Supported Arsenal then Ipswich (!) as a kid. Luckily my dad was a Charlton fan and took me to a few games when I was 12 and I formally announced my conversion after the Ipswich FA cup game in Jan 1983.
Born in Greenwich, lived in Cherry Orchard and went to a few games at the Valley but when I was 10 we moved to Crawley. Mum wouldn't let us go to London on our own so me and my mate used to go and watch Brighton. Nearly a seagull! Not sure when I started going to watch Charlton again, but definitely saw a few games at Selhurst and most games at Upton park. Since then been to games every season except last year.
I was Liverpool until I was 11. Then dad took me to my first game at selhurst to see my team play his team Charlton. "We" won 3-0 I think so my dad said 'you enjoy that son?'. My reply was 'not really. I felt sorry for you'. And that was when I turned! So support born out of sympathy, wonderful!
Dads brother played games for West Ham at boys level so could have gone that way, it was Charlton and west ham on alternative weeks for them, then low and behold mum went into early labour at the valley and my course was sealed.
Dad's dad was Millwall, mum's dad was Charlton. My dad went to Millwall one week then Charlton other. Became only Charlton in his teens and was a season ticket holder. I was born in Welling, moved to Sheffield aged 5. Joined Young Owls and Junior Reds as a 6 year old. Dad was having none of it. Never took me to Hillsborough or The Lane, even when free tickets were posted out. Instead it was the heady heights of Field Mill to Watch Charlton beat Mansfield 3-0 and the love affair began.
During the war,(I sound like Uncle Albert.) I started to get interested in football, and I wanted to go and watch a game somewhere, but because of the doodle bugs, and rockets, mum wouldn't let me go. However our neighbour and his son used to go to regularly to Selhurst Park, so, him being a responsible adult, (A Palace supported a responsible adult?) I was allowed to go with them. Once the war was over, I was able to go about on my own. We then lived in Elmers End, so, one Saturday, for a change, I caught a 54 bus from there to Charlton. I joined the throng walking down Charlton Church Lane, into the Valley, and up to the top of the South Terrace. From there, I was able to watch the football, steam trains running along the North Kent line, trams passing by on the Woolwich Road, and, at that time, see the large ships going down the river. (I was soon too join the Navy) All my interests in one wonderful place. I was hooked, and have never looked back, even the terrible twins from Belgium can't kill my love for the club. Just think, if I hadn't decided to catch that 54 bus that day, I might now be a Nigel, watching PL football at Selhurst Park instead of L1 at the Valley,- no comparison.
When I still lived at home, I was just about to set,one afternoon off for Charlton, when Mum said to me, "Here, take your little Brother with you, I'm fed up with him getting under my feet",so another life long Addick was initiated. Years later, after my Brother had moved to St. Albans, his elder son, when studying a map of North London, asked "What's the best team to support around here, my Brothers reply was "Son, there is only one team to support, and that is Charlton Athletic". I still meet my two nephews for a meal, and a pint or two in the Anchor, before we walk to the Valley.
My story about my start in life as a Luton fan is a path well trodden, but previous to that I might have been Spurs. My Dad was from Wood Green and grew up supporting Spurs along with his brothers. He randomly bought me a Spurs pennant before I was really a football fan. Once I went to Luton that was all forgotten. My cousins who were bought up in Stevenage are Spurs, another isn't into football and the last one is a Cobblers fanatic - like me he moved to the area and fell in love with the local team.
Out of all the "big" clubs, Spurs is still the only one I don't hold in contempt.
Millwall .. the male line on mother's side were mostly dockers and Millwall to the bone, even though my great granddad lived in Charlton .. my first games ever were dahn the old Den in the mid/late 1950s .. 3.15 kick off, special dispensation in the days when pubs shut at 3 p.m.to allow the dockers time to get from the boozer to the Den after a morning's graft. I was fluent in effing and blinding by age 4 ((:>)
Or Ipswich .. my dad was a Suffolk man and took me to all the London and a few home games when Ipswich won the title in 1961/62 under the genius that was Alf Ramsey, Ray Crawford was one of my childhood heroes .. BUT .. I was bitten by the Addick bug .. may God have mercy on my soul ((:>)
I remember a kid when I was younger. Tottenham won the Fa Cup in 82, so he "liked them" then it was Man Utd, then Liverpool, then Everton, then Liverpool again. When Millwall got promoted in to division one he liked them, then on to Arsenal, then back to Millwall. And then Nigeria when they won the Olympics.
The next time I saw him he had a Charlton season ticket and stuck with usever since. Although I think he might support Blackpool today.....until the winner of today's play off game is decided and then either Real Madrid or Juventus.
I remember a kid when I was younger. Tottenham won the Fa Cup in 82, so he "liked them" the it was Man Utd, them Liverpool, then Everton, then Liverpool again, the Millwall when they got promoted in to division one, then on to Arsenal, then back to Millwall. And then Nigeria when they won the Olympics.
The next time I saw him he had a Charlton season ticket and stuck with Charlton ever since. Although I think he might support Blackpool until the winner of today's play off game is decided and then either Real Madrid or Juventus.
I remember a kid when I was younger. Tottenham won the Fa Cup in 82, so he "liked them" the it was Man Utd, them Liverpool, then Everton, then Liverpool again, the Millwall when they got promoted in to division one, then on to Arsenal, then back to Millwall. And then Nigeria when they won the Olympics.
The next time I saw him he had a Charlton season ticket and stuck with Charlton ever since. Although I think he might support Blackpool until the winner of today's play off game is decided and then either Real Madrid or Juventus.
What drugs are you on?!
The same ones you must have been on to go to watch Goole Town.
never was going to be anything other than a Charlton fan. My dad took me at an early age as he has been going since the mid 60s. my brother on the other hand didn't like the fact that Charlton were a bit rubbish so he opted to support spurs.
I remember a kid when I was younger. Tottenham won the Fa Cup in 82, so he "liked them" the it was Man Utd, them Liverpool, then Everton, then Liverpool again, the Millwall when they got promoted in to division one, then on to Arsenal, then back to Millwall. And then Nigeria when they won the Olympics.
The next time I saw him he had a Charlton season ticket and stuck with Charlton ever since. Although I think he might support Blackpool until the winner of today's play off game is decided and then either Real Madrid or Juventus.
What drugs are you on?!
The same ones you must have been on to go to watch Goole Town.
My Dad is Arsenal and his dad, also my mums dad too so when i grew up i was Arsenal *cough* first game was at Highbury Arsenal vs Newcastle 0-0, however thankfully my stepdad took me to Charlton and gradually i saw the light. Yes these times are dark but at least we are Charlton COYR
Everyone in my family & I mean everyone are Chelsea fans, about 5 ST holders amongst them, me wanting to be different, chose Charlton because we lived in Eltham.......
My mum went out with Roy Bentley, Chelsea captain in the mid 50's before meeting my dad, so I guess it could of all been very different, I wouldn't exist and some annoyingly braggy cockney version would of taken my place....
Could of been a West Brom supporter! The old man not being into football as a lad had chosen the Baggies for some reason, despite being born in Eltham and never having been further north than the Watford Gap.
Thankfully both my grandparents were Addicks and my Uncle and it was he who ensured that young Soapy would forever be cursed blessed with following Charlton...
I grew up in Woolwich then Erith but my dad worked hours that meant he couldn't take me to a game. He was also forever changing who he supported. If he had taken me, it would probably have been West Ham. My mum was Charlton but had stopped going when she got married I think. If asked, I supported Man Utd because I'd seen a tv programme about the Munich air crash. By the time I was old enough to go on my own I'd lost interest. When I went to college in East London I used to buy the SLP for the secretary there for her Millwall-mad son and she couldn't get it there. I knew a lot of ex-dockers who worked there and they were great lads, full of all sorts of stories and because of where it was, solidly Millwall. So, I have a soft spot for the Spanners. Still know a lot of them, as I live in Lewisham. What got me into Charlton was my son saying he wanted to go to a match. I'd been paying a lot more attention to Charlton without even realising it. My son soon lost interest but my daughter started coming with me - which was a real family connection because my mum used to go with her dad (in the 30s and 40s, when we were better). I could have ended up Millwall, quite easily, loads of mates there, it's not like we're more successful or anything like that in recent times... but Charlton feels right (current owners notwithstanding). As someone once told me, you don't choose your team, they choose you.
A good few years ago, I ended up on a tedious week long course for work. The upshot was that I was stuck chatting to a bloke from Wakefield at one point in the hotel bar. He claimed that everyone from Wakefield because they don’t have a professional club supported whoever was the best team when they were growing up (although it couldn’t be Leeds as the town was full of tossers and it couldn’t be a club from Lancashire) So he supported The Arsenal as he put it and his father was great supporter of Wolverhampton Wanderers. I've never been to Wakefield to confirm this. He reminded me of Finchy from The Office.
Of course the future of Charlton Athletic would have been very different but wonder how many of us would be Charlton fans (Had the club still gone professional) or how many of us would be Woolwich Arsenal fans had they stayed put?
Threads like this both intrigue me and make me chuckle due to the emotions they evoke!!
Lived in Ashford (Kent) and first ever game, as a 9 year old in 1976, was Arsenal v Liverpool at Highbury (John Radford 1-0). Got taken by Arsenal supporting family friends and was immediately hooked. The stadium and a jam packed North Bank just blew me away.
My old man, formerly of Plumstead Common, must have felt guilty, as not long after he took me to my first game at The Valley, v Sheff Utd (3-2 win). The family friends continued to take me to Arsenal though.
So I grew up as a gooner (with an underlying like of Charlton) and as I got older started to go to Arsenal regularly, including into Europe. Every now and then I would keep up some sort of allegiance with Charlton by going to games infrequently and maintained a passion for the addicks.
Then a few things things happened. My Dad died in 1996 and my youngest was born a month later. As he grew up, his uncle (my brother - bcaddick) was determined that his nephew would be an addick and to be fair I was very happy with it, despite at the time being a full-time gooner.
When my youngest was 8 we started to go regularly to the Valley (from Norwich) and shortly after that, Arsenal left Highbury! That was the real turning point. I just didn't like the new place at all and got sick and tired of the club ripping me off. I found that I was going more and more to Charlton (representing my Dad maybe?) with my son, to the point where we are now home and away regulars.
Season just passed was the first in 32 years that I had not seen Arsenal play 'live'. That's it now, don't ask me how but the Arsenal thing has finally been buried! And I know that when (not if) Charlton play Arsenal again I will be firmly in the Charlton camp. Will of course always have a soft spot for Arsenal but the actual hard core supporting days have gone and been replaced by Charlton.
Can't explain it and many of you just won't get it. My theory is that deep down I was probably always Charlton and losing my Dad when he was in his early 50s allowed it to manifest itself. Every time the team come out to 'Red Red Robin' I think of my old fella and look up, hoping he is looking down.
One thing I've never got though is this 'hatred' of other fans. Hatred of people you don't know or have never met!! Bizarre! I maybe understand a dislike of what they represent due to rivalry, but not 'hating' them as people if you don't know them. So narrow.
Two of my best friends are Spurs fans and despite their utter detestation of Arsenal (it's truly weird and I have urged medical intervention!), I ensured that it never got in the way of friendship.
If you've got this far well done and thanks for reading.
Threads like this both intrigue me and make me chuckle due to the emotions they evoke!!
Lived in Ashford (Kent) and first ever game, as a 9 year old in 1976, was Arsenal v Liverpool at Highbury (John Radford 1-0). Got taken by Arsenal supporting family friends and was immediately hooked. The stadium and a jam packed North Bank just blew me away.
My old man, formerly of Plumstead Common, must have felt guilty as not long after he took me to my first game at The Valley, v Sheff Utd (3-2 win). The family friends continued to take me to Arsenal though.
So I grew up as a gooner (with an underlying like of Charlton) and as I got older started to go to Arsenal regularly, including into Europe. Every now and then I would keep up some sort of allegiance with Charlton by going to games infrequently and maintained a passion for the addicks.
Then a few things things happened. My Dad died in 1996 and my youngest was born a month later. As he grew up, his uncle (my brother - bcaddick) was determined that his nephew would be an addick and to be fair I was very happy with it, despite at the time being a full-time gooner.
When my youngest was 8 we started to go regularly to the Valley (from Norwich) and shortly after that, Arsenal left Highbury! That was the real turning point. I just didn't like the new place at all and got sick and tired of the club ripping me off. I found that I was going more and more to Charlton (representing my Dad maybe?) with my son; to the point where we are now home and away regulars.
Season just passed was the first in 32 years that I had not seen Arsenal play 'live'. That's it now, don't ask me how but the Arsenal thing has finally been buried! And I know that when (not if) Charlton play Arsenal again I will be firmly in the Charlton camp. Will of course always have a soft spot for Arsenal but the actual hard core supporting days have gone and been replaced by Charlton.
Can't explain it and many of you just won't get it. My theory is that deep down I was probably always Charlton and losing my Dad when he was in his early 50s allowed it to manifest itself. Every time the team come out to 'Red Red Robin' I think of my old fella and look up, hoping he is looking down.
One thing I've never got though is this 'hatred' of other fans. Hatred of people you don't know or have never met!! Bizarre! I maybe understand a dislike of what they represent due to rivalry, but not 'hating' them as people if you don't know them. So narrow.
Two of my best friends are Spurs fans and despite their utter detestation of Arsenal (it's truly weird and I have urged medical intervention!), I ensured that it never got in the way of friendship.
If you've got this far well done and thanks for reading.
(Kevlar helmet now at the ready!!).
Great post and I agree with 99%of what you say. But i will always hate palarce
I used to live in Norwood and I thought about going along to watch the local big club. Their name had a certain romance to it, like Corinthian Casuals. But then Croydon fc dropped the "Amateurs" and I couldn't be arsed after that.
Never any other option for me. Both sides of the family are Charlton, I honestly don't think my dad would've married my mum had she not been. I didn't know any other football team existed, even England.
Was born straight into Charlton both sides of my family are all Charlton, i also grew up in the premiership years so that always kept my interests. I know have a 6 month old son who has no other choices but to support Charlton no matter what happens
Mum and Dad both brought up in Charlton. They met at a Harveys dance on Woolwich Road. Dad was a die hard Addick, was there the day we beat Huddersfield 7-6. Mum used to play the piano in the Antigalligan, occasionally on match days. Always was going to be Charlton for us three kids and still is. Moved down to Worthing for work twenty years ago.
Comments
Mum wouldn't let us go to London on our own so me and my mate used to go and watch Brighton.
Nearly a seagull!
Not sure when I started going to watch Charlton again, but definitely saw a few games at Selhurst and most games at Upton park.
Since then been to games every season except last year.
When I still lived at home, I was just about to set,one afternoon off for Charlton, when Mum said to me, "Here, take your little Brother with you, I'm fed up with him getting under my feet",so another life long Addick was initiated. Years later, after my Brother had moved to St. Albans, his elder son, when studying a map of North London, asked "What's the best team to support around here, my Brothers reply was "Son, there is only one team to support, and that is Charlton Athletic". I still meet my two nephews for a meal, and a pint or two in the Anchor, before we walk to the Valley.
Out of all the "big" clubs, Spurs is still the only one I don't hold in contempt.
my first games ever were dahn the old Den in the mid/late 1950s .. 3.15 kick off, special dispensation in the days when pubs shut at 3 p.m.to allow the dockers time to get from the boozer to the Den after a morning's graft. I was fluent in effing and blinding by age 4 ((:>)
Or Ipswich .. my dad was a Suffolk man and took me to all the London and a few home games when Ipswich won the title in 1961/62 under the genius that was Alf Ramsey, Ray Crawford was one of my childhood heroes .. BUT .. I was bitten by the Addick bug .. may God have mercy on my soul ((:>)
The next time I saw him he had a Charlton season ticket and stuck with usever since. Although I think he might support Blackpool today.....until the winner of today's play off game is decided and then either Real Madrid or Juventus.
Thankfully both my grandparents were Addicks and my Uncle and it was he who ensured that young Soapy would forever be
cursedblessed with following Charlton...When I went to college in East London I used to buy the SLP for the secretary there for her Millwall-mad son and she couldn't get it there. I knew a lot of ex-dockers who worked there and they were great lads, full of all sorts of stories and because of where it was, solidly Millwall. So, I have a soft spot for the Spanners. Still know a lot of them, as I live in Lewisham. What got me into Charlton was my son saying he wanted to go to a match. I'd been paying a lot more attention to Charlton without even realising it. My son soon lost interest but my daughter started coming with me - which was a real family connection because my mum used to go with her dad (in the 30s and 40s, when we were better).
I could have ended up Millwall, quite easily, loads of mates there, it's not like we're more successful or anything like that in recent times... but Charlton feels right (current owners notwithstanding). As someone once told me, you don't choose your team, they choose you.
I've never been to Wakefield to confirm this.
He reminded me of Finchy from The Office.
Man U - TV and friends
Sutton - First live game
Charlton - Family and first live game for a team wearing red.
Lived in Ashford (Kent) and first ever game, as a 9 year old in 1976, was Arsenal v Liverpool at Highbury (John Radford 1-0). Got taken by Arsenal supporting family friends and was immediately hooked. The stadium and a jam packed North Bank just blew me away.
My old man, formerly of Plumstead Common, must have felt guilty, as not long after he took me to my first game at The Valley, v Sheff Utd (3-2 win). The family friends continued to take me to Arsenal though.
So I grew up as a gooner (with an underlying like of Charlton) and as I got older started to go to Arsenal regularly, including into Europe. Every now and then I would keep up some sort of allegiance with Charlton by going to games infrequently and maintained a passion for the addicks.
Then a few things things happened. My Dad died in 1996 and my youngest was born a month later. As he grew up, his uncle (my brother - bcaddick) was determined that his nephew would be an addick and to be fair I was very happy with it, despite at the time being a full-time gooner.
When my youngest was 8 we started to go regularly to the Valley (from Norwich) and shortly after that, Arsenal left Highbury! That was the real turning point. I just didn't like the new place at all and got sick and tired of the club ripping me off. I found that I was going more and more to Charlton (representing my Dad maybe?) with my son, to the point where we are now home and away regulars.
Season just passed was the first in 32 years that I had not seen Arsenal play 'live'. That's it now, don't ask me how but the Arsenal thing has finally been buried! And I know that when (not if) Charlton play Arsenal again I will be firmly in the Charlton camp. Will of course always have a soft spot for Arsenal but the actual hard core supporting days have gone and been replaced by Charlton.
Can't explain it and many of you just won't get it. My theory is that deep down I was probably always Charlton and losing my Dad when he was in his early 50s allowed it to manifest itself. Every time the team come out to 'Red Red Robin' I think of my old fella and look up, hoping he is looking down.
One thing I've never got though is this 'hatred' of other fans. Hatred of people you don't know or have never met!! Bizarre! I maybe understand a dislike of what they represent due to rivalry, but not 'hating' them as people if you don't know them. So narrow.
Two of my best friends are Spurs fans and despite their utter detestation of Arsenal (it's truly weird and I have urged medical intervention!), I ensured that it never got in the way of friendship.
If you've got this far well done and thanks for reading.
(Kevlar helmet now at the ready!!).
But i will always hate palarce