Last night I watched "Notes on a Scandal" starring Judi Dench. At one point someone mentions football and she says "My father supported Charlton Athletic. It never seemed to give him any pleasure". (Given her age, it is likely that his years of support included our glory years near the top of the top tier and two Cup Final appearances, so he would receive even less pleasure these days). What other mentions of Charlton have you noticed in films or on TV. "Only Fools and Horses" and "Brushstrokes"? I had never heard of Gemma Arterton until I saw her name on here posted by some drooling old lecher. Since then I have seen her in a string of films, each more dire than the last. But I will forgive her if she has written into each movie contract permission to ad lib an affectionate reference to Charlton Athletic. {Could be a bit difficult in a costume drama or a western, but a competent performer will find a way.)
Jim Davidson constantly ran us down on Big Break, but came back "It's good to be BACK", in the premier league. Even declared he supported Man Utd because we were so bad. There is a mention of Charlton beating Man City in the film Buster. Obviously Rodney Charlton Trotter and Jacko from brushstrokes also Dennis Waterman's character in On The Up argues he must be a romantic, "I support Charlton Athletic." Hardly ever mentioned on The Football League Show.
I do remember Jim Davidson saying how he remembered as a kid watching Final Score and thinking 'Charlton Athletico' sounded exotic; until he realised it was 'Chartlon Athletic nil...'. And then he said something about how he'd rather Charlton lost than came from behind because he hates that sort of thing. When John Barnes was on Strictly Come Dancing Bruce Forsythe joked that John Barnes was finding the costumes a little bit embarrassing, and Bruce Forsythe told him 'Well you used to wear a Charlton Athletic top...' There was a Charlton flag in the Gavin and Stacey episode where all of the Essex Boys went to Barry and Bryn does his house up for them. And there was a David Jason WWII programme where he and an ex-comrade were driving through France to bury a friend; the friend's coffin was covered in a Charlton flag.
In the film, The Damned United, as Derby go shooting up the league table, you can clearly see Charlton Ath who start in second place and are ultimately pushed into third, and non promotion by Cloughies team. After seeing that needless to say, I felt much better about Bremner and co ganging up to get him the sack.
There was a drama a while ago about the Busby Babes, with David Tennant playing Jimmy Murphy. One scene was set in a game against Charlton (I think it was Bobby Charlton's debut), and our players were portrayed as big, strong, typically old-fashioned English brickhouses who regarded these young-uns as mere boys.
Not many people know this - Before the final edit of Gone With The Wind, Rhett Butler actually said: ' "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn where you go or what you do, for I must get to The Valley by 3pm for the match against Huddersfield Town." Fact.
That's would never happen in a new film because we play Huddersfield once a month now so if you miss it there'll be another along soon.
