The Fog That Hid a Goalkeeper

Charlton Athletic goalkeeper Sam Bartram became the subject of one of football's best-loved fog stories. During a match at Stamford Bridge in 1937, thick fog made it increasingly difficult to see what was happening at the other end of the pitch. According to Bartram's later account, he remained near his goal, waiting for the next attack, without realising that the match had been abandoned and the other players had left. A policeman eventually appeared to explain the situation. The tale has survived because it captures a football world without modern communication systems or sophisticated stadium technology. Whether retold in dressing rooms or club histories, the image of a lonely goalkeeper standing in the mist remains wonderfully comic.