Some great shouts here, especially around some of the overlooked games, esp that Bolton one 83-84...a real chance we could have gone under the next season had we lost that game...
I'm going to throw in our 1-0 home win against Palace in 74-75. We were Div 3 promotion rivals that year, but Palace had the big crowds & ALL the publicity (Malcolm Allison as manager) - it was assumed they will go up. We, on the other hand, had endured an awful five years, but were at last reviving. That win, to me, signalled that we had the quality & resiliance to prevail - and we did. It signalled that we were not permanently consigned to being Palace's inferior (with 25,000+ in The Valley that night)
And for the first time since 1947 we had something to celebrate at the end of the season, and showed the world that we were not necessarily in terminal decline.
My first season as a supporter. It took us 20 after kick off to get in that night. 25K my arse, the place was packed. I'd of loved to work the turnstiles on nights like that. I always remember Alan Whittle losing it big time with the ref and the crowd giving Allison stick. I always like Allison despite his long association with the Glazers.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned both the wins away against Yeovil (3-2) and AFC Bournemouth (1-0) in our League One winning season.
Both games were a draw for us going into the late stages (with our rivals all potentially closing the gap) - Both games ended in Charlton wins with our rivals ultimately losing ground on us... Both for me are the day we confirmed we'd be going up
I'm surprised no one has mentioned both the wins away against Yeovil (3-2) and AFC Bournemouth (1-0) in our League One winning season.
Both games were a draw for us going into the late stages (with our rivals all potentially closing the gap) - Both games ended in Charlton wins with our rivals ultimately losing ground on us... Both for me are the day we confirmed we'd be going up
Good shout. That Yeovil game was incredible. Bicycle kick from Obika (for them), two equalisers, a Yann free kick and a last minute first Charlton goal for Danny Green. On Boxing Day. Felt like the kind of match that doesn't happen to Charlton. I seem to remember that day being the game where the Wendies dropped points in the last minute due to comedic Llera defending as well
Doncaster Rovers, wet Tuesday night at The Valley 2008-9. We lost 2-1 and as I got absolutely drenched walking up Charlton Church Lane afterwards I knew we were returning to the third tier for the first time since relegation in 1979/80.
I felt more pissed off with Charlton that night than I can remember before or since in the immediate aftermath of a match because it was all so unnecessary.
No ifs buts or maybes......the 1958 final game of the season at home to Blackburn. Only needed to draw to go back up to Div 1 at the first time of asking, Blackburn needed to win to go up. Being Charlton we of course contrived somehow to lose 3-4. Quite how we didn't at least get the draw only the gods will know, The Valley crowd that day was around 56,000 if I remember correctly. We all went home stunned and heartbroken. I was 10 at the time and remember being inconsolable. We missed out and remained a Div 2 side under the boringly ambitionless Michael f'ing Glikstein for decades.
6th March 1999: Coventry City 2 Charlton Athletic 1. Leading 1-0 and Curbishley made substitutions. We lost. Never felt we could manage to stay up after that.
25th January 2010: Charlton Athletic 0 Leyton Orient 1. Freezing night. Playing a struggling side with a thin squad and nothing much to offer we let it slip throug our fingers. Had we won (which we should have) we'd have secured automatic promotion, and Leyton Orient would have been relegated. My distinct view on the long trek home afterwards was we wouldn't quite do it.
That Fulham game in our last season in the Prem. We should have won. Bad refing and bad luck. I knew we were down after that.
I knew this one would come up, yep it was bad refereeing, but we should have defended the ball into our box, we didn't, the whole season we were shit and we deserved to go down.
Cliff Durandt's last minute winner at home to Southampton. We went on to win the last game at Walsall (we reduced them to 9 men before subs) and avoid relegation.
When we beat Sheff Utd 0-2 at their place in 30 degrees sunshine with a decent away following in 2011/12, walked out the ground 8 or 9 pints deep and said that's that we're going up this season, Charlton are back. I was right for about 8 months or so.
Charlton 4 Chelsea 2 when we were sitting pretty near the summit of the Premiership. A month later and Scott Parker was on his way to our opponents that day and the dream of European football for the Addicks was over.
No victory more important in our history by miles.
Sorry mate......it was failing to draw with Blackburn in 1958 by a country mile, see my post above. 56,300 at The Valley that day......we were relegated the season before after being a permanent huge 1st division club for many years.....only had to draw to go back up but instead went into decades of second division apathy under Michael Glikstein, from which we have never recovered......our glorious days as a huge London club up there with Arsenal etc went down the drain well and truly that dreadful day, never to return. Know your history mate.....I was there that day and at St Andrews.....the ramifications of our failure went far deeper than the victory against Leeds believe you me, though I don't deny the Leeds result was a very very important result for us. Had we have gone back up in 1958 I very much doubt the game at St Andrews would ever have taken place.
1936/37. Both games with eventual Champions Man City ended 1-1. If we had won both those games then we would have won the league. Would that have convinced the Glicksteins to invest a bit more in the following years?
1936/37. Both games with eventual Champions Man City ended 1-1. If we had won both those games then we would have won the league. Would that have convinced the Glicksteins to invest a bit more in the following years?
I suppose it would have and Stanley Mathews may well have signed after all. Anyway the war came a year or two later and we will never know.
When we were relegated from the Championship the first time I think we beat Norwich last game of the season to take them down too and I remember thinking that was a bad thing to have done as they would be strong the following year...
No victory more important in our history by miles.
Sorry mate......it was failing to draw with Blackburn in 1958 by a country mile, see my post above. 56,300 at The Valley that day......we were relegated the season before after being a permanent huge 1st division club for many years.....only had to draw to go back up but instead went into decades of second division apathy under Michael Glikstein, from which we have never recovered......our glorious days as a huge London club up there with Arsenal etc went down the drain well and truly that dreadful day, never to return. Know your history mate.....I was there that day and at St Andrews.....the ramifications of our failure went far deeper than the victory against Leeds believe you me, though I don't deny the Leeds result was a very very important result for us. Had we have gone back up in 1958 I very much doubt the game at St Andrews would ever have taken place.
Okay, I take your point.
For me I think we could easily have plummeted to division four and ended up non-league. It certainly is debateable if we would have seen the premiership.
That Fulham game in our last season in the Prem. We should have won. Bad refing and bad luck. I knew we were down after that.
I knew this one would come up, yep it was bad refereeing, but we should have defended the ball into our box, we didn't, the whole season we were shit and we deserved to go down.
I think you are spot on there. Maybe that was point where we all realised the game was up for us. A pivotal season.
Comments
It took us 20 after kick off to get in that night. 25K my arse, the place was packed. I'd of loved to work the turnstiles on nights like that.
I always remember Alan Whittle losing it big time with the ref and the crowd giving Allison stick.
I always like Allison despite his long association with the Glazers.
Both games were a draw for us going into the late stages (with our rivals all potentially closing the gap) - Both games ended in Charlton wins with our rivals ultimately losing ground on us... Both for me are the day we confirmed we'd be going up
I felt more pissed off with Charlton that night than I can remember before or since in the immediate aftermath of a match because it was all so unnecessary.
Only needed to draw to go back up to Div 1 at the first time of asking, Blackburn needed to win to go up. Being Charlton we of course contrived somehow to lose 3-4.
Quite how we didn't at least get the draw only the gods will know, The Valley crowd that day was around 56,000 if I remember correctly. We all went home stunned and heartbroken. I was 10 at the time and remember being inconsolable.
We missed out and remained a Div 2 side under the boringly ambitionless Michael f'ing Glikstein for decades.
The Champions achieved nothing in the premier league and are now in league one.
The Runners up have achieved multiple premier league titles, cup titles and are one of the richest clubs in the world.
The play off winners have stayed pretty constant... constantly in the championship.
1st - Charlton
2nd - Manchester City
Play off winner - Ipswich
6th March 1999: Coventry City 2 Charlton Athletic 1. Leading 1-0 and Curbishley made substitutions. We lost. Never felt we could manage to stay up after that.
25th January 2010: Charlton Athletic 0 Leyton Orient 1. Freezing night. Playing a struggling side with a thin squad and nothing much to offer we let it slip throug our fingers. Had we won (which we should have) we'd have secured automatic promotion, and Leyton Orient would have been relegated. My distinct view on the long trek home afterwards was we wouldn't quite do it.
Change it to "stayed" if you want to be pedantic
Perhaps the biggest event that pivoted the club into a different direction was not a game, but the death of Albert Gliksten.
No victory more important in our history by miles.
56,300 at The Valley that day......we were relegated the season before after being a permanent huge 1st division club for many years.....only had to draw to go back up but instead went into decades of second division apathy under Michael Glikstein, from which we have never recovered......our glorious days as a huge London club up there with Arsenal etc went down the drain well and truly that dreadful day, never to return.
Know your history mate.....I was there that day and at St Andrews.....the ramifications of our failure went far deeper than the victory against Leeds believe you me, though I don't deny the Leeds result was a very very important result for us.
Had we have gone back up in 1958 I very much doubt the game at St Andrews would ever have taken place.
1936/37. Both games with eventual Champions Man City ended 1-1. If we had won both those games then we would have won the league. Would that have convinced the Glicksteins to invest a bit more in the following years?
Anyway the war came a year or two later and we will never know.
For me I think we could easily have plummeted to division four and ended up non-league. It certainly is debateable if we would have seen the premiership.
My first thought was that bloody Fulham game Inn december 2006. Watched in a pub before or after panto on Isle of Wight. Painful.