Nov 2
I’m flying to London tonight and will be at the game tomorrow. I try not to be one to over-dramatize but this a very big week in SE7.
Over the years, even especially since I have lived overseas, I would much rather be at a game than watch or listen to it. Of course as I got older other priorities have taken precedence, but being there over hiding behind the sofa hasn’t changed.
Please click for moreTalking point 🗣️
If you put together a Nathan Jones phrase cloud then ‘doing the basics’ would be in 400 font.
In my job we talk often about basics, or fundamentals being the foundation of making better decisions. Doing the basics happens across the white line and on a football pitch. Building a foundation for professional footballers making better decisions is honed on the training ground.
Please click for moreEvery Charlton fan in that photo – men, women and poor children who were dragged away from trick and treating – heroes all.
No heroes on the pitch sadly, and a not surprising defeat today on Teeside to extend our run to 10 games without a win.
Please click for moreThe last time Chuks stepped onto a football pitch was last January as an 81st minute sub for Shrewsbury Town, and the last time he actually started a game was for us over 3 years ago. Today Chuks officially retired from his playing career at the age of 33.
Chuks made in total 414 appearances during a career which began at Arsenal who he joined when he was 7, and included two spells at Crewe, and two at Charlton. His most prolific period was the 30 goals in 84 games for MK Dons between 2016 and 2019.
Please click for moreAfter a long search, the Addicks have finally appointed a new CEO. Ben Mansford was most recently working for Maccabi Tel Aviv where he was sporting director.
Mansford has worked for Maccabi twice and has also held the chief executive position at Blackpool, Leeds and Barnsley.
Please click for moreA random thought 💭
On one hand I am pleased that we have an ownership group that are committed to begin building a club infrastructure, normalizing supporter relations and communicating with us like adults, have invested in The Valley and Sparrows Lane, even though they don’t own it, and really importantly pay the bills.
On the other hand, this group of extremely rich mix of individuals have not been prepared to spend money to support getting our club to the next level of The Championship.
Please click for moreBig problems. Home defeat for the first time this season, but the last time we won at all was in August, and The Valley boos and players’ heads dropping told a woeful story on a wet afternoon.
Not sure where we go from here. The noise for Jones to go will get louder but I personally feel he has deserved the right to sort it out, but there is a lot to sort.
Please click for more“You can’t keep trying to do the same thing and expecting different results.” Correct, sir.
Nathan Jones during today’s press conference and it’s sound as if he will ring the changes to his side. I understand why managers and coaches don’t like doing that, I mean it rarely works well when we have a big upheaval for cup ties, but I think the time has come and frankly it belittles the ‘squad game’ approach if those on the outside don’t get to play their part.
Please click for moreTampa Bay Rays play at the orange juice sponsored Tropicana Field, which is about an hour’s straight shot over a handful of bridges from our house in St. Petersburg.
St Pete is famous for having an average of 361 days of sunshine each year, but now it might have a world champion on it’s hands.
Please click for moreNathan Jones does love an experienced free agent that he has a relationship with.
Solly March has been training with Charlton and word is that he will be offered a short term pay as you play contract. The question is – is he what we need?
Please click for moreLast summer I started to put a series together of bucket list items that were on my to do list. I planned to write about them individually and share with you to spark a debate and conversation, but unfortunately life and work, mostly work took over and it never really got off the ground.
I’ve always been a lists guy, always ran with some sort of bucket list, but as you get older these things come a lot more into focus.
Please click for moreThat was poor shit from start to finish, in fact I turned off before the finish.
Why we started so many defensive players in a default defensive system in a very winnable game is known only to Nathan Jones. All the talk this week was of a Watford crisis, the manager getting the sack, and Elton John having the hump. Well, welcome to Charlton Athletic, your regular Mr Nice Guys.
Please click for more10 game marker. Thoughts?
Two defeats in ten, or seven games without a win. It does depend how full your pint glass is. A great August, a bad September, and then an unusually long break, another draw at home, but on the face of it a good point on the road on Tuesday night.
I always feel that 10 games is a good barometer, 21% of the season gone, but I am not going to dissect the team’s start to the season, we all do that after every game these days, but I will take a look at the players.
Please click for moreI was a little bit annoyed about that performance, Don’t get me wrong just as Nathan was hanging off the dugout, I was hanging off the curtain pole, but I felt that they were there for taking.
Still, in isolation it was a good point especially as it came with the last kick off the game. Cracking finish from Ivan.
Please click for moreI was wondering what had happened to Rob Apter. His name had not been mentioned by the club for a while, but now we know.
“Rob Apter is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on a knee injury. The winger will now begin his rehabilitation with the club’s medical team.” (more)
Please click for moreOther than on injuries, Nathan Jones finds it hard to hide his feelings.
His comments on the lack of return of Timothy Ouma from international duty tells me that the Kenyan’s time at The Valley could be up.
Please click for moreI’ll take the point after the long break, we deserved it especially after a change in formation in the 2nd half saw us better and we created the superior chances to win the game.
Despite edging the xG and possession I felt we rarely had control of the game other than the first 15 minutes.
Please click for moreMost of you know that I have lived with the threat of hurricanes for almost 20 years, my choice I know. Google ‘hurricanes and Chicago Addick’ and a story book of close misses and direct hits will come up, but this year not even a murmour.
Until now.
Please click for moreThe longest international break ever, but this weekend football is back. Most eyes will be on Anfield, but mine and yours will be on The Valley.
Another early TV kick off which means setting an alarm for me.
Please click for moreI am spending this weekend in Texas Hill Country surrounded by limestone hills and spring-fed rivers. It is an outdoor playground for those that love the outdoors, and all that huntin’, shootin’ and fishing.
I’m in Wimberley to be more precise. Not the place with a large arch looking over it, but a peaceful, bohemian artisan village nestled along the banks of Cypress Creek and the Blanco River about an hour’s drive from Austin.
Please click for moreZach Mitchell had made a very good start to his loan spell at St. Johnstone. He had played 6 league and 3 cup games but missed their recent game against Celtic due to what St Johnstone boss, Simo Valakari explained was “precautionary.”
Turns out sadly that Zach had a knee injury, in all probability an ACL, and has now been ruled out for the season.
Please click for moreI joked with Charlton mates the other day that we will be awarded the 1936/37 league title after Man City finally get their sanctions which will involve losing all of their league titles and beginning next season in the National League.
Of course while many of us are finding it funny that Man City were eventually found guilty after over three and a half years to the majority of 115 charges, it ain’t really that hilarious is it.
Please click for moreSo where do we stand, or sit, on drinking whilst watching a football match at The Valley?
Not since 1985 when I was barely drinking age have you been allowed to drink a pint within the sight of the pitch, but Prime Minister Andy Burnham said last week that he would support lifting a ban.
Please click for moreTalking point 🗣️
The evolution is looking more like a carbon copy at the moment. After the joy of the first three games, we are now five without a win, but there were three draws in there, a fine one at West Brom, a bonus one at home to QPR and a disappointing one at home to Portsmouth.
It is the two away games in between though that have left us all with a feeling of déjà vu.
Please click for moreUnited States, England, Wales and Germany. My last four days.
And just one passport stamp. I was rather chuffed that the friendly immigration officer at Munich Airport stamped my passport this morning. A bit like postage stamps and football tickets, they are a rarity these days.
Please click for moreMassively disappointing today, Not just the result but the fact that we played with no heart. We were passive, weak and laid down a big fat doormat and winless Cardiff walked over it from about the 8th minute.
It was also massively disappointing because I was actually at the game.
Please click for moreA much better watch than Wednesday and I thought we played pretty well. It was a decent game and the players put in a big effort on the back of a tough run of games. It was surprising to see only one sub but we did go for it at the end.
A clean sheet, but disappointing to not get all three, but a better attacking performance heralded by excellent games from Coventry and Skipp.
Please click for moreI was in New York again the early part of this week. Walking back to my hotel in Tribeca after a dinner on Tuesday night I stopped, and looked up towards the night sky. The two beams of light shone across the sky like shooting stars.
The familiar feeling of tingles on the spine and sadness came across me. I didn’t sleep well that night.
Please click for moreA fortunate point, a lucky point, a good point.
Whatever way you want to frame last night’s result, it is another point on the board against a good team.
Please click for moreTalking Point 🗣️
I don’t expect Nathan Jones has slept well these past couple of nights. Whilst Stoke City’s infatuation with Jones is ludicrous – they have had 10 managers since Jones left including caretakers because they sack so many – the abuse he took on Saturday was pretty awful.
Potters’ fans may have also forgotten the four managers they had in the 12 months leading up to Jones being put in charge.
Please click for moreJust to wrap the Jes Rak-Sakyi saga up. He joined Kasimpasa in Turkey just before the Turkish deadline expired on Friday night.
The 23-year old has signed on loan for the season. Following that he will be a free agent.
Please click for moreAn absolute horror show today.
I understand the need to use the squad, but there were just too many changes. We were over-run in midfield and the whole team crumbled after the penalty. Many similarities to last season up there, and Stoke are in Nathan Jones’ head, not the other way around.
Please click for moreI was lucky to be at the vast Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York for the U.S. Open on Wednesday this week. The tennis stadium is situated in Queens within the Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.
Our seats were superb just behind the player’s entrance and we watched Aryna Sabalenka destroy Russian Polina Iatcenko in about 50 minutes and then witnessed Carlos Alcaraz get better and better as the game wore on against the Portuguese Jaime Faria. Alcaraz won in 4 sets.
Please click for moreCollins Sichenje will miss the entire season with a knee injury sustained early in the Tottenham game.
The Kenyan was only signed in February and did not have any history of serious injuries, but this is his third since being with the club, and the worse of all.
Please click for moreWe haven’t had many Greg Docherty’s in the past decade. Maybe Dobbo, but since Pearce, Jackson and Pratley no one that you felt would speak and play like they would give literally every last breath in a Charlton shirt.
That sorry state of affairs has turned a big corner under Nathan Jones and Greg Docherty is a major reason for that.
Please click for moreThis will be short and sweet as I’ve just got back from the tennis in New York and it has been a long day, and I didn’t get to see any of the game this afternoon.
Very happy with a point, the Baggies have started the season well, and it sounded like we were under the cosh a fair bit.
Please click for moreWay past everyone’s bed time, the club have announced that they have signed Leicester City’s Oliver Skipp on a season-long loan. Our 11th summer window signing.
Skipp is a defensive central midfielder and will compete with Nathaniel Chalobah, Timothy Ouma, Conor Coventry, Alan Mwamba and possibly skipper Greg Docherty who remains at the club tonight, although rumours of a future destination included Scotland and the USA, where the transfer deadline is later this week.
Please click for more‘Charlton Athletic are delighted to announce the signing of highly-rated winger Junior Nkeng from AFC Wimbledon for an undisclosed fee.’ (more)
Welcome to the young man, but clearly this was a change of direction by the club after walking away from the signing Jes Rak-Sakyi.
Please click for moreOn loan.
Nathan Asiimwe has joined pre-season L2 promotion favourites Salford City on loan. Karl Robinson was given the boot in the summer and replaced by Peter Cklamovski, who has overseen three league defeats on the spin.
Please click for moreIt’s looking like it will be a quiet transfer deadline day for the Addicks, but to save you doing it I am sitting through the dentist’s drill equivalent of Sky Sports Deadline Day and refreshing Rich Cawley’s page every five seconds.
The first breaking news is that Ibrahim Fullah will move to MK Dons on loan for the season.
Please click for moreThe club were keen to sell Dan Kanu this summer and raise some funds, but set the price too high it seems. Instead Kanu will move to Notts County on a season long loan.
Last season the 21-year old did very well in L2 at Walsall scoring 15 league goals, his form dropping only in line with Walsall’s as they ended up in 9th.
Please click for moreTalking point 🗣️
Whilst I try to live in my Addicks world with a large gulp of reality, the boyhood hopelessly romantic football fan is enjoying seeing our name on top of the table. Yes, it is formative, early, rash even, but someone has to be top.
Yet, Nathan Jones took the words out of my head yesterday when he said the most important thing is that we have 9 points, and that is 9 more than two other clubs.
Points in the bag is what prizes are made of.
Please click for moreIt was my birthday on Wednesday. A rather large one that ended in a 0.
The secretive-other-half had told me to clear my work calendar, and bring my ID as we were heading out for a few hours.
We drove a rather convoluted way around Sarasota and ended up by the airport. Oh surely a week in the Caribbean would need my passport and a small bag I thought.
Please click for moreNottingham Forest defender Tyler Bindon has signed on loan for the season.
I believe the deal was done before the Preston game, but we all like a Sunday signing!
Please click for moreHang it in the Louvre.
A somewhat scrappy game at The Valley today, but we edged it right across the pitch and Karlan Grant got the winner in the 2nd half in front of the Covered End. Our first win over PNE since 2011.
Please click for moreRumours backed by a strong wind are saying that Nathan Jones has acted really quickly to replace the injured Collins Sichenje with a loan move for Nottingham Forest’s central defender Tyler Bindon.
Now, I’ve always been reticent to jump on transfer rumours as fact. The Rak-Sakyi story this week case in point.
Please click for moreI count 8 players out injured, the worst of whom seems poor old Collins Sichenje,
But, is the ‘crisis’ as bad as it seems?
Please click for moreLooks as if Thomas Kaminski will lead the charge to the exit before the transfer window closes.
Kaminski is in Cyprus poised to sign for league champions Omonoia Nicosia, who are currently involved in the Europa League after being knocked out in an early round of the Champions League.
Please click for moreIt’s been a little bit of a demoralizing day Charlton-wise, and I reckon the club sensed that. So, this early evening the club announced that Kanye Ramsay has signed a new four year contract.
This will take the 25-year old up to 2030, and once again gives the club protection and means that we at least keep the Hackney boy around for a while.
Please click for moreMy hurt sunk a little when I saw the team, but my head was telling me it was the sensible approach.
Tottenham put out a strong side, dropping more than resting I’d think only 5 players and filling their bench with players worth tens of millions.
Please click for moreI was trying to keep my own powder dry on this. The signing of ex-loanee and wide right man Jes Rak-Sakyi looked as if it was going to be a done deal.
The Palace player in the final year of his contract was at Sparrows Lane this week ready to sign, but Charlton have pulled out of deal.
Please click for moreIt was promised and it was delivered today. Tyreece Campbell has signed a new contract with the club until 2030.
The 22-year old’s current deal was set to run out in a year and he has come under a lot of interest this summer, and the club have fielded offers for him.
Please click for moreTalking point 🗣️
It’s always been a good day when after a match I can argue for almost every player as MoM. That was yesterday.
I chose Miles Leaburn in the end but it was a toss up.
Please click for moreI was a shaking, blithering wreck at the final whistle. I looked up and the girls had left me to it and gone out and the dog was cowered in the corner.
A fantastic day for all Addicks and especially those at the game in a record Championship attendance.
Please click for moreWrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has joined the Addicks on a season long loan.
Following the Thomas Kaminski drama, The club were rumoured to be talking to the Welsh club about the ex-Arsenal youngster. Wages may have been a stumbling block on a permanent, but the 24-year old joins for the season.
Please click for moreSad to hear of the passing of Mike Bailey. Diagnosed with dementia in 2020, he was 84.
One of my favourite ever Charlton season’s was the year he took us up in 1980/81. We were rubbish when we went down from the old Division 2. Bailey took over from Andy Nelson the previous March, inherited a mess and was allowed to sign no one but we won promotion at the first time of asking at our favourite hunting ground, Brunton Park.
Please click for moreCracking way to start the season. The Addicks came from behind, which we didn’t do at all last season, to beat Derby at The Valley today.
Stuff to improve on, but equally a lot to like and I particularly liked the way we won today.
Please click for moreWhat a pleasant start to the day.
Lloyd Jones has signed a contract extension that will take him to 2028, so technically another year, but a significant piece of business for the club to retain his services.
Please click for more105 days will have passed since the final game of last season and Saturday’s opening day of the new one.
We had the World Cup in the middle, but it’s been a long wait, and although the EFL tried, last week’s Carabao Cup game still didn’t feel like the beginning of the season.
Please click for moreSome interesting and open comments from Nathan Jones today regarding Thomas Kaminski’s future at the club.
There has been stories mostly unsubstantiated, that the Belgian was unhappy and a couple of interested summer glances from European clubs had turned his head.
Please click for moreI’ve only ever made short stops in Madrid, and this was another one. The end of the road for our Spanish expedition.
Sadly due to bad planning on our part, but having to be back for the start of the new school year, we had to take our leave before the solar eclipse, which was in totality up in the Basque country. The Madrileños were getting very excited for it, although it was ‘only’ partial from the city.
Please click for moreThe quintessential white village or pueblo blanco of Mijas Pueblo is surprisingly quite high, sat at an altitude of 436 metres (1,476 feet). It is majestically shoe-horned into a steep verdant cliffside overlooking the rest of the Costa del Sol.
Although most of Spain is at a higher altitude, this beautiful little town with its moorish architecture deserves to lord it over many of its bigger rivals.
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Butlers Wharf, London
