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Where were you when we (nearly) went bust?

Weegie AddickWeegie Addick
edited February 2007 in General Charlton
1984 - does anyone know the exact date, I think it was sometime in March? I was a student, and spent the whole day with the radio glued to my ear waiting for news from the High Court. Finally heard we'd been saved with a few mins to spare. There was a "Spring Event" on at college that evening - lots of drinking and dancing, and I went mad celebrating that I still had a team to support.

Comments

  • InspectorSandsInspectorSands
    I was nine, but I remember it being a big deal on telly - well, the News At 5.45, anyway. First time I can remember us on the telly other than watching the scores come in!
  • falconwood_1falconwood_1
    I found out walking home from school and seeing the back of an Evening Standard, then watching Thames News in the evening.

    Was funny watching the Sunley mob piling into wee Richard Collins's roller like the Anthill Mob.
  • Chirpy RedChirpy Red
    I was working at Barclays Bank in Greenwich at the time, we used to have to send a member of staff to the Charlton Branch to help count the clubs takings on Mondays. There was always some rumour going round that the club only used to bank a percentage of the takings and keep the rest in cash in those days.
  • Weegie AddickWeegie Addick
    [cite]Posted By: DJ Davey Dave[/cite]I was working at Barclays Bank in Greenwich at the time, we used to have to send a member of staff to the Charlton Branch to help count the clubs takings on Mondays. There was always some rumour going round that the club only used to bank a percentage of the takings and keep the rest in cash in those days.

    That's why the official attendances were so low - there were 14,500 of us really, not 4,500....a good tax dodge too!
    (winky, smiley thing)
  • BlackForestRedsBlackForestReds
    If I recall the news was announced mid-week and we were playing away at either Swansea or Cardiff that night and the TV showed a snippet of news "could this be Charlton's last ever match..." and there were literally a handful of supporters huddled behind the goal.

    I can't remember what point of the season we were at though.
  • KetmanKetman
    I remember a load of my so called makes trying to convince me to support their team when we went bust (Whammies, Arse's, Spuds & Chels's) was so pleased when I finally heard we had been saved.
  • LenGloverLenGlover
    The suspense wasn't quite as bad for me as I had a "friend of a friend" information line which intimated that something was likely to be worked out.

    Mind you when it got as near the deadline as it did get I did begin to doubt the reliability of my source!
  • KBslittlesisKBslittlesis
    I was 14 & hugely relieved if only for my brother..................and then felt very sad again, cos he'd got married & left home by then & I was alone wallowing in my stroppy teenage angst.
  • LoOkOuTLoOkOuT
    I was eight and Charlton Athletic was only a catchy name in my big red football encyclopedia.
  • _MrDick_MrDick
    I was working in Victoria at the time and spent a small fortune phoning Club Call (Alas, to no avail). I phoned so many times that the number is firmly ingrained on my mind 0898 12 11 46. I didn't find out that we'd been saved until I got home and watched Thames News at 6pm. Then it was off down to the pub for a few celebratory drinks. I remember the first game back at the Valley against Grimsby when John Fryer got a heros welcome from the 7,000 or so crowd. Oh how different it was later that year when we were told that we were leaving to share with Palace.
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  • 19051905
    Working in Kingsway at the time and was glued to the radio. Ran round to the court after work.
  • KillersBeardKillersBeard
    [cite]Posted By: KBslittlesis[/cite]I was 14 & hugely relieved if only for my brother..................and then felt very sad again, cos he'd got married & left home by then & I was alone wallowing in my stroppy teenage angst.

    Seemed like I was in a permanent depressive state back then. I was at work, also phoning or glued to the radio. I remember the next home match, (although I'd forgotten the opposition), and thinking, this is the beginning of a new era.

    What a plum!
  • KBslittlesisKBslittlesis
    edited February 2007
    C'mon Bruv..............she can't be that bad, it's the big 25 next year ;-)
  • KillersBeardKillersBeard
    You wait till I tell her.

    What can I tell ya, patience of a saint.

    Mine isn't bad either!
    :-)
  • BlackForestRedsBlackForestReds
    I think we were given a week to find new owners and I remember thinking that someone would save us, so I didn't worry...The innocence of youth...
  • bingaddickbingaddick
    I worked for an insurance brokers in Borough High Street at the back of Guys Hospital. I was on edge all day and didn't get much work done. I heard about the rescue late on from my dad. In the weeks running up to that day, I can remember thinking who would I support if the club folded. I seem to remember ruling out any other London club. I think I settled on Luton as Paul Walsh and Paul Elliot had recently gone there. The feeling of relief when the good news came was palpable.
  • The Prince-e-PaulThe Prince-e-Paul
    i remember talking to my dad about it. i went to bed that night with a mini radio glued to my ear. i was listening to radio five i think, waiting for news as i recall that there was a deadline of 11.00pm or something. i was 12 at the time and i can clearly remember crying my eyes out and actually praying to god to save my club. i think this was one of those poinant moments in the history of supporting your team that somehow cements you to a club. i was living in sheffield and supporting a team that nobody had heard of let alone supported. nothing from that day could comepare to the despair i felt that night going to bed. i guess days like that put our poor season into perspective. i had a strong bond to a club that had never won anything oin my lifetime. today i am still living the dream. 'we are premier league, say we are premier league'.
  • pickwickpickwick
    Must have been Radio 2 or Radio London, Radio 5 didn't exist until 1990.
  • clivey_heroclivey_hero
    I was in the High courts when the judge was told that a Boat load of rubber was coming from nigeria and fit would pay all our debts , must have been through Chief Nzireibe connections can't remember now , but it caused some hilarity in the courts , not that we were laughing too much , was a bit scary
    and surreal .

    I remember Mark hulyer being bit annoyed that a load of charlton fans had turned up in the courts, he was a bit like that
  • Weegie AddickWeegie Addick
    edited February 2007
    I'd completely forgotten about the Nigerian chief! That's who we got as our bankroller!!
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  • AFKABartramAFKABartram
    did they let many fans into the courts ?
  • clivey_heroclivey_hero
    If I remember , the court was small and there was only about 12/18 people in public seats , it got a bit passionate at times ,but judge said he would clear the court if anymore noise from the public benches
    mark hulyer wasnt best pleased , i remember the inland revenue people for the creditors getting some stick outside
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