Charlton Athletic


Saturday 3rd December 2011 KO 3pm

Ground Name: The Valley
Capacity: 27,111 (all seated)
Address: Floyd Road, Charlton, SE7 8BL
Main Telephone No: 020 8333 4000
Team Nickname: The Addicks
Year Ground Opened: 1919
Pitch Size: 112 x 73 yards
Home Kit Colours: Red & White
Official Web Site: www.cafc.co.uk

Latest News

The Market Porter opens at 12noon and members will probably start congregating there not long after. Happily the Northern, Jubilee and national rail line to Charlton are largely unaffected by engineering works this weekend so our journey to and from Charlton will hopefully be a smooth one. Anyone thinking of getting the DLR to Greenwich should note that it’s closed between the city (Bank / Tower Gateway) and West India Quay. Also the entire Victoria line is out of action all weekend.

FA Cup 3rd December 3pm

The deadline for ordering tickets through the branch is 12 noon on Monday the 28th of November. Tickets are priced at £10 for adults and £5 for concessions (60 and over, under 21 and disabled tickets)

Meeting Place

market_porter
The Market Porter, 9 Stoney Street, Borough Market, London, SE1 9AA Tel: 020 7407 2495

One of the best real ale pubs in the capital and indeed the country. The beer range is excellent and ever changing. The downside is that it tends to be very busy and getting a seat is generally impossible. In warmer months this doesn’t pose a problem as drinkers tend to congregate outside on the pavement watching the world go by. There is a restaurant up stairs though if you’re looking for scran there are plenty of options round Borough Market and the surrounding area.

Other Boozers and Food Outlets Worth a Visit

There aren’t many decent pubs round Charlton and what there is tend to be packed on match days and generally home fan centric. The two best options for drinking pre match are either London Bridge or Greenwich both of which have loads of great pubs, restaurants and food options. The below list is a small selection of branch favourites and pubs used in the past.

London Bridge

Barrow Boy & Banker, 6 Borough High Street, SE1 9DQ Tel: 0207 403 5415

Architecturally impressive Fullers house and former branch meeting venue. Sells the full range of Fuller’s beers and does food. Right on the corner of London Bridge itself, closed Sundays.

The Rake, 14 Winchester Walk, London, SE1 9AG Tel: 020 7407 0557

A tiny corner pub on the edge of borough market. More of a beer bar than a traditional boozer but stocked with an excellent range of beers. Usually has 4 or 5 ales on draught with a large selection of bottled beers and interesting lagers available. It’s just round the corner from the Market Porter so a few members might pop in here for a sly one pre match.

Greenwich

The Cutty Sark Tavern, 4-6 Ballast Quay, Greenwich, London, SE10 9PD Tel: 020 8858 3146

To get to this excellent pub nicely off the tourist trail head down the Thames path from the Naval College, ignoring the touristy and vastly over rated Trafalgar Tavern and after about 5-10 minutes you will reach the Cutty Sark Tavern. An historic old pub dating to 1743 which sells good food and well kept real ale.

The Greenwich Union, 56 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8RT Tel: 020 8692 6258

Owned by the Meantime brewing company the Union sells a great selection of ales and lagers along with an extensive selection of bottles beers. Food is served and there is a beer garden at the back of the pub.


How To Get There

Train or Tube

Charlton station is in zone 3 and trains depart from both Charing Cross and London Bridge. The journey time is about 15 minutes with the most suitable trains from London Bridge to Charlton on the 22nd of October being the: 14.11, 14.19, 14.21, 14.31 or 14.41.

By tube, go to North Greenwich on the Jubilee line and get the 161, 472 or 486 from outside the station to the ground.


By Car & Where To Park

There is some parking around the Valley but much of it is restricted on match days with the local authority enthusiastically clamping any vehicle that contravenes regulations. As a result we would recommend getting the tube or train to the ground. For those that do wish to travel via car directions can be found on the official Charlton website.

What's the Ground Like?

thevalley
There can be few grounds with a more interesting history than the Valley. Constructed by volunteers from a disused chalk pit in 1919, the original stadium was devoid of any seats or even terraces and was for many years the largest ground in league football with a capacity of over 75,000. Over time with the introduction of modern safety restrictions the ground became increasingly dated and in the mid 80s Charlton were forced into the first ground share in the football league. After 7 years away Charlton returned to the Valley and it is now an impressive stadium with a capacity of 27,111. All areas of the ground are of modern construction with the exception of Jimmy Seed South Stand which dates from the early 80s and is used to host away fans. While the south stand looks a little dated compared to the rest of the stadium the view is still good provided you avoid sitting behind the one supporting pillar.

When Have We Been There Before?

In 19 previous visits to the Valley we have managed 6 draws, 12 defeats and 1 win! Our first victory at the Valley was last season when an inspired Carlisle performance resulted in a 3-1 away win with goals from Marshall, Curran and Loy.