ROBINS REVISITED....

It was all of 50 years ago when I used to go to Charlton Athletic`s Valley ground to watch games like the one pictured above, which shows legendary goalkeeper Sam Bartram and centre-half Derek Ufton combining to rebuff a challenge from Wolves` Roy Swinburne. (Click on photo for larger image.)

My uncle and aunt had a pub at Kidbrooke (the `Dover Patrol`) and my parents and I lived there for a while - in between moving from the shores of Southampton Water to the Garden of England - so that my parents could learn the ropes of the pub trade themselves.

They were great days for Charlton who had huge crowds to watch their home matches in the old First Division. I still recall the names of some of the players of that era - Billy Kiernan, Jock Campbell, Gordon Hurst, Benny Fenton and a number of South African players such as John Hewie, Stuart Leary, Sid O`Linn, Eddie Firmani.

Twenty years on and I went back to the Valley to see Maidstone United play an FA Cup third round tie, which ended 1-1, I think, but was memorable for the fact that two of Charlton` players - Derek Hales and Mike Flanagan - were both sent off for fighting each other!

(Scott Wagstaff)

Now, in the street where I live - just a few doors down the road - there is a charming and athletic family, whose middle son just happens to be the captain of Charlton`s Under-18 team. Scott Wagstaff has recently been awarded his first professional contract with Charlton and us locals are all very pleased for him and his family. There`s the old saying `it couldn`t happen to nicer people` but it`s absolutely true in this case.

Moreover, years ago I helped form Larkfield Boys Football Club (see http://www.larkfieldfc.com/about_us_larkfield_football_club.htm) and perhaps the star player to emerge from those grass roots days was Damien Matthew, who went on to play for Chelsea, Burnley and Northampton before injury cut short his playing career. Nowadays, Damien is the coach of Charlton`s Under-18 team, which Scott captains, so there`s a lot of `personal` interest for me in following their fortunes.

(Damien Matthew)

So, on Tuesday evening I eschewed the chance to see Southampton`s home game against Plymouth and for the first time in 30 years or so went along to the Valley with friends and neighbours from our street to watch Damien and Scott`s team play Swindon Town in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup. Scott scored twice in an impressive 5-1 win which puts Charlton into the quarter final next Wednesday, when they will meet Sunderland.

It`s good to see local boys making good and I suspect I had a more entertaining evening than was evident at St. Mary`s, where Saints lost at home for the eighth time this season as the crises deepen throughout my once proud club. But at the end of the day, that`s football.