Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.
For The Sake Of My Family & Well Being... Temporary (Virtual) Non-Cooperation
NapaAddick
Posts: 4,657
After giving this a ton of thought the last week, I have decided to temporarily suspending my "active" fandom until Roland
is gone and that includes posting and visiting this site as much. I've decide such "non-action" is the appropriate level of protest given the nature of things and what is at stake, but also I am doing so for my actual sense of personal well-being.
I am back-burnering my activity not just until he is "rumoured" out, or "it's happening" out, but until the ink
is dry on a new owner and he is holding a scarf, high. This means, for
now, visiting just once every few days for 1-2 minutes just to see if he has
sold, etc, with very few posts of any kind. Given I cannot attend matches from here, it is a kind of "virtual" resistance.
I cannot even
imagine how much worse this all is for lifetime fans and those of you in
England and Charlton who are long-time fans. I feel very bad for everyone else here,
all of whom have far, farrrrrr more time with this club than me. I've
never even attended a match and I am feeling a sense of darkness
overhang me that is increasingly entering my daily life. And this is the big issue.
My favorite NBA team is my local Golden State
Warriors, who just got dumped by the Raptors in the finals. Even with
five straight NBA finals trips and three Championships, this was a
brutal, emotional roller-coaster of a season. But all of us Dubs fans
know that our owners care and they spend, both big and smart. The owners
are.... fans. CAFC? I've never experienced anything quite like this
before in any sport I've followed the last 42+ years. One good day is
followed by a week of frustration as the ongoing fan
experience. I have a business to run and a family to support and the
hour-plus per day I lose to such disappointment from the owner is more
than I can take, simply because it is making the rest of my life....
worse, not better. Football is life but my life is more than football.
Promotion...
it happened in spite of our owner, and I will never forget it. Its
memory and sense of exultation will have to hold me through coming
months (hopefully not years.) But I cannot take this every day. I can suspend my "active" (key
word) interest and resume my hour-plus-per-day obsession with this club
on this board if/when he sells the club.
But I feel at this point to give Roland any quarter of support of any
kind, including my emotional investment here, is actually helping him. I
think Blackpool fans, who had it at least this bad, for far-longer, actually
show what is necessary, here. Total, Gandhi-esque "non
cooperation." Otherwise, at some level, I feel I am feeding the monster known as Roland, even tacitly, and I can no longer take it on a day-to-day basis.
Even beyond that though.... I am being
hurt as a husband and business owner by sinking so
much time into something the owner himself seems intent on harming and I need to step back a bit for me and my family. It is
almost impossible to not have the negative effects of RD's ownership and
continual harm not affect my relationship with others in a
negative way. When I read about Bowyer likely leaving due to Roland's antics,
and losing players would who probably take somewhat lesser wages to stay
here....it affects how I run my business and how I interact with my wife
and friends for hours and hours afterwards. Day after day. It should not. As a fan I owe other fans and the club, but not as much as my wife and friends.
Football
should make life better, not worse and despite many amazing moments
this season, I see the latter as increasingly happening more than the
former right now and due to this I need to take stock of this
dynamic and adjust, so that is what I have decided to do, for a while.
Promotion and that final match, the whole season.... the memories are still very strong in
me and I don't want to lose those memories or overly cloud them in a morass of negativity unleashed by
Roland in 2019-20.
Studies of the bad effects of social
media ring familiar to what I sense here; that I feel worse now after
reading about the club, rather than better. Those same studies show
well-being improves after cutting out Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I
am about to see if the same happens with football fandom, at least as
long as this lunatic is in charge of my favorite team. In the end, CAFC
should make my life.... better. And this season, it actually did! But
the coming season looks dark as night I feel I need to act now for my own well-being. Or at minimum, to preserve beautiful memories.
I've got massive
admiration for all those who still go to matches and make CAFC a
core-part of your life and I suspect you will all win, eventually. You
have my deepest respect! But I cannot seem to box-in the toxic effects
of his ownership decisions from my family and business day-to-day and I have too
much on-the-line to risk it anymore with Roland running things. I know you will
eventually get him out and when you do, then I hope to be back. You are my fan-heroes for your resistance and your mettle
exceeds mine, for sure. You are carrying the torch for me and literally
thousands. You have my utmost respect, which has grown more and more in
the last few weeks as I read the board and see this happening. For me, the best decision is non-cooperation on all levels. I hope to be back when the celebration of his departure is confirmed. It's not a goodbye, because Roland will be out, eventually, probably because of all of you, the actual owners. Til then, stay strong, for you are the real club and you will eventually emerge victorious.
13
Comments
-
Did you choose to support Charlton or have it thrust on you like most people on here?0
-
Like many, I've not always agreed with your posts, Napa ..... but you've always responded with gentle humour (see how to spell the word properly?) and I've enjoyed the banter.
Anyway, it's probably a good idea to take some respite from this crazy soap opera.
Perhaps take up a new interest, like Maths, perhaps?
6 -
Chose to support. Flirted with several clubs lightly and was a lurker on here for almost two years before posting. The story of how you got The Valley back is what tipped the scale. I decided I wanted to follow a club that was "more than a club." How the club got back to The Valley showed me it was that.PopIcon said:Did you choose to support Charlton or have it thrust on you like most people on here?
21 -
You ain't see nothing yet, Napa.NapaAddick said:
Chose to support. Flirted with several clubs lightly and was a lurker on here for almost two years before posting. The story of how you got The Valley back is what tipped the scale. I decided I wanted to follow a club that was "more than a club." How the club got back to The Valley showed me it was that.PopIcon said:Did you choose to support Charlton or have it thrust on you like most people on here?
Coming soon, the next instalment: "How WE Got Our Club Back".
5 -
Stick around Napa - we are all hurting right now but it will get better.
You do get a gentle ribbing from time to time but the forum is a better place for your presence. It’d be a shame if you withdrew from discussions.9 -
Napa, after coming back to the UK after 3 years living in Africa because of my Dad's engineering job, he took me to Millwall because that was the area he was born, and Charlton because that's where he lived for a couple of years when he was a young lad.
Because my Dad took me to the dark side every couple of weeks I was damaged for life. After 50 odd matches down the Den I had severe nightmares and PTS, mainly caused by coin throwers and the weird site of men in cloth caps. The vast valley with its small crowds was more relaxing but everytime I had a new fav player the owner at the time would sell him(The apathetic Michael Gliksten was owner at the time)
Around the age of 10 I signed a contract to be a Charlton fan till I die. I didn't read the small print correctly and there was no escape for me. I did run away from home once and join a circus but my family traced me and rescued me from a Lion's mouth yet again.
The moral to this story is Supporting Charlton whether from afar like you Napa, or going to the game has always carried a Government health warning. The highs of May 98 and May 2019 haven't totally made up for mainly 50 odd years of tosh, but I will honour the contract even though I feel like running away from home again and this time joining a library. Well it is less dangerous than the Lions den.
Keep posting, it is cathartic even if it may be best to cut back.5 -
.1
-
Always enjoy reading your posts mate.
I reckon
50% you post again today
64% you don't.15 -
1
-
Napa goes, Bowyer stays.
I think that's a fair swap : - )8 -
Sponsored links:
-
You ain't getting a bottle of wine for Christmas.Henry Irving said:Napa goes, Bowyer stays.
I think that's a fair swap : - )2 -
Come back Napa! Next campaign, 'We want our Napa Back'! Come back to the rollercoaster of a CAFC fan.
P.S. It's good news this morning!!!1 -
Who is going to do the page updates for each year on the takeover thread if you bugger off - come on, think of other people before making a decision like this
Edit - it's 'happyvalley' who does that - as you were3 -
I want the house analogies! Napa return!1
-
I can think off 77millions reasons why ya shouldn't go away mate...😉1
-
Napa, hang around... we need the dudes! (AKA Animal House 1978)1
-
If you don't come back, Napa ...... one day we'll turn up on your doorstep, all the way to California.
You're signed up to Charlton now.
Your contract says: "Charlton till I die".
There's no escape. You're one of us now. If we've got to suffer, so must you.
You'll even have to come to The Valley one day.
PS: When we visit, don't forget to organise the wine tasting!
3 -
Losing Bowyer was the last straw and I could not bear it any more with Roland here and him gone. But signing him has softened me up, so I am gonna take a partial stance now; cut my time by 75% (still leaves 10min a day) until he sells. I still need to pull back a bit for sanity purposes. Thank you all for commenting. I don't know how so many of you stay so positive year after year!Good news is, it also makes me think there is a chance possible new owners might have okayed it because.... who wants to buy a club and be villains on day one?2
-
I can think of 77 Million reasons why it's a decent swap.Henry Irving said:Napa goes, Bowyer stays.
I think that's a fair swap : - )4 -
have a 'like' Napa for coming back.1
-
Sponsored links:
-
12.07am to 16.09 pm .16hrs and 2 mins away.not much of a "temporary suspension "of fandom. Napa sounds like a bit of a prima donna to me.
1 -
You have a rare talent for writing posts I enjoy reading but rarely agree with! Look forward to your return.1
-
A break can be the best thing, even if it’s only for a few weeks or months. It certainly helped me. 75% may work, but I’m not sure.
I think if and when there’s a takeover it’ll be much better for everyone’s mental health.
There are signs of a type of mini mass hysteria taking over sometimes, and it’ll be much healthier when the intrigue is over, and we can concentrate on football again.
The last few weeks of the season were a joy, with most fans coming together, as it should be. We all seemed to get a real kick out of it.
Hopefully if and when you come to the Valley for the first time they’ll let you lead the teams out in to the pitch!0 -
He didn't go anywhere don't worry.1
-
timken said:12.07am to 16.09 pm .16hrs and 2 mins away.not much of a "temporary suspension "of fandom. Napa sounds like a bit of a prima donna to me."bit"?
It was losing Bowyer, which was practically announced, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Even with him back, which eliminates that straw, I am pulling back a lot. Have to. For all the reasons listed. At least until I can not allow all this to affect me like it has. If such a thing is even possible. I've still not experienced highs and lows like English football before and I need to adjust. But it feels good to know Bowyer, and likely JJ, will be back.1 -
MathOggy Red said:Like many, I've not always agreed with your posts, Napa ..... but you've always responded with gentle humour (see how to spell the word properly?) and I've enjoyed the banter.
Anyway, it's probably a good idea to take some respite from this crazy soap opera.
Perhaps take up a new interest, like Maths, perhaps?0 -
Do what you need to do, for yourself.. remember the Charlton family are there for you at all times.NapaAddick said:timken said:12.07am to 16.09 pm .16hrs and 2 mins away.not much of a "temporary suspension "of fandom. Napa sounds like a bit of a prima donna to me."bit"?It was losing Bowyer, which was practically announced, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Even with him back, which eliminates that straw, I am pulling back a lot. Have to. For all the reasons listed. At least until I can not allow all this to affect me like it has. If such a thing is even possible. I've still not experienced highs and lows like English football before and I need to adjust. But it feels good to know Bowyer, and likely JJ, will be back.0
