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May 30

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Withdrawal symptoms

Anyone else having withdrawal symptoms?

Despite being ultra busy at work, as usual I steal the odd minute to trawl t’internet for football news, especially Addick related and…. nothing. What’s going on? We had signed 15 players by now a year ago. Powell out!

I have just written all of the Euro 2012 kick-off times on my calendar. Nope, still not feeling it. That England squad, and there is not an awful lot different Roy could have done, is one of the most uninspiring I have known for a very long time.
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May 26

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Heatwave

The weather has been ultra kind to us since we arrived on Wednesday. The beautiful Secret Garden was swathed in sunshine yesterday for my mate’s wedding. A week ago we would have had our coats and wellies on.

The wedding was superb, my speech went down a storm, even if I say so myself, and it was brilliant to see so many of my old mates and my family altogether in one place.
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May 26

Who will be the 3rd wheel?

6 weeks after the mighty reds were promoted up at Carlisle, one of our season-long rivals will join us this afternoon.

We put a dent in both Huddersfield and United’s promotion push during the course of the past season but both would be deserving of a leg up to the next tier this afternoon after spending the whole season alongside Sheffield Wednesday chasing us around the promotion track.
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May 22

Wedding bells

No, not mine but me and the family are flying back to London tonight for my mates wedding, the one in which I am one of two best men, the speech is coming along nicely, although I’m finding it hard to keep it below two hours.

The wedding is Friday but before then we are doing a mini tour of Oxfordshire and Essex catching up with friends. This after a late dinner last night with a client and then home to pack in the early hours before getting up silly early this morning to come to work. I can sleep when I’m older.
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May 20

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Blue is the colour

Chelsea’s thrilling penalty shoot-out win yesterday was a deserving epilogue to a nail biting end to the season.

As I often do in these situations I began watching as a neutral but couldn’t help be drawn to the Blues as my patriotic juices took me over. I also thought of a good mate of mine, a massive long-time Chelsea fan, who has suffered a dreadful year with ill-health.

He pretty much emptied his bank account to get to Munich and he would have savoured every minute of yesterday’s triumph.
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May 14

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Non-stop

A couple of days travelling with work beginning this morning. I’m on a flight to Miami in an hour or so then I go to Atlanta tomorrow and back to the rock on Wednesday on the same flight as a friend of mine who is staying with us Thursday night.

I am then desperate for a quiet weekend because next week we fly back to the UK for my best mate’s wedding. That is in Kent on the Friday but we are in Oxfordshire and Essex prior to that. I have the role of deputy best man for the day, or some such, which unenviably includes giving a speech, which I’ve yet to write. Maybe the next few days stuck on a few planes will give me some time and inspiration.
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May 13

What a final day

When I lived in the States I would often have to defend the game of ‘soccer’, normally at a baseball game when fat drug-ridden blokes were running around catching a ball with a huge glove in front of me.

“It’s boring” they would say and as I took a sip of my lite (sic) beer I would just laugh to myself.

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May 12

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As happy as a pig in muck

That’s why we’re Champions! I thought to myself as I followed the fortunes of the League One Play-Off’s this weekend. I had a strong feeling for both Stevenage and MK Dons but at the halfway stage the stronger sides, on paper at least, hold the aces.

Even though I feel only enmity to MK, I would prefer a lesser team to join us and Wednesday in the next level up. The quicker we get to 50 points etc…. Joking, jo-king!

In fact I don’t know about you but I am still wallowing in last Saturday’s events. Indeed about this time last week we were all still raising glasses. It was quite a season wasn’t it?
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May 6

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Charlton Athletic 3 Hartlepool United 2

Just champion!

What a momentous day at The Valley it was yesterday, and how we milked it! The whole day will live long in the memory and in my mind it was a far more enjoyable day than the Ipswich game in 2000, even discarding the result.

That day though we began an exciting journey under Curbs, and yesterday a bigger crowd joined together to witness another exciting pilgrimage under a beloved leader.

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May 4

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United or Wednesday?

Do we have a view?

The race between the two Sheffield massives has occupied the media for the whole season. Who would finish 1st and and who would finish 2nd? Well the story didn’t quite end that way as some little upstarts from darn sarf have done a runner with the trophy. However credit where credit’s due as both Wednesday and United have given it a bloody good go, particularly in the latter stages of the season as they chased us down the home straight.

One of the two clubs could finish the season tomorrow night with over 90 points and not get promoted, which says a lot about our poise and unyielding ability these last 9 months.
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May 3

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Let’s party

Two more sleeps, then let’s get it on.

I fly home Friday night, land Saturday morning, will grab a large Costa Coffee at Gatwick, change into fancy dress and will make my way after picking my son up to the promised land of The Valley SE7. Or maybe, just maybe we will pop in the pub first.

This is the most games I have seen in a season for many years, encouraged mostly by the spirit the team have shown under Chris Powell, and I wouldn’t miss this one for the world. It is not every day you see a Charlton team climb a podium in the middle of the pitch and lift a trophy.
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May 2

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12 months on

The Sponsors Dinner last night sounded a blast. Last year the players were putting a brave face on it unsure of their futures, and with their pride in tatters. Meanwhile a certain Chris Powell was in big planning mode. Fast forward 12 months and the atmosphere couldn’t have been any different.

The overwhelming message I got from phone calls from my two mates who sat with Danny Hollands and Matt Taylor was one of real team spirit. Players, men, who clearly get on and like each other’s company. I was sad I missed it but even their animated texts and calls gave me a feel good glow.
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May 1

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New shirts, new sponsor

In a not very well kept secret Charlton announced today that they will have a new shirt manufacturer next season after agreeing with Macron to end the 4-year deal half way through. I think most people agree that this season’s two kits have been the best for a while so I think Macron are unfortunate to lose our business.

I think the article on the club’s website has changed during the day because I am sure it said that we will begin the search for a new one, but it now says that “the club will announce details of it’s new kit supplier in due course.”.
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May 1

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Sponsors Dinner

Tonight two of my mates will take my place at the Shirt Sponsors Dinner at The Valley. Unfortunately I couldn’t get ‘management approval’ to return home a few days earlier this week and instead will fly Friday night instead.

A couple of years back I felt inclined to support the club in some small financial way as I was no longer a season ticket holder so I made the decision to enter into a bit of shirt sponsorship. I went for Semedo last season and for this Champion year I sponsored Danny Hollands.
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