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Getting all emotional about Charlton

thai malaysia addick
thai malaysia addick Posts: 18,341
edited July 2015 in General Charlton
I work on the edge of the market research industry. Until a few years ago, loyalty to brands was gauged by how quickly you recalled the brand and its advertising campaign. It was a bit more complex than that, but you get the gist. Nowadays, it’s about which brands stir your emotions and which advertising campaigns make you laugh, cry, get angry, surprise you etc. Of course, the more recent new way is more accurate.

So, I wondered on a dog walk this weekend in rural Sussex – how do I feel about the brand called Charlton Athletic. Yes, yes, I know we are supporters not customers and Charlton is a football club not a brand, but please bear with me. What emotions do you feel when you think of Charlton Athletic? Has it always been the same? Or, does it change over time?

Two things prompted this thought in my head. Specifically, the post @ entitled “New season nostalgia” and the general feeling (of course, I may be wrong) that Lifers generally feel less passionate about all things CAFC than a while ago. Whether it is threads about not renewing season tickets or various regular posters giving the impression that things ain’t what they used to be, I am not sure.

So, first, I must ask myself “Has my passion changed?” Certainly, since I started supporting Charlton over 50 years ago, I feel differently, but that’s true about most things in life. There’s a deep rooted love of Charlton that will never go away. Every time, I see a latest score, there’s a sinking feeling almost like nothing else when I see a goal conceded or a player sent off. So, there’s still plenty of feeling.

And then, I was thinking about particular teams over the years. There were certain teams that I felt close to, although I knew none of the players personally. They were not necessarily in the highest division or the most successful, but something felt right. For me, it was the Charlie Wright era of the late 60s/early 70s, the latter Curbs years when Di Canio and Parker excelled and the Powell team that lifted from us League 1 and into the Championship. Don’t get me wrong – the individuals I’ve named are just one of several that I could have mentioned. These teams span nearly 50 years, so it’s not an age thing.

Of course, some of it may be opportunity. In the busy years of having young children, Charlton was relegated in my priorities and I’ve also spent a lot of my life living or travelling in Asia.

So, where do I stand now? A bit nonplussed, if I’m honest. I miss the Kermorgant and Morrison days and I can’t explain why. It was some connection with the team – an emotion of all sorts. Before anyone posts ‘move on’ (and, of course, they are entitled to), I think I have to accept that like any relationship, my relationship with Charlton goes up and down. It’s still pretty stable, we’re never thinking of breaking up (even when we lose to Millwall), but it’s not filling with me with too much emotion right now.

Someone posted a week or so ago about whether we had too many foreigners. With my politically correct hat on, perhaps, I replied something like that I didn’t care where they were born as long as they gave their all for Charlton. But I meant it and that is arguably what I ask. A bunch of players that give their all – and, of course, management and staff. Because, perhaps, that’s what I do in my professional life.

Am I excited about this season? Well, sort of. I feel as though I am on a knife edge. If the new recruits ‘do the business’ – and, by that, I mean give their all not, necessarily win every game – I am ready to be at as many games as I possibly can. If not, I will get to some games, but find good excuses not to make others. I travel a lot and in the League One season, I freely admit that I would carefully schedule flights and meetings so that I could get to some games.

So, what’s your emotional connection with Charlton Athletic right now? How’s your marriage with Charlton Athletic? Stable? On the rocks? I have to say I admire the @Fanny Fanackapan’s of this world, who seem to head to the likes of Huddersfield on a Tuesday night come what may. Am I the odd one out or is anyone else as uncertain as me right now yet equally ready to throw all their emotions into this great club?

Comments

  • Pedro45
    Pedro45 Posts: 5,825
    Never a doubt. Love of my life. Always will be. Come what may. xxxxxxx
  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,661
    Disinterested at present but then, as a cricket fan, football tends to take a back seat at this time of year anyway as far as I am concerned.

    That said I have nothing like the enthusiasm I used to have for any of it but then I am an old git who seems to get knackered very easily these days and can just about manage to continue to hold a job down but has little inclination or energy to do anything that does not absolutely HAVE to be done.
  • LargeAddick
    LargeAddick Posts: 32,594
    What dog have you got?
  • LenGlover said:

    Disinterested at present but then, as a cricket fan, football tends to take a back seat at this time of year anyway as far as I am concerned.

    That said I have nothing like the enthusiasm I used to have for any of it but then I am an old git who seems to get knackered very easily these days and can just about manage to continue to hold a job down but has little inclination or energy to do anything that does not absolutely HAVE to be done.

    Certainly, agree about cricket. As I've got older, cricket has pulled away from football and certainly August is a cricket month not a football month in my book.

    I'm flattered that you took the time to respond this post - you obviously felt that it absolutely had to be done!
  • thai malaysia addick
    thai malaysia addick Posts: 18,341
    edited July 2015
    .
  • PL54
    PL54 Posts: 10,757
    edited July 2015
    I was told once that Brand was defined as the gap left in your (consumer) life if the product or service disappeared.

    I guess as loyal as you are to BMW you'd buy a Mercedes if it came to it.

    Would you go to Millwall or Gillingham if Charlton closed up ? I wouldn't - in emotional and often ingrained family / society situations like football it goes beyond brand and into tradition and that isn't replicated or compromised.

    I don't go to games that often but it's nice to know I can. Ownership and nationality of players is a secondary issue.
  • Addickforlife
    Addickforlife Posts: 2,101
    Still love Charlton, and follow them avidly, but rarely go these days.

    To be honest, I'm 25, and weekends just seem to be taken up with other social occasions and playing sport. When I get a bit older I'm sure i'll become more regular at The Valley again
  • thai malaysia addick
    thai malaysia addick Posts: 18,341
    edited July 2015
    PL54 said:


    Would you go to Millwall or Gillingham if Charlton closed up ? I wouldn't.

    No way, but I do like visiting many of the local non-League grounds - Bromley, Welling, Dartford, Ebbsfleet, Tonbridge. Maybe it's because I'm an old git, but being able to park the car near the ground, friendlier crowds and being able to get a pint easily before the game makes it all seem so much better.
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,038
    This little graphic demonstrates for me where the normal brand-loyalty thing doesn't stack up so well with football clubs. I can think of lots of times when the Charlton 'brand' hasn't even come close to "delivering the basics", yet still my (and others') brand loyalty has remained. I can't think of one other business where this would apply.

    image

    In answer to your question, yes the marriage is still very much on.
  • oohaahmortimer
    oohaahmortimer Posts: 34,170
    My interest in Charlton has definitely waned since SCP left the building
    this ownership experiment feels a bit weird and has drained some of my love from the club (something I would have believed impossible)
    keeping my boys interested in us will be a lot easier with promotion to the Premiership but brainwashing them is prolly one of the main reasons I'll be going to games this season
    Zero interest in watching any other team live , except my kids playing

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  • PL54
    PL54 Posts: 10,757
    Interesting

    "Basics" for me is a beer, game of football, laugh, mates / family - a modicum of success is a bonus
  • DaveMehmet
    DaveMehmet Posts: 21,605

    My interest in Charlton has definitely waned since SCP left the building
    this ownership experiment feels a bit weird and has drained some of my love from the club (something I would have believed impossible)
    keeping my boys interested in us will be a lot easier with promotion to the Premiership but brainwashing them is prolly one of the main reasons I'll be going to games this season
    Zero interest in watching any other team live , except my kids playing

    I had you down as a champion of the non-leagues.
  • LenGlover
    LenGlover Posts: 31,661

    Still love Charlton, and follow them avidly, but rarely go these days.

    To be honest, I'm 25, and weekends just seem to be taken up with other social occasions and playing sport. When I get a bit older I'm sure i'll become more regular at The Valley again

    You will and if you have children you will enjoy taking them too just as you yourself was once taken..

    Play sport yourself while you can and enjoy it.
  • lolwray
    lolwray Posts: 4,902
    LenGlover said:

    Still love Charlton, and follow them avidly, but rarely go these days.

    To be honest, I'm 25, and weekends just seem to be taken up with other social occasions and playing sport. When I get a bit older I'm sure i'll become more regular at The Valley again

    You will and if you have children you will enjoy taking them too just as you yourself was once taken..

    Play sport yourself while you can and enjoy it.
    wise words Len

  • My interest in Football other then International tournaments would not exist if Charlton did not exist, as i have tried going to other clubs over the years due to moving about since my teenage years but it never works, as other clubs/brands just can't offer what Charlton can, it can't offer the nostalgia or that emotion that i get walking into the Valley.

    It's the memories of my Dad first taking me in the mid 90s, watching my first heroes in Kinsella, Brown, Robinson, Mendonca and all the other personal favourites over the years.

    I am one of those fans who is still struggling little by little with the RD era to get my emotions back to the level of the Murray & Varney era, that was kept alive during the last ownership thanks to not only having a man i could respect in general but who also happened to be one of my childhood heroes in the dugout.

    I am sure i will, as im still here but it still takes some getting used to, as for better or worse, things like the marketing style shift just don't make me feel like its fully the Charlton that started my love of the club, possibly due to my generation being spoiled by always feeling more a part of the club then just customers.

  • Lincsaddick
    Lincsaddick Posts: 32,357
    I spent lots of my adult life unable to get to English football: through work, playing sport on Saturdays, helping my and my sons' careers and businesses for a while, was abroad for a long time etc. etc. .. now I have the time and ability to get to quite a few away games, I enjoy it more than ever .. nice drive to a hotel, seat at the ground, see a few acquaintances, get emotionally involved in the games (I must watch my language), visit 'the sites' in different towns and cities, nice drives through the country when I'm able to take my time about it all .. great stuff

    My love for CAFC keeps me motivated not only to watch football but to take an interest in lots more besides .. all in all .. I am Charlton 'til I die
  • cafctom
    cafctom Posts: 11,372
    edited July 2015
    I agree a lot with the original post on the topic of connection. That 2012/13/14 side under Powell with the likes of Kermorgant, Morrison etc was special and probably the most fun I've had supporting the club in the 20 years I've been going. I wasn't even that bothered that we were threatened with relegation at one point, as I never signed up for a club that was going to win every week/season.

    I loved the fact that I could walk into a pub, talk about football, and I could go on endlessly about what a great bunch of lads played for us and they would all agree that Chris Powell was an absolute gem. It made me feel proud.

    Nowadays I don't have that connection with the team/management at all, minus the likes of Jackson/Solly. I want to see them do well, and will still be there every week, but thats because I don't know any different.
  • Yanntheman
    Yanntheman Posts: 421
    cafctom said:

    I agree a lot with the original post on the topic of connection. That 2012/13/14 side under Powell with the likes of Kermorgant, Morrison etc was special and probably the most fun I've had supporting the club in the 20 years I've been going. I wasn't even that bothered that we were threatened with relegation at one point, as I never signed up for a club that was going to win every week/season.

    I loved the fact that I could walk into a pub, talk about football, and I could go on endlessly about what a great bunch of lads played for us and they would all agree that Chris Powell was an absolute gem. It made me feel proud.

    Nowadays I don't have that connection with the team/management at all, minus the likes of Jackson/Solly. I want to see them do well, and will still be there every week, but thats because I don't know any different.

    I feel the same but I can't pin down why.

    I don't know whether it's because it seems as though players move on too often and there's a huge turnover of players every year, it seems. There have always been players coming and going but it seems as though it's an inevitability now.

    Being part of 'the network' may have taken away some of our individuality in some people's eyes, but I don't really think about the network other than what good signings we may get from it.

    It might be because the characters seem to be ones that I can't relate to as much. I don't know why this is either, maybe because of online presence and that sort of thing, although with these dares per 100 season tickets the club look to be trying to bridge this gap.

    But, it may just be because that season was so entertaining, nothing we've experienced since has come close. We absolutely smashed that league 1 season. Not many teams get 100 points. Of course that same team struggled since, but they could be remembered for that season that was so entertaining it seems as though the only thing that went wrong was conceding a hatful of goals to Notts County in the first half at home before a spirited fight back. It's much more difficult in this division to produce that kind of excitement, and maybe, even considering the underlying affection we all hold for Charlton, so many people remember that time as the best simply because it was the most entertaining for 8 or so years.

    But then I think, would it have felt the same with different people at the club? I don't think so.
  • Cardinal Sin
    Cardinal Sin Posts: 5,233

    Still love Charlton, and follow them avidly, but rarely go these days.

    To be honest, I'm 25, and weekends just seem to be taken up with other social occasions and playing sport. When I get a bit older I'm sure i'll become more regular at The Valley again

    Addick for life and you aren't going at 25!
  • paulsturgess
    paulsturgess Posts: 3,824

    My interest in Charlton has definitely waned since SCP left the building
    this ownership experiment feels a bit weird and has drained some of my love from the club (something I would have believed impossible)
    keeping my boys interested in us will be a lot easier with promotion to the Premiership but brainwashing them is prolly one of the main reasons I'll be going to games this season
    Zero interest in watching any other team live , except my kids playing

    Would like that 10 times if I could

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  • RedPanda
    RedPanda Posts: 4,989
    I'm somewhat apathetic. At current it'll be another season spent volunteering in a zoo each Saturday.

    Like others, I'm still frustrated by the treatment of certain individuals and the poor decisions since. I know there have also been some good ones but I guess I'm not the forgiving type.

    Therefore for at least a while longer, I'll be spending 3-5pm each Saturday checking the score on Twitter. There are other reasons but it's a come down from someone who was doing 30+ games a season.

    What I miss most is the drunken away days and bumping into people. I am doing my liver and wallet a lot of good, though.
  • drewman
    drewman Posts: 1,104
    Same as most of the above. Still enjoy watching them when I can buy don't feel the same attachment as I did a few years ago. Having kids has given me the excuse I need to not go as regularly. The high turnover of players def a factor I think. Not a xenophobe but would like a few more English players or people that I've heard of.
  • I really don't know why my feelings have changed, but they have. I quite often wonder why I don't feel that excitement and expectation like I did when I was younger (up to around 30 years old, i'm now 40), but as touched upon above by others I'm guessing that my priorities have changed somewhat.
    1. I now have 3 children, and although I still have a season ticket (since 1999) I think it is mainly because I love my seat and always want to be able to go when I can (still around 18-20 games a season). But if their is a family occasion or we're looking at holiday dates, missing a home game isn't the big deal it was.
    2. I think my lack of world football knowledge takes away some of my enjoyment. I have no issue with Charlton or any club signing foreign players, my issue is that 95% of the time I have never heard of them so I honestly haven't a clue if they are any good. I thought Polish Pete was the saviour as that's how he was sold to us as fans, turns out he wasn't! I remember the excitement of seeing players playing for others and thinking "they'd" do a good job for us, or scanning Div 2/3 and thinking "that Mark Kinsella looks quality at Colchester, I hope Curbs signs him. I think that kind of thought process added to the affinity we hold for players, but much less so now.
    3. Linked to above it seems that lower league football seems so much more changeable these days, with so many short term contracts. Gone are the days that a player stays for 5 years it seems, it's one year then released and you end up playing against them next season!
    4. The same counts for managers, having stability I think breeds reassurance and makes it all seem less like the business we all know it is. Luzon may not be SCP but please don't sack him after the first 6 games as they look really tricky, let's try and build a relationship with him.

    I still love this club, if we lose it hurts, if we win i'm a in a good mood and . It just isn't as intense as it used to be, so a lot like marriage then!!
  • pettgra
    pettgra Posts: 1,573
    I am so proud to be a supporter of my football club. I think it probably goes back to the sixties when I was a young lad; when my dad, uncles and aunts who were great supporters came from the area. Proper Charlton as they say.
    I think it was this great community spirit that I loved so much. I am not so proud as to the way the club has been run through the years to be honest.
    After reading Richard Reddens book re the involvement of the Glikstens, I shook my head in dismay. If things had gone the way that they should we probably would not have been able to afford a season ticket! All said it is a wonderful club and I get the right hump when we lose.
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,038

    ...I think my lack of world football knowledge takes away some of my enjoyment. I have no issue with Charlton or any club signing foreign players, my issue is that 95% of the time I have never heard of them so I honestly haven't a clue if they are any good...

    This is so true of me.
  • PL54
    PL54 Posts: 10,757
    Stig said:

    ...I think my lack of world football knowledge takes away some of my enjoyment. I have no issue with Charlton or any club signing foreign players, my issue is that 95% of the time I have never heard of them so I honestly haven't a clue if they are any good...

    This is so true of me.
    And me

    The only thing I ask for is effort, ability is a bonus
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,016
    Stig said:

    ...I think my lack of world football knowledge takes away some of my enjoyment. I have no issue with Charlton or any club signing foreign players, my issue is that 95% of the time I have never heard of them so I honestly haven't a clue if they are any good...

    This is so true of me.
    It's true for pretty much all of us.
  • fenny
    fenny Posts: 58
    Its still Charlton don't matter who owns em, is it just me, I think they are going win the league every year the season starts, jeez if I did'nt whats the point of going, the only match I used worry about was bloody Millwall, and thats now out of the equassion, and I still sing sit in the north upper "j" block still get a season ticket. well I will have when it arrives, and been going for almost 60 years
  • fenny said:

    Its still Charlton don't matter who owns em, is it just me, I think they are going win the league every year the season starts, jeez if I did'nt whats the point of going, the only match I used worry about was bloody Millwall, and thats now out of the equassion, and I still sing sit in the north upper "j" block still get a season ticket. well I will have when it arrives, and been going for almost 60 years

    Interesting points. I can't think of any season when I expected Charlton to win its league and I suppose if Charlton were to ever grace the Premiership again "winning the league" in our terms would be getting into the dreaded Europa League. There's been some seasons that I have hoped for being around the top and some where I have thought avoiding the drop was a bonus. But, going to Charlton, for me, is about the experience in seeing a club I support and meet (generally) decent people. The result isn't all that matters to me - a decent game and commitment are just as important.

    My point, I guess, in my original post was that I am not sure where I am right now. I feel ready to throw myself into it all, but can feel some caution as I haven't the faintest idea how this year will go in terms of decent football and commitment. I suspect it will unravel slowly as the weeks pass.
  • sillav nitram
    sillav nitram Posts: 10,169
    edited July 2015
    I'm still emotionally attached even though I don't go as often.

    when I first started supporting in 64 I think, around the age of 10. I used to go with mates and so the experience was more fun and enjoyable despite the many defeats witnessed.

    today my charlton mates live far and wide and therefore I tend to go alone and so the highs and lows aren't shared and therefore not such an enjoyable experience.

    it's also fair to say, apart from the prem years, the football has been poor with a few exceptions.

    the expense of going to games has increased and so I'm more selective and expect more for my £

    but I'd be devastated if anything happened to the club.