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why athletic?

sillav nitram
sillav nitram Posts: 10,169
in General Charlton
does anyone know why where called " athletic " as opposed to, town, rovers, united etc etc.,?

Comments

  • RZA
    RZA Posts: 176
    It was the first option alphabetically.
  • stackitsteve
    stackitsteve Posts: 12,105
    RZA said:

    It was the first option alphabetically.

    So what was wrong with Albion?
  • Viewfinder
    Viewfinder Posts: 4,912
    stackitsteve said:

    RZA said:

    It was the first option alphabetically.

    So what was wrong with Albion?
    .... or Academicals.

  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,038
    Aardvarks
  • HarryHutchens
    HarryHutchens Posts: 541
    I'm sure someone on here will know for sure, but perhaps the word athletic represented sport in general because the original idea (may have been) to set up a sports club with football being just a part of it.
  • ThreadKiller
    ThreadKiller Posts: 8,622
    edited June 2013
    I think there were numerous Charlton boys teams in 1905 with endless combinations of names and the most successful club was Charlton Athletic
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,038
    ThreadKiller said:

    I think there were numerous Charlton boys teams in 1905 with endless combinations of names and the most successful club was Charlton Athletic

    In Richard Redden's book, he lists Albion, Villa, Invicata, United, Clarion, Wesley Guild, Amateurs, Victoria, YMCA, Clarence, Argyle, Reds, and another team called Athletic.
  • paulsturgess
    paulsturgess Posts: 3,827
    My grandad used to play for Charlton Villa.
  • AFKABartram
    AFKABartram Posts: 57,834
    Thank the lord it wasn't YMCA !
  • Stig
    Stig Posts: 29,038
    AFKABartram said:

    Thank the lord it wasn't YMCA !

    Young man, there's no need to feel down.

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  • ShootersHillGuru
    ShootersHillGuru Posts: 50,632
    Charlton Clarence. Would our nickname be the lions ?
  • Dizzle
    Dizzle Posts: 5,190
    There's still a team called YMCA who play on a Sunday. We have a friendly against them next month
  • SheffieldRed
    SheffieldRed Posts: 3,772
    edited June 2013
    The club needed a second part to their name to differentiate themselves from the other Charlton teams mentioned above. As to why Athletic and not anything else, the answer may just be that it was a regular name for a sports team that was both approriate and not already taken by another successful London team.

    Unlike Leicester, Manchester or Birmingham, we don't have the name of the City the club play's in in the club's name, hence why City probably was not used. Similarly, unlike Stevenage, we don't have the name of the Borough the club play's in in the club's name, hence why Borough probably was not used. Town can be ruled out for obvious reasons. United often relates to clubs formed by mergers of teams, such as Newcastle (from memory).

    Other successful London teams, by the time of Charlton's formation, had taken the names Wanderers, Rovers (Clapham) and Rangers (Q.P.R).
  • guinnessaddick
    guinnessaddick Posts: 28,674
    Because we are.
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,242
    edited June 2013
    Millwall Athletic had changed their name to Millwall 6 years before but were still playing north of the river, where they belong, in 1905.

    Olham Athletic weren't yet a league team.

    Wigan Athletic were 25 years in the future.

    It was, most likely, just a name chosen, as said, to distinguish from the many other Charlton sides. It was never a wider sporting club, just 14 and 15 year old boys.

    Richard Redden's "the Addicks Cartoons" is very good on the 1905 - 1915 period. Got a signed copy for sale for the Upbeats £15 plus P+P
  • Viewfinder
    Viewfinder Posts: 4,912
    Enjoyed the aside "where they belong", Henry.
  • Oggy Red
    Oggy Red Posts: 44,958
    edited June 2013
    The story I heard years ago - was that at the time the club was formed, "Athletic" was quite a buzz word in the language (think the Olympic Games had back then only been recently revived ).

    The name "Charlton Athletic" was thought to give the club a modern and go-ahead image for the time.

  • Bangkokaddick
    Bangkokaddick Posts: 4,299
    I remember this question as a line from the sitcom "Brush strokes" many years ago. After another defeat Jacko's girlfriend asks him "Why do they call Charlton athletic?"

    I think it was supposed to be a funny line!
  • Bryan_Kynsie
    Bryan_Kynsie Posts: 2,179
    Because "we're top of the league, Charlton Nomads, we're top of the league" doesn't have the same ring to it?
  • killerandflash
    killerandflash Posts: 69,893
    SheffieldRed said:

    The club needed a second part to their name to differentiate themselves from the other Charlton teams mentioned above. As to why Athletic and not anything else, the answer may just be that it was a regular name for a sports team that was both approriate and not already taken by another successful London team.

    Unlike Leicester, Manchester or Birmingham, we don't have the name of the City the club play's in in the club's name, hence why City probably was not used. Similarly, unlike Stevenage, we don't have the name of the Borough the club play's in in the club's name, hence why Borough probably was not used. Town can be ruled out for obvious reasons. United often relates to clubs formed by mergers of teams, such as Newcastle (from memory).

    Other successful London teams, by the time of Charlton's formation, had taken the names Wanderers, Rovers (Clapham) and Rangers (Q.P.R).

    I suppose we could have called ourselves Charlton Village (Dulwich Hamlet is similarly small sounding) but I'm glad we didn't!

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  • fattmatt
    fattmatt Posts: 581
    Interesting thread. It makes me wonder about the origins of some of the more obscure names such as Wednesday, Stanley, Hotspur etc. Any ideas?
  • cafcdave123
    cafcdave123 Posts: 11,491
    Dizzle said:

    There's still a team called YMCA who play on a Sunday. We have a friendly against them next month

    Bloody hell, our pre season oppo really have gone down hill.
  • Bryan_Kynsie
    Bryan_Kynsie Posts: 2,179
    Sheffield Massive, Accrington Arkwright and Tottenham Arsenal were already in use by other pub teams??
  • Henry Irving
    Henry Irving Posts: 85,242
    fattmatt said:

    Interesting thread. It makes me wonder about the origins of some of the more obscure names such as Wednesday, Stanley, Hotspur etc. Any ideas?

    Wednesday was half day closing so people had time off to play football

    Stanley was a local pub I think

    Hotspur was after Harry Hotspur

  • fattmatt
    fattmatt Posts: 581
    Great thanks. I'm off to Google 'Harry Hotspur'.

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