A truly brilliant stadium well built and great colours, vibrant setting. Charlton was formed in 1905 when numerous youth clubs in South East London decided to join forces to become Charlton Athletic. Charlton Athletic plan tribute to Keith Palmer, policeman killed in It was only a shortfive minute walk from Charlton Station to the Valley. It's only a 15 minute amble to the ground but it's out the way enough to avoid the throng of other supporters if you want to avoid that sort of thing. As always a very good feeling when you arrived at the Valley. Stadium address: Floyd Road, Charlton, SE7 8BL. Charlton are hard to dislike. Although they gave me mushy peas rather than the beans I had asked for the chips were damn good and neatly filled the hole which had developed since we left Chesterfield early in the morning. Rovers tried hard to get back on level terms and then conceded a last kick goal when our goalie came up to lose 3-1. But their home drummer created a good carnival atmosphere. I had never been to this ground before and it was a game of two teams who are fighting to get out of this league so it was a big fixture. However, with Preston occupying a bottom three space in the legaue table, and Charlton just above us, I sensed a relegation 6 pointer in the offing as match day approached and potentially a defining point in our first season back in the Championship. 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. Getting across London was easy but I when I got to Charring Cross, was informed there was a far more frequent service from London BridgeStation to Charlton. Charlton Athletic Stadium - The Valley - Football Tripper That would doubtless be a sterner test. Getting away from the ground was okay. Both sides were also redeveloped in the mid-1990s and anyone who saw the derelict Valley some years back, now wouldnt believe their eyes. It is served by Southeastern Trains and services run from the likes of Charing Cross, Waterloo East and London Bridge. Q:How many headsets/receivers does the club provide for supporters? (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); The Valley is located in the south-east of London on the south bank of the river Thames. The Valley is a nice looking ground with a mixture of the old and (fairly) new. A cross from the right by Aribo headed home by Zyro. The Gills scored again to make it 2-1 to us. 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. 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. There was a 1970s retro moment when an infiltrator was frog-marched out of the away end but I suspect he was not a Charlton fan at all but just a local hooligan attracted by the admission price and the chance for some inexpensive aggro. I had thought of using the chippy just outside the ground, which seems to have a good reputation, but (even though the crowd was relatively small and the match was live on Sky) I was put off by the queue and needed to use the facilities in the ground. Buy Tickets: Charlton Athletic Ticketing To Basket The pub seemed to offer a wide range of food and drink and it is in the tourist trap of Greenwich. You can also get the Docklands Light Railway from central London to nearby Greenwich and Lewisham, from where you can get a connecting train. Q:Is the club accessible to all supporters, including disability supporters and those with access requirements? It was at Greenwich station, when I became confused with the whole idea of touching in and touching out; paranoid that if I did not touch anywhere, the full force of the Law would appear at the next station, swoop on me and my offending piece of plastic, and send me off to jail without any argument. A:Email Disability.parking@cafc.co.uk with your parking request or call 02083334000 and speak to the clubs DLO. We got a train down to London and then a train from London Bridge to Charton. Offering tickets at 5 a time is a clever way of attracting a bumper-sized crowd and so Charlton well deserved the 22,000 plus (including well over a thousand Spireites) who attended this game. When it comes to Charlton and their rival clubs, they are a rather bizarre case. 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! There we switched to the overground train to Charlton. Both trips were by train but the first had an unwanted delay as trains from New Street Birmingham to London were cancelled. The Valley - Charlton Athletic - London - The Stadium Guide Club: Charlton Athletic | Opening: 1919 | Capacity: 27,111 | Description: Charlton had already played at various ground when they moved to The Valley in 1919. I just hope that we can improve our recent form to continue our promotion push but good days nevertheless. parking will be given on a first come first serve basis. The stadium itself, probably because of the three sides sweeping round & enclosing it, feels much bigger than it is. The stand which was out of place was the away end with very basic facilities. 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. Soon after, however, the club went into administration, and while a supporters trust managed to acquire the club, the stadium remained property of the previous owner. Directions are then as above. It was an even first half, although Shrewsbury missed a penalty. Visit ESPN to view the latest Charlton Athletic news, scores, stats, standings, rumors, and more Parking becomes available once tickets for games have gone on sale. Charlton looked like a side that had lost all confidence and even when they enjoyed little spells of possession, their forwards never looked like they had the belief that they could score. Once inside the stadium it was noticeable that the drinks concessions etc are a bit dated. Cardiff took nearly 2,000 fans so there was a good atmosphere. The stewards were friendly and helpful and even joined in with some fun and banter with the away support. The stadium, like many these days since floodlight pylons became unfashionable, is invisible until you are right next to it, but when you find it, you are immediately reminded of the colour of Charltons shirts since everything is painted red, red, red. Being early meant we found a good spot towards the back of the lower-tier behind the goal. The match was part of a special Football for a Fiver offer organised by Charlton, similar to the match against Wigan last season and Stevenage in LeagueOne three years ago. To be fair she was very apologetic and personally escorted us to the correct ones. Phone: 03330 14 44 44. Finding the ground was straightforward with just a five minute walk from Charlton Station. The away end is quite open so quite chilly if cold and a wind blowing. 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. Related. However I got served fairly quickly & after forcing my way back through from the bar found a spot out of the way with a good view of the televised game been shown on the big screen. One thing I found very strange was that there were no lights on in the toilets, people had to use their phone torches to see where they were aiming! 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. 6. Q:Can the club accommodate family groups? It is a traditional London pub which was busy with Posh fans. About the match. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. As previously said, the facilities were very basic but they were good enough. They even do weddings! The atmosphere from the away end was fantastic. You may want to get a bus along the A206 towards Greenwich, and there are multiple bus routes available on this route. The home support was good for the whole game and it only got better with the goals of course. It was generally okay but not much leg room if tall. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Valley? Check your email for your order confirmation as well as your order number. George Packman adds; The Club intend to increase the capacity of the Valley to over 40,000. The game was selected as Charlton's 'Football for a Fiver' promotion, with tickets just 5 for away supporters too. The atmosphere within the Valley wasnt the best however 3,000 away fans created an electric atmosphere. Definitely Premier League standard in my opinion. Charlton Athletic FC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website). Plenty of buses along this road as route 486 goes to North Greenwich, although these were full after the match. We had the whole of the stand, and looking around I think everyone would've had a good vision of the action. Why you were looking forward to going to the ground: I had already visited Charltons home, The Valley, on several previous occasions in the past three years. Left a couple of minutes before the end due to train connections. We finished our pie and chips and then entered the stadium. Im surprised the neighbours arent complaining about the noise. In fact it was the most orderly I've ever seen! The single-tiered East Stand compliments the ground well. As to be expected those located by the entrance turnstiles, tend to be busiest, whilst those on the other side of the stand are normally less congested. Some Argyle fans stopped at a beer festival in Deptford. Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Valley Ground? Totally undeserved but I loved it. The station is served by Southeastern trains with direct service to central London (Charing Cross, Waterloo East, London Bridge) and North Kent (Dartford). I was quite impressed with the atmosphere at the Valley and I can see why many away fans see it as one of their favourite away days to the capital. Q:Does the club have low level serving counters in the club shop? Luckily for us on board this just happened to be right outside one of the designated pubs for away fans! They won the Second Division in 2000 and their most recent trophy came when they won the country's third division in 2012. 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. By doing this it leads you toward the away end. Stewards also were very friendly. Not just because we won the match and the elation of winning can sometimes cloud your judgement, but overall not once did I feel intimidated or stressed out, which a day away can sometimes cause. Final score Charlton Athletic 1 Sheffield Wednesday 3. Passed a couple of others which were home fans only but I cant really have any complaints about that. Input your search keywords and press Enter. Enjoy the experience and atmosphere of a football match with fans from all over the world, knowing that your tickets have been purchased at a reasonable price together with an efficient delivery process. Charlton Athletic Disabled Supporters Association If a sunny day wear a cap or sunglasses. The pub was packed full, with both set of supporters mixing without any trouble. Whilst overlooking Blackheath itself is the CAMRA Good Beer Guide listed Hare & Billet. Gillingham had not won away all season, and were fighting relegation. Pitch size: 102m x 67m. Getting away from the stadium seemed to take forever and obviously getting up and out of London took a while. 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. Looking for Charlton Athletic Tickets ? Charlton came out swinging; a very one-sided game for the first 10 minutes, from which Shrewsbury came under a lot of pressure. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Valley Ground? Sections with photos. I drove to Sidcup and then got the train direct to Charlton station. Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. 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. The Angerstein Hotel is located on Woolwich Road around a 15 minute walk away from Charlton railway Station and the Valley Football Ground, or only a few minutes by bus. My train back to Strood had a good few Charlton fans on board, they seemed to be OK, although I avoided getting into conversation with them. Barnsley were riding high, but Charlton scored early with the Barnsley right back nowhere to be seen when a raking cross-field pass found the Charlton player in acres of space. I'd been to the Valley once before to watch Charlton against Liverpool so I knew a bit about the ground. Coming from Braintree in Essex, we set off at 11am getting to Charlton at 12:30pm. I travelled by train from my home in Reading. A tip I remembered from my last visit was to head toward the high rise tower block which is visible long before the ground is. After the game, I walked back to the Railway Station. The game itself was a bore finishing 0-0. Charlton looked slick and passed and moved the ball very well and comfortably; no long booting unlike us. My friend told me that in 2006 he played in the World Cup Final against Italy, coming on for Patrick Vieira (which of course will forever be remembered for Monsieur Zidanes headbutt in his last ever professional game). It is a surprisingly easy journey by rail and would definitely use the train again. Went to the Angelstein as recommended by others on this site. The game itself was a bit of a roller-coaster which Reading did their best not to win. The Valley is the 27,111 capacity home ground of Championship side Charlton Athletic Football Club. Stewards were great, helpful and happy to chat away about the game and the league in general. I enjoy London away days. Straight off the coach and into the pub, The Antigallican. The home sections were sparsly occupied and aside for a brief part of the game, when the dreaded football drummer decided to make some noise in an attempt to rouse his fellow fans, they weren't audible at all. The Valley is the 27,111 capacity home ground of Championship side Charlton Athletic Football Club. The stewards were friendly and professional in manner. The stewarding was 'light-touch'. By the time they scored from their first corner after about 30 mins wed already had 5 corners! In hindsight, Mick McCarthy made bold substitutions (instead of his usual policy of shutting up shop) and the win came from playing 4-2-4 for the last 15 minutes. Just follow the crowds. I arrived on the nearby Woolwich Road and caught a Number 486 bus to North Greenwich Underground Station (on the Jubilee Line), next to the O2 Centre. The home crowd had been silenced from very early on in the match, and I couldnt see Charlton getting back into the match unless there was something spectacular on their bench waiting to come on that we didnt know about. The Valley is a very impressive stadium with three of the four stands all enclosed. A long day but ultimately very enjoyable. It was a bustling pub, with a proud bust of Nelson near the door. B The . This diminished the anticipation but it had been a few years since I last went to the Valley so I was looking forward to seeing the place again. Prices not too bad considering it's London. Maybe clubs with smaller support don't have this issue. I travelled down to Charlton on a supporters coach which left Bradford at 1pm. As others have mentioned, there's quite a nice "feel" about Charlton and I hope the issues that the supporters have with the owners are resolved asap. (More on that point later). I was with the home fans in the North Stand. Q: . I walked back to the station, the trains werent too frequent and the platform filled up before the first train arrived. They followed up this great start with a brilliantly taken free-kick on 34 minutes, scored by Berg Gudmundsson from 25 yards. Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Valley Football Ground? Click the thumbnails above to enlarge an image of each stand and to read a more detailed description of each part of the Stadium. Only a short stop in the club shop. This pub had recently won the Camra pub of the year and had a good selection of ales on offer. There was a roof covering most of our fans, although those standing in the first 5-6 rows got soaked by the rain. After years of vigorous campaigning and lobbying Greenwich Borough Council, funds were finally raised to convert The Valley to all-seating in December 1992. Easy to make a lot of noise! With King Billy back in charge at the City Ground it seemed only right to attend his first away game back and it had the potential to turn into an absolute great day. Modern All Seated Attendance Record: Inside, you realise just how big the club can be. It would actually have been quicker to walk. Once we got through the short journey into South London was pretty straight forward. Here are our recommendations for you to consider: London is a city filled with pubs, clubs and bars for your delectation, with each suburb like a mini-city all of its own. A few minutes walk away; are the Crown, ONeills, the Morden and Zerodegrees Microbrewery. Bus - The Valley Express operates on match days from locations across the South East, dropping off at the stadium. Go behind the scenes. Well it was the day I had been looking forward too for ages. Once we got off of the train the Valley ground is easy enough to find with the police directing supporters towards the away end. Q:Is there a place for a personal assistant to sit with the wheelchair supporter? I was embarrassing his station for making such an elementary mistake. Q:Does the stadium have a changing places toilet (for special needs with a hoist and bench)? 2. However, the solitary supporting pillar located in the middle of the stand is annoying when viewing the game being played. Near the Cutty Sark is the Old Brewery in the Naval College grounds where there is a cafe and bar. Saturday Matchday: 10.00 am kick-off and for 30 minutes. There are two bars either side of the stand and as you enter the ground from the left the first bar will get busy compared to the more hidden bar beyond the stand on the right hand side. No problems. After going for a return trip on the (excellent) Emirates Air Line, it was a tube ride from North Greenwich back into London for some more sightseeing in Leicester Square/Covent Garden before Euston and home. Barnsley sold about 1500 tickets for an away end that holds 3000. The Addicks Year Ground Opened: Almost a forgotten team in London, especially since they have been out of the Premier League since 2007, Charlton is nonetheless a fun day out: an easily reached, family-friendly club in a part of London that might surprise you with its visitor options. Simply a case of turning right from the station exit, left at the Sainsburys convenience store, then following the road; turning right into Valley Grove the ground opened up in view. One of the quickest journeys from a railway station to a ground you can make. How to get to Nils Ericsons Plan 4 in Stockholm by Bus, Metro - Moovit 21/12/22, 0-0 (4-3 after penalties), Carabao Cup, Att: 17,464. We crossed the main road and walked down to the Anchor and Hope pub on the banks off the Thames. Choose where you want to sit by picking your favorite category. The away end is the smallest stand of the stadium and it holds around 3000. By the time the injury time board was raised, very few home fans remained at all. It is the final day of the 2001-02 Premier League season and Charlton Athletic have held Manchester United to a 0-0 draw in front of more than 67,500 fans.. United's starting line-up was a . The place was packed as expected with us filling another clubs away end as usual! As the DLR rode above the roofs of docklands houses, I enjoyed watching the planes fly away from London City Airport. The other three sides have all been redeveloped with modern stands. If you are coming up the Woolwich Road from the the Blackwall Tunnel, then as you go past the ground, the industrial estates are on the left hand side. Then an easy tube ride home; Alan and I met another Rovers supporter Steve from Chesham so passed time talking to him. The journey relatively easy due to travelling on one of the supporters coaches. Why were you looking forward to visiting the Valley football ground? Same old story for us, dominated the game but couldnt take our chances. Good fun. The club got hold again of The Valley in 1988, but the stadium had then fallen into disrepair and a proposed redevelopment was blocked by the local Greenwich council. Your email address will not be published. There were a few Charlton fans drinking in there. Few changes were made in the following decades, until in the late 1970s a modest new main stand was built and a few years later the new covered Jimmy Seed Stand at the southern end. Bus numbers 53, 54, 161, 177, 180, 422, 472 and 486 all call to near the ground, dropping off either on the A206 or in Charlton Village, both of which are a short walk away from the ground itself. There were long queues for food and drink prior to the game but staff were serving people quickly My view was pretty good avoiding the one pillar and the Valley is an impressive ground with two stands for home fans consisting of two tiers and a single tier stand with a low roof.

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