The feeling I had walking to the ground after a few beers at the Crown on the OKR, walking up the crumbling steps and around the back of the half way stand, seeing the pitch from the top of the stand and walking down to my usual place half way down and just to the right of the centre line. The buzz around me as we outsung the away fans, stuck in their little pen, shivering from the cold and fear (not being able to see anything cos there was a floodlight accompanying them). Watching the CBL do their thing when we scored and hearing the 15 minutes of Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii going back and forth. Chants of 'You'll never make the station' and meaning it. Standing there with only 3000 of you but still screaming your heart out. Wall, once bitten, forever smitten. please log in to view this image
Those blocks of flats in the background,any idea what direction thats facing ? It looks like where the missus lived and then me as well.
Never got to visit the old Den, too young. Based on atmosphere at away games where everyone is standing and singing throughout I'm certain I would have preferred it though
If thats the case,not where we were then. We lived on the Silwood estate just opposite Whelans on Rotherhithe Old Rd.
Gents, The fans pictured are in the old away section. The 3 tower blocks in the background is the old "Milton Court Estate" at New Cross, only one tower block remains as the others were knocked down about 20 years ago. The estate still exists but it's mainly low rise flats and houses now. It used to have a bad reputation for Yardies and **** like that. Makes me laugh, in 60's & 70's the Government have this great eureka moment regarding social housing and build these ****ing great estates and 30-40 years later they are demolished, just like the Ferrier at Kidbrooke is now !
Advantages of the new den - Better facilities. Better view. More shelter to keep dry. Better atmosphere (for big games) IMO Safer. More modern and up to date. Better pitch. New ground has a scoreboard. All seated so more comfortable.
Too young for the "original" Den, would have loved to go there and feel the atmosphere... but I've grown up with The "New" Den (still new supposedly but we have been there for 18 years) thats my footie home!
Advantages of the old den Closer to the pitch Choice of standing or sitting. Good atmosphere even when only 6 thousand fans. Away fans in one corner. One tier. Allowed to stand anywhere. Less pitch invasions due to a fence.
For me the only ground was the Den, Cold Blow Lane. Got used to the 'new' ground but football has changed so much that no grounds are the same anymore. Wether 3,000 or 20,000 the old place had something uniquely special that will never ever be replicated again. Just glad i spent a good number of years going there.
Would have loved to see the original Old Den before it took a V1 in WW2 - most home games were sell outs with 35 - 40k crowds - have a butchers at the crowds in these pictures please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
I think the most I saw was 20,000 in 88/89 at home vs West Ham, although there were bigger gates that season. I can seriously say that that was the only time I felt scared going to a game (home or away). Back then it was WW3. I was in the Crown on the OKR when West Ham walked past unattended.
gotta be honest, the old den scared the crap outta me but i was only a little kid at the time, would have loved to go there a bit older though, so if anyone has a time machine......
One thing I liked at the old Den was being able to watch the first half from one end, then walking round beind the other goal for the 2nd half. Couldn't do that now. That way we were always behind the goal we were attacking as what happened at the other end didn't really interest us as long as we scored more
lived in sydenham in old den days but what i remember most was walking to the den from New Cross gate and when you got your first glimpse of the floodlights the smell of manky hambergers and chestnuts in the winter the thrill and excitement was amazing, would be in C.B.L. first half and Halfway second half,,,and if with 20mins to go and losing would spend rest of the match trying to get at away fans in the corner,
I spent a few games goading the away fans in my younger days, there was a 20ft gap between up and them with two 10ft fences between and a few OB. OB grabbed a few and took them away one day and it made me think a bit , so from then on it was half-way line for me.
Before the ww2 we were one of the best supported clubs in Britain. Then the luftwaffe and the socialists ****ed the area and invited in all and sundry in. Added to the fact that the tipped side in 1940's to go up to Div 1 and be something end up getting relegated instead, typical Wall. The rest now is history, but thats why we can get 45K to turn up at Wembley, biggest small club in the world - FACT.
