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Here's to the 3015 club: On this day 6th March 1973 Charlton Athletic 1 Halifax Town 0

What's the 3015 club? A relatively exclusive affair, not sure how many of us there are around, these days..

Much of the time, 'On this day' features great moments of our past, those special wins. However, 6/3/73 is not one remembered so widely (or fondly), not least because there were so few of us there to witness it. For it was that day - or night specifically - that a mere 3,015 souls gathered at The Valley for our league match with Halifax. Our lowest league attendance since the 1920s, lower than any during the dark days at Selhurst or in the 80s generally (when all attendances were at their lowest). And, thankfully, lower than any since...

Little wonder that during recent gripes about the RD era being a "low point" for the club, old timers like me will draw attention to those depressing evenings back in the 70s and 80s when the club seemed in terminal decline. Indeed, well before Fryer/Sunley or MK Dons, I distinctly recall newspaper articles round about 72-74 suggesting the club was considering decamping well away from SE London.

As for the 'event' itself, we'd been in a rotten run of form, and our opponents were the perfect storm of unattractive and poorly supported - i suspect there were fewer than 50 away fans there (our return fixture drew less than 1,700. Now we remark when we only take a few hundred away...). Hence the low turn out. Arthur Horsefield cheered us up with a nicely-taken winner, but otherwise there's nothing much else that stands out... We won, but on those nights you felt a bit of a loser compared with those with more glamorous pursuits

I've never claimed to be the most loyal or best-travelled fan, but I wear my 3015 Club virtual badge with an element of pride....and hope it's never like that again.

* Footnote: the attendance given out at the time was 3,001, and shown thus in the programme the following Saturday. I suspected that chairman Gliksten had panicked and bought a few tickets at the last minute to push the attendance over 3,000. But in those days we used to mysteriously revise attendance figures, and weeks later 14 people who'd hidden under the stands must have appeared.
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Comments

  • bolloxbolder
    bolloxbolder Posts: 8,006
    I was there too and the 3-0 game a couple of years later. A deadly Derek hat trick all before half time if I remember correctly.
  • PragueAddick
    PragueAddick Posts: 22,249
    I was there :-) I remember claiming that I was the 1 because until quite late on I had to persuade myself to turn up at all. But I suspect a lot of the 3,015 were the same.

    Funny thing was that earlier in the season there had been a renaissance of sorts. We'd been banging in goals and unearthed Killer. But for a lot of us the Third Division was generally a new and humiliating experience
  • Pedro45
    Pedro45 Posts: 5,864
    I was there - I was a tray-boy at the time, wandering around trying to sell Wagon Wheels and Kiora orange drinks, etc, to the "crowd" from the pitch-side track. At that time, I got paid £1.50 for each game, plus a bonus of 50p if you sold more than £12's worth in total. Bearing in mind I used to average about a quid a thousand crowd, I doubt I took much money that night! I used to follow the team out of the tunnel and begin my circuits to the sound of the Red, Red, Robin. Luckily, I saw most goals, but famously, I did miss the first equaliser that Sheffield United scored in the League Cup replay, and when they scored later in the game I said to someone that not to worry as we were still winning, only to be told it was now 2-2! Two years of doing that were the only years I haven't had a season ticket since 1969...
  • HantsAddick
    HantsAddick Posts: 2,423
    I was there, taken by my Dad as was still at school. We felt quite lonely on the East terrace, but no problems with parking, or getting away after the match.
  • gilbertfilbert
    gilbertfilbert Posts: 2,283
    Yep, I was there.
  • lolwray
    lolwray Posts: 4,921
    i didnt go to that one but a good point made re former ownership and management ..see how far we have come ...i dont remember Michael Gliksten attending supporters forums telling us what our transfer policy was going to be etc ...youd get the odd snippet of gossip from Maurice woolf in the mercury or a vague mention in the evening news (thats a newspaper for you kids out there ) but that was about all and big ups to Pedro 45 i am sure i must have bought a wagon wheel ( a circular chocolate covered marshmallow and biscuit confection for you kids out there) from you at one stage
  • stonemuse
    stonemuse Posts: 34,134
    One of the 3015 :smile:

    Standing in the Covered End.
  • Baldybonce
    Baldybonce Posts: 9,691
    and me.
  • HardyAddick
    HardyAddick Posts: 1,642
    me to
  • CatAddick
    CatAddick Posts: 2,391
    Too early for me - but I did do the Oxford game in the old First Division at Selhurst which I think was the lowest top flight attendance

    Anybody lay claim to have been at both?

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  • mistrollingin
    mistrollingin Posts: 3,868
    Went to this game and most others that season, remember Mike Flanagan scoring four in one match earlier in the season. Theo Foley, who bought in Killer, Powell and Flanagan, was sacked and Andy Nelson bought.
  • redlanered
    redlanered Posts: 2,214

    I was there :-) I remember claiming that I was the 1 because until quite late on I had to persuade myself to turn up at all. But I suspect a lot of the 3,015 were the same.

    Funny thing was that earlier in the season there had been a renaissance of sorts. We'd been banging in goals and unearthed Killer. But for a lot of us the Third Division was generally a new and humiliating experience

    I think Killer came the season after? Still, we scored plenty but couldn't defend under Foley
  • PragueAddick
    PragueAddick Posts: 22,249
    Ah, my bad. Killer was signed next season. This season was King Arthur's, he bagged 29 goals. Foley lost his job a year later. There were certainly radio phone ins at the time. I remember calling up to tell Theo Foley that I can't understand why he isn't playing Big Dave Shipperley when he presents such an attacking threat at corners. Bit of a gift for Theo, that one. Doh!
  • Friend Or Defoe
    Friend Or Defoe Posts: 18,153
    I was there. I remember it being quite warm for that time of the year. Nice wagon wheels too.
  • gilbertfilbert
    gilbertfilbert Posts: 2,283
    CatAddick said:

    Too early for me - but I did do the Oxford game in the old First Division at Selhurst which I think was the lowest top flight attendance

    Anybody lay claim to have been at both?

    Guilty
  • soapy_jones
    soapy_jones Posts: 21,425
    Went to a few that season but not that one. Taken by mad Uncle John as dad wasn't interested in football and was I was only 10 years old. Never stood a chance, always an Addick!
  • cafcfan
    cafcfan Posts: 11,217
    edited March 2015
    Well done, you guys.
    Now can you add on 23/09/87 Littlewoods Cup 2nd round (1st leg) at Selhurst vs Walsall, attendance 2,948 or perhaps the Simod Cup 1st and 2nd rounds on 10/11/87 and 1/12/87 with 1,338 and 1,327 respectively?

    Edited to add the Full Members' Cup at Selhurst on 4/11/86 and 25/11/86 with attendances of 821 and 817 respectively!
  • Pedro45
    Pedro45 Posts: 5,864
    cafcfan said:

    Well done, you guys.
    Now can you add on 23/09/87 Littlewoods Cup 2nd round (1st leg) at Selhurst vs Walsall, attendance 2,948 or perhaps the Simod Cup 1st and 2nd rounds on 10/11/87 and 1/12/87 with 1,338 and 1,327 respectively?

    Edited to add the Full Members' Cup at Selhurst on 4/11/86 and 25/11/86 with attendances of 821 and 817 respectively!

    I was at the Halifax game, certainly went to both FMC games at Sellout (B'rum and Bradford), don't remember the Wallsall game (was it when Matt Elliott played?) but was probably there.
  • happyvalley
    happyvalley Posts: 8,996
    I was there on the East Terrace, you had to shout at the person next to you.
  • StreekDerek
    StreekDerek Posts: 356
    Didn't know I was part of a club but proud to be so! I'll let my old man know he is in the club as well.

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  • Carl Leaburn
    Carl Leaburn Posts: 1,118
    As usual the Programme can be seen here

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/addicks7-6/8597775582

    Want to see more Charlton Programmes, then visit

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/addicks7-6/sets/
  • It's an honour to be part of the club. Makes me feel old though.
  • Was there on the East Terrace with my mate Terry as per usual.
    Remember we cracked up when the crowd was announced at 3001 - that if we hadn't gone , the thought of the crowd being announced at 2 thousand + seemed hysterical to us.
    My uncles had supported the club in the heady days of 50k, 60k and more.
    How the mighty had fallen
  • Pico
    Pico Posts: 1,032
    I was there and I'm pretty sure I hitched from Cambridge for the game. Anyone travel further ?
  • Goonerhater
    Goonerhater Posts: 12,677
    I was there I thought this was the game where Hales got a hat trick and we won 3. 1 ?
  • Airman Brown
    Airman Brown Posts: 15,786
    Me too.
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 52,123
    I was there. I've only missed about 6 home games since then.
  • PragueAddick
    PragueAddick Posts: 22,249
    edited March 2015

    Me too.

    you were just a nipper then...your Mum wouldn't have let you go to an evening game.:-)
  • PragueAddick
    PragueAddick Posts: 22,249
    Halifax had a bloke called Waddle upfront. (according to Colin Cameron's book) I don't think he was any relation but seem to vaguely recall that he was still pretty useful
  • masicat
    masicat Posts: 5,013
    Was there. Saw every home game that season. Scored 6 twice at home.