Charlton Athletic F.C. facts for kids

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Charlton Athletic

Full name	Charlton Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Addicks, The Valiants, Red Robins
Founded	9 June 1905; 120 years ago (1905-06-09)
Ground	The Valley
Ground Capacity	27,111
Owner	GFP (Global Football Partners)
Manager	Nathan Jones
League	Championship
2018–19	League One, 3rd of 24 (promoted via play-offs)
Home colours

Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football team from Charlton, south-east London, England. They play in Championship, which is the third level of English football.

Their home stadium is The Valley. The club has played there since 1919. They also played at other stadiums for a few years due to money problems and safety worries. Charlton's traditional uniform is red shirts, white shorts, and red socks. Their most common nickname is The Addicks. Charlton has local rivalries with other South London clubs like Crystal Palace and Millwall.

The club started on 9 June 1905 and became a professional team in 1920. They joined the Football League in 1921. Charlton won their division in 1929 and again in 1935. They were promoted to the top league in 1936 and finished second the next year. After losing the FA Cup Final in 1946, they won the FA Cup in 1947. They beat Burnley 1–0.

Charlton faced financial difficulties in the 1980s. They were promoted back to the top league in 1986. In 1998, Charlton won a play-off final to reach the Premier League for the first time. They were relegated the next year but came back as champions in 2000. Charlton stayed in the Premier League for seven years. They won League One in 2011–12 with 101 points. In 2019, they won the League One play-off final to return to the EFL Championship.

Club History

Early Years (1905–1946)

Charlton Athletic F.C. was started on 9 June 1905. It was formed by a group of 14 to 15-year-olds in Charlton, London. The club was always called "Charlton Athletic." It was not connected to other teams or churches.

Before World War I, Charlton played in local leagues. They quickly moved up, winning many leagues in a row. In 1905–06, they played friendly games. Then they joined and won the Lewisham League Division III in 1906–07. Around this time, the nickname The Addicks started to be used. By 1910–11, Charlton Athletic was playing in the Southern Suburban League. They won several local cups and leagues during this period.

The club became a senior team in 1913. This was the same year that nearby Woolwich Arsenal F.C. moved to North London.

When World War I began, Charlton was one of the first clubs to stop playing. Many players went to fight in the war. The club restarted in 1917. They played friendly matches to raise money for war charities.

After the war, they joined the Kent League for one season. Then they became a professional club in 1920. They hired Walter Rayner as their first full-time manager. They played one season in the Southern League. In 1921, they joined the Football League. Charlton's first Football League game was against Exeter City in August 1921. They won 1–0.

In 1923, Charlton had a great run in the FA Cup. They beat top teams like Manchester City. They reached the Quarter-Finals before losing to Bolton Wanderers. Later that year, there was a plan to combine Charlton with Catford Southend. For the 1923–24 season, Charlton played in Catford. They wore blue and white striped uniforms. But the move did not work out. The team returned to Charlton in 1924. They also went back to their traditional red and white colours.

Charlton finished near the bottom of the Football League in 1926. They had to ask to be re-elected to the league, which they were. Three years later, in 1929, Charlton won the Division Three championship. They stayed in Division Two for four years. After being relegated in 1933, the club hired Jimmy Seed as manager. He led Charlton to their most successful period.

Seed was a smart manager. He helped the team get promoted from Division Three to Division One between 1934 and 1936. They were the first club to do this. Charlton got into the First Division by beating local rivals West Ham United.

In 1937, Charlton finished second in the First Division. They finished fourth in 1938 and third in 1939. They were one of the best teams in England before World War II. During the war, they won the Football League War Cup.

Post-War Success and Challenges (1946–1984)

Charlton reached the 1946 FA Cup Final but lost to Derby County 4–1. In the 1947 FA Cup Final, they won the FA Cup. They beat Burnley 1–0, with Chris Duffy scoring the winning goal. During this time, Charlton had huge crowds. The Valley stadium was the biggest in the league. Over 70,000 fans would attend games.

However, in the 1950s, the club did not invest much in new players or the stadium. This stopped the club from growing. In 1956, manager Jimmy Seed left. Charlton was relegated from the top league the next year. They were relegated again in 1972. Support for the team dropped. They were promoted back to the Second Division in 1975. They were relegated again in 1979–80 but quickly promoted back in 1980–81.

The club faced serious money problems in the early 1980s. They almost went out of business.

The "Exiled" Years (1985–1992)

In 1984, Charlton went into financial trouble. They had to leave The Valley stadium in 1985. This was because of safety concerns after a stadium fire elsewhere.

The club started sharing a stadium with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. This was a difficult time for fans. Despite this, Charlton was promoted to the First Division in 1986. They stayed in the top league for four years. They famously beat Leeds in a play-off final in 1987 to stay in the top division. In 1987, Charlton also played at Wembley again. They played in the Full Members Cup final.

Charlton was relegated in 1990. Manager Lennie Lawrence left. Alan Curbishley and Steve Gritt became joint managers. They had a good first season. However, the club had to sell players to help pay for their return to The Valley. Fans formed a group called the "Valley Party." They pushed the local council to help the club return home. Charlton finally returned to The Valley in December 1992.

Premier League Years (1998–2007)

In 1995, Richard Murray became the new chairman. He made Alan Curbishley the sole manager. In 1996, Charlton reached the play-offs but lost. The 1997–98 season was Charlton's best in years. They reached the Division One play-off final against Sunderland. It was an amazing game that ended 4–4 after extra time. Charlton won 7–6 on penalties. This sent them to the Premier League.

Charlton started well in the Premier League. But they could not keep up their form. They were relegated on the last day of the season. However, the club believed in Curbishley. He led them to win the Division One title in 2000. This meant they returned to the Premier League.

Curbishley was good at buying players. By 2003, he had made Charlton a strong team in the top league. In the 2003–04 Premier League season, Charlton almost qualified for the UEFA Champions League. They finished seventh, which was their highest finish since the 1950s.

Curbishley left in 2006. Iain Dowie became the new manager. But he was sacked after only 12 games. Les Reed took over but was also replaced. Former player Alan Pardew became manager in December 2006. Results improved, but Charlton was relegated at the end of the season.

Return to the Football League (2007–2014)

Charlton's return to the second tier was disappointing. They finished 11th. In 2008, a company from Dubai wanted to buy the club. But the deal fell through. The club lost over £13 million that year. Pardew left in November 2008. The team went 18 games without a win. Phil Parkinson became manager. Charlton was relegated to League One in April 2009.

In the 2009–10 season, Charlton almost reached the play-offs. They lost to Swindon Town in the semi-final.

Former Charlton player Chris Powell returned to the club as manager between 2011 and 2014

After a change in ownership, Parkinson left. Another Charlton legend, Chris Powell, became manager in January 2011. He won his first game. Powell brought in many new players. On 14 April 2012, Charlton Athletic won promotion back to the Championship. They beat Carlisle United 1–0. A week later, they were confirmed as champions. They lifted the League One trophy on 5 May 2012. They had been in first place since September 2011. Charlton set a club record of 101 points that season.

In their first season back in the Championship, 2012–13, Charlton finished ninth. They were just three points away from the play-off spots.

Duchâtelet's Ownership (2014–2019)

In January 2014, Belgian businessman Roland Duchâtelet bought Charlton. The deal was worth £14 million. This made Charlton part of a group of football clubs owned by Duchâtelet. On 11 March 2014, manager Powell was sacked. This was after an FA Cup loss and with Charlton at the bottom of the league.

New manager Jose Riga helped Charlton avoid relegation. He guided them to 18th place. After Riga left, Bob Peeters became manager in May 2014. Charlton started strong, but many draws led to Peeters being fired. Guy Luzon took over. He made sure the team avoided relegation. They finished 12th.

The 2015–16 season started well. But Luzon's results got worse. He was sacked in October 2015. Karel Fraeye became interim coach but was also sacked. In January 2016, Jose Riga returned as head coach. But he could not stop Charlton from being relegated to League One. Riga resigned at the end of the season. Many fans felt the club was being poorly managed under Duchâtelet. Several protests began.

After a slow start to the new season, Russell Slade was sacked in November 2016. Karl Robinson was appointed manager. He led the team to a 13th-place finish. The next season, Robinson had the team fighting for the play-offs. But a drop in form led him to resign. Former player Lee Bowyer became caretaker manager. He guided them to a 6th-place finish. But they lost in the play-off semi-final.

Bowyer became the permanent manager in September. He led Charlton to third place in the 2018–19 EFL League One season. They qualified for the play-offs. Charlton played Sunderland in the League One play-off final at New Wembley Stadium. Charlton won 2–1. This earned them promotion back to the EFL Championship. Bowyer signed a new contract after the promotion.

Recent Ownership Changes (2019–Present)

ESI (2019–2020)

On 29 November 2019, East Street Investments (ESI) from Abu Dhabi bought Charlton Athletic. However, problems between the new owners started in March 2020. The main investor reportedly pulled out. The English Football League (EFL) said the takeover was not approved. The club's stadium and training ground were still owned by the previous owner. A ban on buying new players was put in place. This was because the new owners had not shown proof of enough money.

In April 2020, the EFL investigated the takeover. In June 2020, a new group led by Paul Elliott took over ESI. But a legal fight continued. On 7 August 2020, the EFL said three people, including Elliott, failed their Owners' and Directors' Test. This made the club's ownership unclear. Meanwhile, Charlton was relegated to League One at the end of the 2019–20 season. Most games were played without fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Later in August, Thomas Sandgaard, a Danish businessman, was reported to be buying the club. After more court hearings, Elliott blocked the sale of ESI until November 2020.

Thomas Sandgaard (2020–2023)

On 25 September 2020, Thomas Sandgaard bought the club from ESI. He passed the EFL's ownership tests.

On 15 March 2021, manager Bowyer resigned. Nigel Adkins was appointed three days later. The club finished seventh in the 2020–21 season. But they started the next season poorly. They won only two of 13 League One matches. Adkins was sacked in October 2021.

Johnnie Jackson became manager in December 2021. But Charlton finished 13th, and he was also sacked. Ben Garner was appointed in June 2022. He was sacked in December 2022 with the team in 17th place. Fans were worried about the club's future. Dean Holden became manager in December 2022. Charlton improved and finished 10th in the 2022–23 season.

SE7 Partners (2023–Present)

On 5 June 2023, SE7 Partners agreed to buy Charlton Athletic. This made them the club's fourth owners in less than four years. The deal was completed on 21 July 2023. On 27 August 2023, Holden was sacked as manager. Michael Appleton replaced him. Appleton was sacked on 23 January 2024 after 10 League One games without a win. Nathan Jones took over on 4 February 2024. Charlton ended a long winless streak in February 2024. They then went on a 14-match unbeaten run, their longest in 24 years. However, Charlton finished the season in 16th place, their worst in 98 years. Despite this, Charlton striker Alfie May won the League One Golden Boot award with 23 goals.

Club Identity

Colours and Crest

Crest of the former Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich Council, used by Charlton briefly in late 1940s and early 1950s

Charlton has used different badges over the years. The current design has been used since 1968. The first known badge from the 1930s had the letters CAF. In the 1940s, a robin sitting on a football was used. Sometimes it had CAFC letters. In the late 1940s, the local council's crest was used.

In 1963, a competition was held to find a new badge. The winning design was a hand holding a sword. This matched the club's nickname at the time, "The Valiants." Over the next five years, the design was changed. A circle was added with the club's name. By 1968, the current design was made. It has been used ever since.

Charlton has almost always played in red and white. These colours were chosen by the boys who founded the club in 1905. They had to borrow uniforms from Woolwich Arsenal, who also played in red and white. The only exception was in 1923–24. Charlton wore light and dark blue stripes. This was part of a planned move to Catford. But after the move failed, Charlton returned to red and white.

Nicknames

Charlton's most common nickname is The Addicks. This name comes from a local fishmonger. His name was Arthur "Ikey" Bryan. He used to give the team meals of haddock and chips.

The nickname changed over time. In 1908, the team was called "Haddocks." By 1910, it changed to "Addicks." The club also had other nicknames. These included "The Robins" (from 1931) and "The Valiants" (from the 1960s). The "Valiants" name led to the sword badge. But the "Addicks" nickname never went away. Fans brought it back after the club left The Valley in 1985. Now, it is the official nickname of the club again.

Charlton fans often sing "Valley, Floyd Road." This song mentions the stadium's address.

Stadium

One of Charlton's early grounds, Siemens Meadow

The club's first stadium was Siemens Meadow (1905–1907). It was a rough patch of ground by the River Thames. Then they played at Woolwich Common (1907–1908), Pound Park (1908–1913), and Angerstein Lane (1913–1915). After World War I, a chalk quarry was chosen as Charlton's new home. Work began in 1919 to make it a playing field. The first game at this site, now called The Valley, was in September 1919. Charlton stayed at The Valley until 1923. Then they moved to The Mount stadium in Catford. This was part of a plan to merge with another club. But the move failed in 1924. Charlton returned to The Valley.

In the 1930s and 1940s, The Valley was improved. It became one of the biggest stadiums in the country. In 1938, over 75,000 fans attended an FA Cup match there. In the 1940s and 1950s, crowds were often over 40,000. But after the club was relegated, The Valley was not maintained.

In the 1980s, the club faced problems with the stadium. A large stand was closed for safety reasons. The owner of the ground wanted to build houses there. In September 1985, Charlton moved to share a stadium with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. This move was very unpopular with fans. In the late 1980s, fans worked hard to bring the club back to The Valley.

A political group called the "Valley Party" was formed. They ran in local elections in 1990. They wanted to reopen the stadium. This helped the club return. The "Valley Gold" plan was created to help fans raise money for the return. Several players were also sold to get funds. For a short time, Charlton played at West Ham's Upton Park. Charlton finally returned to The Valley in December 1992. They celebrated with a 1–0 win against Portsmouth.

Since returning to The Valley, three sides of the stadium have been rebuilt. It is now a modern, all-seater stadium. It has a capacity of 27,111. This is the biggest in South London. There are plans to make the stadium even bigger in the future.

Supporters and Rivalries

Charlton's fans mainly come from South East London and Kent. This includes the London areas of Greenwich, Bexley, and Bromley. Supporters played a very important role in bringing the club back to The Valley in 1992. They were given a voice on the club's board. This role was later replaced by a fans forum, which still meets today.

Charlton and Millwall pay tribute to Graham Taylor at The Valley in January 2017.

Charlton's main rivals are their South London neighbours, Crystal Palace and Millwall. Unlike these rivals, Charlton has never played in the fourth tier of English football. Charlton is also the only one of the three clubs to have won the FA Cup.

In 1985, Charlton had to share Selhurst Park with Crystal Palace. This was because of safety problems at The Valley. This arrangement was not popular with either team's fans. Charlton fans campaigned to return to The Valley during this time. In 2005, Charlton caused Palace to be relegated. This happened after a 2–2 draw at The Valley. Palace needed a win to stay up. But Charlton scored a late goal. Since their first game in 1925, Charlton has won 17 games against Palace. They have drawn 13 and lost 26. The teams last played in 2015. Palace won 4–1 in the League Cup.

Charlton is very close to Millwall. Their stadiums are less than four miles apart. They last played in July 2020. Millwall won 1–0 at The Valley. Since their first league game in 1921, Charlton has won 11 games against Millwall. They have drawn 26 and lost 37. Charlton has not beaten Millwall in their last 12 league games. Their last win was in 1996.

Club Records and Statistics

• Sam Bartram has played the most games for Charlton. He played 623 times between 1934 and 1956.
• Keith Peacock is second with 591 games. He was also the first-ever substitute in a Football League game in 1965.
• Radostin Kishishev has the most international caps while playing for Charlton. He played 42 times for Bulgaria.
• 12 Charlton players have played for the England national team.
• Derek Hales is Charlton's top goalscorer. He scored 168 goals in 368 matches.
• The most goals scored in one season is 33 by Ralph Allen in 1934–35.
• Charlton's record home attendance is 75,031. This was for an FA Cup match against Aston Villa in 1938.
• The record attendance at the current all-seater Valley stadium is 27,111. This was first set in 2005 against Chelsea.

Player Records

Players

First-team Squad

No. Position Player 2 DF Kayne Ramsay 3 DF Macaulay Gillesphey 4 DF Alex Mitchell 5 DF Lloyd Jones (vice-captain) 6 MF Conor Coventry 7 FW Tyreece Campbell 8 MF Luke Berry 9 FW Gassan Ahadme 10 MF Greg Docherty (captain) 11 FW Miles Leaburn 12 MF Terry Taylor 13 FW Kaheim Dixon 14 FW Danny Hylton 15 DF Dan Potts

No. Position Player 16 DF Josh Edwards 17 DF Tayo Edun 18 MF Karoy Anderson 19 DF Nathan Asiimwe 20 DF Zach Mitchell 21 GK Ashley Maynard-Brewer 22 FW Chuks Aneke 23 DF Rarmani Edmonds-Green 24 FW Matt Godden 25 GK Will Mannion 26 DF Thierry Small 27 DF Tennai Watson 28 MF Allan Campbell (on loan from Luton Town) 29 FW Daniel Kanu

Out on Loan

No. Position Player — MF Aaron Henry (on loan at Rochdale)

No. Position Player

Women's Team

Charlton Athletic also has a women's football team, Charlton Athletic W.F.C..

Club Officials

Coaching Staff

Role	Name
Technical Director	Andy Scott
Manager	Nathan Jones
First Team Assistant Manager	Curtis Fleming
First Team Goalkeeping Coach	Stephen Henderson
Set Piece and First-Team Coach	James Brayne
Player-Coach	Danny Hylton

Managerial History

Alan Curbishley managed Charlton between 1991 and 2006

Many managers have led Charlton Athletic over the years. Here are some of the most notable:

Name	Dates	Achievements
Jimmy Seed	May 1933 – September 1956	Won Third Division (1935); Runners-up in First Division (1937); Won FA Cup (1947)
Lennie Lawrence	November 1982 – July 1991	Runners-up in Division Two (1986)
Alan Curbishley	June 1995 – May 2006	Won First Division play-off (1998); Won First Division (2000)
Chris Powell	January 2011 – March 2014	Won League One (2012)
Lee Bowyer	September 2018 – March 2021	Won League One play-off (2019)

Honours

Charlton Athletic has won several important trophies and achievements:

League Titles

• First Division (top league)
  • Runners-up: 1936–37
• Second Division / First Division (second league)
  • Champions: 1999–2000
  • Promoted (2nd place): 1935–36, 1985–86
  • Play-off winners: 1987, 1998
• Third Division South / Third Division / League One (third league)
  • Champions: 1928–29 (South), 1934–35 (South), 2011–12
  • Promoted (3rd place): 1974–75, 1980–81
  • Play-off winners: 2019

Cup Wins

• FA Cup
  • Winners: 1946–47
  • Runners-up: 1945–46
• Full Members' Cup
  • Runners-up: 1986–87
• Football League War Cup
  • Joint winners: 1943–44
• Kent Senior Cup
  • Winners: 1994–95, 2012–13, 2014–15
• London Senior Cup
  • Winners: 2022–23, 2023–24

Images for kids

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  This chart shows Charlton's league positions since they joined the Football League.