Thomas Sandgaard's decision to replace "The Red Red Robin" with a rendition of his "Addicks to Victory" as the team emerged from the tunnel on Saturday was not well received by Charlton supporters.
In a Twitter poll conducted by the club's Fan Advisor Lucy Bishop 91% of 3,357 respondents said that they would prefer to hear the Billy Cotton classic. This does not mean that they object to "Addicks to Victory" and indeed there is support for it to be played during the pre-match build up or when the team returns for the second half.
However, The Red Red Robin has serenaded the team for most of our lifetimes. It is part of the culture of the club. It is not intimidating. It is not imposing. It is quirky. But it is part of who we are and we have sung along to it for generations. We have sung it with friends and family who will never visit The Valley again. It helps us feel a connection with them.
We hope very much that Thomas will listen to this feedback from supporters and that the robin will be bobbin' again from Tuesday night onwards.
EDIT:
On Tuesday 10th August the club website included the following announcement:
The Addicks owner and Chairman has since confirmed that the Red, Red Robin will still be played as the club’s walk-out song, and fans can count on hearing it at Tuesday’s Carabao Cup game against AFC Wimbledon as well as future matches.
He explained: “The fans were a big part of why I purchased Charlton Athletic. They have had a difficult few years and a key thing is having an owner that pays attention, listens and communicates. I want to move the club forward and in doing so I want to understand what things are important to supporters and why as this will help me make the best decisions for Charlton.
Fans are why we brought back the much-loved mascots, Floyd and Harvey. And following consultation with our Youth Advisory Group, their return to the Valley on Saturday was an obvious and easy decision. They were deeply missed and needed to come home. Supporters are also the reason we wanted to respect and pay tribute to a legend in the club’s history, Alan Curbishley, by renaming the East Stand the Alan Curbishley Stand.
Charlton has a fantastic and storied past and Red, Red Robin is a part of that history. It is incredibly important to the fans, so it’s important to all of us at the club and it will absolutely continue to be played as the lads come onto the pitch on Charlton matchdays.”
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