Ooahaah. I disagree with so much of what I read on here from the overwhelming majority of posters. Often feel like I am almost alone in the emotions and views that I have and can't really understand why given that everyone else on here is Charlton and has watched the same things happen, the same players, the same managers, the same home crowds, the same away crowds, as me.. However, I agree with almost everything that you post and it is somewhat comforting to see that there is some other nut job out there who is in fact thinking the same as me.
For the first time in my 38 years of following Charlton (30 as a season ticket holder) I'm just not getting the buzz I feel I should as a new season approaches and I'm not happy about it !
The Valley is looking in fine fettle , the numerous "potentially" exciting signings and the fresh enthusiasm of a new manager are all reasons to be excitedly anticipating the new season but it's just not happening for me.
I keep up the boyish enthusiasm to brainwash my 4 Essex based (shame on me) sons , taking them to the club/Nike shop to get some new kits , couldn't even get the snide Avec one for the 2 year old because nothing has arrived for the younger supporter.
Roland has spent some big money on improving things for us but has made cut backs / restructured /whatever you wanna call it behind the scenes and some good good people/ staff that I have dealt with over the years have been basically insulted whilst being helped out the door . I personally could have survived with pink seats for a few seasons more if it meant the staff left behind weren't being overloaded but I sadly accept that the new owner has to sprinkle it's scent on their own patch but there are ways and means of going about things.
Being a sad romantic SCP lover , my heart still pines for him and his love and enthusiasm and joyous occasions with us will never be matched again (move on /get over it) but I thought that after Lennie then Curbs left the building but SCP took my pure love of the club to another level ... Jose Rigas arrival and departure followed by BP's arrival now on a one year roll on job mean unless miracles happen I won't have time to fall in love with this manager The January transfer activity that saw my own particular favourite Yann depart and all the not so good imports arrive left me feeling a bit hollow about my club . Reza being a prime example and I had to fake enthusiasm during the World Cup to continue the mind games with my 8 year old about how great it is that a "Charlton" player has scored in the competition , I've since failed to mention he's trying to escape the asylum !
Even with all the new signings who just like all the ones who arrived in the 2011/12 season have come for the wage packet I sadly can't get that feeling for them as I once did for new players Shamefully is it because they are all mainly Johnny foreigners who I can't trick myself in to thinking to believe that they really really wanna be here (how contradictory can I be saying that when I mention my man love for the Frenchman Yann) , I don't say those words with any anti euro feeling whatsoever (sorry Len :-)
I'm just gutted and these are my waffly ramblings as to why I'm not getting that buzz of anticipation that i feel others are fortunate enough to have.
Saying that come May , once big bad bob has led us into the Premier league , I'll hopefully have found my Charlton mojo along the way
I disagree with you totally Oooahhh. I am absolutely buzzing for the new season & I'm really looking forward to seeing how RD's plans & our new team work out. There are no guarantees in life but I am really excited about our prospects for the next few years.
Loved having Chris Powell as manager, loved the team he put together. Whilst I've got no doubt that they'd all jump ship for a bigger paycheck (and many of them already have), you could tell that they loved playing for Charlton and loved playing for Powell.
Jackson, Hamer, Morrison, Taylor, Stephens, BWP, Wagstaff, Pritchard, Cort and Kermorgant, even the ones who hardly played like Hayes, Sullivan and Hughes, they all seemed to enjoy being at Charlton, and I'm sure that many of them will emulate the likes of Garry Nelson, Colin Walsh, Mark Kinsella and Dean Kiely in the future, turning up for supporters' events just for the opportunity to talk about the good old days.
Feeling worrying apathetic at the moment, and it'll take a lot more than some new plastic seats and posher burgers to change that.
You encapsulate much of my attitude to it all ooh ah.
I'm just hoping that once I actually turn up to a match I'll start to feel the enthusiasm once more.
Part of it for me is the rarity with which my daughter can come these days. It detracts a lot from my "matchday experience" or whatever the buzz phrase is.
Appreciate what you are saying oohaah, but completely disagree. You can never tell how new players will fit in and there is no reason to think that someone from Bristol will have any more/less affinity for their new club than someone from Bratislava.
For the first time in a while we have an ownership that have spent real money on their team and on the wider club - the difference from the past couple of years could hardly be starker. There is now, at last, an air of positivity about the club suggesting that it is at least headed in a forward direction.
I would lay a bet that, after a couple of wins, most people on here will have decided that several of the new players are 'real Charlton' and if they were ever sold, it would show that the owner was intent on 'ripping the heart out of the club'. Such is the fickleness of fans...
I am really excited at how the new team will bed in together and, although it would be a surprise to see us in the play-offs, I do think that we have a good chance of getting some really good results so I am really excited for the news season.
I just can't get my head around people being annoyed at the regime cos some background staff has left. I personally cannot comprehend the idea of us signing players worth a couple of million, a new pitch etc but not being excited because some background staff have left.
Compared with where we were 12 months ago I'm far happier. Roland has only been here for 7 months and whilst he made a few decisions (Powell, loans) that were shite, he's come up with far more cash and wage budget than I would have thought possible last December.
I can understand being concerned with foreign ownership but short term I cant see how you couldn't be excited. I just cant see us languishing in relegation as with this time last year. Give Roland 2 full years and it might be a different story, but at the moment as far as I can see we are moving in the right direction.
If you had a job Greenies that you did for a good few years professionally / competently and dealt with people regularly who got to know you and then some new owners came in and offered you less money for that same job and pushed you in to a corner where you had to leave , would you not expect the punters who you dealt with to show you some empathy in that situation or not
I disagree with you totally Oooahhh. I am absolutely buzzing for the new season & I'm really looking forward to seeing how RD's plans & our new team work out. There are no guarantees in life but I am really excited about our prospects for the next few years.
I don't think we need to worry about the new players not showing enough pride in the shirt. I can't see Big Bob allowing that. With him I only see passion and commitment. I just hope he also has the nous
If you had a job Greenies that you did for a good few years professionally / competently and dealt with people regularly who got to know you and then some new owners came in and offered you less money for that same job and pushed you in to a corner where you had to leave , would you not expect the punters who you dealt with to show you some empathy in that situation or not
But would I expect that to make the punters not excited about the football season? No. People have lost there jobs, that's not a nice thing but to say it's made you feel unexcited, to me, is just mind boggling.
I understand your points about CP but just can't get my head round that particular one
I have a buzz too if I am honest. I would prefer a central midfielder that can thread the eye of the needle but until know more about Buyens and Moussa it may not be necessary as they could be that player.
If we can get Delort + 1 over the line I think I will be pretty happy with the squad size - all that now remains is the gaffer.........
I just can't get my head around people being annoyed at the regime cos some background staff has left. I personally cannot comprehend the idea of us signing players worth a couple of million, a new pitch etc but not being excited because some background staff have left.
I support charlton. Not the background staff.
Btw I'm not having a dig.
I think that your first sentence means your third should have read "I support the team", Greenie. If you support "Charlton" that encompasses everything about the club, from us punters to the chairman, via the ground and loyal long term Charlton supporting staff. If you care more about a bladder punter who will be here for a couple of years, pocketing lots of money, and then would be off like a robbers dog if we got relegated, that's fair enough, and I really do understand that that's the way many younger people feel today, it's all about "now", not the history or the future. But that's my best explanation of why other people feel differently to you. Ooh-Aah's reply also explains it well.
A player from Bristol will have heard of Charlton, and have an opinion on the club, good or bad and make a judgement based on that as well as cash and how the club is sold to him. He is far more likely to settle in the area and stay. That is why I think it is more like the Dowie era.
It probably should have read 'I go to watch charlton, not the background staff' but yes point taken.
Although I do think you're wrong, I'm very much thinking about the future, in all aspects of life. Charlton being one of them. RD, IMO, is in it for the long haul. We're the most secure we've been in years. And he won't pocket lots of money until we're a successful club. Don't most people on this site want a successful club?
Or we could go back to the jiminez days, signing salim kerkar and Jordan Cook, but you'd be happy Cos your mates still work there? Come on.
Excited to see how this season pans out for us. This time last year we had Yann,Sordell and Church as our strikers, don't get me wrong I loved Yann at Charlton but I just feel that overall our attacking options(including Midfielders) are much more exciting as we enter this season.
I'm probably like most Addicks, wondering which way this new regime will work out. In my opinion I think it will take at least two seasons before we can say we have a team that will be good enough for promotion. I just hope that we give the new players time to get used to the hurley burley of the Championship and not get on their backs.
Over the economic downturn my company had to make around 30% of our employees redundant and put holds on all other wage rises for a number of years on all levels, both to stay afloat at the time and make us ready to be able to kick on when the opportunities arose a few years later. It was a massively shit time to work here, and nobody enjoyed the restructuring or reveled in telling people they no longer had a job, but it was necessary.
I kind of get the impression that Charlton was perhaps in a position where when assessed fully there were bloated areas where costs could be saved. RD looked at us like an investment and by streamlining, outsourcing and reworking some areas it meant that we'd be better positioned for his plan to move us forward.
I kind of understand why people hold loyalty towards staff and in no way suggest that they were not doing a good job but sometimes tough decisions have to be made. Its not something to enjoy but in a somewhat callous way I can see the reasoning. I very much doubt it was done 'just for the hell of it' or without serious thought to all consequences.
Important thing now is what it has produced and where it leaves us over the next couple of seasons. I dont think anyone should feel guilty for looking forward to whats to come.
I'm sort of excited but a bit hesitant. Living so far the the Valley I have to get my information from the internet:
the new pitch and tarted up Valley seems very good, watching KM and RM worried me as I just don't believe RM anymore but am impressed with KM the new players look good on youtube and the strikers have scored in pre season, but will they all gel into a team I like the sound of Big Bob but miss CP
with all that the Lass and I have bought our tickets for Hudds and the train down for the Watford game at the Valley, but it just doesn't seem like my Charlton, having said that "My Charlton" wasn't that good with the previous owners, so I welcome RD and his team but I'm not excited --- yet.
It probably should have read 'I go to watch charlton, not the background staff' but yes point taken.
Although I do think you're wrong, I'm very much thinking about the future, in all aspects of life. Charlton being one of them. RD, IMO, is in it for the long haul. We're the most secure we've been in years. And he won't pocket lots of money until we're a successful club. Don't most people on this site want a successful club?
Or we could go back to the jiminez days, signing salim kerkar and Jordan Cook, but you'd be happy Cos your mates still work there? Come on.
You are mixing "team" up with "club" again though mate. A successful club to me is about more than just the playing staff, although it is THE most important part of that club, you are quite right there of course. What made Charlton special, unique and such a pleasure to be a part of ten to fifteen years ago was the sense of involvement; a large number of the staff ( who us plebs have 90% more to do with than the players ) were supporters too. If you had an issue or a problem there were people on your side. A lot of those people worked unpaid hours because they cared about the club. That isn't going to happen now. If there's a cock up in your season ticket, Ventokele isn't going to be sorting it out for you...
Im really excited for this season more then the last two in the Championship, as we are actually doing some squad building.
I don't mind having plenty of foreign players, as unless they are from our academy, i could not care what part of the world they come from.
I do understand the unease some feel though, as despite Roland coming in last season, this season feels like the start of an entire new generation for the club, which is not necessarily a negative, just new, with plenty of questions still to be answered in the coming seasons.
For me all the things about Charlton that make it Charlton to me are still here, we are not moving from the Valley, the Red Red Robin will continue to be played despite questions & we are still doing all the great community work as a club.
It just feels good that we seem to be at least attempting to take a step forward rather then stop the retreat that SCP had to deal with the last two summers.
It just feels good that we seem to be at least attempting to take a step forward rather then stop the retreat that SCP had to deal with the last two summers.
Just a shame that SCP wasn't given the opportunity that in my opinion he more than deserved to take those step forwards and instead had an overall very successful tenure with us marred by as you say, the two years of retreat which he had to deal with
It just feels good that we seem to be at least attempting to take a step forward rather then stop the retreat that SCP had to deal with the last two summers.
Just a shame that SCP wasn't given the opportunity that in my opinion he more than deserved to take those step forwards and instead had an overall very successful tenure with us marred by as you say, the two years of retreat which he had to deal with
I think the Powell business has been done to death. I won't say those immortal CL words move on.
Agreed Dick. Don't want to regurgitate... but personally for me, that point is a big contributor to my disillusionment and lack of excitement or interest this summer despite *apparently* exciting / promising signings. That added to the fact that previous exciting/promising signings made by RD (Parzysek) have not exactly delivered...
It just feels good that we seem to be at least attempting to take a step forward rather then stop the retreat that SCP had to deal with the last two summers.
Just a shame that SCP wasn't given the opportunity that in my opinion he more than deserved to take those step forwards and instead had an overall very successful tenure with us marred by as you say, the two years of retreat which he had to deal with
Agreed, i wish SCP had been able to work within the new system of ownership and made it work for him, which whilst unusual im not sure i disagree with, other then the obvious mistakes in the very early days post takeover period that i hope we can all start to move past and see this as a new era this season.
I respect him for taking a stand though, just wish he was still here but not at the expense/instead of the much needed takeover.
As im just really glad the last owners are gone, who did much more damage to the spirit/Charlton way in the end, then our current Belgian overlords.
Comments
So well done.
Jackson, Hamer, Morrison, Taylor, Stephens, BWP, Wagstaff, Pritchard, Cort and Kermorgant, even the ones who hardly played like Hayes, Sullivan and Hughes, they all seemed to enjoy being at Charlton, and I'm sure that many of them will emulate the likes of Garry Nelson, Colin Walsh, Mark Kinsella and Dean Kiely in the future, turning up for supporters' events just for the opportunity to talk about the good old days.
Feeling worrying apathetic at the moment, and it'll take a lot more than some new plastic seats and posher burgers to change that.
I'm just hoping that once I actually turn up to a match I'll start to feel the enthusiasm once more.
Part of it for me is the rarity with which my daughter can come these days. It detracts a lot from my "matchday experience" or whatever the buzz phrase is.
For the first time in a while we have an ownership that have spent real money on their team and on the wider club - the difference from the past couple of years could hardly be starker. There is now, at last, an air of positivity about the club suggesting that it is at least headed in a forward direction.
I would lay a bet that, after a couple of wins, most people on here will have decided that several of the new players are 'real Charlton' and if they were ever sold, it would show that the owner was intent on 'ripping the heart out of the club'. Such is the fickleness of fans...
I am really excited at how the new team will bed in together and, although it would be a surprise to see us in the play-offs, I do think that we have a good chance of getting some really good results so I am really excited for the news season.
I support charlton. Not the background staff.
Btw I'm not having a dig.
Looking forward to seeing some new strikers and what they can do
I can understand being concerned with foreign ownership but short term I cant see how you couldn't be excited. I just cant see us languishing in relegation as with this time last year. Give Roland 2 full years and it might be a different story, but at the moment as far as I can see we are moving in the right direction.
and then some new owners came in and offered you less money for that same job and pushed you in to a corner where you had to leave , would you not expect the punters who you dealt with to show you some empathy in that situation or not
Buzzing!
I understand your points about CP but just can't get my head round that particular one
If we can get Delort + 1 over the line I think I will be pretty happy with the squad size - all that now remains is the gaffer.........
A player from Bristol will have heard of Charlton, and have an opinion on the club, good or bad and make a judgement based on that as well as cash and how the club is sold to him. He is far more likely to settle in the area and stay. That is why I think it is more like the Dowie era.
Although I do think you're wrong, I'm very much thinking about the future, in all aspects of life. Charlton being one of them. RD, IMO, is in it for the long haul. We're the most secure we've been in years. And he won't pocket lots of money until we're a successful club. Don't most people on this site want a successful club?
Or we could go back to the jiminez days, signing salim kerkar and Jordan Cook, but you'd be happy Cos your mates still work there? Come on.
This time last year we had Yann,Sordell and Church as our strikers, don't get me wrong I loved Yann at Charlton but I just feel that overall our attacking options(including Midfielders) are much more exciting as we enter this season.
Feeling slightly nervous about it all.
COYR
I kind of get the impression that Charlton was perhaps in a position where when assessed fully there were bloated areas where costs could be saved. RD looked at us like an investment and by streamlining, outsourcing and reworking some areas it meant that we'd be better positioned for his plan to move us forward.
I kind of understand why people hold loyalty towards staff and in no way suggest that they were not doing a good job but sometimes tough decisions have to be made. Its not something to enjoy but in a somewhat callous way I can see the reasoning. I very much doubt it was done 'just for the hell of it' or without serious thought to all consequences.
Important thing now is what it has produced and where it leaves us over the next couple of seasons. I dont think anyone should feel guilty for looking forward to whats to come.
the new pitch and tarted up Valley seems very good,
watching KM and RM worried me as I just don't believe RM anymore but am impressed with KM
the new players look good on youtube and the strikers have scored in pre season, but will they all gel into a team
I like the sound of Big Bob but miss CP
with all that the Lass and I have bought our tickets for Hudds and the train down for the Watford game at the Valley, but it just doesn't seem like my Charlton, having said that "My Charlton" wasn't that good with the previous owners, so I welcome RD and his team but I'm not excited --- yet.
Luckily my mate who works there still does.
:-)
I don't mind having plenty of foreign players, as unless they are from our academy, i could not care what part of the world they come from.
I do understand the unease some feel though, as despite Roland coming in last season, this season feels like the start of an entire new generation for the club, which is not necessarily a negative, just new, with plenty of questions still to be answered in the coming seasons.
For me all the things about Charlton that make it Charlton to me are still here, we are not moving from the Valley, the Red Red Robin will continue to be played despite questions & we are still doing all the great community work as a club.
It just feels good that we seem to be at least attempting to take a step forward rather then stop the retreat that SCP had to deal with the last two summers.
I respect him for taking a stand though, just wish he was still here but not at the expense/instead of the much needed takeover.
As im just really glad the last owners are gone, who did much more damage to the spirit/Charlton way in the end, then our current Belgian overlords.