Took my 16 year old daughter and her friend, who wanted to go far more than my daughter. It was the first time since the 12th of September 2015 I had been to The Valley, although I knew the club shop was having a refit I can't believe the club didn't find someway to try and flog (what the two teenagers with me called ) merch. I spoke to a member of the club staff as well about the club shop and the fact there was a sellout at the ground, he was as bleak in his view of the future as I am.
I opted to not go in and found a nice spot to read in the sunshine as it isn't often I get that much time to myself. When they finally came out out the two girls, who had never shown any interest in watching football, both said they loved and my daughter said she would go to a game with me if I wanted. Which was the nicest thing she has ever said to me.
And there we are. Katrien was right.
True my daughter was won over but the only way the club has helped was by letting a load of young lads play football on the pitch for charity.
she just has to be involved doesn't she, with millwall unfortunately going up bar last game of the season apart from any freebies i wont be there next year.
Apart from the numbers this is no different to celebrity football matches which used to be a regular thing when I was a kid. Remember a game at Erith & Belverdere where Dennis Waterman was meant to be the main attraction. Rode down on my bike to see him and he didn't turn up!
Exactly this, they are celebrities to kids and have millions of fans. Not sure how many watched this live online but expect it was massive.
Took my 16 year old daughter and her friend, who wanted to go far more than my daughter. It was the first time since the 12th of September 2015 I had been to The Valley, although I knew the club shop was having a refit I can't believe the club didn't find someway to try and flog (what the two teenagers with me called ) merch. I spoke to a member of the club staff as well about the club shop and the fact there was a sellout at the ground, he was as bleak in his view of the future as I am.
I opted to not go in and found a nice spot to read in the sunshine as it isn't often I get that much time to myself. When they finally came out out the two girls, who had never shown any interest in watching football, both said they loved and my daughter said she would go to a game with me if I wanted. Which was the nicest thing she has ever said to me.
And there we are. Katrien was right.
True my daughter was won over but the only way the club has helped was by letting a load of young lads play football on the pitch for charity.
Doesn't sound too different to our team, other than the charity bit.
Apart from the numbers this is no different to celebrity football matches which used to be a regular thing when I was a kid. Remember a game at Erith & Belverdere where Dennis Waterman was meant to be the main attraction. Rode down on my bike to see him and he didn't turn up!
Exactly this, they are celebrities to kids and have millions of fans. Not sure how many watched this live online but expect it was massive.
Almost 500k at one point according to twitter.
I watched some online (caught both the goals luckily) as Jnr was there with his mates and wanted to see what the fuss was all about - he reckoned it was the worst game he'd seen all season, which considering the dross served up this year took some beating and in his opinion the atmosphere was 'flat' - anyway, the maximum I saw was around 520k, but I looked this morning..
Highlights clip - 610k views Full match on replay - Just under 4.7 MILLION views
Granted a lot of people would have turned off as soon as the commentary started, but when was the last time a Valley match had that kind of audience?
Who or what are the youtubers and why would you watch them?
Kids watch their videos mainly gaming ones I guess. Tips on playing FIFA, minecraft etc. The Sidemen are a group of these who make football videos, pranks etc. Guess for kids it's like people going to watch a charity match with a bunch of Eastensers actors in. Not there to watch the football but to see "their" celebrities. Most of these youtubers have millions of viewers of their videos so attract big endorsements and make a fortune.
But, as someone posted earlier, why watch them play football ? It would be different if they were showing how to play Pokeman or Minecraft, but why do they think these geeks would be any good playing football ? It just goes to show how mad this world has become. You cant get more than 10k into the ground to watch 2 professional teams play football at a standard that is way above the common supporter but you can get 27k into the ground to watch 22 nobodies try & kick a football around just because they are good on the internet.
Agreed, I reckon for Soccer Aid they should do readings of Othello and theatrical performances rather than football, what business do actors have doing that for charity?
Who or what are the youtubers and why would you watch them?
Kids watch their videos mainly gaming ones I guess. Tips on playing FIFA, minecraft etc. The Sidemen are a group of these who make football videos, pranks etc. Guess for kids it's like people going to watch a charity match with a bunch of Eastensers actors in. Not there to watch the football but to see "their" celebrities. Most of these youtubers have millions of viewers of their videos so attract big endorsements and make a fortune.
But, as someone posted earlier, why watch them play football ? It would be different if they were showing how to play Pokeman or Minecraft, but why do they think these geeks would be any good playing football ? It just goes to show how mad this world has become. You cant get more than 10k into the ground to watch 2 professional teams play football at a standard that is way above the common supporter but you can get 27k into the ground to watch 22 nobodies try & kick a football around just because they are good on the internet.
Ah, but how many Youtubers would play Minecraft online with a Charlton team?
I can confirm it was probably the worst game of football I've ever seen at any level but my kids had a great day and that's what it's all about.
Absolutely. It was the first time he'd gone to the Valley without adult supervision and he really enjoyed showing off 'his' club to his mates and in the end it was about raising money (he still managed to get a few 'Roland Out' shouts in though...)
Only skim read this. But I think I read the club shop is having a re fit. That, combined with the new dug outs, will be enough material to keep the communications 'team' (hi Tom) going on the new website until Christmas.
Traffic and parking was a nightmare! Had forgot about that side of things.
Agree the traffic issue was a joke.
Around 8k crowd for a first team game at home area roads coned off for a mile around the ground. Game a known sell-out for weeks and not a cone in sight.
Police were turning cars away from Charlton Church lane 30 minutes before the game and on Charlton Lane it was chaotic with cars coming down and going up the hill and no space to move. The stewards at the end of Harvey gardens didn't have a clue what to do as they were not the usual suspects.
Went along as a charity match , great to see the Valley full once again . Standard of football not great , but kids enjoyed it . Had seats in North Upper , great view of my favourite stadium in the May sunshine . Let's hope it w'ont be long before we see it as full for a Charlton match .
Surely the club shop refit could wait a week or two? They've got until August to do it anyway.
Just another example of poor planning from the club. Still, I'm sure there's a UOG student that is at fault for this.
Just to confirm, the club shop isn't run by the club and is essentially in 'closing down' mode. There's very little stock to shift as it's just what's left of the Just Sport merchandise before the hummel deal kicks in and the new shop reopens.
Even if the club shop was open and stocked i doubt they would have sold much if anything. Although there would have been a few Charlton fans there , there were kids and parents wearing shirts from all different football clubs . They were hardly likely to go in and but anything Charlton related.
Overall sounds like it was a good day all-around. Ground packed in the May sunshine and even if opportunities were missed with the club shop there's a likelihood a few who went may well be tempted to come back at some stage and watch us play. Does the Valley wi-fi collect data (ie email addresses) so the club can target the Youtubers via email?
Bloody hell! Nothing the club does is right is it?
Why are people moaning that the club shop was closed? If it had been open you'd all be up in arms that Katrien was taking advantage of a charity event!
Surely the club shop refit could wait a week or two? They've got until August to do it anyway.
Just another example of poor planning from the club. Still, I'm sure there's a UOG student that is at fault for this.
Just to confirm, the club shop isn't run by the club and is essentially in 'closing down' mode. There's very little stock to shift as it's just what's left of the Just Sport merchandise before the hummel deal kicks in and the new shop reopens.
Wish I could just go into 'closing down mode' in my job.
Whilst I understand the club don't run the store, I Still don't really get your point ? It was only last week the email was sent out displaying the items on sale, there was plenty on offer and on top of that any non just sport merch could be shifted, which is no bad thing.
Did you see how many sidemen shirts were shifted yesterday? I reckon thousands judging from the amount of people wearing them in the crowd, it's just a missed opportunity from the club.
I don't think there's anything wrong with the event from the club's perspective; it looks pretty successful, they basically sold out the ground (which is kind of nice to see), probably raised a tonne for charity and had all those people watching on YouTube. I can't begrudge the club attracting people to the local area and enjoying The Valley in the sunshine.
And regarding Katrien for seeming to enjoy it - she doesn't have to dress all in black and mourn until we get back up into the Championship. Yes - would much rather she resigned tomorrow and I do very strongly dislike what she's done to our club... but she's allowed to smile, however irritating it is, can't criticise her for that (there are plenty of things for which we can, though).
However, speaking of resignations, given the success of the event... I now realise that I have absolutely no place in modern society and would like to resign from it. YouTube celebrities... really?! Narcissistic little twonks recording their reactions to playing games live to an army of kids watching them in solitude on the computer. No thanks. I'm out.
Surely the club shop refit could wait a week or two? They've got until August to do it anyway.
Just another example of poor planning from the club. Still, I'm sure there's a UOG student that is at fault for this.
Just to confirm, the club shop isn't run by the club and is essentially in 'closing down' mode. There's very little stock to shift as it's just what's left of the Just Sport merchandise before the hummel deal kicks in and the new shop reopens.
Wish I could just go into 'closing down mode' in my job.
Whilst I understand the club don't run the store, I Still don't really get your point ? It was only last week the email was sent out displaying the items on sale, there was plenty on offer and on top of that any non just sport merch could be shifted, which is no bad thing.
Did you see how many sidemen shirts were shifted yesterday? I reckon thousands judging from the amount of people wearing them in the crowd, it's just a missed opportunity from the club.
It was a charity game for god's sake! Selling our clubs stuff for a profit would have been very distasteful! I believe that all the Sidemen shirts profit went to charity, so comparing charity raising sales to profit making is ridiculous.
Surely the club shop refit could wait a week or two? They've got until August to do it anyway.
Just another example of poor planning from the club. Still, I'm sure there's a UOG student that is at fault for this.
Just to confirm, the club shop isn't run by the club and is essentially in 'closing down' mode. There's very little stock to shift as it's just what's left of the Just Sport merchandise before the hummel deal kicks in and the new shop reopens.
Wish I could just go into 'closing down mode' in my job.
Whilst I understand the club don't run the store, I Still don't really get your point ? It was only last week the email was sent out displaying the items on sale, there was plenty on offer and on top of that any non just sport merch could be shifted, which is no bad thing.
Did you see how many sidemen shirts were shifted yesterday? I reckon thousands judging from the amount of people wearing them in the crowd, it's just a missed opportunity from the club.
There is no 'non-Just Sport' merch. Every bit of it is owned by Just Sport. I expect their issue with opening the shop on Sunday was that they didn't want to cover the costs of opening up on a 'non-working day', just days before they depart for good. Charlton are, understandably, not a priority for them and it was decided it was not worth their while to open up. I agree that any opportunity to shift anything with our badge on is a good one, but ultimately it didn't come down to the club's decision.
Surely the club shop refit could wait a week or two? They've got until August to do it anyway.
Just another example of poor planning from the club. Still, I'm sure there's a UOG student that is at fault for this.
Just to confirm, the club shop isn't run by the club and is essentially in 'closing down' mode. There's very little stock to shift as it's just what's left of the Just Sport merchandise before the hummel deal kicks in and the new shop reopens.
Wish I could just go into 'closing down mode' in my job.
Whilst I understand the club don't run the store, I Still don't really get your point ? It was only last week the email was sent out displaying the items on sale, there was plenty on offer and on top of that any non just sport merch could be shifted, which is no bad thing.
Did you see how many sidemen shirts were shifted yesterday? I reckon thousands judging from the amount of people wearing them in the crowd, it's just a missed opportunity from the club.
It was a charity game for god's sake! Selling our clubs stuff for a profit would have been very distasteful! I believe that all the Sidemen shirts profit went to charity, so comparing charity raising sales to profit making is ridiculous.
Josh, I get the impression that you're a tad aggrieved this morning? Bloody Monday's eh?!
Surely the club shop refit could wait a week or two? They've got until August to do it anyway.
Just another example of poor planning from the club. Still, I'm sure there's a UOG student that is at fault for this.
Just to confirm, the club shop isn't run by the club and is essentially in 'closing down' mode. There's very little stock to shift as it's just what's left of the Just Sport merchandise before the hummel deal kicks in and the new shop reopens.
Wish I could just go into 'closing down mode' in my job.
Whilst I understand the club don't run the store, I Still don't really get your point ? It was only last week the email was sent out displaying the items on sale, there was plenty on offer and on top of that any non just sport merch could be shifted, which is no bad thing.
Did you see how many sidemen shirts were shifted yesterday? I reckon thousands judging from the amount of people wearing them in the crowd, it's just a missed opportunity from the club.
It was a charity game for god's sake! Selling our clubs stuff for a profit would have been very distasteful! I believe that all the Sidemen shirts profit went to charity, so comparing charity raising sales to profit making is ridiculous.
Josh, I get the impression that you're a tad aggrieved this morning? Bloody Monday's eh?!
Would you be happy for the club to make a profit during a charity event? Assuming you join in with the boycott of not buying things at the club, is this now okay as long as young children's parents who don't support the club are funding RD?
Just fed up with the hypocritical comments on here to be honest.
Can't even be proud of the club helping out a charity event these days without the club receiving criticism.
Surely the club shop refit could wait a week or two? They've got until August to do it anyway.
Just another example of poor planning from the club. Still, I'm sure there's a UOG student that is at fault for this.
Just to confirm, the club shop isn't run by the club and is essentially in 'closing down' mode. There's very little stock to shift as it's just what's left of the Just Sport merchandise before the hummel deal kicks in and the new shop reopens.
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Did you see how many sidemen shirts were shifted yesterday? I reckon thousands judging from the amount of people wearing them in the crowd, it's just a missed opportunity from the club.
Do you really think that the kids would have bought Charlton tops instead of or as well as Sideman tops ? Not a chance in hell. They were absolutely nuts for these YouTubers. The tills would have been empty sadly.
Much as I enjoyed being in a packed Valley again, I was less keen on having to queue up to get in the station afterwards and then giving up and walking to North Greenwich because South Eastern didn't run more than 2 trains an hour!
Apart from the numbers this is no different to celebrity football matches which used to be a regular thing when I was a kid. Remember a game at Erith & Belverdere where Dennis Waterman was meant to be the main attraction. Rode down on my bike to see him and he didn't turn up!
Yes, but I bet there wasn't 27k there, sold out within hours of the tickets going on sale, and another 500k watching it on tv.
Its akin to the Stones & the Who turning up to play football against each other. Sold out if they were playing their instruments but not football.
Comments
Bizarre occasion all round for someone my age (31) but I get the appeal for youngsters.
Lovely seeing a sun-drenched packed valley again.
Traffic and parking was a nightmare! Had forgot about that side of things.
Not the first time our grounds been used for charity games and the fact it sold out can only be positive.
People sitting at home getting angry about it, why?
They've got until August to do it anyway.
Just another example of poor planning from the club.
Still, I'm sure there's a UOG student that is at fault for this.
Highlights clip - 610k views
Full match on replay - Just under 4.7 MILLION views
Granted a lot of people would have turned off as soon as the commentary started, but when was the last time a Valley match had that kind of audience?
That, combined with the new dug outs, will be enough material to keep the communications 'team' (hi Tom) going on the new website until Christmas.
Around 8k crowd for a first team game at home area roads coned off for a mile around the ground. Game a known sell-out for weeks and not a cone in sight.
Police were turning cars away from Charlton Church lane 30 minutes before the game and on Charlton Lane it was chaotic with cars coming down and going up the hill and no space to move. The stewards at the end of Harvey gardens didn't have a clue what to do as they were not the usual suspects.
Although there would have been a few Charlton fans there , there were kids and parents wearing shirts from all different football clubs . They were hardly likely to go in and but anything Charlton related.
Why are people moaning that the club shop was closed? If it had been open you'd all be up in arms that Katrien was taking advantage of a charity event!
Whilst I understand the club don't run the store, I Still don't really get your point ?
It was only last week the email was sent out displaying the items on sale, there was plenty on offer and on top of that any non just sport merch could be shifted, which is no bad thing.
Did you see how many sidemen shirts were shifted yesterday?
I reckon thousands judging from the amount of people wearing them in the crowd, it's just a missed opportunity from the club.
And regarding Katrien for seeming to enjoy it - she doesn't have to dress all in black and mourn until we get back up into the Championship. Yes - would much rather she resigned tomorrow and I do very strongly dislike what she's done to our club... but she's allowed to smile, however irritating it is, can't criticise her for that (there are plenty of things for which we can, though).
However, speaking of resignations, given the success of the event... I now realise that I have absolutely no place in modern society and would like to resign from it. YouTube celebrities... really?! Narcissistic little twonks recording their reactions to playing games live to an army of kids watching them in solitude on the computer. No thanks. I'm out.
I expect their issue with opening the shop on Sunday was that they didn't want to cover the costs of opening up on a 'non-working day', just days before they depart for good.
Charlton are, understandably, not a priority for them and it was decided it was not worth their while to open up.
I agree that any opportunity to shift anything with our badge on is a good one, but ultimately it didn't come down to the club's decision.
Josh, I get the impression that you're a tad aggrieved this morning?
Bloody Monday's eh?!
Just fed up with the hypocritical comments on here to be honest.
Can't even be proud of the club helping out a charity event these days without the club receiving criticism.
Not a chance in hell. They were absolutely nuts for these YouTubers. The tills would have been empty sadly.
Its akin to the Stones & the Who turning up to play football against each other. Sold out if they were playing their instruments but not football.