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I could have been a ******* supporter

Are there others like me whose clear destiny was to be a Charlton supporter but who could have been led astray by simply having been born in the wrong place at the wrong time?

In my case I was brought up as a child in North London in the years immediately following WWII.
It was common in those days for the bulk of the menfolk living in the area (including those who had been de-mobilised) to go to Arsenal one week and Spurs the next. The sense of camaraderie engendered by the War Years (including many professional 'guest' players turning out for teams nearest to where they were garrisoned) meant that there was nothing of the intense tribalism between rival fans of neighbouring clubs which emerged so graphically in the 1970s.

My father was no exception to the post-War appetite for football every week rather than once a fortnight and how I escaped the clutches of Spurs (or worse Arsenal) I will never know.
Usually, your first game means the die is cast and for me it was Spurs. However - despite being given a little metal cockerel to wear by a well-meaning stranger in a Cafe somewhere in the vicinity of White Hart Lane, I have zero memory of the match itself. This is unusual I know. I can only put it down to the fact that my age (around 6) had something to do with it and in those days football was not shown on B/W Television with the exception of the Cup Final I think so very little exposure other than live games and very different to today.

I suspect that this was not lost on my father who thankfully never took me to Highbury (at least as far as I can recollect!) nor another Spurs game. Clearly, in his eyes I didn't have the makings of a football fan but of course what he didn't know is that I was saving myself for the one true love Charlton Athletic.

So, the great escape - in 1959 my parents upped sticks and made their way to Kent (ok Sidcup) and here the story beings which was to shape my life forever. Never having had the slightest interest in football the call of The Valley came a few years later half-way through the 1961-62 season.

HOOKED! It was always meant to be. I wonder whatever happened to that little cockerel?

By the end of that season I was attending my first away (at the old Goldstone ground of Brighton and Hove Albion) and a 2-2 draw with Willie Duff injured and John Hewie playing in goal because there were no fit goalkeepers left in the squad - can you imagine this today?

When we were in the Prem....the irony of meeting some young Arsenal supporters in the Valley Cafe and having to explain to them why we call then the Woolwich Rejects sticks in the mind as does - to my eternal shame - my refusal to give the local tour guide a tip when we were on holiday in Cambodia because he was wearing a Gooner shirt - this did not go down well with our fellow travelers.

So to coin and adulterate massively Roy Batty's dying words from Blade Runner:

I've seen things other fans wouldn't believe. Two late goals at the St Andrews play-off from Peter Shirtliff. The Mendonca Wembley hat-trick in The Greatest Game, Robinson's equaliser v Manchester United, Mark Stuart's winner against the same opposition but at Old Trafford.
Inflicting a home defeat on Mourinho's Chelsea in the League cup only for him to claim that a defeat on penalties doesn't count. The jubilation of the 4-3 away win at Villa to put off relegation by one more week. The walk to Loftus Road from The Valley in 1967 in support of new manager Eddie Firmani. This, all this and so much more. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain........................

Arsenal fans - you can keep your record breaking 12/13 FA Cups whatever, Spurs, your second place and Champions League football, the double years - I'll take the above and the joy and pain of being a Charlton fan for over 50 years.
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Comments

  • I was born in Anerley!!
  • Supported a few teams in my Youth... Didnt know much about Football when my neighbour bought me something to do with West Ham so started with them, then in primary school I was a Spurs / Man Utd fan because thats who my mates supported.

    Then Charlton came along because of free tickets at the end of primary school, because of the soccer schools during the Holidays and because someone my Dad worked with was a Charlton fan and he started to take me along... Suddenly realised that I stood more chance of seeing Charlton than any other team and I was hooked.

    Turns out both my Grandad and Dad would go to Charlton in their youth but slowly grew out of the club hence why it wasnt a natural transition to supporting the club - Its why Im reluctant to pack in my Season Ticket as worried I'll do the same and when I have kids I want to be able to take them along etc. (i.e. something I missed out on really)
  • Both my grandads were Millwall and all my uncles and cousins are West Ham, for some reason the old man starting following Charlton and I didn't get a choice.
  • Before the war my family came from stoke Newington and Hackney and supported spurs.
    When that nice Mr. Hitler started bombing London my mum was evacuated to the country.
    After the war my mum never went back and eventually settled in orpington.
    As Charlton is the nearest club to orpington that's who I decided to support ( with a little help from my uncle who started taking me when I was about 10 ).
    So when I think about it the reason I support Charlton and not spurs is all down to uncle Adolf.
    Weird or what
  • Supported a few teams in my Youth... Didnt know much about Football when my neighbour bought me something to do with West Ham so started with them, then in primary school I was a Spurs / Man Utd fan because thats who my mates supported.

    Then Charlton came along because of free tickets at the end of primary school, because of the soccer schools during the Holidays and because someone my Dad worked with was a Charlton fan and he started to take me along... Suddenly realised that I stood more chance of seeing Charlton than any other team and I was hooked.

    Turns out both my Grandad and Dad would go to Charlton in their youth but slowly grew out of the club hence why it wasnt a natural transition to supporting the club - Its why Im reluctant to pack in my Season Ticket as worried I'll do the same and when I have kids I want to be able to take them along etc. (i.e. something I missed out on really)

    Not dissimilar to my story. Grew up in Chelmsford which isn't exactly a football capital (though I watched the local non league team). My dad had a vague affinity for Sheffield utd from watching both teams at Sheffield university. I decided I'd follow Wednesday, and must also have supported arsenal for a bit because I had their subbutteo team. We used to go to Ipswich for some slightly better footy, but decided one day to see Charlton. Best wolves 3-2 and the rest is history. Dads best friend at school was a Charlton season ticket holder and they used to go to games, so I guess that's why we decided to go to the valley rather than west ham
  • Not from a family of Charlton supporters, my family isn't from the area. but growing up Charlton was the nearest ground to watch football, read the Kentish Times and so I was always aware of Charlton. I have these weirdly strong memories of the Andy Nelson/Bailey managerial fiasco or the Hales/Flanagan incident.

    It was probably listening to the playoff replay on the radio in 1987 that fully converted me. 30 years ago :smile:
  • edited May 2017
    My dad came down from Worsted, Norfolk to Woolwich as an artillery man in 1952. While out on jolly at joint in Woolwich town centre he met a local lass later to be my mum. A love for footy (watched Norwich as a hoof) he started going to The Valley with my grandfather a supporter since the early 20,s. So it was only natural as an Eltham boy to follow in his footsteps.
    Dads 89 and still a season ticket holder. At school most kids were Spurs Arsenal and Millwall but I was never going to change.
  • I was a Liverpool supporter Glory Hunter until about 8 years old when I started going to The Valley first with a neighbour then regularly with a family member and I've never looked back.





    Bastards!
  • I was a Liverpool supporter Glory Hunter until about 8 years old when I started going to The Valley first with a neighbour then regularly with a family member and I've never looked back.





    Bastards!

    Thanks !
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  • No choice. Four older brothers, uncles, father all saw to that.

    Did however give my two kids the choice when they were six months old, they too chose Charlton.

  • Father, uncles, brother, cousins all Hammers. Grew up in East Ham when the school was 80% Hammers 19.99% whoever had won the league that year and me plus one other Addick who wasn't that into football.

    God bless you grandad!
  • In 1979 I was nine and cried when Arsenal beat Manchester United in the FA Cup. Then I grew up.
  • I was an Arsenal fan as a boy, then my Grandad started taking me to The Valley and got me hooked.
  • Bizarrely I was a Newcastle supporter when I was young (no idea why, maybe I just like stripes)

    Hence my first trips to the Valley would have been to see them rather than Charlton!
  • I could and probably should be Millwall.

    Thankfully my old man had the nous and good grace uprise from the bedlam around him and spend Saturdays in the posh end of South London!

    ;-)
  • Went to Millwall for my first match. I think it was the first match where Aldridge and Rush scored together. I've been to lots of Millwall matches. Born in Barking, all my family are West Ham fans, my Uncle played for West Ham turned down a pro contract: Older than Bobby Moore, but played with him, he and his friends who'd been offered pro contracts were asked by Bobby Moore's parents if he'dmake it as a pro.... most of them said a definite No......

    But none of my family went to football. We moved to Medway. I hated Gillingham at first match bar Gavin Peacock. My friends went to Welling as no one would go to Selhurst: Great days. We started playing at Upton Park and I became a Charlton fan. I still went to Upton Park until a few seasons ago. Used to think occasionally I wished I'd chosen West Ham, then I'd go to Upton Park. They have more great players, and back in the day their fans were also one with pathos, now they seem to think that without winning anything they're as entitled as Arsenal fans.
  • Old man and his family are all millwall so all cousins etc, started life out as a Man U fan, idolised giggsy, but then when I was about 12/13 a next door neighbour used to take me to charlton games and that was it been hooked ever since
  • Old man was Fulham , grandad Arsenal and from North London old man moved to South London met mum at the Yorkshire Grey (she was a Paddy living in Eltham whose brothers supported Man Utd , Everton and one of em Charlton cos he'd lived in Eltham for a bit ) .
    Dad wasn't die hard Fulham fan and took me to Charlton our local team and it was the start of misery and the odd sprinkle of joy for me and my sisters (they flirted with Liverpool but I brainwashed them as they got older)
    My sons live in Epping and it's all West Ham and Tottenham, they have no freedom of choice they are Charlton and will be extradited if they try and support anyone else .
  • My dad got me into football aged 9 in 1986... World Cup year...

    I asked him who our club team was. He told me Charlton was the family team

    But

    I grew up down Pompey way... so big pressure there. Plenty of 80s Liverpool kids, too.

    Was always Charlton for me in the end, though
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  • I was born in Erith my first every game was at the Valley in 1975...but all my mates were Arsenal fans,so i went to Highbury a few times with them,but it didn't feel right..so...
  • edited May 2017
    My dad lived in Whetstone, North London & supported Spurs. He married my mum who lived In Blackheath & moved to Blackheath.

    He took me to Spurs when I was about 5. I remember Greaves, Gilzean, Chivers, Perryman, England, Jennings et al.

    It was too much of a struggle taking a young kid by public transport & the large crowds (he said), so he started taking me to Charlton.

    I love Charlton and have a soft spot for Spurs.

    My dad always used to go on about the double team & was convinced they would win the league every year.

    They never did and he died in 2008.
  • 1974 World Cup. The Dutch. Johan Cruyff. I fell in love with the beautiful game. Dad I said take me to a game. Ok son, no discussion, no debate. The Valley was where he took me. He was a lapsed Addick (young kids, no money, we were shit), and I was the excuse he was looking for for a Saturday afternoon at the footie with a few pints to meet old mates..
  • I could easily have been a Chelsea fan. My family were not really football fans but my granddad asked some friends to take me to Chelsea in 1965. I was treated to an uninspiring 0-0 draw against Man City at Stamford Bridge and never went to another game until 1968 when a next door neighbour asked if I wanted to go to football with him and his son, a good friend at the time. I can't even remember which game it was as at the end of that 67-68 season, the great 68-69 campaign and into 1970 I went to most home games.

    But the Chelsea connection returned as my neighbour moved to be replaced by new family who were Chelsea fans and I started to go with them, and the Chelsea team of the early 70s, Osgood, Hudson, Hutchinson, Webb, Cooke, Harris, Bonetti and more were names that are remembered to this day.

    I lost interest in football in the late 70s, early 80s, visiting The Valley and Dulwich Hamlet a few times (not Stamford Bridge!) and it was surprisingly the last game at The Valley that revitalised my interest and I became a regular at Selhurst, Upton Park, then the return "home". I can't believe I was so close to being a supporter of the current Premier League champions.
  • Born in Charlton to a Charlton family. Never really considered any other team until Roland came along.
  • First Game I went to was a West Ham one. I spend the first 4 or 5 years of my footballing life going with my Dad to Charlton one week and with my Grandad to West Ham the next.

    Still have a soft spot for West Ham.



  • I was brought up living with my mum and grandparents.

    The first three months being on this planet was in Rainham, Kent. My grandad was then relocated with the civil service and was given the choice of Catford or Bath, he chose Catford.

    I would have ended up a Bristol Rovers fan if he had chose Bath.
  • Was a gooner as a kid, due to dads family, hero worshipped Charlie George, went my own way when I really got into football and started going with mates to the Valley 79/80
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Roland Out Forever!