The Red Division
3,600 Addicks will saunter into SE16 on Saturday afternoon probably expecting the worse, but ever hopeful. Generations of Charlton fans have walked or been chased away from the two Dens demoralised and none worse than our last visit there. But that was a different time, a different era.
The last time I was at The Den was in 1995, but the April and not that glorious December night. That day my flight back from Sri Lanka, expected early in the afternoon, was massively delayed by the London snow. In that same snow Kim Grant warmed Addicks’ hearts to boiling point on a famous evening ending almost a couple of decades of hurt. I have never seen us win there, but don’t worry I’m not going to be there tomorrow.
3,600 of us will though including a new organised group of young lads that are attempting to improve the noise and atmosphere at games. These youngsters have been met with a lot of shaking of heads and rolling of eyes by some of us oldies, me not included. However the noise they helped create at recent away games, particularly Bristol City has not gone unnoticed and the Covered End’s undying support of the manager and the team at 0-2 at home to Cardiff will live long in the memory.
The good old terrace days of spontaneity and tribalism have gone, long left behind by the middle ages more worried about making sure their little ones are sat comfortably in their West Stand seats or out shopping with the missus in Bluewater. I’ll take my hat off to anyone that is prepared to organise themselves and get behind the lads with some sort of passion and originality. God, we need a few more songs to add to the very limited repertoire.
As long as they don’t follow the road being driven by the ginger-headed step-children of south London with their toe-curling ultra’s tag then they are alright with me. We were all young once, and there aren’t many days better than following your team giving them every ounce of support possible.
I hope the 3,600 do just that tomorrow and I am sure they will prompted by the Red Division. I will be in Atlanta during the match but my heart and my voice will only be in one tatty corner of south London. Come on you reds, this is the time for the next Kim Grant.
