Charlton has always been one of the more civilised places to watch a match. Even in hooliganism's darkest days The Valley remained a relative haven for the hope that sanity would eventually prevail. When the club was forced into exile from 1985 to 1992 it was not only Addicks supporters who wept by the waters of Babylon . . . well, the tea bars of Selhurst and Upton Park anyway.
It is sad, therefore, to find the chief executive of Charlton Athletic Peter Varney talking of banning Manchester United fans following some unpleasantness last Saturday when one of the club's female employees was allegedly indecently assaulted by a United supporter.
Either way the response may be mixed, for while United fans are not alone among supporters who insist on standing up for away matches, not every club finds its capacity restricted in order to accommodate the habit. United, meanwhile, could argue that since spectators who consistently get to their feet during games at Old Trafford risk being evicted by stewards, why can't other clubs apply similar strictures.
Another answer would be to restore terracing to Premier League grounds on a limited basis, with standing sections given over to away fans. There is a solid body of opinion among supporters which feels that people should have the option to stand rather than sit, and the colder the winter the more attractive the idea of being able to jump up and down to keep warm becomes.
The crowd violence which lasted from the late 60s to the end of the 80s changed all that. Spectators were segregated, then caged and when Liverpool supporters were being crushed against perimeter fencing at the Leppings Lane end of Hillsborough in 1989 the police, for a few fatal minutes, mistook a safety problem for a security problem.
The Taylor Report, the Premier League and all-seat stadiums followed, along with high prices and CCTV. Hooliganism virtually disappeared, or rather was dispersed, from the focal point of football matches. Restoring terracing would risk restoring that focal point, particularly if it became identified with away supporters.
Charlton are right not to stand for spectators who refuse to sit down but might re-examine their stewarding, or consult the constabulary, before pursuing the idea of bans and risk reciprocal action by other clubs.