This is an interesting debate , there is a lot more expectation amongst our supporters now than when we were last at this level in the 70's and 80's.
I was young in the early 70's so only attended the odd home match . In 1980/81 it had been 24 years since we had been in the top flight football so most of our support had not experienced it and to those that had it was a distant memory . The decline this time has been rapid so the vast majority of our 15,000 fans will have seen Charlton in the Prem so have an expectation that is our level . In the 80's I was happy to support my local team even though it was unfashionable .
The real achievement of the back to the Valley movement is now when our poor League One gate would be seen by the Nigels or Spanners as a bumper crowd in the Division above , we are a different club now.
Personally I would love to see us at Prem level again one day and enjoy players like Di Canio and Parker in a Charlton shirt ,but I have decided to make a positive out of the negative situation and enjoy the journey , but I agree we need to go up this year and never return to L1 again.
I think for the development of the side, this season in League One suits us. Of course the issue is that things can go wrong but should we (as I expect us to) get automatic promotion, the team will have bedded in nicely and will be ready to hit the ground running. Good points made- comment from the baord last season were about Chrissy producing not a League One promotion side - that was a given - but a side that could compete in the Championship. That I believe was the criteria used and we have a young talented side that is going to and is getting better. Maybe we will see a couple of additions next summer but being in this division at this stage is helpful - as long as we can get out of it!
I don't think their are many players in the side who would be out of place at a higher level - if any!
I think for the development of the side, this season in League One suits us. Of course the issue is that things can go wrong but should we (as I expect us to) get automatic promotion, the team will have bedded in nicely and will be ready to hit the ground running. Good points made- comment from the baord last season were about Chrissy producing not a League One promotion side - that was a given - but a side that could compete in the Championship. That I believe was the criteria used and we have a young talented side that is going to and is getting better. Maybe we will see a couple of additions next summer but being in this division at this stage is helpful - as long as we can get out of it!
I don't think their are many players in the side who would be out of place at a higher level - if any!
Spot on Muttley, a more or less completely new team, a season to bed in together & hopefully get out of this league with a strong unit rather than have to try & replace some of our players with championship standard ones should we go up.
As someone who has been very critical of the club,managers & players in recent years ( I won't include directors & in particular Richard Murray because although he made mistakes can anybody seriously believe he was happy to throw away a fortune to keep the club going ) I have suddenly become optimistic. The whole feeling around the club, the togetherness of the players etc is so reminiscant of going up at shithurst & of course the play off season.
Comments
This is an interesting debate , there is a lot more expectation amongst our supporters now than when we were last at this level in the 70's and 80's.
I was young in the early 70's so only attended the odd home match . In 1980/81 it had been 24 years since we had been in the top flight football so most of our support had not experienced it and to those that had it was a distant memory . The decline this time has been rapid so the vast majority of our 15,000 fans will have seen Charlton in the Prem so have an expectation that is our level . In the 80's I was happy to support my local team even though it was unfashionable .
The real achievement of the back to the Valley movement is now when our poor League One gate would be seen by the Nigels or Spanners as a bumper crowd in the Division above , we are a different club now.
Personally I would love to see us at Prem level again one day and enjoy players like Di Canio and Parker in a Charlton shirt ,but I have decided to make a positive out of the negative situation and enjoy the journey , but I agree we need to go up this year and never return to L1 again.
I think for the development of the side, this season in League One suits us. Of course the issue is that things can go wrong but should we (as I expect us to) get automatic promotion, the team will have bedded in nicely and will be ready to hit the ground running. Good points made- comment from the baord last season were about Chrissy producing not a League One promotion side - that was a given - but a side that could compete in the Championship. That I believe was the criteria used and we have a young talented side that is going to and is getting better. Maybe we will see a couple of additions next summer but being in this division at this stage is helpful - as long as we can get out of it!
I don't think their are many players in the side who would be out of place at a higher level - if any!
Spot on Muttley, a more or less completely new team, a season to bed in together & hopefully get out of this league with a strong unit rather than have to try & replace some of our players with championship standard ones should we go up.
As someone who has been very critical of the club,managers & players in recent years ( I won't include directors & in particular Richard Murray because although he made mistakes can anybody seriously believe he was happy to throw away a fortune to keep the club going ) I have suddenly become optimistic. The whole feeling around the club, the togetherness of the players etc is so reminiscant of going up at shithurst & of course the play off season.
One Aim indeed !