I would just like to say a huge Thankyou to everyone who was involved with the organisation of this Unity Protest. It was great to tie up with other Charlton supporters who care so passionately about our club. I think our point was well made and it was enough to embarrass Roland for him not to turn up for the 'after game dancing'. The locals were friendly and very understanding of the reason why we are protesting. The 2% were great , and all the banners were excellent. The effagy of Roland was fantastic although his legs and head fell off a couple of times:). I don't think Sint Truiden knew what hit it with us lot marching through it!
If Roland don't sell up soon, he better get used to our visits!! As I am sure more will follow. @oohaahmortimer - I hope your feeling better today @PragueAddick - I will bring my running shoes next time for the train connection. @TCE & @ThreadKiller@Mosscat it was great to meet you all and put faces to names. @The_President - Top man and well done !
I understand that the Club is disappointed that we went out to Belgium, Well were disappointed that you are slowly killing our great club. Please Roland just sell up and go !!!
The Eurostar gang looked after me and I enjoyed meeting you all. When we ran for the connection I was trailing a bit but I blame that on my overnight bag. Thanks guys.
The Eurostar gang looked after me and I enjoyed meeting you all. When we ran for the connection I was trailing a bit but I blame that on my overnight bag. Thanks guys.
Well done to all who organised the march at CARD and Belguim 20. It was fantastic and felt good to be protesting in Roland's home town where he thinks he is runs the town. The only disappointment was the number of STTV fans on the march , there could of only been about 20 and on their own patch. They just don't share our passion i guess. The 2% were great and there was jubilation in the bar as Charlton scored on the big screen , we thought we had scored a late equaliser to make it 2-2 only to quickly realise it was our 1st half goal being shown !! Roland we are a tenacious bunch , sell the club because we will be back in greater numbers next time. Do you want to be humiliated in your Town on a regular basis , because you will be
Where to begin this weekend? Meeting our tour guide @PragueAddick at ebbsfleet along with @ThreadKiller@oohaahmortimer and @Onlyme and of course his daughter who was there to make sure we all behaved. The Eurostar was certainly the way to travel if funds are not a restriction and a beer just after breakfast helped settle any prematch nerves as we trundled along at 100+mph. Arriving Brussels to find that @PragueAddick hadn't been joshing about running to catch our connection at all and I set off at an alarmingly slow pace in order not to pull a muscle and got increasingly slower with each step, only to find on our arrival the train had been delayed! Oh, how we feckin laughed. Checking into our hotel was an experience that will live with me for a while, before we set off for Wims in @oohaahmortimer personal hired car. On arrival we were obviously one of the early ones and so the onslaught of the local beers started. 4%, 6%, 7%, 8% and that was before the 2% had played a note, fortunately with plenty of food available I forced some bread rolls down my throat to save me from certain death before the march even started. Seeing several familar faces @Badger then bumping into @RodneyCharltonTrotta in the karzy I knew I was started to wilt. The 2% got the place rocking and before we knew the march was starting and off we set, the atmosphere was fantastic professionally stewarded and the the Police in attendance as we started to sing a few songs, residents waved and clapped and I started to join in songs that had been introduced since my boycott, fortunately songs that may have offended the locals were omitted or the lyrics changed so not offend the locals, showing even more class as we weaved through unfamiliar streets. Our arrival at the ground we had decided to watch the game, after showing our tickets to get closer the the ground we sample the wares of the supporters pub for a top up to find @Onlyme propping up the bar. The rear of the Home stand was a strange looking set up a mixture of shops, offices and the hotel and already I could see what maybe the owner wants to achieve, I could also see why it wouldn't work. Entering the ground I felt a mixture of guilt and intrigue as I looked around trying to suss the mans thought process. The biggest insight to what his game is came when we went to a get a coffee, down the steps to the concourse through some doors which isolate the ground from the cold and any fan noise we were met with strobe lighting and music as we made our way along the concourse it became obvious to me the place must be heated as staff worked in shirt sleeves, three or four older fellas watched the game on a TV, dressed as if they hadn't stepped foot on the terraces almost like season ticket holders but in front of the telly. One thing I would say is the locals are fantastic people and not one we spoke to wished anything other than success against the owner gesturing with a thumb and finger action (moneyman), with I would say if you are reading this RD. Mate, you might want to consider moving 'cos you aint very popular. What went on after the game? We had the sleeping standing up competition, won by @oohaahmortimer before finding somewhere to eat around midnight. Sunday we visited the beautiful square in Brussels with its fantastic architecture and a lovely restaurant to eat lunch before making our way back to the station via a beer in a cafe. The weekend rekindled my belief in the club is worth fighting for and I would return to Belgium, but that is because of the people I was surrounded by at the weekend. Nothing the the currant ownership do/say will change the fact I won't watch another football match at the Valley while they are here and if they sell I have doubt that I will hold a regular S/T. Just go.................
Most of what I would report has been said already. So a brief report and a slightly different angle.
The Good - Superb organisation from B20 / CARD / Others. Thanks and well done. It made the trip a breeze. - the march was a success. On its own it won't make him sell, but it is a little more pressure and 'bad news' for him. It all adds up. - it amazes me that a local man 'done good' who is responsible for local employment and apparently saving a local club can be so unpopular in his own town but he is. Lots of support for us out there. RD is an unpopular man. - the trip back in the coach led by Clive was superb and has encouraged me to learn more about the Great War history. I will definitely sign up for a formal tour one day (when kids are a little older most likely) and would go with Clive again. The personal stories from those that served there which he recalled really added huge interest.
The Bad - for anyone who is on the fence or still thinks there is hope for this regime I will give some details about the STTV game experience. - this is RD's home town club and the team he supports so it is fair to say he is likely to give them more than any other club in his network. They are further down the line with RD and this definitely feels like his 'blue print'. KM being a fan explains a number of her gaffs and misunderstandings of UK football
A) the team play on 3G surface, whilst this helps the technical side it means there is no going to ground (save a dive or two). Players like Solly would be sent off every game. B ) there is literally no atmosphere whatsoever. People sit around with a general hum of conversation being the over riding noise. C) to buy a beer you first have to buy a token from a small stool then go and use that to buy a beer from the bar. Entirely unnecessary and I assume just a way to try to get people to overspend in something they don't then cash in? D) there was house music all the way through being piped into the concourse area. It was somewhat annoying. E) I went for a pee at half time and had to go outside to do it against a wall with a gulley. I thought only Palace had this level of quality nowadays. F) I then decided to phone home so was late to the second half. Walking through the concourse there were hundreds of fans still there eating, chatting not caring about the game that had already started. G) when I returned to my seat STTV had already scored a second, I heard no roar/reaction at all in the concourse so had not realised. H) the ground is awful. It is just not a football ground. A very poor mans Leyton Orient with flats in the corner and commercial usage around. I) there is no passion from fans, completely lifeless. Behind the goal is where their more noisy fans sit. I reckon there were 4-500 of them at most and this number would have been swelled by 40/50 Charlton fans who joined them.
It really was so different from a UK football experience and one that I hope they will never replicate in the UK with us. If they wanted a club run in this way they should have bought MKDons which has new fans and less family tradition/passion.
Some pictures below...
The first is behind one of the goals, bottom right is the away fans. The home area must have had 10 fans.
The second is the side I think RD sits, the upper tier looks pretty much empty. The lower tier they cleverly put the blue seats in random order rather than spell anything out which makes it look more populated than it is. There was no noise from there at all. Not sure if that is the side with the hotel but just a crap stand.
The third is the busiest in numbers behind the goal where the noisy fans sit. As you can see it is hardly bulging at the seams.
Now I have no idea of the history of STTV or what it was like before RD but today it is a naff, soulless football venue that no neutral would likely remember or recommend. The only redeeming thing is that you can have a beer at your seat to numb the dullness of the whole experience. The fact so few of their fans came to join the protest yet so many expressed they were not happy when you spoke to them suggests he has destroyed the passion of the club. It is the sort of club you could call fans 'customers' and most would shrug. You could knock a stand down and build flats, and most would shrug. You could bring in a raft of Eurotrash players like Ceballas and Polish Pete, and people would shrug. It is not a club I had any form of 'bond' with and reinforced just why we need to continue to rally against the RD light.
For anyone in any doubt I would strongly suggest a trip to one of their home games to put your mind at rest as to just how awful the whole football experience will end up being at Charlton if RD gets his way. If we go back to STTV, I won't go back for another game.
"C) to buy a beer you first have to buy a token from a small stool then go and use that to buy a beer from the bar. Entirely unnecessary and I assume just a way to try to get people to overspend in something they don't then cash in?"
That's a continental thing. Liege have the same (perhaps started by Roland) and Brugge have an even more annoying card system. You get a plastic card and have to go to a booth to add credit. There's always cents left over, quite a few Dutch and German clubs do it. Some even want a deposit for a cup.
I agree with most other points, I don't think Roland could get away with all the music, hotels etc at a bigger club. It's a sleepy little town and i think many fans are happy just to be in the top tier playing Anderlecht, Gent etc.
I think you're spot on there @Athletico Charlton in a number of aspects. Whatever the achievements in his home town where he has cultivated this club and his place in its structure, there are no grounds to think his model will work at Charlton, (maybe mk Dons as you suggest where there there is relatively speaking no history and no evolved identity). I'm glad I went to their game. It was a stark lesson in incompatibility. I wonder too if it would be a waste of energy looking for unity with their fans. This idea has served well to bind the event on this trip but as an objective in its own right I don't think we should focus there.
I don't know whether they still do it in Holland but Roda operated this system when I went there with Charlton in the early 2000's. A very strange and seemingly pointless system creating extra work for fans and staff.
"C) to buy a beer you first have to buy a token from a small stool then go and use that to buy a beer from the bar. Entirely unnecessary and I assume just a way to try to get people to overspend in something they don't then cash in?"
That's a continental thing. Liege have the same (perhaps started by Roland) and Brugge have an even more annoying card system. You get a plastic card and have to go to a booth to add credit. There's always cents left over, quite a few Dutch and German clubs do it.
I agree with everything else, I don't think Roland could get away with all the music, hotels etc at a bigger club. It's a sleepy little town and i think many fans are happy just to be in the top tier playing Anderlecht, Gent etc.
I think it is a Belgian thing - at Vims I bought some beers with a 20 and the barman gave me paper tokens instead of change. In some ways it was easier but hassle if you don't want any more drinks. I liked the Juliper though.
St Truiden seemed soulless & the locals reminded me a little of "The Stepford Wives". Robots. No personality, but I suppose I might be the same, if a few hundred Belgians were protesting in my town. It is all weird.
Firstly I'd like to thank everyone I met in ST. Everyone was extremely friendly and gracious. As I told many of you, Cork is about as far from ST as London is so my trip was no more difficult than yours. I just wanted to play some small part in the fight to get Charlton back on track.
I left home at about half 4 to get to the airport for my 5:50 flight to Amsterdam, and after a short time waiting to get through customs and pick up my luggage on the other side I was on the train to Brussels. I think I ended up on the same train to Hasselt/St as some posters from here as I was also on the 5 minute delayed train.
I spotted one or two black and white scarves on the platform but we didn't get talking and ended up in different carriages. My first interaction with a Charlton fan was when I was unable to find the Belrom. Google Maps was telling me it should have been on the roundabout and it was no where around that area. Thankfully said Charlton fan, in a red England top, pointed me in the right direction and I was finally able to check in. After a shower I walked back into ST and wandered around the Grote Markt until I bumped into @Addickted (I hope I have the right log in) his son Ben and their friend Stuart from Lincoln (now thats one hell of a journey to make). They recognised the Cork City crest and asked me to join them for a drink, which I was more than happy to. We chatted about Roland, about Charlton, about some of the better players over the years, and some of the not so greats. Then some more fans turned up (I'm sorry but I'm terrible with names at the best of times so I don't know who exactly this was.) We were getting a little concerned that there were so few fans around the square until someone pointed out that we weren't starting in the square but in Wims around the corner. Eventually we made it back there in time for the "equaliser" that turned out to just be a reply of the first Charlton goal. For a few minutes a lot of people thought we had gotten back in the game, alas it wasn't to be.
I had a couple of drinks here, and got chatting to some more fans who definitely told me their names but I cannot remember them so I apologise, if you recognise yourself please let me know! Then it was time for the march and someone handed me a placard.
The rain had stopped just in time and off we went. I started around the middle and drifted off to the back as time went on. Ben made fun of me for not knowing the words to Just Sell The Club... I think I had it by the end of the march!
March ends, I met some more Charlton fans including some of the W.A.R., I was very glad to hear that @cherryorchard is not named after the player farm in Dublin.
I ended up with a ticket to the game so went into De Kanarie for a couple of drinks with Addickted, Ben and Stuart, met some more fans, including a Scottish guy who was acting as a steward during the march.
The highlight of the day for me was Stuart hiding a placard under his coat and somehow getting it into the ground despite the fact that the stewards were patting everyone down!
It was great to see Igor get a goal, and he even saluted us in the main stand.
A few banners and signs went up during the game and one was taken by the security. We eventually decided to leave at half time, as the game was a bit rubbish, the stadium was horrible and there wasn't much in the way of atmosphere. So Ben tried to get ejected, we didn't quite manage that, but off we went for a few more beers at the Brewery.
All in all a great day and I look forward to the ne
It was great to see Igor score, and he saluted us in the main stand after some chants of his name. Shortly befo
"C) to buy a beer you first have to buy a token from a small stool then go and use that to buy a beer from the bar. Entirely unnecessary and I assume just a way to try to get people to overspend in something they don't then cash in?"
That's a continental thing. Liege have the same (perhaps started by Roland) and Brugge have an even more annoying card system. You get a plastic card and have to go to a booth to add credit. There's always cents left over, quite a few Dutch and German clubs do it.
I agree with everything else, I don't think Roland could get away with all the music, hotels etc at a bigger club. It's a sleepy little town and i think many fans are happy just to be in the top tier playing Anderlecht, Gent etc.
I think it is a Belgian thing - at Vims I bought some beers with a 20 and the barman gave me paper tokens instead of change. In some ways it was easier but hassle if you don't want any more drinks. I liked the Juliper though.
I first came across it at the Allianz. I think the main benefit is that it can speed up service at peak times. The second benefit is it cuts down on fiddling bar staff.. it also looks far worse to an occasional visitor because you worry you will end up with chips you won't use. But if you are a regular it's not such an issue. Of all the horrors we saw there, I think that's the least worst.
Comments
It was great to tie up with other Charlton supporters who care so passionately about our club.
I think our point was well made and it was enough to embarrass Roland for him not to turn up for the 'after game dancing'.
The locals were friendly and very understanding of the reason why we are protesting.
The 2% were great , and all the banners were excellent.
The effagy of Roland was fantastic although his legs and head fell off a couple of times:).
I don't think Sint Truiden knew what hit it with us lot marching through it!
If Roland don't sell up soon, he better get used to our visits!! As I am sure more will follow.
@oohaahmortimer - I hope your feeling better today
@PragueAddick - I will bring my running shoes next time for the train connection.
@TCE & @ThreadKiller @Mosscat it was great to meet you all and put faces to names.
@The_President - Top man and well done !
I understand that the Club is disappointed that we went out to Belgium, Well were disappointed that you are slowly killing our great club.
Please Roland just sell up and go !!!
Roland we are a tenacious bunch , sell the club because we will be back in greater numbers next time. Do you want to be humiliated in your Town on a regular basis , because you will be
Checking into our hotel was an experience that will live with me for a while, before we set off for Wims in @oohaahmortimer personal hired car. On arrival we were obviously one of the early ones and so the onslaught of the local beers started. 4%, 6%, 7%, 8% and that was before the 2% had played a note, fortunately with plenty of food available I forced some bread rolls down my throat to save me from certain death before the march even started. Seeing several familar faces @Badger then bumping into @RodneyCharltonTrotta in the karzy I knew I was started to wilt. The 2% got the place rocking and before we knew the march was starting and off we set, the atmosphere was fantastic professionally stewarded and the the Police in attendance as we started to sing a few songs, residents waved and clapped and I started to join in songs that had been introduced since my boycott, fortunately songs that may have offended the locals were omitted or the lyrics changed so not offend the locals, showing even more class as we weaved through unfamiliar streets. Our arrival at the ground we had decided to watch the game, after showing our tickets to get closer the the ground we sample the wares of the supporters pub for a top up to find @Onlyme propping up the bar. The rear of the Home stand was a strange looking set up a mixture of shops, offices and the hotel and already I could see what maybe the owner wants to achieve, I could also see why it wouldn't work. Entering the ground I felt a mixture of guilt and intrigue as I looked around trying to suss the mans thought process. The biggest insight to what his game is came when we went to a get a coffee, down the steps to the concourse through some doors which isolate the ground from the cold and any fan noise we were met with strobe lighting and music as we made our way along the concourse it became obvious to me the place must be heated as staff worked in shirt sleeves, three or four older fellas watched the game on a TV, dressed as if they hadn't stepped foot on the terraces almost like season ticket holders but in front of the telly. One thing I would say is the locals are fantastic people and not one we spoke to wished anything other than success against the owner gesturing with a thumb and finger action (moneyman), with I would say if you are reading this RD. Mate, you might want to consider moving 'cos you aint very popular.
What went on after the game?
We had the sleeping standing up competition, won by @oohaahmortimer before finding somewhere to eat around midnight. Sunday we visited the beautiful square in Brussels with its fantastic architecture and a lovely restaurant to eat lunch before making our way back to the station via a beer in a cafe. The weekend rekindled my belief in the club is worth fighting for and I would return to Belgium, but that is because of the people I was surrounded by at the weekend. Nothing the the currant ownership do/say will change the fact I won't watch another football match at the Valley while they are here and if they sell I have doubt that I will hold a regular S/T. Just go.................
Listen to it here - https://audioboom.com/posts/5678935-unityprotest-diary-cafc-fans-head-to-belgium-to-demonstrate-against-duchatelet
I counted them, there were 28 of them.
The Good
- Superb organisation from B20 / CARD / Others. Thanks and well done. It made the trip a breeze.
- the march was a success. On its own it won't make him sell, but it is a little more pressure and 'bad news' for him. It all adds up.
- it amazes me that a local man 'done good' who is responsible for local employment and apparently saving a local club can be so unpopular in his own town but he is. Lots of support for us out there. RD is an unpopular man.
- the trip back in the coach led by Clive was superb and has encouraged me to learn more about the Great War history. I will definitely sign up for a formal tour one day (when kids are a little older most likely) and would go with Clive again. The personal stories from those that served there which he recalled really added huge interest.
The Bad
- for anyone who is on the fence or still thinks there is hope for this regime I will give some details about the STTV game experience.
- this is RD's home town club and the team he supports so it is fair to say he is likely to give them more than any other club in his network. They are further down the line with RD and this definitely feels like his 'blue print'. KM being a fan explains a number of her gaffs and misunderstandings of UK football
A) the team play on 3G surface, whilst this helps the technical side it means there is no going to ground (save a dive or two). Players like Solly would be sent off every game.
B ) there is literally no atmosphere whatsoever. People sit around with a general hum of conversation being the over riding noise.
C) to buy a beer you first have to buy a token from a small stool then go and use that to buy a beer from the bar. Entirely unnecessary and I assume just a way to try to get people to overspend in something they don't then cash in?
D) there was house music all the way through being piped into the concourse area. It was somewhat annoying.
E) I went for a pee at half time and had to go outside to do it against a wall with a gulley. I thought only Palace had this level of quality nowadays.
F) I then decided to phone home so was late to the second half. Walking through the concourse there were hundreds of fans still there eating, chatting not caring about the game that had already started.
G) when I returned to my seat STTV had already scored a second, I heard no roar/reaction at all in the concourse so had not realised.
H) the ground is awful. It is just not a football ground. A very poor mans Leyton Orient with flats in the corner and commercial usage around.
I) there is no passion from fans, completely lifeless. Behind the goal is where their more noisy fans sit. I reckon there were 4-500 of them at most and this number would have been swelled by 40/50 Charlton fans who joined them.
It really was so different from a UK football experience and one that I hope they will never replicate in the UK with us. If they wanted a club run in this way they should have bought MKDons which has new fans and less family tradition/passion.
Some pictures below...
The first is behind one of the goals, bottom right is the away fans. The home area must have had 10 fans.
The second is the side I think RD sits, the upper tier looks pretty much empty. The lower tier they cleverly put the blue seats in random order rather than spell anything out which makes it look more populated than it is. There was no noise from there at all. Not sure if that is the side with the hotel but just a crap stand.
The third is the busiest in numbers behind the goal where the noisy fans sit. As you can see it is hardly bulging at the seams.
Now I have no idea of the history of STTV or what it was like before RD but today it is a naff, soulless football venue that no neutral would likely remember or recommend. The only redeeming thing is that you can have a beer at your seat to numb the dullness of the whole experience. The fact so few of their fans came to join the protest yet so many expressed they were not happy when you spoke to them suggests he has destroyed the passion of the club. It is the sort of club you could call fans 'customers' and most would shrug. You could knock a stand down and build flats, and most would shrug. You could bring in a raft of Eurotrash players like Ceballas and Polish Pete, and people would shrug. It is not a club I had any form of 'bond' with and reinforced just why we need to continue to rally against the RD light.
For anyone in any doubt I would strongly suggest a trip to one of their home games to put your mind at rest as to just how awful the whole football experience will end up being at Charlton if RD gets his way. If we go back to STTV, I won't go back for another game.
That's a continental thing. Liege have the same (perhaps started by Roland) and Brugge have an even more annoying card system. You get a plastic card and have to go to a booth to add credit. There's always cents left over, quite a few Dutch and German clubs do it. Some even want a deposit for a cup.
I agree with most other points, I don't think Roland could get away with all the music, hotels etc at a bigger club. It's a sleepy little town and i think many fans are happy just to be in the top tier playing Anderlecht, Gent etc.
I'm glad I went to their game. It was a stark lesson in incompatibility.
I wonder too if it would be a waste of energy looking for unity with their fans. This idea has served well to bind the event on this trip but as an objective in its own right I don't think we should focus there.
I left home at about half 4 to get to the airport for my 5:50 flight to Amsterdam, and after a short time waiting to get through customs and pick up my luggage on the other side I was on the train to Brussels. I think I ended up on the same train to Hasselt/St as some posters from here as I was also on the 5 minute delayed train.
I spotted one or two black and white scarves on the platform but we didn't get talking and ended up in different carriages. My first interaction with a Charlton fan was when I was unable to find the Belrom. Google Maps was telling me it should have been on the roundabout and it was no where around that area. Thankfully said Charlton fan, in a red England top, pointed me in the right direction and I was finally able to check in. After a shower I walked back into ST and wandered around the Grote Markt until I bumped into @Addickted (I hope I have the right log in) his son Ben and their friend Stuart from Lincoln (now thats one hell of a journey to make). They recognised the Cork City crest and asked me to join them for a drink, which I was more than happy to. We chatted about Roland, about Charlton, about some of the better players over the years, and some of the not so greats. Then some more fans turned up (I'm sorry but I'm terrible with names at the best of times so I don't know who exactly this was.) We were getting a little concerned that there were so few fans around the square until someone pointed out that we weren't starting in the square but in Wims around the corner. Eventually we made it back there in time for the "equaliser" that turned out to just be a reply of the first Charlton goal. For a few minutes a lot of people thought we had gotten back in the game, alas it wasn't to be.
I had a couple of drinks here, and got chatting to some more fans who definitely told me their names but I cannot remember them so I apologise, if you recognise yourself please let me know! Then it was time for the march and someone handed me a placard.
The rain had stopped just in time and off we went. I started around the middle and drifted off to the back as time went on. Ben made fun of me for not knowing the words to Just Sell The Club... I think I had it by the end of the march!
March ends, I met some more Charlton fans including some of the W.A.R., I was very glad to hear that @cherryorchard is not named after the player farm in Dublin.
I ended up with a ticket to the game so went into De Kanarie for a couple of drinks with Addickted, Ben and Stuart, met some more fans, including a Scottish guy who was acting as a steward during the march.
The highlight of the day for me was Stuart hiding a placard under his coat and somehow getting it into the ground despite the fact that the stewards were patting everyone down!
It was great to see Igor get a goal, and he even saluted us in the main stand.
A few banners and signs went up during the game and one was taken by the security. We eventually decided to leave at half time, as the game was a bit rubbish, the stadium was horrible and there wasn't much in the way of atmosphere. So Ben tried to get ejected, we didn't quite manage that, but off we went for a few more beers at the Brewery.
All in all a great day and I look forward to the ne
It was great to see Igor score, and he saluted us in the main stand after some chants of his name. Shortly befo