“Sam Bartram, Jimmy Seed…We Won The FA Cup!”

Ahead of the 25/26 Championship season, CAST was really pleased to meet up with Jimmy Seed’s grandson - Jim Dutton - and provide him with two of the new T-shirts bearing his grandfather’s handwritten ‘Charlton Athletic’ plus his signature on the sleeve.

Having worked with Jim to find great examples of his grandfather’s handwriting and signature, CAST’s Sam White was honoured to be able to present him with two sample tops showing the emblazoned embroidered handwriting of Charlton’s’ greatest ever manager – and someone Jim knew so well.

Meeting in the Fan Zone ahead of the Watford match, Sam and Jim discussed the design process and the production of the T-shirts, as well as all things ‘Jimmy Seed’

“The shirts look great” Dutton professed, before questioning whether they have been popular. The answer is that they have and T-shirts and sweaters have been winging their way to Charlton fans all over the world in the last few weeks.

“It’s re-invigorated my passion for my grandfather’s story” Dutton continued “I've been researching for a number of years, currently for a couple of blogs;  the first acts as more of an archive than a blog in reality, featuring some of his cartoons and newspaper articles written by him and about him, as well as memorabilia and other bits and bobs. The other blog is more biographical. Both blogs will eventually be moved over to a website, jimmyseed.co.uk, with the long term aim of publishing a fuller version of his biography, The Jimmy Seed Story. I’m excited to get back into documenting it all – to me it is family history, but also so entwined with the history of the club we all love – and it actually reflects such an amazing time and our most successful period - so far at least!”. It is clear to hear that Jim’s passion for Charlton goes further than having a successful grandad.

“I can’t wait to see how The Jimmy Seed Stand looks (with its newly refurbished signage) … Crazy to think I was there in 1982 as a twenty-something with my mum opening the new stand in honour of her father!” Jim beams. "What a day that was." When asked about the Jimmy Seed bust that sits in the club lounge, proudly next to one of Alan Curbishley, more anecdotes roll off of Jim’s tongue:

“Now that’s a funny story – in 1954, a sculptress wrote to Grandad asking if he would sit for a piece that the she wanted to do. He agreed, sat a couple of times and thought no more of it -until a few months down the line when he gets a £50 bill for the sculpture! If I'm honest he wasn't all that keen on paying it, but eventually he did, and the bust is now something of a family heirloom. We're proud to let the club display it – although shame it's hidden away somewhat as it’s a great likeness of him –and it was really supposed to be kept in the window of the foyer so that Charlton fans could see it"

Seed - who lived mostly in Bromley during his time with Charlton -  died in Farnborough Hospital a fortnight or so before England’s 1966 World Cup triumph.

CAST Secretary Richard Wiseman models his sweater

We'd like to thank Jim again for his continued passion for the merchandise items as well as his help and support in getting the idea off the ground and ‘on to peoples backs’

Get your Jimmy Seed handwritten 'Charlton Athletic' tops & sweaters HERE - https://castrustorg.etsy.com