Get well soon Wyn
Renowned Blogger and Addick Wyn Grant has written on his Blog that he is in hospital and seriously ill. Wyn has temporarily suspended Addicks Third Division Diary.
Archive for
Jan 31
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KAG out on loan
Probably to help balance the wage bill a little 20-year old Karlan-Ahearne Grant went on loan to Crawley today for the rest of the season.
With Mavididi, Kaikai and Zyro, KAG was expendable and a run in a lower division will hopefully see him find his feet, and possibly his level. Harry Kewell’s Crawley are on a good run and have moved to 7 points off the play-off’s and play at lowly Chesterfield tomorrow.
P-P
Seems like the referee wanted to be centre of attention yesterday. Those 4-500 poor Addicks who hauled it up the motorway, about a 550-mile round trip wasted. Nonetheless, like him or not, I was proud of the way Karl Robinson led the players to observe the Jimmy Armfield tributes both inside and outside Bloomfield Road. Robinson may never get labelled as ‘proper Charlton’ but what he and the players did yesterday after the referee scuppered a game of football, and more than that, a memorial to a footballing legend, was a touch of class and one as a Charlton fan I was proud to see and read about. Addicks fans too, as we’d expect, also joined in the homage to Armfield, who died a week ago.
Chris Powell back in the game
On the back of a Kent Live survey showing overwhelming support for Karl Robinson (I’m not sure what the sample was), the last man to have such support, Chris Powell, has been appointed the new manager of Southend United.
Powell played 290 times for the Shrimpers between 1990 and 1996 before moving to Derby County for £750,000.
Michał Żyro signs on loan
Karl Robinson, who can keep a secret as well as my 8-year old, talked about Michal Zyro post game on Saturday in everything but name.
Today Zyro signed on loan from Wolves for the rest of the season. Zyro according to Wolves fans is mostly a number 9, but as is Robinson’s want he can play in all of the advanced attacking roles.
February
I don’t know what people expected from yesterday’s CAST meeting with Richard Murray, but it did instil us with more information and background and importantly final evidence that Duchatelet is going to the sell the club.
CAFC and CAST’s accounts of the 50-odd minute were very similar which is good, with February appearing the date that a transaction may happen.
Up the Creek
Who remembers Up The Creek? I had many a good night there, although didn’t it used to be at the Woolwich Tramshed or was that another comedy club. Anyways my mind is wandering, today I’m off to another Creek, possibly about as dissimilar to the one in Greenwich as you can get, this one is Beaver Creek, a ski resort in Colorado.
I first was in Beaver Creek just over 10 years ago and I reckon this is the x time I stayed at this hotel, which is beautifully set at the foot of Bachelor Gulch, one of the four mountains that makes up the resort.
Charlton 3 Walsall 1
When was the last time we put a game to bed..
I was following the game today via various wifi connections at airports and what a relief it was to put a game to bed in the last few minutes. Stephy Mavididi, who obviously is a talent, confidently tucking away after being set up by Tariqe Fosu, who appeared to quickly remind us of what we have missed these last few months.
From what I heard and have read it sounded a good game, with two attacking sides attempting to win the game. Credit to Walsall who included Mark Kinsella’s son Liam at right back.
Sullay Kaikai on loan
Nope, me neither but I don’t pay an awful lot of interest to Palarse’s reserves. (more)
According to Wikipedia Sulaiman Borbor “Sullay” Kaikai is 22, was born in Southwark and has been at Palace since he was 15. He’s had loan spells at Crawley Town, Cambridge United, Shrewsbury twice and Brentford making 77 league appearances and scoring 20 goals. Not bad.
CARD demands answers
To 10 questions like:
1) Will fan’s liaison and last remaining mouthpiece Richard Murray follow up on Karl Robinson’s claim that he would address supporters this week.
2) Come on, since Kat left what the f is Tom Rubashow doing all day?
3) Will any transfer money received by RD be pledged towards adding to the squad?
4) When will Ezri Konsa be sold?
5) Will Murray and Keith Peacock make up the numbers on the bench on Saturday?
6) Does the old scrote and the remaining SMT members actually want promotion?
7) Is that a little too over-ambitious for us foul mouthed customers?
8) And how are those half-season ticket sales?
9) Oh, and how are those takeover talks?
10) Can us little people get a timeline please?
Holmes gone. Money not to be reinvested
As expected Ricky Holmes was unveiled as a Sheffield United player today. The fee was undisclosed bu5 reckoned of be no more than £400,000. Richard Murray, remember hump?, said that due to takeover talks the money will not be reinvested in the team, but Holmes wages will, meaning loans and free agents only.
Don’t ask me how during takeover talks players can be sold but not bought. Best to ask Roland how that works. This could get nastier as Duchatelet flogs the family silver one by one.
30 hours
Flying to Heathrow tonight from JFK. Slightly warmer in the UK, although I saw snow forecast but think it may be oop north. I’m home for just tomorrow, and fly back to Bermuda on Wednesday, so just the 30 hours on English soil and no football. Work and being in Colorado, proper chilly there, from next Saturday the reasons why it is a flying visit.
1,000,000
I orginally began this Blog on Blogger in June 2004. After 1,892 posts and 350,000 visits I switched over to WordPress in August 2010, and today the WordPress stat counter passed the 1,000,000 page views mark, which I admit made me feel very proud.
I’ve written 1,778 posts since moving here in the summer of 2010, clearly less prolific than I was in those early days, but the individual posts get a lot more traffic and that has been increasingly true in recent years.
Bury 0 Charlton Athletic 1
Making a point..
Pre-game Karl Robinson was again chatting to Addicks outside Gigg Lane and told a fan that Ricky Holmes has been sold from under him by Roland Duchatelet for “debt management.” Afterwards to the press he said that Duchatelet refused to sanction a part exchange with Sheffield United getting Samir Carruthers plus cash for Holmes as Duchatelet just wanted the money.
Duchatelet is taking his last kicks in the stomach of our proud club, which is already doubled up in pain following the Belgian’s 4-year ownership. Just 5 players on the bench today including two long term injuries, an academy player and a goalkeeper.
Holmes to leave
Looks like Roly will get to put more money in his pocket as it seems inevitable now that Ricky Holmes will leave us this transfer window.
Rich Cawley is running an exclusive that Holmes has made it clear that he wants to take the opportunity to go to Sheffield United to finally challenge himself in the Championship. The Blades sit just a point outside of the play-offs and have already invested heavily this window.
Muir speculation
Andrew Muir is a name linked with a takeover of Charlton back to last October. More recently it was thought that an Australian bid was still very much in the picture, albeit balking at Duchatelet’s inflated price.
Today Rick Everitt produced an excellent investigative piece for VOTV giving not only a much desired ‘takeover update’ but also gave us some explanation to why ex-Rangers director and turnaround businessman and accountant Donald Muir (photo) was at the Oldham game on Saturday sat next to Alex McLeish.
Jan 8
RIP Craig Norris
Every football fan has an opinion, think they have good ideas, reckon they can do better, but very few put themselves forward and make a difference. Craig Norris did.
Craig was a normal bloke, family man, bright, good job, a huge Charlton fan but he was more than a fan. He made a difference.
Valley Party candidate, chair of Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Club, very heavily involved in the almost dream like at the time concept of Target 10,000, and eventually elected as the VIP fan member of the Charlton board from 1995-97. Craig made a difference.
My 2017 Top Five Favourite TV Shows
Next on the agenda of my Top Fives is TV Shows. Somehow over the years, not helped by having just two cinema screens on the island, I rarely watch a movie, but I love to get stuck into a TV series. By the way I’m always looking for recommendations, so any suggestions are much appreciated.
Peter Varney steps down at Ebbsfleet
Eh? What? No. Can’t be. Can it?
Peter Varney is stepping down as vice-chairman of Ebbsfleet United. He will no longer sit on the Fleet’s board of directors and will be replaced as vice-chairman by former player Dean Pooley.
Charlton fan Varney has been heavily involved with Ebbsfleet since 2013 when they were taken over by KEH (Kuwaiti European Holdings), for whom Peter is CEO of their sports arm. Varney led and managed all of Fleet’s off field activities but has never been far away from the alarming goings on at The Valley.
Charlton Athletic 1 Oldham Athletic 0
3 points but..
Turgid performance by all accounts with a piece of excellence by new boy Stephy Mavididi the only difference between two awful teams. Holmes hit the bar in the 2nd minute and we scored in the 27th and were pretty comfortable at the break, but what happened at half-time?
The 2nd half we were pensive, unorganized, seemingly not understanding the formation with huge gaping holes between the midfield and Magennis, who sounded lost again. Marshall uninspiring, the back four panicked, and we can thank Amos for the clean sheet. Our first at The Valley since October!
My 2017 Top 5 Favourite Bermuda Things
Bermuda has been home for nine and half years which is scary in so many ways. One of my problems with living on a small island in the Atlantic Ocean, and I appreciate this for some has it’s advantages, is that rarely do things change. Yet in the recent year or so brought about by the Americas Cup, I’ve witnessed a renewed confidence in the local economy and a surge in young and talented Bermudians willing to challenge the status quo.
The Island has seen an uptick in overseas visitors and they have witnessed a much more thriving island, Hamilton in particular where autonomous stores and places to grab a drink or food, often owned by young creative individuals or partnerships compete with the established but often humdrum and uninspiring names, all owned by just a handful wealthy families.
Revelation
Maybe only to Karl. (more)
A very downbeat Robinson at today’s press conference as realization sets in that Duchatelet is not going to splash the cash if he is wanting out and no new owner before the end of January will result in just Mavididi coming in, and possibly still players being sold from under him by the Belgian to line his own pocket.
Mavididi signs on loan
Not entirely unexpected. Robinson was keen on the young striker returning in the summer but he managed to get a loan to a higher level with Preston. He made 3 starts and 7 sub appearances there, after the season before making 3 starts and 2 appearances from the bench for us before injury cut short his loan.
Meire at Massives
It’s always amazed me how washed up managers get recycled at football clubs, with bright successful managers being overlooked time and again. Players are signed on the back of a VHS video and due diligence and the fit and proper test has as much depth to it as a paddling pool.
Seriously is today April 1st, not January 1st? Katrien Meire has been appointed CEO of Sheffield Wednesday.
Charlton Athletic 1 Gillingham 2
New low..
it’s relegation form. 3 points from 24. 8 games without a win and dumped out of the FA Cup. Today and the next three games were a brilliant opportunity to thrust us back into promotion picture. Yet, now we sit 4 points off the play-off’s, 17 from automatic and 19 points adrift of the top. We have the worst goal difference in the top half of the table, but a game in hand. Against second placed unshakable Shrewsbury.
If the first half at Southend was atrocious, no words exist for today’s first 45. Only Robinson knows why he left Aribo and KAG on the bench. How rubbish is Reeves? No leaders on the pitch. A hapless back four, and when will we learn to not bring back players not fully fit. JFC and Best injured today. Reeves pointless and Magennis lost.
