Fun]

The boardroom was a really gloomy place, as it was all wood panelled, with dark carpets, and had no natural light. It too had a bar in one corner, and two big tables.

Perfectly summed up. I was in the boardroom in '95 when we played Wycombe. My father was a guest of Ray Bloom I think and I sat in between my old and new headmaster.


It was certainly not what I expected. I remember seeing Bellotti swanning about and Bill Archer - I didn't recognise Stanley.

An experience, but not really one to treasure.

 

[Parson Henry]

I was a ball-boy for years at the Goldstone, plus with my Mum being chair of the Supporter's Club for a while, got to tag along to various meetings and stuff.

At pitch level, if you walked down the tunnel then left, there was a narrow concrete corridor, with black and white photos from pre-season training, from about 1984[?]. One showed the players struggling up a steep grass hill at what looked like Stanmer Park. At the front of the group was a young John Aldridge, who had been training on trial but was ultimately rejected.

On the right, there were the changing rooms, which were very spartan, and quite small. Directly across the corridor from the home one, was a little boot room, with what seemed like hundreds of pairs of boots hung on pegs. I found Terry Connor in there before a game changing a couple of studs, and he gave me the old ones, instead of throwing them away. I was KING in the playground on the Monday, I can tell you. I took a perfectly good stud out of my own boots to replace it with a worn down one in the hope of aquiring 'Billy's Boots' like magical skills, but alas.

Next door on the right, past the away changing room was the laundry / kit room, with a couple of washing machines, driers, etc and miles of pipes. The ball-boys used to change in there.

Further along the corridor, the next right was a small door which took you out into the concourse below the West Stand, and out through the players entrance into Newtown Road.

If you carried on past that door, you got to the player's bar, possibly via a flight of stairs [I'm struggling to remember], but I think on the same level. The bar was, as someone else recalls, very small - about the size of your average living room, with a bar in one corner. Wood panel on the walls, and hardly any seats.

If you went down the tunnel and turned right, the first door on the right took you to a small kitchen, which served tea, biscuits and sandwiches to the executive club - the room directly below the director's box. When you saw people go down the stairs from the director's box, they were going to this room, which was nothing special. Cheap furniture. A couple of tressle tables of egg sandwiches and Peak Freans. A few years later, when my younger sister was going out with Mark Ormerod, we would be in there at half time in the reserve matches eating all the custard creams. The only thing of note in there was some really great old pictures on the walls, and old pennants from visiting teams, etc.

The boardroom was a really gloomy place, as it was all wood panelled, with dark carpets, and had no natural light. It too had a bar in one corner, and two big tables. I was in there for some reason with my Mum, and Greg Stanley gave me a massive cigar. I was only about 13 at the time, but he said I should keep it for later! Never did get to smoke it.

Its all a while ago, so apologies if any details are wrong, but that's how I remember it all.

Hans

That is one of the most interesting posts I have read for a long time. Bravo Hans!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

That is one of the most interesting posts I have read for a long time. Bravo Hans!

Thanks. I enjoyed typing it - brings it all back!

 

[Croydonbloke]

The boardroom was a really gloomy place

It must have been during the Mullery era!!!!

 

[Northstander]

Thats how I remember the lounge, wood panels and as a youngster paying more attention at the photo's and memorabilia!

If I remember right, the bar was next to the door and looked like something out of faulty towers!

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Thats how I remember the lounge, wood panels and as a youngster paying more attention at the photo's and memorabilia!

If I remember right, the bar was next to the door and looked like something out of faulty towers!

Yep. The bar was right in front of you, on the left, as you came in to the room. And was indeed a bit rubbish - the sort of corner bars that you see in a B&B, or that commom people build in their front rooms!

 

[csider]

I bought some photos from e-bay yr or two back. Have the contact details of the photographer somewhere. They were panoramic views of all the stands, none inside though.

 

[Eastleigh Seagull]

I have a photo of me in the bar as a nine year old having done my mascot stint. The bar was in the near right hand corner if I remember with a tv in the upper far left corner.

The photo was with me, my dad (who died nearly ten years ago) and Ron Greenwood who happened to be there that day. One of my fave ever photos of the old man (my dad that is not Ron).

 

[hans kraay fan club]

If only they had mobile phones with cameras in the old days, then I'd have loads of great photos, instead of loads of vague memories.

 

[Caveman]

I have a photo of me in the bar as a nine year old having done my mascot stint. The bar was in the near right hand corner if I remember with a tv in the upper far left corner.

The photo was with me, my dad (who died nearly ten years ago) and Ron Greenwood who happened to be there that day. One of my fave ever photos of the old man (my dad that is not Ron).

Post it!

 

[John Byrnes Mullet]

Hans Kray and others,

Thanks very much that is an excellent reply, Probably better
than a photograph.
It would be good if somebody could design a website as a permanent memorial to the Goldstone where people could post
their memories and photos. You could click on each stand
to see the photos and stories. Or at least a separate forum on North Stand Chat to do so.
Good idea?? Please give me you feedback, I wish I had the knowledge of computers to do it myself.

 

[BigGully]

I recall popping my head into the players lounge once. Wooden panelling on the walls (I think). Classy !!. Very small though.

I reckon that was the 'Executive Lounge'...the players lounge was down the other side....a bit pre-fab

Guess you got in at the Main Reception........the 'Exec Lounge'...was just through the double door...at reception....;-)

 

[Spunk Bubble]

Hans Kray and others,

Thanks very much that is an excellent reply, Probably better
than a photograph.
It would be good if somebody could design a website as a permanent memorial to the Goldstone where people could post
their memories and photos. You could click on each stand
to see the photos and stories. Or at least a separate forum on North Stand Chat to do so.
Good idea?? Please give me you feedback, I wish I had the knowledge of computers to do it myself.

What a fantastic idea

 

[hornet]

When I was doing my GCSE's we had to an oral part to it where we had to interview someone on tape. I decided to write to Barry Lloyd who was the manager at the time to see if he would allow me to interview him. I didn't expect to hear anything back but got a phone call saying that he didn't normally do this sort of thing but he would be happy this time for me to interview him!

I was rather petrified in the build up to it and turned up at the Goldstone and was taken in the players entrance. Whilst waiting for Barry I was taken into what I presume was the players changing room which wasn't very big and after a few minutes Martin Hinshelwood (I think he was coach then) turned up along with what I presume where a lot of youth players as I don't think I recognised any of them.

I then got taken into the managers office which again wasn't very big with decor which sounds very similar to the above descriptions and I think I remember it to be quite dingy and smoky. Anyway, I carried out my interview on an old tape recorder which kept clicking all the way through as it was on it's old legs and went through my whole list of crap questions which I can't really remember now. I still have the tape but haven't dared to listen to it again since I did the interview as I thought it was so bad. To make matters worse, the top sports guy from the Argus at the time also sat it which hardly helped settle my nerves. I've forgotten his name now but I think he was an oldish guy with white hair and he was very well known at the time from his Argus work.

Anyway, afterwards I wished I'd taken more in but I think I was too nervous to have a good look around. I just remember thinking, this isn't all as grand as I expected before I went in.

Oh and to make my day, I passed Dean Wilkins on my way out and I thought that was amazing to brush shoulders with him! I seem to remember my mum thinking he had nice legs or something!