Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.
Is it wrong to feel that Charlton is no longer your priority on a match day
WhenIwasLittleBoy
Posts: 5,430
Never would I have felt like this in the 45 years I have supported our team. My Saturdays consisted of watching our beloved club home and away, numerous rows with her indoors as all plans had to be scheduled around match days from August to May.
I dread to think how many of teams of thousands I have spent watching us in the 80 s and 90s when we were dire, standing on a terrace in a grim town up north on Tuesday taking two days off of work.
Even my wedding took place in close season so I wouldn’t miss any fixtures on the day or on our honeymoon, was even cheesed off as we had Welling away that day as well. In America I would set the alarm at silly o’clock to listen the games whilst in holiday.
Now I no longer plan my days on a Saturday around our club,maybe do eight to ten away days a season, even have agreed to go to the in laws on Boxing Day. Normally I would make all the excuses under the sun to swerve going to see them but on a match day?
Even my wedding took place in close season so I wouldn’t miss any fixtures on the day or on our honeymoon, was even cheesed off as we had Welling away that day as well. In America I would set the alarm at silly o’clock to listen the games whilst in holiday.
Now I no longer plan my days on a Saturday around our club,maybe do eight to ten away days a season, even have agreed to go to the in laws on Boxing Day. Normally I would make all the excuses under the sun to swerve going to see them but on a match day?
On a Saturday now I think when we are at home and half a season ticket, given I also have a three round trip, I no longer have that enthusiasm and think I won’t bother today. Even the good lady is now getting the hump because she doesn’t lose me for 10:hours on a Saturday after my post and pre match drinks which enables us to chew the fat in what we have been up to.
Is anyone else starting or now feeling like this, or is it just a sign of getting old ?
Is anyone else starting or now feeling like this, or is it just a sign of getting old ?
13
Comments
-
"Sorry lads, got my taxes to file" EDIT well now the title's been fixed, what's the point of this? Guess I'd better answer the question: now I live in the borough of Barnet, perhaps Charlton is even MORE my priority on match days, because I have to spend half the bloody day getting there and back.
The big difference is away games, which I don't even so much as stream unless a) my girlfriend is away or b) it is one of my roughly 2 in-person away games a season0 -
I think that depending on other commitments your involvement can ebb and flow. The football is on the whole poor imo at the moment but that won’t stop me going to the home games, even though I’m not as behind them as I was say under the Bowyer season.WhenIwasLittleBoy said:Never would I have felt like this in the 45 years I have supported our team. My Saturdays consisted of watching our beloved club home and away, numerous rows with her indoors as all plans had to be scheduled around match days from August to May.I dread to think how many of teams of thousands I have spent watching us in the 80 s and 90s when we were dire, standing on a terrace in a grim town up north on Tuesday taking two days off of work.
Even my wedding took place in close season so I wouldn’t miss any fixtures on the day or on our honeymoon, was even cheesed off as we had Welling away that day as well. In America I would set the alarm at silly o’clock to listen the games whilst in holiday.
Now I no longer plan my days on a Saturday around our club,maybe do eight to ten away days a season, even have agreed to go to the in laws on Boxing Day. Normally I would make all the excuses under the sun to swerve going to see them but on a match day?On a Saturday now I think when we are at home and half a season ticket, given I also have a three round trip, I no longer have that enthusiasm and think I won’t bother today. Even the good lady is now getting the hump because she doesn’t lose me for 10:hours on a Saturday after my post and pre match drinks which enables us to chew the fat in what we have been up to.
Is anyone else starting or now feeling like this, or is it just a sign of getting old ?There might also be something in when you are younger you may eat, sleep and breath football, but that level of intensity is hard to keep up.I had a period from the start of 98 until the start of the 02-03 season only missing one game, home and away including cups because I was ill. Other than that it was my life. Then when I got to Uni and was going to away games and getting the supporters club coach from Canterbury and all my mates were out on Sat evenings, I made the decision at the start of my 2nd year to say, enough is enough on the away games, I’m missing out on some real memories not being out with my mates0 -
Have to fully agree with you @WhenIwasLittleBoy. I've supported this club since I was 5 yrs old, so 62 years, I'm a ST holder and also used to look forwards to doing the 'match threads' for about 5/6 years back in the day.
However now I can't be bothered to spend, a bit like you, 8 to 10 hours on a Saturday travelling to and from a home match....so yes I've wasted my money on my ST this season, but I currently have no motivation. It's not just the football, which at times has been good, but the crap ownership that's done foe me (and I used to be a huge supporter of TS...but no longer)
It's not getting old that's done for me, but the way the club is run with little to no ambition to get us out of this godforsaken league.13 -
Moving 200+ miles away from The Valley has constrained my commitment - and over the last few years I haven't tried that hard to overcome those constraints. One home game and a couple of away games is it so far this season, and I have to admit to not missing it too much.If I was back down south that would possibly change (note: only possibly).2
-
It's your free time, you should do what you want with it. Hopefully soon Charlton will be playing entertaining, competitive, winning football and you'll want to plan your days around matches again. Until that time though you should feel free to pick more entertaining or at least, less frustrating, pursuits. There are no medals for going to football.4
-
For those within sensible travelling distance of the ground,
Home game: yes.Away game: depends.1 -
My interest in Charlton has also dropped hugely in recent years.
I think being 14th in League one every season does that to you.
We’re unfortunately a boring club to support.We never go on good cup runs and don’t have the squad to compete for a top 6th spot…which would make our season exciting. Often we’re out of the league picture and all cups by Feb and the last half of each season consequently tends to be a pretty dull ‘playing for nothing’ situation….sadly.1 -
I think the Covid years, together with general antipathy with our recent owners have compounded matters. I still love my football, but rarely go to away games (having racked up over 90 different league grounds watching Charlton), and miss a few games front and back of the season due to cricket commitments (which used to take second place thirty years ago...).
Still, when we are on a ten game winning streak in February/March, and end up at Wembley, all that love will come flooding back!2 -
NO (How can it be, it's your choice, you don't need permission!).
As some have said the football has been dreadful, ambition, despite TS, zero and I reserve the right to go or not and I don't give a shit if that makes me a fly by night supporter.
I've done my time, I've served my probation and I wont be, Charlton till I die, though I may go to confession and repent when I'm on my deathbed.
Haven't we had a similar thread to this before.0 -
I am also in the camp where putting in a 4 hour round trip to see a home game just isn't desirable. In my 54th year of watching Charlton games and I can't remember my motivation to go being this low, in fact whilst continuing to have a season ticket I have only watched one live home game this season.0
- Sponsored links:
-
Assume that this is really a rhetorical question, but it's interesting nonetheless.
When I was very young and first started going to Charlton with my Dad, I was absolutely nuts about them. The thing was all consuming and remained so for many many years.
But my Dad, who was a wise bloke, also made me aware of what sort of football club I was getting involved with.
I wish I could remember exactly the phrase he used, but the sentiments he expressed realistically summed up the Charlton supporting journey and is as relevant now as it was back then.
So although apathy has set in for me too, I believe Charlton will come again and it reenergise our support, which I think is holding up pretty well considering.
We are supporters of a unique football club and none of us would swap it.
2 -
i used to do a lot more home and away games than i do now several factors.
my job i do now is a lot more hours in a week i used to be on the tools so home early afternoon most days, now i often work into the evening.
the costs involved last saturday to port vale rt train from barnehurst match ticket, beers and food for the day £200.00
i do other things charlton are no longer my no 1 priority.
1 -
No wonder your wife's gutted.
Very difficult for her to continue her decades long affair with you mooching about the house.2 -
I feel your pain @WhenIwasLittleBoy
i think it’s mainly due to getting older, having other things to balance, and us being largely shit for quite a period of time. But it’s never really been about the football, more who you’re doing it with.I did a good 20-25 years where I’d do virtually all homes and most aways, and it was always social first football second. Last 4 to 5 years if I do an away, or a drink before the game, it’s either on my own or with one of my kids. My Charlton experience is now wholly a family thing, which is great in one way and I’m very thankful for, but it was always a social that was largely my break from family thing. Not really had that since the Lib club shrunk and went. So you adapt and find other things.If we had a good run I know full well all my enthusiasm will come flooding back instantly (we beat Pompey and I feel like we’ve beat Man U), but I think the killer is that none of us can see that good run coming anytime soon, just more nothingness (or worse).Well that was a happy post!7 -
Not sure i've ever felt more disconnected to this team and club. We are going no where this season and for the foreseeable.
All comes down to TS, as long as he here, we will never be successful.2 -
As pissed off as I get after losing when I'm trudging off to bed at 4.30am on Sunday morning, for me being 10,000 miles away from the Valley I still feel I just have to make the effort.Thanks to the legitimate use of Charlton Tv, I do get to see most of the games each season and every now and again, getting up at 2am is well worth the effort.I Was fortunate to see us play well and win against Exeter and Portsmouth in person but hated seeing the Valley so empty. It reminded me of the 70's during the power strikes when we often only had 3-4K in the ground.I really don't want to see us being so poorly supported but what with media sources and to a large extent social media, I can see the bigger picture of why people no longer bother.
I dont agree with it, but it's the world we live in now.... it's far too easy to spread apathy by negative posting here and on fb and I think that's really to blame as we as people are far too easily influenced by what we read.2am to 4.30 on a Sunday morning I'd much rather be asleep, but it's my club and I'd feel that I'm letting us down by not bothering. So as much as I might bleat, I'll be setting my alarm for 1.50am when we play in a Sunday.4 -
I'm not going over the same old ground as to why I no longer attend (keohane out) and while admitting I still watch the games with the same optimism which is normally diminished with 10/15 mins by the performance, as AFKA says "it was about meeting with pals" and @Redmidland having a few beers and a catch up.
Now I spend my weekdays in term time volunteering at the school with the children and recently turned down the opportunity to go on the payroll as I've never treated like a job more of a privilege to help these children (that and I dont want the taxman after me)
Last year I sat a Diploma in Animal Assisted Therapy which I passed with distinction and this year along with two school needed assessments which I also passed on child safety, I'm sitting another Diploma on recognising and working with children and young adults living with Autism.
A standing joke with the teaching staff that I got more qualifications now than when I was at school!
I sat and watched Mick E on Zoom the other night with admiration on how he keeps doing it, just listening to him made me realise the fire is still burning for this great club, I dont know if I'll ever return but thats not important.
What's relevant is the club is returned to the hands of someone that cares about the club, its staff and its fans.9 -
I think it’s the cavalcade of c***s who’ve owned us since Murray went —spivs, RD, crooks, and now TS who doesn’t know how to undo the damage but persists in believing he does — that’s been dispiriting. That and the crap football. And, yes, getting older and not fancying the drive.2
-
Perhaps you should enlighten me more....only the right thing to do if you are aware of something as serious as someones wife playing around ?Macronate said:No wonder your wife's gutted.
Very difficult for her to continue her decades long affair with you mooching about the house.
2 -
I am going through a similar thing now. My enthusiasm for football seems to be mirroring my enthusiasm for anything at the moment.
Think it’s a mix of age and priorities with kids doing more and the trains for away games being a real pain. I would normally do 15 odd aways a year think Port Vale was my third this season. Because of the trains being as they are at the moment drove which took away the normal pre match beer and then the football was awful.
Don’t think it helps to much in that we don’t seem to have that big game at all that gets everyone up for it, no derbies or big games and then we get a cup run and even that is just ok, we will end up going out to Brighton a team we have played fairly recently and not even a day out.
I don’t particular relate to anyone in this team or feel that connection. They are all bang average like us as a club at the moment.
I still will go to all home games and will be going Saturday as it’s what I do and don’t think that will ever change.
I am sure things will change back again soon but this season already feels boring.
4 - Sponsored links:
-
Lighten up, you'll know from the tone of virtually all my posts that I was not being serious.WhenIwasLittleBoy said:
Perhaps you should enlighten me more....only the right thing to do if you are aware of something as serious as someones wife playing around ?Macronate said:No wonder your wife's gutted.
Very difficult for her to continue her decades long affair with you mooching about the house.
If it fell flat, I apologise, and will delete.
4 -
It’s amazing what a few good results and a something to play for top six position will do.6
-
For the past 2 years we have been living 135 miles away from The Valley, meaning a three hour drive. That has made it much easier for me not to make the effort to go to games. Somehow most match day I seem to find myself somewhere like Oslo or Hawaii and watch the game on Charlton TV. Given this season's results I thank my lucky stars I have lost the urge to attend games in person.0
-
times change, priorities change, tastes change .. any guilt over losing a deep passionate love for CAFC should be banished from your psyche NOW if not sooner
0 -
And when do you see that happening?SoundAsa£ said:It’s amazing what a few good results and a something to play for top six position will do.0 -
Is it apathy towards Charlton only or football more generally too?5
-
Circumstances change in life and other people and things need your time away from football or the person/people you went with no longer go so you don't fancy it on your tod and sundry other things get in the way.
If you do fancy it on the day KAT comes into play along with Sadiq Khan's nasty charge for driving into the area and other economic pressures in this day and age.
1 -
I don’t watch the games like Tel but just the highlights on YouTube the morning after. Being highlights of course you see mainly the good stuff. It’s just enough fanning of the flames to keep the dream alive. Watching from afar, other side of the world, has advantages.Then I might spend a few minutes daily reading another page of Valiant 1000 to reflect on times past.I have followed Charlton for over 70 years. Cann’t see that changing.3
-
As many of you know, I live a fair old distance from The Valley these days.
That's not the club's fault, of course.
There is cost ..... cost of travelling from Cornwall to the other side of London. It's a long journey, very early start, very late return home.
Plus the cost of watching the actual match. I'm retired now and making do on State pension, so I have to be careful with every penny I spend.
Then there was Covid with the lockdown and matches played in empty stadiums.
In recent years, I'd invariably sit with my dear old Dad, planning my family visits around games.
He was a season ticket holder into his late 80s and the reason I become an ardent Addick, first taking me to The Valley back in 1964.
He's gone now and I can't quite find the motivation to go back to The Valley, although I still take in occasional away games in the South West.
8 -
7
