5.30am alarm call 6.45am Coach from Bexleyheath 1.45pm arrive at ground 4.55pm going mental with memories of 25 May 1998 1.00am arrive home 1.05am watching FLS & Sky Sports News recorded highlights 1.20am - now : still smiling!!
Great day. I just knew that Colchester would prevent the Wendies from winning (check out their amazing form against the top teams this year!) so just a matter of whether we could nick a win. Couldn't get a coach ticket as all sold out by Wednesday (must be better organised next time) but was pointed towards Charlton Life as a way to find any 'spares' going and was lucky enough that Alex B saw my post and came up trumps. Thanks pal for making the dream come true.
As most have said, not a great game but absolutely the right result. Felt strangely confident at 1-0 up which is unusual as a Charlton fan of 33 years. Hadn't realised their home record was sooooooo good! Makes the achievement even more amazing.
Had a seat in Row E; sat next to a lovely older couple of CAFC fans from Glasgow.
Biggest memories will be;
1. Seeing Ginger Sam's tears - even before the final whistle went. Nice Guy! 2. Overpowering stewards with a real attitude problem trying to spoil everyone's (harmless) fun. 3. Charlton fans apologising to the stewards for running on the pitch - cuddles and handshakes all round 4. Waggy savings 2 guys from being arrested for pitch invasion 5. Pritchard banging the drum - what tune was that exactly?? 6. Singing 'One Kevin Lisbie'
Just a great, great day!
My Scores and Summary are:
Hamer - 7 (solid but don't always worry he might do something silly that costs points?) Solly - 10 (isn't he ALWAYS 10 !?!) Morrison - 9 (thanks for all the 25-1 'first/last scorer' winning bets; one more please!) Cort - 9 (Rufus + Diawarra + Les Berry = Cort) Wiggins - 8 (wish I had his stamina - like a Duracell Bunny!) N'Guessan - 6 (terrible miss and generally lacking I felt this week) Pritchard - 8.5 (love the rawness and determination but good enuf for Championship?)Stephens - 6 (looks like Gerrard but too many loose passes and minimal contribution) Jackson - 8 (simply a professional performance) Kermorgant - 8.5 (heart of an English lion but typically French attitude) Wright Phillips - 7 (would have been a '5' but for 'THAT' important goal)
+
Wagstaff - 10 (simply for the largest smile ever and for saving 2 guys from being arrested; amazing attitude in what must have been a fairly frustrating season in-and-out of a League 1 team all season.)
Sir Christopher Powell - 11 (I am so pleased to have been proven wrong about thinking we were going nowhere this year because of the awful string of defeats last season with what (arguably) was a stronger team than we have this year - record breaking season just can't be disputed)
£90 train ticket -----had to be done-----great to see theold faces who made the effort. All seemed to end up in the right place and the right times.
never felt we were in any danger, although that might have been the cider etc.
3 visits 3 promotions could never have beaten the last one and the over stay in Blackpool. Three of those faces no longer with us but never forgotten. Thought of you all in the middle of the celebrations.
Top day. Right up there with the best. Didn't quite match Wembley Play Off Final, but up there with the Leeds play-off game, the Carlisle promotions & Preston H promotion 74/75.
I was quite confident of us winning & Sheff W drawing so I had to be there.
What tension. Get a text soon after KO saying Weds are 1 down.
Then Llera equalises for them.
We score and the crowd goes mental.
I get down the front for the final whistle as had to get on the pitch.
Final whistle goes & jubilant scenes. I manage to get on the pitch. Even more hysteria when Sheff Wed result comes through.
Great scenes with the players & Chris Powell.
So much man love around, which you only get when you've won promotion. Really pleased for the hard core supporters.
Good to meet Big Red Evil.
Still smiling & my Carlisle hat-trick will carry me through the summer on a high.
One of the great days out. Stayed with family in Washington from Friday afternoon and got the train from Newcastle early Saturday morning. Had a good drink in the Walkabout and the game is summed up for me as a typical away perfomance we have seen all season.
The end was brillinat, with the reaction of all the players and staff typifiying what it meant to all of us.
Only downside was not being on the London train with my mates, instead had the 90 minute train ride back to Newcaste on my todd!
From the first beers cracked open at 6.30am in Maidstone, seeing Liverpool and Everton pavement dancing outside Euston at 8.15am, the top Charlton turnout in the Griffin, our flag having pride of place in there, the feeling it was meant to be, the carnage when the goal went in, the pitch invasion, a couple of coppers rightly getting a slap during said invasion for being OTT bullying twats!! Expecting Carlisle to have a pop outside after lording it on their pitch and they were nowhere to be seen afterwards. And the 3 1/2hr train journey home, that felt like about 30mins. Champagne, jager etc etc, it was a complete party train, like i've not seen before. Crawled through the front door about 2am bolloxed and with some severe memory loss.
It's a shite league but in some ways I have had better away days these last few years than I have had for a long time. Terraces, can get tickets together easily enough, people there cos they want to be there. Give me the 1k at Carlisle over a bigger support we would take anywhere in the Premiership.
That said the thought of palace, millwall, West Ham, Brighton, Leeds, Cardiff, Wolves etc is a bit more exciting
Phone went mad at 5ish saying we were all over the box
Just the Blackpool weekender for Preston now! Champions can wait till then hopefully (from my selfish viewpoint).
Is anyone else nursing any injuries? I've been walking around like John Wayne all day with black and blue shins/knees from flying over the seats and barrier and sliding about on the pitch (and rather regrettably the gravel).
Still can't believe we did it, from the goal to about 5.30pm when the celebrations inside spilled to the surrounding streets and back to The Griffin is probably my favourite hour as a Charlton fan, total carnage. Running about hugging and dancing with people you haven't seen for ages and people you've never seen, clambering all over the players... a truly special day, thank god for the people who had some phone battery left for pics and vids after checking the Colchester score throughout the entire game mine was finished.
Great post above C, no idea what was going on for most of the way home, even less the random nightclub we ended up in.
Bring on Preston and the Blackpool weekender... the Championship awaits!
Cracking bruise on my left arm from when one of the stewards nearly pulled me to the floor, when some Carlisle looked like they were coming on. Luckily one of our players told him to do one!!
Bummer , just remembered i bought a half time jackpot ticket on Saturday , forgot to keep an ear out at halftime to see if'd won , i ain't going back now!
Bummer , just remembered i bought a half time jackpot ticket on Saturday , forgot to keep an ear out at halftime to see if'd won , i ain't going back now!
NWKA Bob actually won it, MIA ! Maybe he'll buy you a drink on Thurs night if you ask nicely !
Comments
6.45am Coach from Bexleyheath
1.45pm arrive at ground
4.55pm going mental with memories of 25 May 1998
1.00am arrive home
1.05am watching FLS & Sky Sports News recorded highlights
1.20am - now : still smiling!!
Great day. I just knew that Colchester would prevent the Wendies from winning (check out their amazing form against the top teams this year!) so just a matter of whether we could nick a win. Couldn't get a coach ticket as all sold out by Wednesday (must be better organised next time) but was pointed towards Charlton Life as a way to find any 'spares' going and was lucky enough that Alex B saw my post and came up trumps. Thanks pal for making the dream come true.
As most have said, not a great game but absolutely the right result. Felt strangely confident at 1-0 up which is unusual as a Charlton fan of 33 years. Hadn't realised their home record was sooooooo good! Makes the achievement even more amazing.
Had a seat in Row E; sat next to a lovely older couple of CAFC fans from Glasgow.
Biggest memories will be;
1. Seeing Ginger Sam's tears - even before the final whistle went. Nice Guy!
2. Overpowering stewards with a real attitude problem trying to spoil everyone's (harmless) fun.
3. Charlton fans apologising to the stewards for running on the pitch - cuddles and handshakes all round
4. Waggy savings 2 guys from being arrested for pitch invasion
5. Pritchard banging the drum - what tune was that exactly??
6. Singing 'One Kevin Lisbie'
Just a great, great day!
My Scores and Summary are:
Hamer - 7 (solid but don't always worry he might do something silly that costs points?)
Solly - 10 (isn't he ALWAYS 10 !?!)
Morrison - 9 (thanks for all the 25-1 'first/last scorer' winning bets; one more please!)
Cort - 9 (Rufus + Diawarra + Les Berry = Cort)
Wiggins - 8 (wish I had his stamina - like a Duracell Bunny!)
N'Guessan - 6 (terrible miss and generally lacking I felt this week)
Pritchard - 8.5 (love the rawness and determination but good enuf for Championship?)Stephens - 6 (looks like Gerrard but too many loose passes and minimal contribution)
Jackson - 8 (simply a professional performance)
Kermorgant - 8.5 (heart of an English lion but typically French attitude)
Wright Phillips - 7 (would have been a '5' but for 'THAT' important goal)
+
Wagstaff - 10 (simply for the largest smile ever and for saving 2 guys from being arrested; amazing attitude in what must have been a fairly frustrating season in-and-out of a League 1 team all season.)
Sir Christopher Powell - 11 (I am so pleased to have been proven wrong about thinking we were going nowhere this year because of the awful string of defeats last season with what (arguably) was a stronger team than we have this year - record breaking season just can't be disputed)
Bring on the Palarse, Bubblemakers and Spanners!
never felt we were in any danger, although that might have been the cider etc.
3 visits 3 promotions could never have beaten the last one and the over stay in Blackpool. Three of those faces no longer with us but never forgotten. Thought of you all in the middle of the celebrations.
I will treasure this memory and it is up there with the other two Carlisle's , Wembley and the battle of Stamford Bridge as iconic moments .
#dietandfitness
I was quite confident of us winning & Sheff W drawing so I had to be there.
What tension. Get a text soon after KO saying Weds are 1 down.
Then Llera equalises for them.
We score and the crowd goes mental.
I get down the front for the final whistle as had to get on the pitch.
Final whistle goes & jubilant scenes. I manage to get on the pitch. Even more hysteria when Sheff Wed result comes through.
Great scenes with the players & Chris Powell.
So much man love around, which you only get when you've won promotion. Really pleased for the hard core supporters.
Good to meet Big Red Evil.
Still smiling & my Carlisle hat-trick will carry me through the summer on a high.
The end was brillinat, with the reaction of all the players and staff typifiying what it meant to all of us.
Only downside was not being on the London train with my mates, instead had the 90 minute train ride back to Newcaste on my todd!
From the first beers cracked open at 6.30am in Maidstone, seeing Liverpool and Everton pavement dancing outside Euston at 8.15am, the top Charlton turnout in the Griffin, our flag having pride of place in there, the feeling it was meant to be, the carnage when the goal went in, the pitch invasion, a couple of coppers rightly getting a slap during said invasion for being OTT bullying twats!! Expecting Carlisle to have a pop outside after lording it on their pitch and they were nowhere to be seen afterwards. And the 3 1/2hr train journey home, that felt like about 30mins. Champagne, jager etc etc, it was a complete party train, like i've not seen before. Crawled through the front door about 2am bolloxed and with some severe memory loss.
It's a shite league but in some ways I have had better away days these last few years than I have had for a long time. Terraces, can get tickets together easily enough, people there cos they want to be there. Give me the 1k at Carlisle over a bigger support we would take anywhere in the Premiership.
That said the thought of palace, millwall, West Ham, Brighton, Leeds, Cardiff, Wolves etc is a bit more exciting
Phone went mad at 5ish saying we were all over the box
Just the Blackpool weekender for Preston now! Champions can wait till then hopefully (from my selfish viewpoint).
Still can't believe we did it, from the goal to about 5.30pm when the celebrations inside spilled to the surrounding streets and back to The Griffin is probably my favourite hour as a Charlton fan, total carnage. Running about hugging and dancing with people you haven't seen for ages and people you've never seen, clambering all over the players... a truly special day, thank god for the people who had some phone battery left for pics and vids after checking the Colchester score throughout the entire game mine was finished.
Great post above C, no idea what was going on for most of the way home, even less the random nightclub we ended up in.
Bring on Preston and the Blackpool weekender... the Championship awaits!
Cut my ankle aswell after apparently falling up the stairs at London Bridge.
I did and look a bit like Brad Pitt on the box. Credit to the Football League Show...!
Fame at last.