Our unsuccessful search for a pint meant an early entrance to the ground to have a few on the concourse. This lower area was rammed with fans and getting anywhere near the bar looked impossible so we made our way up the slope which leads to the entrances at the back of the stand and into another bar area which was a lot quieter. I watched a young student walk out of a barber shop, gentling patting his shorn hair with the desperate hope that everything had gone alright in the chair. Rovers fans generally stand if given choice so this prompted the rest of the away fans to stand up and all started singing We Are Bristol Rovers, We Do What We Want So we stood our ground and no more requests. An enjoyable easy to reach and very smart ground to visit, both sets of fans mingled outside without any hostility. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Valley stadium? Anuel Aa Tour Setlist, The Gills scored again to make it 2-1 to us. First time to Charlton and another personal first, first time I could just walk to a ground from an airport as its only three miles from London City via the Woolwich Tunnel! Also worthy of note is the history of this proud and historic site; older fans amongst us will recall the sad days when they were exiled from The Valley, forced to groundshare with Crystal Palace and West Ham for much of the 80s and doubtless I wasnt the only one that doubted The Valley would ever see league football again, and even wondered about the long term sustainability of the club. Otherwise, it was a good day out. This pub welcomes away supporters, has televised sports and also has accommodation (see advert below). From Charlton Train Station I just followed the crowds to the Valley. From the away end, you get quite a good view of the rest of the ground. Their stadium, called The Valley, was built in 1919, and for many years it was London's largest Football League venue with a capacity of 75,000. Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: No problem what so ever. Away fans are housed in the South Stand. reserved.View Home Charlton, GL, UK Tickets The Valley Tickets. This bus link is actually pretty handy and something people heading to/coming from certain areas north of the River Thames, like myself, before and after matches should take more notice of. The ground is impressive on entry, definitely Premier Leaguequality. The Valley is a short walk from there. Apparently the Club's Chief Executive had previously remarked that 2% of Charlton fans were unhappy with club, so this was in response to this. So it was a fixture I had been looking forward to for sometime, plus it would be an away trip to London. Nice Stadium and a great day out shame we lost 2-0 though got behind the team a lot though 3,000 was great support. A great day out in London and I'd thoroughly recommend an away day at The Valley. I travelled by train from my home in Reading. Police seemed fairly intent on ensuring there were no problems outside the ground going towards Charlton Railway Station. By train. It was my 18th ground out of the 92 and my 6th in League One. Walked passed a couple of burger vans and a chippy close to the away end so theres a few options to stop off and get something to eat. At the bottom of the slip road turn right at the traffic lights towards Woolwich/Charlton. Surprise Surprise. I only had a ten minute wait to get back into the city. The catering areas were adequate and outside of the stand, but I imagine with a large following it would be quite cramped. Your email address will not be published. The view was incredible you could see them so clearly. On entering the away end you can see where the old terracing would have been. Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Valley football ground? Outside this stand is an impressive statue to Sam Bartram, one of Charltons most famous ever players and goalkeeper, who spent 19 years with the Addicks over a period spanning the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The atmosphere from the away end was fantastic. Gillingham had not won away all season, and were fighting relegation. As much as it pains me to say it, 4.90 for a pint of Fosters in the away end didnt seem too steep all things considered Ive paid more elsewhere. Wrap up warm and recommend scarf and gloves in winter. A new ground I could tick off not far from my home. 7. Once we got through the short journey into South London was pretty straight forward. The only atmosphere in the ground was made by the Leeds United fans. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Even the rallying call from the P.A announcer on the team coming out at the start of the game was met with near silence! The east terrace was said to be able to hold 44,000. Modern All Seated Attendance Record: The league game had a better atmosphere but the result was better for us in the Cup. The friend and I walked down Ransom Road, under the railway line and the ground dramatically appeared in our faces. Straight away and the police directed us a quicker way to the station which is only 5 minutes from the away section. We were situated about ten rows from the front and to the right of the goal. A cup of hot water plus a teabag is 2.20. We walked straight back to station, and had to wait about half an hour, for a train. There are various nail bars, barbers, petrol stations, the seemingly obligatory Tesco Express and pubs that look like the Queen Vic in Eastenders. I was very pessimistic. Things had dramatically changed over the next decade. Yes, I would visit the Valley again. Coaches waited outside the away end, held back for approx ten minutes before we made our way out of London and back to Derby for 8.30pm. It was a about a 10-15 minute walk. We travelled by train and having spent the morning in Central London we made our way to London Bridge for the train to Charlton. Wedge Clogs Closed Toe, Now 27 ticked off my list on my way to completing the 92 . I'd already been to Charlton a couple of weeks earlier with a friend in the home end, and so I already knew a bit about the Valley. Once inside and somewhat reluctantly, I bought a pint of keg John Smiths & a pie from the bar at the far end of the Jimmy Seed Stand. to avoid the Premier league. The atmosphere from our fans was brilliant and despite not getting all three points it was one of the best away days of the season. To be honest the immediate area by the ground is quite run down. As usual with London clubs the lack of organisation from the Police in directing coaches to the designated parking parking area was standard. The match got underway with Preston getting out of the traps early and putting the hosts under pressure which resulted in a promising free kick that Paul Gallacher happily tucked away into the top corner to give us a dream start. Once inside the stand me & my son were impressed with our view. Lots of police (including on horseback) on the lead up to the ground, but there seemed no sign of trouble between fans. Adam Hodson a visiting Stockport County fan adds; There is a decent fish and chip shop at the top of Floyd Road, which you pass on the way to the away fans entrance.. Floyd Road, London, SE7 8BL, England. I had no reason to doubt that this evening would be any different, and I joined my train at Chatham looking forward to having a few pre-match beers with an old school colleague who is like myself exiled in the south-east. My daughter was meeting me for the match. Having said that, Plymouth did not look like a team rock bottom and certainly had some decent chances when the score was 1-1, which would have made things interesting. This was easy as Charlton Railway Station is only about a five minute walk from the ground. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground (or not as the case may be): I would say though the atmosphere was good, despite away fans being in high spirits there was no sign of aggression from either set of supporters. 112 x 73 yards Pitch Type: We played well, except for a first half free kick that never was in thelast minute cost us a soft goal. As usual, I was quite comfortable to engage Charlton fans in discussion, and I noted that none of them blamed the manager for the teams decline, but instead the owners for their perceived paucity with the purse strings. There seemed to be a lack of additional train services for fans; another example of local failure to put on enough transport to deal with mass participation sports events. A great day out for my birthday, great ground to visit before the game, during the game and after. Championship football is meant to be deliciously unpredictable. It was clear that three sides of the ground were fairly new and looked impressive and then there was the away end! Myself and my son thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Valley. Decent ales at good prices, especially for London. Train was busy on the way back so it might be suggested to wait 45 minutes after the game while the queues go down. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Valley Stadium? The map is centered to the football ground. Shortly after the start of the 1985-86 season, Charlton left The Valley, entering into an agreement . A very good level of atmosphere can be generated. Soon after the restart Derek Adams brought on two players for Argyle Fletcher and Taylor-Sinclair on for the below par Lamieras and Songo. I got dropped off outside the Valley Cafe due to arriving too early! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 Football Ground Guide. Darryl Chamberlain adds; Although Charlton station is very close to the Valley, many people will find it easier to take the (far more reliable) London Underground. Well worth a visit. It was difficult to tell quite where the fan base comes from, although there were many coaches that had travelled up from Kent for the game. The Valley is a very impressive stadium with three of the four stands all enclosed. I was visiting The Valley, with an old friend who I had not met for far too long. We walked past the Club Shop on the corner of the West Stand and North Stand, whichis a decent-sized modern shop with a fairly wide range of merchandise in it. Only negative is people walking up and down the aisle may obscure your view. Miami Dolphins 1998 Schedule, I arrived in London Victoria around 9.30am so I had a look around the shops and had breakfast in a Pret before making my way to the Stadium. Cardiff took nearly 2,000 fans so there was a good atmosphere. Its a very nice ground too, although the Jimmy Seed Stand, for away fans, looks and feels a bit anachronistic. Very easy train to London Paddington from South Wales. This would be replaced with a similar looking structure to the existing North Stand. Not much around the away end so more or less headed for the ground via the chippy near the away supporters entrance must be the cheapest chippy in London! The whole of the South Stand was given over to Reading fans depending on your row letter, you either enter through the side or you have to go up around the back for higher rows. As home fans had pretty much gone by the time we left, it was straight across road and into Charlton Station. There is a gym at the bottom of the hill, if you fancy a work out before a game. As it is a haunt favoured by away fans, there really is no need to check your watch, for as soon as most of the clientele start to down their pints and head out, then you know its time for kick-off! Game was easier than the last two visits which involved early goal then hanging on, then hanging in there with late goal. One team scores 6-0 against another, and then gets tanked 7-0 during the following Saturday. You're a football fan, therefore, you don't want to drink your water, you want to throw it at someone. In the cup game, however, the stand to our right and the upper tiers were all closed. If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, please e-mail at contact@footballgroundguide.com and Ill update the guide. Which surprise Surprise they scored one. 6. Just after WWII they were averaging over 40,000 a game. The stewards were the friendliest I've ever encountered there. 6. A south London Derby is always an attraction. If you are travelling from North West to South East, it is a mental and physical strain, and your life is made complicated by Oyster Cards. A great day out. Luckily for us on board this just happened to be right outside one of the designated pubs for away fans! Charlton got a quick goal in the first couple of minutes due to sloppy defending and the Charlton fans seemed to find their voice for a while due to some fan with a massive drum opposite us but they did quieter as the game went on which we won 2-1. As soon as the fixtures were announced I was very keen on making it to this one. The stewards were all friendly and helpful and didn't bother about standing. You could tell that Premiership football had been played at this ground and the stadium was impressive, but a big shell. Just before you arrive near the away end there is a small Fish and Chip shop which seemed very popular judging by the queues. The considerable number of away fans present mixed fine with the homesupporters as they travelled from the station and there was no trouble whatsoever to speak of. After a quick trip to the toilet at half time (thankfully not too crowded!) Cowboys Vs Bears 2017, Living in South East London, and with no Millwall fixture this season, this is the nearest away game to me, The Valley is one of my favourite grounds, partly because they are team of my father, uncle and many of my cousins. We eventually double backed on ourselves and had to walk down a non-descript lane down the side of some houses. The journey to the Valley ground took us to London Bridge, using the interchange to National Rail. Population Montrgie 2019, Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: Especially since it is easier for me to get to than an away match to Bury, for instance. Charlton fans came to life after the goal and towards the end when they sensed a win but considering they lead for most of the match they are a fairly quiet bunch. The home support was good for the whole game and it only got better with the goals of course. But we found it okay and entered the ground shortly after the turnstiles opened at 1.30pm. A poor attempt by Derby who quite simply never turned up, a compact, more fluid and well set up team in Charlton ran out easy 3-0 winners, in fact we got away with 3-0 loss as we were that bad. Grass Club Nickname: Good ales and we enjoyed freshly made rolls and a scotch egg. ESG. Charlton defended well, but did not seem to totally push for the second goal. As I needed to grab some lunch before the game I went down the main High Street of the stadium and grabbed myself a meal deal from Sainsburys. 1993 Super Bowl Arizona, Third, that Charlton sell 7,000 season tickets. So as you can expect, the chants were funny! The only downside was how long the train took to get to Charlton, which, again, isn't particularly fun standing in the freezing cold. Just input the dates below that you wish to stay and then select from the map the hotel of interest to get more information. However the traffic on the A206 Woolwich Road was atrocious, so we ended up walking the entire way to North Greenwich because it took less time than catching the bus. The stewarding was 'light-touch'. In one corner of the stadium between the Jimmy (South) Seed & East Stands is a large video screen. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 4 Tickets Lehigh Valley Phantoms @ Bridgeport Islanders 4/2/23 Bridgeport, CT at the best online prices at eBay! Easy but as per previous visit, too many police, especially on horses. Travelling back into London, I lost sight of many people with Charlton shirts on, quite soon after leaving The Valley. I had no real contact with home fans at the ground, especially as they left almost to a man (woman and child) as soon as Town scored the winner in the last but one minute of injury time, leaving 2,500 ecstatic away fans to celebrate. Although I have done most of the current London clubs that are currently in the Premiership, I have not really touched the league outfits. I suspect that most people were thinking of a nil-nil result when Noel Hunt (signed on loan two days earlier) scored in the 95th minute. It was also my first visit to the Valley since the 1970's at which time it had the largest capacity in the country. 7. Saphir Super Invulner Waterproofing Spray Canada, Gillingham vs Charlton at the Valley for the first time in 20 odd years. by | Sep 22, 2020 | Uncategorized | 0 comments. Manager John Sheridan became so enthusiastic, in fact, that he got himself sent off for abusing a linesman over a penalty which wasnt awarded. Charlton continued to press forward with good interplay and incisive attacks in the 2nd half. The stewards were friendly and had bit banter and all good natured of coursethey were pretty chilled apart from having deal with the odd flare incident, but then again the were just doing a job which didn't involve my group of lads so no bother there either. Yet held out for a well deserved point. I enjoyed my trip to this game. Stewards were laid back enough and friendly. He is not an active traveller to games, but was willing to enjoy a late Summer Championship game. It was my first visit to the Valley to watch Plymouth and a relatively easy and straightforward day out for Argyle fans from the West Country. What did you do before the game pub/chippy home fans friendly? Would highly recommend! Possibly a stupid ambition and it is not an especially cheap exercise. Men's Comfortable Shoes, Boursorama Banque Avis, The Valley is a nice looking ground with a mixture of the old and (fairly) new. Valley Express The club's popular Valley Express coach service continues to transport supporters to and from SE7 from dozens of pick-up points across Kent and Sussex. Only took 30 minutes to walk to the O2. Getting home took forever as the Blackwall Tunnel was very busy. Thomas Sowell Net Worth, The views are very good from all other stands, and I am in a good position to testify that as I have sat in all other parts of the ground apart from the East Stand. yet on the train it was packed like sardines, because about half of the travelling Gills fans were all getting the train home. I bought an Anytime Day Travel Card for this at a cost of 13.10. However, being in London there are ample places to eat/drink around the Valley. The West Stand is these days the most impressive; a double decker affair that boasts the club crest on the cladding on the roof gable. We had a good view of the action when the game started; too good, in fact, since Charlton tore the Spireites apart for the first half hour and took a 2-0 lead which looked likely to develop into something embarrassing. Kiosk staff very friendly. Colin Gilham informs me; There is some street parking to be had around the industrial estates in the area, in Westmoor Street, Eastmoor Street (the very road where the club was apparently formed 100 years ago! It will not take 15 years for me to come back again. It was absolutely freezing so I bought a hot chocolate to warm me up! Although Plymouth scored first Charlton soon equalised and had by far the lions share of possession especially in the second half and it was no surprise when they got the winner in the 88th minute. Although we were quite early, we decided to go into the ground after checking we could get a drink! Charlton may not have the same high profile as other London clubs, without the swagger of the Premiership elite, or the gritty outlook of some of the citys league clubs such as Milwall. Voice of the Valley Fanzine 2 (issued eight times a season). 5. Before kick-off, Chris Powell got a rousing reception from the Charlton Athletic faithful, thanking him for all his efforts as a Player and Manager at the club he managed only one year ago. As Id been to the ground onlytwo months before, it was an easy task for me to find! If my team is going to kill time at the end of games from September to May, it could be a positive but slightly unfulfilled season. The Valley is the 27,111 capacity home ground of Championship side Charlton Athletic Football Club. We arrived in London in plenty of time and parked up near the Thames Barrier which isn't to far from ground, just followed the fans to the ground. My daughter wanted a new Charlton top since it's her team. Charlton are in South East London and will always be. Although we were told to sit anywhere, the upper part of the stand was blocked off by stewards. Orients support of just under 1500 were enjoying themselves but were not overly vocal unlike Charlton who tried to lift their team. With a stop on the way at a service station for 45 minutes, the journey took five hours, reaching the Valley Stadium at 6:45pm. Driving to the ground was much easier than anticipated and one of our party had received some inside knowledge about parking which we took advantage of and left the car in a nearby megastore car park for free. So we had to go back out of the stand and walk up and around the back it, to enter gain to reach the top portion. And not forgetting the incredible 1998 Division One Play-Off Final at Wembley, too! Remember if travelling by train then you can normally save on the cost of fares by booking in advance. The home fans were friendly enough and there was no aggro. Parking at the ground is for permit holders only. We noticed that some stewards were just about to get a little over zealous in the policing of said area, so we jocularly asked if there were indeed box junction fines in operation at The Valley. The cheapest way to get from The Valley to Charlton (Station) costs only 630, and the quickest way takes just 13 hours. Getting away from the ground was easy enough, police directing people to the correct side of the station and queued the supporters before going onto the platform. It was also former MK Dons manager Karl Robinson's first game in charge of The Addicks, just a day after we had appointed boss Robbie Neilson. My friend doesn't walk well and he wanted to visit a micropub in East Greenwich so we caught a bus to the River Ale House on Woolwich Road. It is a noble ambition. It must be an original stand and as well as having a roof supporting pillar to block your view its quite shallow meaning that about two-thirds of you cant see the goal line at your end due to the other fans in front of you. . I didn't have any food inside the ground but the coffee was good and reasonably priced. The away end looked very dated, poor food and drinks service leading to crushes and bumps and bangs trying to get to the toilet. Barnsley sold about 1500 tickets for an away end that holds 3000. Wed played well in earlier matches and not got results the show for it, and it was pleasing to see the hard work and determination pay off with a win that lifted us out of the dreaded drop zone. The stadium obviously yearns for the return of Premiership football. By the time I got to the station, the few home fans still about seemed to be cheerful enough, despite some quite noisy ragging by Town fans waiting for trains into London. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We had the whole of the stand, and looking around I think everyone would've had a good vision of the action. However, you can drag the map around or click on +/- to reveal more hotels in the City Centre or further afield. They are in an uncovered area with little space around them. The pubs in Charlton did not sound anything great so I got off at Greenwich. . We headed into the Charlton Megastore for no apparent reason, wondering whether it was worth buying a range of branded goods from rubber ducks to flame red Charlton training kits. We are the only professional team in Kent! The back of the West Stand has sets of access steps on the outside which lead up to the exposed section of the stand above. The Antigallican is as good an away fans pub as could be found anywhere and we also discovered a decent chippie up the road. Prices not too bad considering it's London. Steinbach Sandfilteranlage, I was right at the front behind the goal which meant a great view of the goal closer to the away end, but the view to the opposite end was blocked off by the crossbar so there was a lot of ducking and diving to try and get a view! Did not really meet any home fans apart from a few on the bus or at chippie or waiting to get back at the bus stop. See the view from your seat at The Valley. Charlton Athletic's club store is located at the stadium and is contactable via telephone (0208 333 4035) and email ( cafcclubshop@justsport-group.com ). Charlton 2 Argyle 0 at half time and the Argyle fans were subdued. Ridiculous priced drinks and food 4.80 for a small plastic warm bottle of cider. Although the food and beverage kiosks were well manned with staff, queues were still quite long. If you dont want the hassle, the simplest travel option is to take a train from London Bridge going towards Woolwich. When I asked one steward if there were any more toilets, due to the massive queue 'I don't know' wasn't the answer that I was hoping for. The game was a good spectacle from a Shrewsbury point of view, as was the atmosphere from what was a large following for Shrewsbury (1200+). Yes, we had equalised! Select from premium The Valley Charlton of the highest quality. Operational Art Of War 4 Scenario List, How Many Super Bowls Have The Chiefs Won, Hopefully next time we visit the home support will be stronger in numbers and more vocal as a result of Charlton resolving their off the field issues. After the break though it was all Cardiff and we should have won but it ended 2-2. To be fair she was very apologetic and personally escorted us to the correct ones. Interestingly, the large pitchside TV screen showed a classic Charlton game against Liverpool as part of the build-up, a nice idea to celebrate the club's Premiership history. If clubs and authorities want their people to travel to football matches by public transport, they have got to make it easy and attractive. Leaving the ground was trouble free. A real traditional club, squeezed into the community. The first half was totally forgettable. The game itself was dominated by Forest which resulted in a comfortable 2-0 win, with goals from Radi Majewski and Henri Lansbury.

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