We all love Charlton, let's face it.
We don't support them because they win everything in sight.
We don't support them because we have the best players in the world.
We don't support them because they are fashionable.
We just support them because they are our team.
Things have not been good on the pitch we all know that, the players, board, management acknowledge that. It would have been so easy for the board to respond to the many calls after the Barnsley match and sack Alan Pardew. Forget all the crap about not having the money to sack him, if they wanted to they would have. Instead they have chosen to show faith in a man very much under pressure.
Like many of us, I wasn't at Plymouth or Birmingham. But I know people who were and I respect their judgement and their views. We may have only got one point from both games, but admit it most of us felt that we wouldn't get any at all.
Saturdays match is so vital, if we lose then the knives will be back out. But for 90 (plus added time) minutes next Saturday our differences have to be put away. We have to be as one. We have to be Charlton and stand together.
Those at the Alan Pardew Q&A will recall him saying that the atmosphere in the Valley was like that of a cup final at the Burnley game. You may laugh, but if you are pitchside you will know that we can be as loud as any set of supporters in the country.
So on Saturday we need the flags, banners, we need the chants and we need to be in unison supporting our team. If we concede a goal we get louder.
For 90 minutes we have to support our team.
If we do our bit, the players will do theirs for that I am sure.
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I'm still dreading Saturday, though. Dreading the first complaint from the tossers behind me at the first fluffed pass. Dreading the grumbles that we should be turning them over after about half an hour. And dreading what might happen if we throw the kitchen sink at them... and get nowhere.
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Agree with most of what you say, but I did laugh at the above comment. We can be okay at times but us at our loudest does not come close to most other clubs at their loudest im afraid.
I been to near enough every game home and away this season and given my full support, I appreciate what your saying and il be behind them 110% as usual but it will never happen at the valley. Apart from a couple of the blocks up the top, the rest are just spectators like you would find at the theatre and not interested in an atmosphere or getting behind the team.
during the 1st Premiership season?
Even though it was tough going and a sad end i seem to remember the ground buzzing most of the time that season,ok maybe the players dont seem
to have the passion or will at home this year .From some of the reports of the people that did travel to the last two matches the attitude of the players
appears more positive?
Personally i think as the Premiership years went on supporters seemed almost to get bored getting behind the team a lot of the time and appeared to
chose the matches that we became more vocal, ie Palace etc?
Although the faithfull vocal support has always been there and tried it hardest this obvioulsy does not create the same level of sound/atomosphere created when the whole stadium comes to life!
Being the loudest supporters or our day may be debatable to a few but on our day we can be up there with the best!
So 'lets go for it' i say especially as we have bugger all to lose other than a few strained vocal cords
Any up tempo message needs to be directed at the manager and squad, not the supporters.
But anyone who is a regular on here will know i've tried countless rousing rallying calls over the last few years, and its got us absolutely nowhere. As someone in the stand, i give my all every game and do everything i can to be supportive. But at the moment i just feel completely exhausted with it all. I can't give any more than i already do and to be honest i feel it makes zero difference, and i'm going through a completely disenchanted stage.
I feel as a club we are almost 'accepting' this current decline, and its not making me angry, more a disappointed reluctance.
Virtually every key level of the club in my eyes is not right at the moment and i fear desperately where it is leading. We have gone too long without a manager taking a real grip and influence on the side he puts out, and at the same time an un-cordinated top level of the club reluctant to show who is really in charge. This club is crying out for some strong direction, but no matter how much i like, admire and respect those involved, decision-making on effectively a committee basis is starting to impact on the overall picture.
Sorry to be down about it all, you know its not my normal approach, but at the moment i'm feeling particularly empty despite reports of improved performances. Lets just all hope i'm proved wrong.
With you all the way on this Dave.
But if we do all this and still get served the same old tripe we've become accustomed to........what then?
Christ Afka that makes for some dark reading.........
it does worry me that we still dont seem to have hit rock bottom and the turn of fortunes just hasnt seem to have arrived.....
we need a strong hand and someone to start pulling this club back to the right levels.... there just doenst seem the right talent out there to do it... or at least we cant seem to find it.....
Crackin post AFKA i fully agree with your statements re the decision making on a committee basis and the club accepting the current decline.
my concern is that if it goes wrong on Saturday i dont think my anger will contain and i wont boo as a matter of principle but i am not sure of my reaction so i am undecided
i am shite at golf absoluetly shocking but i think our defending is worse watching them goals against on saturday and from plymouth still worrys me that we cant keep a clean sheet
so that means a minimum of 2 goals to win i aint convinced bud`
so i could come home from foxhills with a slight improvement and 4 hours of cracking fun, the result at charlton will be the same if i am there or not i am edging foxhills shame i fecking luv my footie
Maybe we should take a block of the North upper over and re name Block Lifers
Yes there have been many rallying calls before, yes we've had false dawns, yes our energy levels and enthusiasm has been sapped. So why bother?
I make no apologies for banging on about this, WE the fans have a role to play. We have to support our team. The negativity of the crowd spreads to the players. You know how they respond when we get behind them. The first misplaced pass, the boos start. What do we expect, Vintage football every match? We're not going to get that, we're in the Championship. It's a battle! Trust me it's loud when the Upper North get going, it really is. I know, I've been pitchside and heard it.
The last two matches have seen better cohesive performances from the team, we could and should have had 6 points from both games, instead we only have 1. That's still 1 more point than many thought we would have had.
If it all goes Pete Tong on Saturday and we get a right hammering then I have egg on my face and look a fool, but what else can I do or say? Throw in the towel and accept that we may get relegated or back the team that I support?
I'm not throwing any towels in yet, it's just not in my nature.
You say we the fans have a role to play, the point i'm trying to make is i'm at the stage where i'm sick and tired of having to give more all the time. The supporters may well have a role to play, but i feel we've been trying to play it since Dowie was appointed and it has got us absolutely nowhere.
Now is the time for the manager and players to stand up and consider the roles that they have to play. They are the ones getting paid, we are the ones who are paying. They are also the ones who have underperformed the most.
It shouldn't always be about the 'fans doing their bit'. Its a two-way relationship, and i now feel its at the point where they are the ones that have to perform, not the fans. The onus is well and truely on them, i'm sick of disappointment.
If they provide, we will of course respond. But now its down to them to lead the way.
I felt like that just last week, reports of a far better performance at Plymouth didn't really raise my spirits, BUT on Saturday I was greatly heartened and feel if we can get a result on Saturday and three points it will be the turniong point.
Why not? Have you given up Ooh Aah?
Other fans back their team in adversity, why can't we?
I've just had enough with the onus always being on us to improve things.
in an ideal world they'd have both but a passionate charlton crowd is rarer than an away victory
I'm just trying to say that the negativity of the crowd can have an adverse effect on the team. I'm just asking, pleading, for the fans to get behind them and see what happens.
AFKA - I know that you will be there and I know that you will be loud.
I get the feeling there has been a response from the team, it may be overdue, it may fizzle out to nothing, it may not get us a win on Saturday, but how about we just show what we are made of as fans.
How about we sing just because we are Charlton fans, because of the history of the Charlton fans, and because the valley is OUR home, as well as our teams?
And fair play AFKA you are one heck of a fan of this club, and you have made the rallying call many times.
Please don't give up yet mate, I know you will still be singing your heart out on Sat.
I was so proud to go out singing even though we had just been relegated.
Thats the sort of support thats needed on saturday, i will be giving it my all.