To be fair from then on it was pretty much one way traffic. Ticket prices range from 17.00 for a seat in one of the corners to 29.00 for a central seat at the main stand. After the game, I walked back to the Railway Station. Didnt try a pie but got great comments from the man next to me, who was enjoying his. 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. The Valley Stadium is definitely in a valley and travelling from the south to the ground means that you will see a great vista of this red-clad Premiership-looking ground with the River Thames in the background. However, the solitary supporting pillar located in the middle of the stand is annoying when viewing the game being played. A penalty was slotted away after three minutes, and the home fans had some hope against Watford, who were one of the divisions pace setters. As away fans you do seem very distant from the other sides of the ground. Remember if travelling by train then you can normally save on the cost of fares by booking in advance. This was very poor. Charlton Athletic had already played at various ground when they first moved to The Valley in 1919. 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). I guessed that the match risked being one that both teams might be more scared to lose, rather than going for the win. Charlton Railway Station very close to the ground and plenty of trains. Considering the size of the Valley, as a first time visitor you'd be forgiven for not knowing there was a ground nearby, as it's very much nestled within the nearby houses. 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. (More on that point later). Comment on the game itself, atmosphere, stewards, pies, facilities etc.. As previously said, the facilities were very basic but they were good enough. I do enjoy an away day in the capital and the Valley did not disappoint. The pattern of play didn't change though with Argyle resorting to long range efforts from Carey whilst Charlton had chances to increase their lead with Zyro going close. 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. There is also a Ladbrokes betting kiosk inside the ground. I travelled from Doncaster on Grand Central. We decided to head to the ground at about 2pm, and was very surprised to see programmes for the game being sold in local newsagents. Why were you looking forward to visiting the Valley Football Ground? Charlton Rail station is a small walk away from the station. It is accessible to coaches, although no parking is available for them at the pub. I was sent back to the train to Maze Hill station, where the mess was sorted out by a very friendly train person, who behaved like a travel therapist rather than a source of train information. It was generally okay but not much leg room if tall. yet on the train it was packed like sardines, because about half of the travelling Gills fans were all getting the train home. The journey to the Valley ground took us to London Bridge, using the interchange to National Rail. There was no sense in the area that a former Premiership football ground in the neighbourhood; no adverts of Charlton players modelling watches or cars on the bill boards. It will take you just under an hour to complete the journey and will cost in the region of 50. to avoid the Premier league. 2017-2018: 11,844(League One), Unofficial Web Sites: Required fields are marked *, Please read our Terms and Conditions before submission. We caught the 5.40pm train and arrived at St Pancras at 6.10pm. It was my 18th ground out of the 92 and my 6th in League One. I liked the area but will head somewhere else when next in town. Rows with photos. What did you do before the game pub/chippy home fans friendly? The away end is further up Valley Road, the entrance is not easily visible; but we were pointed in the right direction. It needs some TLC just to make it look clean and tidy. Back on the bus and got off near Charlton station. Prices for these matches start from 19 for adults, 15 for over 60s and under 21s. Even though the away end was packed with over 3000, plus we had opted for the facilities that you come across when coming through the turnstiles-as most did down to the fact the ones on the opposite side of the stand weren't apparent-the service before the game was quick. The stand to our left and opposite was a two-tier and the stand and to our right was a large single tier. The Valley is the 27,111 capacity home ground of Championship side Charlton Athletic Football Club. Directions are then as above. We took the 486 bus from near the station to North Greenwich, with no problems. Went straight to ground due to earlier kick off. See the view from your seat at The Valley., page 1. You can tell this is a Premiership-standard ground, and whilst feeling for Charlton's recent predicament, it's nonetheless great to visit these grounds in Football League action. At this stage we hadn't seen one home fan! 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. The Valley, section ESE, home of Charlton Athletic FC, page 1 The usual traffic hold-ups after the game, but we were on our way back and clear of the grounds vicinity about 20 25 minutes after getting back to the car. Here are some of the usual routes youll look towards: Train - Charlton Railway Station is a short walk from The Valley. The long journey down south on a Tuesday night was a killer, but it's definitely worth it. So come on you Addicks, turn it around, and well see you next season! Journeyplanner.org London public transport journey planner. The game itself was a bore finishing 0-0. We were seated in Row D, to one side of the ground. A very good view, with the exception of a rather obtrusive pillar, although this only really affected the view near the corner. 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. The Valley, section South Stand Block B, home of Charlton Athletic FC Vereiste velden zijn gemarkeerd met *, Bundesliga stadiums Eredivisie stadiums La Liga stadiums Ligue 1 stadiums Premier League stadiums Serie A stadiums Scottish Premiership stadiums, Europes Largest Football Stadiums Champions League Final venues Europa League Final venues World Cup Final venues Euros Final venues Latin Americas Largest Football Stadiums. Getting away from the ground was okay. The journey relatively easy due to travelling on one of the supporters coaches. Exit the M25 at junction 2, towards London (SE & C). Walk away. No Shirt Sponsors: It seemed to take for ever to get to the Blackwall Tunnel-all because it transpires a car had broken down taking out a lane and causing the mayhem for miles back! In contrast, the away end was full and raucous, generating considerable noise drowning out the announcer and the noughties rock music. You will receive an email as soon as Charlton Athletic Tickets will be available. A few minutes later the referee blew the final whistle and all three points were in the Reds bag. And before any of you readers say, this is not a Kent derby. 296 Woolwich Road, Charlton, London, SE7 7AL (020 8473 0038). One last interesting point worthy of note is that the Charlton Athletic Museum has been open since this January (I advise people to check the opening times on the Club Website). Charlton Athletic FC North Stand Suite Tickets - Ticketmaster All was peaceful and the home fans I spoke to were very welcoming. As I mentioned earlier in the article, his resignation was rather controversial as I later read in Charltons Voice Of The Valley fanzine that he effectively had no other option but to resign following the difficult working conditions created by the Clubs new billionaire owner, Roland Duchtelet. Seating view photos from seats at The Valley, section South Stand Block B, home of Charlton Athletic FC. Check your email for your order confirmation as well as your order number. An excellent choice with nice friendly staff and a free spread of sandwiches, roast potatoes and sausages, which were very well received! To be honest the immediate area by the ground is quite run down. Also hats off to the person in the North Stand who banged the drum throughout. Q:Are away supporters using wheelchairs situated with the away supporters? If you have a bit of time of your hands and want to experience a different way of going to a football match, then you could catch a River Bus that sails along the Thames from Westminster to Greenwich. Otherwise, the height between rows is good and the stand quite steep, keeping you fairly close to the playing action. There was only a few mouthy QPR fans trying to stir things up but the local Police moved them quickly on. If anything I'd say it's a very bland club that needs a bit of passion pumped into it. There was a sizeable Police presence and I didn't see any disorder. 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. Metro : 11 13 17 18. Very annoying it is as well. Attacking the home end they equalised and the Charlton fans responded with a good noise. My Oyster card also gave up on me so it was out with my contactless debit card. A Championship match against Huddersfield wasnt the biggest of games, but the 5 ticket offer added to the factors outlined in Section 1 made it a memorable day. For the Home support, today was a happy Valley something that hasnt happened too often this past season, judging by the fanzine I bought! As long as you eat fried food you will never starve in London! A cup of hot water plus a teabag is 2.20. Getting out the ground was no problem Albeit a walk up the hill to the car in thunder and lightning! A long wait for abus then two came at the same time! Prices Are Set By Sellers And May Be Above or Below Face Value. I honestly didnt know whether to dread or look forward to this in the immediate run-up to the game. You could tell that Premiership football had been played at this ground and the stadium was impressive, but a big shell. I really enjoyed my visit to the Valley and I would not hesitate in going back in the future. Charlton Athletics club store is located at the stadium and is contactable via telephone (0208 333 4035) and email ([emailprotected]). So as you can expect, the chants were funny! The Valley (London) - Wikipedia As the case on the way down, the journey took around 5 hours. Passed a couple of others which were home fans only but I cant really have any complaints about that. 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. Then I got the Tube to Blackfriars and caught the train to Charlton. In total it houses 9,000 fans. Slightly longer but probably quicker missing out traffic. It was a mild and sunny September evening, and I did not have any time commitments. There's a quite small servery for the whole of the stand staffed by friendly but rather inefficient servers. Although the food and beverage kiosks were well manned with staff, queues were still quite long. The contact information for corporate clients who want to book the pitch between April 28th and May 18th is as follows: Telephone (020 8333 4040) Email ([emailprotected]) and the person at the other end of the line should be able to advise you better. Covid Restrictions may be in place when you visit The Valley in 2023. The Valley (London) Charlton Athletic F.C. A plenty simple affair. It was dry when we visited but I wouldn't want to stand on a wet day drinking my beer! The outside concourse and bar arent adequate for a sold-out away end it made getting a pint or getting to the toilets very hard work. Once we were out of the away end getting back to the coach was fairly straight forward. The view was amazing. As this is London with fantastic public transport and lots to see in the centre my advice would be to not feel to restricted to hotels near Charlton. A great day out in London and I'd thoroughly recommend an away day at The Valley. 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. Charlton 0 - 0 S'land - Match Report & Highlights - Sky Sports Sections with photos. Very impressive looking when you first go in, strange seating in the corners opposite the away fans but that's what happens when you mix old with new. There is a large area just outside the South Stand that is marked out with hatched yellow paint; it transpires that its the zone where you physically could stand with a drink and watch the action, hence it was marked out as what we christened the box junction and was being firmly policed as a no drinking zone. I have to point out, as it doesn't seem to have been mentioned in other reviews, that the refreshment area and toilets are open to the elements! They cater for both large-scale corporate events as well as for smaller, more intimate parties. 7. Away end is ample for most away support and has great acoustics, however, unless on the front few rows you can not see the goal line! Comment on getting away from the ground after the game: No problem what so ever. After buying a programme for 3, we took up our seats. Entering the ground required the usual bag searches; then it was a case of entering the away stand, being told by stewards to sit where we liked. A great day out especially with 3 points added to it. Not a bad away day despite the result. Stewards were friendly and, one thing I did notice was that there was a large Police presence for a game where there wasn't a rivalry of any sort and there were only about 5,000 people in attendance. Click next and choose your preferred payment option. Sunderland slipped out of. It's the Charlton's record for today. Subscribe to Skansen's Swedish newsletter . A south London Derby is always an attraction. The other three sides have all been redeveloped with modern stands. Good old satnav got us around the M25 and A2, arriving by 10am. The story of how the supporters got involved in local politics, gaining some 15,000 votes in local elections to force through the processes needed to get the club back to the Valley is one of the greatest untold stories in English soccer, and Im always mindful of that when I enter this stadium ; a good stadium too that wouldnt exist otherwise. Once arrived at London Paddington Station, we ventured onto the London Underground, heading for London Bridge. I had a pleasant day out and would go again. The opposite North Stand is pretty big and the corners are filled in joining the East and West sides of the ground. Away fans are housed in the Jimmy Seed (South) Stand at one end of the ground, which is slightly raised above pitch level, making for a generally good view. The Valley ground is less than five minutes from thestation. 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. What you did before the game pub/chippy. We didn't go to a pub beforehand because the only one we saw was the Antigallican which looked really busy. Good fun. 1919 Undersoil Heating: So much so that it makes the walk from Ipswich Station to Portman Road, look almost like a marathon! To make yourself feel a bit more uplifted when you watch Charlton, there is a pretty impressive selection of food outlets including the chance to have a salt beef roll cut in front of you by a carvery chef. Its hard to believe given that Charlton still play their games at the Valley but four years after opening, it looked like Charlton would be changing stadiums. Banging View great stadium There is a unique relationship between Charlton fans and The Valley. On route to the stadium there is an abundance of takeaway and fast food options located on Charlton Church Lane. When we got to the stadium we had a little look around before heading for the away end. With all tickets priced at 5 I couldn't argue and my mind was made up pretty quickly. From the station it is pretty simple to get to ground. I could only ever envisage myself using any other method of transport for fixtures at The Valley if the railways were non-operational for whatever reason. What you thought on seeing the ground, first impressions of away end then other sides of the Valley Ground? I just went straight into the ground and found my seat. Another ground to tick off the list. Why were you looking forward to this game and visiting the Valley football ground? Charlton Athletic Stadium - The Valley - Football Tripper I'm glad I went to both games even though we really needed a win in the league to keep us above the chasing pack. 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. Please Sign Up below to be the first to know when tickets are available and on sale. Finding the ground was straightforward with just a five minute walk from Charlton Station. A straightforward rail journey into London Euston before using the Underground. 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. These can be booked by calling0208 293 5695 or online via Booking.com. How very wrong we were! Q:How many wheelchair bays are available for your home supporters? I asked for a steak pie and was given a chicken curry one, this was disgusting. See bus route map (PDF document). The Angerstein Hotel is just on the left. Groundhopper Soccer Guides | Charlton Athletic Why were you looking forward to visiting the Valley football ground? An important point to bear in mind for those people travelling towards Central London from Charlton Station after the match the station entrance is in a nearby street called Delafield Road. They have played in the top-flight on four separate occasions. Thankfully we came out in the second half with more intent but sadly the finishing skills of an under 7's team! It was a short train journey from Greenwich to Charlton. Judging by the smell on the train, I don't think everyone was wearing deodorant either . Choose where you want to sit by picking your favorite category. As Id been to the ground onlytwo months before, it was an easy task for me to find! 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! Realising that a Saturday night could now be spent on a platform of a South East London railway station, I changed direction and heading to Woolwich Arsenal, taking the DLR into Central London. Q:Can the club accommodate family groups? 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. The stadium itself is quite impressive. 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. Charlton Athletic vs. Sheffield Wednesday, https://www.football-stadiums.co.uk/grounds/england/the-valley/#sigProId9586c11f05, Holiday Inn Express London Greenwich - 70+, Charlton 'A' Team v Summerstown (13/09/1919), Siemens Meadow, Woolwich Common, Pound Park, Angerstein Lane, The Mount Stadium, Selhurst Park, Red & White (Home) / Grey & Black (Away) 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. This was our first visit to The Valley so I was looking forward to the game. The stand was spacious and we had a pretty decent view of the playing area. I can only surmise that in those days, many fans were hoping on a speedy return to the top flight, and Id guess that the attendance was easily a good 10,000 down on earlier visits as people drifted away over the intervening years. Yes, I would visit the Valley again. 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. 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! The away end is quite open so quite chilly if cold and a wind blowing. I got the first train home. Traditional stand with seats that were a bit tight on knee room. The pubs in Charlton did not sound anything great so I got off at Greenwich. I got back to Kings Cross in plenty of time for my train and went to the Skinners Arms for a pint. The passage is actually quite wide, and not dangerous as hundreds of fans were walking in the same direction as me. I had brought a ticket online and found I was in the North stand amongst the Charlton vocal support. Where Can I Buy Charlton Athletic Tickets? However, today there were simply too many people to fit in comfortably, which was one indication the match would be a sell-out. 6. From the away end, you get quite a good view of the rest of the ground.
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