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''Grandad, why are we so crap''?

The words my grandson said to me after yesterday's defeat. How do you answer?

He so wanted to go to Wembley to watch Charlton.

for many, many years, I, like many of you on here have seen the good times, bad times and mostly the very average times, so I'm used to being Charltonised, but how are you all keeping your young ones motivated to keep coming?

He absolutely loves the matchday experience and coming to football with his granddad, but his enthusiasm is definitely falling away. I have noticed that the dad that sits in front of us who has two boys is having the same problem with his lads and at different times, the boys are not bothering to attend.

How are you parents and grandparents managing to get our youngsters to keep the faith?

Comments

  • After yesterday, I dont really now, I am devastated so is my son.
  • my lad is already Charltonised unfortunately.

    wish I'd supported a 'glory' team now, like Wigan.
  • We made the 1/4 Final of the FA Cup -- my lad asked me if we d get that far next year "of course" I said....
    Gutted about the result but thats football -- lets try and stay up.
  • Like most looked at my six year old son with tears in his eyes said to dad this is rubbish why cant we just play well .
  • edited March 2014
    My daughter is due in a couple of months. Took Emma with me to most games when we went back to the Valley, she loved football (as much as a girl can...) and eventually grew out of it and found other things to do with her life. She learned some salutatory lessons watching the Addicks, the season we stormed straight back up to the Prem springs to mind. Remember was it Swindon at home? (may be wrong) parked the bus and they nicked a goal, totally undeserved 3 points. I can picture her 9 year old face on the bus on the way back that day, totally disconsolate as it had finally dawned on her that perhaps you do not always get what you deserve in life.

    Well I am off to buy a Chelsea shirt for my expected grandaughter!
  • Redskin said:

    In this age of entitlement,I think it's good that children get the occasional reminder that wanting something doesn't make it a prerequisite for being given it no matter how upsetting that may be.

    Ha ha, I understand the sentiment Redskin, but unfortunately its a bit more than an 'occasional reminder' if you support Charlton!

  • My other half supports Chelsea so technically my kids had/have the choice the glory team with daddy or the struggling, disappointing and underachieving Charlton. Lucky for me they picked the latter, my kids are not glory chasers they understand there is more to supporting a team than good results, they know and are proud of our history and enjoy going when they can to be part of the crowd and cheer them on regardless of outcome.

    The answer on what you say to a disappointed youngster is, we will have our time but now is not it, someone had to lose and Charlton is not very good at the moment and you will see them lose lots in your life time but that will make you enjoy and appreciate the wins all the more, you could also tell him that only 8 teams in the whole country made it to the quarter finals and we were one of them, there is always next year.
  • My daughter is due in a couple of months. Took Emma with me to most games when we went back to the Valley, she loved football (as much as a girl can...) and eventually grew out of it and found other things to do with her life. She learned some salutatory lessons watching the Addicks, the season we stormed straight back up to the Prem springs to mind. Remember was it Swindon at home? (may be wrong) parked the bus and they nicked a goal, totally undeserved 3 points. I can picture her 9 year old face on the bus on the way back that day, totally disconsolate as it had finally dawned on her that perhaps you do not always get what you deserve in life.

    Well I am off to buy a Chelsea shirt for my expected grandaughter!

    Yes, Deano's only mistake all season! Had the worst journey home ever as well, 2 and a half hours to do the usual 1 hour tripback to Kent thanks to SouthEastern (I'm still bitter about it now).

    On the topic, my nephew had a season ticket when we got relegated and in our first league 1 campaign. He turned to my brother one day and just said Charlton are rubbish dad. We couldn't really argue! He supports Charlton, doesn't go to that many games but still loves it when he does come up. I can still remember when we drew at home to Blackpool and went down, everyone else was near to tears, he was chuffed to bits that he'd seen us get a point!!
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  • Redskin said:

    In this age of entitlement,I think it's good that children get the occasional reminder that wanting something doesn't make it a prerequisite for being given it no matter how upsetting that may be.

    It's the years of failure and disappointment that make the occasional triumphs all the more special.

    I still dream of singing Abide with me at Wembley, hopefully it will happen in the remaining years of my lifetime...
  • My granddaughter is due in August. Her father and mother are Addicks in fact I was with my son in law in Sheffield yesterday. What chance does the poor little mite stand ?

    She will grow up supporting or at least following Charlton and all that entails both good and bad.

    As a first time grandfather at what age do you think I can legitimately take her to her first match without being reported for child abuse ?

    My daughters first visit was at home v Swindon which of course we lost. It's how it should be.
  • My granddaughter is due in August. Her father and mother are Addicks in fact I was with my son in law in Sheffield yesterday. What chance does the poor little mite stand ?

    She will grow up supporting or at least following Charlton and all that entails both good and bad.

    As a first time grandfather at what age do you think I can legitimately take her to her first match without being reported for child abuse ?

    My daughters first visit was at home v Swindon which of course we lost. It's how it should be.


    Ha ha SHG, I'm beginning to think taking them at any age is classed as abuse!

    Started taking Freddie when he was 5, he's now 7 and can just about to manage to sit through a game (with a couple of statutory wee breaks!). Take plenty of drinks, crisps and sweets and you should be ok!
  • My son was gutted yesterday. Just told him how proud I was of him for supporting his team and not being like his mates at school. He perked up just as we were arriving home when a Sheff fan came on 606 where they were praising Charlton fans. This guy said something along the lines of "Hats off to Charlton fans today, proper supporters, we know exactly how hard it is to support a rubbish team!" I think it dawned on him this is just the way it is supporting a team like Charlton, up and down.
  • I took my son yesterday and only feel bad for him, I'm used to it. In fact I felt worse than yesterday after we lost to millwall this season. I said to my son arsenal fans boo their team if they draw they are so spoilt, with us we lose but when we win it is so much better. That's life there will be good and bad times be proud you are a proper supporter. Just hope he still wants to come on Wednesday
  • Got to get them used to inevitable disappointment from a young age!
  • Its all a roller-coaster isn't it, my son had a brilliant time at Sheff Wed and a crap time at Sheff United. Roll on the next match.
  • My son is genuinely annoyed with me for supporting such a rubbish team. He get's stick from his mates at school about it. I have always told him that you will get many kicks in the teeth, but when something great happens - like the play off final - it will mean so much more. The only problem is, apart from winning League One - he has mostly seen total rubbish - and winning league one is not something that fantastic! I think we could lose him - a day at Wembley would have helped cement that support. I assume the same can be said of a lot of youngsters.
  • it's tough but you have to keep their expectations low and big up the very rare wins
    and i use the line at least you'll watch your team live rather than watching them on the telly like most kids nowadays
  • Essex_Al said:

    The words my grandson said to me after yesterday's defeat. How do you answer?

    He so wanted to go to Wembley to watch Charlton.

    for many, many years, I, like many of you on here have seen the good times, bad times and mostly the very average times, so I'm used to being Charltonised, but how are you all keeping your young ones motivated to keep coming?

    He absolutely loves the matchday experience and coming to football with his granddad, but his enthusiasm is definitely falling away. I have noticed that the dad that sits in front of us who has two boys is having the same problem with his lads and at different times, the boys are not bothering to attend.

    How are you parents and grandparents managing to get our youngsters to keep the faith?

    It's quite simple. Just sit them down & explain the following :-

    1 We are in actual fact "on the up".

    2 However, they should expect to see few goals, little decent football and relegation this season, as we've sold our best players, without replacement.

    3. Don't worry though, because it's all part of RD's long term master plan.
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  • edited March 2014

    Essex_Al said:

    The words my grandson said to me after yesterday's defeat. How do you answer?

    He so wanted to go to Wembley to watch Charlton.

    for many, many years, I, like many of you on here have seen the good times, bad times and mostly the very average times, so I'm used to being Charltonised, but how are you all keeping your young ones motivated to keep coming?

    He absolutely loves the matchday experience and coming to football with his granddad, but his enthusiasm is definitely falling away. I have noticed that the dad that sits in front of us who has two boys is having the same problem with his lads and at different times, the boys are not bothering to attend.

    How are you parents and grandparents managing to get our youngsters to keep the faith?

    It's quite simple. Just sit them down & explain the following :-

    1 We are in actual fact "on the up".

    2 However, they should expect to see few goals, little decent football and relegation this season, as we've sold our best players, without replacement.

    3. Don't worry though, because it's all part of RD's long term master plan.
    AND... here's a lifetime membership to the CL clique little Johnny along with an SCP poster for the bedroom wall!
  • We are Charlton, it's what we do.
  • My 5 year old, who up to now hasn't shown a jot of interest in football, suddenly asked yesterday if he could wear his Charlton top i bought him 2 years ago, because "daddy is so excited so I am too". Off we went to his grandparents to watch on BT and 3 hours later, nanny said "did you enjoy supporting Charlton like daddy and grandad?". His reply? "No, football is rubbish because daddy and grandad keep shouting at the tv and being grumpy".

    Chance lost, back to his space books then!!!
  • Just got in and asked my son how his days been, crap he said had the shit ripped out of him all day.
  • I feel really bad taking my kids too see that rubbish yesterday , they were all excited about the possibility of maybe a Wembley day out , and instead have had other kids taking the mick all day long at school , even Man United and Liverpool fans , i said well at least we got further than them , but it meant nothing.

    Still there's always Millwall to look forward too....
  • I honestly believe that almost any team brings you a similar amount of disappointment. The bar is just set to different levels. Look at that Arsenal fan crying cos they lost 1-0 at Stoke. We beat QPR 1-0 at home and I was in a state of euphoria for at least three days, but that wouldn't even register with a lot of teams' fans.
    I bet a survey would reveal that most fans are disappointed most of the time.
  • well didn't we all get the piss ripped out of us as kids , when the club was bankrupt and not gonna exist anymore there was plenty of pisstaking about who would i support once Charlton went under and then being squatters at selhurst ....
    this is life as a Charlton fan , if they can't stand the heat get em outta the kitchen
  • In answer to the OP, with great difficulty especially as he is 33 going on 13! Few beers on Dad after the game helped him come to terms with it though :-)
  • my daughter is 19 now,but when she was at school in shrewsbury and other kids would rip the piss out of her for supporting charlton,she would ask who they support and how many times they had been to old trafford,stamford bridge....blah blah blah
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