My Only Desire magazine celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Addicks’ dramatic 1998 play-off final success by hosting a Q&A, which raised £1,800 for the Jack Jeffreys Superhero Trust.
The charity supports children with cancer and other life-threatening conditions and their families, both in and out of hospital.
Gavin Billenness, Creative Director and Editor of MODmag, said: “On Thursday, May 25th, we celebrated 25 years to the day of the 1998 play-off final win over Sunderland. Steve Charnock, my right-hand man on the magazine, came up with the idea of doing the Q&A and it quickly occurred to us that we could sell tickets and raise some money for a charity.
“We sold tickets on our website and got to the magic number of around 100, which is what we wanted to hit to raise a decent amount of money for the Jack Jeffreys Superhero Trust.”
Amongst the special guests were CharltonTV’s iconic duo and two pivotal figures on that day in 1998 in Alan Curbishley and Steve Brown, who were accompanied by Peter Varney, the club’s former CEO, on the evening.
“Very swiftly, Curbs, Browny and Peter Varney attached themselves to the project and generously gave their time up free of charge,” explained Billenness. “We approached Ben Ransom of Sky, who everyone knows is a big Charlton fan, to host it.
“Brew By Numbers in Greenwich were brilliant and very accommodating. They agreed to cover the costs as long as people turned up and bought beer, which they obviously did, and they were happy to host it. They were really cooperative and helpful in setting the venue up.
“The night really was a huge success,” he added. “The venue was perfect - it had a kind of TFI Friday/Top Gear vibe to it - and it was different to anything we could have had in a bar or a working men’s club. It wouldn’t have been the same, it would have been a bit more sterile or ordinary if you like, the venue really made it. The whole thing came together and it was a great evening in the end.”
(Transcription by Alex Forrest)
