Returning Addick -16 years on

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow - it's my first match back as a season ticket holder at the Valley, having just returned to London after 16 years living abroad. Better still, we’ll be three generations of Addicks – my son (10) and my Dad (84) sitting alongside me, just as it should be if life and work don’t get in the way.

It’s a minor miracle that my son has been “Charltonised” at all. Maybe it was a big advantage not to be surrounded by crowing schoolmates in Chelsea and Arsenal shirts (and Eintracht Frankfurt didn’t really do it for him or me). But somehow our rare visits to London and the Valley always seemed to coincide with the team’s most calamitous defeats of the post-Premiership era (read on below for the gory details).

In January this year we also suffered the crushing disappointment of the late Barnsley postponement after travelling over from Stockholm. But, as you Lifers keep pointing out, following Charlton was never meant to be easy, was it? More in hope than expectation, we then decided to return for the QPR match. That glorious moment when JJ’s header bulged the roof of the net in stoppage time will remain etched on my memory for ever more. And it meant my son was hooked, poor lad, there's no escape for him now after shedding his tears of joy and relief at that goal (and seeing his Dad going mental beside him).

So, if you're interested, here’s the story of my kids’ first two matches at the Valley, originally written for a cricket-related blog back in 2010:

"Revealed – Australia's secret weapon

First I need to come clean on the effect my support (and that of my children) tends to have on the fortunes of my favourite sports teams. This will surely give Australia the boost they need ahead of the start of the Ashes series on Thursday.

I admit the sample size is small (one football team, two games). The choice of team to which we pledge our allegiance could possibly be seen as misguided (Charlton Athletic) - except by me of course. Yet no-one can deny the catastrophic impact our presence in the stadium has on the fortunes of our team.

November 2008: The temperature in London may have been minus five but my naïve heart was warmed by the prospect of taking the kids to their first ever match at The Valley. When our brave boys found themselves 1-5 down shortly after half time, I had the first inkling it wasn't going well. Indeed, 20,000 other folk around us appeared wholly convinced of this fact. My kids learned some new and unusual Anglo-Saxon expressions. The manager got the sack. Even the away supporters cringed with embarrassment. But apart from all that, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day out and at least the kids saw lots of goals. In our team's net.

October 2010: Two years older and wiser, we decided to repeat the experiment. Surely it couldn't be quite as grim again. After all, our team had already been relegated twice in three seasons. Alas and alack, we proceeded to witness a 0-4 drubbing at the mighty hand of Brighton & Hove Albion. In the third division (cunningly rebranded "League One" to lend it an aura of respectability). This was the comfortably the worst defeat since... since… well, since the last time we were there of course.

So, be warned England. Ian Botham and Freddie Flintoff may think we are going to win this time. But they haven't reckoned with Burton sneaking into the stands to cheer the lads on. Looking on the bright side, we may have a chance in the First Test. I don't arrive until it's over."