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Oct 25

10 Comments

Evolution is devolution

A 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.

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Oct 24

52 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 Norwich City 3

Big 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.

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Oct 22

18 Comments

Madness

“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.

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Oct 20

Sunshine Rays

Tampa 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.

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Oct 19

24 Comments

Is Solly March the answer

Nathan 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?

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Oct 18

4 Comments

Bucket list

Last 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.

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Oct 17

39 Comments

Watford 2 Charlton Athletic 0

That 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.

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Oct 15

16 Comments

Barometer of 10 games

10 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.

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Oct 13

33 Comments

Burnley 2 Charlton Athletic 2

I 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.

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Oct 12

1 Comment

Forgotten man

I 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)

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Oct 10

4 Comments

Where is Timothy Ouma?

Other 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.

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Oct 10

8 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 Bristol City 1

I’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.

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Oct 9

1 Comment

Hurricane Isaias

Most 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.

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Oct 8

3 Comments

Back in the game

The 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.

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Oct 3

Texas Hill Country

I 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.

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Sep 30

4 Comments

Zach Mitchell ruled out for the season

Zach 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.

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Sep 28

9 Comments

Blue moon

I 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.

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Sep 27

14 Comments

Drinking during the game

So 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.

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Sep 21

12 Comments

Carbon copy

Talking 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.

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Sep 20

1 Comment

4 Nations

United 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.

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Sep 19

28 Comments

Cardiff City 3 Charlton Athletic 1

Massively 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.

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Sep 12

22 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Portsmouth 0

A 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.

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Sep 11

9 Comments

25 years

I 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.

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Sep 10

12 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Queens Park Rangers 0

A 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.

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Sep 7

6 Comments

Potty

Talking 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.

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Sep 6

6 Comments

Rak-Sakyi news

Just 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.

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Sep 5

22 Comments

Stoke City 4 Charlton Athletic 0

An 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.

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Sep 4

2 Comments

Honey deuces

I 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.

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Sep 4

2 Comments

Sichenje out for season. Young Finn signs

Collins 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.

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Sep 3

9 Comments

Greg Docherty. Thank you.

We 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.

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Sep 3

13 Comments

West Bromwich Albion 1 Charlton Athletic 1

This 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.

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Sep 1

9 Comments

Oliver Skipp signs on loan

Way 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.

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Sep 1

3 Comments

Junior Nkeng signs from AFC Wimbledon

‘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.

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Sep 1

Nathan Asiimwe to Salford City

On 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.

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Sep 1

3 Comments

Fullah moves out on loan

It’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.

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Aug 31

7 Comments

Daniel Kanu moves to Notts County on loan

The 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.

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Aug 30

6 Comments

Start the clock

Talking 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.

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Aug 30

21 Comments

Flying high

It 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.

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Aug 30

3 Comments

Tyler Bindon loan confirmed

Nottingham 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!

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Aug 29

11 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 Preston North End 0

Hang 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.

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Aug 28

5 Comments

Tyler Bindon

Rumours 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.

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Aug 28

6 Comments

Injury crisis?

I count 8 players out injured, the worst of whom seems poor old Collins Sichenje,

But, is the ‘crisis’ as bad as it seems?

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Aug 27

11 Comments

Kaminski departure moves closer

Looks 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.

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Aug 27

7 Comments

Kanye and Able

It’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.

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Aug 27

9 Comments

Tottenham Hotspur 5 Charlton Athletic 1

My 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.

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Aug 27

15 Comments

Rak-Sakyi deal off

I 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.

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Aug 25

11 Comments

TC signs 4-year deal

It 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.

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Aug 23

7 Comments

Rotation station

Talking 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.

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Aug 22

21 Comments

West Ham United 1 Charlton Athletic 2

I 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.

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Aug 20

12 Comments

Arthur Okonkwo signs on loan

Wrexham 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.

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Aug 17

12 Comments

Mike Bailey RIP

Sad 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.

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Aug 15

13 Comments

Charlton Athletic 2 Derby County 1

Cracking 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.

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Aug 14

11 Comments

Get in, Lloydy

What 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.

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Aug 13

2 Comments

Ready or not

105 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.

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Aug 13

8 Comments

The future of Thomas Kaminski

Some 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.

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Aug 12

3 Comments

Solar eclipse

I’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.

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Aug 11

7 Comments

Pueblo blanco

The 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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Aug 10

9 Comments

Tottenham away, ole ole

See, that song was not sung in vain.

The Addicks have been drawn away at Tottenham Hotspur in the 2nd Round of the Carabao Cup. The game will take place during the week of Monday, August 24th, and I would imagine we’d get a good allocation.

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Aug 10

5 Comments

Timothy Ouma signs on loan

Kenyan Timothy Ouma has joined Charlton from Slavia Prague. The 22-year old midfielder will join compatriot Collins Sichenje in SE7.The loan deal has an option to buy.

Ouma is probably unknown to everyone other than the most ardent of European league watchers.

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Aug 10

13 Comments

Who else leaves?

Whilst a new midfielder announcement looks likely soon, and right winger rumours abound, we have to remember that Nathan Jones has to further trim his squad.

We have not seen the ruthelessness we were promised, at least not yet and I think if there are two more incomings, we need to move four on. If the club cash in a high profile player then they would need to be replaced.

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Aug 9

2 Comments

Rich and famous

Don’t judge me, but we went searching for the rich and famous this afternoon. A Mick Jagger burger on the menu at our hotel isn’t enough. Jagger almost lived in the Mijas hotel we are staying at in the 1980’s.

From Mijas we taxied to Puerto Banús, which I hadn’t been to for 40 odd years. It was old money then, and now it was very much new money.

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Aug 8

12 Comments

Cheltenham Town 1 Charlton Athletic 3

I suppose it depended on the result whether this was to be considered our first competitive game or last friendly but what the day was really about was putting on a performance that showed some optimism for the new league season, and this certainly did.

I didn’t watch as I was sat by a pool, but I followed closely and the 1st half performance was excellent noting the opposition and their own very disjointed pre-season.

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