Cos I wasn’t cnutish or hard enough to support the scum and wasn’t brought up in Bromley to support palace SE9 meant Charlton Athletic got the most knowledgeable away fan geek in the land
Became fascinated at 13 when moved to London in 1985 with this football ground that wasn't being used near where I lived in Kidbrooke the rest as they is history. Before then I used go to the Dell and watch Southampton even had my picture taken with Ruben Agboola. What a player he was:)
Cos I wasn’t cnutish or hard enough to support the scum and wasn’t brought up in Bromley to support palace SE9 meant Charlton Athletic got the most knowledgeable away fan geek in the land
Think it was the community initiatives and the free tickets that sucked me in, then i convinced my mum for a season ticket at 12 and never really looked back.
I do look back at Fondness at those initiatives as they created many charlton fan in my area around my age.
I'd been to The Valley occasionally as a child (and indeed Upton Park) but didn't support Charlton then
I found myself getting drawn towards Charlton during the promotion season, but it was listening to the playoff final on the radio, and Shirtliff's 2 goals which hooked me for life!
Went with who my mates supported at Primary School and my neighbour who started getting me into football (talking over the fence) so was a mixture of West Ham > Spurs > Man Utd... I even remember sitting at home watching Final Score and cheering when Man Utd took the lead at Spurs, my parents were confused thinking I still supported the latter and I was all... "Nah I support Man Utd now", although did keep an eye on Charlton's results as knew they were the most local team.
Got free tickets through School to see us play Sunderland in 1994 but the coach never turned up so ended up attending a 0-0 with Stoke City when it all got resolved. A mate of my Dad was a ST Holder in the East Stand and learnt that I enjoyed the game at the Valley so took me a few times, in addition would go on my Birthday and when I got the free tickets through the Summer Soccer Schools or when they had the Kids for a Quid offers on..
One summer decided that I may as well become a Charlton supporter as was seeing them more than anyone I actually "supported", ironically that first season resulted in us going to Wembley and I was hooked, been a ST Holder myself ever since.
I never knew at the time but both my Grandad (He was a Ballroom Dancer on the same levels as Len Goodman from Strictly and would stop the car at Charlton on the way home from practice, go to the game, leaving my Nan to make her own way home), and Dad would attend games but stopped long before I came along so it was... My Grandad actually promised me a few weeks before Wembley '98 that he'd pay for my ticket, which he did.
Never attended a game with either with them at the Valley which hugely disappoints me (My Dad is still around but knows I get too emotional at games) but did go to a Reserve game with my Dad @ PVR as wanted to see Rurik Gislason so kinda makes up for it - So in a very strange roundabout way its all Generational for me
Shipped off to an unknown friend of my mothers after my fathers death, the husband took me to Charlton next home game as I found out last year. Not a clue who the man was or the result but I’d wager we lost. 11/03/65 or the nearest home game to it.
The covered end ... as a kid it was an escape ... the noise, the smoke, the swearing, the abuse, the atmosphere ... it was nothing like I'd seen before ... it drew me in. Now after 40 years I'm just addicted.
Went to matches with 2 mates from school from when we were 11. It's really weird as we all left the area for work reasons when we grew up but wherever all 3 of us went for the next 45 years none of us ever stopped supporting the club. Proves the point I spose that's once bitten you just cant shed the curse 🤭
Got taken by my cousin in 68, he played for the junior team then.
Was born at the elephant and used to get taken by my Millwall supporting uncle in the 70/71 season when they almost went into the old first division. As soon as I was old enough to catch the 53 bus on my own that was it, the valley for me and the rest is history 😉.
My dad (Captain Robert) was a Trinity House River Pilot, operating out of Gravesend. He wasn't a football fan but I was. He asked me which club I would like to go to see and become a fan of; I replied (I was nine-years-old), 'Arsenal or Fulham'. He ignored that and said we would start supporting Charlton ('Who are they?' I responded.)
The reason my dad chose Charlton was because he knew where The Valley was because he could see it from the bridge of the large ships he piloted up to London.
Because I lived less than 10 minutes walk from the Valley, my best mate at the time used to go to Tottenham and didn't get home until 6-30, so it was a no brainer even though we were pretty shit then as well.
Family. Grandad went every week, was at Wembley in ‘47 and even went to a game the day he married my Gran. Married in Greenwich in the morning, then all the men went straight to the ground (still in their suits), whilst the women prepared the food for the evening.
Cos I wasn’t cnutish or hard enough to support the scum and wasn’t brought up in Bromley to support palace SE9 meant Charlton Athletic got the most knowledgeable away fan geek in the land
Comments
and wasn’t brought up in Bromley to support palace
SE9 meant Charlton Athletic got the most knowledgeable away fan geek in the land
I do look back at Fondness at those initiatives as they created many charlton fan in my area around my age.
I'd been to The Valley occasionally as a child (and indeed Upton Park) but didn't support Charlton then
I found myself getting drawn towards Charlton during the promotion season, but it was listening to the playoff final on the radio, and Shirtliff's 2 goals which hooked me for life!
Got free tickets through School to see us play Sunderland in 1994 but the coach never turned up so ended up attending a 0-0 with Stoke City when it all got resolved. A mate of my Dad was a ST Holder in the East Stand and learnt that I enjoyed the game at the Valley so took me a few times, in addition would go on my Birthday and when I got the free tickets through the Summer Soccer Schools or when they had the Kids for a Quid offers on..
One summer decided that I may as well become a Charlton supporter as was seeing them more than anyone I actually "supported", ironically that first season resulted in us going to Wembley and I was hooked, been a ST Holder myself ever since.
I never knew at the time but both my Grandad (He was a Ballroom Dancer on the same levels as Len Goodman from Strictly and would stop the car at Charlton on the way home from practice, go to the game, leaving my Nan to make her own way home), and Dad would attend games but stopped long before I came along so it was... My Grandad actually promised me a few weeks before Wembley '98 that he'd pay for my ticket, which he did.
Never attended a game with either with them at the Valley which hugely disappoints me (My Dad is still around but knows I get too emotional at games) but did go to a Reserve game with my Dad @ PVR as wanted to see Rurik Gislason so kinda makes up for it - So in a very strange roundabout way its all Generational for me
I was always meant to support Charlton!!
😎
Was born at the elephant and used to get taken by my Millwall supporting uncle in the 70/71 season when they almost went into the old first division. As soon as I was old enough to catch the 53 bus on my own that was it, the valley for me and the rest is history 😉.
The reason my dad chose Charlton was because he knew where The Valley was because he could see it from the bridge of the large ships he piloted up to London.