“It massively needs to change ” - Charlton Athletic told to take action over issue at The Valley | OneFootball

Charlton Athletic fan pundit Emma told FLW that the club could improve catering at The Valley.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Despite their disappointing defeat to Peterborough United last time out, it’s an exciting time to be a Charlton Athletic supporter.

After years of mismanagement off the pitch, and underachievement on it, it finally seems the Addicks are heading in the right direction, with Nathan Jones attempting to guide the club back to the Championship this season.

Whether they’re successful on that front or not, it does seem the structure is in place for the Londoners to kick-on in the years to come.

Charlton Athletic can still improve supporter experience

Even though matters on the pitch always take priority, going to football today is about much more for the fans.

Given the increasing cost of a ticket, clubs are expected to do all they can to make the experience for supporters a positive one.

Yet, when asked by FLW about how Charlton could make improvements on that front at The Valley, fan pundit Emma was clear that the Londoners aren’t doing enough when it comes to catering, both in terms of quality and price.

“I would definitely say the catering on site. It’s been quite bad for a number of years, and it just doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

“I think they reviewed the food and drink, but they’re charging £7.40 for a pint of Peroni - it doesn’t taste very nice! It’s about £7.20 for a pint of Grolsch. Most of the time, the food is cold, it’s not very appetising.

“The prices for a League One club seem extortionate, and it’s not affordable. If you’re going as a family and you’ve got children, it’s not affordable. I think it massively needs to change, and there needs to be better options. You’re talking £4.50 for a little cardboard thing of chips. The prices of the food and drink are ridiculous.

“As well, I would say the service in the concourse is really poor. It’s not run efficiently. So, catering as a whole, service, food and drink, it massively needs to change and improve.”

Charlton Athletic must listen to supporters' concerns to raise revenue streams

As mentioned, the mood around Charlton has improved drastically over the past few years, and the club are in a good place overall.

But, there are always ways in which you can improve, and this is clearly something that they should be looking at if it's a view shared by more match-going fans.

It’s also an easy way of the club making more income from the fans that go. Even if it means dropping the prices a bit, if fans decide to go to The Valley for a pint before a game as opposed to the pub, then it’s extra funds for the club.

In the modern game, the fan experience is hugely important, and Charlton will need to tap into that as they try to progress, so it will be interesting to see if any action is taken ahead of next season.