A day on the road with Charlton's loyal away fans

OUR coach pulls out of Anchor and Hope Lane at 8.03am on a cold, bright morning, heading west in search of an unheard-of 11th away win of the season.

There's no early morning chanting about being top of the league, just the same kind of quiet confidence that seems to have settled over the team on its path to the Championship.

A key factor is the away support, the fans who travel to all parts every other weekend to let the team know they are with them all the way...

Janet Freak has to think about the number of years she has supported Charlton, having let slip that she had gone to Millwall as a child.

“Errrr... 1992-93, 19 years!

“When Charlton came back to The Valley, they had Valley Gold and they sent tickets with £2 off. I loved the atmosphere, loved the friendliness, loved everything about it.

“This is what is so special about Charlton.

“People talk about Charlton fans and, yeah, we are good.

“I attend all the home matches.

“Unfortunately, we have now got some fans who think standing up is their right and I'm sorry, when you get an older person like me, you want to sit down.

“It's fun on the coach: the laughter, the awful films you see, it's all part of the travelling, thoroughly enjoying yourself.

“Mind you, there is a lot more swearing at games now than there used to be.

“You also have to sit where your ticket says, but you do adapt.

“Perhaps I'm sounding negative, but I'm not really.

“My most memorable match was a draw.

“It was at home to Manchester United.

“Johnny Robinson in the last minute.

“They were 3-1 up and we came back to 3-3. It was a real cracker.

“Then of course there was Claus Jensen's goal off on his knee over Nicky Weaver's head at Man City.

“Weaver kicked the ball, it hit Claus and rebounded back straight over the top of his head into the goal.

"I actually prefer it down in this division. You meet some nice away fans.

“You'd be surprised, they are really great. Our family sponsored the match at Rochdale with a group of Rochdale fans.

“We called ourselves Friends of Football. It was September last year.

“They are coming down next week and we're having a meal, going to the match and then going out in the evening.

“That is what it's about. It's not like standing outside a Premier Division club with your arms held out and being virtually strip-searched.

“You don't get that in the lower leagues, it's so much nicer.

"I loved Phil Chapple and Keith Jones. He was just lovely - and to see him run.

“He would never run forward, he'd run sideways and he would always have his hands out funnily.”

At the ground we meet Ed Ryan on one of the few away trips he makes in a season.

This time his support is touched with sadness.

“My brother John passed away last year at the age of 74,” says Ed. “I've been a fan myself for 60 years. It was a choice between Millwall and Charlton, and I followed Charlton.

“I find away trips more exciting than home matches. This was a lovely journey today, for example.

“The most exciting times for me were the 1950s and 60s when we were in the First Division.

“My favourite players were Derek Ufton, a brilliant centre-half, and Stuart Leary, a brilliant centre-forward.

“You're Finnish, so you'll know what a good goalscorer Jonatan Johansson turned out to be years later.

“The current team has gelled so well together. It's looking very good and I've been very impressed with Chris Powell so far.

“It's important to go up automatically. We don't want to go to Wembley this year but today we will win 5-1.”

Hazel Nolan is stats lady to her husband Kevin, whose match reports have been required reading for Charlton fans over three decades.

“I've been a fan ever since I met Kevin, which is about 20 years.” says Hazel.

“I met him when I took my son Adam to Marvels Lane Boys' Club, where Kevin worked.

“Now I go to every game to be with him. It also gets me out of the kitchen.

“The best period for me was in the Premiership, definitely.

“It was lovely to go to all those 'big' clubs.

“I loved it when we beat Arsenal 4-2 and we beat Chelsea as well on Boxing Day.

“This season we've got a real team, haven't we?

“They play for one another and Chris Powell's great. I don't think he's a softie but he brings out the best in them.

"I also liked the team with Mark Kinsella, John Robinson, Steve Brown. Johnnie Jackson reminds me of Steve Brown.

“I do the stats for Kevin - the corners, the bookings, the goal timings, etc - and recently had Brown taking a corner.

“I'm hoping we can go up automatically, I don't think I could stand another play-off.”

Coach steward Jean Tindell, 80 next birthday, who lives in Bromley, has been a Charlton fan for 65 years and is a great one for dates.

She said: “My mum had left home and my dad had come out the army after the war.

“I lived with him and he wanted to go and see Charlton play Stoke on December 28 1946.

“Stanley Matthews was playing for them, so he took me there and that was it.

“Charlton won 1-0, I can't remember who scored, I was about 12.

“It's been wonderful ever since, the years just go by.

“I met my ex-husband on the way to Manchester City.

“We lost 5-1 that day so I should have thought of that, but it took a long time to lose him. I still go to most away games.

“Away is brilliant because this is where you make all your friends.

“I've got friends from when we started the supporters' club in 1949, that was on the November 16.”

Jean added: “We all put five shillings each to start the supporters' club.

“There were 20 of us. I had to borrow the money because I was still at school.

“It went on from there and we started going to away games. I went to my first away game on the March 28 1948, to Aston Villa.

“I went with the boy next because it was his birthday. He was 13 and his mum paid for us both to go. I was living in Abbey Wood in those days.

“Charlton is all your family. Wherever I go I meet Charlton supporters - including Canada.

“It's been my whole life really. Eddie Firmani lives in America now but he comes over once a year and we go out for a meal with him.

“That period was first time I was let loose on my own, my dad always took me before, so that's still special to me.

“To this day, the day after the cup final the crowd who started the supporters' club - the numbers are dwindling, of course - all meet up for a meal.

“I couldn't get a ticket for our cup final because I was too young but I got a letter from Jimmy Seed apologising for me not being able to get one.

“I've still got it but it's bit moth-eaten now. I used to stand behind the goal, and on Wednesday nights we used to go to the pictures in Woolwich, the players and all of us, the Odeon at the ferry.

“Sam Bartram used to come with his wife. He was a lovely man, very talented.

“He had a beautiful singing voice. Sometimes he travelled home with us on the coach from away games.

“This year feels so good because we've got a team. They all play together - and isn't that defence special?”

Colin Cox, a caretaker at Willow Dene School in Plumstead, has been a supporter since the days of Eddie Firmani.

“My dad first took me when I was about seven,” he said.

“I go to near enough all the away games now. It's better than home games, people, coaches, the whole buzz, getting excited the might before.

"The Premiership years were great, of course. Blackburn was a great day.

“We had a great win at Aston Villa when Stevie Brown went in goal. That one sticks in my mind, even though we got relegated that year.

“It's all been good supporting Charlton.

“There's a true Charlton spirit and we always bounce back. That spirit was get us back and Chris Powell's the right man to do it.

“I was a bit dubious and wrote letters to Charlton, didn't think he was experienced enough.

“But he's kicked out the dead wood, brought in some new players and we've got a great defence now.

“Morrison's a pillar, and Bradley Wright-Phillips will come back once he gets another goal.

“My favourite player down the years? Derek Hales, has to be.

“He could shield a ball and scored like Gerd Muller, always from a yard or two.

“Charlton's a family club, people are friendly.

“Some people say we should be fierce and frightening at home, but that's not us and the place is buzzing and I love an away day.”

Simon Coombs has made the trip from his home in Torbay.

“Some of the happiest days of my life were spent at The Valley,” he says.

“Derek Hales, Mickey Flash (Flanagan), PeeWee (Keith Peacock), Colin Powell, a tremendous winger.

“I've come up today with my brother-in-law who's Charlton through and through.

“It is fantastic to see the turnout here and looking forward to a win. It's 100 per cent they go up this season. I think Chris Powell has done a fantastic job for the club.”

A Danny Green cross, a goalkeeping fumble and Charlton win, not 5-1 but 1-0.

There's still no mad chanting on the coach, just solid reflections on a job well done and legendary supporter Les Turner's timeless ditty: ‘Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to see old Charlton win away - hey!’

No report on an away trip would be complete without some words of wisdom from Charlton's top match reporter these past 30 years, Kevin Nolan, who's handwriting his report for a website under the coach light as we speed through darkest Hampshire.

Kevin starts with a swipe at how things used to be: “Away travel got to be really unpleasant, these 'erberts who equate masculinity with how many pints of beer you can drink.

“When beer is taken, common sense takes a holiday.

“They turned up for coaches at 7am or 8am with cans of lager like you really need it, silly chanting and bating rival fans.

“But the people we travel with now are just delightful, so committed to Charlton, all ages, it cuts right across.

“What I'm there is for the football. I'm not interested in anything else but the football, then I have to go home and make out I'm doing a balanced report.

“I've been going to away games for years and years but I haven't missed a Charlton first team game for 15 seasons if, God willing, I complete this one, which is a fair old trot. I've got no plans to give up, it's what I do.

“I always get on Betty Hutchins' coach. She's sort of legendary, good-humoured, funny, she's really up for it, and runs a tight coach.

“You can have a laugh and a joke but you don't mess about too much on Betty's coach. No one brings alcohol on, but if you tried you wouldn't get away with it.

“There is a quiet confidence among fans. It's called trickle down, I think.

“We actually go to games now expecting to win, which at one time was unheard of.”

Kevin added: “We had seasons where we won one game away from home, that sort of thing, but now we are coming back from our 11th success on the road.

“Les Turner is getting quite practised at his Jingle Bells ditty and we all join in.

“Don't quote me, but someone reckons we need nine wins, 27 points, from 18 games to be assured of automatic promotion.

“My favourite player down the years? Charlie Vaughan.

“I loved Charlie Vaughan, he was my idol.

“He was no oil painting, he had a hooked nose, bandy legs and all that, but at centre-forward he always hit the ball cleanly, he never scuffed or sliced it. He always hit it sweetly and was good in the air for a bloke who was only about five-foot-nine.

“He was on the staff in 1947 when Charlton won the cup but he was already cup-tied, having played for Sutton United, I think it was.

“He played through the late 1940s and early 50s and scored 90-odd goals in 200 and something games, and all his goals were in the top division. Best striker I've seen in Charlton's colours.

“I first got involved with Charlton through that cup final. My brother Tom came over from Ireland and had the cheek to apply for a guinea seat.

“Charlton wrote back and said no but you can have two at ten-and-six (51p).

“So he had an extra ticket so me and my brother Tony tossed a coin that sentenced me to a life of following them.

"It's infectious, nce you support a club you don't go to another one.

“I love a jellied eel but wouldn't support the other one in the area. It's unthinkable.

"I think Charlton are going to go up now.

“They're just too good not to, they're a team, they're solid. They were playing better earlier in the season, scoring fours and fives.

“Now they're scoring one goal but making it stand up, three 1-0s in a row and that defence is outstanding.

“People talk about playing but don't really mean defence, which is an art in itself.”

We're pulling back into SE7, tired but happy, at 9.53pm, a slight mist rolling in from the Thames.

As we disembark there's time for one last refrain from Les: ‘Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to see old Charlton win away. Hey!’

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