The opposition view
Charlton Athletic 1 Franchise FC 0
Phew. As I have often done, I switched to the away commentary team on CAFC Player once I heard Emma open up her gob on the Charlton link, and I have to say I enjoyed listening to two blokes, slightly biased but knowledgeable and to hear them give an unblemished perspective on our individual players and team.
Lee Martin appeared to hog the limelight in the first half, Racon was often mentioned, Benson not so and Fortune and Doherty seemed to be calm personified at the back. Oh, how nice it was to see Jon Fortune’s name back in the line-up.
The commentary blokes started talking up MK’s chances in the 2nd half and Worner made one apparent great save but then Parky introduced Kyel Reid and within minutes the opposition commentators sounded like they were worried senseless whenever Reid got the ball.
And by the end of the game even they were questioning the referee’s antics after supporting him earlier with a lot of “oh well done referee, er good decision,” while all around boos rang out. Where the hell are these ref’s coming from?
Three valuable points then and a nice way to win a game, particularly when the forward we spent the life savings on get’s his first goal. John Still would have been nodding his head at that cross from Reid. A boost for Benson then and for us and well done to the fans who from the sound of it on the radio stuck with the team throughout.
By the way the oppo’ commentators suggested an away support of 100. Was this right?
Addicks at The Valley: Kings Hill Addick; New York Addick; Mike’s Meanderings; Hungry Ted; Blackheath Addicted; Addicks Diary; Drinking During the Game.
CA fact: Until yesterday the biggest crowd referee Jock Waugh has ever officiated in front of was 6,230. Do you think he was star-struck last night?
Chicago Addick 
I’d have guessed there were somewhere between 150 and 200 Franchise supporters last night. They seemed fairly noisy for such a small band though.
M
I di think about about counting them when I walked in but the game was watchable enough throughout not to be tempted to. I estimated around 200. Milton Keynes – not as if it’s 30 minutes on a fast train from London or anything. The one thing it does tend to prove is that there must be very few if any ex Wimbledon fans who made or stayed with the exodus. “No one likes us” – yep.
Interestingly we discussed the MK Dons crowd before the game. Our estimate was also 200. It just goes to show that you really can’t start a football club from scratch and expect it to develop support anytime soon.
It took me years of going to The Valley before it dawned on me that I just couldn’t be anywhere else when we were playing. The thought didn’t really occur until that day.
MK Dons have no history, I don’t agree with the hijacking of Wimbledon, but I’m also not too precious about it either. However, they may attract a few to watch them from time to time but in the end the paying public have to want to watch 90 minutes of football, and until it’s your team that doesn’t sink in.
I believe the majority of fans go because they are taken by friends or family – the latter especially. If MK Dons have no dyed in the wool fans (how could they, they have only been there for five minutes) who is going to bring the ‘next generation’ to watch their first match(es).
It took seven years of Premier League football with what we now know to be ridiculously low prices to tempt fans back and to encourage sons to follow their Dad’s team in the face of Man Utd and Liverpool being on the TV all the time.
Not only does this not bode well for MK Dons if they can’t offer the type of football that would attract a non-footballing family to ‘give it a go’, but it shows that the Premier League seasons were more than just good at the time. They have built up a supporter base that will probably stick with the club (even if they don’t go every week) for years and years to come.
Oh, and the result was good too!
220 MKD fans at The Valley Tuesday according to Airman Brown.
Quite different when Charlton came up to Milton Keynes last season, I think there were around 900 CAFC fans.
It’s a really odd atmosphere in the Stadium:MK – the Charlton fans were noticeably more vocal than several thousand Dons fans who just didn’t seem to engage with their team at all. Huge stadium, but no soul. Shame.