It’s been a thrilling season so far on the pitch for Charlton Athletic – and fans are celebrating the diversity in the stands with a new exhibition at The Valley on Saturday.
Photographer Rhea Spencer-Newell – who is more usually seen on the sidelines of matches or training sessions – has been taking pictures of supporters during the season, which will go on show in the Fans’ Bar at the stadium on Saturday before the match with Burton Albion, the last of the regular season.
The Addicks have already qualified for the League One play-offs after a remarkable turnaround in form since the start of the year. The result of the Burton match – and others that day – will set out who they will face in the first leg of the play-off semi-final on May 10.
Some 30 fans are portrayed in Spencer-Newell’s photos, which have been transformed into retro-style football stickers by designer Oliver Watts.
The fans include a Syrian refugee whose family never misses a men’s or women’s game, the captain of the Charlton Invicta LGBT+ side, a young man who was brought up in Milton Keynes but now supports a club “with a soul”, and someone who has recently won the TV quiz Pointless.
The Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust is behind the exhibition, in association with Fans for Diversity, a joint venture between the Football Supporters Association and the anti-discrimination group Kick It Out. The trust’s campaign, All Different, All Together, All Charlton, aims to enable current fans to celebrate the diversity of the club’s support, while reminding potential fans that they will be welcomed at matches.
Hannah Kumari, the campaign manager at Fans for Diversity, said: ““All Different, All Together. All Charlton is an evolution of our My City, My Shirt initiative which we are proud to support.
“My City, My Shirt is all about celebrating the identity of a club; local iconic landmarks and fans of all ages and backgrounds. This is encapsulated perfectly in Charlton’s campaign, it’s great to see a range of fans which truly reflect the diversity of southeast London, whilst the idea to turn those portraits into retro football stickers is a wonderful celebration of classic football culture.”
The exhibition will be on show in the Fans’ Bar at The Valley from noon on Saturday, with admission via a match ticket.
There are plans for an online exhibition and the trust hopes to show Spencer-Newell’s work elsewhere in the borough at some point.
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