Yesterday I had a day off and I took my grandad, dad, friend and her husband and my brother on a tour of the valley.
kevin nolan was the tour guide, and I'd recommend this to anyone! I think the tours are pretty much ad hoc and not advertised as a fixed feature, but kevin definately enjoys doing them, and they are definately worth it, so the more people that ask, maybe it would become a permanant fixture? or at least more regular and advertised.
we started in the main reception and made our way up to the directors seating for a bit of history talk, comments from others on the tour about their memories, and also talking about the game the night before.
we then made our way back into the boardroom to look at the trophy cabinet (surprisingly fuller than you might think!) including the boot colin walsh wore at the return to the valley, a pic of prince william with curbs, an fa cup replica, the championship trophy etc etc
then we went through all the lounges up to the observatory suite, where we looked over the sights over the thames. in each lounge there are pics of shirts of each country we've had a player represent when they've played for charlton. then there are loads of old photos on the walls too. it was fascinating. then we went down to the changing rooms, and had a nose around there. we found some boots in iain dowies changing room, so picked them up and then turned them over and they had LR on the underneath so took a pic of them! dowie is very much a slogan man! "charlton victorious" is printed out on an A4 sheet on the wall! as are loads of other tips and motivation slogans
then we went into the refs room, then the opposition team tiny changing room. then up the tunnel, up the side of the pitch, where powell was forking away at the ground with that other groundsman. apparently the pitch is only just getting back to what it should be at the beginning of the season from when elton john and his diggers moved in and ruined the pitch. if they do that again it should be more may time than it was, as it really damaged the pitch apparently. we then sat in the dug out for a couple of pics and a rest. then walked round to the east stand and went up the steps and walked along the walkway out the back and went into the sky box, which is tiny!! then made our way back down, round in front of the north and back down the tunnel. we then went into the press conference area and sat in the press seats and kevin explained what happened there etc.
the photos on the walls of the championship final, the celebrations at being promoted and then the old valley overgrown and then a more recent pic. amazing to look back to just a few years ago, let alone further back
in the board room there is a partition wall that has the "1947 victory bus parade" photo on the wall. amazing photo with only 3 players on what could be called a roof on the bus travelling up floyd road with kids with bikes and rattles running after it.
definately get onto the club to have a tour tho yourselves, we were on it for over 2 hours, and we all learnt something new! we then went to a lounge for a hot buffet lunch! all included in the £12.50 price.
ours took a little longer cos we had a large group and some special needs fellas, downs syndrome etc, and they were the funniest lovliest people, one got locked in a toilet at the back of the east stand and didn't come out for ages, one pretended to be iain dowie and talked into the microphone at the end in the media press conference room, and they thoroughly enjoyed the day and made it all the more enjoyable for everyone else! one was even wearing a man u jumper and his mate grassed him up!
i've sent some of the pics to LoOkOut to post in the gallery section if you'd like to have a little butchers
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Comments
dowie's boots had L & R on them ???
which threw us for a moment (and dowie if they are in fact his and not les reeds!)
les reed has LR on the sole of each boot ???...how does he know what boot to put on which foot ?
i'd defo go on it again. people that were on it have been on it before, and they said they learnt different stuff last time.
kevin sat down with us at the end when we were eating and it turns out they share friends. terry caldwells dad, peter? or something like that. my dad used to play football with him, such a small world, but we even learnt more sitting down listening to my g'dad, dad and kevin banter about old stories about old players that they knew
there were 30 of us on it yesterday. he did some at 10.30 too, and us at 12.30 and there are also 2 happening today (i assume just finished) i think they do it this time of year for school kids etc and not really during the other times of the year. but kevin said he just gets a call from the club as and when, and as he writes for south london press (I think) he has time to do them every now and then.
perhaps he waits for a motivational instruction from dowie??!?!
one of the things on the wall was "don't think about what you should have done, think about what you can do now"
it was quite weird going in the changing rooms knowing that they were there the day before. the man u changing room only has 10 showers!
there was a book on the table "man u set pieces" there were dots with rg, cr, and rf all over them and squiggles where dowie had tried to make his point of where they should be!!
Probably half term will be the next ones
they said they've taken the baths away due to health and safety reasons!!!!
edited to say : not that i'm implying it was anything to do with after you and sue visited.....
The club will call me and i'll post the times and details when i get them. I did suggest a later one especially for the forum members and she didn't see why not why could very well lead on to a few post-tour beers.
You wont have to walk far, seeing that lunch (at the end of the tour) is in Bartrams.... (the bar, not round AFKA's gaff)
I'll shut up now ;-)
can't help thinking if the club had promoted it, they could have got an awful lot more than 7 people!! i rang up and asked if they were doing any, at no point over the summer was it advertised.
Just had a chat with the Club and it's probable we can do something before the half term They've said that if i put a few dates together they'll see when Kevin Nolan is available- Maximum number on the tour is 30 and they'll do it for £150 (not including food- but food available afterwards in Batrams to accompany some beers?) which i work out at £5 per head if we take 30 ( razor sharp i know!)
if people would their post prefered days and times and an indication of their interest and i'll see what can be done.
My preference would be a late afternoon tour- preferably a Thursday.
Sounds like a nice plan though. Tour of the followed by a few beers and a get to know you session.