We had already eaten breakfast at a Wetherspoons in Salisbury beforehand. 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. Although we were told to sit anywhere, the upper part of the stand was blocked off by stewards. We stopped off at the 'Antigallican'. We walked past a van selling the usual supporter merchandise, including the now widespread T-shirts emblazoned with Keep Calm And Support Charlton, common all over the UK for almost all football clubs. 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. A great day out in London and I'd thoroughly recommend an away day at The Valley. Fittingly Steven Fletcher scored two on St. Andrews Day, while Nuhui grabbed a late third in a game that we were in control of for long periods. Prices may be above face value.Secure The Valley tickets today from TicketSmarter to catch the next big event. How easy was your journey/finding the ground/car parking? It was a quick walk back to the railway station and a trouble free onward journey. Charlton fans are currently protesting at the way in which their club is run, so they either stayed away [shame] or held up "We are the 2%" cards in the second minute. Charlton Athletic FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website). I wish football clubs all over the country could do this more often to tempt back disillusioned supporters and encourage youngsters to become passionate about our National Game. Only one stand (the away end) remains of the old Valley. I had enjoyed my previous visits and as a Neutral fan I have a bit of a soft spot for Charlton and their fans, especially when you look back to their well-publicised Back to The Valley campaign in the early 1990s and their 7 year stint in the Premiership in the early 2000s, during which they claimed some notable scalps in punching above their weight and beating teams like Chelsea and Arsenal. These games always tend to attract bumper crowds at The Valley. Guess what? The Charlton Fans' Action group were handing out free teamsheets and were very friendly and keen to explain their grievances. 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. I guess we were on the train to Kings cross in approximately 30 minutes after the game had finished. And before any of you readers say, this is not a Kent derby. Pro Cycling Manager 2020 Review, The game itself was dominated by Forest which resulted in a comfortable 2-0 win, with goals from Radi Majewski and Henri Lansbury. Good ale, good cold food. I like these sort of grounds, really have an amphitheatre-like feel to them. Charlton Life Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. As previously said, the facilities were very basic but they were good enough. White Block Heels, There is also a Ladbrokes betting kiosk inside the ground. We stopped off at a service station for 15 minutes on the way back and arrived back in Bradford for just after 3am. I ventured down to use the loo at half-time & queued less time than I normally have to at Elland Road to be fair. Nice ground, good view although we were at the top of the away end so couldn't see the bottom of the goal closest to us. Floyd Road, London, SE7 8BL, England. 5 seemed excessive although this was a one-off, as the club had also combined it with their 'Yearbook', so plenty of reading material! 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 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. After wed retaken our seats for the second half, we enjoyed more of the same with Preston North End comfortably in control, and it was little surprise to any-one when Daniel Johnson curled in a cracking shot from some distance to give us a third on the night and effectively end the game as a contest. All the changes have taken the grounds capacity up to over 27,000. 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.. 2. 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. Id be happy to come back again, certainly, although I expect to have to pay a lot more for the privilege next time. 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 had never seen this cuisine before for fans, and it was a pleasant change to the standard pie and cup of tea. This pub welcomes away supporters, has televised sports and also has accommodation (see advert below). The Valley is a very impressive stadium with three of the four stands all enclosed. Train was busy on the way back so it might be suggested to wait 45 minutes after the game while the queues go down. Getting away from the ground was okay. I now know where the ground got its name as The Valley is not visible from this road. By taking this route you don't get to see any of the outside of the rest of the ground as its hidden behind shops & houses. Comfort Shoes Uk, An early start and a long day, but a very enjoyable three points in our continuing quest for a play off place in front of the live TV camera's. The railway station has seen much renovation recently, and seemed well organised. It was only a shortfive minute walk from Charlton Station to the Valley. The game was selected as Charlton's 'Football for a Fiver' promotion, with tickets just 5 for away supporters too. What you thought on entering the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the ground? 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. I found it a lot of fun, but if I was a Charlton fan, I would desperately want a bit more cutting edge up front for my team. Very easy train to London Paddington from South Wales. I met my friend in the Gate Clock Wetherspoons at Greenwich. There are various nail bars, barbers, petrol stations, the seemingly obligatory Tesco Express and pubs that look like the Queen Vic in Eastenders. We did though have a look at the Thames Barrier before heading to the game. Again a very heavy Police presence, with officers lining the centre of the road at the point were home and away fans converged. Passed a couple of others which were home fans only but I cant really have any complaints about that. I just went straight into the ground and found my seat. We had a few chances, and they had a few chances. So after travelling there reached Charlton station in good time. 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. When we arrived there was a diva on the pitch singing Land of Hope and Glory with so much oomph that we were all deaf by the time the teams came out onto the field. Also despite it being a long and monotonous journey, I do like any London away days on the coach. University Of LethbridgePublic University In Lethbridge, Canada, 4. Non stop singing and passion from the travelling bantams, it was a fantastic atmosphere. When I trundled in through my front door with matchday programme and gloves in hand, my eye fell on an envelope on the mantelpiece ; this envelope contained six tickets with the name Brighton and Hove Albion emblazoned across them Bring it on !!!!!!! There we switched to the overground train to Charlton. Dallas Cowboys Vs Patriots 2020, Tel: 0208 858 5459 Chesterfield were much more up for the game now and pressed forward encouragingly. However, today there were simply too many people to fit in comfortably, which was one indication the match would be a sell-out. Left for the ground and found a chippy right next to the away end entrance. Straight away and the police directed us a quicker way to the station which is only 5 minutes from the away section. There is a five hour free parking period here, giving us time to eat, walk to the ground (about 20 minutes) and return after the match. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Valley? The friend possessed the positive get up and go attitude that defines people who are active in sport. 2-0 to the visitors was the final score. Rush Green Stadium, Boursorama Banque Avis, The concourse was spacious with agood arrangement of refreshments and whilst not cheap, it was no more then you would expect to pay in London. The kiosks served a decent pint and at 4.50 it was cheap for London standards. My seat was in the top row of the West Stand which had great views. You can't walk right around the stadium so if you approach the ground from the north side, walk along the West Stand to get to the away fans entrance. What you did before the game pub/chippy etc, and were the home fans friendly? As for our hosts, the result effectively meant wed swapped places as they now sat in the bottom three. A straightforward rail journey into London Euston before using the Underground. Next up was a longer period, five years, at Pound Park before Angerstein Lane gave them a place to host matches through to the start of WWI. Our unsuccessful search for a pint meant an early entrance to the ground to have a few on the concourse. Some fellow Coventry fans did get stuck behind as the police controlled the gates on the platform only letting a certain number of fans on at a time. It was a pleasant caf but I really felt that I was in Albert Square, with Phil Mitchell expecting to walk through the door at any moment. A combination of tightening their belts and safety red flags at the Valley meant they spent the best part of a decade playing their games at Crystal Palace's and West Ham's stadiums. 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. In the early noughties, Charlton Athletic had seemed to be the natural next staging post for Ipswich Town players who needed to progress into the top tier. Bristol City had sacked their manager a few weeks previously and it was anticipated that they would name Lee Johnson as their new manger before this match. As the Charlton train station is only a five minute walk, getting away from the ground was straightforward. I didn't have any dealings with the stewards but they seemed fairly relaxed. Easy to make a lot of noise! There are then a number of pubs and eating places in Greenwich itself and you can get one of a number of buses that run down the Woolwich Road to Charlton. It wouldn't have been a problem. I travelled from Wiltshire by train to London Paddington and then had an easy tube journey to North Greenwich tube station via the Bakerloo and Jubilee lines. There is a gym at the bottom of the hill, if you fancy a work out before a game. However fans are close to the pitch and the compactness made for good acoustics and atmosphere. Judging by the smell on the train, I don't think everyone was wearing deodorant either . Despite that, all of their nearby clubs tend to have bigger fish to fry when it comes to derby day. Slightly old fashioned in the sense that you were not walking up shiny walkways into a NBL basketball arena or Arsenals Emirates Stadium, but comforting that you were heading into a comforting football community. 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. The stadium itself is quite impressive. I was very pessimistic. Getting away from the stadium seemed to take forever and obviously getting up and out of London took a while. 7. Milano Moda Donna September 2019, Hopefully the may continue with the 5 tickets a few times in the season as it proved to be a success with over 14,000 in attendance. Charlton still appear to have a more local, family-centred feel around their club, in stark contrast to an increasing number of Premier League clubs. I arranged to meet my friend, who was arriving from North London, at London Bridge Station just over an hour before kick-off. Traditional stand with seats that were a bit tight on knee room. Playing the ball into the corners with an extra six minutes of injury town was coldly sensible from Charlton but not much of a spectacle. 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