Was travelling in Australia at the time....made the missus stay an extra week in Cairns as wasn't sure we would be able to see it any further north...watched it in a bar, was all good until half time of extra time......
Advert break....
"And Tongiht on Channel 9 News....
The Aussie that was eaten by a shark... The Aussie the hit his hand with a hammer... The Aussie that saves a penalty and gets Charlton into the Permiership......" (And shows Sasha saving the pen)
Bizarre - Only in Australia, still had the 2nd half of extra time to go...
Still remember the feeling, phoned home, got v drunk celebrating...
Me, living in Hong Kong and too late, i lived out on an island so getting home would have been no good as didnt know any charlton fans to come with me on a school night. didnt listen either, wasnt a proper fan then. :-)
found out next day and then spent a fortune buying up all the tabloids two days later.
We were in Spain on holiday in Mrs G's family villa. Couldn't say I was a fan at all back then but the father in law was. Good news...the villa had a Sky box. Bad news...had no card. Good news...could still get the sound and thankfully the commentary was excellent!!
It was my 29th birthday and there was I with my son who was then 2 and my 11 year old nephew, crouched in front of a blank screen, listening intently and getting thoroughly pickled, jumping and screaming seemingly constantly...the kids thought I was completely barking mad.
As soon as Sasa made THAT save, I went beserk, jumped up, grabbed the kids and legged it round to the supermarket where the rest of the family was buying the food for that evening's birthday dinner. As we got to the door, we toned it right down and calmly strolled into the shop, looking for the folks. When they clocked us they were desperate to know what happened but we just ambled down the aisle with the air of defeat and they bought it...until I screamed at the top of my voice and started running around like a nutter
There we were, all 6 of us, jumping around and cheering while the locals wondered what the hell was going on!
It didn't come close to being there, but it was still a day I'll remember for the rest of my life.
[cite]Posted By: C_f_W[/cite]We were in Spain on holiday in Mrs G's family villa. Good news...it had a Sky box. Bad news...had no card. Good news...could still get the sound and thankfully the commentary was excellent!!
It was my 29th birthday and there was I with my son who was then 2 and my 11 year old nephew, crouched in front of a blank screen, listening intently and getting thoroughly pickled, jumping and screaming seemingly constantly...they thought I was completely barking mad.
As soon as Sasa made THAT save, I went beserk, jumped up, grabbed the kids and legged it round to the supermarket where the rest of the family was buying the food for that evening's birthday dinner. As we got to the door, we toned it right down and calmly strolled into the shop, looking for the folks. When they clocked us they were desperate to know what happened but we just ambled down the aisle with the air of defeat and they bought it...until I screamed at the top of my voice and started running around like a nutter
There we were, all 6 of us, jumping around and cheering while the locals wondered what the hell was going on!
It didn't come close to being there, but it was still a day I'll remember for the rest of my life.
that story has almost got me for some unknown reason...
On a School German exchange trip, went to plenty of away games that season, including the Swindon soaking. I was certain that we were going to lose so wasn't too fussed.
The 97/98 season was a turning point in life whereupon I decided to see a lot more of Charlton than the 6-7 games I usually managed a season. All in all I went to 25 games about 18 of which were away games and always phoned the ticket office to get a ticket, ah they said it is you from Burton Latimer (small place in Northants) so was a regular caller.
So we get to the final, didn't have an ST and sadly didn't have contacts to get. The club maintianed that tickets would only be sold to personal callers when a final batch became generally available and alas given time and distance I could not visit teh ground or have one sent over the phone even though they knew the regular caller fom BL.
So I sat at home irritated as hell. Watched the game and obviously became ever more engrossed. Ms Lat who was not into football at that time though shortly did following on from that day stood incredibly amused at the antics of her dad going absolutely ape not only in the house but charging around outside our house demented and overjoyed.
From that day I vowed to get an ST join VG and from 2001 have rarely missed a game home and away
Two of the greatest games for Charlton have unfortunately coincided with really bad moments in my life, so both days are etched in my mind for the wrong reasons. The return to the Valley was as my first marriage was breaking down, and my career change was going off the rails. It was all falling apart, and the only way to resolve it was to work solidly for two weeks flat out and disregard everything else. It did the trick, probably one of the worse times of my life, but I guess I probably came away stronger for it. And the play off final was another seriously low ebb for reasons I won't go into on here, but sometimes life gets in the way of stuff you want to do but you just have to go with it. But I owe Charlton and football a lot, at various times in my life it has made all the difference, so my view is if you can put a bit back in whatever way you can, like lots of people did the other day, then you should. And I love hearing the accounts of people who were there for those games, must have been great, just wish I had been there too.
I wasn't there, because I spent most of the 1990s spending what money I had following music rather than football.
So I watched it in Hardys Freehouse in Greenwich, watching tears fall down people's faces. And then heard people drive around Greenwich, tooting their horns for Charlton, something I never, ever I thought I'd ever hear.
And I probably won't hear it again, because hopefully I'll be at the match the next time we do something like that. But I hope others hear it again, and think, "yeah, I fancy being a part of that..."
[cite]Posted By: 3blokes[/cite]Two of the greatest games for Charlton have unfortunately coincided with really bad moments in my life, so both days are etched in my mind for the wrong reasons.
The return to the Valley was as my first marriage was breaking down, and my career change was going off the rails. It was all falling apart, and the only way to resolve it was to work solidly for two weeks flat out and disregard everything else.
It did the trick, probably one of the worse times of my life, but I guess I probably came away stronger for it.
And the play off final was another seriously low ebb for reasons I won't go into on here, but sometimes life gets in the way of stuff you want to do but you just have to go with it.
But I owe Charlton and football a lot, at various times in my life it has made all the difference, so my view is if you can put a bit back in whatever way you can, like lots of people did the other day, then you should.
And I love hearing the accounts of people who were there for those games, must have been great, just wish I had been there too.
Being or not being at any of these games doesn't make you more or less of a true Charlton fan. We all know in our hearts where Charlton come in our pecking order. I don't know a lot about you 3blokes, but enough to know you are 100% Charlton. Hope things are rosey in your garden now.
Many more rivers for us all to cross yet mate. Just keep things in perspective. You, your family and your health must come first, Charlton will always be there now, thanks to us. (everyone, new or old).
Missing the play-off final started nine months earlier. No, its not what you think. When our two families got together in 1996 we sort of came to an agreement that we set ourselves the challenge of a holiday in Florida. So, having checked the end of season date (all six of us were ST holders) and ensuring the four children did not have too much time off school we booked it for 11 to 26 May 1998. Never gave it a minutes thought that the play-offs were a possibility.
As our new house extension started the day we left for Florida the SF had to be watched in a break from packing up a house and suitcases. Luckily Epcot had internet terminals so we eventually found out the SF second leg score (I must have stood for an hour pressing the refresh button !). We also gave the good news to some other Addicks who went away skipping.
So to the big day, at Kennedy Space Centre. It was a long, long day. A bus driver thought we were representing a team, Norwich and Palace (yes) fans wished us luck. In fact, the Palace fan said he knew how we were feeling just about the same the time Sasa made the save.
We thought that of all place KSC would have internet available – no. So there we were, in our CAFC shirts, eating an ice cream in the exit courtyard. We then noticed, across the other side of the courtyard, a family wearing red and white stripped shirts. They were looking across at us as we looked at them. We didn’t know the score but did they. Dare we go and ask ? Eventually on of our daughters plucked up courage. There she was, talking to them. Was she happy or sad. Difficult to tell. She came back …. and ….. they didn’t know either !
The journey back to the villa was spent going round the radio dial hoping to pick up a sports report. Realistically, that we were never going to get the score. So, back at the Villa, I put off phoning home – that would have been tempting fate. Eventually my wife persuaded me to phone my Dad. It was 1 am and I woke him up – he was so matter of fact – I had to drag it out him – “oh, we did alright – we won”. Like a fellow poster, I kept a deadpan face and tried to sound very downbeat as my wife was listening. I put the phone down a said I suppose we’ll have to tell the kids. So out to the pool we walked dejectedly. I slowly recounted the events (how I kept a straight face I’ll never know) until I got to the point “ .. and Ilic saved the penalty”. There was this, what seemed like, elongated pause as it sunk in, then everyone went mad …………..
[cite]Posted By: 3blokes[/cite]Two of the greatest games for Charlton have unfortunately coincided with really bad moments in my life, so both days are etched in my mind for the wrong reasons.
The return to the Valley was as my first marriage was breaking down, and my career change was going off the rails. It was all falling apart, and the only way to resolve it was to work solidly for two weeks flat out and disregard everything else.
It did the trick, probably one of the worse times of my life, but I guess I probably came away stronger for it.
And the play off final was another seriously low ebb for reasons I won't go into on here, but sometimes life gets in the way of stuff you want to do but you just have to go with it.
But I owe Charlton and football a lot, at various times in my life it has made all the difference, so my view is if you can put a bit back in whatever way you can, like lots of people did the other day, then you should.
And I love hearing the accounts of people who were there for those games, must have been great, just wish I had been there too.
Being or not being at any of these games doesn't make you more or less of a true Charlton fan. We all know in our hearts where Charlton come in our pecking order. I don't know a lot about you 3blokes, but enough to know you are 100% Charlton. Hope things are rosey in your garden now.
Many more rivers for us all to cross yet mate. Just keep things in perspective. You, your family and your health must come first, Charlton will always be there now, thanks to us. (everyone, new or old).
Have to say that this post, for me, sums up the community that is being a Charlton fan- lovely post Stone and echoed by many i'm sure! :-))
although I must admit I did only start to follow Charlton that season first game I saw was Reading? and we were on Holiday in Newcastle/Sunderland
whilst listening to the radio I was going beserk I think I had several sunderland fans wanting to lynch me as we got out of the car (I was also wearing my CAFC shirt grinning from ear to ear) and I havent looked back as a CAFC fan since :P:D
Comments
Advert break....
"And Tongiht on Channel 9 News....
The Aussie that was eaten by a shark...
The Aussie the hit his hand with a hammer...
The Aussie that saves a penalty and gets Charlton into the Permiership......" (And shows Sasha saving the pen)
Bizarre - Only in Australia, still had the 2nd half of extra time to go...
Still remember the feeling, phoned home, got v drunk celebrating...
found out next day and then spent a fortune buying up all the tabloids two days later.
It was my 29th birthday and there was I with my son who was then 2 and my 11 year old nephew, crouched in front of a blank screen, listening intently and getting thoroughly pickled, jumping and screaming seemingly constantly...the kids thought I was completely barking mad.
As soon as Sasa made THAT save, I went beserk, jumped up, grabbed the kids and legged it round to the supermarket where the rest of the family was buying the food for that evening's birthday dinner. As we got to the door, we toned it right down and calmly strolled into the shop, looking for the folks. When they clocked us they were desperate to know what happened but we just ambled down the aisle with the air of defeat and they bought it...until I screamed at the top of my voice and started running around like a nutter
There we were, all 6 of us, jumping around and cheering while the locals wondered what the hell was going on!
It didn't come close to being there, but it was still a day I'll remember for the rest of my life.
that story has almost got me for some unknown reason...
Its amazing how everybody's story is always so different !
So we get to the final, didn't have an ST and sadly didn't have contacts to get. The club maintianed that tickets would only be sold to personal callers when a final batch became generally available and alas given time and distance I could not visit teh ground or have one sent over the phone even though they knew the regular caller fom BL.
So I sat at home irritated as hell. Watched the game and obviously became ever more engrossed. Ms Lat who was not into football at that time though shortly did following on from that day stood incredibly amused at the antics of her dad going absolutely ape not only in the house but charging around outside our house demented and overjoyed.
From that day I vowed to get an ST join VG and from 2001 have rarely missed a game home and away
The return to the Valley was as my first marriage was breaking down, and my career change was going off the rails. It was all falling apart, and the only way to resolve it was to work solidly for two weeks flat out and disregard everything else.
It did the trick, probably one of the worse times of my life, but I guess I probably came away stronger for it.
And the play off final was another seriously low ebb for reasons I won't go into on here, but sometimes life gets in the way of stuff you want to do but you just have to go with it.
But I owe Charlton and football a lot, at various times in my life it has made all the difference, so my view is if you can put a bit back in whatever way you can, like lots of people did the other day, then you should.
And I love hearing the accounts of people who were there for those games, must have been great, just wish I had been there too.
So I watched it in Hardys Freehouse in Greenwich, watching tears fall down people's faces. And then heard people drive around Greenwich, tooting their horns for Charlton, something I never, ever I thought I'd ever hear.
And I probably won't hear it again, because hopefully I'll be at the match the next time we do something like that. But I hope others hear it again, and think, "yeah, I fancy being a part of that..."
Many more rivers for us all to cross yet mate. Just keep things in perspective. You, your family and your health must come first, Charlton will always be there now, thanks to us. (everyone, new or old).
Live love laugh and be happy eh ;)
As our new house extension started the day we left for Florida the SF had to be watched in a break from packing up a house and suitcases. Luckily Epcot had internet terminals so we eventually found out the SF second leg score (I must have stood for an hour pressing the refresh button !). We also gave the good news to some other Addicks who went away skipping.
So to the big day, at Kennedy Space Centre. It was a long, long day. A bus driver thought we were representing a team, Norwich and Palace (yes) fans wished us luck. In fact, the Palace fan said he knew how we were feeling just about the same the time Sasa made the save.
We thought that of all place KSC would have internet available – no. So there we were, in our CAFC shirts, eating an ice cream in the exit courtyard. We then noticed, across the other side of the courtyard, a family wearing red and white stripped shirts. They were looking across at us as we looked at them. We didn’t know the score but did they. Dare we go and ask ? Eventually on of our daughters plucked up courage. There she was, talking to them. Was she happy or sad. Difficult to tell. She came back …. and ….. they didn’t know either !
The journey back to the villa was spent going round the radio dial hoping to pick up a sports report. Realistically, that we were never going to get the score. So, back at the Villa, I put off phoning home – that would have been tempting fate. Eventually my wife persuaded me to phone my Dad. It was 1 am and I woke him up – he was so matter of fact – I had to drag it out him – “oh, we did alright – we won”. Like a fellow poster, I kept a deadpan face and tried to sound very downbeat as my wife was listening. I put the phone down a said I suppose we’ll have to tell the kids. So out to the pool we walked dejectedly. I slowly recounted the events (how I kept a straight face I’ll never know) until I got to the point “ .. and Ilic saved the penalty”. There was this, what seemed like, elongated pause as it sunk in, then everyone went mad …………..
Have to say that this post, for me, sums up the community that is being a Charlton fan- lovely post Stone and echoed by many i'm sure! :-))
Gutted
couldn't you have gone on your own then ?
although I must admit I did only start to follow Charlton that season first game I saw was Reading? and we were on Holiday in Newcastle/Sunderland
whilst listening to the radio I was going beserk I think I had several sunderland fans wanting to lynch me as we got out of the car (I was also wearing my CAFC shirt grinning from ear to ear) and I havent looked back as a CAFC fan since :P:D