Hi all,
I'm new to the forum (but have been supporting Charlton for 16yrs). However I am currently doing a uni human geography dissertation with The Valley, Charlton and the surrounding area as a topic. I would be extremely grateful if any of you could spare some of your time to answer a few questions (which you can do as briefly/in-detail as you like). Respondents will remain anonymous.
The questions are:
1) Do you consider The Valley to be a ‘special place’? (If so, how and why?)
2) As a supporter of the club, do you feel some ownership of the home ground? (If so, how and why?)
3) Would you be upset to see Charlton move out of the current ground? (If so, how and why?)
4) Have many of your best memories (in general) taken place at The Valley? (If so, how and why?)
5) Do you agree that maintaining a sense of history is more important than having a new ground? (If so, how and why?)
6) Do you choose where to sit to be near other supporters? Or is price/view more important? (If so, how and why?)
7) Is the ground ‘special’ because the club has been there a long time? (If so, how and why?)
8) Is your attachment to The Valley because of the social interaction you have there? (If so, how and why?)
9) Would you go as far to say that the one place that most represents ‘who you are’ is the club’s home ground? (If so, how and why?)
10) Have your feelings/perception towards The Valley changed over time? (If so, how and why?)
11) What effect do you think the Charlton Athletic Community Trust and its schemes have on the local community in Greenwich?
12) Does having a professional football club in the area help form and strengthen local identity/togetherness or is it irrelevant?
13) In your view, what makes Charlton and Greenwich unique places in London?
14) Time spent supporting club: .... Years
15) Gender:
16) Approx. Vicinity to ground: .... Miles
Alternatively questions can be emailed if you prefer/ease of answering. My email for any queries: charlton_fan69@hotmail.com (Ive had it since 11yrs old....)
Many thanks, and lets hope Chrissy and the boys can get another 3 points come 5pm sat !!!(Il be coming down from Loughborough to the usual spot in the East stand)
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Comments
2. I feel I have an emotional investment in the ground if not a legal/financial one.
3. Yes, Charlton more than most teams have an attachment to their ground. However I would balance that emotional attachment with a desire to see Charlton achieve as much as they can – if that meant leaving the local area then I would consider it – however I wouldn’t want to move just to save money etc
4. Again, having spent so much time at the Valley, it’s inevitable that many happy memories have occurred there – but many un-happy one’s too !!
5. No, I don’t agree with that statement. Maintaining history is important, but not at the expense of progress.
6. I sit in the North Upper for atmosphere reasons
7. I think it’s “special” because it’s our home and alot of Charlton’s identity (for good or bad) is related to the struggle to get hime in the early ‘90’s
8. Not really, I have social interaction in lots of places but don’t think of them as fondly as the Valley
9. Yes, I’d say so. Lots of people’s first question when meeting someone new is to find out who they support. In this country football defines us, men particularly. So therefore you are in turn defined by the club you support and so the home ground is a very strong physical manifestation of that definition.
10. Not really.
11. I think working in the local community (not just Greenwich, Bromley and Kent as well) are hugely positive. Not just socially (giving kids something to do etc) but also for the future of our club. We lost a generation of fans when we moved to Selhurst and engaging with youngsters from this generation is a way of rebuilding what was taken from us.
12. Yes, I read in a guide book once that Greenwich’s Premiership football team were it’s pride and joy. I feel proud that I support a team from my home borough, which apart from Charlton and a few aspects of local history is a fairly non-descript place. At times in my life when I didn’t live in the borough, I came back to Greenwich more to watch Charlton than I did to visit my family !
13. I think Charlton and Greenwich and by extension South East London are unique because we are a little sealed off from the rest of the city. Mainly this is due to the comparatively poor transport infrastructure but it’s bred a kind of city within a city attitude.
14. 22 years
15. Male
16. 4 miles (Eltham)
Yes. My family has a tradition of supporting Charlton and I went with my father and grandparents, all of whom are no longer with us, took my younger brother, who I seldom see, and my own children. If I am spared I hope to take my grandchildren one day.
I feel great emotional ties to the ground as, somehow, it makes me feel closer to those of my family no longer with us.
Cue the Glenn Hoddle jokes!
2) As a supporter of the club, do you feel some ownership of the home ground? (If so, how and why?)
Emotionally yes for the reasons at 1) materially no as I have no financial stake in the Club.
3) Would you be upset to see Charlton move out of the current ground? (If so, how and why?)
Yes. See 1)
4) Have many of your best memories (in general) taken place at The Valley? (If so, how and why?)
There are more important life memories from elsewhere but in football terms The Valley has my best memories other than the play-off win at Wembley in 1998 and watching England win the World Cup on TV in 1966.
5) Do you agree that maintaining a sense of history is more important than having a new ground? (If so, how and why?)
For me the ground is as important as the Club for the reasons at 1).
6) Do you choose where to sit to be near other supporters? Or is price/view more important? (If so, how and why?)
Price determined the whereabouts of my season tickets and I've stayed there ever since.
7) Is the ground ‘special’ because the club has been there a long time? (If so, how and why?)
Yes for me as expounded at 1).
8) Is your attachment to The Valley because of the social interaction you have there? (If so, how and why?)
It plays a part but the family reasons expounded at 1) are stronger.
9) Would you go as far to say that the one place that most represents ‘who you are’ is the club’s home ground? (If so, how and why?)
No. It is part of me but by no means the whole of me.
10) Have your feelings/perception towards The Valley changed over time? (If so, how and why?)
You don't know what you've got until you haven't got it anymore. The exile has made me far more appreciative of what we now have although getting older might also play a part in that.
11) What effect do you think the Charlton Athletic Community Trust and its schemes have on the local community in Greenwich?
Hard for me to answer as I no longer live in the area. However I would think and hope that the impact is positive to people, especially youngsters, in the area.
12) Does having a professional football club in the area help form and strengthen local identity/togetherness or is it irrelevant?
If you asked me this question when I was young I would have answered "yes." However football now is so dominated by the big 4, thanks in large part to Sky, and the local demographic has also changed so there is less allegiance to the local team. I wouldn't use a word as strong as irrelevant because of the community work but, in pure footballing terms and ignoring the community side for a moment, it probably is irrelevant.
13) In your view, what makes Charlton and Greenwich unique places in London?
Greenwich has unique factors (the Meridian, GMT, Naval Museum) but I wouldn't describe Charlton as unique.
14) Time spent supporting club: 48 Years
15) Gender: Male
16) Approx. Vicinity to ground: 35 Miles
EDIT: Missed gender first time round.
2nd EDIT: Improving and clarifying answer to question 12.
Are you Michael Slater or Tony Jiminez?
:-)
Yes. Gone through every possible emotion there. Have felt on top of the world there and have also had times where ive wanted the ground to open up below me. Moved around a lot in my life and it is the one true place that has been constant throughout and feels like home.
2) As a supporter of the club, do you feel some ownership of the home ground? (If so, how and why?)
Yes but not materially.
3) Would you be upset to see Charlton move out of the current ground? (If so, how and why?)
Devastated. See anser 1) Also think you lose a bit of the soul of the club. Im sure Millwall, Saints Arsenal fans etc feel that regardless of how established in their new grounds they are. Wouldnt swap The Valley for guaranteed Champions League football. Stuff ive read about how hard our fans worked to get back here shows how much it means. Football is more than a glittering 40k stadium and millionaire players.
4) Have many of your best memories (in general) taken place at The Valley? (If so, how and why?)
Numerous. Good times on and off the pitch with the old man and mates.
5) Do you agree that maintaining a sense of history is more important than having a new ground? (If so, how and why?)
Yes. Soul of the club.
6) Do you choose where to sit to be near other supporters? Or is price/view more important? (If so, how and why?)
Nope. Always prefer to be amongst the more vocal upper covered end which happens to be cheapest but would still sit (or ideally) stand if cost same as other areas.
Hmmm is this a marketing thread before prices jack up next year?
7) Is the ground ‘special’ because the club has been there a long time? (If so, how and why?)
Not just because of that but because of all thats gone on there.
8) Is your attachment to The Valley because of the social interaction you have there? (If so, how and why?)
Elements of it yes.
9) Would you go as far to say that the one place that most represents ‘who you are’ is the club’s home ground? (If so, how and why?)
Who the club is or who i am? If the latter then yes....rough around the edges, unfashionable and wish certain parts were bigger.
10) Have your feelings/perception towards The Valley changed over time? (If so, how and why?)
Yes. Been times Ive really felt i belonged there...other times ive felt very detached.
11) What effect do you think the Charlton Athletic Community Trust and its schemes have on the local community in Greenwich?
Am a Bromley Borough boy so not 100% sure but the impression i get has always been extremely positive and something im proud of.
12) Does having a professional football club in the area help form and strengthen local identity/togetherness or is it irrelevant?
Not in the slighest. All the kids round there seem to have Arsenal shirts on. Big shame. Dont live there though so not really sure although good to see the kebab shop sports a poster.
13) In your view, what makes Charlton and Greenwich unique places in London?
They are the only places that have the SE7 and SE10 post codes.
14) Time spent supporting club: ....20+ Years
15) Gender: Male
16) Approx. Vicinity to ground: .... about 5 or 6 Miles
2) As a supporter of the club, do you feel some ownership of the home ground? (If so, how and why?) No, due to the fact that I do not have any ownership of the ground.
3) Would you be upset to see Charlton move out of the current ground? (If so, how and why?) Yes, I like the ground.
4) Have many of your best memories (in general) taken place at The Valley? (If so, how and why?) Some? I've watched some football matches that I enjoyed at the Valley - sometimes I was really drunk, sometime I was quite drunk.
5) Do you agree that maintaining a sense of history is more important than having a new ground? (If so, how and why?) Completely depends - move 100m and get £200M I'd say forget the history, if it's move to shitland Arazona and operate on a shoestring I'd not be so keen.
6) Do you choose where to sit to be near other supporters? Or is price/view more important? (If so, how and why?)
7) Is the ground ‘special’ because the club has been there a long time? (If so, how and why?) Yes, but if we were somewhere else for a while and successful people would soon forget.
8) Is your attachment to The Valley because of the social interaction you have there? (If so, how and why?) Yes, because pleasant social interaction happened there. When developingmarket research do you like to create leading fcking questions?
9) Would you go as far to say that the one place that most represents ‘who you are’ is the club’s home ground? (If so, how and why?)No
10) Have your feelings/perception towards The Valley changed over time? (If so, how and why?) Yes, it's got better.
11) What effect do you think the Charlton Athletic Community Trust and its schemes have on the local community in Greenwich? Generally very positive
12) Does having a professional football club in the area help form and strengthen local identity/togetherness or is it irrelevant? I suppose it helps, but the majority of people in my area support big four shite
13) In your view, what makes Charlton and Greenwich unique places in London? Charlton, nothing really. Greenwich the historical market and park: but to be fair London has its share of nice areas
14) Time spent supporting club: 20. Years
15) Gender:M
16) Approx. Vicinity to ground: 10 Miles
2) As a supporter of the club, do you feel some ownership of the home ground? (If so, how and why?) Not really, one mortgage is bad enough thanks.
3) Would you be upset to see Charlton move out of the current ground? (If so, how and why?) As Mortimerician says, it depends on the circumstances. I guess though, that however good any alternative there would still be some sense of loss as it would be a break from my memories of the past.
4) Have many of your best memories (in general) taken place at The Valley? (If so, how and why?) I've lots of good memories. Surely, it would be odd if I didn't. Then again, there's a significant number of painful memories too.
5) Do you agree that maintaining a sense of history is more important than having a new ground? (If so, how and why?) Having a sense of history is vital. Having a new ground may become desirable at some point, but I certainly don't see that now. I don't believe that they are mutually exclusive.
6) Do you choose where to sit to be near other supporters? Or is price/view more important? (If so, how and why?)I'm on a limited budget so I need to sit where it's cheapest, there's no way I could afford to pay East/West prices regularly. Fortunately I prefer sitting in the Covered End anyway so its not an issue.
7) Is the ground ‘special’ because the club has been there a long time? (If so, how and why?) It's special because of the things that have happened there. Part of that is due to what has happened on the pitch (whether I was there to see it or not). Part of that is due to my memories of being taken there by my Dad.
8) Is your attachment to The Valley because of the social interaction you have there? (If so, how and why?) I guess a part of it is seeing old friends, but that's not the main part for me.
9) Would you go as far to say that the one place that most represents ‘who you are’ is the club’s home ground? (If so, how and why?) I'm struggling for an answer, so I guess that's a no.
10) Have your feelings/perception towards The Valley changed over time? (If so, how and why?) Perhaps developed rather than changed.
11) What effect do you think the Charlton Athletic Community Trust and its schemes have on the local community in Greenwich? I'm not totally sure as I'm not a resident. I like to say yes, but I don't know for certain.
12) Does having a professional football club in the area help form and strengthen local identity/togetherness or is it irrelevant? Probably when the team is successful.
13) In your view, what makes Charlton and Greenwich unique places in London? Charlton because its the home of CAFC. Greenwich because it's the centre of the world.
14) Time spent supporting club: .... Years 40 years
15) Gender: Male
16) Approx. Vicinity to ground: .... Miles 45
Any more responses would still be greatly received, perhaps they will be positively affected after yesterdays result!
Just to clarify question 2 can be answered in both a material and theoretical sense (e.g. you may have been involved in the clear up in the run up to return to the Valley).
LenGlover - yes i am working undercover for slater and jiminez :) (they are plotting a 2014-2015 stadium move to co-inside with west hams.....)