[quote][cite]Posted By: northstandsteve[/cite]I remeber being on the train to Derby away when they started selling the first edition.In my opinion the birth of VOTV was instrumental in us getting back to the valley.[/quote]
VOTV was the mouthpiece. What got us back to the Valley was the drive and commitment of the people behind VOTV.
Someone once said to me that the Voice was a catalyst - I think there's probably some truth in that. It gave people confidence that everyone else felt like them and, actually, the club's position and then the council's position was ridiculous. But you can't take one bit of the jigsaw and assume that was the key element. For example, Martin Simons was hugely significant because not only did he take a financial risk but without him Richard Murray would probably not have got involved.
I don't think the Voice and the effect it had should be underestimated. At Selhurst we were a club waiting to die and had we not gotten promotion that first season or held on the next year or so we as a club may well have been history by now. The Voice dragged together a lot of people and kick-started the process which led to the return to the Valley. The directors at the time weren't about to put their money in to returning to the Valley and redeveloping it without the assurance that there would be a willing audience waiting for them. Without the Voice who knows? There was no internet in that era and no other media, the Kentish Times/Standard hardly wanted to know, it was vital that Charlton fans had a medium to communicate with one another.
I agree with much if what's been said on here about VOTV being instrumental in getting us all working together to get back home. Remember, this was before email, texting, Facebook and all that stuff that we'd use now. I loved Ackworths letters as much as anyone and can also remember the doctors letters as being almost as funny but not his name??? Got an idea it was Portugese or somehting maybe? Anyone?
Only kept two of mine though - the very first and then the one announcing our return home. Great stuff.
I remember another of G's cartoons with a big skinhead tattooed Charlton fan sitting in the armchair, and his daughter about to bring in a geeky Palace fan boyfriend !
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VOTV was the mouthpiece. What got us back to the Valley was the drive and commitment of the people behind VOTV.
lol
Only kept two of mine though - the very first and then the one announcing our return home. Great stuff.
I liked the cartoons in them drawn by the tattoo man G about the 2 old fellas the best one was....
First old man "I see every plasterer in south london is very busy at the moment"
Second old man "Whys that then?"
First old man "They are filling all the cracks that the Palarse fans have come out from" (When CP got promoted to the 1st div)
I remember that one!
The dad had CAFC tattoos all up his arms!!