By Georgia Garnett
AT Charlton Athletic’s match against Wrexham, a group of Swedish fans revelled in the atmosphere of a nearly 25,000-strong crowd at The Valley.
These were the Swedish Addicks, a fan group from all across Sweden, on their yearly trip to the club.
The group got to experience the largest crowd at The Valley in five years as Matty Godden scored in the 97th minute to secure a 2-2 draw for Nathan Jones’ side.
“It was nice to be back with the same kind of atmosphere that it was when they played in the Premier League,” Swedish Addicks chair Lars Liljegren told South London Weekly.
Liljegren first began to follow the club in 1978, aged ten.
His older brother and team-mates had started a league and everybody had to pick a team.
So, why Charlton, a team that at the time bounced between the second and third division of English football?
“I found [Charlton] in a football annual. It had a nice badge,” Liljegren said.
Charlton, according to him, is more interesting for international fans because it is “more real”.
“It’s not a kind of dream world that’s built on suspect money and that increases the gap between teams in the Premier League and teams in other divisions more and more day by day,” Liljegren said.
“When there’s success like the [2019 League One play-off final] win at Wembley, you really enjoy it and every supporter cheers together from the bottom of their heart.”
The Swedish Addicks started in the early 2000s, as the rise of the internet brought Liljegren and other Swedish fans together, united by their passion for the South London club.
Liljegren added: “All of us thought that we were the only one.”
The club met for the first time in England in 2004 and went to their first Charlton game the day after, and the rest is history.
The Swedish club now has over 50 paying members and is one of several Charlton international fan groups. There are also branches in Dubai, The Netherlands, Germany and North America alongside a general international club.
Despite the difficulties that come with being an international fan, Liljegren felt welcomed by the South London faithful.
He said a Charlton shirt with ‘Swedish Addicks’ printed on the back “served as an icebreaker” – ‘oh, do you come from Sweden? Oh, fantastic. Oh, it’s good to be here.’
“It’s friendly, it’s familiar, it’s a great welcoming atmosphere and of course, if you get 25,000 in the stadium, it will be a fantastic atmosphere as well.
“Every time [the group goes to Charlton] we meet old friends but also new supporters who are very surprised that we travel all the way from Sweden to see their team.”
As the Swedish Addicks celebrate their 20th anniversary next year, there will be another trip and the unlikely link between South East London and Sweden will continue to flourish and grow.
You can find out more about the Swedish Addicks and other international Charlton Athletic fan clubs here.
