Operation Wigan (or get off your backsides)

Well, despite all good intentions it seems that Operation Cottage, instigated by the Charlton Life team, reported on here previously, has hit the buffers. A great idea and a very good attempt but it just doesn’t have the required exposure, at least not yet.

It has been suggested that Charlton have sold around 1,000 tickets for the game. Rumours of 2,500 plus Addicks making the short journey to West London seem unfounded. Some fans are still saying they will turn up on the night and pay on the gate, and undoubtedly they will be able to do so, but come mid-afternoon on Monday 16th, it’s raining and a mate calls to say how do you fancy a curry at the Omar Khayyam followed by a few pints down The Red Barn watching the game on Sky it is far easier to say okay when you have not already coughed up twenty-five quid for a ticket than when you have. If you are going to go then get off the fence, ring the Club and get your ticket. Otherwise shut-up.

Perhaps it’s already time for Charlton Athletic themselves to consider their annual ‘freebie’ trip. In fact it could be said that now is the time more than ever before. The previous ‘freebies’ to Port Vale, Forest, Bolton, Boro’ etc have all been launched to propel us towards glory, whether it be promotional glory or FA Cup glory. The same theme remains though; good times, happy times, times when we shouldn’t have needed such encouragement to support the team. Now the boot is on the other foot, nearly. Perhaps not yet bad times but, make no mistake, another couple of bad results and the bad times are just around the corner. The team, injuries permitting, is good enough for a top-ten finish, but once you become entrenched in the bottom three then it becomes psychological and whoops, before you know it, down you go. So it’s time for the Club to launch Destination Wigan.

Why Wigan you ask ? Well, for a few reasons :

1) we’d be able to get a large allocation of tickets.
2) the tickets will be of a reasonable price.
3) Newcastle is too soon, Sheffield Utd could be too late whilst Reading, a week after Wigan, is a new ground for most, a reasonable travelling distance, shouldn’t be too expensive and so should be well supported anyway. Another reason to get a large following up to Wigan the previous week.
4) it’s a winnable game.
5) it’s a great idea.
6) it can’t get any worse than last year at the JJB !!

So, it’s time to back Destination Wigan.

Let’s hope that someone at the Club (preferably someone important) either reads this, is alerted to this or are so clever that they have already had the same great idea. Failing that perhaps our Fans Representative will take up the baton and run with it. He can even claim all the credit if he wishes. Over to you Ben Hayes, let’s see what you are made of.

Up The Addicks !!