Enough's enough

[cornishbaggie]

Tbf it was bloody difficult to sit in those seats on Saturday, at the end of the day it was the abysmal stand and facilities that caused problems for people, not necessarily our fans, I go to about half of away games and have not experienced any great problems until Saturday, fans of all clubs stand at away games, not just ours and although I can't drink at any games, home or away because of all the driving, I understand it is the matchday experience for a lot of folk, in a crowd of 3,500 people, you are always going to get idiots. Must admit I was surprised at the ott policing, but all the police were pleasant and said hello as we walked past. I went to my first away game in 1970 and 74/75 season was the first season I went to all home and away games, the experience this day and age is a different universe. Even managed to bump into a couple of fans that I met in Malmo Eight years ago, on the train.

[74bus]

Tbf it was bloody difficult to sit in those seats on Saturday, at the end of the day it was the abysmal stand and facilities that caused problems for people, not necessarily our fans, I go to about half of away games and have not experienced any great problems until Saturday, fans of all clubs stand at away games, not just ours and although I can't drink at any games, home or away because of all the driving, I understand it is the matchday experience for a lot of folk, in a crowd of 3,500 people, you are always going to get idiots. Must admit I was surprised at the ott policing, but all the police were pleasant and said hello as we walked past. I went to my first away game in 1970 and 74/75 season was the first season I went to all home and away games, the experience this day and age is a different universe. Even managed to bump into a couple of fans that I met in Malmo Eight years ago, on the train.

Thanks for all of the replies, folks and it's helped to get that out of my system. I do appreciate that pretty well all (probably all) away fans stand but I just don't see the advantage. I'd be very interested to find out the numbers that want to stand and those that prefer sitting. 
However, that would only be of academic interest if sitting isn't enforced, because even if a small percentage want to stand, everyone else has to, just to be able to see the match. We'll just have to pick and choose our matches. e.g. if we go up, Arsenal and Spurs would surely be better bets than that dump on Saturday.

[Fido]

My nipper struggled to see as well as well and at one point gave up and was playing some kind of FIFA. I'd assume many people saw Phillips cross but then not much after that until everyone jumped up. Decent atmosphere but really awful planning in terms of handling any number over about 1000.

[HeavyWoollenBaggie]

My first time at the Valley and was shocked at how bad it was-particularly as it looks pretty smart on TV. Was in row C at the side and couldn't see anything at our end. I think a major issue with the larger allocation games is people sitting where they please. Presume it's down to people having to buy tickets separately and then just piling in-normally 5 minutes after kick off and full of ale-causing overcrowding and general ill-feeling. At the last three away games I've been to this caused general mayhem at St Andrews, a fight at Barnsley and on Saturday three of us to change rows to try to find room to stand up-not sit down- as it was dangerously overcrowded. It cost a small fortune to travel down from West Yorks with my son to "watch" the game and like the OP I'm not really sure it's worth the money or the hassle, which is a real bloody shame after 50 years of regular away attendance.

I meant standing where they please, obviously.

[Hopalong]

Ok, so I'm getting old. Let me rephrase that - I am old! Over the last couple of seasons I've dropped to only two or three away matches per season, but after the dismal experience at Charlton yesterday, I'm not sure I'll be going to many more.
This would be partly to do with the antiquated facilities at Charlton, which might be different elsewhere, but partly due to the behaviour of some of our supporters, which probably won't.
As we got near to the ground, we were greeted by a task force of police who looked as they'd been deployed to control a major terrorist alert. At the ground, once we'd finally managed to decipher where our seats might be, we squeezed through past the throngs at the bar to take our places. Straight away, we were in the middle of an argument about seat allocations, which looked like it was going to end in fisticuffs.
Then the game started, so we had to stand up because 'we're away, aren't we?'. Quite why we can't sit down, as we would at home and allow people to see the view that they'd paid for is beyond me, but perhaps I'm not macho enough. We did, however, have a good view of the obligatory drunk who spent the whole game not watching the match, but bravely waving two fingers at the home crowd.
Thank God, when Johnstone almost let their bloke in straight away, that Charlton didn't score, because the atmosphere was already getting pretty nasty.
Then we had the hilarious bit when some of our cheeky chappies thought it was clever to keep the ball for a few minutes rather than let their player take a corner. If I'd have been a Charlton supporter, or even a neutral, I would have laughed my head off when they scored from the corner.
At half time, I decided I needed to use their filthy toilet, but gave up trying to get through the scrum. How in these 'Health and Safety' times that sort of situation is allowed is beyond me. An accident waiting to happen.
We duly scored early on in the second half, but no-one around us, whatever their height, had a clue how the ball went in.
Things then calmed down until Charlton scored and some blokes were able to clearly see, from 150 yards away, that it was totally Johnstone's fault and made it clear that you wouldn't want to argue with them.
At the end of the match, we waited for most of the scrum to subside, but were still met, 1970's style, by a cordon of police escorting us along the street as if we were criminals.
As I said, I'm getting old and I don't expect much sympathy for the post, but, as someone who followed the Albion away through the grim days of the 70's and 80's I found it particularly depressing that yesterday's experience wasn't a whole lot better.

Hi 74, similar experiences especially over seats.  Maybe get in early and books seats further towards the front or sides if you bother again. I can't really be arsed anymore.  May go to Spam in the cup and Sheff Wed but that'll probably be it this season.  Never ceases to amaze me how obnoxious and aggressive some Albion fans are to their own.

[MassDebater]

I've not been away for many years, but the original post read like pretty much every match I've ever been too...A lot at home included, so not really sure what the problem(s) are / were?
Antiquated facilities - check
Police being a bit heavy handed - check
God awful toilets - check
Drunk fans giving it large - check
Non drunk fans giving it large - check

Thankfully at home at least most of these are diminished (other than the fans giving it large in various states of inebriation), then again I'm not an away fan then...that said there's an away day review site and mostly visits to the Hawthorns get scored pretty decently.

[4-hero]

Well known we have an ageing fan base, we encouraged younger fans with cheaper tickets, these younger fans get to an age where they would rather go with their mates than with Boring Dad , Young fan does not want his photo taken with Baggie Bird anymore, young fan rejects home shirt for christmas instead wants to save money for stupid coat with goggles sewn into hood, young fan wants to go away with mates on the train , one day young fan may settle down and have kids, and will take photo of child with boiler man and round it goes...

[The liquidator]

Bus 74 how did you get down there ?
Normally to make it a cheaper day you get a early train about 7.30 /8am get there for 9.30.travel across london get in a pub for 10.30 stay there until kick off . That is basically a day away going on the train..

Go on an official coach and it's totally different away day but in the ground will be the same whatever the travel is .....charlton is a shithole go to cardiff away in midweek you will be sitting down

[Tom Joad]

Bus 74 how did you get down there ?
Normally to make it a cheaper day you get a early train about 7.30 /8am get there for 9.30.travel across london get in a pub for 10.30 stay there until kick off . That is basically a day away going on the train..

Go on an official coach and it's totally different away day but in the ground will be the same whatever the travel is .....charlton is a shithole go to cardiff away in midweek you will be sitting down

I think 74 lives down that way so it was a local game for him.   Our lot got an early train and were in Greenwich for about 11. Don't get me wrong, I like a good drink as much as anyone. Where I differ to some though, is I don't like the anti social behaviour, especially towards our own fans. We were happy mixing with Charlton supporters and anyone else that wanted to talk football. If people want to behave macho, they are free to meet up on some industrial estate and knock 7 shades out of each other somewhere it doesn't inconvenience me. I accept the standing thing is just how it is but don't agree with the "we sit where we want" crowd. There's often quite a crowd of us and we frequently aren't all seated together, bloody hell, we're not children and can cope on our own for 45 minutes.
Not a fan of the official coaches although at least if you're heading to London, they try to get you there early (presumably anticipating traffic), so there is time for a pint. Each to their own is my motto, but the price of that is you don't inconvenience everyone else.

[74bus]

Bus 74 how did you get down there ?
Normally to make it a cheaper day you get a early train about 7.30 /8am get there for 9.30.travel across london get in a pub for 10.30 stay there until kick off . That is basically a day away going on the train..

Go on an official coach and it's totally different away day but in the ground will be the same whatever the travel is .....charlton is a shithole go to cardiff away in midweek you will be sitting down

Thanks for that, but Tom's right - I live in Orpington, so we drove there (at least, the wife did!). We parked in Westmoor Road and got in the Anchor in Hope at about half-one. We had a couple of pints there, before walking to the match.
I'm afraid at my age, if I started drinking at 10.30, I'd need to spend a lot of time in those lovely toilets!
Replying to Mass Debater, if you've not been to an away match for many years, you wouldn't know that, in general, things have got better for away supporters. Saturday was a bit of a throwback towards the bad old days, hence the post.