Good point OGGY e3xcept that he saw the first one v Derby when they lost 4-1 after extra time but couldnt get a tickrt for love nor money V Burnley! Thats why the Play Off Final in 1998 was so special to him 50 years on.
I've had a charmed Charlton life span since my first game v Sunderland, November '95. This is definitely the worst Charlton team I have seen but I suppose why I don't complain too much is that I haven't witnessed how dark some of our clubs existence has been.
In the words of that famous song "Things can only get better"! Having said that, I've thought that for several seasons now.
I don't think 10/11 was the worst season - okay, we've finished badly, but in the meantime we've got new backers, we've got BWP and we've got an exciting young manager.
I can't separate on field from off field and because of that this season is far from being our worst. Despite our league position this is the first time since Curbs left that I look forward to the following season (not with unadulterated hope) with cautious optimism.
For some reason this feels by far the worse season I can ever remember. I've been going since I was a nipper in the mid-70's so perhaps was a young to fully 'appreciate' how bad the team was at the end of that decade - when you're a football mad kid every game's exciting and you still believe that your team's "...by far the greatest team the world has ever seen", etc.
Having experienced several relations and promotions since I can honestly say that the following season I always had some realistic hope, either that we'd stay up or bounce right back.
But having missed out last year I can honestly say that I had that hope knocked out of me very early on this year and even if we we hanging around the top of the table I never really expected us to go on and finish the job.
It has just made me feel really sad this year :'-(
The only thing I want to say is....how would we all be feeling if the new owners had not arrived ? I, like many, gave up on this season a long time ago. Now lets get excited by the thought of what next season might bring, and put a smile on our faces for Summer.
The season just gone feels worse because it is still raw and we have tasted better which we hadn't done in the early seventies and 79/80 so we knew no better.
I felt worse after our 2008/9 relegation than I do now as there seemed no spirit at all in the side. The teams of 71/2, 72/3, 73/4,79/80 and 10/11 were poor but by and large the players gave of their best. Their "best" just wasn't very good!
Comments
Oh, why did my Dad have to take me to The Valley?
Instead, I could have been a dedicated "Sky 4" supporter.
Len is older than me, as I've reminded him before (probably once too often). ;o)
There's a whole batch of oldies, older than even Len .........take young Mr March 51 for example;
he's even seen Hans Jeppsen play, and Sam Bartram.
And gone to The Valley, upstairs on the tram from Woolwich!
Isn't that right, Terry?
;o)
We can't all look as young and debonair as your good self, unfortunately.
For some reason this feels by far the worse season I can ever remember. I've been going since I was a nipper in the mid-70's so perhaps was a young to fully 'appreciate' how bad the team was at the end of that decade - when you're a football mad kid every game's exciting and you still believe that your team's "...by far the greatest team the world has ever seen", etc.
Having experienced several relations and promotions since I can honestly say that the following season I always had some realistic hope, either that we'd stay up or bounce right back.
But having missed out last year I can honestly say that I had that hope knocked out of me very early on this year and even if we we hanging around the top of the table I never really expected us to go on and finish the job.
It has just made me feel really sad this year :'-(
The season just gone feels worse because it is still raw and we have tasted better which we hadn't done in the early seventies and 79/80 so we knew no better.
I felt worse after our 2008/9 relegation than I do now as there seemed no spirit at all in the side. The teams of 71/2, 72/3, 73/4,79/80 and 10/11 were poor but by and large the players gave of their best. Their "best" just wasn't very good!