Might just be me but looking back now it just felt like a couple of months and nothing more impacting than a normal close season.
while the football has been disappointing this season I’ve started more frequently going for a drink with one of my kids before a game and my dad has come a few games, so I’ve enjoyed certain non-football aspects more. My kids have also been mascots this season and that day was probably one of my most enjoyable ever at The Valley, so I’ve quite a few positives to take away from this season.
I thought I would have enjoyed it more than I have. Have had some good away days (Cambridge was really good yesterday - even went punting!) but it has felt very flat at the Valley. Given Sandgaard taking over + being allowed back into stadiums without restrictions again this should have been a great season, but the experience hasn’t matched expectations. A lot is probably due to the poor results on the pitch, but being a Charlton fan you can’t expect greatness and there will always be bad seasons, but I just don’t feel any connection to this team and that is unusual.
I've enjoyed it more but that's due to personal circumstances . It's the first time ever as a family we have gone regularly, all 4 boys and mrs(we all have season tickets for the first time) , think only previous time we all went was the Donny semi final. We got decent seats by halfway line next to directors box and vista lounge passes , so we get there early and leave a bit later . Got mates behind in seats for a good catch up and even petrol head son who hated going wants to go now. Done a good few midweek matches at home and I hadn't done any since the early years of douchebag. Less people there the easier life is good view of away fans from my seat, so get to watch them going mental which i enjoy
saying that the football is shit and i hate us with a passion and I'm doing all I can to not go on saturday , think i'm playing cricket with my eldest in a pre season friendly (although I'm injured !! )
Working from home makes a huge difference as raring to get out the house on a Saturday. Compared to doing the 9-5 and the long commute which goes with it.
Same here, working from home full time now I look to going to football as a balance to this and a chance to get out of the house and socialize and interact with people as simple as that may sound.
So while the football served up has been awful I probably appreciate making a day of going football more than before lockdown.
Might just be me but looking back now it just felt like a couple of months and nothing more impacting than a normal close season.
We missed the chunk of The Championship season that saw us relegated on 22nd July 2020. There was about a four month gap in actual games in the first lockdown.
A few people were allowed to see some games in early December 2020, so effectively it was a nine month gap in attending The Valley for those few people.
For the majority, of course, it was about a seventeen month gap until the Sheff Wed home game this season. What seemed to make it less like a long gap was the Charlton TV stream for 20-21 season.
We’ve discovered the Abbey Arms this season so had some concerted quality time with friends and family either side of the game which has helped to make the football secondary!
Also love getting to away games again and managed to cross off four new grounds this season whilst again spending quality time with friends and family.
Although this season has had a couple of moments (Jacko appointment, Plymouth and Ipswich at home, Burton away), I found myself completely non plussed watching us win last night but, with my busy life, I can’t really justify being out of the house for six hours on a Saturday without a good reason - Charlton, with a couple of my kids in tow, provide that and always will.
Hopefully I’ll enjoy the two hours in the middle of each Saturday a bit more next season but, whatever happens, I’ll always be at the Valley (and hopefully some other very glamorous places) getting behind my team with a few beers inside me. Rather that than doing something busy indoors….
Like a lot of people have said, I find the long gap has broken some habits. In my case, the big one is the hour each way on the train to Paddington, often full and standing both ways. A couple of years of not doing that has led me to realise it was never very much fun. As a result I've been watching more local non-league rather than making long trips to watch Charlton.
The actual football I think has been more fun. Perhaps that's partly down to working from home for so long, perhaps to discovering that real lower-league football isn't as bad as I always assumed it would be (which I learned during that strange period at the end of last season when it was legal to watch a game on a public rec but not in an enclosed ground).
Overall I think I've been enjoying football less. Haven't been watching as much football at all this season, have the normal ST for Charlton but found I've been busy a lot of weekends the past few months. Idk what it is really
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It's the first time ever as a family we have gone regularly, all 4 boys and mrs(we all have season tickets for the first time) , think only previous time we all went was the Donny semi final.
We got decent seats by halfway line next to directors box and vista lounge passes , so we get there early and leave a bit later .
Got mates behind in seats for a good catch up and even petrol head son who hated going wants to go now.
Done a good few midweek matches at home and I hadn't done any since the early years of douchebag.
Less people there the easier life is
good view of away fans from my seat, so get to watch them going mental which i enjoy
saying that the football is shit and i hate us with a passion and I'm doing all I can to not go on saturday , think i'm playing cricket with my eldest in a pre season friendly (although I'm injured !! )
So while the football served up has been awful I probably appreciate making a day of going football more than before lockdown.
A few people were allowed to see some games in early December 2020, so effectively it was a nine month gap in attending The Valley for those few people.
For the majority, of course, it was about a seventeen month gap until the Sheff Wed home game this season. What seemed to make it less like a long gap was the Charlton TV stream for 20-21 season.
Also love getting to away games again and managed to cross off four new grounds this season whilst again spending quality time with friends and family.
Although this season has had a couple of moments (Jacko appointment, Plymouth and Ipswich at home, Burton away), I found myself completely non plussed watching us win last night but, with my busy life, I can’t really justify being out of the house for six hours on a Saturday without a good reason - Charlton, with a couple of my kids in tow, provide that and always will.
Hopefully I’ll enjoy the two hours in the middle of each Saturday a bit more next season but, whatever happens, I’ll always be at the Valley (and hopefully some other very glamorous places) getting behind my team with a few beers inside me. Rather that than doing something busy indoors….
The actual football I think has been more fun. Perhaps that's partly down to working from home for so long, perhaps to discovering that real lower-league football isn't as bad as I always assumed it would be (which I learned during that strange period at the end of last season when it was legal to watch a game on a public rec but not in an enclosed ground).