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.

Bauer was a very rare success among the bus-load of players brought in during the early season’s of Duchatelet’s ownership. Bought from Portuguese 2nd Division side Marítimo for I’m guessing an undisclosed fee he went on the play 135 times for us.

Back in June 2015 Guy Luzon was the manager, although probably had little or no say in Bauer’s arrival. By the end of the German’s first season at the club he had played under three managers, the club was relegated and a 4th manager, Russell Slade, was sacked in November of the next season.

It certainly wasn’t ever easy for Bauer, but he was of strong character, typical German, and never shirked a challenge and was clearly popular with players and certainly with fans. His last touch of a football in a Charlton shirt will live with Addicks and Bauer himself for the rest of our lives.

UPDATE June 19th, 2019: Bauer signs 3-year deal with Preston North End.