London as a football city

The latest posting from the excellent two unfortunates blog looks at London as a football city: London

Charlton aren't specifically mentioned. Quite rightly, the author focuses on the driving forces affecting football as a whole in London, including its status as a city region and a global city. Some of this is relevant context to our current plight.

When my new Anglo-French boss moved to London, he looked for a football club to support. His sister lived in Chelsea, but he decided that they were too expensive, so he went for nearby Fulham. Charlton didn't even come up on his radar because it was 'too far out' from the cosmopolitan centre.

I was inspired to get down from the bookshelves a book by one of my favourite authors, Charlton fan Charlie Connelly (he was also at university with one of my children). Called London Fields, it contains a chapter on 'The Supporters' Club: Peter Varney and the Rise of Charlton Athletic.' How ironic that title seems now when our chief executive takes photos of protesting supporters from the lounges. (There is also a chapter on Gary Nelson and one about Welling United).

It is a good read (the description of the two man Wembley away firm is hilarious). There is a copy on Amazon at £4.54 plus postage: London Fields