I missed the K/O because there were only TWO turnstiles open for a long time to let in the away fans. Queued up fro more than 30 minutes.
To be fair, the thought process behind the defective who threw the flares (and had a knuckleduster - wtf?) are also a bit open to contempt. Last season some of our 'hard cases' went down the street breaking wing-mirrors and windscreen wipers on cars, this year we throw flares (the same happened after losing at Plymouth. Bit of a nasty trend setting in, and I'm happy they caught the numbnuts who was involved. Gillingham seem to have provided the away facilities the lower rung of our fanbase require.
Nothing wrong with a bit of passion in our fan base so long as it doesn't cross the line. Far too many wallies, anoraks and train spotters following Charlton over the years - many of them at that Legends game yesterday. Good to see our fan base normalising.
Anyway, I wasn't actually suggesting Gillingham gave us especially duff facilities cos they knew some of our crowd would misbehave. The facilities are what they are. I was just drawing a line between them and a small group of idiots in our fanbase who seem to be an ongoing trend.
Ken - following Charlton around the country, I can assure you that we have one of the most anorakish and unrepresentative fan bases imaginable. Certainly miles different to that of most other clubs. It's great that we now have hundreds going to the awsys who have a bit of passion, and not their breakfasts still running down their chins.
How I view the security arrangements. Personally I have been quite vocal about the over zealous stewarding not just at Gillingham but many football grounds, I think I would list Wolves as the biggest bunch of numpties in that list if there ever was one. However, despite that, GFC did warn supporters on this occasion that the checks were going to be in place on police advice, not due to idiot fans but mainly due to the recent terrorist incident and I expect it did not help the suspect trying to pass through Dover less than an hour down the road! I'm not sure if the estimated delays of at least 15 minutes (I know it was more 30) were passed on to the Charlton supporters though, maybe something you might need to raise with your club as it was certainly published in the media in Medway. Having said all that I think the security checks failed big time and it made the whole exercise pointless, when a nob head has been caught in possession of an offensive weapon and then add to that the flare(s). I have nothing against flares as such but when the media start tieing in stories with that arrest and terrorism it concerns me with their objective. Comes across as though they want to glamorise terrorism for a story. No it was nothing more than an idiot football fan! I do have one view particularly in all this that I have argued many a time, if we are at a high security level, why are the police not carrying out the checks rather than clearly an incompetent yellow jacket brigade, there is enough money floating in around in the upper leagues to ensure the better safety of supporters, or have we not learned the lessons from Hillsborough/Bradford, where everyone shuts the gates (no pun intended) after the police horse has bolted!
Agree with your sentiments completely ken shabby. Petty vandalism and thuggery is shameful, and can never be excused. I would not even wish such moronic behaviour directed against members of the hated regime at Charlton, though certain individuals did advocate such things in the past. I know protesting and tribal rivalries between Clubs are not the same thing, but neither should be an excuse for damaging property or endangering people. Unfortunately throwing things now seems to be the fashion. It was never a good tactic, as idiots will always enjoy throwing dangerous things and should never have been encouraged.
Perhaps local residents should have been told as well there was a woman trying to drive down the road leading to the away supporters entrance at about 2:30... she was moaning that she lived there but was unable to drive along her own street... let's just say the queue for the TWO!!! turnstiles open was about 100 yards long and as far as I could see her car wasn't moving at all. By the time FHB and I got to the gates Gillingham had been forced to open all of SIX turnstiles but the searches were just taking ridiculously long. FHB and I had passed two entrances for home fans and the longest queue I saw at either of these was THREE people even with searches.
Exactly why i wrote my sentiments about stewarding, not for the first time, several seasons back the stewards tried to make STH's go through one turnstile dependent on your side of the ground, caused absolute chaos for which Scally had to apologise and maybe should again then. As for local residents, their dicks anyway, any idiot with half a brain knows to keep away from the ground with a motor vehicle on match days. The ground has been there longer than the residents so they don't really get my sympathy.
No Manager Of The Month nomination for Sir Karl Robinson at the end of September. Presumably it's down to 'them' (the shadowy conspiracy of referees and EFL officials who don't like Charlton to do well) holding us back and keeping us down. I'm surprised the apologists haven't called for a public inquiry. Didn't we have at least two stonewall penalty shouts turned down?