Great idea and work -Some great images here, presumably the exhibition will feature similar? Look forward to seeing it saturday...
one part of the article that really resonates is "After a difficult ten years, there is now a feeling that community is back in the driving seat and the club is coming back together again off and on the pitch."
At midday on Saturday 3rd May CAST will be launching an exhibition of fan portraits in the Fans’ Bar at The Valley.
Charlton is the original community club - founded not by a school, church or factory, but by a group of mates who just wanted to play football. Since then, at its best the club has led the way on community values including anti-racism.
After a difficult ten years, there is now a feeling that community is back in the driving seat and the club is coming back together again off and on the pitch.
As part of this positive momentum, CAST is partnering with Fans for Diversity* on a campaign under the banner "All Different. All Together. All Charlton." The aim of the campaign is to enable current fans to feel and love their difference and togetherness and to enable those who are new to the area or haven’t yet been to The Valley to get the sense they will find themselves welcome amongst a group of friendly and diverse fans. The campaign kicks off with an Exhibition in the Fans’ Bar at The Valley ahead of the last men’s team league match of the season against Burton Albion on 3rd May.
The exhibition features the work of photographer Rhea Spencer-Newell. Throughout the men’s & women’s team 24/25 season she has taken candid shots of Addicks’ fans in match and around the ground capturing everyone’s individuality and shared love of Charlton. Designer Oliver Watts made the photos into football stickers inspired by Charlton swappable collectables of old.
The exhibition features thirty Addicks’ fans enlarged stickers - each with its own story. A Syrian refugee whose family never misses a men’s or women’s game; the captain of LGBTQA+ team, Charlton Invicta; a young man who was brought up in Milton Keynes but now supports a club ‘with a soul’; someone who has recently won Pointless, and a group of boys, who, you never know, may be the great grandsons of those mates who just wanted to play football all those years ago.
The exhibition is just the start. Look out for more and the online sticker book and how Addicks can have their portrait added to the sticker collection.
Fans for Diversity Campaign Manager Hannah Kumari said
“All Different. All Together. All Charlton is an evolution of our My City My Shirt initiative which we are proud to support. My City My Shirt is all about celebrating the identity of a club; local iconic landmarks and fans of all ages and backgrounds. This is encapsulated perfectly in Charlton's campaign. It's great to see a range of fans which truly reflect the diversity of southeast London, whilst the idea to turn those portraits into retro football stickers is a wonderful celebration of classic football culture.”
We are Charlton Athletic, and we stick together
Photography: Rhea Spencer-Newell (Rhea is currently studying photography at university and has a passion for photographing football. She is a Charlton fan and has been documenting the club for over a year now. More of her photographs can be viewed on Instagram @rheaphotographs )
Designer: Oliver Watts
Exhibition opens 12.00 3rd May 2025 The Fans’ Bar. The Valley
*Fans for Diversity is a joint venture between the Football Supporters’ Association and Kick It Out and campaigns to ensure all football fans feel safe, welcome and included at the game regardless of their age, disability, gender, race, faith, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic
That’s if you can actually get in! Great with the improved attendances but fans bar gets to capacity very quickly and can’t get there any earlier as constrained by Valley Express. At least in the warm weather hanging out on the concourse is bearable…
A great initative, well done CAST and Heather for having the idea and seeing it through. Hopefully the finished project will be available online. It's so interesting to hear about the different journeys that people have taken along the path to finally become a Charlton supporter.
Today's the day! Please join us to view the exhibition in the Meantime Fans' Bar from midday till 2pm. Photographer Rhea Spencer-Newell and CAST Board member Sam White will be outside Covered End/ Curbs' Stand turnstiles to take more portraits of Addicks. You too can then become part of our Season 2024/25 Sticker Book. Look out for some already familiar faces at our first reveal by clicking on the link below.
That’s if you can actually get in! Great with the improved attendances but fans bar gets to capacity very quickly and can’t get there any earlier as constrained by Valley Express. At least in the warm weather hanging out on the concourse is bearable…
What’s going to happen to the ones that were on display today?
Yesterday 😉 They have been put into storage for now and CAST are looking for other venues around RBG to display them as a temporary exhibition through to early next season. So do keep an eye out.
Comments
Great idea and work -Some great images here, presumably the exhibition will feature similar?
Look forward to seeing it saturday...
one part of the article that really resonates is "After a difficult ten years, there is now a feeling that community is back in the driving seat and the club is coming back together again off and on the pitch."
At midday on Saturday 3rd May CAST will be launching an exhibition of fan portraits in the Fans’ Bar at The Valley.
Charlton is the original community club - founded not by a school, church or factory, but by a group of mates who just wanted to play football. Since then, at its best the club has led the way on community values including anti-racism.
After a difficult ten years, there is now a feeling that community is back in the driving seat and the club is coming back together again off and on the pitch.
As part of this positive momentum, CAST is partnering with Fans for Diversity* on a campaign under the banner "All Different. All Together. All Charlton." The aim of the campaign is to enable current fans to feel and love their difference and togetherness and to enable those who are new to the area or haven’t yet been to The Valley to get the sense they will find themselves welcome amongst a group of friendly and diverse fans. The campaign kicks off with an Exhibition in the Fans’ Bar at The Valley ahead of the last men’s team league match of the season against Burton Albion on 3rd May.
The exhibition features the work of photographer Rhea Spencer-Newell. Throughout the men’s & women’s team 24/25 season she has taken candid shots of Addicks’ fans in match and around the ground capturing everyone’s individuality and shared love of Charlton. Designer Oliver Watts made the photos into football stickers inspired by Charlton swappable collectables of old.
The exhibition features thirty Addicks’ fans enlarged stickers - each with its own story. A Syrian refugee whose family never misses a men’s or women’s game; the captain of LGBTQA+ team, Charlton Invicta; a young man who was brought up in Milton Keynes but now supports a club ‘with a soul’; someone who has recently won Pointless, and a group of boys, who, you never know, may be the great grandsons of those mates who just wanted to play football all those years ago.
The exhibition is just the start. Look out for more and the online sticker book and how Addicks can have their portrait added to the sticker collection.
Fans for Diversity Campaign Manager Hannah Kumari said
“All Different. All Together. All Charlton is an evolution of our My City My Shirt initiative which we are proud to support. My City My Shirt is all about celebrating the identity of a club; local iconic landmarks and fans of all ages and backgrounds. This is encapsulated perfectly in Charlton's campaign. It's great to see a range of fans which truly reflect the diversity of southeast London, whilst the idea to turn those portraits into retro football stickers is a wonderful celebration of classic football culture.”
We are Charlton Athletic, and we stick together
Photography: Rhea Spencer-Newell (Rhea is currently studying photography at university and has a passion for photographing football. She is a Charlton fan and has been documenting the club for over a year now. More of her photographs can be viewed on Instagram @rheaphotographs )
Designer: Oliver Watts
Exhibition opens 12.00 3rd May 2025 The Fans’ Bar. The Valley
*Fans for Diversity is a joint venture between the Football Supporters’ Association and Kick It Out and campaigns to ensure all football fans feel safe, welcome and included at the game regardless of their age, disability, gender, race, faith, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic
Photographer Rhea Spencer-Newell and CAST Board member Sam White will be outside Covered End/ Curbs' Stand turnstiles to take more portraits of Addicks.
You too can then become part of our Season 2024/25 Sticker Book.
Look out for some already familiar faces at our first reveal by clicking on the link below.
https://www.castrust.org/addicks-sticker-book/
Some great images of fans caught by Rhea Spencer-Newell.
Get your photo in the Addicks' Sticker Book by emailing your matchday images to merch@castrust.org
Click on the arrow to the right of the crowd picture to open the book:
https://www.castrust.org/addicks-sticker-book/
They have been put into storage for now and CAST are looking for other venues around RBG to display them as a temporary exhibition through to early next season. So do keep an eye out.