Lost

It looks like all three are about 50 min away via public transit. What is the nearest rail stop to Brentford? Google public transit keeps trying to route me via bus instead of the tube.

From what I gather Watford should have the best on field match. Which team would have the fans that are the most "in to the game"? Biggest crowd?

Are Charlton, Watford, and Brentford all in fairly decent neighborhoods?

I think this is because baseball was the first major professional sport in the US. In baseball the home team bats (and therefore scores) in the bottom half of an inning, so the home team is always listed second. I think when the NBA and NFL came around they just followed MLB's lead.

Captain Schmidt

It's ....... wait for it ....... Brentford! You get there from Waterloo if my memory serves me correctly.

Captain Schmidt

Charlton had a slightly higher average attendance than Watford last season, but I would imagine it likely that more Forest fans would travel to Watford than Wednesday fans to Charlton for a midweek game so probably not much in it in terms of crowd size. Brentford would be a very distant third.

I'd give it to Charlton in terms of noise/atmosphere.

gnaget

It depends on where in London you are staying.

I have been to Charlton (when they were in the Premier league) and they have a nice stadium with 27,000 capacity. Average attendance is 17k. Good views; no pillars. It used to be the biggest stadium (75,000 on the terraces) in English football!

Probably the worst neighborhood of the three but not dangerous. You take national rail out there. I was staying in SE1 and it was a short ride from London Bridge.

The other two grounds are more typical of smaller clubs. Brentford only 12,000. I think the pub in each corner is an attraction and they are planning to build a bigger, more modern stadium.

Brentford has a national rail station next to the ground. Looks like about a mile from the Piccadilly line. As you can see it is about half way between LHR and Kensington.

gnaget

Both Forest and Wednesday are northern teams that have strong history and tradition with good following, but fell deep into the lower divisions in the 2000s but have improved in recent years.

exilencfc

Wednesday fans can get an amazing atmosphere going at times (though possibly not on a Tuesday evening it must be admitted). I haven't found Forest's to be as good, but they're probably more likely to turn out in big numbers and Watford/Forest could be a great game. I wouldn't say Charlton or Watford were dangerous areas, not especially nice but far from awful. I would certainly go to one of those two games rather than Brentford (and certainly not to MK) and choose which based on ease of travel and ticket prices/availability.

If you want atmosphere then find out which bits of the ground generate it and sit in one of them. Or sit with the away fans as they will almost certainly make some noise.

Captain Schmidt

Whilst Nottingham may indeed be north of London, I'm not sure they would like to be described as "northern".

gnaget

Well, they would be much more upset with you calling them Notts Forest.

It's only 40 miles from Sheffield to Nottingham. I would think fan support depends more on the strength of the fanbase than marginal closer proximity.

I watched the end of Boro (another northern Championship team) at Liverpool yesterday and the away support looked strong. It's a similar distance Middlesbrough to Liverpool as Sheffield to London and I am sure that roadways and trains are better for the latter. I have been to Teeside a few times for business and air transport is actually the best option.

Scots_Al

No, sorry, not allowing that. Milton Keynes are a disgusting, despicable franchise - and outrage against football. They should not be allowed to exist, we should certainly not recommend that unsuspecting visitors who do not know the history should join the very few customers they have and spend any money propping them up.

As a counter proposal, if OP wanted to experience football at the realest (read lowest!) end of the professional scale, AFC Wimbledon are playing Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday 21 October. Kick-off is at 1945. The closest station is Norbiton (25 minutes from Waterloo), from where it's a 15 minute walk. Get there early enough to have a drink with the Dons fans in the big bar at the ground beforehand - let it be known you're visiting and you'll be made most welcome.

You can sit if you like, but I'd recommend standing behind the goal in the Chemflow (North) end with the home fans. Ticket will cost £17 I think. Should be some available on the night, but that end is largely season ticket holders. Crowd will probably be around 3800 out of a capacity of 4600.

It may not be the pinnacle of world football (ok, it's an awful long way from that!), but it will be a more enjoyable education than sitting in a modern plastic ground watching over-paid prima donnas!

And for anyone wanting to know more about why Milton Keynes should be avoided at all costs: Why MK Dons' 4-0 victory over Manchester United didn't cause universal joy

Ber2dca

The New Den still has Millwall fans in it so it's not going to be the most family-friendly ground but other than that it's a generic plastic ground put on a parking lot next to the railway. Unless you're a Millwall fan or your lot are playing Millwall there's really no particular reason to go there. The old Den at least was so derelict and notorious that going there had a certain coolness factor to it.

gnaget

Points well taken but I enjoy seeing Man U lose 4-0 to any lower division team. I see that the new Wimbledon is only one division below MK. Could be an interesting match-up in the future.

17 quid is a bit pricey for 4th tier football behind the goal. Considering that you can watch Champons League at Chelsea for 35. At Charlton the range is 15 to 31 for the match in question.

Although Arsenal charge 37.50 to 56.50 for Galatasaray tomorrow.

So MK Dons, Luton, Millwall all have plastic pitches. Anyone else?

Captain Schmidt

No, please. No US-style corporate speak. Football clubs in the UK are not "franchises". And long may it remain that way.

Scots_Al

That's precisely my point! Milton Keynes is a franchise.

gnaget

Remember the Budweiser advert about "Americanizing" football from 6-7 years ago? They were going to move the Arsenal "franchise" to Scotland and merge Man Utd and Man City and have them play in mauve.

exilencfc

I have to agree. And, much as I don't like the AFC Wimbledon lot that much, (they were very determined that I should boycott watching my team just to make a point about theirs), I have even less time for the MK Dons. As a club they represent a great many things English football shouldn't become.