Dear fellow supporter and indeed Mr Powell, I take full responsibility for todays defeat.Having gone through everything in my head I realise that it was my hesitating to pay with my card at Norwood junction station is the cause of our defeat. Everything else I did was exactly as I did every other game apart from the ticket machine thing. Same clothes, same train to london Bridge same connection at london Bridge. I even delibrately missed an earlier train to charlton as I always do. Pint of fosters cheese and onion pasty for me hot dog without onions and coke for MT Junior all as per normal all but the ticket thing. Why oh why didnt I just pay with my card rather than hesitate and get out cash only to have second thoughts.... I feel terrible so to you my Mum My Dad God rest em to CP the players I`M SORRY IT WAS ALL MY FAULT. MT
Amazing to see we all have rituals, there was I thinking I was the only one who had to buy a programme from the same lady, wear the same shirt. I scratched (well it goes with th ename) my head to think what I did differently yesterday and coming off the M11 I went via the A406 to the A13 rather than coming down the A12. Mea culpa I won't do it again.
I blame those supporters who are shown by the BBC clip to be walking out at half time, their mere presence brought us bad luck and they should never darken the Valley again. My point is proven since after they left we played better.
At about 2.30pm a group of 50 odd kids and parents were given free tickets by some suited dude in a CAFC tie. I said to my daughter "I bet they all sit in our area." Lo and behold, we had all these freeloaders sitting around us. "Who is number 4?", "What way are we shooting?", "Who is the Charlton manager?". God gave me just enough strength to survive.
I have to confess that in our championship years I did profit from several freebies courtesy of my mate who is a schoolteacher so I'm about to be hypocrytical. It spoke volumes that, at the time, they could not give the tickets away as noone wanted them!!! We invariably sat in the North Lower by the North East Quadrant. I was sitting in the West Lower for the Carlisle game this season when about 50 kids came in and sat around us. Its fair to say that 49 of them had never been before! We moved. I do wonder how many freebies are given away. Its nice to see bums on seats but just not near me please for the freeloaders.
If I didn't have a ST, I may have moved. But my seat costs £375, plus the kids'. I will never change it. NEVER!
I'm now in the same boat with a £375 season ticket. I'm working out a strategy to repel boarders. If I could fart at will that might work!