At least 3rd, Grandad, Dad & a most of my uncles were all Charlton - I'll have to ask my old dad whether his own grandad/uncles went to the Valley in the 20's/30's; quite possibly, as they all lived around Plumstead, Woolwich Dockyard
and later Eltham.
My 20 year old used to always go to the Valley (and Wembley playoff) with me when he was younger although he doesn't come up from Cornwall much now since he's discovered women. His time will come again - so I'll mark him 4th generation along with my ST nephew.
On my Mum's side, they were all 'appy Hammers before they were bombed out from Victoria Dock Rd, Tidal Basin - and their family were from East Ham, Poplar, etc.
In fact, my Nan was a Springett and her nephews were Ron & Peter Springett, the goalkeeper brothers who both played for QPR & Sheff Wed in the 60's. I think Ron Springett also won an England cap.
4th generation me, handed down from my dad, his dad and my great grandad. If I ever get the dubious honour to sire my own children they too will be Charlton
2nd. My birth father was a Brummie and supported Villa but he fucked off when I was about 6 but I continued to support Villa for a few years after as maybe a way of clinging on. Then my step dad (who I call Dad and quite righfully so) came on the scene and started to take me to The Valley in the years just after the return. I went to a few games not really as a fan home and away but I suppose it was a way of us bonding etc. Then we stood in the Covered End against Millwall in a 2-0 victory with goals from Bowyer and Leaburn and I'd never felt anything like it, the attmosphere, the looks of joy on peoples faces, being picked up by random people and really feeling part of celebrations and there it was my first day as a bonafied Addick! Since then I been a season ticket holder and never looked back. My Grandad however has no interest in football whatsoever and is never impressed that it takes over most weekends!
[cite]Posted By: RedArmySE7[/cite]2nd. My birth father was a Brummie and supported Villa but he fucked off when I was about 6 but I continued to support Villa for a few years after as maybe a way of clinging on. Then my step dad (who I call Dad and quite righfully so) came on the scene and started to take me to The Valley in the years just after the return. I went to a few games not really as a fan home and away but I suppose it was a way of us bonding etc. Then we stood in the Covered End against Millwall in a 2-0 victory with goals from Bowyer and Leaburn and I'd never felt anything like it, the attmosphere, the looks of joy on peoples faces, being picked up by random people and really feeling part of celebrations and there it was my first day as a bonafied Addick! Since then I been a season ticket holder and never looked back. My Grandad however has no interest in football whatsoever and is never impressed that it takes over most weekends!
Great day that was too mate, overhead kick from Bowyer and a diving header from Carlo getting on the end of what I remembered at the time being a shanked cross/shot from Nelse
[cite]Posted By: LenGlover[/cite]I'm 4th daughters are 5th.
Being even older than me your lineage must go back a long way. Whats the story?
Great Grandad was a Thames river policeman out of Wapping and moved to Charlton shortly after he returned from World War 1 having volunteered at nearly 40 years of age and being mentioned in dispatches along the way. Grandad was a bit of a businessman from a young age and knew some of the players before they became a league club. He died when I was quite young but I remember him mentioning "Scotty" Kingsley in particular. He was manager down at Charlton Dog track for a while amongst other things and knew most of the players from the Seed glory days and would compare the players I first saw unfavourably with them apart from Hewie.
They all used to walk to The Valley from their home in Charlton in the early days.
My Dad's first real Charlton memory is the Villa Cup game in 1938 with his grandfather, parents and uncles and aunts too. It was so crowded he hardly saw anything of the game! He was a talented athlete in his youth and trained at The Valley with George Green who played and coached. He remembers him as a Welshman who swore every other word. He must have been bad because my Dad has a naval and fire brigade background so he was used to swearing.
I got taken by my Dad and grandparents in early 1963 having shown worrying signs of supporting Spurs (The Man U equivalent of the time). I was supposed to go to the Cardiff FA Cup game at The Valley for my first game but because of the awful weather in that 62/3 winter the game kept getting postponed so my first game was either Plymouth when we won 6-3 or Leeds when we lost 2-1.
My brother is a fair few years younger than me so I introduced him to Charlton. His first game was a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in 1975. He was a season ticket holder for many years until he went abroad for work a couple of years back.
I took my older two daughters to The Valley for the first time when we played Southend and won 4-3 with Pardew scoring at the death. We sat in the brand new East Stand roughly equivalent to where I'd stood on the old East Terrace with my late grandparents. I felt quite emotional that day. My youngest daughter made her Charlton debut at the play off final. Her second game was the following pre season away at Sittingbourne. The sublime to the ridiculous!
The older two still follow Charlton and come occasionally but have spent most of the last few years away at uni.
Ramble? Not at all, it's interesting. Saturdays in Charlton must have been something with The Valley and the dog track too. All that's left of the dog track now is the grave of the guy who founded it, up in Charlton Cemetery - with two greyhounds on his tombstone.
[cite]Posted By: LenGlover[/cite]I'm 4th daughters are 5th.
Being even older than me your lineage must go back a long way. Whats the story?
Great Grandad was a Thames river policeman out of Wapping and moved to Charlton shortly after he returned from World War 1 having volunteered at nearly 40 years of age and being mentioned in dispatches along the way. Grandad was a bit of a businessman from a young age and knew some of the players before they became a league club. He died when I was quite young but I remember him mentioning "Scotty" Kingsley in particular. He was manager down at Charlton Dog track for a while amongst other things and knew most of the players from the Seed glory days and would compare the players I first saw unfavourably with them apart from Hewie.
They all used to walk to The Valley from their home in Charlton in the early days.
My Dad's first real Charlton memory is the Villa Cup game in 1938 with his grandfather, parents and uncles and aunts too. It was so crowded he hardly saw anything of the game! He was a talented athlete in his youth and trained at The Valley with George Green who played and coached. He remembers him as a Welshman who swore every other word. He must have been bad because my Dad has a naval and fire brigade background so he was used to swearing.
I got taken by my Dad and grandparents in early 1963 having shown worrying signs of supporting Spurs (The Man U equivalent of the time). I was supposed to go to the Cardiff FA Cup game at The Valley for my first game but because of the awful weather in that 62/3 winter the game kept getting postponed so my first game was either Plymouth when we won 6-3 or Leeds when we lost 2-1.
My brother is a fair few years younger than me so I introduced him to Charlton. His first game was a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in 1975. He was a season ticket holder for many years until he went abroad for work a couple of years back.
I took my older two daughters to The Valley for the first time when we played Southend and won 4-3 with Pardew scoring at the death. We sat in the brand new East Stand roughly equivalent to where I'd stood on the old East Terrace with my late grandparents. I felt quite emotional that day. My youngest daughter made her Charlton debut at the play off final. Her second game was the following pre season away at Sittingbourne. The sublime to the ridiculous!
The older two still follow Charlton and come occasionally but have spent most of the last few years away at uni.
Sorry to ramble on and on.
Quality post Len - To be honest it's stuff like this that makes me homesick as I know I'm not gonna be back there to tell a similar tale.
1st Generation me. Dad always liked Chelsea but never really had a team. Mum hated football until I started watching the mighty reds. Whenever they are on TV she rings me up shouts "come on you reds" and puts the phone down!!
I only started going Charlton when I played for Bexley Boro as a 10/11 year old. The manager used to take 4/5 of us after our game on a saturday morning. Just really went from there. As they say the rest is history. I then started to badger my mates to come with me when we got into our early teens that why we have to put up with AFKA!!
Second or could be more...... I lived with foster parents for a few years and my step mum was born & raised in Floyd Road and her husband was a Charlton supporter who brought me to my first game, how far their family support went back I don't know. Unfortuneately the Lass & I don't have any offspring so it stops with us!
[cite]Posted By: Oggy Red[/cite]Great stuff, Len. So far your Great Grandad & Henry's Great Uncle Bob the Valley digger, are in the lead as furthest back 1st generation.
It would be great if there are any photo's that could be uploaded.
My step-father was a Charlton supporter and his daughter is married to Brian Kinsey. I started supporting in 1968 and my son ( now 31) also supports them.
[cite]Posted By: bigbiker2[/cite]My step-father was a Charlton supporter and his daughter is married to Brian Kinsey. I started supporting in 1968 and my son ( now 31) also supports them.
Brian Kinsey can trace his Charlton roots back to Eastmoor St and 1905
Four generations here, although it could be the end of a line, as my daughters are less than excited about Charlton. My great grandfather supported Charlton, but knowledge is scarce. My grandfather's support for Charlton was outdone by my grandmother's fervent support for the Club. She was something of rarity in her day - not many women were ardent fans. She became very involved with the Club in the 1930's providing lodgings to a lot of the players, including Harold Hobbis and, I think, Bert Turner. I think there was a period when there were regularly 2 players staying in her big old house. She also had some involvement in keeping football going during the War Years, although again my knowledge is vague except for a game that took place on Woolwich Common that she apparently arranged between a Charlton XI and the Royal Artillery. My father followed on from this and was a regular supporter at every home game, taking me to the reserves for the first time when I was 5 years old in 1958. I think the game was against Bristol Rovers with the score 3-3, but this could me my brain playing tricks. Although I have little recall of the past (last week is too long ago for me!), I feel as though I have a clear recollection of this event. My first first team game was Ipswich Town at home in the 58/59 season when I was 5. We ran out 5-1 winners, though I have zero recall of this game (it's strange the reserve game had so much impact). My final game I saw with my father was at Harlow Town in the FA Cup, when on impulse we drove across to watch the game to see Charlton win 2-0 and enjoyed a good beer back in Charlton. Sadly, he died a few days later. But, I'm the end of the line, it would seem, unless I can buy any future grandchildren red shirts with Llanera or some other company that is about to expire across the front. We will see
Definitely second, but you could almost say third. My Dad passed it on to me (got me away from a bizarre early 70s Chelsea fixation...) He was Scottish, but ended up stationed in Woolwich at the end of the war, where he met my Mum who was from Belvedere. Dad asked my Mum's Dad which football team he should go to watch, and that's how it began. Don't think my Mum's Dad really counts as a supporter, though - think he just recommended the local team which was flying high at that time.
My Dad's biggest regret was that he didn't manage to get a ticket for either of the Cup Finals - I guess you could call him a johnny come lately of that era!
I could read these stories all day. This is why we love our club isn't it?
I of course live in Chicago, and those that read my blog, probably know that my almost 8-year old son lives with his Mum in Kent. I have the best relationship that I can have being 4,000 miles away but I have to live with the pain, the guilt and everything else not being able to be a 'normal' Dad every day. And I do.
I see him about every 6 weeks though and often for long periods of time and we speak almost every day. My ex hated football, hated Charlton and hated me. However despite all of this following serious man hours of bonding and gentle persuasion and encouragement I have an 8-year old who is besotted by Charlton. I take him of course and my brother and mates take him too and he is the next generation Addick in my family and he makes me very proud.
I'm 3rd generation although my Grandfather died before I was born so I never had the pleasure of going to the Valley with him. By the time I was born my Dad had moved away from Woolwich where he grew up – away from London completely in fact, and although still a fan he didn't go to games.
Luckily though I wasn't into football at all as a kid. I was just starting to like it around 15/16. Lived in Cambridgeshire at the time, but not really close enough to Cambridge for Cam Utd to be a "local" team – in fact there wasn't a club very close to us at all, so my mates all supported the obvious big teams (plus a lot are Spurs, for some reason). I didn't want to latch on to any old team without a connection so I didn't support anyone until I went to Uni in London. Started following the Charlton results so I could talk to my Dad about it, went to a couple of games, got hooked. Ended up a season-ticket holder, got my Dad going again and my sister. Sadly I rarely get to the Valley now but my Dad and sister are still season-ticket holders.
I have two young daughters who I'm hoping will make the 4th generation but it'll be difficult from here.
[cite]Posted By: ChicagoAddick[/cite]I could read these stories all day. This is why we love our club isn't it?
I of course live in Chicago, and those that read my blog, probably know that my almost 8-year old son lives with his Mum in Kent. I have the best relationship that I can have being 4,000 miles away but I have to live with the pain, the guilt and everything else not being able to be a 'normal' Dad every day. And I do.
I see him about every 6 weeks though and often for long periods of time and we speak almost every day. My ex hated football, hated Charlton and hated me. However despite all of this following serious man hours of bonding and gentle persuasion and encouragement I have an 8-year old who is besotted by Charlton. I take him of course and my brother and mates take him too and he is the next generation Addick in my family and he makes me very proud.
What a touching post, Chicago. Hang in there mate, you are doing the very best you can.
It sounds like your lad is not only besotted with Charlton - but he thinks the world of his Dad too.
I live in exile down here in deepest, darkest Cornwall in the heart of Plymouth Argyle territory.
I always took my boy with me to the Valley 8-10 times a season, whenever I could afford to or when we visited the relly's in Kent.
And he would proudly wear his Charlton shirt with Johnny Robinson's name on it to school.
Sure, he'd have the piss ripped out of him but would turn round to the Man Yoo/Chelski/Arse/Scouser shirt kids and say:
"At least I see my team play for real!"
And sometimes he'd go to Argyle with his Greenie mates, who respected him for following a proper club like they did.
Me and my brother are first generation. My Dad's from Nottingham and his family are Forest fans but he was never into football, so when my brother started showing an interest he took him to Charlton (lived in Greenwich) and then me aswell once i was old enough.My Mum's parents were Liverpool and Millwall, so i had a lucky escape there. Our sister's son is now a fan aswell, so its being carried on.
My mum and dad had no interest in football but my mums brother started taking me in the 64/65 season, a 1-1 At home against Rotherham United. I Had 2 uncle's my other uncle supported Millwall so i also got taken to the den a lot,my mum made me make a choice between the two so i chose Charlton. In the early 70's i got a paper round which along with pocket money funded trips to away games with lewis coaches. I now take my 8-year old daughter so maybe she will continue it through as well.
As far as I know I'm second. I never really got to find out if either set of grandparents had any affinity to Charlton or football at all for that matter. They had all died by the time I'd reached 12 years of age. My Paerents have also passed away so I guess I'll never be able to find out.
My Late father took me to my first game on Good Friday in 1966. He'd lost his right leg in WW2 so we didn't get to do this kind of thing together too often. He drove a specially adapted car in those days and parked at the end of the Landsdown Mews. I don't think he was supposed to park there but the stewards must have realised that his condition would have made it impossible to to do anything else.
We went in through the Bartram gate. He stood at the top of the East terrace leaning on a barrier. I was told to go down to the front so I could see properly.
We won 5-2! I was hooked.
My wife was born in Peckham and, as you'd expect, came from a family of Millwall supporters. She'd already had a son before we got together and I'm glad to say he's now Charlton too, much to the annoyance of the Missus :)
Comments
and later Eltham.
My 20 year old used to always go to the Valley (and Wembley playoff) with me when he was younger although he doesn't come up from Cornwall much now since he's discovered women. His time will come again - so I'll mark him 4th generation along with my ST nephew.
On my Mum's side, they were all 'appy Hammers before they were bombed out from Victoria Dock Rd, Tidal Basin - and their family were from East Ham, Poplar, etc.
In fact, my Nan was a Springett and her nephews were Ron & Peter Springett, the goalkeeper brothers who both played for QPR & Sheff Wed in the 60's. I think Ron Springett also won an England cap.
Great day that was too mate, overhead kick from Bowyer and a diving header from Carlo getting on the end of what I remembered at the time being a shanked cross/shot from Nelse
Great Grandad was a Thames river policeman out of Wapping and moved to Charlton shortly after he returned from World War 1 having volunteered at nearly 40 years of age and being mentioned in dispatches along the way. Grandad was a bit of a businessman from a young age and knew some of the players before they became a league club. He died when I was quite young but I remember him mentioning "Scotty" Kingsley in particular. He was manager down at Charlton Dog track for a while amongst other things and knew most of the players from the Seed glory days and would compare the players I first saw unfavourably with them apart from Hewie.
They all used to walk to The Valley from their home in Charlton in the early days.
My Dad's first real Charlton memory is the Villa Cup game in 1938 with his grandfather, parents and uncles and aunts too. It was so crowded he hardly saw anything of the game! He was a talented athlete in his youth and trained at The Valley with George Green who played and coached. He remembers him as a Welshman who swore every other word. He must have been bad because my Dad has a naval and fire brigade background so he was used to swearing.
I got taken by my Dad and grandparents in early 1963 having shown worrying signs of supporting Spurs (The Man U equivalent of the time). I was supposed to go to the Cardiff FA Cup game at The Valley for my first game but because of the awful weather in that 62/3 winter the game kept getting postponed so my first game was either Plymouth when we won 6-3 or Leeds when we lost 2-1.
My brother is a fair few years younger than me so I introduced him to Charlton. His first game was a 1-1 draw with Chelsea in 1975. He was a season ticket holder for many years until he went abroad for work a couple of years back.
I took my older two daughters to The Valley for the first time when we played Southend and won 4-3 with Pardew scoring at the death. We sat in the brand new East Stand roughly equivalent to where I'd stood on the old East Terrace with my late grandparents. I felt quite emotional that day. My youngest daughter made her Charlton debut at the play off final. Her second game was the following pre season away at Sittingbourne. The sublime to the ridiculous!
The older two still follow Charlton and come occasionally but have spent most of the last few years away at uni.
Sorry to ramble on and on.
My grandad used to take my dad and so goes on this thing of ours...
Quality post Len - To be honest it's stuff like this that makes me homesick as I know I'm not gonna be back there to tell a similar tale.
I only started going Charlton when I played for Bexley Boro as a 10/11 year old. The manager used to take 4/5 of us after our game on a saturday morning. Just really went from there. As they say the rest is history. I then started to badger my mates to come with me when we got into our early teens that why we have to put up with AFKA!!
Both my daughters are CAFC (They had no choice)
Lookie, this is what I remember your orignal concept of Charlton Life being.
Hope there is someway to capture and add to all of this. Maybe with photos and the names of our forebears etc where possible.
May even find out some of us are related : - (
It would be great if there are any photo's that could be uploaded.
And AFKAs wife's ancestor was there too.
Brian Kinsey can trace his Charlton roots back to Eastmoor St and 1905
My Dad's biggest regret was that he didn't manage to get a ticket for either of the Cup Finals - I guess you could call him a johnny come lately of that era!
I of course live in Chicago, and those that read my blog, probably know that my almost 8-year old son lives with his Mum in Kent. I have the best relationship that I can have being 4,000 miles away but I have to live with the pain, the guilt and everything else not being able to be a 'normal' Dad every day. And I do.
I see him about every 6 weeks though and often for long periods of time and we speak almost every day. My ex hated football, hated Charlton and hated me. However despite all of this following serious man hours of bonding and gentle persuasion and encouragement I have an 8-year old who is besotted by Charlton. I take him of course and my brother and mates take him too and he is the next generation Addick in my family and he makes me very proud.
Luckily though I wasn't into football at all as a kid. I was just starting to like it around 15/16. Lived in Cambridgeshire at the time, but not really close enough to Cambridge for Cam Utd to be a "local" team – in fact there wasn't a club very close to us at all, so my mates all supported the obvious big teams (plus a lot are Spurs, for some reason). I didn't want to latch on to any old team without a connection so I didn't support anyone until I went to Uni in London. Started following the Charlton results so I could talk to my Dad about it, went to a couple of games, got hooked. Ended up a season-ticket holder, got my Dad going again and my sister. Sadly I rarely get to the Valley now but my Dad and sister are still season-ticket holders.
I have two young daughters who I'm hoping will make the 4th generation but it'll be difficult from here.
What a touching post, Chicago. Hang in there mate, you are doing the very best you can.
It sounds like your lad is not only besotted with Charlton - but he thinks the world of his Dad too.
I live in exile down here in deepest, darkest Cornwall in the heart of Plymouth Argyle territory.
I always took my boy with me to the Valley 8-10 times a season, whenever I could afford to or when we visited the relly's in Kent.
And he would proudly wear his Charlton shirt with Johnny Robinson's name on it to school.
Sure, he'd have the piss ripped out of him but would turn round to the Man Yoo/Chelski/Arse/Scouser shirt kids and say:
"At least I see my team play for real!"
And sometimes he'd go to Argyle with his Greenie mates, who respected him for following a proper club like they did.
So never say never.
I Had 2 uncle's my other uncle supported Millwall so i also got taken to the den a lot,my mum made me make a choice between the two so i chose Charlton.
In the early 70's i got a paper round which along with pocket money funded trips to away games with lewis coaches.
I now take my 8-year old daughter so maybe she will continue it through as well.
My Late father took me to my first game on Good Friday in 1966. He'd lost his right leg in WW2 so we didn't get to do this kind of thing together too often. He drove a specially adapted car in those days and parked at the end of the Landsdown Mews. I don't think he was supposed to park there but the stewards must have realised that his condition would have made it impossible to to do anything else.
We went in through the Bartram gate. He stood at the top of the East terrace leaning on a barrier. I was told to go down to the front so I could see properly.
We won 5-2! I was hooked.
My wife was born in Peckham and, as you'd expect, came from a family of Millwall supporters. She'd already had a son before we got together and I'm glad to say he's now Charlton too, much to the annoyance of the Missus :)