Tonight's crowd

iansarge

I had the honour of being in the North upper J block tonight, finally I felt some passion within CAFC, unfortunatly it was from the supporters rather than the players.

Guys, feel proud of yourselves if you were singing, the "you're not fit to wear the shirt" was spot on and about the most passion I've heard from a set of supporters since the play off final against Sunderland.

How quickly it turned from "having a go" to supporting, and you could tell it made an impact on the players, though unfortunately only for a short time. The Ole chanting was excellent and showed to the players what we wanted and expected, however did we ever manage more than 3 chants before some pillock passed to the oppo.

Where in the Les Reed coaching manual does it say if you have the ball at centre half, bang it up to the forwards, or if you have the ball ot right abck, bang it up to the forwards, so the oppo centere half has an 80/20 chance of clearing it, and we did that most of the 2nd half..

Well that's it, the "lucky" socks are in the bin.

aliwibble

[cite]Posted By: iansarge[/cite]Guys, feel proud of yourselves if you were singing, the "you're not fit to wear the shirt" was spot on and about the most passion I've heard from a set of supporters since the play off final against Sunderland.

I don't think it helped at all, and will have just boosted Wycombe's players. It's what they always say away from home against bigger clubs, what they want is for the home crowd to get on their players' backs, so you will have just boosted the opposition's confidence. The "we're just here for the paycheck" brigade won't have given a toss, and the "honest but limited triers" will have been even more afraid of making a mistake and getting barracked for it. Boo at half time and full time yes if you feel you really need to, but the constant negativity helps no-one.

Tonight may have proved that our players don't have the character to keep us up, but it also showed that nor do our fans.

InspectorSands

What can fans do instead, then? Write polite e-mails to the official website?

Off_it

That's bollox alliwibble.

The fact is that tonight the players got both barrels off the fans. Does it help in the long run?

To the players? - probably not.
To the fans? - you bet your life son.

I've NEVER so passionately cared about the disgraceful mess this bunch have left us in. horrified.

Latimer

A team brittle on confidence, a semi final beckoning, desperate to do well and what do the upper north do but get on there backs at 36 mins when there is still all to play for. The booing sickened me as a supporter what it must have done to the players was plain to see. They needed our vocal backing to get them to lift their game, they got nothing so gave less and actually took the piss out of us by still taking their pay cheque. Yes they were not fit to wear the shirt, perhaps Reed should go, let that be known at 85 mins at 1-0 down then but not at 36 mins.The Upper North did not help the cause. It does not excuse what happened in the end but it certainly did not help at the time, it helped Wycombe no end

northstandsteve

Sorry but we as fans can only take so much and are entitled to say and sing what we want.If you don't like tough don't go many won't next season.But be rest assured if we play like that next season they will continue to get it.As long as they are earning £20k a week to my £25k a year and not putting it in i'll let them know.

aliwibble

[cite]Posted By: InspectorSands[/cite]What can fans do instead, then? Write polite e-mails to the official website?

Well reports elsewhere say that they aren't doing that. Like I said, boo or whatever at full time and half time, but during the game you've got to get behind the team. You don't have to be chanting "Super Amdy Faye" but keep urging Dennis Rommedahl to keep going down the wing rather than stopping, Jerome Thomas to put in the damn cross rather than poncing about, Marcus Bent to close down anything that's more than 2 yards away, anyone in the midfield to put in a tackle... I'm sure you can remember games where we've been described as being "the 12th man" and the support has kept the team going, and we've nicked a late goal to get a point where we would've lost, or even a win instead of a draw. Look at the Blackburn game. If we are to have any hope of staying up, we are going to need those odd points here and there, but it ain't going to happen if we get on their backs as early in the game as people did tonight.

[cite]Posted By: Off_it[/cite]That's bollox alliwibble.

The fact is that tonight the players got both barrels off the fans. Does it help in the long run?

To the players? - probably not.
To the fans? - you bet your life son.

I've NEVER so passionately cared about the disgraceful mess this bunch have left us in. horrified.

Believe me, I'm immensely pissed off about it as well, but for the sake of feeling better tonight, the Covered End have made things worse. Latimer has explained it better than I can right now (I'm still fuming too much right now to be particularly coherent)

WSS

It wasnt just the Covered End, i was sitting the West and it was clearly being sung by every one.

Ali, do you think they are fit to wear the shirt?

Have you ever heard anything like that a Charlton before?

The fans that went last night are not "Premiership" fans, they are Charlton fans and they had every right to vent they anger at the useless mob.

Not even coming out after the game and apologising is a cowardly and insulting thing to do

Elthamaddick

WSS - well said, the people there last night were not there to see 'premiership' football, they were there cause they love CAFC...what last night proves is that we have about 15k hard core true fans...

WSS

And another thing, it was not all booing, a lot of the crowd tried to get behind the team with CAFC chants but it wasnt as if the players reacted.

Carrot or stick? I think they've had enough carrots in my opinion

AFKABartram

I disagree as well Ali mate.

Normally i would agree, i think its completely counter productive, but things have reached such a head that the supporters had every right to vent their spleen.

In a funny way i was pleased, it showed to me i was surrounded by 15k people who care as much as me, something i wasn't sure of in the past.

Elthamaddick

spot on AFKA

kigelia

Whilst normally not agreeing with the negative chanting I think that what was dished out by the fans last night was required. It seems pretty obvious that the players are not getting the bollockings they deserve if talk have having a discussion about things after games is true.

Sometimes players need to be read the riot act. Last night they were - by the fans.

WSS

The problem is kiggy is that they probably don't care

Salad

I booed them for the first time last night.
Absolute shambles - all the new Dowie players last night were shocking - an unbelievable waste of money.

They are playing worse now than under Dowie - far, far worse. Reed has got to go he hasn't got a clue, he is a boffin not a manager.

He was like a snail last night, hidnig in his dugout much of the time, occaisonally shuffling quietly out and then retreating again. He never even took his hands out if his pockets last night.

I know he has Charlton at heart, so it must be tough for him but he MUST walk, and he must do it today.

I have always been one to back players and managers, eg. the day before Dowie went I was saying give him another 18months even if we go down. But Reed is so patently not a leader.

Yesterday I was suggesting we could perhaps get in George Graham, but after last night I realise things are even more desperate than that. We need someone to kick ass and tell them to f*** off until they are ready to play properly.

Come in Graham Souness please!

Yes, it is that desperate. Get Souness in for the rest of the season with a massive bonus if he keeps us up (lol)

ThreadKiller

graham souness? you could send ronnie corbett in to beat up our players.

LargeAddick

sorry, aliwibble and latimer but I think you are wrong on this one. For once we needed to show the team how disgusted we were with their inepitude and their attitude. To blame it on the North Upper is ridiculous. I don't know where you were sitting but I was in the East and thousands there were singing it as well. The only time I thought it was slightly OTT was when Reed caught the ball and he was booed. As others have said it could actually give the players the kick up the backside they need and it was time for us to administer it to them, no-one else seems to be doing so. Reed may be a good coach but a manager he isn't. As stated also, that was CAFC fans there last night, not Premier League hangers-on, and we fought hard to get us where we are now and we shouldn't stand for this bunch of players potentially putting us back three years, maybe more.

WSS

I do feel a little sorry for Reed.

he was offered the job and his heart probably made the decision rather than his head.

hopefully his head will make the right decision now...

ns_eb_rj_s?

I admit I sang those songs and felt bad for doing it at the time but things have got that bad that you cant just sit back and think "oh well never mind, I'll cheer them anyway". Reed should resign today!

suzisausage

i thought despite those boo's and the not fit to wear the shirt chant, the fans did well to cheer on the team when making an attack, and they cheered them when they come out for the 2nd half to give them some encouragement, it wasn't entirely negative, and i am sure the players realised when they tried and attacked, they were applauded and encouraged, but as soon as they mistakes the crowd turned, and rightly so.

i felt sorry for those that were singled out for minor mistakes that do happen to the best of sides(sankofa, sam etc), but how many times did the ball bounce around, when will our players learn how to direct headers to our players? i can only recall one, and that was matt holland 10 seconds after he came on and he steered a head to m bent. its a joke, and the fans have a right to show the players that they're a shambles.

our anger is right to be angered at them, even more so than reed, but the buck does realistically stop with him. i was in the west last night and they were joining in with the red army chants as well as the you're not fit to wear the shirt chants, and yes afka, there were more 'fans' there than i thought there would be last night, and i'm pleased they did.

Charlton_Charlie

OK, so I am in the minority, but I agree with Latimer and Ali - 'you're not fit etc' / booing can only be counter productive if you're doing it with more than an hour of football to play. How on earth is it going to motivate?? Surely it would be better to sit there in silence if anything?? If you're having a tough time, making stupid mistakes then how does being barracked make you better? It doesn't, it makes you nervous and causes you to continue to make mistakes... By all means let the players know how you feel with five minutes to go / at the final whistle but surely you're contributing to the poor performance by singing that at that stage.

I totally agree that the players are poor and need a mighty kick up the 'arris / given their marching orders, but I feel that we failed last night too.

Of course, you pay your money, you're entitled to your opinion and I'm not telling people what to do or say - I just don't agree with the negativity.

For the first time ever I actually felt like crying as I left the ground last night - it really did feel like the end to me - not just shit players, but 'everything' going rapidy downhill. Dramatic maybe, but that was how bad I felt....tried to remind myself that it's only football, that I have a wife and child at home who are far more important, but it's like seeing someone you love slip into terminal decline and there's nothing you can do to make it better.

I'll be at Boro on Saturday and I'll cheer the team.

Curb_It

Im with Latimer/Ali also. it just makes everything worse. At the end yes, but during the game? the team needed support not mass jeering but then i do suppose it just got to a boiling point last night.

its all just so cringeable.

iansarge

CC if the crowd had been negative from 36 minutes onwards then I agree with you, however almost immediately the team did look more hungry albeit temporarily.

The crowd DID get behind the team after that, ole football was fun for a while but never got off the ground really as we couldn't find a red shirt to pass to, then I believe frustration took over both players and supporters, desperate to win with over 20 minutes left, we started punting every ball straight down the middle.

When we tried to get it down, pass and move, support the player on the ball we looked good, however I remember that happening in the first 5 minutes and about 5 minutes during the whole of the 2nd half.

Very disappointing, but not upsetting, just reconfirmation of what we all really have know for at least lthis season and probably half of last, we've been punching above our weight, and now we've been found out.

WSS

I think its polling time AFKA...

"Were Charlton fans right to boo and chant against the players last night"

Salad

Charlie you are a f***ing hero, you deserve a medal - in fact in all seriousness a couple of board members should come stand with "all" our fans at Boro, thank them all personally, buy them a driik and listen to what they have to say.

Henry - are you able to suggest that - it is the least anyone making the journey to Boro on Christmas Saturday deserves.

Latimer

Charlton Charlie

The sad thing is Ms Lat did get rather upset post match she has only witnessed the last five years at close quarters and was somewhat taken aback by the reaction last night.

I agree we needed to show the team our feelings but at 35 mins gone in a cup match at home.... I will remain in the minority.

Try it at work today persistently harangue someone for 15 mins and see how they feel and then give your undivided support to another and see the difference

1905

"I agree we needed to show the team our feelings but at 35 mins gone in a cup match at home.... I will remain in the minority."

The problem is Lats (as you know) this has been boiling up for some weeks now and was bound to explode at the first signs of a poor performance last night. Surprised people lasted until 35 minutes, cos I sensed it was all going to go wrong after about 5 ..........

We need to get the "I was there" T Shirts printed.

PalaceHater

We pay our money we have the right to boo.... FACT.

That was a disgusting show and the players may have realised this as they left the pitch. best chance for god knows how long to get to a semi final. Wycombe at home we should have destroyed them

aliwibble

[cite]Posted By: WestStandSinger[/cite]It wasnt just the Covered End, i was sitting the West and it was clearly being sung by every one.

Ali, do you think they are fit to wear the shirt?

I think I'll come on to that in a separate post.

Have you ever heard anything like that a Charlton before?

The fans that went last night are not "Premiership" fans, they are Charlton fans and they had every right to vent they anger at the useless mob.

Oh I agree the fans have got every right to vent their spleen, but I disagree with the way they went about it.