Sep 29
Charlton Athletic 1 Franchise FC 0
Phew. As I have often done, I switched to the away commentary team on CAFC Player once I heard Emma open up her gob on the Charlton link, and I have to say I enjoyed listening to two blokes, slightly biased but knowledgeable and to hear them give an unblemished perspective on our individual players and team.
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I got some feedback from Rob Lee’s family (only us Addicks call him Robert) following his day at The Valley on Saturday to commemorate the 25-year anniversery of the ‘last game.’
Rob took his Mum and Dad and two sons Oliver and Elliot, who are both on West Ham’s books to the game. According to Rob he thoroughly enjoyed the day and the reception he got, the only downer was the result, which I think anyone connected with Charlton viewed as a defeat and not a draw.
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Charlton Athletic 2 Dagenham & Redbridge 2
I don’t know what Lennie Lawrence and Robert Lee thought at the end of Saturday’s game but at least they won’t have to go again on Tuesday. And I worry that a lot of other Addicks will be thinking the same this morning as a dark realism descends upon us. That stark realism is that for the first time in four centuries this could be our level for a few years.
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I dreamt last night that I was at the game tomorrow, and in the excitement I got lost confusing the Covered End with the Jimmy Seed Stand. Strange, but I was excited, I was, it’s a London derby after all.
Dagenham & Redbridge are surely the most merged football club in the country with the Daggers roots being in Ilford, Leytonstone, Walthamstow, Redbridge and Dagenham. Quite different from next Tuesday’s opponents who had their identity stolen and not combined.
As others have more eloquently said our season so far sits on a precipice. If we look down then it has been a season lacking in creativity, goals and continuity. If you look upwards then the season smells of a promising work in progress with no serious barricades in our way.
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Oh my knee! I had completely forgotten about that.
Well after completely ignoring my surgeon’s advice of doing nothing but keeping my knee up for 3-4 days, it’s doing pretty well. I saw the physio on Tuesday and my recovery is advanced compared to normal. I suppose it was either going to go one way or the other after my exploits Sunday night, but it feels strong and I hardly use the crutches to get around because frankly it is quicker walking.
Valley.
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Sep 23
Photos complimentary of the superb Bernews.com.
From top, left to right: Beach erosion afterwards at Elbow Beach; Power cables down on Monday morning; The South Shore as Igor approached; The ‘Bermudian’ ferry breaking free at St Georges; The square at historical St Georges flooded the night of the hurricane; The Causeway that leads from St Georges and the island’s airport to the rest of the country almost hidden by driving rain; The tide comes over high cliffs at Smiths Parish; The Pink Beach Club 6 hours before the hurricane passed.
Rarely do you attend a game and have no real interest in the outcome of it but that was how I felt as my Dad drove us to our regular parking spot at The Heights 25 years ago today.
Rick Everitt wrote in his magnificent book ‘Battle for The Valley’ that the atmosphere that day was poisonous and the whole afternoon was a shambles of discontent, and they’re exactly what my memories of the day are. The anger and absolute helplessness had built inside me from a fortnight before when we were handed that extraordinary piece of paper entitled ‘Message to our Supporters.’
Many would argue that 21st September, 1985 was the day that Charlton fans united and that jointly going through the pain of leaving The Valley was the springboard to a new and brighter chapter in the club’s history. It was, but at that moment 25 years ago there wasn’t the slightest glimmer of what the future held.
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That was some night but Hurricane Igor eventually packed his huff and puff and headed back out to the Atlantic this morning leaving the island to lick it’s wounds.
There was a fair bit of damage such as at Hamilton’s main ferry terminal but most of it appears superficial although some areas were badly flooded including the historical town of St George’s. A lot of the south shore beaches will take a while to recover after suffering erosion due to the huge waves. We went along to Elbow Beach today, where the Weather Channel was reporting from, and the steps leading down to the beach had disappeared and the restaurants were closed.
The strongest measured wind gust was 94 mph and one can only imagine what a Category 4 or 5 storm would be like (Igor was officially a Cat 1). Personally I never want to find out and having ticked the box will take the family and bugger off island at the slightest sign of another one.
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We have just spent the last 90 minutes hanging onto a set of french doors in our living room as Hurricane Igor threatened to invade us. The wooden boarding that once protected the door was flying around the patio and it was scarying the shit out of me as it turned in every direction. Fortunately it settled at the foot of the door but I made damn sure I kept my flashlight on it.
The winds have subsided a bit now and I’m bloody hoping Igor has moved down the island to give someone else some fun and games.
By the sound of it the island has been banged up pretty good, although I am glad to hear there has been no casualties.
We’re now laying in bed listening to the wind whistling. That noise will stay with me for a while.
We are now holed up in our front bedroom as Hurricane Igor moved to the south of us and our back garden around 10pm when the eastern part of the eye-wall hit the island. This is the most destructive part of the hurricane which measures an incredible 633 miles by diameter!
The power went out about an hour ago due I think to a lightning strike in the area. The howling of the burglar and smoke alarms was very eerie indeed.
Reports from the excellent Bernews.com are evidencing a lot of damage on the island including to the main ferry terminal in Hamilton. We are doing okay but the two french doors in our living room are squealing and bowing like crazy. Walking, sorry hobbling around downstairs a moment ago was quite scary.
It has been suggested that the eastern parishes (we are in the west) will suffer the storm a lot longer than we will as Igor slowly makes it way along the south of the island and back out into the Atlantic.
Our 10-month old daughter who has been fantastic all day has suddenly become like a frightened puppy at the onset of a thunderstorm. I suspect she senses our anxieties.
Hurricane force winds are expected for a couple of more hours yet, but by the early afternoon tomorrow we should be clear of Igor.
Thank you to all of you that have sent your thoughts and well wishes to us on here and on Twitter, they are much appreciated.
We have had power back for a few hours now, so thank you BELCO for that. 16,000 homes remain without though, which is about half of the island. The power returning caused a bit of a shock as we were all napping at the time and then the various smoke alarms around the house screeched into action. I am sure scurrying up a ladder to loosen wires in the upstairs hallway was not what the physio had in mind yesterday when he told me I could start to put some weight on my foot today!
The winds are now around 100 mph and as I look outside of the kitchen window the rain is coming down sideways and as I type the front door has just blown open and one of the wooden boards on the french doors has come off. We need to move that.
Igor is now just 25 miles from passing the south-west of the island, which should be within the next 2 hours.
We lost power at around 3 this morning, which was strange as there really wasn’t much going on outside. It then came back intermittently but has now been off for about two hours.
According to reports 3,650 households in Bermuda are currently without power and BELCO are trying to restore it. I don’t hold out much hope.
The rain and winds are now lashing down outside and we have taped all of the windows. The good news is that Igor has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm, so winds will be at a maximum sustained strength of 90mph. Igor was once not long ago a Cat 4.
Igor is around 250 miles away and is travelling in this direction north-north west at 12mph.
On returning home from hospital this afternoon we were met by our landlord boarding up the windows and patio doors of our house in readiness for Hurricane Igor (photo) that is expected to deliver Bermuda a direct hit in the early hours of Monday morning.
Bermuda is taking no chances as Igor is expected to be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since 2003 when four people were killed during Fabian on the causeway that separates the airport from the main island. Total property damage was an estimated $300 million and it was widely considered Bermuda’s worst storm since 1926.
Igor has followed a similar path to Fabian and will have sustained winds of approximately 110 mph, with higher gusts when the eye comes closest at 3am on Monday. Tropical storm winds are expected tomorrow and up to eight inches of rain is predicted.
The whole thing with my right leg bandaged and in a brace is a bit of a nightmare to be honest. My Mum was supposed to be flying in on Monday to spend 10 days with us but all flights in and out of Bermuda have been cancelled until Tuesday and worse than the hurricane will be the unquestionable loss of power after the storm has passed.
All is quiet tonight though with Igor 363 miles away but the trees outside one of our unboarded windows are starting to sway gently. More is to come and I will try to blog on the storm as it approaches us.
Tranmere Rovers 1 Charlton Athletic 1
I got home too late from hospital to listen in to the game. From reading reports it sounded like we got off to a blistering start but couldn’t keep up the pace in the 2nd half and a point was probably fair.
How much we should read into this result after our 4-0 win at Prenton Park at around the same time last season I don’t know. What I do know is it’s proving more and more difficult for me to pass comment on team performances and our prospects for the season as unusually by this stage I haven’t even seen the boys play yet.
So I try not to be a fraud and take my leads from friends and other bloggers but then again hardly any one player is getting a run in the team at the moment and PP is making on average 4 to 5 changes a game. PP calls it “picking teams horses for courses.” I call it not knowing your best team and for me we still look like we are in an extended pre-season.
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This morning I had surgery to reconstruct my anterior cruciate ligament in my right knee, torn whilst playing indoor football earlier in the year.
Mistakenly the nurses appear to think I am some kind of sportsman. Those that know me will not read the rest of this post because they will be on the floor wetting themselves.
I should also refer the polite nurses to my physio who when discovering the extent of my injury asked me if I warmed up before playing football.
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Our last full day in Chicago and I could move back tomorrow.
We have tried to save today for doing nothing but walking and wandering around downtown. Tonight we have dinner at friends, then tomorrow we are up early and out and back to Bermuda. It hasn’t been enough time especially when you lose two whole days travelling. There used to be a direct flight from Chicago to Bermuda but no longer, which means we leave the hotel here in the morning at 7am, and don’t get home indoors to gone 9.30pm.
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Charlton Athletic 1 Notts County 0
I was driving to a friends lake house in Indiana yesterday trying to sneek quick looks at my phone and it sounded a shocker, especially first half. Someone once said a win is a win but new team or no new team, we have to play better.
Goals and chances are becoming thin on the ground. Parky chased Paul Benson all over the east end during the summer, but the ex-Dagger has yet to score this season. I wonder if it is time to move Lee Martin back up front and bring our top scorer Scott Wagstaff back into the fold? Certainly that would give us more mobility.
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I went to a fantastic restaurant in Chicago last night. The Purple Pig (500 N Michigan Avenue) had an igenious menu of simply prepared Mediterranean food with a huge pork influence. Jewish readers look away now.
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We have arrived in Chicago to spend the weekend visiting old friends and old memories. It has been way too long since I was last here, just over a year in fact. I have already made a promise not to be away from my surrogate home for so long next time.
We plan on having drinks tonight in one of my favourite places, the discreet but vibrant bar in the Peninsula Hotel called simply The Bar.
Over the weekend we hope to catch up with as many people as possible, I’ll shoot into the office tomorrow as well as pop round to my apartment to meet a new rental agent as it needs to go back on the market in November.
From the airport the sky is clear, so it won’t be long before the cities skyscrapers are welcoming us.
For those that bemoan the JPT and it’s silly rules then there would have been a lot of head shaking today after the news that Christian Dailly’s fractured eye-socket will take up to five weeks to repair.
Approaching 37, Dailly is one of, if not the most important player in PP’s still threadbare squad and he has already missed one game this season due to suspension. One has to hope either Jon Fortune is ready to play 90 minutes or Matt Fry will be more comfortable at centre-half than he was at left back in Devon on Saturday. Or then there is always Miguel Llera.
Moving swiftly on, the JPT is a reminder with a huge bloody R that we are where we are. Our next tie away at Franchise FC will be televised, which at least will save even the most loyal Addick a journey plus we might actually make some money from the round.
Akpo Sodje, Lee Martin and Kyel Reid all came back from the west country with knocks.
Archaeologists believe that Mayan people first came to the Yucatan in 2400 BC. They were a clever lot the Mayans. They were farmers, astronomers, architects, artists and innovators and that was just in the morning.
They lived large, building cities with plazas surrounded by huge temples to celebrate the lives of leaders. They created a calendar, almost certainly one of the oldest still documented. The ancient Maya were essentially spiritual timekeepers, counting ticks of the day by means of sun, moon, stars and planets. Sadly the calendar reaches completion on December 23rd, 2012, which was as good as reason as any to visit a couple of months back.
The Mayans created a high society but while they were too busy lording it, the Toltecs stole in from central Mexico and collapsed the Mayan empire with the help of the desitute and made base camp at what was later to become Chichen Itza. It was these early Aztecs that set about building many of the incredible structures that can be seen today beginning just after the 10th century.
Finally the Itzaes who themselves were forced out by invaders left the north coast of Mexico and pitched their 12th century tents in Chichen Itza forcing aside the Toltecs and became rulers themselves of the Yucatan for a couple of hundred years as their influence grew south and west.
Exeter City 1 Charlton Atheltic 0
Addicks beforehand were suggesting that a draw would be a decent result yesterday, so I wonder if there would’ve been as much derision if we hadn’t lost to an injury time penalty, one which according to the Radio London commentator never was. Television evidence mind you points to another rush of blood to Miguel Llera’s head.
Despite the invaluable service CAFC Player and Radio London provides, listening to radio commentary will never replicate actually being there especially on days like yesterday when Radio London insisted on switching constantly to action at other games, such as the pearler between Hayes & Yeading v Histon!
As a boy I used to listen under the bed clothes to BBC Radio 2’s midweek sports specials and my young imagination would craft flawless images of the game being relayed from my small radio, but I learnt very young that there is nothing like being there.
Nonetheless the Radio London commentator did not need to be Peter Jones or Bryon Butler for me to decipher that it wasn’t much of a display by Phil Parkinson’s newly ensembled side at St James Park. Lacking in creativity and attacking prowess once again we never got to grips with the game and a point would have been more than we deserved.
My first morning back at work has been spent packing my belongings into a few boxes. If it is not enough to keep moving house we are now moving office. An office move always presents an opportunity to lose a few things of course, I just hope it’s not my Charlton mug, which appallingly a bloke down the corridor has recently taken to use for his coffee.
Why would you use someone else’s coffee mug? There must be 50 mugs in the bloody kitchen. Worse is that I just give him a stare when I see him with it and don’t say anything? What should I say?
Some people I have noticed put a name sticker on their coffee mugs. I could do that but it reminds me of school. I’ll have the other half putting my name in the back of my shirt next.
Charlton Athletic 1 Dagenham & Redbridge 0
I was at London Bridge around 5ish last night and I lingered long over the departures board toying with the idea of jumping on a train to SE7 to get my first glimpse of us this season. In the end the fact that getting back to my parents after the game would have been a probable no-no and also that I wanted to spend my last night with my son together, I grabbed a cornish pasty and a coffee and jumped on the train to East Croydon with the other cattle instead.
Sky Sports News was more interested in the last remnants of a dull transfer deadline day than what was happening around the country in the JPT, although we did get a report after about an hour on Therry Racon’s goal and @CAFCofficial did it’s normal top-class job on Twitter.
The league is more important, of course but a cup victory is a rare and welcome occurrence whatever the competiton and 4, 630 believers came out to watch, which was a very credible turnout.
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
