Photos by Gary Foxall, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00 The Valley Floyd Rd London, England SE7 8BL United Kingdom Map It Charlton Athletic FC website The Valley website Year Opened: 1919 Capacity: 27,111 Into The Valley Charlton Athletic is a Championship football club from the southeast end of London. Their stadium, called The Valley, was built in 1919, and for many years it was London’s largest Football League venue with a capacity of 75,000. At the time, the ground consisted of three banks of large terracing, with the East Stand being the largest seated area in Britain. Over the years, the ground fell into disrepair, and in 1985, the club went into administration. Having then been saved by the club's supporters, the club spent the next six years playing at Crystal Palace's Selhurst Park and West Ham United’s Upton Park. During this period, The Valley became derelict, but in 1988 the stadium and the club were reunited together. Thousands of supporters undertook a massive clearing up task, but the large areas of terracing were now unsafe, and eventually the ground was rebuilt. Today, The Valley consists of three joined up stands, with the lone standing Jimmy Seed Stand used for the away supporters. The Valley is now a modern stadium with an all seated capacity of 27,111. If you look hard enough behind the stands, you will still see remains of some of the terraced areas. Food & Beverage 3 The approaches to the stadium are laden with portable food and drink operators, and once inside, the club food outlets supply the normal range of hot dogs, beef burgers, pies, chips, and hot and cold drinks, including beer and lager. Eating inside London stadiums can be expensive, but the prices at Charlton are only on par with everywhere else. Atmosphere 3 Unfortunately, I'm of the age where I can say that I have witnessed The Valley in all of its three guises: the old, the derelict, and the new. However, it still retains its very good atmosphere when full, although this has not been the case on many occasions since Charlton dropped out of the Premier League a few years ago. Although now a modern stadium, you can still get a feel of its past and is well worth visiting. Neighborhood 3 The Valley is located in the east of London and is within close proximity to London's O2 Arena, previously known as the Millennium Dome, which is now London's premier concert venue. One other attraction within walking distance of the stadium is the Thames Flood Barrier. There is not much in the way of shops around The Valley other than a couple of retail parks, one of which has an Asda Supermarket and a McDonalds. The Antigallican and the Rose of Denmark public houses are where most supporters participate in their pre-match drinking. Fans 3 Charlton fans are a decent bunch and are always welcoming. They have a loyal hard core support of over 15,000 despite their relocation to other stadiums in the Eighties. Having fallen from the top flight of the Premier League to the third tier of English football, the club are now on their way back up and remain comfortably in mid-table of the Championship. Local rivals are West Ham United and Millwall, and games against these opponents are often quite spicy. Access 3 Despite being in the heart of the capital, the ground is easily reached by car if you are willing to suffer the queues. Follow the A102 through the Blackwall Tunnel, taking a left with the stadium well signposted. Street parking is available, but you will need to arrive early. Charlton Railway station is a short walk away and is well served by trains from London Bridge, Charing Cross, and Waterloo East. The nearest Underground Station is North Greenwich, from which you will then need to take a 161, 472 or 486 London Bus. This journey will take approximately fifteen minutes. Return on Investment 3 Tickets prices range from between £22 and £30, with reductions for children and a further £2 reduction if purchased in advance. This is the normal pricing structure for this level of football within the capital city. Extras 3 There is a club shop at the stadium selling a wide range of souvenirs, and betting kiosks are available inside the stadium. Match day programmes are available priced at £3 for each home game with independent club fanzines also on sale. Outside the clubs main entrance is a statue of Sam Bartram, one of Charlton Athletic's former heroes. Final Thoughts Charlton Athletic’s Valley stadium has transformed from a massive 75,000‑capacity terraced ground into a modern 27,111‑seat venue that still carries the character of its past.

Photos by Gary Foxall, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00 Vale Park Hamil Road Stoke-on-Trent, England ST6 1AW Map It! Port Vale FC website Vale Park website Year Opened: 1950 Capacity: 19,052 Vale Park Port Vale are one of two soccer teams from the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's Vale Park stadium has been its home since 1950 and can be found in the district of Burslem. The Vale play in the fourth tier of the English professional game and it is here where they have spent most of their past. Vale Park is a typical lower league stadium with seats bolted to the terraces to comply with the Taylor Report and making Vale Park a 19,052 all seated stadium. Personally, a trip to Vale Park is always enjoyable; the stadium has kept its character through the years with the minor rebuilding work that has taken place. The ground previously consisted of four separate stands but now has two of the corners filled in. The Lorne Street main stand houses the club's offices and other facilities. This is one of the larger stadiums in the lower echelons of the Football League and the club's record attendance is 49,768 set in 1960 for a game against Aston Villa. The most famous supporter of Port Vale FC is none other than one Robbie Williams. Food & Beverage 3 There are various food and drink kiosks within the stadium selling Cornish pasties, pies, hot dogs and burgers. There is also tea, coffee and soft drinks available. Beer and lager are also available for consumption within the stadium's concourse. The locally produced pies are worth trying and are good value and filling. Atmosphere 3 For a fairly large venue at this level of the English Pyramid, Vale Park has a good atmosphere. When you enter Vale Park you get a feel of what English football is about. Away from the glitz of the Premier League, if you have yet to sample lower league football in England this is a good place to start. Neighborhood 3 Made up of six separate towns, Stoke-on-Trent is the home of the Pottery Industry and the area is commonly known as the Potteries. There are many museums to mark the city's pottery and coal mining industry. Festival Park houses the water park and Trentham Gardens with its own Monkey Forest, a mere five minute drive from the stadium. The Potteries Shopping Centre in Hanley has all the major stores with a good selection of theatres and cinemas also near. The Alton Towers Theme Park Resort is the area's best known attraction and this is a thirty minute drive away near to the town of Uttoxeter. There are a number of public houses in Burslem that are used as pre match watering holes with the Bulls Head a ten minute walk from the ground and is highly recommended. Fans 3 Port Vale have a hard core support of approximately 4,000 which can rise to over 6,000 when the club is playing well. Most of the vocal support comes from the Railway Stand and supporters change ends within this stand to be at the goal which Port Vale are attacking. The club's biggest rivals are Stoke City, but games between the two clubs are few and far between as there are currently three leagues between the two. Therefore more traditional rivals are Crewe Alexandra with games between the two clubs taking place most seasons. Access 3 Exit the M6 motorway at Junction 16 and take the A500 towards the city centre. Then take the Burslem exit and follow the town centre signs and the stadium will be signposted. Parking is available in the adjoining side streets or on local car parks for between £3 and £4. The nearest railway station is Longport, a twenty-five minute walk away which has connections to the main line Stoke-on-Trent station. Buses run from the city centre and the nearest airports are Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham. Return on Investment 3 Admission prices for games are £22 with reductions for children and OAP's. This does buy you a seat, although some supporters prefer to stand where appropriate. Admission prices are sometimes reduced for cup games dependent upon the quality of opposition. Prices are normal for this level of football and although expensive, this is cheaper than their Premier League neighbours down the road at Britannia Stadium. Extras 3 There is a club shop by the main entrance to the stadium selling a range of replica strips and souvenirs. Betting outlets are available within the stadium and the club produces an excellent match day programme priced at £3. Final Thoughts Port Vale, the smaller of Stoke‑on‑Trent’s two professional clubs, play at characterful Vale Park—a large, old‑school lower‑league ground that has hosted the team since 1950 and still embodies the traditional feel of English football.