Personally I think now we have a new board we should modernise the club totally, here are some suggestions:-
Keep Red Red Robin but lets do BDL's remix version with Into the valley and London Burning
Update the badge like Fulham did a few years ago
Charlton Athletic is so so old hat, Charlton Olympics or Charlton Racers
The valley, now come on .. lets get ground sponsors and who better with the 02 down the road than get a competitor The Orange Valley has a special ring to it.
Red is a bit old hat too, and tying in with Orange ... you get my drift.
We are a family club although I realise that is anathema to some.
The Red, Red, Robin is a link to generations present and past who've supported Charlton just as we acknowledge those fans no longer with us in January each year.
This will probably read as terribly patronising and I apologise if it does but perhaps one needs to be a little older to fully appreciate it and have lost the people you first went to The Valley with.
The badge is our badge - but was updated in the 70s I think so things can change. I think the badge is distinctive, nice and simple and doesn't need an update btw but the song does.
Personally I think now we have a new board we should modernise the club totally, here are some suggestions:-
Keep Red Red Robin but lets do BDL's remix version with Into the valley and London Burning
Update the badge like Fulham did a few years ago
Charlton Athletic is so so old hat, Charlton Olympics or Charlton Racers
The valley, now come on .. lets get ground sponsors and who better with the 02 down the road than get a competitor The Orange Valley has a special ring to it.
Red is a bit old hat too, and tying in with Orange ... you get my drift.
Good thoughts Kap ... but as regards the name, don't forget we are now in a royal borough... Greenwich Royals has a nice ring to it ;-)
Maybe as a nod to the traditionalists we should change our badge back to the robin on the 4 quartered shield. The problem is that the people who would be most against such a suggestion would, I predict, be the traditionalists. But somebody had to decide to break with tradition when they decided they needed a change.
I think you should never change for the sake of it but should always change to improve. Despite being 40 years old our badge ticks all the boxes for a brand and is distinctively Charlton. Fulham changed their badge to many people's surprise a few years back but the new badge is better and Fulham haven't lost any of their identity. There are a couple of big issues with the Red Red Robin and they are a) It is not inspirational music and b) It refers to a time when were known as the robins. And there is also the fact that there are some decent alternatives such as VFR and Into the Valley and a few more.
As a supporter who first went to the Valley in the 70s with my Grandad, I understand the point about a link to loved ones past but the Valley has changed as a stadium, football has changed - things will always change but the linkl is Charlton Athletic, not the song that is played when the team runs out.
Think some people have just been brought up on a diet of over the top, hyped up sky sports. They'd only be happy to see us enter the pitch by absailing from the west stand to the sound of the prodigy (firestarter probably) with £20k worth of pyrotechnics going off...........................and then complain that the match wasn't entertaining enough. It's 53 secs from start til big dave kicks in............................
Our nickname - the Addicks went out of use many years ago and we were known as the Valiants when I first supported Charlton. When we left the Valley we couldn't be known as the Valiants so the Addicks was dusted off. We have kept it because it is distinctive and a better nickname than the Valiants - well I assume this is the reason. Take the good thinks from our past but accept that some things will always change - We have and always will be called Charlton Athletic.
Is it true that when we were playing in the early days that they used to parade the catch of the day (haddocks?) on stakes around the pitch? I know this isnt Red Red Robin related its more to do with the old traditions of the club
Is it true that when we were playing in the early days that they used to parade the catch of the day (haddocks?) on stakes around the pitch? I know this isnt Red Red Robin related its more to do with the old traditions of the club
Not quite......the team was actually started by a group of lads who frequented a fish and chip shop/fishmongers near to the site of The Thames Barrier. It can be reasonably assumed that one of two of them (at least from the outset) also worked in the shop.
The shop was owned by a fellow by the name of Arthur Bryan who, on match days dressed in his straw bloater and striped apron, would tie a smoked Haddock to a stick and twirl it around above his head...he probably did this as much to advertise his shop as to support the team.
He first came to the attention of a reporter/reporters of The Kentish Independent in 1908 at a game versus Plumstead (it might have been Royals come to think of it) and he became known as "The Addicker."
Frustratingly it's not known exactly who the person /persons or reporter was who coined the phrase....but that's how it was derived.
Arthur lived to a ripe old age but sadly spent the last years of his life destitute and living on an allotment somewhere in the Woolwich/Greenwich area. He lived to a ripe old age and died in Kings College Hospital Camberwell during the 1950's I believe. Members of his family still support Charlton to this day and are (at least up to a few years ago) proud season ticket holders.
Is it true that when we were playing in the early days that they used to parade the catch of the day (haddocks?) on stakes around the pitch? I know this isnt Red Red Robin related its more to do with the old traditions of the club
Not quite......the team was actually started by a group of lads who frequented a fish and chip shop/fishmongers near to the site of The Thames Barrier. It can be reasonably assumed that one of two of them (at least from the outset) also worked in the shop.
The shop was owned by a fellow by the name of Arthur Bryan who, on match days dressed in his straw bloater and striped apron would tie a smoked Haddock to a stick and twirl it around above his head...he probably did this as much to advertise his shop as to support the team.
He first came to the attention of a reporter/reporters of The Kentish Indepndent in 1908 at a game versus Plumstead (it might have been Royals come to think of it) and he became known as "The Addicker."
Frustratingly it's not known exactly who the person /persons or reporter was who coined the phrase....but that's how it was derived.
Arthur lived to a ripe old age but sadly spent the last years of his life destitute and living on an allotment somewhere in the Woolwich/Greenwich area. He lived to a ripe old age and died in Kings College Hospital Camberwell during the 1970's I believe. Members of his family still support Charlton to this day and are (at least up to a few years ago) proud season ticket holders.
with the exception of the the gentleman's elderly years that's a much better version!
Yes, the version I heard was that the then Chairman owned a fish shop and used to give the players free fish but yours seems more detailed than I have heard before and very feasible especially as you name the fish shop owner. I have the Charlton History book which doesn't have this account so maybe the club would find this interesting.
Forgot to mention that Arthur later became a major sponsor (possibly even a director) and gave fish and chip suppers to the players of both teams in a pub near the ground where they used to change for the games at The Valley.
Comments
Well said, BDL.
I always sing along & so does hubby in his "tone deaf" but endearing way .....
Good thoughts Kap ... but as regards the name, don't forget we are now in a royal borough... Greenwich Royals has a nice ring to it ;-)
not a bad idea
The music isnt the problem its the players running out then doing handshakes and photo shoots and we wait ages for the game to kick off
Maybe as a nod to the traditionalists we should change our badge back to the robin on the 4 quartered shield. The problem is that the people who would be most against such a suggestion would, I predict, be the traditionalists. But somebody had to decide to break with tradition when they decided they needed a change.
I think you should never change for the sake of it but should always change to improve. Despite being 40 years old our badge ticks all the boxes for a brand and is distinctively Charlton. Fulham changed their badge to many people's surprise a few years back but the new badge is better and Fulham haven't lost any of their identity. There are a couple of big issues with the Red Red Robin and they are a) It is not inspirational music and b) It refers to a time when were known as the robins. And there is also the fact that there are some decent alternatives such as VFR and Into the Valley and a few more.
As a supporter who first went to the Valley in the 70s with my Grandad, I understand the point about a link to loved ones past but the Valley has changed as a stadium, football has changed - things will always change but the linkl is Charlton Athletic, not the song that is played when the team runs out.
Not quite......the team was actually started by a group of lads who frequented a fish and chip shop/fishmongers near to the site of The Thames Barrier. It can be reasonably assumed that one of two of them (at least from the outset) also worked in the shop.
The shop was owned by a fellow by the name of Arthur Bryan who, on match days dressed in his straw bloater and striped apron, would tie a smoked Haddock to a stick and twirl it around above his head...he probably did this as much to advertise his shop as to support the team.
He first came to the attention of a reporter/reporters of The Kentish Independent in 1908 at a game versus Plumstead (it might have been Royals come to think of it) and he became known as "The Addicker."
Frustratingly it's not known exactly who the person /persons or reporter was who coined the phrase....but that's how it was derived.
Arthur lived to a ripe old age but sadly spent the last years of his life destitute and living on an allotment somewhere in the Woolwich/Greenwich area. He lived to a ripe old age and died in Kings College Hospital Camberwell during the 1950's I believe. Members of his family still support Charlton to this day and are (at least up to a few years ago) proud season ticket holders.