Ten Years Ago: in the home end at Leicester

I did once sit in the Jimmy Seed at The Valley in order to get into a match when there was no East Stand, but I don't like sitting among home spectators at away matches. But ten years ago, on 14 October 1995, I had to sit on my hands at Filbert Street. A friend who was a Leicester City supporter had invited me to take the short ride with him up the M69 to the city where I went to university. Sadly, he is now too ill to watch football.

My notes recall: 'We had good seats behind one of the goals - a nice, sunny afternoon after earlier fog. Excellent stand on one side, two others very old fashioned. Good view of Leicester skyline [in so far as that is not a contradiction in terms]. One Charlton fan in row behind.'

'Programme notes said the manager [Mark McGhee] wanted an intimidating atmosphere and Charlton were booed as they came out. Leicester were all over us in the first half and we were lucky to be only 0-1 down at half time.'

'But after (as I learned later) a telling off in the dressing room, Charlton stormed back and, after many near misses, Leaburn scored an equaliser. Lee Bowyer had some nice touches, but Jamie Stuart [now with Grays] looked very nervous. Rufus played well and Newts was outstanding.'

'The draw was a good result and I heard Leicester fans saying that Charlton had played well.'

The programme featured McGhee posing with a ludicrous graph which was supposed to demonstrate Leicester's inevitable progress to the Premiership, although it didn't seem to take account of eventual promotion through the play offs, Leicester finishing in 5th place just ahead of Charlton.

There were five pages on Charlton including a feature on Mark Robson. He warned, 'A lot of kids come into soccer thinking it's a great glamorous life but I can tell them football can be very hard.' Advice he can now pass on at the Academy.