Wasn't there also massive opposition to all those players that Curbs brought in with foreign names? I heard the whole ground, grass, floodlights, children's carousel, terraces and all was chanting their names many times. I am also told that in the Belgian translation of the word 'chant' it means the unique noise that customers make when they don't just want to sit quietly and smirk smile through the game even when losing.
The worst of these bloody foreigners was a guy called Mendonca. The customers hated him, I'm told. Even the ground in Woolwich chanted his name one evening in late May 1998 when customers en masse travelled to Woolwich Town Hall to jeer and boo when him and some other guy with a foreign name (Kinsella I think) turned up to wave medals at the hostile crowd. A young girl far across the sea watched on TV from afar and decided that she would come to save these customers from themselves. She'd bring in players with nice simple 4 letter names, such as Sarr, and we'd all live passively ever after.
Joking aside the fact that the club are going nuts in their attempt to make protestors seem like dangerous nutters shows that CARD'S strategies are working. They have also got plenty of avenues for people giving them ideas, and having that line of communication open seems more valuable than putting a hundred people in a room, and maybe letting the meetings get too big to control. I have no idea how many people are in CARD but I'm sure each of the core members is in touch with plenty of people from all shades of opinion.
I didn't go to games when Alan Curbishley was in charge, but only time I saw anyone needing a stress ball back then was himself at times like the penalties in the play-off final! Thank you for reading my weird ideas on a Saturday morning.
Can't the club even set up a new account for this stuff?
Don't forget this classic from Cambridge further down the linked thread: "And the argument when the ground were chanting for Curbishley out?"
That's what you get from researching the past or relying on the media version of events rather than being there.
The bloke behind me was certainly chanting for Curbishley to quit. I remember it well because I told him to behave.
Thinking about it, there were quite a few in his row. and the one in front. And a couple of rows further forward.
Last time I sat in the East.
Why re write history and pretend there wasnt chanting for Curbs to leave? Media version, shmedia version.
I was in the North Lower and genuinely never heard it once.
Me to, Lower North at the time and never heard any anti-Curbs chants. Not going to say there may not have been some somewhere else in the ground but I do recall that there was a trend around at the time of managers being rounded upon for 'having taken the team as far as they (i.e. he) can go' . Some Charlton fans did think this of Curbs (amazing when you think that we would give anything now for a secure season-after-season berth in the Prem which is what Curbs achieved) and it did get picked up by the media and was most definitely blown out of proportion as it was a another manager who could be thrown into that particular 'taken as far .....pot.
Subsequently, the story became that Charlton fans wanted Curbs out. The implication being that it was the majority and I really don't believe that was the case although I can't produce the evidence to prove it.
What I do recall is that one of the most promising seasons for Charlton when a European spot may have been on the cards for Curbs was effectively sabotaged by Scott Parker who (in the Jan 2004 transfer window) would not play for Charlton as his head had been turned by Chelsea. This is well documented but Curbs asked Parker to stay til the end of the season and then go but Parker, against good advice from many, did leave and of course did not succeed at Chelsea. Had he stayed til May, who knows, but it might have been a different story for Curbs.
All those cards we held up at Old Trafford saying "Curbs Out" and "Thank f#ck he's going".
My memory of that game was us being completely outclassed and at half time being 3-0 down so Cubishley took Darren Bent off (to save him for the World Cup) effectively taking away any attacking options. Man U couldn't win the title and had secured runners up spot so had nothing to play for and kept the ball for the next forty-five minutes. Towards the end of the match the cameras zoom in on Rio Ferdinand who's eating Jaffa Cakes whilst playing - I think the ref should be able to just stop the match and say "let's call it a day Man Utd win, their centre back is having tiffin whilst the game's being played, I think it's time we put Charlton out if their misery"
Comments
smirksmile through the game even when losing.The worst of these bloody foreigners was a guy called Mendonca. The customers hated him, I'm told. Even the ground in Woolwich chanted his name one evening in late May 1998 when customers en masse travelled to Woolwich Town Hall to jeer and boo when him and some other guy with a foreign name (Kinsella I think) turned up to wave medals at the hostile crowd. A young girl far across the sea watched on TV from afar and decided that she would come to save these customers from themselves. She'd bring in players with nice simple 4 letter names, such as Sarr, and we'd all live passively ever after.
Joking aside the fact that the club are going nuts in their attempt to make protestors seem like dangerous nutters shows that CARD'S strategies are working. They have also got plenty of avenues for people giving them ideas, and having that line of communication open seems more valuable than putting a hundred people in a room, and maybe letting the meetings get too big to control. I have no idea how many people are in CARD but I'm sure each of the core members is in touch with plenty of people from all shades of opinion.
I didn't go to games when Alan Curbishley was in charge, but only time I saw anyone needing a stress ball back then was himself at times like the penalties in the play-off final! Thank you for reading my weird ideas on a Saturday morning.
Some Charlton fans did think this of Curbs (amazing when you think that we would give anything now for a secure season-after-season berth in the Prem which is what Curbs achieved) and it did get picked up by the media and was most definitely blown out of proportion as it was a another manager who could be thrown into that particular 'taken as far .....pot.
Subsequently, the story became that Charlton fans wanted Curbs out. The implication being that it was the majority and I really don't believe that was the case although I can't produce the evidence to prove it.
What I do recall is that one of the most promising seasons for Charlton when a European spot may have been on the cards for Curbs was effectively sabotaged by Scott Parker who (in the Jan 2004 transfer window) would not play for Charlton as his head had been turned by Chelsea. This is well documented but Curbs asked Parker to stay til the end of the season and then go but Parker, against good advice from many, did leave and of course did not succeed at Chelsea.
Had he stayed til May, who knows, but it might have been a different story for Curbs.