I must confess there's been many a time at home and away games that I've looked around , and the age of our fans seems like 60 plus, I think it's great that people are still passionate and loyal to the club that they love, but it does concern me for the future that as a club we don't seem to be very proactive and forward thinking in terms of recruiting younger fans.
Perhaps the club really are not fussed either, which is a bit of a sad way to run a 'business'.
I think we lost a lot of younger supporters with our poor run in recent years. I had to literally drag my son along, although he loves going now (he is 14). But some sort of kids competition at half time between a Charlton Junior Reds youngster and an away team youngster with a decent prize would entertain 7 to 12 year olds. Maybe we could get Smyths toyshop to sponsor. I’d have a couple of rounds – first being a penalty shoot-out type thing, then a half time score competition where they are told the home score and they have to guess the away one and the more points they get the nearer they can stand to the centre spot. They then have to kick the ball the nearest to the spot to win the prize. Even if a Nil-Nil draw in the football – the kids will lap this up and it would encourage Junior red membership too.
The Selhurst years has a lot to do with it.
Reckon we lost a generation of supporters ultimately.
I think that was the excuse for a long time, but we've been back for a quarter of a century now - I think it's time to put that one to rest.
I do think that our supporter base does seen to be older, in recent years there were "organic" attempts with things like the Red Division but that seemed to end badly. I'm not sure what the club do for youngsters these days, when I was a boy in the early 1990's the Junior Reds was fantastic and was great at encouraging me and some of my friends to follow Charlton through some of the methods listed above. Do we still have a youth club ? Do they do things on match days to make it more of an experience ? Do they run away trips ? Do they have parties at Christmas etc with the players to build that bond between players, fans & club ?
I do genuinely worry about the state we might be in 20 years from now if we don't reverse this trend.
I don't think the area we are in helps, the local pubs are all old and dated or closed down. We need a Walkabout/O'neills type pub with loads of screens showing live football, music, pool tables etc. Unfortunately those pubs would never come to Charlton as they wont earn enough money on non matchdays.
I don't think the area we are in helps, the local pubs are all old and dated or closed down. We need a Walkabout/O'neills type pub with loads of screens showing live football, music, pool tables etc. Unfortunately those pubs would never come to Charlton as they wont earn enough money on non matchdays.
Crossbars isn't too far off the multi screen type place, plus it has views across the pitch.
I think it looks a bit tired, but with a bit of thought and a relatively smell investment it could make a good sports bar.
I head down to the valley with 3 generations of my family and a few mates. I sit in the east stand and there's a little group of us who have been sitting together for 15 years and I look forward to seeing them and having a chat. If the games not up to much we go out and have a few beers, still find it all very enjoyable
I head down to the valley with 3 generations of my family and a few mates. I sit in the east stand and there's a little group of us who have been sitting together for 15 years and I look forward to seeing them and having a chat. If the games not up to much we go out and have a few beers, still find it all very enjoyable
First time poster, so please be gentle.... With regards to the ageing fan base, do you think society has contributed to this situation we find ourselves in? The younger generation only know what they know and what they generally know is who the better clubs are and who the better players are, you go to any primary/secondary school and ask who their favourite player or team is and 9/10 it will be high profile name. Sky themselves are also to blame but I don't need to explain that one.
Our fanbase will only improve if we get and stay in the PL for 4/5 years.
When we were last there we just missed out on the big TV deal. PL is such a global deal now. But as we've shown with football for a fiver we have the support if priced correctly.
I think we lost a lot of younger supporters with our poor run in recent years. I had to literally drag my son along, although he loves going now (he is 14). But some sort of kids competition at half time between a Charlton Junior Reds youngster and an away team youngster with a decent prize would entertain 7 to 12 year olds. Maybe we could get Smyths toyshop to sponsor. I’d have a couple of rounds – first being a penalty shoot-out type thing, then a half time score competition where they are told the home score and they have to guess the away one and the more points they get the nearer they can stand to the centre spot. They then have to kick the ball the nearest to the spot to win the prize. Even if a Nil-Nil draw in the football – the kids will lap this up and it would encourage Junior red membership too.
The Selhurst years has a lot to do with it.
Reckon we lost a generation of supporters ultimately.
I think that was the excuse for a long time, but we've been back for a quarter of a century now - I think it's time to put that one to rest.
I do think that our supporter base does seen to be older, in recent years there were "organic" attempts with things like the Red Division but that seemed to end badly. I'm not sure what the club do for youngsters these days, when I was a boy in the early 1990's the Junior Reds was fantastic and was great at encouraging me and some of my friends to follow Charlton through some of the methods listed above. Do we still have a youth club ? Do they do things on match days to make it more of an experience ? Do they run away trips ? Do they have parties at Christmas etc with the players to build that bond between players, fans & club ?
I do genuinely worry about the state we might be in 20 years from now if we don't reverse this trend.
My 2 lads are both members of the "Young Addicks". It costs £20 a year. TBH it is good value, but with a bit of creativity could be even better.
What's good value? £10 voucher to spend on tickets and a chance to play on the Valley Pitch in May (happened last Weds this season.). Also get a b'day card and a goody bag.
What could be better? Well why not use one of the lounges on match day for Young Addicks to do a Q&A with a player who is not in the match day squad? Make it book in advance to avoid a scrum. More social events essentially.
I get the impression the guy in charge is doing a decent job, but think he may have other responsibilities too. I know there are plans for things to change next season.
We do have quite a few older fans but I don't know where not seeing young people comes from? Regularly see lots of people ranging from 15 to mid 30s around me in the upper north. Away games are a more of a older group but with young families, less money, or school getting in the way this is to be expecyed, especially combined with increasing ticket prices. I do see quite a lot of 16-30s at away games anyway, especially ones like Watford and Fulham, low turnouts like Bolton also seemed to be an even mix between younger and older fans although admittedly more of the latter.
Another thought is that a lot of the fans gained during the prem years will be away at uni now, which may account for some of you seeing less at home games.
I noticed that playing in the Premiership seemed to generate a crowd.
RD has to show a bit more business acumen to our club. Sell the millstone that is the network, divert the funds to Charlton, get the team to push for promotion and watch the fans flock in. The West Ham threat is negated and everyone is happy.
a lot of my friends being same as as myself ( 24) have other commitments on a Saturday quite a few play football and would rather do the away trips, so once a month away is more appealing to them.
When I was a bit younger, 13-14-15 I remember Charlton community playing football with us at least once a week along with fun days in the local area. By association with the club many people liked charlton and started following them. I not sure if things like this happen now, but this may help.
Blimey, so I'm getting older apparently, must be time to import a lady boy and boot the wife out, To the club I would say improve the team and push for the prem, the only way to increase and broaden the fan base.
I don't think the area we are in helps, the local pubs are all old and dated or closed down. We need a Walkabout/O'neills type pub with loads of screens showing live football, music, pool tables etc. Unfortunately those pubs would never come to Charlton as they wont earn enough money on non matchdays.
Crossbars isn't too far off the multi screen type place, plus it has views across the pitch.
I think it looks a bit tired, but with a bit of thought and a relatively smell investment it could make a good sports bar.
A lot (not all) youngsters have a lack of passion for anything these days, so they are happy to watch Premier League at home (no need to get out of their chair, still close to their I-pad). They have no interest in going to the pub with their mates before and after the game (always an essential part of the "matchday experience for me), and as mentioned elsewhere, the cost of the ticket and the cost of a few beers is prohibitive, especially when you have better things to spend you money on (like £120 trainers, £500 phones and FIFA2016 for your games console).
Going out and doing "stuff" just isn't on the agenda for many, many young people - especially the type who were traditionally football fans.
All the suggestions about entertainment are good, and will, at least, engage the kind of young people who do want to "do stuff".
While you will not get the social media/video games crowd out of the house, you may get some of the others, doing nothing (or having video of people pretending to have it off on the pitch) isn't going to get you anywhere.
Yes it is a sad fact of modern life that a significant number of children and young people do their socialising via mic and headphones on their computers! But if we don't compare well to other clubs who will face the same problems, that means there could possibly be room for improvement.
I disagree with many views on here with what age groups are coming to watch Charlton, I find it is a mix bag of ages and basing us with other clubs like Watford and Ipswich etc isn`t going give you a true answer.
On the plus side I think it is down to the parents to bring their children at an early age like I do. My kids are 9 and 6 and have been season ticket holders since they were both 4 and even going to see Charlton in their bad times have come to understand that going to Charlton (in their mind) is a great day out.
I hope it continues into their teens but who can tell and who can change a teen`s troubled mind.
Perhaps the club should develop a working relationship with 300 primary schools, enabling thousands to attend their first match free, actively draw in other young people from all over Kent and Sussex with group tickets, and support a community scheme which works with thousands of young people every week? Maybe it could underpin this with affordable ticket prices?
I realized we had a older group of fans when the age of the Junior Reds was put up to 25. Plus when they started selling Pureed pulled pork. Also we must be the only ground who include our own score when giving the results at the end of the game.
I don't think the area we are in helps, the local pubs are all old and dated or closed down. We need a Walkabout/O'neills type pub with loads of screens showing live football, music, pool tables etc. Unfortunately those pubs would never come to Charlton as they wont earn enough money on non matchdays.
Tbf Greenwich is only like 3 stops away on a train
Perhaps the club should develop a working relationship with 300 primary schools, enabling thousands to attend their first match free, actively draw in other young people from all over Kent and Sussex with group tickets, and support a community scheme which works with thousands of young people every week? Maybe it could underpin this with affordable ticket prices?
Couldn't agree more. I know as you well know from your experience in the 90's it was great to see the hundreds of kids in the East stand. Sunderland did this for years in the 90's. Built a new ground and got 40,000 in. Now of course we have nowhere near the historical catchement they had, nor their history, but their crowds were truly shit in the 90's and they gave away 1,000's to school kids. Analysis hardly links the Sunderland case! But I will say we're in an area where immigration and the birth rate is higher than much of the country, a very unique situation in the history of England let alone footy. We have the 40% empty stadium, why not? All Duchat has to do is sign the best young Poles... nie tak???? ain't google brilliant.
Comments
Perhaps the club really are not fussed either, which is a bit of a sad way to run a 'business'.
I do think that our supporter base does seen to be older, in recent years there were "organic" attempts with things like the Red Division but that seemed to end badly. I'm not sure what the club do for youngsters these days, when I was a boy in the early 1990's the Junior Reds was fantastic and was great at encouraging me and some of my friends to follow Charlton through some of the methods listed above. Do we still have a youth club ? Do they do things on match days to make it more of an experience ? Do they run away trips ? Do they have parties at Christmas etc with the players to build that bond between players, fans & club ?
I do genuinely worry about the state we might be in 20 years from now if we don't reverse this trend.
I think it looks a bit tired, but with a bit of thought and a relatively smell investment it could make a good sports bar.
When we were last there we just missed out on the big TV deal. PL is such a global deal now. But as we've shown with football for a fiver we have the support if priced correctly.
What's good value? £10 voucher to spend on tickets and a chance to play on the Valley Pitch in May (happened last Weds this season.). Also get a b'day card and a goody bag.
What could be better? Well why not use one of the lounges on match day for Young Addicks to do a Q&A with a player who is not in the match day squad? Make it book in advance to avoid a scrum. More social events essentially.
I get the impression the guy in charge is doing a decent job, but think he may have other responsibilities too. I know there are plans for things to change next season.
Another thought is that a lot of the fans gained during the prem years will be away at uni now, which may account for some of you seeing less at home games.
RD has to show a bit more business acumen to our club. Sell the millstone that is the network, divert the funds to Charlton, get the team to push for promotion and watch the fans flock in. The West Ham threat is negated and everyone is happy.
Simples.
Going out and doing "stuff" just isn't on the agenda for many, many young people - especially the type who were traditionally football fans.
All the suggestions about entertainment are good, and will, at least, engage the kind of young people who do want to "do stuff".
While you will not get the social media/video games crowd out of the house, you may get some of the others, doing nothing (or having video of people pretending to have it off on the pitch) isn't going to get you anywhere.
On the plus side I think it is down to the parents to bring their children at an early age like I do. My kids are 9 and 6 and have been season ticket holders since they were both 4 and even going to see Charlton in their bad times have come to understand that going to Charlton (in their mind) is a great day out.
I hope it continues into their teens but who can tell and who can change a teen`s troubled mind.
Also we must be the only ground who include our own score when giving the results at the end of the game.
But I will say we're in an area where immigration and the birth rate is higher than much of the country, a very unique situation in the history of England let alone footy. We have the 40% empty stadium, why not? All Duchat has to do is sign the best young Poles... nie tak???? ain't google brilliant.