My dad made me, I was a Villa fan (due to the guy that actually got my mum preggers with me) and then my evil Dad came along tied me to a chair and forced me to support Charlton. He promised me a life of pain, misery and disappointment and he wasn't wrong...mind you I wouldn't have it any other way!
Family thing - The old man was Rangers and came down to live on victoria way to live with my mum so would go to the valley - As instructed by my grandad - I apparently used to cry when he was at the games when I was really small and thus became charlton.
[cite]Posted By: vancouveraddick[/cite]Family thing - The old man was Rangers and came down to live on victoria way to live with my mum so would go to the valley - As instructed by my grandad - I apparently used to cry when he was at the games when I was really small and thus became charlton.
Your old man obviously had taste, Rangers & Charlton, good ma.
It always was / is the intention to have these sort of threads highlighted in another section of the site, unfortunately it got put on the back burner due to costs / problems /time etc.
But all these posts haven't been lost, and something will be done with them at some stage.
Lets not clog this thread with side issues and keep it as it is.
Not sure i have much right to put this on here but here goes...... I have been a west ham supporter all my life good times and very bad but now i will be sitting with all of you every week. I went last game of the season and really enjoyed it the people were really nice (bit different to west ham). Anyway the reason for my change is i want to watch my nephew become one of Charltons best ever players. I still aint to sure what part of the ground to get my season ticket for so any help would be good
[cite]Posted By: uncle[/cite]Not sure i have much right to put this on here but here goes...... I have been a west ham supporter all my life good times and very bad but now i will be sitting with all of you every week. I went last game of the season and really enjoyed it the people were really nice (bit different to west ham). Anyway the reason for my change is i want to watch my nephew become one of Charltons best ever players. I still aint to sure what part of the ground to get my season ticket for so any help would be good
Get yourself up "The Covered End " Uncle, a nicer sort of person gets in there!
[cite]Posted By: uncle[/cite]Not sure i have much right to put this on here but here goes...... I have been a west ham supporter all my life good times and very bad but now i will be sitting with all of you every week. I went last game of the season and really enjoyed it the people were really nice (bit different to west ham). Anyway the reason for my change is i want to watch my nephew become one of Charltons best ever players. I still aint to sure what part of the ground to get my season ticket for so any help would be good
When he moves to Real Madrid, will you be getting a season ticket there?
Its time to admit it - I am a JCL, premiership fan, plastic, happy clappy newbie. Well, ten years ago anyway.
When I was younger I was an Arsenal fan. All my friends were for one reason or another, and I claimed to be as well. However, I did have a link to Charlton due to my uncle being a massive fan.
In the playoff season, my football team got tickets to Charlton V Huddersfield. The score was 1-0 with Mark Bright scoring. The only player I knew from Charlton was John Robinson. I have no idea why I knew him when I didn't know the others, but he was the player I looked out for. That morning, Charlton fans were fans of the week on Soccer AM, including Henry Irving. So when Henry came to meet me after the game, all the people from the football team I played for were very impressed!
A few months later my family were coming back from somewhere in the car, and the playoff final was on the radio. We heard all the drama unfold, but didn't really pay much attention to the consequences of it until a couple of months later when my Dad suggested we get season tickets for them. Yes it was mainly for premiership football, and also just to get time to spend with my Dad. He'd never really been affiliated with any club when he was younger, because he was more into cricket.
So we went for the first prem season, and we both loved it, however I still considered myself an Arsenal fan as well. When we were relegated, my Dad was surprised by my keenness to go again the following year. So we did, and obviously it was another great season, and the next season in the premiership afterwards was probably the turning point, as it was when I finally dropped and interest in Arsenal and became a fully fledged member of the Addickted.
Ever since then, my interest in Charlton has grown and grown, and because I wasn't brought up as a Charlton fan, its been amazing trying to find out as much information and history on the club that I now love so much, often on places such as these, where I can hear stories about the good old days. Also, living in place where Charlton fans are far from the norm, I really enjoy having a place where I can read up on others opinions. Now I would consider myself as big a fan as any, and I'm always looking for new ways to increase my interest and activity in the club.
I would describe it as though I wasn't born with Charlton in my blood, but about ten years ago, I had a major blood transfusion which saved my footballing life
I as remember it you and your team were more impressed with meeting Martyn Freak/Littel as it was he and some others who had been on Soccer AM that morning not me.
I went on a few years before and "borrowed" some football's etc to give to my nephew.
And I'm sure that signed Arsenal Team photo I gave you would be worth a few bob now : - )
[cite]Posted By: trickyrickycafc[/cite]my interest in Charlton has grown and grown, and because I wasn't brought up as a Charlton fan, its been amazing trying to find out as much information and history on the club that I now love so much, often on places such as these, where I can hear stories about the good old days.
i can assure you trickyricky you were here for what i consider now to be 'the good old days' , our previous excursion into the top flight(in the last 50 years) blighted by it being spent at selhurst park....
i'm sure there are many more 'newbie' fans like you who only came cos of the allure of the premiership and are now still addickted and for that ever lasting legacy i for one will forever be grateful to SIR ALAN CURBISHLEY ... the king is dead long live the king and in the words of take that 'never forget where you've come here from'
I grew up an Arsenal fan because of the family connection with the Gunners' great manager, Herbert Chapman.
I remember my grandfather telling me stories about "Uncle Herbert."
I got involved with soccer in my area, when nearly everyone that was involved at that time spoke Portuguese and very very few spoke English.
Mike Flanagan was the reason I started following Charlton in 1978. He scored goals for fun back then for the New England Tea Men, my local team, and was selected the North American Soccer League's Most Valuable Player over the likes of Beckenbauer, Chinaglia, Cruyff, Trevor Francis, Rodney Marsh etc ... Flash had Paddy Powell playing on a wing and another Addick, Lawrie Abrahams in the Tea Men side.
I was in college then, and wrote about the team and got to meet the Charlton loanees (how times change, eh?)!
I came to London to cover an American college football game at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, and convinced my editor to let me write about "English football." This was in '86 or '88?
I was scheduled to see Southampton at Spurz, but it was postponed because of an international being played. The Football League press office wanted me to go to QPR, which was closest to my hotel. But their secretary, a woman that is still there, said, "We don't want any Americans here. Why don't you go to Charlton. They'd be happy to have anyone at their games."
So it was off to Selhurst, Peter Burrowes, Lennie Lawrence and a first team coach named Mike Flanagan.
Arnie Warren once gave me a club tie in a Portakabin. And after my first match, Flanagan grabbed a case of beer and off we went to talk about old times.
It was around this time that I picked up a copy of Voice of The Valley, and was fascinated by the entire tale.
The spirit and determination of the Charlton supporters, against foes away from the pitch, was like no other I had ever known.
I subscribed to VoTV, began to write regularly for it from the States, and about Charlton's plight in my newspaper.
Airman Brown, errr Rick, and I became fast and good friends.
I came over for the second match back at The Valley.
American-based director Mike Stevens convinced me to buy enough shares to have my name put on the plaque that is behind Block H in the East Stand, in one of the first take-up of shares to build the East Stand.
I still have all of those shares ... and more. Gulp!
I have been coming over for games for about 20 or so years now. I also covered about 13 Wimbledon tennis tournaments from the late 80s to 2001, as well as four World Cups.
I have coached soccer teams in America, called ... Charlton Athletic! At one time, there had to be 40 to 50 automobiles riding around Southeastern Massachusetts sporting Charlton Athletic window badges.
I still follow Arsenal, and find it easier now, though unwelcomed with Charlton playing in a different division.
But as Rick once wrote: "Arsenal by birth; Charlton by choice!"
Never had a choice, my dad and grandad are / were both fans and so the 'family connection goes back to the 30's - 40's I guess. I was brainwashed into it from birth. I remember pestering my dad every Saturday to take me with him to a game but he refused until i was 7 because he said i wouldn't remember it. So my first game was aged 7...and i don't really remember it ! save that it was a couple of years before we left the Valley, most of my youngest memories are at Smelhurst & Upton Park. Have been going to almost every home game since with a small party of 4.
Went to Chelsea with my Uncle & cousin from the age of 4 til I was 8 (1970). Walked into the Valley for the first time and gazed up & up at the East Terrace.
Lived in Broad Walk and my old man was a bobby and worked out of Shooters Hill nick. He used to do ground duty for home games which was a perk back then to get paid to watch the game. At half time my Mum used to take us in and stand with him (not that I remember that).All my Dad's side of the family are/were Charlton and so now are my two boys and so will their kids be.
Similar to MOG above watched Chelsea for a few seasons late 60's early 70's as my neighbour down here in Maidstone used to take me up.
Cos my dad worked as a runner for Jimmy Seed in the forties as a young lad..his dad born lower road ...then he worked at Stones so it was done to go to the valley in 60s when a lad.....then 70,s with mates.fell away when playing sport and then moved away when got married.....15 years later divorced moved back and started going again with me dad......
2-2 against Port Vale in 1995, when I first moved to London. Port Vale had a fantastically named Canadian called Randy Samuel and Leaburn and Grant scored.
I blame Mr Malcom Mclean, he invented the freight container, The london docks got closed down, and replaced by Tilbury, my family moved from a very crowded terrace house in Battersea to Erith as my dad worked for the PLA. My brother who was 8 stayed with Chelsea, my dad changed to Charlton and took his 4 year old with him (me). After being broken in , never looked back. (Though this is the first year Ive looked for someone to blame and its obviously all Mr Mcleans fault.)
I was a Man Utd fan like my dad until his mate offered to take me to see Charlton vs Man City in 1997. Always remember that day cause Man Utd lost at home to Derby County with Paulo Wonchope scoring twice so I thought sod Man Utd I'll support Charlton Instead and have had a season ticket ever since.
My old man wasn't happy though as he had just done my bedroom out in Man Utd gear so it had to all come down!
I've never noticed this old sticky before (produced long before I joined the forum) so I'll add my reasons:
They were my local club at the time and I was first taken there by my dad (who was a fan too, as well as some extended members of family ) in 1978 I think. I then started going there with a couple of mates during the early eighties because it was local pro football and there was never any problem getting a seat in the north stand!
When they moved to selhurst, I continued to venture over there, out of the need to follow the team (I wasn't one of those who wouldn't go there out of principle). When the first wave of the 'glory years' (top tier football) happened under lennie lawrence, I was hooked and started going home and away regularly.
I read frank skinners autobiography several years ago and he reckons that people should support the nearest professional team to where they were born. I was born in woolwich, so that's the theory I've gone with I suppose !! Although I have now moved far away from the area, I'm still (and will remain) a massive fan from afar.
Up until 1973 (when I was six) I supported Leeds Utd, then Sunderland made me cry (gloryhunter). I then had a choice, my dads from Depford & supports Millwall, my mum is from Charlton and won a fancy dress competition in 1947 by borrowing her brothers Charlton kit! What clinched it for Charlton was that my Nan and Grandad used to live in the block of flats that overlooks the valley (charlton heights?) and I used to be able to watch a microscopic Charlton team run around from their balcony on a Saturday afternoon.
First went to the valley in 74 or 75 for a friends birthday against Plymouth or Portsmouth I think, can't remember the score but I remember Keith Peacock played and there were a lot of goals. Most vivid memory is being driven there in the back of an orange escort mexico with black vinyl seats (cool).
The funny old bloke who sold peanuts on the terraces; “peanuts tanner a bag – six a bag of nuts”; fans with rattles; seeing Stuart Leary play; 1/6d return from Abbey Wood, 2/- Entrance, sixpence for a programme and sixpence to spend (thanks mum); Rosettes; the view from the top of the East Terrace; the gents bog at the top of the east terrace; no girl supporters; being able to walk all the way round inside the ground; the Return of Eddie Firmani; red shirts, white knickers, white stockings (no kidding it said so in the programme); green goalkeepers jerseys; no sponsors logos; being known as”The Robins”; old boys with flasks who called us “the addicks”; no substitutes; Rose, Hewie, Kinsey, Bailey, Haydock, Tocknell, Kenning, Matthews, Firmani, Edwards, Glover; running on the pitch (and being told to eff off by Ron Saunders); collecting autographs (and being told to eff off by Frank Haydock); the Football Combination; the Colts Team; the “Evening News” and the seller shouting, “Three-thirty winner and all your half-times”; Beatles records on the tannoy; records supplied by The Music Shop, Thomas Street, Woolwich; games played in snow and ice; not being able to feel my fingers and toes; John Hewie’s testimonial; a bag of Smiths crisps and a packet of Spangles ‘Old English’; Wright, Curtis, Kinsey, Campbell, Went, Reeves, Gregory, Tees, Treacy, Moore, Peacock; 30,000 crowds;
Beating Palace 2-0 at Selhurst in 4th round cup replay in 1969; we love you Ray Treacy; 1970 to 1973, the years of purgatory; Relegation; Terrace Season Tickets; Crowds of 4000; Playing teams like Halifax; Andy Nelson; Arthur Horsfield; Deadly Derek Hales – Killer ; A hero A true star; Allison’s bet; Promotion; Dunn, Curtis, Warman, Bowman, Goldthorpe, Young, Powell., Hales, Flanagan, Hunt, Peacock; travelling to places like Walsall, Peterborough and Aldershot; Drinking in “The Lads of the Village”; Peacock and Tydeman’s free kick routines; Hales and Flanagan’s bust-up; Beating Chelsea 4-0 (Flanagan hat-trick); Chelsea fans set fire to admin huts; Beating Spurs 4-1 (Flanagan hat-trick); The League Liner; Roger Kirkpatrick; Getting rat arsed before games; Groin strains; The joy of watching Paul Walsh emerge; West Stand Season Ticket; Hulyer is a hero; Hulyer is a villain; Mullery is a twat; Alan Simonsen; Bankruptcy; Loving John Fryer; Moving to Selhurst; Hating John Fryer; Who is Lennie Lawrence?; Travelling to Selhurst; Lennie is The Man; Nicky Johns; PROMOTION Back to the (original) First Division; Lennie is an all-time hero; Bolder, Humphrey, Reid, Peake, Thompson, Aizlewood, MacKenzie, Shipley, Pearson, Melrose, Stuart; Jim Melrose goes; Willo; Aizlewood’s scary shorts; Playing teams like Liverpool, Arsenal and ManU. Shirtliff and Miller; Play-off matches; Is Leaburn a footballer????!; Pates and McLaughlin; Rob Lee; Colin Walsh....................
My uncle took me to that first game in 1962. Season ticket holder from 1973
Agonisingly had to give up in the 90's when we started a family hotel business in Bournemouth.
Came back to the fold when the bottom fell out of the business!!
Now a season ticket holder again in the Family Stand with my son, travelling up from Poole.
The poor sod is probably the only Addick in his school (they are all fake big 4 fans) regularly gets flak when he wears his colours locally.
Hey, ho.
Addickted for life!
Just seen this thread & as the newbie here thought I'd add a few bits & pieces...
Cup Final day was huge in our house in Dartford in the 50's & 60's.Aunts & uncles all congregated and we would choose which team to support. Aunt Bertha knitted rosettes in both teams' colours so the kids could show who they fancied and not change their minds half way through ! I was eleven when the Munich Air Crash devastated the Man U team & I guess the sheer tragedy of the event started me cheering on the Busby Babes that survived. Around the same time, Uncle Harry started taking me to watch Dartford at Watling Street & it continued thus for several happy seasons, including the trip by Special train to the Cup match in Yeovil - Mmm, that rings a bell ! Around 16, I had a huge crush on the right winger, Dick Wheeler and thought my ship had come in when we went out a few times !! Thinking about it, I probably hindered his career & prevented him becoming the next George Best ! Met Theresa at DGGS who used to support Dartford too with her Dad, although sometimes they went to Charlton....and I was invited to join them.Remember standing in the Covered End but can't remember the opponents or score....too busy ogling Lenny Glover, I think ! Anyhow, my pash for Man U started to fade as Charlton became my team although Theresa & myself did make the trip to Stamford Bridge one Saturday to watch The Blues play The Reds. What I remember most from that day was during the match, I got something nasty under one of my contacts and, thinking I was in pain/crying, was passed over fellow fans' heads to the front and escorted around the pitch to the Changing Rooms where a St John's guy helped me sort out my eyeball ! Glimpsed myself passing behind the goal on MOTD that night, mini skirt et al !
At 18, met hubby to be who had been attending matches at The Valley with his Grandad & brother since the late 50's so we continued supporting together. Setting up home and then having 2 kiddies meant little time or money for the Beautiful Game but we followed the team via the radio & TV. Then in '87, we decided to take the children to Wembley for the Full Members' Cup Final and we have never looked back...Season tickets at Selhurst, Upton Park and then Back to The Valley after helping with leafletting etc with Steve Dixon. Both children were Junior Reds & daughter was a mascot v 'Boro when Tony Mowbray was their skipper. Moved from the Jimmy Seed to the East Stand as soon as it was finished and have had the same seats ever since. Have missed only a handful of matches at home ( mainly due to sickness) and very few away over the past 10 years or so.Many happy and some not so happy memories - too numerous to mention here.
And on Sunday, my eldest Grandson, Billy ( who'll be 5 in May) will come to his first match ...He knows naff all about football but I'm hoping he'll become hooked like his Mum and Grandparents. There are certainly worse things he could become addicted to !
Family apart, Charlton IS my life - I can't imagine existing without it. I've made so many friends via this great Club of ours, met players and managers, not to mention Directors & CEOs....something I'm certain would have been pipe dreams if I'd stuck with United.This is a Club that engenders a sense of belonging - a family of which we are all invaluable members. And we must ensure it stays that way , whatever it takes. I'd be an empty shell without it. Onwards & upwards !!
Comments
This is what you said Charlton Life was meant to be about.
This is gold, real history.
Your old man obviously had taste, Rangers & Charlton, good ma.
Off the top of my head and without considering all the hard work and difficulties/time/cost benefit analysis : -)
Get the stories written up fully and where necessary expanded with more details eg names, ages etc
Move it off the message board and have it somewhere else on the site as a permanent archive which can still be added to.
Maybe even get it desk top published but that maybe is going too far
And it's Sir Henry. I was knighted by the old Queen (no not Goonerhater) you know!
But all these posts haven't been lost, and something will be done with them at some stage.
Lets not clog this thread with side issues and keep it as it is.
Get yourself up "The Covered End " Uncle, a nicer sort of person gets in there!
When he moves to Real Madrid, will you be getting a season ticket there?
When I was younger I was an Arsenal fan. All my friends were for one reason or another, and I claimed to be as well. However, I did have a link to Charlton due to my uncle being a massive fan.
In the playoff season, my football team got tickets to Charlton V Huddersfield. The score was 1-0 with Mark Bright scoring. The only player I knew from Charlton was John Robinson. I have no idea why I knew him when I didn't know the others, but he was the player I looked out for. That morning, Charlton fans were fans of the week on Soccer AM, including Henry Irving. So when Henry came to meet me after the game, all the people from the football team I played for were very impressed!
A few months later my family were coming back from somewhere in the car, and the playoff final was on the radio. We heard all the drama unfold, but didn't really pay much attention to the consequences of it until a couple of months later when my Dad suggested we get season tickets for them. Yes it was mainly for premiership football, and also just to get time to spend with my Dad. He'd never really been affiliated with any club when he was younger, because he was more into cricket.
So we went for the first prem season, and we both loved it, however I still considered myself an Arsenal fan as well. When we were relegated, my Dad was surprised by my keenness to go again the following year. So we did, and obviously it was another great season, and the next season in the premiership afterwards was probably the turning point, as it was when I finally dropped and interest in Arsenal and became a fully fledged member of the Addickted.
Ever since then, my interest in Charlton has grown and grown, and because I wasn't brought up as a Charlton fan, its been amazing trying to find out as much information and history on the club that I now love so much, often on places such as these, where I can hear stories about the good old days. Also, living in place where Charlton fans are far from the norm, I really enjoy having a place where I can read up on others opinions. Now I would consider myself as big a fan as any, and I'm always looking for new ways to increase my interest and activity in the club.
I would describe it as though I wasn't born with Charlton in my blood, but about ten years ago, I had a major blood transfusion which saved my footballing life
I went on a few years before and "borrowed" some football's etc to give to my nephew.
And I'm sure that signed Arsenal Team photo I gave you would be worth a few bob now : - )
i can assure you trickyricky you were here for what i consider now to be 'the good old days' , our previous excursion into the top flight(in the last 50 years) blighted by it being spent at selhurst park....
i'm sure there are many more 'newbie' fans like you who only came cos of the allure of the premiership and are now still addickted and for that ever lasting legacy i for one will forever be grateful to SIR ALAN CURBISHLEY ... the king is dead long live the king and in the words of take that 'never forget where you've come here from'
I remember my grandfather telling me stories about "Uncle Herbert."
I got involved with soccer in my area, when nearly everyone that was involved at that time spoke Portuguese and very very few spoke English.
Mike Flanagan was the reason I started following Charlton in 1978. He scored goals for fun back then for the New England Tea Men, my local team, and was selected the North American Soccer League's Most Valuable Player over the likes of Beckenbauer, Chinaglia, Cruyff, Trevor Francis, Rodney Marsh etc ... Flash had Paddy Powell playing on a wing and another Addick, Lawrie Abrahams in the Tea Men side.
I was in college then, and wrote about the team and got to meet the Charlton loanees (how times change, eh?)!
I came to London to cover an American college football game at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, and convinced my editor to let me write about "English football." This was in '86 or '88?
I was scheduled to see Southampton at Spurz, but it was postponed because of an international being played. The Football League press office wanted me to go to QPR, which was closest to my hotel. But their secretary, a woman that is still there, said, "We don't want any Americans here. Why don't you go to Charlton. They'd be happy to have anyone at their games."
So it was off to Selhurst, Peter Burrowes, Lennie Lawrence and a first team coach named Mike Flanagan.
Arnie Warren once gave me a club tie in a Portakabin. And after my first match, Flanagan grabbed a case of beer and off we went to talk about old times.
It was around this time that I picked up a copy of Voice of The Valley, and was fascinated by the entire tale.
The spirit and determination of the Charlton supporters, against foes away from the pitch, was like no other I had ever known.
I subscribed to VoTV, began to write regularly for it from the States, and about Charlton's plight in my newspaper.
Airman Brown, errr Rick, and I became fast and good friends.
I came over for the second match back at The Valley.
American-based director Mike Stevens convinced me to buy enough shares to have my name put on the plaque that is behind Block H in the East Stand, in one of the first take-up of shares to build the East Stand.
I still have all of those shares ... and more. Gulp!
I have been coming over for games for about 20 or so years now. I also covered about 13 Wimbledon tennis tournaments from the late 80s to 2001, as well as four World Cups.
I have coached soccer teams in America, called ... Charlton Athletic! At one time, there had to be 40 to 50 automobiles riding around Southeastern Massachusetts sporting Charlton Athletic window badges.
I still follow Arsenal, and find it easier now, though unwelcomed with Charlton playing in a different division.
But as Rick once wrote: "Arsenal by birth; Charlton by choice!"
Walked into the Valley for the first time and gazed up & up at the East Terrace.
That was it.
Charlton Athletic for life.
Similar to MOG above watched Chelsea for a few seasons late 60's early 70's as my neighbour down here in Maidstone used to take me up.
I became a fan after that.
My old man wasn't happy though as he had just done my bedroom out in Man Utd gear so it had to all come down!
Up the addicks! :0)
I was drawn into it at about the age of 7.
They were my local club at the time and I was first taken there by my dad (who was a fan too, as well as some extended members of family ) in 1978 I think. I then started going there with a couple of mates during the early eighties because it was local pro football and there was never any problem getting a seat in the north stand!
When they moved to selhurst, I continued to venture over there, out of the need to follow the team (I wasn't one of those who wouldn't go there out of principle). When the first wave of the 'glory years' (top tier football) happened under lennie lawrence, I was hooked and started going home and away regularly.
I read frank skinners autobiography several years ago and he reckons that people should support the nearest professional team to where they were born. I was born in woolwich, so that's the theory I've gone with I suppose !! Although I have now moved far away from the area, I'm still (and will remain) a massive fan from afar.
First went to the valley in 74 or 75 for a friends birthday against Plymouth or Portsmouth I think, can't remember the score but I remember Keith Peacock played and there were a lot of goals. Most vivid memory is being driven there in the back of an orange escort mexico with black vinyl seats (cool).
The funny old bloke who sold peanuts on the terraces; “peanuts tanner a bag – six a bag of nuts”; fans with rattles; seeing Stuart Leary play; 1/6d return from Abbey Wood, 2/- Entrance, sixpence for a programme and sixpence to spend (thanks mum); Rosettes; the view from the top of the East Terrace; the gents bog at the top of the east terrace; no girl supporters; being able to walk all the way round inside the ground; the Return of Eddie Firmani; red shirts, white knickers, white stockings (no kidding it said so in the programme); green goalkeepers jerseys; no sponsors logos; being known as”The Robins”; old boys with flasks who called us “the addicks”; no substitutes; Rose, Hewie, Kinsey, Bailey, Haydock, Tocknell, Kenning, Matthews, Firmani, Edwards, Glover; running on the pitch (and being told to eff off by Ron Saunders); collecting autographs (and being told to eff off by Frank Haydock); the Football Combination; the Colts Team; the “Evening News” and the seller shouting, “Three-thirty winner and all your half-times”; Beatles records on the tannoy; records supplied by The Music Shop, Thomas Street, Woolwich; games played in snow and ice; not being able to feel my fingers and toes; John Hewie’s testimonial; a bag of Smiths crisps and a packet of Spangles ‘Old English’; Wright, Curtis, Kinsey, Campbell, Went, Reeves, Gregory, Tees, Treacy, Moore, Peacock; 30,000 crowds;
Beating Palace 2-0 at Selhurst in 4th round cup replay in 1969; we love you Ray Treacy; 1970 to 1973, the years of purgatory; Relegation; Terrace Season Tickets; Crowds of 4000; Playing teams like Halifax; Andy Nelson; Arthur Horsfield; Deadly Derek Hales – Killer ; A hero A true star; Allison’s bet; Promotion; Dunn, Curtis, Warman, Bowman, Goldthorpe, Young, Powell., Hales, Flanagan, Hunt, Peacock; travelling to places like Walsall, Peterborough and Aldershot; Drinking in “The Lads of the Village”; Peacock and Tydeman’s free kick routines; Hales and Flanagan’s bust-up; Beating Chelsea 4-0 (Flanagan hat-trick); Chelsea fans set fire to admin huts; Beating Spurs 4-1 (Flanagan hat-trick); The League Liner; Roger Kirkpatrick; Getting rat arsed before games; Groin strains; The joy of watching Paul Walsh emerge; West Stand Season Ticket; Hulyer is a hero; Hulyer is a villain; Mullery is a twat; Alan Simonsen; Bankruptcy; Loving John Fryer; Moving to Selhurst; Hating John Fryer; Who is Lennie Lawrence?; Travelling to Selhurst; Lennie is The Man; Nicky Johns; PROMOTION Back to the (original) First Division; Lennie is an all-time hero; Bolder, Humphrey, Reid, Peake, Thompson, Aizlewood, MacKenzie, Shipley, Pearson, Melrose, Stuart; Jim Melrose goes; Willo; Aizlewood’s scary shorts; Playing teams like Liverpool, Arsenal and ManU. Shirtliff and Miller; Play-off matches; Is Leaburn a footballer????!; Pates and McLaughlin; Rob Lee; Colin Walsh....................
My uncle took me to that first game in 1962. Season ticket holder from 1973
Agonisingly had to give up in the 90's when we started a family hotel business in Bournemouth.
Came back to the fold when the bottom fell out of the business!!
Now a season ticket holder again in the Family Stand with my son, travelling up from Poole.
The poor sod is probably the only Addick in his school (they are all fake big 4 fans) regularly gets flak when he wears his colours locally.
Hey, ho.
Addickted for life!
Cup Final day was huge in our house in Dartford in the 50's & 60's.Aunts & uncles all congregated and we would choose which team to support. Aunt Bertha knitted rosettes in both teams' colours so the kids could show who they fancied and not change their minds half way through ! I was eleven when the Munich Air Crash devastated the Man U team & I guess the sheer tragedy of the event started me cheering on the Busby Babes that survived. Around the same time, Uncle Harry started taking me to watch Dartford at Watling Street & it continued thus for several happy seasons, including the trip by Special train to the Cup match in Yeovil - Mmm, that rings a bell ! Around 16, I had a huge crush on the right winger, Dick Wheeler and thought my ship had come in when we went out a few times !! Thinking about it, I probably hindered his career & prevented him becoming the next George Best !
Met Theresa at DGGS who used to support Dartford too with her Dad, although sometimes they went to Charlton....and I was invited to join them.Remember standing in the Covered End but can't remember the opponents or score....too busy ogling Lenny Glover, I think ! Anyhow, my pash for Man U started to fade as Charlton became my team although Theresa & myself did make the trip to Stamford Bridge one Saturday to watch The Blues play The Reds. What I remember most from that day was during the match, I got something nasty under one of my contacts and, thinking I was in pain/crying, was passed over fellow fans' heads to the front and escorted around the pitch to the Changing Rooms where a St John's guy helped me sort out my eyeball ! Glimpsed myself passing behind the goal on MOTD that night, mini skirt et al !
At 18, met hubby to be who had been attending matches at The Valley with his Grandad & brother since the late 50's so we continued supporting together. Setting up home and then having 2 kiddies meant little time or money for the Beautiful Game but we followed the team via the radio & TV. Then in '87, we decided to take the children to Wembley for the Full Members' Cup Final and we have never looked back...Season tickets at Selhurst, Upton Park and then Back to The Valley after helping with leafletting etc with Steve Dixon. Both children were Junior Reds & daughter was a mascot v 'Boro when Tony Mowbray was their skipper. Moved from the Jimmy Seed to the East Stand as soon as it was finished and have had the same seats ever since. Have missed only a handful of matches at home ( mainly due to sickness) and very few away over the past 10 years or so.Many happy and some not so happy memories - too numerous to mention here.
And on Sunday, my eldest Grandson, Billy ( who'll be 5 in May) will come to his first match ...He knows naff all about football but I'm hoping he'll become hooked like his Mum and Grandparents. There are certainly worse things he could become addicted to !
Family apart, Charlton IS my life - I can't imagine existing without it. I've made so many friends via this great Club of ours, met players and managers, not to mention Directors & CEOs....something I'm certain would have been pipe dreams if I'd stuck with United.This is a Club that engenders a sense of belonging - a family of which we are all invaluable members. And we must ensure it stays that way , whatever it takes. I'd be an empty shell without it.
Onwards & upwards !!