Seen a few comments through the FB Charlton page where the Truro fans have been pretty scathing about our fan base. Strange, not hard to see that this game meant hell of a lot more to them than us.
They seemed to get very upset that we didn't sing. One Charlton fan who was near me got chucked out. Even though he was with his young Son and Family he was giving the ****er sign and the finger as well as the c word to the Truro fans. He was told to sit down by a steward, then the snatch squad had a word with him, but he wouldn't cooperate. A number of the stewards tried to get him out but he wouldn't go quietly. By this stage he was calling all the Stewards ****s. His Son was in tears. This man was the ultimate piece of pond life, I can't understand where all the anger came from.
Truro's usual home crowd is 300/400. On Saturday they bought about 1000. Fair play to them, they gave a bit of atmosphere to a game where otherwise there would have been none. Apart from the moron Dickp refers to, most of our fans were more like a theatre audience. So it must have been pretty galling that a great occasion for Truro fans was an inconvenience for Charlton fans.
I see from the match report there were barely more than 3,400 Charlton fans at the game. The result was never in doubt, the opposition were a couple of leagues up from a pub team, and it was a Sunday. I'm mildly surprised as many as 3,400 bothered to attend. Yes, a pity for the Truro fans. Charlton don't exactly bring to mind the 'magic' of the FA Cup - an echoing stadium about 85% empty, with a good number of fans who were there either too jaded to whip up much enthusiasm, or only occasional visitors to the Valley themselves - not the stuff that die-hard anthem singers are made of. As for the kind of supporter who can't control himself and has to hurl hatred and abuse in response to (what I guess was) fairly average banter from the away fans - and then refuses to calm down even when warned several times, and ultimately makes a fool of himself in front of his own crying kid... Pretty depressing stuff. I assume the all-time record low attendance of 741 set last Wednesday will not be broken again tomorrow, as - despite the travelling involved - Portsmouth must surely have a better away following than Fulham's youth team? I know it's been pointed out a million times, but it's always worth remembering that if Charlton were still in the Championship, we would not be going through any of this nonsense. No checkatrade trophy, and a place reserved in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. But of course it's not the quality of the football that matters at Charlton now, it's the all-round match day experience...
What matters at the Valley this Season and also away from home is winning and getting out of this division as soon as possible. I have never understood what the match day experience is. All I want to see is my team winning. It would be nice to see them play like Real Madrid. But if they play like Welling United but pick up a win, that will do for me.
The Germans do fantastic match day hospitality, but a reason behind it is because it isn’t forced. There aren’t gimmicks, but they just seem to make a “match day experience” right. As DP points out though, I could have the greatest of times pre match, but if the team lose I’m not going home giving two.... about anything other than the result.
Football clubs could all help the matchday experience by not ripping off their fans, charging the fans £2 or more for a bottle of water that costs 60p or less anywhere else.
I would go along with that. If I want something to eat and drink I will go to somewhere outside the ground.
£2.60 for a tea. In makro you can buy a flask for £6 and take that every week. You can give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish...
I bet you don't do that fo If people are prepared to give the Belgians more money after the admission they deserve to be ripped off.
As long as they carry on their misguided obsession with KR instead of supporting their team it gives us an advantage. You can bet your life he puts out his strongest team.
Did DoDo clap the players off at the end as well? Pity we don't still have the fans sofa, DoDo could have watched the game from there instead of getting in the way and standing on the pitch?
