20 Years; 20 Players: No.3 Alan Simonsen

The continuation of my 20 Players to salute my 20 Years of Blogging.

No ranking, no preference, just 20 Charlton Players that have left an indelible mark on me. No. 3 Alan Simonsen.

There used to be a bloke who sat by the door to the main lounge of the old Valley Club and from about 12.30 to 10 minutes to 3 he’d just sit there with his pint and sing at the top of his voice: “Sim-mmoooooooo.”

It’s those kind of things that stick with you. My Dad always took us in the Valley Club before games, and I used to love how the excitement would build.

I will also never forget one night laying in my bed watching News at Ten when one of the day’s headlines was that little Charlton had signed the legendary Allan Simonsen for a record fee of £300,000. Alan Simonsen. From Barcelona. The former European Player of the Year? Yes, that one.

Simonsen made his debut in a reserve game if I remember, and a reserve game had never seen such a crowd. His first team debut was held up due to paperwork but he finally made his bow at home to Middlesbrough in November 1992, in which he scored.

Derek Hales scored too that day, with whom Simonsen shares a birthday. Hales and Simonsen only played together a handful of times, but what a pairing.

Simonsen was a beautiful footballer, tiny and he moved around the pitch like a ninja. He was way too good for us of course, always at least two steps ahead in movement and thinking than his team mates, but an absolute pleasure it was and still is to call him an Addick.

The famous Dane only wore our famous red shirt 17 times, but scored 9 goals, two of which came at home to Chelsea in a memorable 5-2 win.

It was a short but eventful time for the little Dane, and the Addicks were back page news for a while. Ken Craggs was sacked a couple of weeks into Simonsen’s time at the club, and was replaced by a little known chap at the time called Lennie Lawrence.

Simonsen also played for us in a 7-1 defeat at Burnley, a 4-1 defeat at Bolton and a cracker of a 5-4 defeat at Hillsborough. Throw a 5-1 home defeat to Rotherham in that Simmo watched from the stands, and for what Craggs got the sack, and it surely was a whacky and fun time to be a Charlton fan.

Thank you Simmo for the memories.

Appearances 17, Goals 9 (1982 – 1983)