Very much self inflicted. Started going when we were at Selhurst as I had recently moved to Thornton Heath. Got involved in the back to the Valley campaign and the rest is geography...
Similar-ish to me. My grandparents lived in Thornton Heath during our Selhurst years. I grew up in Harpenden but had no interest in Luton or Watford despite them both being in ghe top flight.
The Thamselink line had not long started so I could get a direct train from Harpenden to Norwood Junction. I'd go and see my grandparents for lunch, watch Saint and Greavsie then stroll along to the game. This was 1990 and I still remember every detail of that 1990/91 season, despite it barely having a redeeming feature on the pitch.
My great uncle was an early supporter who I believe saw us play in our first season in the league. He started taking my Dad in around 1938 and my dad starting taking me around 1959. I started taking my sons around 1990 and my grandsons started around 2017. So, it’s in the blood. I think next year will be 100 years as a family we have been going to Charlton. We did at one stage have 4 generations at one match. So, if I say we are signing a Belgian Morrocan, you know I have the long standing credentials to be right.
I was stamped in 1967 by my dad, who was stamped by his dad in 1945. I've since done the same to my 2 boys who haven't had a choice. Does that make me a bad dad? My Brother was also stamped by dad, but he married a Palace fan, and his two sons have grown up as Arsenal and Man U fans. We don't talk to him now :-)
Conceived in Charlton, born in Charlton, raised in Charlton. Grandparents lived nearby and used to provide accommodation to several Charlton players. Never considered any other team.
Growing up in Dorset, most people at
school were United, Chelsea , Liverpool etc. with a few miserable sods supporting
League Two Bournemouth who had a young promising striker coming through who I
was at School with at the time and now leads the line for us.
I went to lots of Bournemouth games as
my dad has always supported them and still has a season ticket now. However,
being in League 2, my dad wanted me to witness the Premier League, so we looked
at a map and worked out the easiest Premier League team to go and see, which ended
up being Charlton. My old man also worked for one of the Premier League
sponsors so could get the occasional freebie. We went to most home games that
year must’ve been around 2004/2005 and the following seasons until I went to
University and moved away. Since seeing my 1st game, my dad has been
very happy with how his team and my teams fortunes have changed and now he’s
the one going to watch Premier League football most weeks and I’ve been stuck
watching us play some truly terrible football – wouldn’t change it for the world
though!
Self inflicted with consequences for others I think.
Born in Welwyn Garden City (1968) as the family had moved out of SE London, first footballing memory was the 1975 cupfinal West Ham v Fulham and from 1978 I supported Liverpool like most 10 year olds, by 1981 I would go to Chelsea/Arsenal/Spurs/West Ham, whoever was at home on a saturday with school mates (£1.10 to get in).
I had been to the Valley & Millwall a few times with Grandad when younger but one day, (March 1984), it was either shopping with my nan or Charlton v Grimsby with my uncle who hadnt been for years, a 3-3 draw and some Nigel Batch banter later I became an Addick.
Hardest thing was riding out the grief at school but lots of my school mates and later army mates soon came to the Valley. Even now, in our mid 50s, they all still look out for our score.
My dad rediscovered his love of Charlton as a result of my interest and travelled home and away with me before passing away in 2017, my brother, cousins, nephews were all the same and my son Georgie is today more obsessive then any of us,
That one decision to not go shopping effectively won back an entire family for the club.
Self Inflicted - Moved to Blackheath (Kidbrooke really) from Wiltshire aged 13. Used to go and watch Southampton occasionally. But when I got to London December 1985 looked at the A to Z map I had to see what football clubs were nearby. Charlton was the nearest had no idea that it was a London club at that time. It sort of sounded Northern to me. I must of made some sort of link in my head due to the Charlton brothers. Obviously decide to follow CAFC but didn't go to a game until around the Easter time 1986. This game was against Oldham Athletic. Not gonna say who with and how. That would be shameless name dropping. The rest as they say is history...
My dad had started to take me to Highbury as a nipper to watch his beloved Arsenal. On about my second or third trip to north London from our home in Abbey Wood we were running dead late and as the train pulled in to Charlton station my old man conceded defeat and rather than miss the first half at Arsenal, decided to take me to the Valley instead. At that age I'm not sure I'd even heard of Charlton but from that day I was hooked. My dad was absolutely gutted that I never became a gooner and often said how much he regretted running late that day.
Grandad (RIP) was millwall but never really went and didn’t follow football passionately.
His son, my dad, is of the generation many of you might be familiar with who went one team one week and another the next depending on who was at home, he’d go a mix of charlton/millwall/Tottenham/arsenal growing up, and in the end him and his mates decided on Charlton, I think because it was easier to get to by bus from Downham estate.
And here I am, inflicted upon, supporting the worst out the lot..
Self-inflicted, I’m afraid. I grew up on the wrong side of the River in West Ham territory. But being a glory-hunting kid of the 60s, I started to follow Spurs. I tried going to White Hart Lane a few times but found it was always an intimidating place for a little ‘un and I usually couldn’t see the pitch.
So I started a tour of the London grounds until I finally fetched up at The (old) Valley and it was love at almost first sight. The atmosphere was friendly and even the height challenged like me could get a good view of the game. That was 1966 (Charlton 2 Rotherham 0) and I still get a spine tingle walking through those gates and a lump in my throat when they play “Robin.”
My family has a long association with imbecility, BUT have never supported The Spanners. We have also historically been well known in the local area for our fashion sense and colour coordination, therefore no Palarse supporters.
Predominantly West Ham family with 1 cousin who supported Charlton. But, I went down to the Valley in 1962 with my mate from primary school and I was hooked. Just fell in love with the red shirts and green grass. My boys have Charlton in their blood as well but having lived in the States for years, for them it is certainly tinged with a love for the Giants, Warriors and 49ers. That’s what happens when you move 6000 miles but for me the Charlton passion is as strong as ever. More fool me.
I was born in Woolwich and lived just a 10 minute walk from The Valley. My Dad was a Millwall fan and as he wanted me to have a better upbringing than he had, he made my brother (who was born the day Charlton won the FA Cup) take me to see the Addicks when I was five years old. I took each of my three sons to The Valley before their fifth birthdays - sorry boys, I should have known better!
Self Inflicted - Moved to Blackheath (Kidbrooke really) from Wiltshire aged 13. Used to go and watch Southampton occasionally. But when I got to London December 1985 looked at the A to Z map I had to see what football clubs were nearby. Charlton was the nearest had no idea that it was a London club at that time. It sort of sounded Northern to me. I must of made some sort of link in my head due to the Charlton brothers. Obviously decide to follow CAFC but didn't go to a game until around the Easter time 1986. This game was against Oldham Athletic. Not gonna say who with and how. That would be shameless name dropping. The rest as they say is history...
1969 my family moved from Battersea to Northumberland heath. My dad worked on the docks so when the Royal , Surrey and St Katherine’s docks shut down we moved further down the Thames . My dad decided to watch Charlton rather then travel back into London to watch Chelsea and take me with him (I was about 6) been a Charlton supporter ever since , in a family of Chelsea supporters. Up in the Shropshire hills now but get to most midland and northern away matches
Dads family were all Addicks as were most of my mates, inflicted the curse upon our son, daughter don’t like sport, now up in Worcestershire via Welling & Dorset, so looking forward to a few nearby away games this season.
Dad grew up in Deptford and was a not too serious Millwall fan. He loved football, and him and his mates would go to a London game when Millwall were away. So, he visited the Valley often. In early 70s he took me and my brother to a Charlton midweek game. I never looked at another club, my brother alas is a non attending Millwall fan. Happy families.
Self Inflicted - Watched the Soccer Sixes on a really small tv on BBC in 1988 when we played like Barcelona. I was only 6 and said to my Dad this team is good and he said he'd take me to watch them. Pretty sure we went to Selhurst to watch the next home game.
We lived in Greenwich and my older brother went with next door’s son to Charlton. In ‘63 we met bed to New Cross Gate and my brother switched to the Scum. He says I then became a Charlton supporter just to be awkward. I don’t remember but anyone who knows me could believe that.
Was taken to The Valley in 1957 by my father, who had some form of complimentary tickets. It became a regular event. Attended games in every decade since except the '80's, didn't go because of raising a family. In the '90's my 2 sons got me interested in Charlton again because my wife's two uncles used to take them and my sons wanted me to go.
4th generation for me. From my mum's side. My mum actually took my dad to watch Charlton vs Wrexham the day after they first met!
Apparently saw my first game at 3 years of age but my earliest recollections of going were me wandering between the East Terrace and Covered End crushing the paper cups I'd find and hearing Congratulations at the end of a game.
Hoping to pass on the misery baton to my 5 year old twins in the near future.
Another one of those threads that pops up annually but why not I guess - dad inflicted it on both me and my brother and weve done the same to our kids to greater or lesser degrees - been going too long to pack it in now - a promotion season is what gets u hooked in I think, was me anyway in 85/86
I had no choice. Born in West Ham. Brought up in Canning Town and Silvertown. Went to school in East Ham. Moved to Basildon. Lived in Hornchurch, Upminster and Sheffield. So until last year i’d never lived south of the Thames.
But at the age of 4, (possibly to get me away from my new born brother) my Dad sat me on the wall at the top of the East Terrace and I doubt I’ve missed more than about 20 home games since then.
My Dad couldn’t stand West Ham and had supported Charlton since before the war. Possibly his dad did too, but I’m not sure.
At various times both my sons, my brother, my nephew and several friends, have all had season tickets.
My grandchildren seem quite happy, so it seems cruel to inflict Charlton on them as well.
Comments
The Thamselink line had not long started so I could get a direct train from Harpenden to Norwood Junction. I'd go and see my grandparents for lunch, watch Saint and Greavsie then stroll along to the game. This was 1990 and I still remember every detail of that 1990/91 season, despite it barely having a redeeming feature on the pitch.
My Brother was also stamped by dad, but he married a Palace fan, and his two sons have grown up as Arsenal and Man U fans. We don't talk to him now :-)
Growing up in Dorset, most people at school were United, Chelsea , Liverpool etc. with a few miserable sods supporting League Two Bournemouth who had a young promising striker coming through who I was at School with at the time and now leads the line for us.
I went to lots of Bournemouth games as my dad has always supported them and still has a season ticket now. However, being in League 2, my dad wanted me to witness the Premier League, so we looked at a map and worked out the easiest Premier League team to go and see, which ended up being Charlton. My old man also worked for one of the Premier League sponsors so could get the occasional freebie. We went to most home games that year must’ve been around 2004/2005 and the following seasons until I went to University and moved away. Since seeing my 1st game, my dad has been very happy with how his team and my teams fortunes have changed and now he’s the one going to watch Premier League football most weeks and I’ve been stuck watching us play some truly terrible football – wouldn’t change it for the world though!
Born in Welwyn Garden City (1968) as the family had moved out of SE London, first footballing memory was the 1975 cupfinal West Ham v Fulham and from 1978 I supported Liverpool like most 10 year olds, by 1981 I would go to Chelsea/Arsenal/Spurs/West Ham, whoever was at home on a saturday with school mates (£1.10 to get in).
I had been to the Valley & Millwall a few times with Grandad when younger but one day, (March 1984), it was either shopping with my nan or Charlton v Grimsby with my uncle who hadnt been for years, a 3-3 draw and some Nigel Batch banter later I became an Addick.
Hardest thing was riding out the grief at school but lots of my school mates and later army mates soon came to the Valley. Even now, in our mid 50s, they all still look out for our score.
My dad rediscovered his love of Charlton as a result of my interest and travelled home and away with me before passing away in 2017, my brother, cousins, nephews were all the same and my son Georgie is today more obsessive then any of us,
That one decision to not go shopping effectively won back an entire family for the club.
Fairly certain my 7 year old will be the only one in a Charlton kit on ‘Wear A Football Kit’ day at school tomorrow 😂
So I started a tour of the London grounds until I finally fetched up at The (old) Valley and it was love at almost first sight. The atmosphere was friendly and even the height challenged like me could get a good view of the game. That was 1966 (Charlton 2 Rotherham 0) and I still get a spine tingle walking through those gates and a lump in my throat when they play “Robin.”
Tottenham who?
Boring as fuck us, so we all support Charlton.
Now me, my youngest son, my grandson and my step-grandson all have season tickets for the coming season.
The poor, poor souls.
I took each of my three sons to The Valley before their fifth birthdays - sorry boys, I should have known better!
I must be the only glory hunting Charlton fan.
Apparently saw my first game at 3 years of age but my earliest recollections of going were me wandering between the East Terrace and Covered End crushing the paper cups I'd find and hearing Congratulations at the end of a game.
Hoping to pass on the misery baton to my 5 year old twins in the near future.