'The dinner, which is being put on with the support of both the club’s fans’ forum and the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust, will be hosted by comedian and lifelong fan Jim Davidson'.
'The dinner, which is being put on with the support of both the club’s fans’ forum and the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust, will be hosted by comedian and lifelong fan Jim Davidson'.
Presume you won't be making the trip over, jm
OK , some light and positivity on the subject is overdue so here goes....
A few weeks ago, Ben Kensall invited Ian Wallis( Bromley Addicks) and myself to meet him to chat about the end of season POTY dinner and a couple of related issues. Ben attended the dinner last May and stated that he enjoyed the evening and the way the event was staged - in particular the way in which it was aimed at the "average supporter" ( my words, not his) He was also impressed by the manner in which the players and their management joined in the celebration of what was, in the end, a successful season.
Ben then asked whether we felt a second dinner this season would be well received by the fans, with an overdue BTTV event in mind. Clearly , this would be held as close to Dec 5th as possible and hence would not encroach in any way on the end of season dinner. Although he had only been at our Club for around 6 months, he was very aware of the unique history we have and the battle for The Valley in particular - and wondered why the annual celebration of our return had stuttered to a premature halt. Whilst we had no answer to that question, as long term fans ourselves, we agreed that that special day in December 1992 should not be forgotten and should continue to be marked in a manner which would, once again bring players, management, Club and supporters together in celebration of the return to OUR home.
The discussion then turned to specifics eg setting a date, format for the event, cost of tickets and who should be invited as our guests. Ben envisaged a top table of Charlton Legends that are associated with The Valley, either by playing on the hallowed turf or being involved in management of our Club, with the dinner itself followed by a Q & A session with those individuals. We agreed that this format was ideal and so the idea gained substance and a cunning plan became reality. All concerned agreed that the ticket price should not be set too high and would reflect on the desire to see as many fans possible in attendance on the night. The rest, on the whole, you know courtesy of the piece on the OS this week.
Since that meeting, the date has been confirmed, a menu agreed and tickets are now on sale. As advertised, several legendary figures have already confirmed their attendance but watch this space as others are unveiled - you won't be disappointed.
So, you may be saying, who will profit from this event and what was the thinking regarding the evening's MC ?
With regards to the former, all will become clear in the next week or so but rest assured, those of us with The Valley close to our hearts & the history of Charlton Athletic a source of pride will not be disappointed. You'll have to trust me on this one...
The background to the question of the evening's MC is linked to the last statement so it's difficult to clarify at this stage. Suffice to say that Jim Davidson is a true Addick as most of you will be aware from his attendance at games, the ongoing donation of his time to raise money for Community Trust events and for being far more involved behind the scenes of our Club than we might imagine. I am not party to the specifics but Jim holds this Club very close to his heart and does what he can, when he can in no small measure. Jim had offered his services for fund raising by way of a Comedy Night before the BTTV dinner was on the agenda and readily agreed to MC the event when Ben's idea developed further. Whatever your personal feelings are regarding Jim's modus operandi when he appears on stage, this genuine guy knows how to adapt his "act" when & where it's necessary. And Sunday 1st December 2013 will be one of those occasions. End of, as they say ! ( And I'm being entrusted with the longhandled hook, just in case-joke!)
That's it really. But I'd like to add my praise & admiration for Ben who has come into our Club and very quickly recognised that we, the fans are a special bunch supporting a special Club. He has put himself in "our" shoes ( or, in Plaayer's case, Uggs) and appreciates what is important to us. And he is getting it right. His enthusiasm & energy are immense - regarding the dinner, he has taken on every aspect of the organisation thus far whilst delegating the identification of the Legends to Ian and myself but continuing to keep us informed as to his progress. This IS an event born of collaboration between our Club and its supporters and I'm sure our services will be called upon as the 1st December approaches. We know that Ben is in the best possible position to liaise with Club personnel etc whilst he recognises our time is limited, with our SGs and POTY already in situ. Teamwork is the word, although communication comes a close second - how fantastic to be able to use the "c" word again !!!!
Finally, another very special person must be mentioned here. Those of you that know Bernard Wickham will be aware of the terrific work this guy does, and for which he receives little recognition. Bernard works tirelessly as a link between former players and SGs /Club /others with the result that these heroes are not forgotten and retain their links with Charlton via Q & A meetings etc. He made it possible for Paul Went and John Humphrey to host last season's POTY dinner, and NWKA have welcomed Eddie Youds, Sasa Ilic, Mark Bright, Derek Hales and Phil Warman in the past 12 months, with the 2 Steves ( Gritt & Brown) to come in the New Year. Bernard is a very special man and was, of course, our first port of call in identifying which former players might be available for the BTTV dinner. Like the mounties, Bernard always gets his man and is still working hard to bring in more players for the evening. However, he shakes his head when "working" is used as he counts all of these guys as friends, which from the stories he tells, is so true. Bernard will take his place on 1st December as one of our guests of honour for sure.
I think this sort of occasion is one for us all to get together and celebrate our history, so good on those who have organised as Fanners says a long overdue, and proper big bash.
I have no idea why jimmymelrose has a problem with Jim Davidson hosting the event, I think it's a blinding idea. Maybe jimmymelrose is oblivious to how big a fan Jim is. Also, I've never met him but I like the sound of this Ben Kensall geezer and it seems as if he is doing a good job.
As well as running the only fan event last year for BTTV with help from branches (Jean, Ian & John) who kindly stood aside and helped by not running their own events, and supported us generally - it was quite a struggle at the time as the environment was somewhat challenging to put it mildly (but it nicely coincided with our launch) - We (CAS trust) have been pushing for an event for at least the last 6 months, and will be helping to promote it, as well as East Kent's Ashford event on the 5th (which they asked us to help with).
I have no idea why jimmymelrose has a problem with Jim Davidson hosting the event, I think it's a blinding idea. Maybe jimmymelrose is oblivious to how big a fan Jim is. Also, I've never met him but I like the sound of this Ben Kensall geezer and it seems as if he is doing a good job.
Thanks for all the comments, esp yours, Large .
Would be great if you could make this one and I could introduce you to Ben.
I'm definitely not in the "boot licker" category but am always ready, willing & able to give credit where credit's due. This is one "new" member of staff where we've struck gold & I believe he will go that extra mile for us and our Club.
Regarding tables etc, Plaayer , I'm sure you can book a whole table. Unfortunately, I don't have any further info as yet but I know a man who does....May I suggest that you call the Commercial Centre where tickets are on sale and they'll answer your questions. I am assuming that tables of 10 will be used as at the POTY dinner.
Hope that helps. I'd book as soon as poss if I were you - demand will only increase once more Legends are confirmed.
Both Eddie Youds and Dean Kiely have confirmed that they will be at the dinner and there are several more pending. Tickets are starting to move , so if you are thinking of going, it may well sell out.
Comments
'The dinner, which is being put on with the support of both the club’s fans’ forum and the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust, will be hosted by comedian and lifelong fan Jim Davidson'.
The key to the door?
OK , some light and positivity on the subject is overdue so here goes....
A few weeks ago, Ben Kensall invited Ian Wallis( Bromley Addicks) and myself to meet him to chat about the end of season POTY dinner and a couple of related issues. Ben attended the dinner last May and stated that he enjoyed the evening and the way the event was staged - in particular the way in which it was aimed at the "average supporter" ( my words, not his) He was also impressed by the manner in which the players and their management joined in the celebration of what was, in the end, a successful season.
Ben then asked whether we felt a second dinner this season would be well received by the fans, with an overdue BTTV event in mind. Clearly , this would be held as close to Dec 5th as possible and hence would not encroach in any way on the end of season dinner. Although he had only been at our Club for around 6 months, he was very aware of the unique history we have and the battle for The Valley in particular - and wondered why the annual celebration of our return had stuttered to a premature halt. Whilst we had no answer to that question, as long term fans ourselves, we agreed that that special day in December 1992 should not be forgotten and should continue to be marked in a manner which would, once again bring players, management, Club and supporters together in celebration of the return to OUR home.
The discussion then turned to specifics eg setting a date, format for the event, cost of tickets and who should be invited as our guests. Ben envisaged a top table of Charlton Legends that are associated with The Valley, either by playing on the hallowed turf or being involved in management of our Club, with the dinner itself followed by a Q & A session with those individuals. We agreed that this format was ideal and so the idea gained substance and a cunning plan became reality. All concerned agreed that the ticket price should not be set too high and would reflect on the desire to see as many fans possible in attendance on the night. The rest, on the whole, you know courtesy of the piece on the OS this week.
Since that meeting, the date has been confirmed, a menu agreed and tickets are now on sale. As advertised, several legendary figures have already confirmed their attendance but watch this space as others are unveiled - you won't be disappointed.
So, you may be saying, who will profit from this event and what was the thinking regarding the evening's MC ?
With regards to the former, all will become clear in the next week or so but rest assured, those of us with The Valley close to our hearts & the history of Charlton Athletic a source of pride will not be disappointed. You'll have to trust me on this one...
The background to the question of the evening's MC is linked to the last statement so it's difficult to clarify at this stage. Suffice to say that Jim Davidson is a true Addick as most of you will be aware from his attendance at games, the ongoing donation of his time to raise money for Community Trust events and for being far more involved behind the scenes of our Club than we might imagine. I am not party to the specifics but Jim holds this Club very close to his heart and does what he can, when he can in no small measure. Jim had offered his services for fund raising by way of a Comedy Night before the BTTV dinner was on the agenda and readily agreed to MC the event when Ben's idea developed further. Whatever your personal feelings are regarding Jim's modus operandi when he appears on stage, this genuine guy knows how to adapt his "act" when & where it's necessary. And Sunday 1st December 2013 will be one of those occasions. End of, as they say ! ( And I'm being entrusted with the longhandled hook, just in case-joke!)
That's it really. But I'd like to add my praise & admiration for Ben who has come into our Club and very quickly recognised that we, the fans are a special bunch supporting a special Club. He has put himself in "our" shoes ( or, in Plaayer's case, Uggs) and appreciates what is important to us. And he is getting it right. His enthusiasm & energy are immense - regarding the dinner, he has taken on every aspect of the organisation thus far whilst delegating the identification of the Legends to Ian and myself but continuing to keep us informed as to his progress. This IS an event born of collaboration between our Club and its supporters and I'm sure our services will be called upon as the 1st December approaches. We know that Ben is in the best possible position to liaise with Club personnel etc whilst he recognises our time is limited, with our SGs and POTY already in situ. Teamwork is the word, although communication comes a close second - how fantastic to be able to use the "c" word again !!!!
Finally, another very special person must be mentioned here. Those of you that know Bernard Wickham will be aware of the terrific work this guy does, and for which he receives little recognition. Bernard works tirelessly as a link between former players and SGs /Club /others with the result that these heroes are not forgotten and retain their links with Charlton via Q & A meetings etc. He made it possible for Paul Went and John Humphrey to host last season's POTY dinner, and NWKA have welcomed Eddie Youds, Sasa Ilic, Mark Bright, Derek Hales and Phil Warman in the past 12 months, with the 2 Steves ( Gritt & Brown) to come in the New Year. Bernard is a very special man and was, of course, our first port of call in identifying which former players might be available for the BTTV dinner. Like the mounties, Bernard always gets his man and is still working hard to bring in more players for the evening. However, he shakes his head when "working" is used as he counts all of these guys as friends, which from the stories he tells, is so true. Bernard will take his place on 1st December as one of our guests of honour for sure.
Hope to see lots of Lifers there too....
Good idea. Well done to those involved. Hope it's a good night.
;o)
Nobody is forcing you to go.
As well as running the only fan event last year for BTTV with help from branches (Jean, Ian & John) who kindly stood aside and helped by not running their own events, and supported us generally - it was quite a struggle at the time as the environment was somewhat challenging to put it mildly (but it nicely coincided with our launch) - We (CAS trust) have been pushing for an event for at least the last 6 months, and will be helping to promote it, as well as East Kent's Ashford event on the 5th (which they asked us to help with).
More soon
Would be great if you could make this one and I could introduce you to Ben.
I'm definitely not in the "boot licker" category but am always ready, willing & able to give credit where credit's due. This is one "new" member of staff where we've struck gold & I believe he will go that extra mile for us and our Club.
Regarding tables etc, Plaayer , I'm sure you can book a whole table. Unfortunately, I don't have any further info as yet but I know a man who does....May I suggest that you call the Commercial Centre where tickets are on sale and they'll answer your questions. I am assuming that tables of 10 will be used as at the POTY dinner.
Hope that helps. I'd book as soon as poss if I were you - demand will only increase once more Legends are confirmed.
PPS more than happy to let Fanny and Ian the experts on these sorts of events do the hard work though
PPPS agree re Kensell does seem to be a decent bloke
Imagine that after footballforafiver this will be pushed big time and tickets will soon go. Buy now to avoid disappointment.