My roll call of bad away games is FAR longer than my roll call of good away games! Just limiting it to 5 (so excluding defeats at the likes of Oldham, Stevenage, Colchester, Northampton)
1978, my very first game full stop. Taken by the Cubs to watch Orient vs Charlton. Abandoned at HT due to a waterlogged pitch when it w@se9addick 2007 Operation Ewood 2015 Watford 5-0 2016 Hull 6-0 2020 Huddersfield 4-0
Despite the absolute pummeling, we had a fun day. @se9addick and I had a post match drinking session in the local boozer owned by a Hull City fan. He wouldn't allow as to put our hand in our pockets. Possibly the most drunk I've ever been. To this day I have no idea how I made it back to the hotel.
Luton Town away, bloody freezing fell over getting out of the car. Snow piled up around the edge of the (plastic??) pitch. Hartson scored nothing else happened and it was bloody freezing.
Colchester away when we lost 3-0@ ? and Llera had his moments of madness, if he had been a boxer Im sure he had taking a dive.
Watford 0-5...the fans turned up, the team didn’t. I’ve seen us lose by more and watched it for the football and the day out then moved on but that was a fcking disgrace
Huddersfield 5-0 when Henderson was hung out to dry in front of the press as Fromage Carol was about to get the tin tac. This was followed four days later by a 6-0 drubbing at Hull starring the infamous Rhys Williams at CB in Riga’s first match of his second spell
I heard some stories about that game at Huddesfield. Especially Huddesfield players leaving the door open and laughing and joking about how bad Charlton were.
West Brom FA Cup 88/89. Had been chucking it down for 24hrs solid, got to Birmingham New Street and promptly frog marched on to a local service to West Brom. Old bill wouldn't let anyone deviate from their mission to ensure all away fans were treated like cattle, so no toilet breaks allowed(no toilets the trains). We got out at West Brom, it was still raining, and about a dozen Addicks found a wall to relieve themselves against and we're promptly arrested. What followed was the worst walk to a ground I've ever endured. Surrounded by bombed out houses, dead cats(saw at least 2), baton happy coppers and freezing cold rain. All to lose 1-0 and only memorable match moment...Andy Jones running off celebrating scoring only to see the ball stop in a puddle on the line. Match should never have been played. Only just over that experience now.
None that really offend too much from my first 15 odd years - many, many, many lowlights to choose from from the latter 15.
2006 - Chesterfield away league cup under that tosser Dowie - think we won on pens, and quite enjoyed the day out, but it was a dire showing against a lower division team and stands out to me in hindsight as a realisation we were at the beginning of the end (although I never imagined how low we were heading).
2009 - Wednesday 1-4 - the last loss in what I think remains our club record winless run. Freezing and the future leaked particularly bleak and hopeless.
2010 - scum 0-4 - no words
2011 - Dagenham 0-2 - all time low. I’ve been to a hell of a lot of miserable places up north as well - Dagenham is right up there with some of those shitholes.
2015 - Watford 0-5 - Luzon, Meire.
Special mention in general to Gills and Wimbledon who, alongside Millwall, despite being easy local trips with relatively appealing pre and post match drinking involved, always manage to be incredibly unenjoyable experiences, even if we don’t lose.
Forgot about that Dagenham game Went on the coach that couldn't find the ground stopped to get directions from the Polish car wash!!only time I've witnessed our own fans fighting each other Thought we scored a goal though came of nobles arse? Or am I think of another shocker at Dagenham
That Bury defeat on the opening day of the season was a shocker.
Indeed it was. I am sure Pearce dragged someone down as he does to give away a pen, and can't recall his name, but the centre half telling us to f off if we didn't like it, as we were walking out.
Roger 'effing' Johnson. Saw him at Bromley a couple of seasons ago, his vocabulary was no better that night.
Too many to mention i think over the years but these ones stand out for me:
Millwall 4-0 Watford 5-0 Sheff Utd quarter final West ham on boxing day one year in the PL 5-0 Losing at Gillingham in the FA Cup third round annoyed me. Even when doing well in the PL (as we were at the time) we were still utter shit in the cup. Dagenham in the FA Cup was so boring i almost fell asleep standing up
Yeovil on boxing day was one of my favourites but that day was about the coldest I remember being at a football ground ever. Hillsborough runs it close and Sheffield is always cold even in July
After they finally gave us 4000 tickets in the crappy corner, heard half our team was missing through injury as we qued to get in, a couple replaced by youth team boys Mark Tivvy and Jermaine Darlington. John Goodman had the ball down the side of our box with back to goal, Sweaty Balmer breathed on him and he fell over! Ref bottled it and awarded match winning 'penalty'... 0-1
Even worse was leading there 2-0 after 87 minutes and somehow drew 2-2.
Blackpool 0-1 midweek might have been Karl Robinson's last game in charge or one of them. They should have battered us out of sight and it took a last minute bad clearance from Amos out of goal for them to win it. Nothing like travelling home on the coach in the middle of the night reflecting how our season was rapidly falling apart. Probably a very depressing post match write up on the thread on here too!
A mention to the time we got stuffed 0-4 at Barnsley 96/97 when they got promoted that season.
Also a mention to the Wigan 1-2 with Nego, Reza, Thuram etc all playing. Can still remember looking at the scoreboard showing 91:30 played and us 1-0 up yet still managing to lose it from that point! From thinking we'd somehow fluked a win to the feeling of the expected pre match loss within minutes.
I was at the Blackpool game. The game was shit, the locals were very friendly before the game.
After the Sheffield Utd cup game, @TelMc32 & I were in the players lounge as our mate was the Sheff U MD, watched the cup draw for the semifinal & all their players going mad and cheering, god it was sickening, made even worse a couple of days later when Powell was sacked.
The first was a Boxing Day game away to Wimbledon in 1989. This was supposedly a top division game but Plough lane was essentially a non-league ground and Wimbledon essentially played non-league football. However their version of hoof ball was enough to cower and bully Charlton. I doubt we managed to string more than three consecutive passes together all game. This was park football masquerading as a professional game.
The second was the quarter final was Sheffield United in 2014. Unlike the previous example this was played in an excellent stadium in front of a capacity crowd, including a huge turnout of Charlton fans. However it was Charlton’s turn to play non-league and a very low level of non league football at that. We were totally outplayed by a team stuck in the middle of the division below us. Our best chance of us reaching a FA Cup semi-final in my 55 years of supporting Charlton was thrown away on terrible team selection, shocking tactics and a club beginning to ripped apart by awful ownership.
Favourite memory of that match was when the brains trust behind the goal started singing “we pay your benefits” at the Northwich fans. There was a chatty steward who turned to us and said “we’ve got the highest earnings per annum outside the south east, actually”.
Oh, and Witton Albion cashing in by encouraging Charlton fans to use their bar and car park just across the river.
Bit of a last hurrah for the Vics, that, the ground’s gone now and the club ended up splitting.
Cant remember if mentioned but boro away in quarter final. Took the coach, it was long, lost miserably, got thrown stones at by the kids, and all night bus home, very gassy from all the pork pies and beer.
Somebody will remember this, my memory is sketchy. Everton away midweek maybe 88. Lost 2-0, or 2-1 but we're never in it. Somebody got slashed across the face and neck coming out the ground and some of us ended up in a police van getting a lift to the station.
Cant remember if mentioned but boro away in quarter final. Took the coach, it was long, lost miserably, got thrown stones at by the kids, and all night bus home, very gassy from all the pork pies and beer.
That was a bad performance but I jumped on the plane, and was home alarmingly quickly seeing as Middlesborough is essentially a European game with the time spent on a coach. And swapped numbers with a very scummy but attractive Middlesborough female fan before the game
Russell Slade's last game , a 3-0 loss at Swindon with Crofts , Foley and Jackson as our midfield was grim . Surprised at what a shithole Swindon was .
Favourite memory of that match was when the brains trust behind the goal started singing “we pay your benefits” at the Northwich fans. There was a chatty steward who turned to us and said “we’ve got the highest earnings per annum outside the south east, actually”.
Oh, and Witton Albion cashing in by encouraging Charlton fans to use their bar and car park just across the river.
Bit of a last hurrah for the Vics, that, the ground’s gone now and the club ended up splitting.
Late to the party, and I'll out 3Blokes as well. We were there. Shocking. Large was there with his mum too.
I remember Addickted asking Witton Albion if they'd put a jacuzzi on the roof of their clubhouse if we agreed to watch from there.
Premier league relegation season losing 2-0 away to League 1 Notts Forest - Hasselbaink wanting every pass to his feet and not prepared to make any runs and moaning throughout the match, one of their goals was from a corner at the away end and before the kick was taken zero marking, free men queuing up to get a free shot on target - utterly depressing performance . April 1995 Burnley 2 Charlton 0 - wasting two days leave by having gone to the original game midweek only for it to be rained off at around 6.30,then the rearranged game also midweek was simply terrible Burnley 7 Charlton 1 1983 - two sendings off, and my memory is that Simonsen was through one on one with their keeper twice with the score at 0-0 but didnt score Dagenham away defeat was also a low point, terrible atmosphere in the away end
Millwall 4-0 Went with Horseworrier and his wife and daughter. Hated the drive back, and then the Herbert from post match drinks. I must admit he didn’t go too over the top.
1. Swindon 0-5 (just plain miserable) 2. Colchester 0-3 (League game years ago) 3. Southend 0-1 (O'Kane sent off) 4. Millwall 2-3 (two late goals) 5. Portsmouth 0-3 (not sure if that was the correct score - horrible game
Have forgoten 3 of those games,but Portsmouth away over Christmas lose 4-0 Tony Lange not his fault.
Dagenham 2-1 has to be tops with me. Somehow managed up in with the home players after the game. Also had a good long conversation with Christain Dailly.
Nottingham Forest first away game in div 1 tuesday evening pissing down with rain lose 4-0.
Portsmouth as above over christmas lose 4-0.
Man Utd as a game, league cup lose 5-1. Forget the 90mins Great Day OUT ,.
1. Swindon 0-5 (just plain miserable) 2. Colchester 0-3 (League game years ago) 3. Southend 0-1 (O'Kane sent off) 4. Millwall 2-3 (two late goals) 5. Portsmouth 0-3 (not sure if that was the correct score - horrible game
Have forgoten 3 of those games,but Portsmouth away over Christmas lose 4-0 Tony Lange not his fault.
Dagenham 2-1 has to be tops with me. Somehow managed up in with the home players after the game. Also had a good long conversation with Christain Dailly.
Nottingham Forest first away game in div 1 tuesday evening pissing down with rain lose 4-0.
Portsmouth as above over christmas lose 4-0.
Man Utd as a game, league cup lose 5-1. Forget the 90mins Great Day OUT ,.
Norwich lose 5-0 over easter .
Forgot the 5-1 defeat at Old Trafford back in 1974. Started at a pub in Eltham High Street, 30 or so Covered Enders, mixture of Cherry Orchard, Middle Park and Blackheath.
We’d hired a coach but when they found out we were going to football, they cancelled on us. Quick rush across London to Euston where we all managed to get a train.
Arrived in Manchester and we got the train to near the ground. Wandering around on the concourse outside and then about 20 of us got a ticket into the Paddock, the rest going elsewhere in the ground.
We scored in the first few minutes and were immediately surrounded by a group of ManU, one of whom opened his jacket, and showed a knife. None of us were strangers to away game ‘shenanigans’ but that was a step too far, so we hopped on the edge of the pitch and moved closer to the Stretford End where we were left relatively alone because we then conceded five goals.
End of the game, quite a few ManU made themselves known and promised us a reception outside. Decided to err on the side of judgement and waited a few minutes ... eventually the OB told us we had to leave by which time there were about a dozen or so of us. We got back to Manchester Piccadilly with no problem and then found ourselves confronted by a large group of ManU ... realising all we could do was face it out, we stood there waiting ... one of them went straight up to Jimmy Jarrett, said we had some bottle for not running, and we spent the next half hour chatting to them before our train was ready.
By the time we got back to Charlton, people were already on their way to work ... I decided to have the day off
And I think an honourable mention to the 5-0 tonking at West Ham on Boxing Day 2000
That's the one I immediately think of. Had to get up early because it was an early kick off, and it was absolutely bloody freezing despite having tights on under my jeans and 2 pairs of socks on. We were practically at the front behind the goal, so were virtually at eye-level with the pitch, which made working out WTF was going on down the other end pretty difficult, and wayward shots down our end something of a hazard. The bloke next to me left at half time when we were 3-0 down, and although I never leave early as a matter of principle, I was very tempted that day.
So many to choose from and many have been mentioned previously for me though I would go with,
May 89 Luton 5-2 vital relegation battle got tickets, and as no ‘Away’ fans was surround by fans in boaters and we were 4 down at half time. They took pity on us in the end.
Bolton, Sheff Utd and Middlesborough quarter finals.
Millwall 4-0 wife’s family loved it and have to put up with it every time we play them.
Watford 5-0
Hull 6-0
Doncaster 3-0 Midweek shocking performance
there’s plenty more.
Problem is I am a terrible loser, not a good trait as a Charlton fan.
Comments
Colchester away when we lost 3-0@ ? and Llera had his moments of madness, if he had been a boxer Im sure he had taking a dive.
Went on the coach that couldn't find the ground stopped to get directions from the Polish car wash!!only time I've witnessed our own fans fighting each other
Thought we scored a goal though came of nobles arse? Or am I think of another shocker at Dagenham
Millwall 4-0
Watford 5-0
Sheff Utd quarter final
West ham on boxing day one year in the PL 5-0
Losing at Gillingham in the FA Cup third round annoyed me. Even when doing well in the PL (as we were at the time) we were still utter shit in the cup.
Dagenham in the FA Cup was so boring i almost fell asleep standing up
After they finally gave us 4000 tickets in the crappy corner, heard half our team was missing through injury as we qued to get in, a couple replaced by youth team boys Mark Tivvy and Jermaine Darlington. John Goodman had the ball down the side of our box with back to goal, Sweaty Balmer breathed on him and he fell over! Ref bottled it and awarded match winning 'penalty'... 0-1
Even worse was leading there 2-0 after 87 minutes and somehow drew 2-2.
The first was a Boxing Day game away to Wimbledon in 1989. This was supposedly a top division game but Plough lane was essentially a non-league ground and Wimbledon essentially played non-league football. However their version of hoof ball was enough to cower and bully Charlton. I doubt we managed to string more than three consecutive passes together all game. This was park football masquerading as a professional game.
Favourite memory of that match was when the brains trust behind the goal started singing “we pay your benefits” at the Northwich fans. There was a chatty steward who turned to us and said “we’ve got the highest earnings per annum outside the south east, actually”.
Oh, and Witton Albion cashing in by encouraging Charlton fans to use their bar and car park just across the river.
Bit of a last hurrah for the Vics, that, the ground’s gone now and the club ended up splitting.
April 1995 Burnley 2 Charlton 0 - wasting two days leave by having gone to the original game midweek only for it to be rained off at around 6.30,then the rearranged game also midweek was simply terrible
Burnley 7 Charlton 1 1983 - two sendings off, and my memory is that Simonsen was through one on one with their keeper twice with the score at 0-0 but didnt score
Dagenham away defeat was also a low point, terrible atmosphere in the away end
May 89 Luton 5-2 vital relegation battle got tickets, and as no ‘Away’ fans was surround by fans in boaters and we were 4 down at half time. They took pity on us in the end.
Bolton, Sheff Utd and Middlesborough quarter finals.
Millwall 4-0 wife’s family loved it and have to put up with it every time we play them.
Hull 6-0
Doncaster 3-0 Midweek shocking performance
there’s plenty more.