The Valley – stadium description

Though Charlton Athletic were created back in 1905, the club didn’t have a stadium of their own until 1919. The Valley’s story is somewhat unique because it was built largely by the supporters in a former chalk pit.

For economic reasons it had no seats or even terracing to begin with, fans were occupying the embankments, shape of which earned the ground its name. Being based on landfill the stadium was cheap to expand, growing to roughly 75,000 at peak, even if heavily underfunded due to the club’s sporting misfortune.

Despite great bond with the site, fans had to part with the Valley in 1985, following Chalrton’s bankruptcy, loss of ownership of the ground and heroic efforts by fans to rebuild the club. The Addicks relocated to Selhurst Park (1985-1991) and Upton Park (1991-1992) to finally get back home in 1992.

To make it possible, fans first had to prove themselves once again by running their own political party and lobby for redevelopment of the ground in the Greenwich Council. With ‘The Valley Party’ winning 11% of the vote they created a noticeable force and won approval for public support. Again, largely with volunteer work by supporters, the Valley was made usable again in 1992.

Current shape of the stadium is the outcome of 1994-2002 redevelopments. Only the south end remembers 1980s. Single-level east stand was opened in 1994, the double-tiered west side in 1998 and north end with adjacent corner sections in 2002. Charlton had the ambition of expanding the stadium further, up to 40,000, but had to hold the plans after relegation to second and third league.  

How The Valley compares to other League One venues?