10 years on
During the next month this Blog will be 10 years old and I’m giving myself a pat on the back.
I remember that June Sunday evening well, sat in my apartment in Chicago juggling with Blogger’s idiot-proof yet bewildering templates to pen my first post.
Only the venerable Professor Wyn Grant has being blogging Charlton longer, although Daryl, the original inspiration for me to start still writes intelligent and punchy words here at 853.
As others will tell you blogging is often a labour of love and can be equally time consuming and frustrating. It has never been a chore though, otherwise I would have stopped. Writing has always been a release, and despite many bumps in the road, I have selfishly pushed on, writing 2,824 posts in the process but always taking great delight in knowing that many of you stop by to read my latest ramblings on whatever pops into my mind and not just the trials and tribulations of Charlton Athletic.
For me this Blog has been a diary, a friend and a refuge. I started it as a single bloke, living in the wacky, yet inspirational country of America, and it has followed me to the beautiful yet often peculiar island of Bermuda, now with a family for company. Always with Charlton at the heart of it, but also a place where I have chronicled the past 10 years of my life.
The look is different, I moved to the much more reliable WordPress in August 2010, but the aspirations haven’t changed, even though we were conjuring with summer transfer rumours of Dennis Rommedahl and Mateja Kežman in 2004 and not unknown Belgians.
Anyway, I want to thank you for continuing to read my musings, whether you stumbled across me 10 years ago or 10 minutes ago and the Blog has become such a part of my life that I plan to be here for the next 10 years as well.
The year 2014 also coincides with my 40th year of supporting the Addicks, a love affair that has outlived everything else in my life except for the love I have for my parents and my younger brother.
I have written numerous times before that the prelude to my Charlton initiation was the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, although my earliest football memory was the 1973 FA Cup Final.
I can see now Bob Stokoe running across the Wembley pitch, but it was the festival of televised summer football in 1974 that took this 7-year old’s breath away.
The East and West Germans in the same group, the free-scoring Yugoslavians, the famed Brazilians, the Polish under dogs, who did for England, and the beautiful total football of the Dutch. Not forgetting the added romance of Zaire and Haiti, who had me searching through the encyclopedia.
Therefore to celebrate my 10 years of blogging and my 40 years of love for the beautiful game, I plan to write a couple of lengthy posts on the 1974 World Cup, as a little warm-up to this year’s festival of football in Brazil. Don’t go away and thanks for reading.
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Happy anniversary, CA! Always an interesting and thought-provoking read and your geographical isolation often helps to provide a fresh perspective on issues to which some of us who are London-based are (perhaps) too close
Thank you Peter
Congratulations on 10 years, CA. I would never have known what you were up to if I hadn’t followed the blog, which I did for a long time without realising I knew you in a past life!
I have often considered a blog myself, though being in the hospitality business, I think I’d have a number of libel suits coming my way, or at least pissing customers off so much they wouldn’t return! Seriously considering going the whole hog and writing a book.
Hopefully we’ll be in London at the same time sometime and manage to meet for a beer. My next trip is in July.
Anyway, looking forward to the next ten years of Chicago Addick’s blog.
Cheers
Bangkokaddick
Put me down for a book Steve, you must have hundreds of stories. A London beer is a must – I’ll be in touch.
Congratulations and thank you for keeping me reliably informed about what is really happening (or has happened) at The Valley. I have been Addicked for more years than I care to remember (my first game was in 1962 – Charlton v Plymouth Argyll and we won 6-4. (I think it was 62)) and I still follow them from afar but not as far as Chicago or Bermuda (Manchester) I shall toast you later and look forward to the next 10 years
Cheers Doire.
CONGRATULATIONS on your ten years of blogging CA & long may you continue.
Thank you Sam.
Always an excellent read. Look forward to the next 10 years.
Thanks Blucher.
Fantastic CA! well done mate. Always ejoyed your blog for Addicks stuff and travel alike, Looking forward to the 74 articles – that world cup was inspirational for me too,
Thanks Nigel.
Happy anniversary CA! Have a glass to celebrate.
Cheers BA.
Congrats C.A, I spent my last 8 years working in Texas, and I looked forward to two in particular bloggers for news and views and a good read, your blog and N.Y.A, alas NYA is not so regular, but pleased you kept going.
Now I am back home in the U.K., enjoying retirement, but still look out for your posts, here’s to the next 20 years .
Cheers TA.
Congratulations CA. Reckon I have read pretty much all of your posts and always look forward to a new one. Great to find a like-minded Charlton fan, even down to a love of watches and cheese! See you later in the Summer when I expect you will be fitting in a London trip to see what the new side looks like.
You forgot red wine!
One of the real added bonuses of writing the blog is the friends I have made. I look forward to seeing you in August Dave.
And the crowd were shouting “TEN MORE YEARS”
My first memory of footie, the 76 cup final, mick mills, mick channon… And then the following season my first charlton game at home to Blackburn I think.
Keep it up… Soon to be the first Siem Reap Addick I think unless anyone wants to tell me I’m #2 or 3
Cambodia Addick has a very nice ring to it 🙂 Good luck Matthew.
Congratulations CA. Always a pleasure to keep up with your postings. I’ve lived in France for the last eight years, so I find the blog network, an excellent way to keep up with events at the valley. Thanks for an entertaining read, and here’s to next ten.
Many thanks Tim.
Google maps tell me that I live 5.6 miles from the Valley – 16 minutes journey time. How comes I have to check out the guy living in Bermuda to find out what’s really happening?
Well done CA – really enjoy your blog / travelogue. All the best mate!
That’s funny. They say you have no idea what goes on on your own doorstep! Many thanks for the comment.
You was (still am) an inspiration to my poor attempts at Charlton-related blogging, so I thank you for that. I also thank you for giving me encouragement by commenting positively on my blog in those early days when you needn’t have given my ramblings a second glance until I’d ‘earned my stripes’, so to speak (I’m not suggesting I have even now!). I have not forgotten that and try to do the same with the new wave of bloggers as they surface.
I’ll be looking forward to your piece on the ’74 World Cup…
This remains my favourite piece from your good self. Proper hairs on the back of the neck and glassy eyes stuff!
https://chicagoaddick.wordpress.com/2013/12/05/going-back-to-the-valley/
Well, 4 years ago you wrote some superb posts on your WC memories, if I do half as good a job, then I will be very pleased.
Very kind words, thank you and I look forward to sharing a pint or two with you next season.
Wow, what an achievement, well done CA. Those of us who write blogs know how hard – as well as enjoyable – it can be. Your output & quality is prodigious & an inspiration to us all. Keep on keeping on mate.
Thank you Ketts, that means a lot.
Well done CA. Always a good read. Those 10 years have seen a lot of ups and downs with more downs than ups of late of course. Can’t see that changing though eh ? We live in hope though. Keep up the good work. I wonder where the club will be in another 10 years ?
Many thanks Phil. A year is a long time in Charlton’s lifetime, let alone 10! The Addicks…. a never ending source for blogging 🙂
Many congrats on your longevity and commitment. The biggest compliment I can pay is that you are my first port of call for all things Charlton. It is curious to see how many of your commenters are expats like ourselves. You are clearly striking a chord with those of us us don’t get back to the UK as often as we wish. My first football memory is the 1966 WC final. I’m sure it was the reason we bought our first television. I enjoy the nonCharlton aspects of your blog even visited Casa Tua based on your recommendation so cheers! Still think we should go shares in a player like a South American syndicate. There must be a legal way of doing it.
That’s very kind SLC. Just checked my stats, and in the past 7 days I have had visitors from 69 different countries! Although probably not all ex-pats 🙂
And yes, I must try Casa Tua again.