If only we'd stayed in the pub.
As it was, we missed the first fifteen minutes of the game due to the lure of Brains SA.
Charlton were awful, and that's being charitable.
If you weren't there, (lucky you), then you need to imagine the most inept pub side, missing a couple of their more mobile players and that might give you an indication of our 'performance' level.
I'm not going to break the game down.
It's all too raw just now.
A 4-0 defeat against anyone else wouldn't have been so shameful. We'd have shrugged, moaned and then carried on.
Such a heavy defeat against Millwall won't be forgotten for years.
In truth, I expected a defeat today but the manner of the defeat was most galling.
Millwall weren't actually that good, just better than us in key areas.
From what I saw of the first half, we were more than equal to Millwall and I began to believe we might be able to get a point.
A flukey, slow motion, non defended corner leading to a goal on 44 minutes didn't bother me too much. I was sure we'd get a few chances to level, later on.
The second half was a series of calamities joined together by errors.
What a load of shite.
After the 3rd goal went in, I turned to Crispy and said I wasn't prepared to stay if it went to 4.
Moments later, we exited the stand, only to find our passage blocked by a metal fence and rows of clueless police.
I wanted the team to see me leave and it to register as a protest.
We were not alone.
In the interests of 'safety', everyone was shepherded into a small area behind the North stand to 'save' us from meeting any Millwall supporters, (who were still in their seats, and would be for at least another 15+ minutes).
We could have had a head start leaving and personally, I'd have been home and relaxing on my sofa within 30 minutes.
People pushed, people shoved, policemen and women had their hats stolen and thrown about, people got angry with each other and argued among themselves.
Some people scaled the fences, only to be stuck between sections.
We stayed put and there was nothing we could do about it.
We were very lucky not to have a case of injury to add to the insults at the New Den.
Why it was safer to be trapped, rather than set free into empty streets or onto a passageway direct to the station was difficult to understand.
It's when people follow rules without any common sense that bad things happen.
Nobody expected thousands of people to leave early but once they had, the rule about penning them in until all home supporters had left, surely needed to be thought through.
I'm going to keep an eye on the post next week.
If Parky and his players have an ounce of decency, they will compose a personal letter to every one of the 3000 Charlton supporters present at the New Den, begging for forgiveness after the debacle this afternoon.
Parky will probably try and tell us we have a 'derby' next week to put it all right.
It's a derby I couldn't care less about and unless you live in mid Kent, you probably won't either.
I'm going to forget about football for a few days and come out of my pit by Wednesday or Thursday.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums out there.
May your day be better than anything on offer this afternoon.
A Casual Rating.
No polo shirts and no Primark novelty slogan tee shirts this week.
I'm awarding our team tickets to this show instead.
4 comments:
What a load of rubbish eh?
But we'll all be back at The Valley next weekend won't we?
We're all mad.
Yes, I'll be there too.
Gillingham haven't won away all season.
Even today at Stockport they only managed a 0-0 draw.
Place your bets now on their run ending next week!
I was kindly invited to the match by a friend who is a Millwall supporter the only downside was having to watch the match in a home section. I was surrounded by trainee Cockneys and Bermondsey wanabees of limited vocabulary who were more interested in insulting the Charlton fans to their left unaware there was a football match being played on the right. They stood in front of the seats, in the aisles and exits something prohibited in other grounds for H & S reasons and the stewards powerless to remove them.
It was a clear competition who could shout the loudest obscenities at the away fans in the fakest of cockney accents, many could star in a new show maybe SOUTHEASTENDERS alongside Dick Van Dyke trying to be a Londoner.
Taking a view on the certain supporters at The Den they obviously enjoy a large unhealthy fry up most mornings and ten pints before the game, no doubt its part of the profile of being a chip sucker.
The irony is I was born in Bermondsey, my family come from there making us indigenous unlike the plastic gangsters who assume they fall in the “I’M HARD” category because of supporting Millwall, if only they knew Bermondsey people don’t act muggy (for want of a term) like that.
Apart from the result and experiencing the insecurities of the “ no one likes us we don’t care” gang it makes me feel quite proud and refined to be a Charlton supporter. I suppose individually they are nice, mild and meek chaps especially when on their own, then again I could be totally wrong.
Whatever is the case I do know a lot of nice Millwall fans, really decent people who don’t fall into anything near the descriptions mentioned and it is a shame the possibility of association because they share the passion of Millwall Football Club.
Thanks for your comments.
It sounds like you were in the thick of it.
You are right, I too know a few Millwall supporters who are genuine, amusing and intelligent people & who's company I enjoy.
Unfortunately, as a group the lowest common denominator always seems to be highlighted.
Millwall seem to trade on the 'fear no foe' image so they shouldn't be surprised when all the wannabee hoolies align themselves with the club.
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