Pulchritudinous
Yep, still scrolling through video’s.
Plenty of fans filmed Macauley Gillesphey’s goal, I don’t understand why people do that, but I am glad they did. There’s also some absolutely cracking photos out there as well. Charlton Life have a whole archive in waiting here.
My favourites are the crowd shots. 40,000 Addicks together in one half of Wembley is, not sure I’ve written this word before, but I just used it in a crossword…. pulchritudinous!
What a sight, what noise. The noise was incredible.
The red flags that were tucked behind our seat, I presume paid for by the club, were such a great idea. They really added to the occasion, and mine made it home in my carry-on suitcase.
I know we have witnessed some low Valley crowds in recent seasons, way below those announced, which with what was on offer, was hardly surprising. However the away support and the amount of youngsters that travel has regularly belied the offering, but if there was ever any doubt of this club’s possibilities then recent months culminating in Sunday are a very ear-splitting reminder.
Simple isn’t it. Build a bond, give everything for the shirt, win some games, and they will come.
London was amok with Addicks on Sunday, red shirts everywhere, from the early hours at stations and airports, on streets, and the Green Man was busy at 8.30am. I stayed at London Bridge and songs still hung in the air close to 10pm.
Families of young and old, generations of Addicks hugging and singing until they were hoarse. I haven’t hugged that many strangers since, well since 2019.
I’m just free wheeling now, thinking of things that made me smile.
Wasn’t it great to see so many ex-players at the game, some behind the goal, and the regency of past managers. Only Jacko was missing, well bloody done Johnnie. I chatted to Anthony Barness in The Robin on the High Road afterwards. He was chuffed that he was recognized.
I loved that Nathan, the coaching staff and players walked from Wembley to Box Park with their kit on and their medals around their neck. Fans can’t have believed their luck bumping into our heroes an hour after the game.
Fans from 29 different countries travelled over 270,000 miles to be at the game, a game we could easily have filled all those blocks of empty seats.
The possibilities of this club backed by this fanbase are interminable, and the owner group all there to see it for themselves.
“The Reds are (Have) gone up !!!!!
I’m still coming to terms with the fact we did it !
Very true, CA. However, the Championship is not just a different league: it’s a completely different world! There were perhaps 4 or 5 truly competitive teams in League 1 whereas there will be 24 in the Championship, if we can find enough reinforcements to help us hold our own. I just hope that our owners realise just how close we could be to the Premiership and release the funds needed to take another even greater step than the one we took last Sunday. In my opinion, we need at least one player of Premiership standard In midfield and the same upfront to start the season on our books and we can then hopefully build from there. I am hopeful that an understanding by our owners that we cannot afford to waste the wonderful achievement that it was to get out of League 1 will lead first to stabilisation In the Championship and then to further advancement. Both those aims will cost much more than they have yet spent but I can only hope that their experiences at Wembley will have shown them what riches could lay ahead.
As ever, we shall see, but a concerted attempt to purchase The Valley and all our training facilities would be a very encouraging start.
COYR !!!!!!
It’s still a sobering thought that we are
‘tenants’ of both The Valley and Sparrows Lane…who knows in the future Roland will have a conscience and allow the owners to purchase it back…..the whole circle will then be complete
Roland and Conscience, words never before seen in the same sentence! It’s nice to have a dream though.
Yes. Let’s not hold our breath.
I wouldn’t like to play you at scrabble CA. Great use of a word and very refreshing from some of the F’s and C’s that seem to permeate other sites when they are running down our own players or other teams!
I also had the pleasure of catching up with Anthony Barness on the concourse at Wembley pre-match. Back in the day his late dad, Frank, used to be part of our group that went to many of the away games, especially for him when Anthony was playing.
Haha. I am pretty good at Scrabble!
Barness looked good. 52 now. He played at Lewes until he was 40.
Yeah, well that greedy Belgium wants more and more, and afraid it will not happen in the short term, if ever?
Well written CA, You have summed up my feelings of the day and the season perfectly. It was such a relief to hear the final whistle and then to soak up all of the emotional joy that was released by the 40,000 plus Charlton supporters. A proud moment indeed !
Where I am based I believe that I am the only Charlton supporter amongst football fans who only support Premiership teams so I take a lot of flak. However your post is the first one I read after a game. So may I thank you for all of your comments through this season, informative, knowledgeable and honest. Plus, of course, the responses as well !
Looking forward to more in the coming season.
I just want to thank you too CA for all your reports,comments and really interesting posts throughout this season….enjoy the Summer and before you know it it will be time to post again and I’m looking forward to reading your posts again….relax with your family and relax with a nice cold glass of white wine !!!
Cheers Cliff, and thank you for being a learned poster on here. Much appreciated. Cheers 🍷
Thank you for the kind words, MCaddick. COYR
I’ve said for ages the owners do not understand what a club they own I can’t remember another club that had fans clearing the pitch and stands to get us back to our great football ground the scenes in the town hall when Greenwich council said yes was as great as the atmosphere on Sunday so many bad decisions have cost this club and its fans I just hope the owners saw what it meant to us and take us even further I’m not talking silly money like Birmingham but just players that want to play for us and yes results matter but so does commitment from all sides the fans never let this club down but the past owners have I hope they step up and invest in a club that has such a wonderful history in good times and in bad
It was nice that the crazy mt TS sent a message as he saved this club from scumbags it’s a shame it didn’t work out under him and yes well done jackko maybe one day you will be back
This is the first time I’m writing to you here CA. I’ve been a Charlton fan since 1985.
Interestingly, I’m from Poland, and I love this club. I visit your blog and I really like reading your articles. I’m very happy about Charlton’s promotion to the Championship and it gives a lot of energy to all the fans of The Addicks.
greetings from Poland
a loyal Cafc fan❤
Lovely to hear from you, Krzysztof. Where are you from in Poland?
l Iive about 50 miles east of Krakow. Near Tarnów.
Any other Addicks out there? I have a couple of friends in Warsaw, not Charlton fans though.
my son junior is a fan of The Addicks and two brothers. One lives in London 😊 and the other in Kingston upon Hull. I also met a Charlton fan through Facebook, who comes from England and has been living in Warsaw for a few years.
To add to the ex Addicks in low profile attendance: Paul Konchesky was on the Level 2 concourse having a drink before the game and Steve Gritt walked up to WP tube with family after the game. Both were recognised by many but for the most part allowed to enjoy/endure their day with minimal interruption.
Dear CA,
I too was at Wembley last Saturday. I have been a Charlton fan since 1968. I lived in Brussels for 30 years and during Charlton’s premiership years had two season tickets in the lower covered end. I would take the Eurostar to London and back on certain Saturdays. I couldn’t go to every home game of course and when Charlton played the big clubs my two seats would probably be the only two empty seats in the covered end!
Like you CA , I have been a Charlton fan in exile abroad most of my working life. I enjoy your perspicacious comments – you have often brightened up a lonely long distance Charlton fan! Keep up the good work!
I am always amazed at the limits that people will go to follow their favourite football team! I salute you all!
All I have to do is to get down from Leicester for a home game or, in 2025 to 2026, walk down to the King Power stadium for the away game at Leicester or drive to Derby, West Bromwich, Coventry or Birmingham to see an away game.
Long may continue to follow CAFC!
Long may you continue to support our team!
Leicester ain’t a bad effort, Brian!!
Many thanks FAF. Much appreciated.
Great city, Brussels. That was some effort to take the Eurostar to games regularly.