Lee Bowyer meets 'the Carp Kid', the young Addick hooked on fishing and football

Young Charlton supporter Oliver Vernon has started a YouTube channel all about his passion for fishing.

A passion he shares with our very own Assistant Manager Lee Bowyer, who was a regular angler before re-joining the Addicks as a coach in January 2017.

In 2015, Bowyer bought a 12-acre site in France, renaming the area ‘Etang de Bows’ which translates to ‘Bows Lake’ in English.

Oliver, a member of the club’s Young Reds scheme, goes by the name of ‘The Carp Kid’ and was lucky enough to meet the former England International for an interview.

“It was scary at first because he was an England footballer, and it was very nerve-wracking, but it was quite awesome,” said Oliver, who loves to fish down at Shirkoak Fisheries.

“It was much better by the end as I got more confident. It was really fun.”

‘The Carp Kid’ started his YouTube channel almost a year ago when he received his first ever camcorder as a Christmas present.

“I got my new camera for Christmas and I thought I could start a YouTube Channel,” he explained. 

“I really love Fishing, so I thought to do a Fishing YouTube channel would be really fun to do.”

The eight-year-old has around 50 subscribers so far, but hopes Bowyer’s presence can boost his following.

He said: “A lot of my school friends watch my videos but hopefully an England player on my channel can really help the amount of people watching.”

Sharing a passion for the lakes, Oliver and Bowyer also share a passion for the Addicks, with Oliver coming into his fourth year as a fan.

“I’ve been coming to The Valley for over three years and I have seen around 15 games,” he said. 

“I love Patrick Bauer because and he is a really great defender.”

Oliver’s Charlton connection runs through the family with his grandad and dad being lifelong supporters.

His dad Paul said: “My father was born and raised 10 minutes from the ground. He was here in the early 60s on the East Stand Terrace - the glory days!

“We try to get to as many home games as my work commitments let me, we’ve been to three or four this season.”

Supporters can visit the Carp Kid's YouTube channel by clicking here

Article by Harry Clarke

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