I remember being in Krakow, Poland in 1994 and got talking to an English bloke over a beer. Football got mentioned and expecting a howl of derision, I said I proudly followed Charlton.
"So do I", he said, "I'm from Bexleyheath!"
You could have knocked me down with a feather. Well, if you're reading this matey, that was me!
I can probably come up with no more than 4 or 5 people I've met from this area who claim to be Addicks, over a 30 year period! Being from Surrey, it's a very rare thing to bump into another fan.
Being a Charlton supporter as a child in the 80s was character building. I felt original. I took a lot of stick (especially from a Fulham fan, which made no sense at all). Dad used it to teach me how to deal with these a**holes. How to come up with comeback lines ("we relegated Fulham, don't you know.") - I got called 'Charlton' on the Coca Cola Soccer Star Schemes, and at football practice. It was so bizarre for these people to meet a non-glory hunter.
The key argument, however, was that Charlton supporters are/ were true supporters, not 'fans' like the Liverpool glory hunters. To this day I still feel the same way about it all.
I am. I live in Stratford so Im surrounded by hammers fans, with the odd Orient fan thrown in. When I head to games Im always the only Charlton fan on the Jubilee line to North Greenwich, and subsequently get lots of bemused looks from passengers trying to work out what team the shirt Im wearing is for. On numerous occasions this season Ive had random day trippers/away fans ask me for help to get them to the Valley as I'm the first Charlton fan they encounter on the way, and the first time I see other Charlton fans is at the North Greenwich bus station waiting for the 472 to the Valley. Funnily enough the last convo I had with a fellow Charlton fan at North Greenwich station asked me which bus to get because they live in Kent and dont normally get to games this way.
In addition, none of my friends support Charlton, I dont know anyone at work who supports Charlton. Girlfriend supports Chelsea, Dad supports Colchester. I know several Palarse, QPR, Watford and Millwall, but no Addicks! It could be that youre all avoiding me of course, which would be understandable....
Born & grew up in St. Albans. Only know of 1 other Addick, aside from the people I sit next to/around. In a school of 1000 pupils I was known as 'Charlton' as I was the only one!
I grew up in Harpenden just up the road from St Albans. Believe it or not it's a little Charlton enclave, there's a good 20 or so living there and we always have an annual gathering. In our Selhurst days you'd see no others heading back north but nowadays there are lots on the Thameslink route.
You may even have spotted my mate's 'Harpenden Addicks' flag at away games.
How odd, I have lived in Harpenden for just over two years now, I knew I was not the only one as I have caught the train with an Addick that wears a cap, but 20!! Let me know next time you meet up, great story.
Stopshouting's post has inspired me to rustle up a Sheffield Addicks flag for next season. Harpenden is not the only northern enclave. Any others?
Lincs could get one done with Grimsby Addick on it.
Great idea Andy!
Dad is an Addick thankfully. Not to be taken for granted for those that pass on the genes, because his dad was Millwall (coughs). I only ever met one other Charlton fan randomly in life. He used to work in the same company as i did as a photographer. Was called Spencer, think he lived in Nottingham! That's about it.
It is not something i have ever considered on just how different it must be either growing up somewhere not in what you would call our catchment area, or not having a particularly strong connection with fellow fans.
As said on the recent family thread, no one in our collective families apart from one of my wife's cousins support anyone other than Charlton. I've just had a tot up through my list of Facebook friends / acquantencies, out of 236 there are 134 Charlton fans. Strip away work-related people, mates other halves, and the usual not seen since school ones, and there really aren't too many left that aren't Charlton fans.
I think i'd be completely lost if i ever moved away !
Get you're regional Addicks flags done and fly the flag !
Family aside I have one mate who supports Charlton,but he played a game of football yesterday at Selhurst Park in full palace kit. Fair to say that friendship is over
Here at the South Pole I only know one other Charlton fan but I did once see a snow-mobile with a Charlton sticker on the back but that was driven by an Eskimo who are usually Hartlepool supporters.
Percy the Penguin was great for talking about the old times at SE7 but I sadly had to eat him during the tough antarctic winter of 96 and now its just me and my co-researcher, the lovely Sonia, and she is a Chelsea supporter. At least she is when she's fully inflated.
When I lived in Herne Hill, I was the only cafc in my primary school and again was the only one in secondary school which was in Stretham. Now I live in Harlow essex I've met a couple.
The only other Glasgow-based Charlton fan I know is my husband...
I have spotted Addicks on the plane once or twice, and accosted a father and daughter in their Charlton shirts at Glasgow's Queen St train station a couple of years ago - they were here on holiday, and a bit bemused when a woman all dressed up in her best suit on the way to a business meeting was desperate for a bit of CAFC chat!
In nearly 30 years of following Charlton I have known only a few people who support Charlton. My dad who kept so quiet about it that it only came up when I started going, two former work colleagues (barely acquaintances), the husband of a friend of my mum (you can tell that I'm starting to struggle with this list) and a very old bloke I met whilst working as a barrow boy on Woolwich Market when I was 15. That's it. Was I brought up in a far away locale. No. Born in Woolwich. Brought up in North West Kent / South East London.
I am. I live in Stratford so Im surrounded by hammers fans, with the odd Orient fan thrown in. When I head to games Im always the only Charlton fan on the Jubilee line to North Greenwich, and subsequently get lots of bemused looks from passengers trying to work out what team the shirt Im wearing is for.
I spent a couple of years until recently traveling in from stratford on the jubilee line and there are normally quite a few charlton that I recognise. I can see why you'd think there aren't any though as our fans seem to wear colours a lot less than other teams'
Fascinating thread. It is not something i have ever considered on just how different it must be either growing up somewhere not in what you would call our catchment area, or not having a particularly strong connection with fellow fans.
The only way for me to have any idea what our fans are thinking is this forum! Dad's from the catchment area but moved to Reigate before I was born. I drove through town a few years ago and saw a kid in a Charlton shirt, I instantly slammed the breaks on and honked my horn, shouting 'Addicks!' out the window. He just looked at me funny. I'd never seen anyone in a Charlton shirt in Reigate before.
Until Crawley got promoted recently, the nearest league teams are Brighton or Palace. But I know very few fans of either. The vast majority of people I know support Spurs, which always seemed a bit odd to me.
Living in South West London then Surrey I have always been the only Charlton supporter I know. I have always fought my corner where needed, mainly against plastic Chelsea fans and deluded Nigel's. I have converted quite a few people to the cause too, maybe even a couple that post here.
The only other Glasgow-based Charlton fan I know is my husband...
I have spotted Addicks on the plane once or twice, and accosted a father and daughter in their Charlton shirts at Glasgow's Queen St train station a couple of years ago - they were here on holiday, and a bit bemused when a woman all dressed up in her best suit on the way to a business meeting was desperate for a bit of CAFC chat!
helluva trip for a home game you got,live in erith now but was born in rutherglen. used to travel up 6 or 7 times a year to see family as kids one long journey then train not so bad now.
I can probably come up with no more than 4 or 5 people I've met from this area who claim to be Addicks, over a 30 year period! Being from Surrey, it's a very rare thing to bump into another fan.
Being a Charlton supporter as a child in the 80s was character building. I felt original. I took a lot of stick (especially from a Fulham fan, which made no sense at all). Dad used it to teach me how to deal with these a**holes. How to come up with comeback lines ("we relegated Fulham, don't you know.") - I got called 'Charlton' on the Coca Cola Soccer Star Schemes, and at football practice. It was so bizarre for these people to meet a non-glory hunter.
The key argument, however, was that Charlton supporters are/ were true supporters, not 'fans' like the Liverpool glory hunters. To this day I still feel the same way about it all.
Think most of us feel same.every supporter thiks their club is special and certainly were no different and have plenty of reasons for doing so.
helluva trip for a home game you got,live in erith now but was born in rutherglen. used to travel up 6 or 7 times a year to see family as kids one long journey then train not so bad now.
Manage the trip to The Valley a few times a season, plus some Northern away games (come back, Carlisle!). Grew up in Belvedere (Scottish dad, English mother), and used to drive up to Scotland on hols - took ages then. Married an Irishman and we moved here c 20 years ago - on condition that I would go back to see Charlton every 4-6 weeks! Usually fly, sometimes get the train - a lot quicker than it used to be, and still quite affordable thanks to Easyjet.
Born in Salisbury, ended up in York via Canada. Met another Charlton fan at York station heading to a game back in 93, became mates but he lives in Bolton now. There's another York based Addick who posts on here but I've never met him. Don't have any Charlton mates locally now. Like others I quite revel in being the only Charlton fan people know. Wouldn't want to be lumped in with the Leeds/Man U/Liverpool sheep.
Born in Salisbury, ended up in York via Canada. Met another Charlton fan at York station heading to a game back in 93, became mates but he lives in Bolton now. There's another York based Addick who posts on here but I've never met him. Don't have any Charlton mates locally now. Like others I quite revel in being the only Charlton fan people know. Wouldn't want to be lumped in with the Leeds/Man U/Liverpool sheep.
Comments
Football got mentioned and expecting a howl of derision, I said I proudly followed Charlton.
"So do I", he said, "I'm from Bexleyheath!"
You could have knocked me down with a feather.
Well, if you're reading this matey, that was me!
Being a Charlton supporter as a child in the 80s was character building. I felt original. I took a lot of stick (especially from a Fulham fan, which made no sense at all). Dad used it to teach me how to deal with these a**holes. How to come up with comeback lines ("we relegated Fulham, don't you know.") - I got called 'Charlton' on the Coca Cola Soccer Star Schemes, and at football practice. It was so bizarre for these people to meet a non-glory hunter.
The key argument, however, was that Charlton supporters are/ were true supporters, not 'fans' like the Liverpool glory hunters. To this day I still feel the same way about it all.
I have seen that flag.
Dad is an Addick thankfully. Not to be taken for granted for those that pass on the genes, because his dad was Millwall (coughs).
I only ever met one other Charlton fan randomly in life. He used to work in the same company as i did as a photographer. Was called Spencer, think he lived in Nottingham! That's about it.
Coooome onnnn you Sheffield Addicks :-)
It is not something i have ever considered on just how different it must be either growing up somewhere not in what you would call our catchment area, or not having a particularly strong connection with fellow fans.
As said on the recent family thread, no one in our collective families apart from one of my wife's cousins support anyone other than Charlton. I've just had a tot up through my list of Facebook friends / acquantencies, out of 236 there are 134 Charlton fans. Strip away work-related people, mates other halves, and the usual not seen since school ones, and there really aren't too many left that aren't Charlton fans.
I think i'd be completely lost if i ever moved away !
Get you're regional Addicks flags done and fly the flag !
Rents / Grandparents originally from Mottingham.
Was always the only cafc in school. Maybe 1 or 2 others.
Here at the South Pole I only know one other Charlton fan but I did once see a snow-mobile with a Charlton sticker on the back but that was driven by an Eskimo who are usually Hartlepool supporters.
Percy the Penguin was great for talking about the old times at SE7 but I sadly had to eat him during the tough antarctic winter of 96 and now its just me and my co-researcher, the lovely Sonia, and she is a Chelsea supporter. At least she is when she's fully inflated.
I have spotted Addicks on the plane once or twice, and accosted a father and daughter in their Charlton shirts at Glasgow's Queen St train station a couple of years ago - they were here on holiday, and a bit bemused when a woman all dressed up in her best suit on the way to a business meeting was desperate for a bit of CAFC chat!
Until Crawley got promoted recently, the nearest league teams are Brighton or Palace. But I know very few fans of either. The vast majority of people I know support Spurs, which always seemed a bit odd to me.
Like others I quite revel in being the only Charlton fan people know. Wouldn't want to be lumped in with the Leeds/Man U/Liverpool sheep.