![]() ![]() A consortium of supporters successfully acquired the club in 1984, but the Valley remained under the ownership of the club's former owner. Charlton were relegated from the First Division in 1957 and did not return until 1986, and in 1972 were relegated to the Third Division for the first time in the postwar era.Įventually, the club's debts led to it almost going out of business in the early 1980s. However, Charlton's long absence from the top level of English football prevented much-needed renovation, as funds dried up and attendances fell. The application to include speedway at the Valley was enthusiastically supported initially, but was eventually ruled out on the grounds of noise nuisance.įor many years, the Valley was one of the largest Football League grounds in Britain, although its highest maximum capacity of 75,000 was only half the capacity of Glasgow's Hampden Park. In 1967, Len Silver the promoter at Hackney made an application to open Charlton as a British League speedway club, and plans were put forward to construct a track around the perimeter of the football pitch. A proposed merger with Catford South End FC fell through and thus Charlton moved back to the Valley. In the 1923–24 season, Charlton played at The Mount stadium in Catford but in a much more highly populated area. The unique circumstances of the ground's initial construction led to an unusually intense bond between the club's supporters and the site that exists to this day. The club played its first game at the ground before any seats, or even terraces, were installed there was simply a roped-off pitch with the crowd standing or sitting on the adjoining earthworks. The ground's name most likely comes from its original valley-like appearance. An army of volunteer Charlton supporters dug out a flat area for the pitch at the bottom of the chalk pit and used the excavated material to build up makeshift stands. ![]() The club found an abandoned sand and chalk pit in Charlton, but did not have sufficient funds to fully develop the site. ![]() The ground dates from 1919, at a time when Charlton were moderately successful and looking for a new home. ![]() In Charlton's early years, the club had a nomadic existence using several different grounds between its formation in 1905 and the beginning of World War I in 1914. An alternative route is the Jubilee line exiting at North Greenwich, and changing for route 161, 472 and 486 buses, which stop outside the stadium. It is served by Charlton railway station, which is less than a five-minute walk away from the stadium. The Valley is a 27,111 capacity sports stadium in Charlton, London, England and has been the home of Charlton Athletic Football Club since the 1920s, with a period of exile between 19. With its ornate features and 38-foot ceiling, the grand Main Lobby makes an unforgettable setting for elegant cocktail receptions and sit-down dinners. In addition to opera and ballet performances, the 3006-seat auditorium is available for special presentations, lectures and concerts. Home of the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Ballet, the War Memorial Opera House opened in 1932 with TIME magazine declaring it “…a house made possible by all the people of San Francisco.”ĭesigned by Arthur Brown, Jr., the prominent American architect who also created San Francisco City Hall, this cultural landmark is one of the last Beaux-Arts structures built in the United States. Today, the stately building is host to a variety of events. ![]()
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