Hi all,
Back when my old man (March51) fell ill, a couple of you suggested I contact the club in regards to parking, now that Father March is not the fleet-footed supporter he once was.
I have just spoken to the club, and they gave me two options.
Option one - we spend £720 on a West Stand parking space.
Option two - we figure it out ourselves.
Now, after 20-odd years of support from myself, and 50-odd from Pa, I was little disappointed with option two. We've been leaving progressively earlier over the last 10 years just to get withing a mile of the ground (Gatwick to Charlton is a trek!), and it's simply not an option to have him walk up the hill any longer (we park up Thorntree Road, usually at the top of the hill. I only know that side of the ground!).
So I'm hoping somebody here can help. We tend to get to the ground around 1pm, and although the hanging around is a patent waste of time, we're willing to do it for Div 3 football. So if you have any suggestions on places we can park that are not up a hill, and within a mile or so - or indeed, if you have a better option for me to call up than the Commerical guy who basically said we should spend £720 on parking, then I'm all ears. And for the record, I really don't fancy the coach option! It might be that I can get a standard disabled badge on his behalf for my car, but I've absolutely no idea if that's true or where to go to do so.
The alternative is that the pair of us simply stop coming. Which would be a tragedy in my eyes. Suffice to say, I am all but heartbroken that the club aren't particularly keen on finding me a solution here. I honestly thought they'd bend over backwards to help, but the opposite was true. It sounded like they had no interest in helping, and were hoping I wouldn't kick up a fuss.
So I'm hoping supporters can help instead! Any advice gratefully received...
Rp
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Comments
Waiting for the crowds to clear would probably knock on another twenty-to-thirty mins onto our 70-minute journey, but is better than not coming at all!
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
You could drop your Dad off at the Service Station, then park across the bridge in Pease Pottage Village (you get a ticket if you park in the Service Station for so long).
The West Sussex Branch are a friendly lot and there is a lot of banter to be had.
Last season we actually both had a drink in Barts before getting the car which made the actual journey the same time but less stress as the traffic had gone.
If by car I normally park Sundorne Road.
No hill to contend with.
Not sure about parking restrictions, but I have never had a problem.
If by car I normally park Sundorne Road.
No hill to contend with.
Not sure about parking restrictions, but I have never had a problem.[/quote]
A few years ago, my Dad could no longer make it up any sort of gradient at all. So we parked in Sundorne Road that season & it's a 5-10 min walk on the flat. Just across Charlton Church Lane as you can see.
Phone the club and ask for a matchday pass for disabled access, which allows you to drive down Floyd Rd and drop an individual off right next to the ground. You then have to go off and find somewhere to park which at that time isn't an issue. After the game you have to wait half hour till the area is cleared to drive back down again, or if they are able to walk short distances you could arrange for them to walk either through ransome walk onto the main lower road, or to the end of floyd rd on the royal oak end of the ground.
My wife was wheelchair bound for the last 4 months of the season, but didn't want to miss a game, and this option was a god send.