Later my Grandad (a Leicester fan) told me that he was stationed in Woolwich during WWII, and because he missed football he started watching the local team and that was Charlton of course. So I had a family link to the club I never knew I had.
Born in Woolwich Military Hospital, and lived all my early/teen years in Mottingham/Coldharbour, and I was rather a bit of a late arrival to the world of football at 15, my father was never interested in sport, so my football was confined to the tele, went to my first match in Jan 1968 V Millwall, primarily as a Millwall fan, sorry to swear there, because all my mates were Addicks, well, Charlton won 1-0, following week we were playing QPR and resulted in a 3-3 draw, and the rest as they say is history, i was converted. My two boys were sort of keen to go, one followed me towards the Charlton way of life, the other i am sorry to say while goes to games with us, is more of a gooner , some people are just impossible to convert to the holy grail that is The Valley.
There is certainly a pattern of local (to Charlton) family history here - I am born and raised in Dartford, but my Dad was brought up mainly in Sidcup (the war meant a few moves to other places at times) - but his Uncle who first took him, worked at Royal Arsenal, and lived in Woolwich
Much of our support is now SE London / north Kent, but I imagine quite a lot of those north Kent supporters (like me) can trace a family connection back to the area around Charlton
The fella in my photo, took the fella we all listen to on match days & I finally sneaked in without them realising. Been a constant pain ever since. Miss you Dad xx
There is certainly a pattern of local (to Charlton) family history here - I am born and raised in Dartford, but my Dad was brought up mainly in Sidcup (the war meant a few moves to other places at times) - but his Uncle who first took him, worked at Royal Arsenal, and lived in Woolwich
Much of our support is now SE London / north Kent, but I imagine quite a lot of those north Kent supporters (like me) can trace a family connection back to the area around Charlton
Absolutely.
I was born in Woolwich but when me and the missus bought our first house it was in Medway. North Kent is full of south Londoners, like Essex is full of east Londoners.
Like many others, my dad and my grandad. Still remember the excitement of my first season ticket just after getting back to The Valley. My grandad used to drive us up from the Sussex coast for every home game (much to my mum's mock annoyance for mid-week games on a school night!) always followed by a kebab on the way home!
Magical memories and I still look over to his seat whenever I am there, even though he has long since passed.
Parents! My dad was a supporter and he took my mum on a date to the Valley. She'd never been to a football match before and wore white stilettos to stand on the banking. She never did forgive him for ruining her shoes!! Anyway his smooth talking must have worked and years later when they couldn't find babysitters they used to take me along and I would amuse myself by running up and down the steps at the Covered End. Then one day I decided to stop and look at what was happening on the pitch - big mistake! 50+ years later I'm still worrying about what is happening! And to compound the error of my ways, I have made sure my son now spends his time worrying too!
Brought up in East Greenwich, so The Valley was an easy walk. Both my Dad and Uncle were supporters and took me along. In addition, my Dad was a referee and sometimes trained at The Valley, running up and down the East Terrace. He also occasionally refereed pre-season friendlies/trial games there. So there was no choice really.
Family all Charlton - Dad very persuasive - Lived in Eltham and now Sidcup - why on earth would i support anybody else? On my vets football team group, the majority are Charlton - next largest group are probably Arsenal, then West Ham - we call the Arsenal boys the 'deserters' and basically taunt them when they poke at Spurs saying how dominant they are in north London - i just say that being a south london boy it must make you so proud to be number 1 in north london. I get it, if they have family etc that have carried on a legacy but i feel sorry for them more than anything and sympathise with them - sarcastically of course - to support a team that doesn't represent the community you live in - what's the point?
Lived in St.Pauls Cray and my best mates dad wanted to take us to football matches and as he was from Sunderland, Charlton won due to the Bartram connection. Should point out that my dad (Palace supporter) had previously taken me there, Millwall and Fulham. Fulham nearly got the nod, but then I was taken to The Valley and, well, c'mon. No contest. This would have been early 1966/67 season.
Lots of reasons but the main reason, to be different from a lot of my school friends who "supported" big teams. I felt I had a little bit more about me supporting a team that hadn't done anything of note for years and years. I could also talk about football with a little more personal knowledge than them as they got their info from MoD and the Sun. That was back in the '70s, even my millwall mates have seen their team in a proper cup final. I should have stuck with Arsenal after my nan bought me a kit for 8th birthday, she knew the score she supported millwall.
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
Born and raised within a mile of the Valley and taken by my Dad and Uncle at an early age... Unfortunately I didn't have social services to complain to!
I did love it though going down Floyd Road and buying a rosette and some peanuts... You never went for the glory it was more of a holy grail in my opinion and let's be honest it still is!
Moved from Welling to Sheffield age 5. When I joined Junior Blades and Young Owls after club reps visited my school, dad who was a Valley season ticket holder prior to our move, was unimpressed. Enough is enough he said when free tickets for a game at The Lane, came through the post. I was promptly marched to a game at Mansfield Town to watch the rip roaring Addicks win 3-0. Fate sealed.
Moved from Welling to Sheffield age 5. When I joined Junior Blades and Young Owls after club reps visited my school, dad who was a Valley season ticket holder prior to our move, was unimpressed. Enough is enough he said when free tickets for a game at The Lane, came through the post. I was promptly marched to a game at Mansfield Town to watch the rip roaring Addicks win 3-0. Fate sealed.
So that was on 1st April 1978
We have only played them 5 times - 3 Charlton wins, 2 draws
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.
My dad was off the water mate. Only trouble was he was a Wolves supporter, he was evacuated to Dudley in the war. But I basically went with my mates and one of my mates dads at the age of 8 and never looked back.
moved to Charlton when I was 4, fascinated that we moved near a football ground, and nagged for 3 years before going to the cup replay against Spurs as my first game. Luckily had a neighbour who would take us to games at Selhurst, so went with them to keep the habit going.
I've already indoctrinated my eldest, now onto the youngest.
Like many others on here, it’s in the blood. My Dad moved the family out of Peckham to New Eltham before I was born and made a similar upgrade from Millwall to Charlton! Mum and both brothers all big supporters too.
My brother took me when I was 5, he was 8, we caught the train from Dartford might even been a steam train. Normally stood on the east terrace, could never afford peanuts, program, train fare or entry fee, I assume we bunk in, somehow got a free train ride, never tasted the peanuts or brought a program. Our parents never knew what we did either, so I suppose it’s his fault. That was only 63 years ago in a totally different world were you could away with those sort of things. Now feeling sorry for my so, who I converted from a very gunner to charlton that was around 30 years ago.
Comments
Later my Grandad (a Leicester fan) told me that he was stationed in Woolwich during WWII, and because he missed football he started watching the local team and that was Charlton of course. So I had a family link to the club I never knew I had.
My two boys were sort of keen to go, one followed me towards the Charlton way of life, the other i am sorry to say while goes to games with us, is more of a gooner
Been that way ever since.
Much of our support is now SE London / north Kent, but I imagine quite a lot of those north Kent supporters (like me) can trace a family connection back to the area around Charlton
Been a constant pain ever since.
Miss you Dad xx
I was born in Woolwich but when me and the missus bought our first house it was in Medway. North Kent is full of south Londoners, like Essex is full of east Londoners.
Magical memories and I still look over to his seat whenever I am there, even though he has long since passed.
My dad was a supporter and he took my mum on a date to the Valley. She'd never been to a football match before and wore white stilettos to stand on the banking. She never did forgive him for ruining her shoes!! Anyway his smooth talking must have worked and years later when they couldn't find babysitters they used to take me along and I would amuse myself by running up and down the steps at the Covered End. Then one day I decided to stop and look at what was happening on the pitch - big mistake! 50+ years later I'm still worrying about what is happening! And to compound the error of my ways, I have made sure my son now spends his time worrying too!
That was back in the '70s, even my millwall mates have seen their team in a proper cup final. I should have stuck with Arsenal after my nan bought me a kit for 8th birthday, she knew the score she supported millwall.
I did love it though going down Floyd Road and buying a rosette and some peanuts... You never went for the glory it was more of a holy grail in my opinion and let's be honest it still is!
We have only played them 5 times - 3 Charlton wins, 2 draws
I've already indoctrinated my eldest, now onto the youngest.