I have very fond memories when as a boy Uncle Albert took me to a number of football matches.  I am an avid Charlton Athletic fan whilst Uncle Albert's affiliations were to West Ham United. 

We went to Upton Park, the then home of West Ham, on a number of occasions but somehow our football trips together never seemed to reach to The Valley!

However, I did see some games with him at Upton Park when the Hammers entertained Charlton and overall the honours were even with the full-time scores.  When we saw teams other than Charlton playing, I would invariably shout my support for them and would receive much ribbing and teasing from Uncle Albert and the West Ham fans surrounding me.  We would always stand on the terrace midway up behind one of the goals, usually the terrace away to the left from where the players' tunnel exited to the pitch.  We had a good view from there.

The games I attended with Uncle Albert were in the days before opposing sets of fans were segregated, unlike the way they are today.  Then everybody mingled together; their banter and teasing was all good-natured and friendly, and I learned a number of “cockney sayings” and rhyming slang from those very fans.  At that time I never knew there were so many different descriptions for referees that those West Ham fans seemed to know of, including questioning the referee's parentage! But it was all good fun and I neither heard nor experienced anything nasty or deliberately insulting from those fans. I know that Uncle Albert would never have taken me or stood on the terraces like we did if it had been unsuitable.

I have never forgotten those days of football match visits with Uncle Albert and I never will.

With much love to you Uncle Albert and my deepest thanks for the lovely memories.

Barry