Aug 7
Good morning Addicks. How are we doing?
What a great feeling it is for Addicks’ fans to be back at The Valley, which other than for the odd Covid trial event, has sat ghost like for the past 17 months. It is been a weird time for everyone but routines will return this afternoon as friends and family gather to wake up this historic football stadium.
Please click for moreNot since I was a free and single young man when my brother and I would be chief connoisseurs of Little Chef’s Olympic Breakfasts on the countries motorways have I watched as many Charlton games than I did this past season all courtesy of course to Charlton TV and a global pandemic.
Please click for moreDarren Pratley has announced that he will be leaving the Addicks this summer. The midfielder played over 100 matches for us and scored one very special goal and four others since Lee Bowyer signed him on a free from Bolton in July 2018.
Please click for moreThe announcement of new season tickets not only signals a sign of refreshed hope and ambition, but for next season it means so much more than that.
Thomas Sandgaard’s first proper season (with a pre-season) and hopefully Addicks back in our beloved Valley cheering the boys on. Normality mixed wih optimism and promise
Please click for moreI missed tuning into Thursday’s Bromley Addicks vitual meeting with Thomas Sandgaard as I had to work, but it was interesting reading the meeting notes after no more so because of Thomas’ continual referencing of Charlton’s potential brand internationally.
Overseas fans has been a common theme of Thomas’ interaction with supporters and in set interviews. Obviously he is situated abroad himself, so not an unnatural talking point but as some commented in the CL post meeting notes I’d be a little appehensive of how far he will be able to take the ‘Charlton brand’ overseas.
A year ago Charlton super fan Seb Lewis lost his young life to Covid-19. He was just 38.
Up until the suspension of games Seb had seen 1,076 Charlton games in a row, not missing a game for over 22 years. True Legend and truly missed from The Valley and every away end in the country.
32 years ago tonight there was a warm and expectant air circulating around the Woolwich Town Hall. Spring was around the corner and hundreds of Addicks including my brother and I were stood outside on the steps on Wellington Street pre-mobile phones and texting waiting on word of what was developing in the chamber inside.
Lots of negativity around the selection of Nigel Adkins. Aspirations of Eddie Howe and Chris Wilder were fanciful, and although Thomas has a few bob he is not a Russian oligarch, and last time I looked we are in the 3rd Division.
Sure, I was underwhelmed too, but unless it’s Karel Fraeye, then judging a manager before a ball is kicked is a little premature.
A sad day.
Lee Bowyer gave me one of the best days of my life. 90 +4. Wembley Stadium. Me, my son, my brother, my mates, 39,000 joyous fellow Addicks. Thank you Lee.
This time may well be right for everyone, and although I cringed whenever fellow fans were calling for his head, today’s resignation with a move to Birmingham City expected allows everyone to shake hands turn around, and walk away with a big smile on their faces.
Last March was a pretty uncertain time for everyone, the pandemic was unravelling quickly, as was the ownership situation at Charlton Athletic.
A year ago tonight I wrote that I had just got indoors from having dinner with a client…. probably the last for a while I said. It was.
I love that Alan Curbishley still calls Robert Lee ‘Robert.’ Over the years I have spent a fair bit of time with Rob(ert), I am good friends with his brother and absolutely everyone calls him Rob, accept Curbs and Addicks’ fans of a certain generation.
The turnstile operator, the 17-year old on the back of the programme, the lost contact lense, that was always Robert, but not to anyone else including his Dad who was born in Woolwich.
I’m late with this but a couple of weeks back Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard put forward a proposal to bring together supporter groups at home and abroad.
It’s been many a year since the club had any interest in working with supporter groups. A few co-exist, some active, some not, but during the Duchatelet and ESI era’s most fan groups were only chartered and fuelled for demonstrations and to grow organized opposition to the owners. They were the polar opposite of celebratory and affiliation.
I am quite a level-headed Addick. There’s thousands of posts below here ⬇️ that would suggest that. What would Curbs say? Don’t over celebrate the wins, nor over scrutinize the losses. Something like that, anyway.
Although it posted on Sunday morning, I did write my post match blog straight after the game against Gillingham. I was frustrated, disheartened and annoyed. Nothing like a good moan in the pub after a defeat with your mates, accept there was no pub, or mates to talk out the sorrow with until you realize there is always next week, and the next pint.
Lee Bowyer touched on a topic many of us have highlighted as a problem today, and that is our miserable home form.
By my calculations under Bowyer at The Valley since he took over with fans in the ground the Addicks won 26 of their 46 league games that were played. That does not include play-off’s, or games this season with a small number of socially distanced fans allowed in.
I was heartened to see a new fanzine appear this month. I ordered a copy and had it sent to my Mum for review, as I can’t get it sent here, but I’ve already read many positive comments on My Only Desire.
There can never be enough independent Addicks content, and from a Blogging perspective there is a just a few of us hardy souls left these days led by the evergreen Wyn Grant, who was tapping on his keyboard way before I started in 2004.
Chicago Addick 