5-3 against Blackpool. A depressing away day with the wind blowing a gale and sat on exposed wooden benches. I remember our fans abusing Paul Dickov and we were literally on top of the players.
Plenty of others...
Stayed at the same hotel as the aloof players, coldest game Ive ever sat through wearing fibe layers of clothing I was still cold to the bone.
Pardew doing his look at me repotoire at breakfast....maximum allocation of 1800 fans due to Pardew asking for better away support and we had to put up with a crap performance. Dickov loved every minute of it, winding everyone up. At least half our fans must have left at half time....dire performance by Charlton on and off the pitch.
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.
I wasnt there but met the bloke who got slashed on many occasions. The scar on his neck was very nasty.....Surprised he survived really. Used to bump into him everywhere but not seen him now for about 20 years.
Reading pre-season friendly back in 70's ... trouble with locals from the moment our train arrived ... running fights in the street, at least 20% of us never even made it to the ground due to being stopped by the police
It didnt get any better after the game either.
What was the thing with Reading? It always seemed a bit fruity in the mid 90's over there.
Not sure really. In the 70's they had some huge Black Fella's in their mob who were pretty useful. Im sure I read somewhere that Millwall have had some real tear ups with Reading, maybe not one of the most infamous mobs but memorable in as much as you had to be careful back in the bad old days.
That Watford 5-0 game sticks in the memory. Was just reminicing with @yanntheman about it yesterday. It was quite symbolic too as was the first game I was at where there was a lot of visible anger towards the ownership and RD at the time, i guess when I fully realised we were totally f*cked. 6 years later, things are finally looking up
While it was a terrible performance, and clearly there was a lot of unhappiness towards Roland and Katrien, we were still relatively safe in the table and there were still good moments later that season. Indeed we finished 12th while Millwall were relegated, and played some decent stuff under Luzon with Bulot and Watt making an impact.
It was Karel Fraeye which destroyed any faith most of us had in the regime. Was the Colchester, Huddersfield, Hull week the worst ever 8 days on the field in the club's history?
Hmm. Would disagree there, Fraeye was the final nail in the coffin. Watford probably wasn't even the beginning of the end with hindsight but it felt like it was at the time. My faith in Roland and KM was certainly diminished before Fraeye and I would argue I am not in a minority there. Easier to say now looking back I guess.
21 years ago this week, away to Bolton in the quarter finals of the FA Cup.
A rare cup run under Curbs and with the semi finals being played at Wembley before they pulled it down later that year, I was convinced, absolutely convinced we were heading back to the twin towers.
We just didn’t show up, even though they went down to 10 men. Jensen ran the game for them that day.
I took an ex girlfriend for a Valentines weekend away, we stayed in some crappy hotel just off a motorway (last of the romantics) - I was gutted and miserable that night, no romance for her!
Was there that day and on a par with Sheff Utd away in the cup, we were crap until the last 10 mins when we peppered them, how their keeper (who was lying on the ground) saved from Robinson who was a couple of yards out in the last minute I will never know.
Of course 0-4 at the toolbox. 'Let 'em come' over the fucking tannoy again and again. Walked out after the third in utter disgust (I think the first time I'd *ever* left early in a game). Then of course locked in. Phoning my manager at work in the middle of all that to tell him I'd be late! There was at least an element of morbid humour during the hokey-cokey and nicking the copper's helmet. Awful humiliation though really.
Blackpool 5 Charlton 3: Basically standing in scaffolding along the side of the pitch. If you needed a piss you had to walk right down to the front and along the whole length of the pitch. Abysmal performance on the pitch itself. We'd moved up the other end of the pitch next to the home end for the second half. Their fans ripping the shit out of all CAFC doing the walk of shame and leaving early. Then a huge chant going up of "WHO'S THE WANKER, WHO'S THE WANKER, WHO'S THE WANKER IN THE GREEN?" - and looking around and to my horror realising I was the only bloke left in our stand wearing a green coat!! Fuck me, what a fun day out!
That Watford 5-0 game sticks in the memory. Was just reminicing with @yanntheman about it yesterday. It was quite symbolic too as was the first game I was at where there was a lot of visible anger towards the ownership and RD at the time, i guess when I fully realised we were totally f*cked. 6 years later, things are finally looking up
While it was a terrible performance, and clearly there was a lot of unhappiness towards Roland and Katrien, we were still relatively safe in the table and there were still good moments later that season. Indeed we finished 12th while Millwall were relegated, and played some decent stuff under Luzon with Bulot and Watt making an impact.
It was Karel Fraeye which destroyed any faith most of us had in the regime. Was the Colchester, Huddersfield, Hull week the worst ever 8 days on the field in the club's history?
Hmm. Would disagree there, Fraeye was the final nail in the coffin. Watford probably wasn't even the beginning of the end with hindsight but it felt like it was at the time. My faith in Roland and KM was certainly diminished before Fraeye and I would argue I am not in a minority there. Easier to say now looking back I guess.
Guy Luzon was appointed in January 2015. The Supporters Trust organised a public meeting in February 2015 due to the level of concern amongst supporters about the way that the club was being run. 13 months after the takeover, Roland had already presided over 4 managers, and the list of "incidents" was already lengthy. Luzon was appointed as "our Alex Ferguson" after our bone idle CEO claimed to have interviewed 20 candidates in just over 24 hours.
I can't believe that anyone was still clinging to the idea that Roland might not be a total disaster by the time Fraeye arrived. He lost me when he sacked Chris Powell.
The 4-0 at the Toolbox was horrendous. However, it was our first visit there for years, we arrived with hope, it was quite a warm day, and the disappointment and anger at least had some sort of novelty value.
The last visit was worse for me. I'd guess it's probably a bit like getting sent to prison for the second/third/fourth time - you know it's going to be awful and there's absolutely nothing you can do but endure it. It was cold and wet, and I remember the tannoy announcer saying that anyone wanting to leave without being held back at the end needed to leave by no later than the 65th minute. We got a fair bit of notice about that and, knowing that defeat was a formality, there was a part of me hoping they'd sew up their inevitable victory quickly so I could at least get home on time. But they didn't, and you can't leave when it's 1-1, even if you know what's coming, so I stood and waited for their predictable stoppage time winner, and then stood in the cold and wet for an age afterwards (is an hour really necessary?). Can't remember, but I presume our numpties had smashed up the toilets as well.
Horrible. And I might have to endure it another 20 or 30 times before I pop my clogs as well.
In my 55 years of supporting Charlton, I have only been to three away games and they all feature on here! Boxing Day 1998 away v Wimbledon - I remember Redfearn scoring in the first half and the ball rebounded out the goal so quickly that it was only when the players started celebrating we realised it had gone in. Sheffield Utd in the cup quarter final; left Maidstone on the coach around 5.30 am. At the motorway services, I went straight for breakfast as there was no queue. My neighbour went to the loo first; by the time he came out, we were being chased back onto the bus so no food for him. Got to the ground and were hustled straight into the ground, only to find no food there either. Stopped on the way back; were told not enough time to eat, so grabbed sandwiches and that was it. Sitting in the coach on a glorious afternoon, hungry, bored and fed up, so called the wife to see how she was. Fine she said - she and younger daughter were sitting in the pub garden, enjoying a drink after a roast dinner...Third was MK away, only the third game the wife has seen and we have won every time. She did not appreciate my suggestion that she should get a season ticket, sadly.
That Watford 5-0 game sticks in the memory. Was just reminicing with @yanntheman about it yesterday. It was quite symbolic too as was the first game I was at where there was a lot of visible anger towards the ownership and RD at the time, i guess when I fully realised we were totally f*cked. 6 years later, things are finally looking up
While it was a terrible performance, and clearly there was a lot of unhappiness towards Roland and Katrien, we were still relatively safe in the table and there were still good moments later that season. Indeed we finished 12th while Millwall were relegated, and played some decent stuff under Luzon with Bulot and Watt making an impact.
It was Karel Fraeye which destroyed any faith most of us had in the regime. Was the Colchester, Huddersfield, Hull week the worst ever 8 days on the field in the club's history?
Hmm. Would disagree there, Fraeye was the final nail in the coffin. Watford probably wasn't even the beginning of the end with hindsight but it felt like it was at the time. My faith in Roland and KM was certainly diminished before Fraeye and I would argue I am not in a minority there. Easier to say now looking back I guess.
Fraeye was the biggest insult thrown at us by the Belgians. I would argue he must have been the least qualified Manager we have EVER had.
That Watford 5-0 game sticks in the memory. Was just reminicing with @yanntheman about it yesterday. It was quite symbolic too as was the first game I was at where there was a lot of visible anger towards the ownership and RD at the time, i guess when I fully realised we were totally f*cked. 6 years later, things are finally looking up
While it was a terrible performance, and clearly there was a lot of unhappiness towards Roland and Katrien, we were still relatively safe in the table and there were still good moments later that season. Indeed we finished 12th while Millwall were relegated, and played some decent stuff under Luzon with Bulot and Watt making an impact.
It was Karel Fraeye which destroyed any faith most of us had in the regime. Was the Colchester, Huddersfield, Hull week the worst ever 8 days on the field in the club's history?
Hmm. Would disagree there, Fraeye was the final nail in the coffin. Watford probably wasn't even the beginning of the end with hindsight but it felt like it was at the time. My faith in Roland and KM was certainly diminished before Fraeye and I would argue I am not in a minority there. Easier to say now looking back I guess.
Fraeye was the biggest insult thrown at us by the Belgians. I would argue he must have been the least qualified Manager we have EVER had.
Watford 5-0 Sheff Utd in the cup... then getting a call at 7am the next day to turn on SSN to see Chris Powell was sacked. Called in sick that morning although I was more sickened than sick. Boro away 2019, one of the worst displays I've ever seen
That Watford 5-0 game sticks in the memory. Was just reminicing with @yanntheman about it yesterday. It was quite symbolic too as was the first game I was at where there was a lot of visible anger towards the ownership and RD at the time, i guess when I fully realised we were totally f*cked. 6 years later, things are finally looking up
I think this was in the time between Peters sacking and Luzon taking over. In fact Luzon would have been in charge for Watford but he couldnt get a work visa or something?
Only good thing about that was the ticket price, I think Watford were doing a January sale promotion, so it only cost £13 for an adult ticket in the away end!
Made it a bit easier for me to justify leaving early as soon as the fourth goal went in.
I'm quite lucky in that I haven't been to many away games in the last 20 years - my last away game outside of East Anglia (Wembley doesn't count as an "away" game in my eyes) was our first trip to St Mary's (another tick for the Charlton Athletic Charitable Trust ...).
I had only a few years of regular away trips (the old First Division days under the Archbishop of Croydon, RM Lawrence ... "St Lennie the Miraculous") but these ones stand out:
Boro - December 1988 ... match ended 0-0. Dull. Nothing happened. It was bloody cold. And my mate, who I would normally go to matches with, missed the coach from Bexleyheath so I had to suffer on my own. You bastard, Gavin.
Luton - May 1989 ... already been mentioned above. Lost 5-2. Managed to get tickets (Gavin redeemed himself) and was rewarded by a shit journey to a shit ground for a shit performance (you bastard Gavin, making me sit through that). The only plus point, when we finally scored a goal, was realising that we were sitting among quite a few Charlton fans.
Spanners - August 1989 ... crammed into the tiniest corner of the old Toolbox. 2-nil up, five to play ... well, we all know what happens from there.
Cardiff away on a Friday night 1967- Tees and Green just signed, Rod Green scored (i think) Tees didn't play - coach had prang, got to ground 30 mins late - we were 4-0 down and pulled one back in 2H - Guy called George Andrews pulled us apart ...
1983 Brighton 7 CAFC 0 .... tried to leave at half time but the police wouldn’t let us. Think it may have been 5-0 then so we had to endure the whole game. Seem to recall Jimmy Case running the show and netting a hat trick.
Plus it rained on us poor sods in the open terrace and, to crown it all, we were held in the ground until the home fans had left. My dad and I arrived 10 minutes after ko and it was already 2-0. This has to be as bad as it gets!
the millwall defeats should be given their own category although i'm not sure what that category would be called : ludicrous, painful, nauseating, laughable? i've been at every one if not on holiday or got something else i can't miss - luckily i was playing in a vets cup game the day of the 4-0 defeat but all the lot i normally go with were there - i find the mandatory single goal defeats unbearable so i'm just thankful i wasn't there - and made to stay til the end - for that one. Our day will come again and it will be sweet.
Cardiff away 31st December 1977. Dreadful game. Rained all day. Not a moment of excitement at either end. We lost 1-0 to a Les Berry own goal from a corner. The locals weren't very friendly either.
Cambridge Utd away 197x something or other. My parents followed the programme directions to the letter, dropped us off and drove to do some shopping. We walked up to the entrance only to realise the directions had taken us to Cambridge CITY. The grounds were miles apart and we missed 20 minutes.
That 7-0 Brighton game in 1983 was my first away game, watched from tbe home end as my Uncle who went with us supported Brighton. Hooked from that momemt on bizarrely.
That 7-0 Brighton game in 1983 was my first away game, watched from tbe home end as my Uncle who went with us supported Brighton. Hooked from that momemt on bizarrely.
You probably thought it was going to be that entertaining every week....
I think we lost 4-0 away to "Warsaw" in the 70s? One of the worst grounds ever. I was at the 7-0 Brighton defeat but at least it was a reasonable day out! Walsall is the proverbial s**t-hole. I have to agree though that the FA Cup defeat at Sheff U was the most disappointing There was clearly something wrong and we found out soon enough what it was!
Reading pre-season friendly back in 70's ... trouble with locals from the moment our train arrived ... running fights in the street, at least 20% of us never even made it to the ground due to being stopped by the police
Yep. We went by train but were put on the coach by the OB after for our own protection. I think the crowd was only about 1400.
I wish they’d put me on the coach that day. Got separated from the main group and five of us were attacked by about 50 of them. I was punched, kicked and battered to a pulp ending up in hospital and to cap it all the police tried to pin the pre-match stabbing of a Reading lad on me.
Comments
Pardew doing his look at me repotoire at breakfast....maximum allocation of 1800 fans due to Pardew asking for better away support and we had to put up with a crap performance. Dickov loved every minute of it, winding everyone up. At least half our fans must have left at half time....dire performance by Charlton on and off the pitch.
Then of course locked in. Phoning my manager at work in the middle of all that to tell him I'd be late! There was at least an element of morbid humour during the hokey-cokey and nicking the copper's helmet. Awful humiliation though really.
Blackpool 5 Charlton 3: Basically standing in scaffolding along the side of the pitch. If you needed a piss you had to walk right down to the front and along the whole length of the pitch. Abysmal performance on the pitch itself. We'd moved up the other end of the pitch next to the home end for the second half. Their fans ripping the shit out of all CAFC doing the walk of shame and leaving early. Then a huge chant going up of "WHO'S THE WANKER, WHO'S THE WANKER, WHO'S THE WANKER IN THE GREEN?" - and looking around and to my horror realising I was the only bloke left in our stand wearing a green coat!!
Northwich....embarrasing
Sheffield United....pathetic
I can't believe that anyone was still clinging to the idea that Roland might not be a total disaster by the time Fraeye arrived. He lost me when he sacked Chris Powell.
The last visit was worse for me. I'd guess it's probably a bit like getting sent to prison for the second/third/fourth time - you know it's going to be awful and there's absolutely nothing you can do but endure it. It was cold and wet, and I remember the tannoy announcer saying that anyone wanting to leave without being held back at the end needed to leave by no later than the 65th minute. We got a fair bit of notice about that and, knowing that defeat was a formality, there was a part of me hoping they'd sew up their inevitable victory quickly so I could at least get home on time. But they didn't, and you can't leave when it's 1-1, even if you know what's coming, so I stood and waited for their predictable stoppage time winner, and then stood in the cold and wet for an age afterwards (is an hour really necessary?). Can't remember, but I presume our numpties had smashed up the toilets as well.
Horrible. And I might have to endure it another 20 or 30 times before I pop my clogs as well.
I would argue he must have been the least qualified Manager we have EVER had.
Sheff Utd in the cup... then getting a call at 7am the next day to turn on SSN to see Chris Powell was sacked. Called in sick that morning although I was more sickened than sick.
Boro away 2019, one of the worst displays I've ever seen
Only good thing about that was the ticket price, I think Watford were doing a January sale promotion, so it only cost £13 for an adult ticket in the away end!
Made it a bit easier for me to justify leaving early as soon as the fourth goal went in.
I had only a few years of regular away trips (the old First Division days under the Archbishop of Croydon, RM Lawrence ... "St Lennie the Miraculous") but these ones stand out:
Boro - December 1988 ... match ended 0-0. Dull. Nothing happened. It was bloody cold. And my mate, who I would normally go to matches with, missed the coach from Bexleyheath so I had to suffer on my own. You bastard, Gavin.
Luton - May 1989 ... already been mentioned above. Lost 5-2. Managed to get tickets (Gavin redeemed himself) and was rewarded by a shit journey to a shit ground for a shit performance (you bastard Gavin, making me sit through that). The only plus point, when we finally scored a goal, was realising that we were sitting among quite a few Charlton fans.
Spanners - August 1989 ... crammed into the tiniest corner of the old Toolbox. 2-nil up, five to play ... well, we all know what happens from there.
Dreadful game. Rained all day. Not a moment of excitement at either end. We lost 1-0 to a Les Berry own goal from a corner.
The locals weren't very friendly either.
My parents followed the programme directions to the letter, dropped us off and drove to do some shopping.
We walked up to the entrance only to realise the directions had taken us to Cambridge CITY.
The grounds were miles apart and we missed 20 minutes.