Those tip-up seats in the JH...and the Hammersmith End roof......

[ron]

......appeared in the summer of '65, as heralded in the first programme of 65/66, versus Blackburn. The seats have often been described as being contemporary with the building of the stand, but as a kid, I remember the old bench seats, and also remember vaguely reading about their replacement in a prog. I must have too much time on my hands, because the necessary trip to the progs in the loft and a bit of reading revealed the actual date.

Eight grand the lot ! money well spent. The Hammy End covering for the terrace cost £25k at the same time. More famously, as the ..er.. more mature readers of this board will remember it cost us the services of Alan Mullery who was sold for the sake of the ground improvements (but the programme claims a different source for the cash).

So the seat aren't as ancient as all that....but wait a minute, all but 50 years has gone by since they were fitted......

...funny how time flies when you're having fun..!. 082.gif 049:gif

[Scrumpy]

Thanks Ron, that's interesting. I sat in the Stevenage Road stand for the FA Youth games and assumed that the seats were as old as the stand. They certainly felt like it!

[grandad]

In the JH stand Block G Row A seat 12 was mine from 1965 to 1990. Before from 1954 to 1965 the 2nd bar behind the goal at the Cottage end was my spot. From 1990 my work meant I had to work at weekends so had to give up my ST. I loved the wooden seats. Much warmer than plastic ones.

[SP]

In the JH stand Block G Row A seat 12 was mine from 1965 to 1990. Before from 1954 to 1965 the 2nd bar behind the goal at the Cottage end was my spot. From 1990 my work meant I had to work at weekends so had to give up my ST. I loved the wooden seats. Much warmer than plastic ones.

One of our football rituals was setting up our bar at the midpoint between the Hammersmith goal & the Riverside - everyone standing in their designated place, 3 generations, we never changed positions.  This ritual only changed once when to our horror some outsiders had taken our bar - happy days.

[bog]

Good post Ron. Many is the time my now wrinkly buttocks have come to rest on them, often with a bump after conceding an annoying goal.

092.gif

[Twig]

In the JH stand Block G Row A seat 12 was mine from 1965 to 1990. Before from 1954 to 1965 the 2nd bar behind the goal at the Cottage end was my spot. From 1990 my work meant I had to work at weekends so had to give up my ST. I loved the wooden seats. Much warmer than plastic ones.

One of our football rituals was setting up our bar at the midpoint between the Hammersmith goal & the Riverside - everyone standing in their designated place, 3 generations, we never changed positions.  This ritual only changed once when to our horror some outsiders had taken our bar - happy days.

That brings back memories.  When I was a boy I used to join my dad, his brothers and their father and we always stood behind the same bar at the Hammy end just left side of the goal about half way up the terrace.  Always the same bar, always the same designated places (except us unruly kids).  Happy memories.

[SP]

In the JH stand Block G Row A seat 12 was mine from 1965 to 1990. Before from 1954 to 1965 the 2nd bar behind the goal at the Cottage end was my spot. From 1990 my work meant I had to work at weekends so had to give up my ST. I loved the wooden seats. Much warmer than plastic ones.

One of our football rituals was setting up our bar at the midpoint between the Hammersmith goal & the Riverside - everyone standing in their designated place, 3 generations, we never changed positions.  This ritual only changed once when to our horror some outsiders had taken our bar - happy days.

That brings back memories.  When I was a boy I used to join my dad, his brothers and their father and we always stood behind the same bar at the Hammy end just left side of the goal about half way up the terrace.  Always the same bar, always the same designated places (except us unruly kids).  Happy memories.

I think it was a right of passage to leave the bar when reaching early teens.  I think I sat on the floodlight pylon for a couple of years.

[ron]

Good post Ron. Many is the time my now wrinkly buttocks have come to rest on them, often with a bump after conceding an annoying goal.

092.gif

They're not wrinkles bog, that's the impression of the wood grain from those old benches.....

[bog]

That'll do for me Ron! As well as the seats what about those little crescent windows at the top back of the stand? How many photographs, as a back drop, have they featured in?

092.gif


   

[mullers]

Regarding the Hammersmith roof, I was under the impression that Mullery's fee was set at the price of the roof, but it appears that there's 50k difference. This probably makes sense as the club couldn't afford floodlights a few years before, so something had to pay for seats etc.