My Valley homecoming

My first visit to The Valley on Tuesday night since the redecoration and I was impressed in the old girl, who scrubbed up very nicely. It wasn’t long ago that the club badge behind the Covered End was falling off the wall and Duchâtelet and Meire, who I think should take a lot of credit, have done a lot to make it look a far better stadium.

There is the pitch, the new seats and the paint jobs of course, but it is the little things that impresses me and the large placards of Charlton players and of memories past are simple but effective.

The food and drink choices around the ground were better and looked more appetizing. I did have a bite of my son’s burger with pulled pork that was more wholesome tasted as if it had been cooked and not just processed.

The wait for food, behind the East Stand at least, were still frustratingly long though and it is unnecessary to have to spend almost the whole of half-time waiting in a queue watching bewildered looking staff trying to get food and pour a pint of Fosters. There were obvious senior members of staff that were giving on the job training which will hopefully start to rub off.

Hopefully Katrien has also got some money left in her budget to do the East Stand toilets up that haven’t been touched since it was opened in 1994. Those heaters would take 45 minutes to dry your hands if you let them.

Overall though a very welcoming sight, even more than normal and maybe the beginnings of another team that will deserve one of those placards around the ground at some time in the future.