IN EXCESS of 1,000 football fans from Kent boarded Charlton's cut-price Valley Express coach service for Tuesday's home game with Liverpool on a night when the club recorded their biggest attendance for 27 years.

A crowd of 27,103 had The Valley bulging with the club reporting a 50 per cent increase on the 800 who travelled on the service for the Birmingham match on January 15.

A third of the passengers travelled from the Kent coast, boarding eight coaches at 10 pick-up points from Hythe to Whitstable while two full coaches came from Canterbury and Faversham plus two from Ashford. One left from Sittingbourne and two started from Rainham, picking up through the Medway Towns.

Another two headed up to The Valley from Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge while five set out from Maidstone and The Weald.

The fleet of 23 was completed by a single coach picking up in Gravesend, Swanley and Dartford.

Two new Kent pick-up points have been arranged in New Romney and Tenterden.

Valley Express organiser Rick Everitt paid tribute to the work of Sue Townsend (Maidstone), Trevor Gardiner (Canterbury), Julie Meadows (Medway), Laurence Cailes (Tonbridge) plus staff at Charlton's call centre for making the idea such a huge success.

Charlton's Target 40,000 committee have turned their attentions to Essex and East Sussex and intend running coaches to the West Bromwich Albion home game on March 19.