I took my Dad yesterday, his first game this season but I've been a few times. He said afterwards that he doesn't want to go anymore. He is 70 and doesn't live locally now so it's a mission to go and he's just had enough. It was so sad to hear! Listening to him on the drive back to my house talking about the players that have gone over the last couple of years and then seeing Kerms on TV when we got home hammered home what has become of our club. I will be back for odd games here and there but a man that has supported CAFC for his whole life has given up.
Besides the game I actually had a very pleasant afternoon. I couldn't get my favourite seat so sat amongst a group of very loyal CARD supporting 50/60 year olds with whom we put the club to rights.
Made a choice at the start of the season to go to no home games until they have gone, due to family/friend commitments I will be attending the bradford & gills games. I can honestly say I'm not looking forward to it. Even in the past when we've been playing poorly (more often than not over the years) I could identify with players/staff/ethos and always had at least a bit of hope. After seeing the boys a couple of times away this season and reading threads, match reports etc I am dreading it because I know how much it will hurt me to see what we have become
I can't imagine me stopping unless there was no longer a team called Charlton Athletic playing in the borough of Greenwich
Did you stop going when they were at Selhurst or Upton Park? I didn't but i have stopped going now
Same here. Went to Selhurst and Upton Park but have now stopped going, partly because my family don't want to any more, but mainly because I am not returning until Duchatalet has gone. Charlton remains as a name but the heart of the club I know has been hijacked and has little in common with the one I have supported for over 35 years.
What really worries me is how many have got out the habit of going to The Valley and won't return when this nightmare is over.
How long do you stay unhappy in a loveless marriage? For some people it's a couple of months, for others they will keep with it and remain unhappy for another 40 years.
This season is my first since we returned in 92 I've not had a season ticket. It's also the fewest games I've been since I started going in mid-80s.
I've broken the habit of going so regularly but I'm still 'living a Charlton life', thinking and breathing Charlton pretty much all my waking hours. Find it all pretty painful to be honest and it's definitely had an effect on my mental wellbeing. I know that sounds pathetic, but I despise what hold these people seem to have over us.
I miss going badly, desperately wanted to go yesterday despite the rubbish recent run. Same as every Saturday morning.
Of course it's everyone's decision on whether they go or not, but I won't lie, I'm gutted that so many I know that feel similar to me (that this mob are wrong for this club), but didn't also seem able to follow through their principles and similarly make the short-term sacrifice to stay away. If everyone had said last Summer 'that's it, I'm not returning until you go' and the club was playing in front of just 2k, this would have been all over by now and we would have everyone back onside again. Well that's what I think would have happened.
Sadly this slow, gradual decline is the most painful and impacting of all.
I fully get the 'I'm no letting them force me out; I was here before them and will be after they've gone' argument, it's the one I've struggled with myself. But only you can answer are you really getting any enjoyment out of it?
I moved my Saturday drink up a few weeks ago from going Charlton to down the pub for the Eng - France rugby. There were 12-15 of us out, and in our crowd (and also one or two off here also in the pub) there were 7 or 8 similar ex-ST holders, proper long-term fans that would all have been done The Valley without question just a few years ago. The saddest thing is I feel almost guilty saying I had a great afternoon which even Charlton conceding in injury time didn't even particularly dent on. The only time I've felt any strong emotion to a result this season is the Millwall defeat. Having been stuck indoors for the last couple of weeks, I'm already looking forward to similar Eng rugby fixtures in next couple of weeks to get a similar outing.
That has always been Charlton games that I look forward to.
I fully suspect next season will be the same as this season; I'll attend v Millwall and one or two others, people like Meire and Keohane will still be here, there'll be another overload of learning from mistakes and heavily managed fake PR, people will renew season tickets in the hope that Robinson gets to rebuild, they'll be loads of comings and goings, people will get excited about every signing, boycotters / protesters will come in for their usual coating, the season will start all high and just two months in we'll see that despite some decent signings that the squad is short and imbalanced, and won't be good enough to sustain a promotion challenge.
Been over in the Uk for the last 2 weeks so potentially 4 times I could have seen Charlton either home or away. In previous years it would have been a no brainer, desperate to get my fix I would have gone up north and probably dragged my son along.
This time round I didn't bother once, didn't listen to the games or even care much about the result, it will be a long road back from there I think.
Wrote to Katrien in January 2016 to say I wasn't coming back after the the end of that season until she was gone. Have stuck to that, increasingly easily, as I now can't quite figure out how I found the time to go to virtually every home game for 20 years.
Will continue to send what donations I can to CARD but nothing else.
I am furious that the regime have made me genuinely not know how I feel about CAFC actually winning or losing games. We score, and I don't know if it's a good thing or just prolonging the agony of Duchatelet hanging around.
They've killed it for me. I'm only back once they've gone.
Like many others I didn't renew my ST but have seen most home games but my time is almost up. Just can't find the enthusiasm any more. Yes, it's nice when we occasionally score - the emphasis on the word occasionally - but the old thrill has now gone. Simply can't face another year watching this 3rd Division dross. The other major factor is that the regime appear immovable and things will only go from bad to worse. Fantastic effort from all those going to Belgium next week, but hand on heart, I don't think it will have much affect on Douchebag. I have no idea what if anything will force him and his dreadful lying CEO to depart.
Been over in the Uk for the last 2 weeks so potentially 4 times I could have seen Charlton either home or away. In previous years it would have been a no brainer, desperate to get my fix I would have gone up north and probably dragged my son along.
This time round I didn't bother once, didn't listen to the games or even care much about the result, it will be a long road back from there I think.
Likewise we have been over twice since November. Didn't bother.
Been to a few home games this season and 4 aways. Last home game was Millwall and that was down to one of my boys wanting to attend his first match against them. Think Chesterfield away will the only game go now for the rest of the season.
People have found other things to do now, we could easily see a lost generation of fans.
3 years of Constantly replacing one shit manager with another, endless signings of shit players. Roll on August so the same can happen again.
Just sell up Roland, and free us from your miserable world. You have no real need to own the club.
Been going for nearly 50 years and have therefore seen plenty of thick and mostly thin in that time, so will be very reluctant to give it up, however what with the ownership issues and what we are serving up at the moment it is all very depressing so will seriously consider what to do at the end of the season. I'll probably be back next season but I don't know for how much longer.
How long do you stay unhappy in a loveless marriage? For some people it's a couple of months, for others they will keep with it and remain unhappy for another 40 years.
This season is my first since we returned in 92 I've not had a season ticket. It's also the fewest games I've been since I started going in mid-80s.
I've broken the habit of going so regularly but I'm still 'living a Charlton life', thinking and breathing Charlton pretty much all my waking hours. Find it all pretty painful to be honest and it's definitely had an effect on my mental wellbeing. I know that sounds pathetic, but I despise what hold these people seem to have over us.
I miss going badly, desperately wanted to go yesterday despite the rubbish recent run. Same as every Saturday morning.
Of course it's everyone's decision on whether they go or not, but I won't lie, I'm gutted that so many I know that feel similar to me (that this mob are wrong for this club), but didn't also seem able to follow through their principles and similarly make the short-term sacrifice to stay away. If everyone had said last Summer 'that's it, I'm not returning until you go' and the club was playing in front of just 2k, this would have been all over by now and we would have everyone back onside again. Well that's what I think would have happened.
Sadly this slow, gradual decline is the most painful and impacting of all.
I fully get the 'I'm no letting them force me out; I was here before them and will be after they've gone' argument, it's the one I've struggled with myself. But only you can answer are you really getting any enjoyment out of it?
I moved my Saturday drink up a few weeks ago from going Charlton to down the pub for the Eng - France rugby. There were 12-15 of us out, and in our crowd (and also one or two off here also in the pub) there were 7 or 8 similar ex-ST holders, proper long-term fans that would all have been done The Valley without question just a few years ago. The saddest thing is I feel almost guilty saying I had a great afternoon which even Charlton conceding in injury time didn't even particularly dent on. The only time I've felt any strong emotion to a result this season is the Millwall defeat. Having been stuck indoors for the last couple of weeks, I'm already looking forward to similar Eng rugby fixtures in next couple of weeks to get a similar outing.
That has always been Charlton games that I look forward to.
I fully suspect next season will be the same as this season; I'll attend v Millwall and one or two others, people like Meire and Keohane will still be here, there'll be another overload of learning from mistakes and heavily managed fake PR, people will renew season tickets in the hope that Robinson gets to rebuild, they'll be loads of comings and goings, people will get excited about every signing, boycotters / protesters will come in for their usual coating, the season will start all high and just two months in we'll see that despite some decent signings that the squad is short and imbalanced, and won't be good enough to sustain a promotion challenge.
Still, we can always strengthen in January....
Great post AFKA - agree to a tee.Mirrors my situation and views entirely.
Done Millwall home and away and that's it. Genuinely can't understand people who renewed. And I think the argument of the social side/seeing mates is rubbish. If people cared that much you'd meet your mates regardless and stay in the pub longer. There is no reason why you can't do the social side without the football.
It's all so sad. 20 years of good work undone in 3 years.
How long do you stay unhappy in a loveless marriage? For some people it's a couple of months, for others they will keep with it and remain unhappy for another 40 years.
This season is my first since we returned in 92 I've not had a season ticket. It's also the fewest games I've been since I started going in mid-80s.
I've broken the habit of going so regularly but I'm still 'living a Charlton life', thinking and breathing Charlton pretty much all my waking hours. Find it all pretty painful to be honest and it's definitely had an effect on my mental wellbeing. I know that sounds pathetic, but I despise what hold these people seem to have over us.
I miss going badly, desperately wanted to go yesterday despite the rubbish recent run. Same as every Saturday morning.
Of course it's everyone's decision on whether they go or not, but I won't lie, I'm gutted that so many I know that feel similar to me (that this mob are wrong for this club), but didn't also seem able to follow through their principles and similarly make the short-term sacrifice to stay away. If everyone had said last Summer 'that's it, I'm not returning until you go' and the club was playing in front of just 2k, this would have been all over by now and we would have everyone back onside again. Well that's what I think would have happened.
Sadly this slow, gradual decline is the most painful and impacting of all.
I fully get the 'I'm no letting them force me out; I was here before them and will be after they've gone' argument, it's the one I've struggled with myself. But only you can answer are you really getting any enjoyment out of it?
I moved my Saturday drink up a few weeks ago from going Charlton to down the pub for the Eng - France rugby. There were 12-15 of us out, and in our crowd (and also one or two off here also in the pub) there were 7 or 8 similar ex-ST holders, proper long-term fans that would all have been done The Valley without question just a few years ago. The saddest thing is I feel almost guilty saying I had a great afternoon which even Charlton conceding in injury time didn't even particularly dent on. The only time I've felt any strong emotion to a result this season is the Millwall defeat. Having been stuck indoors for the last couple of weeks, I'm already looking forward to similar Eng rugby fixtures in next couple of weeks to get a similar outing.
That has always been Charlton games that I look forward to.
I fully suspect next season will be the same as this season; I'll attend v Millwall and one or two others, people like Meire and Keohane will still be here, there'll be another overload of learning from mistakes and heavily managed fake PR, people will renew season tickets in the hope that Robinson gets to rebuild, they'll be loads of comings and goings, people will get excited about every signing, boycotters / protesters will come in for their usual coating, the season will start all high and just two months in we'll see that despite some decent signings that the squad is short and imbalanced, and won't be good enough to sustain a promotion challenge.
Still, we can always strengthen in January....
Great post AFKA - agree to a tee.Mirrors my situation and views entirely.
Seconded. I might ask Mrs Otto to move out now I've read this
@Slartibartfast hi mate just wondering if you could explain the LOL? I must have missed my own punchline while I debate in my mind whether to keep going for the rest of the season, thanks.
Done Millwall home and away and that's it. Genuinely can't understand people who renewed. And I think the argument of the social side/seeing mates is rubbish. If people cared that much you'd meet your mates regardless and stay in the pub longer. There is no reason why you can't do the social side without the football.
It's all so sad. 20 years of good work undone in 3 years.
Am I the only one who has actually started enjoying seeing Charlton lose?
I've been a season ticket holder since Selhurst but I genuinely find it difficult not to laugh / cheer when the opposition score now. For me the only way forward is down to the National league and administration. The Germans probably have a word like Schadenfreude for this type of situation.
I sort of want to be around to watch it all happen so I can enjoy it more when Roland finally goes. But I do realise it would probably happen quicker if I didn't go the matches.
Been to a few home games this season and 4 aways. Last home game was Millwall and that was down to one of my boys wanting to attend his first match against them. Think Chesterfield away will the only game go now for the rest of the season.
People have found other things to do now, we could easily see a lost generation of fans.
3 years of Constantly replacing one shit manager with another, endless signing of shit players. Roll on Augus so the same can happen again.
Just sell up Roland, and free us from your miserable world. You have no real need to own the club.
why the Spirites and not the Blades ? .. sooner see us lose to a rubbish team rather than a decent One ? ((:>)
For years and years and years my Saturdays meant following Charlton - I haven't been to The Valley for a couple of years now so apart from the occasional away game my physical support has all but ceased - difficult to put into words but it always felt as though following Charlton was special, something indefinable and intangible but definitely 'something' - that unique 'something' was extinguished when these Belgian clowns rolled into town and will remain missing until they f*** off and someone with the club in their heart arrives.
@Slartibartfast hi mate just wondering if you could explain the LOL? I must have missed my own punchline while I debate in my mind whether to keep going for the rest of the season, thanks.
Hi Martin, the lol is for the last sentence where you are hoping for Kr to stay and be backed in the transfer market.
As we left the ground yesterday, I said to my mate who i have been going to football with since we were 8 (we are now 57) "thats it I've had enough until he sells up theres just no hope anymore". He agreed 100%.
Very very soon ....... My Son has had enough, I have had enough. Yesterday I had a free ticket - I tried 7 people and NOBODY wanted it.... and it came with free lifts! An older Guy (75 ish) said to me yesterday he had always had a S Ticket but this was his last season. How sad have we become.
I'll always go. Charlton 'til I die and all that. I go with my friends and have a beer or two.
I'll be honest, apart from a a few glorious Prem years and a few promotions, the match has generally been the worst part of the day.
Mind you I've never supported Charlton for the glory, who does ?
If I was going through a rocky patch in my marriage, I wouldn't walk out. I'd see it through. It's the way I'm made. I've never been a quitter.
If all my mates decided to stop going (but they won't) I'd have a dilemma, but I reckon I'd still go.
I've been to all the protests and I'm going to Belgium.
RD will never force me out and I'll protest until he sells up, but that could be another 5 years.
I love Charlton far too much and if they're at home I'll be there, but then I doubt there's more than a few hundred who have seen more home games than me in the last 45 years. I might be wrong.
Anyway, we go round and round on this and the one thing that is essential is that we all respect the views of our fellow supporters and I do.
I just hope and pray that everyone that stops going, keeps their word and returns when RD sells up, but I know that is not going to happen for a multitude of reasons.
See you in Belgium if you're going. United we stand divided we fall.
@Slartibartfast hi mate just wondering if you could explain the LOL? I must have missed my own punchline while I debate in my mind whether to keep going for the rest of the season, thanks.
Hi Martin, the lol is for the last sentence where you are hoping for Kr to stay and be backed in the transfer market.
Ok, fair enough thanks for the reply. I guess we as a fanbase are split on KR as well. I just hope he is kept on as we desperately need stability and not a new manager each transfer window so we're not left with a squad still filled with deadwood signed by Peters, Luzon, Slade etc I feel we need a whole squad of players brought in by the same manager such as the way Chris Powell did it with the new squad he brought in. Personally I feel KR could potentially do this if kept on but clearly a lot of fans don't. Fair enough, disagree just not sure an LOL is a way to disagree but I do understand your point, cheers.
Comments
I couldn't get my favourite seat so sat amongst a group of very loyal CARD supporting 50/60 year olds with whom we put the club to rights.
Thankyou Gents.
What really worries me is how many have got out the habit of going to The Valley and won't return when this nightmare is over.
This season is my first since we returned in 92 I've not had a season ticket. It's also the fewest games I've been since I started going in mid-80s.
I've broken the habit of going so regularly but I'm still 'living a Charlton life', thinking and breathing Charlton pretty much all my waking hours. Find it all pretty painful to be honest and it's definitely had an effect on my mental wellbeing. I know that sounds pathetic, but I despise what hold these people seem to have over us.
I miss going badly, desperately wanted to go yesterday despite the rubbish recent run. Same as every Saturday morning.
Of course it's everyone's decision on whether they go or not, but I won't lie, I'm gutted that so many I know that feel similar to me (that this mob are wrong for this club), but didn't also seem able to follow through their principles and similarly make the short-term sacrifice to stay away. If everyone had said last Summer 'that's it, I'm not returning until you go' and the club was playing in front of just 2k, this would have been all over by now and we would have everyone back onside again. Well that's what I think would have happened.
Sadly this slow, gradual decline is the most painful and impacting of all.
I fully get the 'I'm no letting them force me out; I was here before them and will be after they've gone' argument, it's the one I've struggled with myself. But only you can answer are you really getting any enjoyment out of it?
I moved my Saturday drink up a few weeks ago from going Charlton to down the pub for the Eng - France rugby. There were 12-15 of us out, and in our crowd (and also one or two off here also in the pub) there were 7 or 8 similar ex-ST holders, proper long-term fans that would all have been done The Valley without question just a few years ago. The saddest thing is I feel almost guilty saying I had a great afternoon which even Charlton conceding in injury time didn't even particularly dent on. The only time I've felt any strong emotion to a result this season is the Millwall defeat. Having been stuck indoors for the last couple of weeks, I'm already looking forward to similar Eng rugby fixtures in next couple of weeks to get a similar outing.
That has always been Charlton games that I look forward to.
I fully suspect next season will be the same as this season; I'll attend v Millwall and one or two others, people like Meire and Keohane will still be here, there'll be another overload of learning from mistakes and heavily managed fake PR, people will renew season tickets in the hope that Robinson gets to rebuild, they'll be loads of comings and goings, people will get excited about every signing, boycotters / protesters will come in for their usual coating, the season will start all high and just two months in we'll see that despite some decent signings that the squad is short and imbalanced, and won't be good enough to sustain a promotion challenge.
Still, we can always strengthen in January....
This time round I didn't bother once, didn't listen to the games or even care much about the result, it will be a long road back from there I think.
Will continue to send what donations I can to CARD but nothing else.
I am furious that the regime have made me genuinely not know how I feel about CAFC actually winning or losing games. We score, and I don't know if it's a good thing or just prolonging the agony of Duchatelet hanging around.
They've killed it for me. I'm only back once they've gone.
People have found other things to do now, we could easily see a lost generation of fans.
3 years of Constantly replacing one shit manager with another, endless signings of shit players. Roll on August so the same can happen again.
Just sell up Roland, and free us from your miserable world. You have no real need to own the club.
It's all so sad. 20 years of good work undone in 3 years.
I've been a season ticket holder since Selhurst but I genuinely find it difficult not to laugh / cheer when the opposition score now. For me the only way forward is down to the National league and administration. The Germans probably have a word like Schadenfreude for this type of situation.
I sort of want to be around to watch it all happen so I can enjoy it more when Roland finally goes. But I do realise it would probably happen quicker if I didn't go the matches.
Every home match this season I could have had a free ticket but I just don't want to go and watch it.
I'll be honest, apart from a a few glorious Prem years and a few promotions, the match has generally been the worst part of the day.
Mind you I've never supported Charlton for the glory, who does ?
If I was going through a rocky patch in my marriage, I wouldn't walk out. I'd see it through. It's the way I'm made. I've never been a quitter.
If all my mates decided to stop going (but they won't) I'd have a dilemma, but I reckon I'd still go.
I've been to all the protests and I'm going to Belgium.
RD will never force me out and I'll protest until he sells up, but that could be another 5 years.
I love Charlton far too much and if they're at home I'll be there, but then I doubt there's more than a few hundred who have seen more home games than me in the last 45 years. I might be wrong.
Anyway, we go round and round on this and the one thing that is essential is that we all respect the views of our fellow supporters and I do.
I just hope and pray that everyone that stops going, keeps their word and returns when RD sells up, but I know that is not going to happen for a multitude of reasons.
See you in Belgium if you're going. United we stand divided we fall.