Into the Valley: Finding the feeling at Charlton Athletic.

Words: Sarah Kelly

Images: Shot on film by Sarah Kelly and Louise Sturdee (where stated)

I feel it.

The fact you’re reading this means you probably feel it. Football isn’t the same anymore.

Blame it on getting older and jaded or blame it on the powers that be selling fans down the river for a quick but very lucrative payday.

Regardless of what you blame it on, there seems to be an increasing number of us falling out of love with football.

It may be easy to put this feeling down to the fact that my beloved Luton town are deciding to do their best impression of a team hurtling towards League One – a very convincing one at that but even on our rise to the top tier you could see the very fabric of the game changing.

©Louise Sturdee/ Terrace Edition. Charlton Athletic vs Stevenage FC.

Between 115 charges, media love ins with Hollywood owners and locals being priced out by greedy owners, the landscape is worlds apart from the jolie laide jagged edges of the terraces that I grew up on.

Instead of wallowing in the face of these facts and my crippling inability to do anything about it, I have instead decided to do anything and everything in my power to rediscover the magic that keeps me coming back to the nations favourite pastime every Saturday.

The first stop was to see an ex... Nathan Jones. A figure that divides opinions particularly between town fans but there can be no doubting the man's obsession, drive and fighting spirit he can instill in his teams. But I digress. This trip wasn’t about him, it was about the place he currently calls his home – The Valley.

The block of flats that overlooks the South Stand has a special place in my heart because that’s what it's all about really.

©Sarah Kelly/ Terrace Edition. Charlon Athletic vs Stevenage FC.

Add to that a stadium just a stone’s throw from the station and you’ve struck gold – a club in the heart of its community.

The club don’t particularly pull the crowds in, I imagine its difficult when many of your neighbouring teams can offer top flight football, but with Charlton flirting with the play offs hopefully some fresh blood will be inspired to take a trip to the Valley.

The noise generated by the North Bank was impressive so I can only imagine the sheer cacophony of sound that would be produced by a packed out stadium singing their ode to Matty Godden.

On this venture into London for the match vs Stevenage, I was joined by my friend and fellow football romantic Louise and together we have put together a gallery of the Addicks’ home.

Our tickets were in the back rows of the North Bank, so we were directly opposite the less glamourous away end of the south bank, which I’ve learned was supposed to be much bigger but plans were abandoned following relegation from the top flight.

I’ve visited the Valley twice previously as an away fan and personally, I quite like that the South Stand is much smaller, the North Stand opposite cuts an imposing and grand figure and the long staircase to the right makes you feel small.

Exactly how you would want an away fan to feel. I don’t have any images of the view from the South so you’ll just have to take my word for it mate.

The walk from the station and build up is every bit as class as the stadium is. The Charlton mural that directs clueless people like me to the Valley as soon as you step out from the station, the Valley Cafe which I’m sure will be part of many an Addicks matchday ritual and a trek down Ransom Walk.

The smell of the burger van hits you first before the deceptively impressive ground emerges. Programme sellers at their stalls, a long queue that continues far down the street and not a half and half scarf in sight.

That’s the feeling.

It's a crying shame that a number of the prem stadia in London – we won’t name names, but rest assured I didn’t find the feeling there on my visits to them last season – are just so soulless and boring.

Bowls with no identity, £7+ pints and an athletics track is what is served up instead... give me the chicken run any day.

Aside from one or two (Craven Cottage I’m looking at you) they don’t spark that excitement. But look further South and The Valley is here to ease your Barclays induced ailments.

Sarah is on X: @sezkez_ and Instagram: sezkezz

You can find Louise on X: @L0ujade and Instagram: 35mmlou

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