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Jun 29

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Espana por favor

The Addicks are off to Spain this weekend for a pre-season training camp. The importance of which cannot go unnoticed. After years of Katrien Meire not being able to hold a piss up in a brewery type planning, it was Karl Robinson who eventually managed to convince Roly to cover a short trip to Ireland in 2017, hastily thrown together and in fact just imitating what he did the season before at MK Dons.

Last year Bow managed to convince Roly to splash on a Portugal bonding trip, which was the beginning of a journey of oneness and desire that ended on the Wembley steps.

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Jun 28

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Two Friday signings

Like waiting for a bus. The Addicks made two signings today. Tom Lockyer, a centre back from Bristol Rovers and striker Chuks Aneke from MK Dons. Both players pictured and are free agents after turning down deals at their current clubs.

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Jun 26

Heads held high

Bermuda bowed out of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with their heads held high this week. They arrived for the first time in a big tournament jointly ranked as outsiders, with Guyana.

Yet, they left with praise ringing in their ears from many commentators and ex-footballers including Warren Barton who waxed lyrical over the island’s efforts on Fox Sports.

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Jun 23

JFC signs new contract

And some good news on a Sunday. Jake Forster-Caskey has signed his offered contract and will wear the red shirt in The Championship next season.

The injury and the timing of it last summer was heartbreaking for Jake and all Addicks as great things were expected on the back of an excellent season the year before, which only got better under the tutelage of Lee Bowyer.

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Jun 23

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Aribo picks Rangers

I am sure Steven Gerrard had a huge influence on Joe Aribo’s decision to move to the Scottish Premier League with Rangers. If Lee Bowyer improved Joe, then Gerrard will take him to the next level as a footballer, and an athlete.

Yet, it is hard not to shake your head by this move. Short term, okay. Playing under Gerrard, getting regular games, challenging for trophies (again), throw in a bit of Europa Cup. But, the SPL has been as graveyard for many young players, and old, and what happens when Gerrard leaves, or Aribo outgrows that team? Is the SPL the stepping stone, the evolution of a player ready for a move to the EPL?

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Jun 20

Road trip

Those fixtures look a hell of a lot better than the last few seasons, don’t they? More familiar foes from our long history with no disrespect to the sides in League One.

So we start on the road at Blackburn, a team we have played in the league 35 times. A big away end, and hopefully loads of noise coming out of it. Our first home game is Stoke City, one of many occasions I guess when the Jimmy Seed will be full. We haven’t played Stoke since 2008.

We then go to fellow promoted Barnsley, and then are at home midweek against Nottingham Forest and then Brentford on the Saturday.

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Jun 18

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Auf wiedersehen Pat

This is not a week for those Addicks with a dodgy ticker. Bad news tonight as Patrick Bauer aka BFG said his farewells to Charlton fans.

Not wholly surprising and we can’t say he never warned us. You have to think with a slightly more healthy budget he may have stayed but he maybe ready to move on after an often difficult four years. And of course he’s leaving on the ultimate high.

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Jun 18

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Only at Charlton – Bow signs

And now we got Lee Bowyer, we’re f’kin dynamite.

Glorious news. “Charlton Athletic are delighted to confirm that Addicks’ boss Lee Bowyer has agreed a contract extension with the club.” (more)

What a difference a day makes, or really an evening. Lee Bowyer and Duchatelet agreeing to a deal last night just hours after the owner once again went into one of his mental rants airing the clubs dirty laundry in public.

In the fact the two stories sit side by side on the official website. It really is bonkers.

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Jun 18

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What happens today?

Roland Duchatelet has typed or dictated some scatterbrained old tosh in the past, but yesterday’s beats the lot.

As always blaming everybody and everything other than himself. The man has no shame. Dragging into public consumption details of salaries and negotiations is utterly disgusting. He trashes other clubs and their owners because as we know only Roland has the plan for a sustainable and successful football club.

Duchatelet has dealt with agents broadly since he and Katrien Meire were in charge of the club. We had the third highest agent fees in League One in 2018 and in two seasons RD lined agents pockets to the tune of over £1m. So why the dig at Lee having a representative? The poor bloke has had to deal with Duchatelet’s representative Lievan de Turck for ages. Conflict of interests my arse.

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Jun 17

Bermuda start Gold Cup with a defeat

Bermuda lost their opening game at the CONCACAF Gold Cup last night 2-1 to Haiti. Bermuda took the lead right on half time when captain Dante Leverock powered home a header from a corner.

It was a dream score at the break and until then the half had been pretty even with Bermuda trying to keep the ball and having much the better of the chances. Haiti came out stronger in the 2nd half and in the end their fitness and strength prevailed.

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Jun 17

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Bowyer to leave

Heartbroken.

Roland Duchatelet slathers the cream on top of a disastrous short-sighted reign as our owner. I don’t know if I can hate that man any more.

A post obviously written by the old bastard himself or an advisor is on the Official Site has just told devastated Charlton fans everywhere that he has been unable to reach agreement with Lee Bowyer and his will leave the club.

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Jun 17

Bonne chance

A surprise signing today down in SE7. Macauley Bonne, Leyton Orient’s top scorer from the last two seasons, 49 goals in all. Even more surprising was there was a fee. Lee Bowyer indicated that RD maybe prepared to offer small fees on players, where there is future value.

Bonne signed an extension to his O’s contract last summer and it is thought that there was a break fee of £200,000.

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Jun 16

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Let’s hope sense prevails

Roland Duchatelet is many things but sensible is not one adjective that springs to mind.

Some way, some how Lee Bowyer and his management team cobbled together a group of players, improved them, gave them belief and not only got them promoted but also managed to superglue players and fans back together. After many seasons of depressing dislocation, last season culminating with that Sunday three weeks ago, when almost 40,000 Addicks rocked Wembley Stadium, those men gave us memories for a lifetime.

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Jun 15

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Family, faith and football

Recently when Lyle Taylor stopped in on Charlton fan Betty Hutchins (watch the video as well), Betty said that these three ‘f’ words were the most important things she had in her life. It’s hard to disagree with that, whatever your faith.

Betty has long been ‘proper Charlton’ and watched the Addicks since 1946. Sadly Betty died yesterday just two days before her 83rd birthday.

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Jun 14

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Oh Canada

I know we are a little wrapped in our London, SE7 lives but up in Canada today they are having their own wild ‘it never happens to us’ celebrations.

I’ve long had a soft spot for the basketball team Toronto Raptors. The sole Canadian representatives playing in an all-American, money sodden NBA. The Raptors are worthy underdogs never appearing in a Championship final nor having much won anything. Yet I’ve seen them a few times and their fans stick with them through the mediocrity.

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Jun 12

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More hopes ready to kill us

Is this the week Roland Duchatelet clears his football clubs from his wardrobe?

Today Duchatelet sold his Spanish club AD Alcorcón to Crystal Palace’s American investor David Blitzer and Ivan Bravo of the Aspire Academy of Qatar group. The deal is said to be worth between €12 million (£10.6 million) and €14 million (£12.4 million).

In January 2014 Duchatelet bought Charlton and AD Alcorcón just a couple of weeks apart, which may be a good omen because this afternoon it broke in Wales that current Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Dalman maybe close to buying the Addicks.

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Jun 8

Villa provide Solly opposition

I was disappointed that Aston Villa got promoted. Not because I don’t like them, because I do. I’ve had soft spot for them ever since that European Cup winning team. Who can forget Bremner, Withe, Shaw, Morley. Nigel Spink off to bench to play in goal.

Villa Park is a cathedral of a stadium. That day in the Premier League. May 1999. Robinson, Mendonca, Mills. Steve Brown in goal. What a day.

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Jun 7

Bowyer contract talks continue next week

I’ve hardly removed my Charlton pants for washing and already Twitter is alive with rumours of who’s joining and leaving. As Bow said success breeds teams trying to steal your players and manager. I’m paraphrasing of course, but if the Belgium twit doesn’t get his finger out then I going to go over there and daub his building with my sharpie myself.

The internet is suggesting all sorts of clubs that want to talk to Bowyer, but according to the Rat and the more reliable source of Rich Cawley, Bow will continue his discussions with the owner over a new contract next week.

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Jun 5

What to watch post season

The first few weeks after a football season always feel a bit empty as I adjust my schedule and attempt to find things to fill the void. A little bit different this year as I’m still singing myself to sleep though with a smile as wide as the Wembley Arch.

It is an adjustment though but there’s normally something to occupy me, and oddly I always get a bit miffed when the whole pre-season circus starts. Clubs who moan the loudest about too many games appearing in pedestrian exhibition games in far flung places. You know who you are.

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Jun 2

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Has it been a week?

So what were you doing this time last week?

Tremendous wasn’t it. My screen time has been off the charts this week. I have watched every video, zoomed in on every photo and read every article. As the song goes…. I just can’t get enough.

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