While I'd never start a thread about no longer going to games, even if that was a decision I had made (which it isn't), I can see why so many are disillusioned. For me, it's not even that we're losing. People don't support Charlton because they expect us to win every week - that's not what we do.
People support Charlton because it's their local a team, a club we all have close ties with, and a club whose existence was secured in the most unorthodox way by thousands of fans who fought so hard to make it happen.
What we have now is not Charlton. It's one persons play thing, an experiment. I don't recognise my own club any more. I can deal with getting beaten most weeks as long as the players give their all. I struggle to deal with watching the club I've followed for more than two decades transform into a soulless, poisonous outfit with familiar faces seemingly departing on a near-weekly basis. F off Roland, and take your CEO with you. Both hopelessly out of their depth. And people thought Bob was the problem!
Summed up well, Roland the rat doesn't give a toss if we get relegated as long as we can produce half decent players to move onto standard leige and for them to be sold for a nice number.
I'll second that. Well said. And it's goodnight from me and my bruv too. This isn't the club I support.
Does it have to be either/or? Frankly, I'm sick of having club owners only because they want to make money out of us. And it's not just at our club either. Football stopped being what it used to be when it ceased being something for the community and started being a rich man's play thing.
To be honest, I don't particularly mind if they want to make money out of us, as long as they recognise that the best way to do that is for the club to be successful, so we feel like we're getting value for money. (I'd rather they recognised what makes this club special, as basically that's our unique selling point that keeps people coming back year on year, rather than us being any good, but I'm also a realist) I didn't like Slater and Jiminez, but at least with them you felt like they wanted the club to be successful as it was the only way they'd get their money back. With Roland it feels like it doesn't matter whether we're successful or not as long as the network as a whole makes money. Someone on one of the other threads described us as just being a showroom for his stock of players. That's what grates. There's no sense of trying to build a team for the long term, it's just cobbling one together out of what was already in the cupboard, and chucking in a few cheap ingredients off the market.
Like you though Stig, I am intrigued as to what it was about today that was the last straw for Rudders. Not sure anyone was really expecting a result so was the performance that bad? Or was it the formation and use of subs that did it?
People seem to think that giving up on charlton is easy!! It's not. You put every waking minute thinking, caring and following cafc. So to say I'm off is because your hurting. You will come back you never really leave, but
You don't just wake up one morning and thought fuck it I'm off
I take it the 94 refers to the year you were born Jake?
Indeed it does. Why?
I was just wondering. I think it's relevant to how people react to the situation now. I'm only four years older than you, so like you I've never seen the very worst of Charlton's struggles. There's a real disconnect between the fans and the club, and it's driving real fans away. The worst we've seen is the tail end of the Murray era and the two shysters running out of money, which was mercifully short, and so I think when we hear people are giving up it's easy to dismiss them as we've not really been through the wringer. For me, seeing fans who have been through the years at Selhurst and the loss of our stadium lose heart over the Duchatelet ownership makes me take notice, as it just shows how the lack of connection to the club, the lack of communication and the failure of the owner to buy into the club ethos is eroding away the core of our support. I think our fans are a large part of what make this club special and I'd hate to see even one who'd truly supported the club through thick and thin driven away by a businessman who just plainly doesn't give a toss about any of the history that characterises the club. For me it mertis more than a 'bye'.
After being a season ticket since at least since about 1987 that's it. That is me no more. I am finished. I am not prepared to pay anymore of my hard earned cashed to this owner.
The club is no longer the club I love - I hold hope, based on previous experience that us fans can unite to get it back. The see you merchants are the problem, not the solution if we are going to get our club back. What we are seeing is final straw after final straw being reached. We need leaders and enemies to unite - Airman, Razil, even Reams on ITTV - need to cast aside their differences and target the owner and his lackies- we have to start landing some blows on him.
All the people saying 'see ya' are a bit out of order. This is a proper Charlton fan who has been going for years and years losing interest for whatever reason, whether it be performance, ownership, or identity. How can you just say 'see ya' - thought this was like its own little community on here.
The network will thrive on all those follow the club whatever fans.
Then tell us what you are going to do to help the club survive? Not being awkward, just very interested.
I've made it very clear I will continue to go but will attend the planned meeting. 'If' anything comes out of that meeting which makes sense to take my club forward, I will support it wholeheartedly.
Otherwise this club needs support whoever the owners are.
All these "See ya" merchants don't get that die hard are walking away...no doubt they are season ticket holders for Charlton away games.
I just posted Ok, cheerio then saw this. As our own AFKA can testify I was a very regular away traveller for many, many, many years. I had an away season ticket for the years when the Club sold them. I've been up at 6am to get a coach to Boro or Newcastle etc. I left work early to get to Birmingham for the play off replay, went to Preston when our Burnley match was cancelled, saw our disgraceful defeat at Northwich, hell I was stil going away games when Parky was taking us into oblivion. You get the picture. I'm Charlton till I die. I support the team, not the owner, the CEO etc. I will be getting a season ticket next year too. If you don't want to get one then fair enough but why feel the need to tell us all? I'm saddened people feel this way but I will continue to support the team. If I could go to Sellout week in week out then the current situation is a piece of piss.
The club is no longer the club I love - I hold hope, based on previous experience that us fans can unite to get it back. The see you merchants are the problem, not the solution if we are going to get our club back. What we are seeing is final straw after final straw being reached. We need leaders and enemies to unite - Airman, Razil, even Reams on ITTV - need to cast aside their differences and target the owner and his lackies- we have to start landing some blows on him.
Would it still be the club you love if we weren't on such a bad run of form? Why do we need to start landing some blows on him? Will that help us start winning games and get the fans inevitably crawling back?
We have to try to get the owner out - then we can build again. That may mean not supporting the club for a limited period (it will be hard and may not come to that), but sometimes supporting something whatever it is doing/where it is going is not the right thing. You have to stand up and fight - because you love what you are fighting for.
Although the timing of the thread is not great (straight after a defeat ), the fact that even the likes of Rudders have had enough shows what a serious issue this is. It's not just a few people anymore!
Please stop thinking this is all about results. We're used to seeing charlton lose. These issues run a hell of a lot deeper than that!
We have to try to get the owner out - then we can build again. That may mean not supporting the club for a limited period (it will be hard and may not come to that), but sometimes supporting something whatever it is doing/where it is going is not the right thing. You have to stand up and fight - because you love what you are fighting for.
Where's the evidence we're not building as things are? Sure we haven't won in nearly 15 games but that's bound to change soon.
I take it the 94 refers to the year you were born Jake?
Indeed it does. Why?
I was just wondering. I think it's relevant to how people react to the situation now. I'm only four years older than you, so like you I've never seen the very worst of Charlton's struggles. There's a real disconnect between the fans and the club, and it's driving real fans away. The worst we've seen is the tail end of the Murray era and the two shysters running out of money, which was mercifully short, and so I think when we hear people are giving up it's easy to dismiss them as we've not really been through the wringer. For me, seeing fans who have been through the years at Selhurst and the loss of our stadium lose heart over the Duchatelet ownership makes me take notice, as it just shows how the lack of connection to the club, the lack of communication and the failure of the owner to buy into the club ethos is eroding away the core of our support. I think our fans are a large part of what make this club special and I'd hate to see even one who'd truly supported the club through thick and thin driven away by a businessman who just plainly doesn't give a toss about any of the history that characterises the club. For me it mertis more than a 'bye'.
The other relevance is that at 21 you are not old enough or mature enough (and I mean that literally not as an insult) to appreciate ow someone in their 30s or older sees the world. Ad you get older you find new things to love and they take priority over things like a football club.
At 21 I was obsessed with Charlton and didn't miss a home game even though I had a 500 mile round trip every time I went. Now with a mortgage, a child, my own business and responsibilities that I didn't even know existed when I was 21 I have much more compassion and sympathy for those that feel so disconnected with the club.
I'm also much more likely to appreciate the implications of so many fans 'giving up' than someone that started supporting us when we were playing Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal twice a season.
No disrespect intended, but if those of you that have never seen how bad things were in the 80s are not careful, and encourage loyal fans to give up, you just might not like what is left behind when you are watching third division football in a stadium with 5,000 fans in it.
Evidence - Kermogant, Quarter Final, Powell, Riga, Village idiot coul dsee what we needed - failure to address, Luzon, player morale, fan morale, certain relegation, reasonable concerns that deserved a reasonable answer- being referred to bloody evening standard article which was basically like it or lump it - two fingers shown at us and where is the evidence FFS! The evidence is everywhere - this is a mad Begian's vanity project - one he isn't even all that bothered about.
It's extremely sad that another long serving fan has decided to quit. Thing is, we only hear about a handful of them on these forums. What about all the ones we don't hear about? The ones that don't post on forums of social media. The ones that quietly slip away. They are no less significant of course. People may think they are hilarious saying 'bye' 'see ya' and the like, but it's a problem. Support is slipping away and once people go, it's so hard to get them back.
Evidence - Kermogant, Quarter Final, Powell, Riga, Village idiot coul dsee what we needed - failure to address, Luzon, player morale, fan morale, certain relegation, reasonable concerns that deserved a reasonable answer- being referred to bloody evening standard article which was basically like it or lump it - two fingers shown at us and where is the evidence FFS! The evidence is everywhere - this is a mad Begian's vanity project - one he isn't even all that bothered about.
A number of valid and important issues but 'certain relegation' is far from being fact.
The changes to the rules surrounding FFP have definitely had a negative impact on RD's plans ...not that I knew what they were any more than anyone else.
All these "See ya" merchants don't get that die hard are walking away...no doubt they are season ticket holders for Charlton away games.
I just posted Ok, cheerio then saw this. As our own AFKA can testify I was a very regular away traveller for many, many, many years. I had an away season ticket for the years when the Club sold them. I've been up at 6am to get a coach to Boro or Newcastle etc. I left work early to get to Birmingham for the play off replay, went to Preston when our Burnley match was cancelled, saw our disgraceful defeat at Northwich, hell I was stil going away games when Parky was taking us into oblivion. You get the picture. I'm Charlton till I die. I support the team, not the owner, the CEO etc. I will be getting a season ticket next year too. If you don't want to get one then fair enough but why feel the need to tell us all? I'm saddened people feel this way but I will continue to support the team. If I could go to Sellout week in week out then the current situation is a piece of piss.
Glad you got that off your chest..but either you feel the need to tell how great you are in which certain people will testify how long I have been going, week in week out for years as well as the four generations of my family..what does cheese me off about this site is the muggy comments make on here which has no relevance to the subject whatsoever..Personally I thought this was a fans forum not an audition for wanna be comics or left wingers. Finally what people are missing is that under this ownership things will continue to stay the same or get worse. The owners don't get the English game,the managers are sub standard and the players are not used to this level of football let alone good enough.
I take it the 94 refers to the year you were born Jake?
Indeed it does. Why?
I was just wondering. I think it's relevant to how people react to the situation now. I'm only four years older than you, so like you I've never seen the very worst of Charlton's struggles. There's a real disconnect between the fans and the club, and it's driving real fans away. The worst we've seen is the tail end of the Murray era and the two shysters running out of money, which was mercifully short, and so I think when we hear people are giving up it's easy to dismiss them as we've not really been through the wringer. For me, seeing fans who have been through the years at Selhurst and the loss of our stadium lose heart over the Duchatelet ownership makes me take notice, as it just shows how the lack of connection to the club, the lack of communication and the failure of the owner to buy into the club ethos is eroding away the core of our support. I think our fans are a large part of what make this club special and I'd hate to see even one who'd truly supported the club through thick and thin driven away by a businessman who just plainly doesn't give a toss about any of the history that characterises the club. For me it mertis more than a 'bye'.
The other relevance is that at 21 you are not old enough or mature enough (and I mean that literally not as an insult) to appreciate ow someone in their 30s or older sees the world. Ad you get older you find new things to love and they take priority over things like a football club.
At 21 I was obsessed with Charlton and didn't miss a home game even though I had a 500 mile round trip every time I went. Now with a mortgage, a child, my own business and responsibilities that I didn't even know existed when I was 21 I have much more compassion and sympathy for those that feel so disconnected with the club.
I'm also much more likely to appreciate the implications of so many fans 'giving up' than someone that started supporting us when we were playing Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal twice a season.
No disrespect intended, but if those of you that have never seen how bad things were in the 80s are not careful, and encourage loyal fans to give up, you just might not like what is left behind when you are watching third division football in a stadium with 5,000 fans in it.
...but those leaving would presumably feel more 'connected' to the club and recognise the names of the players and so would be far happier watching with 5000 others in League 1.
Especially as RD would have jogged on by then and we could bathe in the memories of last time we were connected to the owners and players, with Pavel, McCloud, Dickson and Haynes Hayes and Mooney?
I was a fan who went to all the games at Selhurst - I couldn't understand those who didn't. But I realise that if more had gone to Selhurst, we might still be playing there - if we still existed that is. I was of the view - support your club and it is true the club needed a few die hards like me- but it also needed those who felt so strongly they refused to attend. I can see that now. I may not renew and not come back until I feel my club has returned - at least in some shape or form. This isn't the fans' club anymore- it belongs to a Belgian lunatic and it isn't just the results - it is everything.
We lost a lot of fans, but uniting to get us back ensured that we were a bigger part of the club and we got our fans back and some. Thanks to people like Airman and Murray - when he had some teeth and balls - not the sad puppet he is now - sadly.
Comments
Like you though Stig, I am intrigued as to what it was about today that was the last straw for Rudders. Not sure anyone was really expecting a result so was the performance that bad? Or was it the formation and use of subs that did it?
Some are angry and decide to fight to try and get what they want. Also fine by me. To yourself be true.
Some apathetic but will carry on going as that is what they do and it is more than just a game, it is about friends and family.
Some are like me. Optomists who look at the positive or just see things differently. My only beef with things so far is not replacing Kermit.
You don't just wake up one morning and thought fuck it I'm off
SISS
I've made it very clear I will continue to go but will attend the planned meeting. 'If' anything comes out of that meeting which makes sense to take my club forward, I will support it wholeheartedly.
Otherwise this club needs support whoever the owners are.
Why do we need to start landing some blows on him? Will that help us start winning games and get the fans inevitably crawling back?
Please stop thinking this is all about results. We're used to seeing charlton lose. These issues run a hell of a lot deeper than that!
At 21 I was obsessed with Charlton and didn't miss a home game even though I had a 500 mile round trip every time I went. Now with a mortgage, a child, my own business and responsibilities that I didn't even know existed when I was 21 I have much more compassion and sympathy for those that feel so disconnected with the club.
I'm also much more likely to appreciate the implications of so many fans 'giving up' than someone that started supporting us when we were playing Man Utd, Liverpool and Arsenal twice a season.
No disrespect intended, but if those of you that have never seen how bad things were in the 80s are not careful, and encourage loyal fans to give up, you just might not like what is left behind when you are watching third division football in a stadium with 5,000 fans in it.
The changes to the rules surrounding FFP have definitely had a negative impact on RD's plans ...not that I knew what they were any more than anyone else.
...but those leaving would presumably feel more 'connected' to the club and recognise the names of the players and so would be far happier watching with 5000 others in League 1.
Especially as RD would have jogged on by then and we could bathe in the memories of last time we were connected to the owners and players, with Pavel, McCloud, Dickson and Haynes Hayes and Mooney?
We lost a lot of fans, but uniting to get us back ensured that we were a bigger part of the club and we got our fans back and some. Thanks to people like Airman and Murray - when he had some teeth and balls - not the sad puppet he is now - sadly.
If d And his old man ain't goin no more then it does make me wonder
But I still want more evidence