My own take is that this is League One and the competition this season hasn't really been all that, even the two Sheffield clubs have lagged behind us and we've been top since September. It seems a bit OTT to be celebrating victories against some earnest, hard working teams like Walsall who in the nicest possible way are a class behind us and certainly don't have the squad or the financial clout. I'm not trying to claim that we are "massive" like the fans of a certain other club, and it's worth bearing in mind that we've been mired in L1 for three seasons. I like to think we are departing the way we should be - playing some good football, efficient, effective and professional and off the pitch we aren't acting like we're on the way to winning the Champion's League either. A tad classy all round.
Why bother with the Third Division, when you can lounge on the sofa at home with a couple of tinnies?
Well my first game was in the Third Division at Field Mill. My dad chose to take a 6 year old there instead of sitting on his sofa with tinnies! Because it mattered to him, i'm now travelling to Bury, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Oldham, Carlisle etc.
I can honestly say i've enjoyed standing with 500 in the cold at Hartlepool, much more than i did with a few thousand at Elland Road. So what, when it comes to how many come to watch Charlton. We all go when we can and when we can't we wish we were there.
£25 to watch Walsall etc, little away support at The Valley to create much banter or atmosphere plus we're miles ahead in the league, with only ourselves who can blow it removes some of the excitement.
It's been a great season but I think alot are just fed up of this league as there isn't much to be enthusiastic about, no local derbies to talk about either. When we played Leeds there were 3 teams going for second place which always adds to the excitement.
I really think the overwhelming reason is finances. We've seen what happens when the club run a promotion, we virtually sell out. Okay a lot of them would be 'plastics' in the phrasing of some but when they turn up they enjoying it along with the old school, die hards who been going since they were knee high to Dave Shipperley.
With the exception of a few, life is pretty much rubbish for everyone at the mo' and we all need to watch the pennies and this is reflected in away sales in particular. I know that I'd love to take in more games but I can't afford it at the moment both in terms of money and time. But when I am there I love it and am loving days like today.
Coupled with a pathological desire to get out of this league and never come back this season was always going to be 'tense' to say the least. The Sheffield clubs have raised their game big time and this is also making one or two fans bums squeak IMO.
Next week we can all relax and spark up a big fat Cohiba.
Why bother with the Third Division, when you can lounge on the sofa at home with a couple of tinnies?
Well my first game was in the Third Division at Field Mill. My dad chose to take a 6 year old there instead of sitting on his sofa with tinnies! Because it mattered to him, i'm now travelling to Bury, Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Oldham, Carlisle etc.
I can honestly say i've enjoyed standing with 500 in the cold at Hartlepool, much more than i did with a few thousand at Elland Road. So what, when it comes to how many come to watch Charlton. We all go when we can and when we can't we wish we were there.
its been nice to go to a few new away grounds, especially the ones with terraces. im now into the 70s, hopefully i dont get to add any more
A cold, wet bank holiday Monday at home to walsall with half the transport system shut down for engineering works. Yep, beats me why less people turned out than for a game against Leeds a couple of seasons ago...
And there you have it. Apart from the die hards there today and those on here who are not able, this was a third division game against Walsall (no disrespect there btw).
We have been brilliant from day 1 and as a result promostion has all but sealed since mid January. If we were 10 points worse off we may have had a couple more K on the gate. Weird but true.
I'm loving this season. We have a 'team' unit and a manager and coaching staff that clearly love their job and each other. This season has been beyond my wildest expectation. The best I hoped for back in Agust was a play off place. I honestly don't know why there is such negativity. It infuriates me that people seem to attend some games just to whine and moan.
I hear what you're saying AFKA. I reckon it's because of the way our lead has been eroded and our need to now grind it out to the season's end. Grinding out isn't what we were doing earlier in the season and the grind, I think, has worn us all out. Let's hope we can all celebrate the title together in the sun at The Valley against Wycombe.
I'm loving this season. We have a 'team' unit and a manager and coaching staff that clearly love their job and each other. This season has been beyond my wildest expectation. The best I hoped for back in Agust was a play off place. I honestly don't know why there is such negativity. It infuriates me that people seem to attend some games just to whine and moan.
I am enjoying it. The closer we get to the end the more I'm relaxing about us potentially falling down into third and missing out.
However, the big thing that is becoming apparent to me is that this is possibly the best season I will see, in terms of results, and I now don't want it to end, while wanting the promotion to be sorted as soon as possible.
I guess that the irony is that we will all look back on this season with more fondness than we feel confortable showing until promotion is assured.
I've loved this season, I've enjoyed the games I've spent more than the cost of your season ticket to get to and also the games I've listened to from my armchair. However I'm also crapping myself the nearer we get to the end of the season because there is so much to lose, and it would be more difficult to rectify any slips in the last few games. But mostly I'm enjoying it.
It's the best season we've had in many years, but the reason many of us are cautious is because of those years.
Well I'm enjoying it how can you not when we need probably only 4 more points for promotion and 7 to be champions. The atmosphere at The Valley does go a bit flat at times but the away games make up for it
Last seasons home gate average 16902. This season 15648 (after the equivalent number of games). I guess the recession may have taken its toll but we've had the most successful season in a long while, played some really attractive football. It's strange.
It's easier to stop going to the football on a Saturday than it is to get back into the habit, it will take more than one good season to rebuild attendances
Last seasons home gate average 16902. This season 15648 (after the equivalent number of games). I guess the recession may have taken its toll but we've had the most successful season in a long while, played some really attractive football. It's strange.
For the record I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
Slightly misleading when you consider that we lost Southampton and Brighton who filled Jimmy Seed
Last seasons home gate average 16902. This season 15648 (after the equivalent number of games). I guess the recession may have taken its toll but we've had the most successful season in a long while, played some really attractive football. It's strange.
For the record I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
Slightly misleading when you consider that we lost Southampton and Brighton who filled Jimmy Seed
Comments
I can honestly say i've enjoyed standing with 500 in the cold at Hartlepool, much more than i did with a few thousand at Elland Road. So what, when it comes to how many come to watch Charlton. We all go when we can and when we can't we wish we were there.
It's been a great season but I think alot are just fed up of this league as there isn't much to be enthusiastic about, no local derbies to talk about either. When we played Leeds there were 3 teams going for second place which always adds to the excitement.
With the exception of a few, life is pretty much rubbish for everyone at the mo' and we all need to watch the pennies and this is reflected in away sales in particular. I know that I'd love to take in more games but I can't afford it at the moment both in terms of money and time. But when I am there I love it and am loving days like today.
Coupled with a pathological desire to get out of this league and never come back this season was always going to be 'tense' to say the least. The Sheffield clubs have raised their game big time and this is also making one or two fans bums squeak IMO.
Next week we can all relax and spark up a big fat Cohiba.
I'm not enjoying the season as much as I'd like to as I'm just waiting for it to go wrong.
After the last 5 years I find it impossible to think any other way.
Really dont think we are as big as we think we are, core support is back to the level of the early 90's, where have they all gone.
Really thought we would be hitting 20k plus every week at this stage but then again Sheff Utd only had 19k on Saturday...
However, the big thing that is becoming apparent to me is that this is possibly the best season I will see, in terms of results, and I now don't want it to end, while wanting the promotion to be sorted as soon as possible.
I guess that the irony is that we will all look back on this season with more fondness than we feel confortable showing until promotion is assured.
It's the best season we've had in many years, but the reason many of us are cautious is because of those years.
For the record I'm thoroughly enjoying it.