Anger and blame

I've only started to read the April edition of 4-4-2 just as the May one arrived (at the beginning of April). However, it did contain the now inevitable article on 'Charlton's slide' which seemed to be a re-hash of everything that has already been said, albeit it with extensive quotations from an interview with Steve Bailey who appearently is secretary of the Supporters' Club. It's the first time I'd heard of him, even though I am a member, but perhaps it's my fault for not keeping up.

There's also a letter from a frustrated Charlton fan who refers to releasing 'his pent-up anger' at bad home defeats. He says that this has built up over a couple of seasons leading to a 'torrent of infuriated abuse'.

I can see where he's coming from and I'm well aware of the argument that those who have paid their money to see a game are entitled to express their frustration, although it's something seen quite rarely in a theatre when a play disappoints. We do live in a blame society where the expression of anger is encouraged.

I'm not sure that it's actually very constructive in terms of deciding what the solutions might be. The fact of the matter is that the club is in dire straits in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s. The sale and leaseback of the training ground to raise a relatively small sum of working capital is indicative of this (see the New York Addick for a longer treatment of this issue). In the circumstances, it allows us to keep going.

It's going to be plain fare next season. But if fans can accept that and lower their expectations, The Valley might be a more enjoyable place to go to on a Saturday afternoon.