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Charlton vs Millwall – if you remember the 90’s you weren’t there

AlecBAlecB
in General Charlton


The “Oasis Summer of 2025” (no I didn’t have enough CAFC points to get tickets) has given us mid-lifers the freedom to reminisce (not that we didn’t anyway) about the greatest decade since the 1960’s. Some might say that if you remember the 90’s you weren’t there.


For me, the year which defines the decade is 1996. The music, the fashion, the optimism of New Labour winning the next election, the emergence of the internet (it took 45 minutes for Ask Jeeves to find anything) and, of course, the football. It was the year football was meant to be coming home and, despite our loss to Palace in the play-offs, Charlton continued to grow on and off the pitch, little by little.

After one of my trips, early in the midnight hour, to the loo recently, I struggled to get back to sleep. My mind started to drift towards the 13 September and whether my kids would finally get to see us beat Millwall at The Valley, just like their old man did in March 1996.

Or did he?

I sat bolt upright – “Shit! I don’t think I’ve ever seen us beat Millwall at The Valley!”

I have seen Charlton win at home against Millwall. The 1-0 victory at Upton Park in March 1992 was not only memorable for Spurs loanee John Hendry’s screamer but also for a Millwall fan crying his heart out on a Capital Gold phone-in, complaining about the loan system. It kept us entertained in the queue waiting for the Woolwich Ferry.

I’ve also witnessed several draws. The most memorable being the 4-4 draw at The Valley in December 2009 which included Nick Bailey’s excellent volley. The 0-0 draw in 2017 still makes me look back in anger after Keith Stroud inexplicably ruled out Patrick Bauer’s goal when Tony Warner had simply dropped the ball at his feet.

The draw that hurt the most was the 2-2 at the Old Den in August 1989 when we blew a two-goal lead. Paul Williams put us 2-0 up with five minutes to go. We were ecstatic caged under the humming floodlight pylon in the corner of the ground. Five minutes later we were head-in-hands wondering how we could let a two-goal advantage slide away.  

But did I watch our last home win?

1996 was also my final year at University in Falmouth, Cornwall. For most students that would confirm that I wouldn’t have been at The Valley in March as I’d be studying hard for my final year exams. However, my six hours a week studying Visual Culture (BA Hons) plus the termly cheque I kindly received from Bexley London Borough allowed me some well-deserved ‘leisure time’ away from my studies.

I managed to get to a few games (home and away) that season. I remember Lee Bowyer scoring in the draw against Palace away and Bradley Allen bagging a winner at Norwich, but I can’t remember if I was at The Valley for the Millwall match. Part of the problem is that I’ve seen Bowyer’s acrobatic goal replayed so many times over the years that it feels like I was there celebrating in the Covered End.

I know for certain that I wasn’t at the New Den in December 1995. That’s because I spent most of the Christmas Ball, and my remaining student loan, on a pay phone in the hotel lobby listening to Kim Grant’s legendary brace via the tinny commentary provided by Charlton Clubcall.

I’ve asked my family. Alas, no-one can remember if I went with them to The Valley for our last home win, or indeed if they were there, so I’ve acquiesced that I wasn’t at the match after all.

Hopefully it will all be academic come next Saturday afternoon. The class of 2025 are standing on the shoulders of giants such as Bowyer, Leaburn (Carl), Grant and Hendry and hopefully a new hero will emerge following a Nathan Jones masterplan.

                                                                                                                                       

 

 


Comments

  • DOUCHERDOUCHER
    For me, it's the house music / rave scene 88- 92 that is harder to remember !!!! However, i survived and yes, from 92 onwards, the 90's was a brilliant time to be a Charlton fan. I've been at virtually all the games against them home and away since the 80's but fortunately was on holiday for the 89 2-2 and playing in a cup game for the 4-0 away defeat about 15 years ago so at least missed two of the most painful. 96 was very sweet. I know it was only a friendly but i do remember going there when dowie was manager in a pre season friendly and i think we won 4-1so the 29 year thing isn't 100% correct.       
  • Pedro45Pedro45
    I was at the '96 win at The Valley, plus saw other wins back in the seventies. I missed the Upton Park Hendry game (I was in Australia), but remember the Garland/Rea sending off's the next year, sat with a Millwall fan mate in the temporary west stand for the goalless draw. We'd also drawn 0-0 at Upton Park the year before we beat them, in a televised game I think. Another goalless Valley draw came early in the early-eighties (82/3?), our first game against the 'Wall for a few years, although they hit the bar and were unlucky not to win as Danny Baker kept reminding me.

    The 4-4 draw was a crazy day, both on and off the pitch.  I went with a mate who I was to take to a surprise 30-years of work celebration gig afterwards in Greenwich. Midway through the match, my phone went - who is ringing me on a Saturday afternoon I wondered?  It was my wife...she had set off to meet up with us in Greenwich but slipped on black ice when crossing a road near home. I sent her off to the hospital where she found out she'd broken her elbow! My mate said not to bother with going to the pub (not knowing there were others due to meet him there...), but I had to insist, lead him in, dump him with his fellow workers, and then leave to go back to the hospital to see my wife.

    I was at the Grant in the snow Den game, and saw big Carl score a late winner in the Anglo-Italian cup win at the Old Den too. Too often though, our dreams have been killed as we froze in the first half - think back to that 3-0 loss at Selhurst when they went top of the table!

    Sadly I will miss the upcoming game as I'm on holiday (booked well before the fixture list came out!). I want us to win very badly, and will never forget a fellow fan telling me as we exited the plane that Hendry had scored our winner in that Upton Park victory.

    COYA!
  • IsawsummersplayIsawsummersplay
    Fortunate enough to be able to say that the first four games v Millwall that I saw resulted in one win and three draws, this being in the mid 60’s.
    What I would give for a similar run over the next couple of years!
  • AlgarveaddickAlgarveaddick
    I am lucky enough to have seen all the four wins. No poultry being enumerated for next week though.  
  • golfaddickgolfaddick
    AlecB said:


    The “Oasis Summer of 2025” (no I didn’t have enough CAFC points to get tickets) has given us mid-lifers the freedom to reminisce (not that we didn’t anyway) about the greatest decade since the 1960’s. Some might say that if you remember the 90’s you weren’t there.


    For me, the year which defines the decade is 1996. The music, the fashion, the optimism of New Labour winning the next election, the emergence of the internet (it took 45 minutes for Ask Jeeves to find anything) and, of course, the football. It was the year football was meant to be coming home and, despite our loss to Palace in the play-offs, Charlton continued to grow on and off the pitch, little by little.

    After one of my trips, early in the midnight hour, to the loo recently, I struggled to get back to sleep. My mind started to drift towards the 13 September and whether my kids would finally get to see us beat Millwall at The Valley, just like their old man did in March 1996.

    Or did he?

    I sat bolt upright – “Shit! I don’t think I’ve ever seen us beat Millwall at The Valley!”

    I have seen Charlton win at home against Millwall. The 1-0 victory at Upton Park in March 1992 was not only memorable for Spurs loanee John Hendry’s screamer but also for a Millwall fan crying his heart out on a Capital Gold phone-in, complaining about the loan system. It kept us entertained in the queue waiting for the Woolwich Ferry.

    I’ve also witnessed several draws. The most memorable being the 4-4 draw at The Valley in December 2009 which included Nick Bailey’s excellent volley. The 0-0 draw in 2017 still makes me look back in anger after Keith Stroud inexplicably ruled out Patrick Bauer’s goal when Tony Warner had simply dropped the ball at his feet.

    The draw that hurt the most was the 2-2 at the Old Den in August 1989 when we blew a two-goal lead. Paul Williams put us 2-0 up with five minutes to go. We were ecstatic caged under the humming floodlight pylon in the corner of the ground. Five minutes later we were head-in-hands wondering how we could let a two-goal advantage slide away.  

    But did I watch our last home win?

    1996 was also my final year at University in Falmouth, Cornwall. For most students that would confirm that I wouldn’t have been at The Valley in March as I’d be studying hard for my final year exams. However, my six hours a week studying Visual Culture (BA Hons) plus the termly cheque I kindly received from Bexley London Borough allowed me some well-deserved ‘leisure time’ away from my studies.

    I managed to get to a few games (home and away) that season. I remember Lee Bowyer scoring in the draw against Palace away and Bradley Allen bagging a winner at Norwich, but I can’t remember if I was at The Valley for the Millwall match. Part of the problem is that I’ve seen Bowyer’s acrobatic goal replayed so many times over the years that it feels like I was there celebrating in the Covered End.

    I know for certain that I wasn’t at the New Den in December 1995. That’s because I spent most of the Christmas Ball, and my remaining student loan, on a pay phone in the hotel lobby listening to Kim Grant’s legendary brace via the tinny commentary provided by Charlton Clubcall.

    I’ve asked my family. Alas, no-one can remember if I went with them to The Valley for our last home win, or indeed if they were there, so I’ve acquiesced that I wasn’t at the match after all.

    Hopefully it will all be academic come next Saturday afternoon. The class of 2025 are standing on the shoulders of giants such as Bowyer, Leaburn (Carl), Grant and Hendry and hopefully a new hero will emerge following a Nathan Jones masterplan.

                                                                                                                                           

     

     


    Blimey.....we must be twins because I could have written that  !!!

    Like you I wasn't there at the Den in the snow (working). Been all the other miserable times when we've lost to last minute winners or been mauled 4-0. 

    Like you I was under the floodlights at the old Den for the 2-2 draw. My mum (we went as a family) somehow missed their first goal as she was wondering why we were all so disappointed when they score their equaliser so late on. 

    Like you I was at Upton Park to see Hendry the loanee score. 

    And Like you I also can't remember beating that at home in 1996. I must have been there as I had a ST, but I've said over the years that I've not seen us beat them at The Valley.

    We live in hope but coming off 3 defeats I just cant see us winning next Saturday.
  • ChicagoAddickChicagoAddick
    ⬆️ I must be a triplet. Ditto to all of that. I had a ticket for the Grant in the snow win, but was flying back from Sri Lanka and thanks to the snow was delayed and therefore landed too late to go as I had planned to. 
  • TootingRedArmyTootingRedArmy
    edited September 4
    I have such a terrible memory but I don't think i've seen us beat Millwall, I was shocked by our overall record, Millwall really our the bogeymen 12 wins V 37 Loses...

    https://www.11v11.com/teams/charlton-athletic/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Millwall/

    I'm not sure 90's was the greatest decade since 60's, I guess its that sweetspot from 16-21yrs so for me musically & Charlton late 70's-early 80's... Hales, Flanagan, Powell, The Jam, Clash, Two Tone etc .....90's personally amazing married, dad, first home, loved my job etc & 98 play off but can't say it had a patch on punk, ska & Killer.....
  • MrOneLungMrOneLung
    the 2-2 in '89 was bad enough, but losing 2-1 in 94(?) at their place was a nightmare for me

    I wasn't going to go, but a Millwall fan I worked with at that time, said come along with him.
    He is best mates with Danny Baker, so I went for beers straight after work with them and their group of friends and I went in their stand

    As soon as we were in the ground, Danny Baker's dad started telling everyone in earshot that I was Charlton, and they gave me (good gestured) grief the whole game

    we took lead in second half,  they equalised and then just as I was saying I would have taken the draw beforehand, Alex Bloody Rae scored in injury time. Then had to take another hours piss taking in the pub afterwards. 
  • eastterrace6168eastterrace6168
    edited September 4
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bF-rpJz2CA&list=RD2bF-rpJz2CA&start_radio=1



    ...And September 13th sounds about right!!!
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