Hatrick

13 years exactly after waking in my Charlton shirt covered in pride and disbelief, I have broken my self-imposed Charlton silence (it wasn’t difficult) with the news that Chris Powell has made three signings before the end of May.

The most significant is that of Danny Hollands, two of Matt Holland will be quite acceptable. The only negative to signing the Bournemouth man is that one could read into it that either Racon or Semedo will be leaving, and I would say it is almost certainly curtains for Alan McCormack. Hollands is also potential captain material if Semedo goes (to Greece according to Sky Sports) and Dailly moves on to pastures new.

Talking of Dailly, all the out of contract players are now listed on the PFA free transfer website.

One of the other signings was Hayes & Yeading’s Bradley Pritchard. The Zimbabwe attacking midfielder was on trial at Charlton recently after scoring 15 goals as H&Y survived relegation from the Blue Sq. Conference. The season before that he was at Tamworth and prior to that Nuneaton Borough, for whom he joined after gaining a masters degree at Loughborough University, famous for it’s sports graduates such as Lord Coe and Paula Radcliffe. Pritchard, 25, captained Loughborough’s football team and played for English Universities alongside Aldershot’s Alex Rodman and Huddersfield’s Robbie Simpson.

Finally we have also signed 19-year old goalkeeper Nick Pope on a two-year deal from Bury Town, in what is probably a straight swap for the departing Ross Worner, who is expected to join Aldershot. Bury Town play in the Ryman League Premier, two below the Conference and Pope was originally at the Ipswich Town Academy.

Not bad work then, with Powell saying others to be expected shortly. Gillingham midfielder Andy Barcham, Plymouth winger Yannick Bolaise and Brentford central defender Leon Legge are all mentioned in dispatches. By my reckoning I think Powell will be looking for a smaller but more competitive squad so I’m anticipating another 9 to 10 signings with hopefully a couple of the out of contract players staying.