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Posts from the ‘Charlton’ Category

Jul 3

Pre-season in Ireland 

It’s looking like fun and a lot of hard work out in Ireland for the first week of Addicks’ pre-season training as Karl Robinson gets a chance to build up his squad’s fitness, all important team spirit and resolve. 

Robinson’s much parroted style of play demands high tempo and pressing and possibly the players weren’t nearly as fit enough when he took the reigns from Russell Slade. Remember last summer under the auspices of Katrien Meire there was no pre-season planned, or friendlies organized. Robinson gets the opportunity with Lee Bowyer, Johnnie Jackson and the fitness staff to build his own pre-season plan which hopefully will see us get off to a flyer. 

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Jul 1

New CAFC official website

Began life today. Click here to see it if you haven’t already.

It’s early days of course, and news is limited in July, although late this evening the club posted confirmation that Lee Bowyer will be Assistant Manager and as expected Johnnie Jackson will take up the role as First Team Player/Coach. (more)

On first view the OS is an improvement, cleaner and efficient, no more, no less. It is simple and not snazzy, but moreover I’m pleased for the Comms team who now have the ability to control content, design and reliability and hopefully make it more fan friendly. Certainly the Twitter page run by the Comms team is excellent. Hopefully the old generic, ad-ridden site has been buried forever.

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Jun 21

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A look at Charlton’s 2017/18 fixtures

Mhmm. Doesn’t get any more exciting than this. 2017/18 fixtures.

There’s a bit of a West Country feel to the start of next season. Bristol Rovers, who somehow we thumped twice last season, are our visitors for the first game of the season which kicks off at The Valley on Saturday, August 5th. Then the team spend a week in the West Country. Tuesday at Exeter in the Caracas Cup, or whatever it is called, and Saturday at newly promoted Plymouth Arygle. For those still negotiating with the missus on a summer holiday, I think I have a suggestion.

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Jun 20

Jason Pearce extends contract

With Ricky Holmes’ contract still sat unsigned in Katrien Meire’s office, he is away on holiday incidentally, it was Jason Pearce who grabbed the Bic and scratched his name onto a contract extension.

Pearce had a contract until 2019, but with other clubs sniffing around, Pearce added a year to it, which is very good news. Pearce was influential and the stat on the OS that from the 23 games he started, we took 38 points, and when he didn’t we won 22, speaks for itself.

Pearce is a winner, and we need winners.
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Jun 19

7 Comments

Building a squad

An unexpected name was added to Karl Robinson’s squad this afternoon. Tariqe Fosu, or Tariqe Kumahl Malachi Akwesi Fosu-Henry, to give him his full name, was signed from Reading after compensation was agreed between the Royals and Charlton. Fosu has signed a 2-year deal and looks to me as if he will be a peripheral squad player, at least initially.

Another that likes to play behind the striker, the 21-year old spent last season on loan at Colchester, and gives Robinson another option in his preferred three player behind a lone striker.

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Jun 16

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Welcome Mark Marshall

The apparently much sought after Mark Marshall became our second signing, and the second one from Bradford, today.

The 30-year old has had a journeyman career in the lower leagues but really came to age at Bradford and on paper at least is a very decent signing. According to Karl Robinson “he can play off both feet, he’s quick, he’s a winger and he’s aggressive in everything he does. He’s from London and he wants to play for Charlton.”

All good. If only we can keep Ricky Holmes as well….
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Jun 12

4 Comments

Unlucky 13

Chris O’Loughlin became the 13th coach to leave the club today in less than 3 years. The continual turnover of staff at The Valley is quite incredulous.

Nothing on the OS but according to the News Shopper O’Loughlin, who previously put the cones out for Orlando Pirates, Supersport United, Melbourne Victory, AS Vita and Sint-Truiden, was surprised that he wasn’t kept on under Karl Robinson.

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Jun 11

6 Comments

Odd

Would you hire a new employee without speaking to him?

“Charlton Athletic’s new striker Billy Clarke revealed he never met Karl Robinson prior to signing for the club – only having the briefest of chats (on the phone).” More

Just seems a little odd to me. No conversation on a vision, goals, objectives or what KR would demand of Clarke and the other way around.

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Jun 9

4 Comments

Billy Clarke

Proper football name that. So it’s a yes from me.

The 29-year old playmaker, number 10 they are called these days, became the Addicks’ first summer signing yesterday. An undisclosed fee but said to be six figures, Clarke spent 3 years at Bradford City and played 40 times last season in the Bantams run to the play-off final.

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May 26

2 Comments

Plenty of rumours part II

Still plenty of gossip, but still little actual news.

Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday have joined the chase for Ricky Holmes, and Karl Robinson will be looking to tie the player of the year down to a longer contract when he returns from his hols. “I want to build the team around people like Ricky. That is as conclusive as I can get.” said Robinson today.

There are plenty of stories of Charlton interest in players, even bids made, but two players, central defender Alex Lacey and midfielder Callum Reilly, have decided to join Gillingham and Bury respectively instead. Bury by way have taken this transfer window by storm.
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May 20

6 Comments

Bothered 

Well no, well yes. Millwall’s victory today was the icing on the cake of a desperate season for the Addicks. A cake that had also Big Sam’s firefighting rescue of Palace inside it. We can sleep well tonight knowing that just Barnet and AFC Wimbledon finished below us amongst all of the capital’s 13 professional clubs. Thank you Roland, just think how lucky we are you don’t do failure.

Millwall leaving the division and one of Exeter and Blackpool joining us means we are in for long away days next season with Wigan, Blackburn, Rotherham, Plymouth and Doncaster all added to the undoubted Tuesday night excursions. 

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May 20

Blades bid for Holmes

So, who is confident that Ricky Holmes will still be at The Valley next season?

The South London Press “has been told that Charlton have received an offer but made it clear they have no intention of parting with the attacker, who won the Player of the Year award.” I think we have seen this movie before..

Losing Holmes would be a hammer blow to Addicks and Karl Robinson. Last summer the club did resist offers for Ademola Lookman, before eventually cashing in on him in January, but any bid for Holmes would likely represent a large premium on the £125,000 we paid Northampton. Charlton have offered Holmes an extension to his contract which expires in 2018 but at this stage in his career, you would hardly blame Holmes for moving up a division to work with a manager he knows well.
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May 13

5 Comments

Plenty of rumours part I

A week of rumours and conjecture and little actual news.

The two signings promised immediately post season have yet to materialize, although according to press reports two bids may have been lodged. One for MK Dons midfielder Ben Reeves, who was subject to Robinson’s last transfer window rant. The other bid is a less obvious one for young Scottish prospect Liam Lindsay, with Bolton in the hunt too. Swindon defender Nathan Thompson has also been mentioned as has Rochdale striker Ian Henderson and 21-year old Fulham winger George Williams.

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May 8

5 Comments

Envious 

25th May, 1998. A day that will forever stay with me and every other Addick. 

But not 18th April, 1999, 22nd May, 2004*, 24th May, 2009, 29th May 2010, 13th April, 2013, 29th May, 2016 and 20th May, 2017. The days since our famous Sunderland victory that Millwall have appeared at Wembley.  *played at Millennium Stadium.

Envious? What, me? 

You have to give it to them, they rarely shirk a big game and yesterday was no different when Millwall came from a goal down at Scunthorpe to win 3-2 on aggregate and will meet Bradford in this season’s League One play-off final at Wembley. On the bright side is that they’ve won only one of those Wembley / Millennium Stadium games, the 2010 League One play-off final against Swindon.

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May 7

Oh Pools

Following on from the sad and unnecessary relegation of Leyton Orient, Jeff Stelling’s Hartlepool United joined them yesterday after a 96-year stay in the football league. This video clip encompassed every emotion that a football fan can go through. Jeff is a proper fan and in the early days of Soccer Saturday I was lucky enough to sit next to him at a friends’ birthday dinner and his passion for his hometown team and football in general was then pretty obvious way before he became one of the most famous faces in English football media. 

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Apr 30

5 Comments

Charlton Athletic 3 Swindon Town 0

A comfortable stroll today in front of protesting Addicks and hundreds and hundreds of stewards. 4 wins and a draw from the final 5 games when the pressure was off. Previous to that when it meant something we had 1 win in 14.

First half goals from the head of Josh Magennis and the foot of Jake Forster Carsley were added to by ‘Player of the Season’ Ricky Holmes in the 2nd half, who finished off a fine move.

Ex Oakwood Park, where my son attends school, pupil Aaron Barnes came on for his Charlton first team debut and Johnnie Jackson was lauded during the game and when substituted, and rightly so, but will be back next season. Chris Solly was also given a heroes farewell when he went off late in the game.

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Apr 28

Richie Barker and Simon Clark out

The revolving door was, well revolving again this week as the club confirmed that both Richie Barker and Simon Clark will leave SE7 after Sunday. 

Barker is an odd one in that Robinson made a real play for his old number two and I suspect Charlton had to pay compensation to get him (each decision better than the last). Barker, who was mysteriously re-titled as first team coach and not assistant manager, at some point during his time with us, is moving not into management but has decided to join Rotherham United as Paul Warne’s number two.
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Apr 26

9 Comments

Never give up the fight – Just sell the club

A superbly put together video by The Guardian that will make your Charlton heart beat a little harder. Better public relations than Tom Rubashow can only dream off. It encapsulates simply not just how much Charlton have been ruined by an incompetent owner but many other football clubs as well.

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Apr 25

2 Comments

All to play for

Port Vale winning at Walsall last night thanks to a Chris Eagles stunner (photo) not only means that Port Vale have it all to play for on Saturday, but so do the Addicks. Oh yes!

Victory for Charlton and a draw between Walsall and MK Dons who meet will mean that Karl Robinson’s team will hit the heady heights of a 12th place finish, which by my calculations is half way! Only problem with this is that we would forego finishing top of the bottom half, which Karlo set as our ambitious target. Lamentably bottom of the top half has nowhere near as much kudos.

At the real bottom of the table the final relegation place is between Bury, Gillingham and Vale. Bury and Vale both have ultra tough tasks with the Shakers away at play-off chasing Southend and Bury at Fleetwood, who need to win to have a chance of snatching 2nd place from Bolton. The Gills have it in their own hands away at nothing-to-play-for Northampton Town.
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Apr 25

1 Comment

Heartbreaking for The O’s

Great little club are Leyton Orient. During the mid 70’s and 80’s when I first started going to Charlton we played them regularly and my family and I would always make the short journey across the river. We were there for the abandoned game in 1978. The game was called off at half-time and the tannoy system was so bad that the crowd only found out by word of mouth. We went back for the re-arranged game which had been postponed again and was pushed back 24 hours to see us avoid relegation by the skins of our teeth.

In 2014 The O’s were a penalty kick away from playing in The Championship and then Barry Hearn sold the club to Francesco Becchetti, who walked the EFL’s fit and proper test because he had money and ambition. Sadly what Becchetti also had was not one clue of how to run a football club. As Barry Hearn said: “But no one could have foreseen the level of ineptitude when it comes to management. You can’t do due diligence on whether he is a nutter!” Sound familiar?
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Apr 24

6 Comments

Reclaim The Valley

The Valley, Floyd Road, London SE7. Our spiritual home. A home that I first made my own in 1975, and this year for the first season in 42 years, a home that will not have been to, nor to a final home game that I have nearly always made it back for since leaving the UK in 2003. 

However this Sunday CARD have plans to get as many of us there as possible, even if you don’t want to part with your money and enter the ground.
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Apr 23

2 Comments

Chesterfield 1 Charlton Athletic 2

A proper end of season going-through-the-motions run out for these two teams. The Addicks strolling to victory adding more salt to the Spireites wounds who set an unwanted club record of a 26th league defeat of the season and went bottom after Coventry won. 

Chesterfield had plenty of chances though. Konsa sounded a little sloppy at the back but a nice goal from Jake Forster Carsley and another Ricky Holmes free kick was enough. JFC then missed a penalty which surely Jacko had the right to take. 

After the game Robinson couldn’t refrain from telling us that Jacko will stay on next season, with added coaching responsibilities.  I can just see the PR machine banging their collective heads on the table as Robinson ruins the OS Friday afternoon announcement and interview with Jacko timed to appease fans ready to protest from the lower west the next day. Ha.
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Apr 17

9 Comments

Congratulations to Brighton

Huge heartfelt congratulations to Brighton and my mates who have followed them through their peaks and many, many troughs. 20 years ago Brighton were homeless thanks to the ineptitude and irresponsibility of a club chairman who shamelessly sold their historic Goldstone Ground from under them. They subsequently played 70 miles away at Gillingham’s ground for two years before spending 12 seasons at the Withdean athletics stadium, with portable cabins for changing rooms.

But today at their wonderful Falmer stadium, a legacy to the generous and patient Tony Bloom, the Seagulls returned to the countries top division 34 years after they were last there, and in that time only Steve Gritt and a last-day draw at Hereford stopped them from sinking into the non league, and potentially the abyss.

Brighton have long been ready for the Premier League and they are a proper club, with proper fans and the long friendship with Charlton supporters runs very deep.

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Apr 17

1 Comment

Charlton Athletic 3 Gillingham 0

At last an attacking Charlton performance that if never threatened has been often promised by Karl Robinson. We sounded very good going forward and there were some good individual performances with Forster-Caskey, Dasilva and others coming out of the game with plenty of credit. The Chelsea lad, if not retained by Chelsea, could well be worth a punt next season as he has got better and better with games.

The club have saved themselves a dinner and they may as well save themselves a POTY vote and just hand the trophy to Ricky Holmes, who had another stormer and scored another cracking free-kick. There ever reliable Jason Pearce got the opener and his first for the club and I look forward also to seeing our third, which sounded a very well worked goal which ended with Magennis back on the score sheet.
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Apr 14

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Coventry City 1 Charlton Athletic 1

An widely anticipated sharing of the points today as both sets of fans built on their kinship with a joint pre-match march and a plastic pig invasion halting the game twice and forcing the players from the field. An expected pitch invasion before the end of the game which saw Cov relegated was averted by a large presence of stewards and police.

The two clubs have much in common and it is a crying shame to see the Sky Blues relegated and they so obviously need a change of ownership and a caring pair of hands to see them arrest their slide. Nonetheless Mark Robins at least looks like he has the ability to win some football matches unlike our bloke as we were completely outplayed and Declan Rudd was a clear player of the match.

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Apr 12

8 Comments

First potential buyer step forward

So while Katrien Meire still denies that the club is for sale the Daily Mail have told the world that in fact we are.

The first name to appear behind the curtain is Australian Football Consortium (AFC). A consortium attempting to engage investors to help “acquire an under-performing English football team and elevate it to the English Premier League.” It says here for which Henslow are listed as the transaction advisors.
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Apr 9

2 Comments

Gone MIA

After a few days in New York working, or as my daughter calls it, on work vacation, I headed south for the rest of the week to Miami where I met up with the family.

New York was good, and I particularly liked staying across the river in Brooklyn, although at certain times of the day the Brooklyn Bridge bore close resemblance to the Dartford Bridge in rush hour. On my last night I met up with old mate New York Addick, where we talked Charlton and the unmitigated disaster of Duchatelet’s ownership.

After many pints we came to the conclusion that Duchatelet hasn’t purposely tried to kill the club, but rather mass incompetence, utterly poor management and sheer stubbornness has resulted in the diabolical situation the club finds itself in. NYA’s most recent analysis of the club’s accounts are well worth a read by the way.

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Apr 8

3 Comments

Charlton Athletic 2 Southend United 1

Phew. 50 points has been a long time coming and with our goal difference should be enough. Only two teams in the last 10 seasons have been relegated with 50 points and both had rubbish goal differences.

It took an own goal but we’ll take it and it was a huge 3 points which also dented the Shrimpers play-off hopes. It sounded a scrappy game and my brother and others commented at how decidedly average Sarfend were, but we did Millwall a favour, who had unusually helped us out in the week.
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Apr 5

1 Comment

Charlton Athletic 0 MK Dons 2

Running out of things to write to be honest. Whilst the tribute to fellow Addick PC Keith Palmer made one feel proud to be a Charlton fan the tripe dished up afterwards by Robinson and his players was nothing short of embarrassing.

Despite all the words, heartfelt undoubtably, from Robinson’s mouth before the game, once again despite the significance of the evening he was singularly unable to get the players up for what was a huge 3 points. Fortunately Port Vale are making hard work of their games in hand and Millwall did us a favour at Shrewsbury.

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Apr 1

5 Comments

Peterborough United 2 Charlton Athletic 0

For those of us thinking that getting relegated again was impossible even by the standards Duchatelet and Meire have set, I now find myself frantically refreshing Shrewsbury Town’s score and checking on the run-in’s of the teams below us. Tuesday for all the emotion that the memorial to PC Palmer will bring is now an absolute must-win game. Port Vale and Shrewsbury also play the same night. 

Port Vale and Shrewbury. Yes, if you have been living under a rock for 3 years, then please meet Kat and Roly and you did hear that correctly. 

Kat and Roly burdening us with more debt in our history and improving our ranking every time. 
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Mar 31

5 Comments

Meire’s incompetence part 457

If Dave’s list of Katrien Meire’s ‘accomplishments’ was not enough, yesterday the club announced that the CEO has now presided over another loss making year for the football club.

Charlton reported a £13.5m loss for the 2015-16 season, up by £9.5m on the 12 months previous. The club claimed that there were increased costs of nearly £4m, which largely went on January transfers and salaries. Charlton Athletic’s total debt now stands at £65.2m and total staff costs were £14.06m, which was scarily 116% of turnover.
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Mar 29

4 Comments

A tribute worthy of a hero

There has been very little to praise the club over the past three years but the tribute they announced today to PC Keith Palmer deserves applauding.

The club will donate 50 per cent of all of next Tuesday’s ticket sales to the fund for PC Palmer’s family, while Charlton players will donate the entirety of their appearance fees. There will also be a one-minute silence before the game, whilst the Charlton players will wear black armbands, as well as a special shirt which will be emblazoned with hero Keith’s Police warrant number, ‘P204752’, in tribute.
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Mar 26

10 Comments

Simplifying the stadium map!

VOTV have broken the news a day before the club’s PR machine lurches into action that the 2017/18 season tickets will be more expensive in some areas of the ground and that they plan on closing certain blocks in the east and west stands. 

The days of the fans bringing the club back to The Valley and not being unable to get a seat, let alone one of your choice are now far back in the rear view mirror and the owner and his inept CEO really don’t give a flying. Moreso it also prevents fans buying in cheaper areas and moving game by game to more expensive seats. Perhaps less stewarding is required too, but it looks to me an effort to maximize income from a no doubt further falling season ticket base.
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Mar 22

1 Comment

Thank Vale

“Yesterday I felt the first pangs of a new season. Pearce’s signing bringing me out of a sweaty summer stupor, helped or hindered, I can’t work out which, by the fact that I finally added the fixtures to my calendar.” – me the day before the season started in August.

Fast forward 7 months and on a cold chilly night in Bermuda there I am searching for the Port Vale score and punching the air to celebrate a Vale defeat. Mark Robins’ Coventry, who are all but relegated, were 2-0 up at half-time. Kyel Reid scored a stunning opener and won their first game in seven. Relegation would mean Coventry playing in the 4th tier for the first time in 58 years.
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Mar 18

2 Comments

Sheffield United 2 Charlton Athletic 1

A not unexpected defeat but we put in a good shift and Karlo told us that we saw for the first 25 minutes how he foresees a Charlton team playing in the future. Promising, and I am glad he has a vision and I hope he gets to carry it out.

On the flip slide it is one win in twelve and we remain 6 points off the relegation zone and Port Vale have two games in hand and the table might look a lot worrisome by the time we get to Peterborough in a fortnight. Two home games in a week follow so we have more than enough points to play for to avoid a relegation end of season dog fight.

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Mar 17

10 Comments

Better times around the corner?

As a mysterious for sale sign in Dutch appeared on a wall outside The Valley, the VOTV has disclosed that a secure data room was created within The Valley 2 weeks ago and has since been in use by an unknown female lawyer. Not Pinocchio.

Of course this is what one would expect at the outset of a due-diligence process or an external audit. Any potential and qualified buyer who has agreed to sign an NDA would need to have ready access to a whole range of financial data, and that is what I assume this lawyer is putting together. Word is also that a price has been agreed in principle.

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Mar 16

2 Comments

Mike Norris RIP

Mike Norris’ name will always be synonymous with getting Charlton Athletic back to The Valley. Sadly the former director and vice chairman passed away yesterday.

Mike, a chartered surveyor by trade, was a lifelong Charlton fan, and was hugely important in the Sunley days of keeping the club alive in 1984. That of course meant that we had to go to Selhurst Park, but although there were then divergent opinions on the future of the football club among individuals at the time, Norris was always in the camp of returning the club back to borough of Greenwich.

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Mar 15

1 Comment

Charlton Athletic 1 Bradford City 1

Another draw but a decent one for a supportive Valley crowd.

We didn’t appear to get to grips with whatever system Robinson employed in the 1st half and the Yorkshiremen impressed even though for once we took the lead through another goal from Jorge Teixeira, who is rapidly becoming our most lethal weapon in front of goal. Bradford deservedly equalized just before half time when Declan Rudd spilled a shot into the path of Dieng.

Rudd has been a fault a couple of times recently and I hear calls for our own Dillon Phillips to be brought back into the side for the remaining games in readiness for next season. From what I have seen of Phillips, he looks good enough but will the club be prepared to ditch the on-loan Norwich ‘keeper?

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Mar 12

6 Comments

Duchatelet close to selling?

The Duchatelet to sell rumour mill has been amped up around SE7 the last few days and at yesterday’s game it was a topic that appeared to carry a lot more water than just plain wishful thinking amongst Addicks. Katrien Meire was also absent yesterday but that is thought to be a coincidence.

Post match both Rick Everitt and Rich Cawley tweeted that there is strong takeover talk, wth Chinese money thought to be in the mix and on that note I want to direct you to Wyn’s Blog for some really good insight into Chinese football ownership.

First things first before we get over excited. The game is littered with bad owners it should be a football league condition that any sale passes a detailed due diligence test and any prospective owner is thoroughly scrutinized.

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Mar 11

Charlton Athletic 1 Walsall 1

Another draw, our 16th, and unfortunately we were unable to build on Tuesday’s last minute winner although Tony Watt himself had a better game, more involved it seemed and got a good goal.

The first half sounded pretty rough, which was disappointing and I question why Robinson changed formation, but he does like to tinker. We went in at the break a goal down, although possibly could have been worse but the effort wasn’t questioned in the 2nd half as we probed and pushed and ended with the spoils shared.

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Mar 8

2 Comments

Charlton Athletic 2 Scunthorpe United 1

A much needed 3 points at an empty Valley last night with the unofficial crowd pegged at less than 5,000.

It sounded a much better performance but it also sounded a match very much played out by two of the countries least in form sides, but after a dreadful February we finally got a reaction and won one of our ‘cup ties.’

Mind you the winner came unexpectedly. By this time I was in the pub after turning off the commentary fully expecting Scunny to be the winner if there was to be one. Once they equalised they were certainly in the driving seat as I left the office. A text from my brother along the lines of “thank gosh for that” made me check to see that Tony Watt had converted a 90th minute penalty and was abruptly booked for diving into the Covered End.

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Mar 7

CARD statement following Belgium and Northampton

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) wants to thank the hundreds of Charlton supporters who made the 500-mile round trip to Sint-Truiden to join Saturday’s Unity Protest march through the town, as well as the many other fans who spontaneously demonstrated their own feelings about the owner and his regime during the team’s 2-1 defeat at Northampton Town

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Mar 6

Historic weekend

On my way back to Bermuda now and having time to reflect on a historic weekend in Charlton’s history.

Roland Duchatelet would not have liked the fact that 300 ordinary men, women and children, not louts and irate ex-employees demonstrated against him alongside STVV fans on Saturday in the sleepy town of Sint Truiden, where the 70-year old has always felt he had some kind of power over the people of the town and it’s football club.

Stories and tales from those that made the trip out to Belgium are both heartwarming and of legend and memories made will last a lifetime, especially once we rid ourselves of Duchatelet and Pinocchio. There has been much media coverage both at home and in Belgium and the whole thing was beautifully organized, and perfectly executed and makes me proud to be an Addick. And the lazy and misguided PR men at the club should be embarrased.

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Mar 4

21 Comments

Northampton Town 2 Charlton Athletic 1

I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction Karl Robinson was looking for after Tuesday night but 1,500 fans screaming “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” might not have been quite it.

It wasn’t that they weren’t trying, because they were, it’s just that as a team they played like strangers. Defensively porous, and other than a few intelligent carry outs by Konsa always it was just a hopeful punt. A midfield wholly unable to find a telling pass and constantly caught in possession.

The two strikers Novak and Magennis playing as if they’d met for the first time before kick off. Chasing long balls and lost causes. Ex-Addick Michael Smith giving our two strikers a lesson in movement, hold up play and finishing.

From our lot only Botaka and Holmes showed any sense of urgency and came out of the game with any credit.

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Mar 4

1 Comment

Body in Sixfields, mind & spirit in Belgium

After much deliberation my brother, my son and I will be at Sixfields this afternoon. My surgeon would not have been hp with me making a drive to St-Truiden so I called the club and bought three of the last available tickets.

Don’t get me started on my two hour drive to The Valley yesterday only to get to the Superstore and be told they had lost my tickets. Gone missing from the ticket office all the way around the corner to the store. Customer service at it’s best! So we now need to pick them up from Sixfields, which you and I know has ‘problem’ written all over it….

The only saving grace was Dave was at home and he makes a cracking cup of tea and brought me up to speed on the Belgium plans. He also reminded me, as if a plant sent by my surgeon, that I needed my head testing flying from Bermuda to go and watch them play. Fortunately I didn’t have my head operated on!

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Mar 3

10 Comments

Unity Protest update 

From CARD:

Charlton fans organising Saturday’s Unity Protest against the club’s owner Roland Duchatelet in his home town of Sint-Truiden have confirmed that every seat on the two coaches travelling has now been sold.

Dozens more protestors are travelling to Belgium by Eurostar and local rail services as well as private cars, with up to 250 supporters of the London club expected to march through the town ahead of the local team’s Jupiler League match against Eupen at 8pm local time.

They will be joined by disaffected Sint-Truiden (STVV) fans who recently announced the launch of GrAS, their own protest group, urging Duchatelet either to run their club on a competitive basis or sell it to someone else who will.

Media interest in Saturday’s protest is already high, with both BBC and ITV sending a camera team on board the coaches, and other reporters expected.

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Mar 1

1 Comment

Robinson’s interview

Whilst I stared into the abyss rubbing my eyes after listening to Karl Robinson’s on pitch press conference last night pondering if I could somehow put my dumbfounded words into a post, I was beaten to it as I tried to draw words together in my mind by Dave and Rick.

I will not be able to put as much colour and significance around Robinson’s rant as those two gents did, so please read them first and then come back here for an attempted epilogue.

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Mar 1

Unity Protest. March 4th

For more information email charlton.card@yahoo.co.uk

Feb 28

2 Comments

Shrewsbury Town 4 Charlton Athletic 3

February. The month when all those teams above us would shudder at the thought of us storming past them. 7 games later, cup finals Andrew Crofts called them, we won just 3 points from 21 available and lost 3 games in the past week to Oxford, Bury and Shrewsbury.

I’ve been avoiding pinning the blame on Robinson because I find it hard to expect any manager to succeed under the framework that Duchatelet and Meire have put in place, another pitiful transfer window for example. But, honestly how bad can Robinson be? What possessed him to play Jackson at left back, with Botaka protecting him. How bad is Dasilva and why is he even here? Byrne at right back. Why?

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Feb 28

15 Comments

No excuses

With the season effectively over unless we can do what we haven’t managed to do all season and that is put a run of wins together (only twice have we won back to back games) and keep a clean sheet, which we have only done twice since Christmas, then if nothing else it would be pleasing if Karl Robinson and team can at least give us something to smile about tonight.

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Feb 25

8 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Bury 1

Did anyone watch Robinson’s pre-match team selection interview? I didn’t, can’t bear it but any talking on the pitch was embarrassingly muted. No doubt Karlo will have a few words of comfort for us.

It just gets worse doesn’t it. No cohesion, no goals, poor defending. Another early goal conceded with no obvious clue of how to get back into it and let’s make no mistake, these players need to take a considerable share of the blame as well.

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Feb 21

10 Comments

Charlton Athletic 0 Oxford United 1

A new low, but with plenty of deep water below us to consume us.

The photos doing the rounds tonight of an empty Valley are utterly depressing. Thank you Roland for your legacy. We have been truly blessed.

Sadly I think we are nowhere near the bottom as now Karl Robinson struggles to control an ever more spiralling out of control football club. His post match interview blamed everyone and everybody and he talked of players he didn’t have. This after what he said was a good transfer window. Three points and no wins in the five games since and this with an almost entirely fully fit squad, although our displinary record is horrible. More fouling Robinson said when he joined if you remember.

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Feb 21

5 Comments

Good time to play U(s)?

It should be a good time to play Oxford. They suffered late FA Cup heartache at Middlesbrough on Saturday after superbly clawing their way back to 2-2 against Premier League opposition.

3,200 U’s fans shared that heartache on Teeside on Saturday and there will be many less at The Valley tonight. Mind you there won’t be that many Addicks either as The Valley is set to witness another sub 10,000 official attendance.

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Feb 18

Rochdale 3 Charlton Athletic 3

I’m not really on board with those that have declared today a good point. I may be living in the dark ages but a last minute equalizer at Rochdale in front of 2,842 is hardly the start of a new dawn. Rochdale had failed to score in their last 5 games!

We did score 3 goals which is pleasing but according to the commentary our defending was woeful especially for Dale’s 3rd. We were also ahead but somehow should be pleased with a point, although to his credit Robinson wasn’t. 3 points from 12 and another game is ticked off from a monotonous season with our mid table mediocrity looking intact.

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Feb 16

5 Comments

Kevin Nugent

Without the 7 points that we picked up under Kevin Nugent’s interim reign we would be 19th and 3 points off relegation. When Karl Robinson came in he sung Nugent’s praises but quickly phased him out and replaced him with Richie Barker. Once when asked of Nugent’s whereabouts our Karl, never one to shirk a reporter’s question, replied that he hadn’t seen him.

Kevin had become another Charlton employee still being paid but not actually working or contributing at the club. Every decision better than the last.

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Feb 15

2 Comments

Oldham Athletic 1 Charlton Athletic 0

Another timid performance from Karl Robinson’s Addick’s last night. Lots of possession, lots of corners, plenty of pot shots but no substance, a bit like the manager’s rhetoric.

A snapshot of Roland Duchatelet and the almost forgotten Katrien Meire’s Charlton legacy. Losing to a relegation threatened fourth from bottom team in front of two thousand odd people. Every decision better than the last.

No disrespect meant towards the Latics, who we have spent big chunks of a century following around the divisions. John Sheridan has given them a real new manager (for the third time) bounce with five wins in eight. Meanwhile under Robinson we have won three in thirteen. A record worse than Luzon and Peeters.

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Feb 11

AFC Wimbledon 1 Charlton Athletic 1

Another draw, another late goal conceded, another lapse of concentration. Not good enough especially with the supposed quality of our back five.

We seem unable to score more than one goal and cannot kill teams off. We had a dream start with Ricky Holmes’ free-kick and either side of half-time there were numerous chances for us to finish the game off. From the radio Wimbledon couldn’t seem to get out of their own way but after Magennis was bundled over in the box they went up the other end in injury time and Elliott scored and was then promptly sent off.

Addick’s everywhere collectively shook their heads.

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Feb 10

1 Comment

Make or break,

If last week was a must win game, then tomorrow is, er, another must win game. The Addicks travel to our newest south London rivals AFC Wimbledon on the back of six unbeaten and with Josh Magennis returning.

Wimbledon are not in the best of form, although they have only lost at home in the league once since September and they like Fleetwood are a big outfit and like to knock it long, so we wait to see if Robinson has learned how to defend and counter attack that style of play. It’ll be great to see us take the game to our south London friends and not be on the back foot

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Feb 4

4 Comments

Charlton Athletic 1 Fleetwood Town 1

Hanging on against Fleetwood Town is what it has come to. Not sure I have ever witnessed a board go up with 10 minutes of injury time but long suffering Addicks would have known the likely outcome when it did. Only at Charlton of course do you get injury time yet it wasn’t to one of the players!

Still 6 points from the play-off’s and 6 unbeaten, but too many draws, 13 to be exact, and we sit in mid table, which is where I imagine we will be in May.

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Feb 2

3 Comments

Video nasty

Karl Robinson’s impassioned post transfer video appearance was odd. He should have probably counted to 100 before he started but evidently our Karl can’t resist a camera and a microphone.

So which player was he on about and what club was getting the full force of his anger?
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Feb 2

6 Comments

Churn

Well, who is surprised that Roly just pocketed around £12m, around £8m of it up front and allowed Karl Robinson to bring in three loan players and Jake Forster-Caskey and Lewis Page on nominal fees during the January transfer window?

The club also moved off it’s wage bill Nicky Ajose, although not in it’s entirety and those of Kevin Foley. Ajose is another classic example of how many players the club has churned since the arrival of Roland Duchatelet. El-Hadji Ba and Oliver Muldoon were also released, Ba having is contract paid up until the summer of 2018.

Ba signed by Meire during the summer of 2015 with great fanfare. Four managers and a caretaker later, he refused to play and we had to pay him off. It is a wonder how Duchatelet has ever made any money in business, it really is.
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Jan 30

Transfer deadline

Just two days to go before the bloke from Sky Sports wets himself on national telly.

January is notoriously a tricky month to improve squads for the long term. Robinson has consistently talked a long term strategy flying in the face of anything we have witnessed under this regime. “In an ideal world I want to buy a player that’s ours, is under 24 years of age and can drive us forward. Not an older player, we’ve got enough older players with quality. I want to add someone who can give us some longevity.” (more)

Yep, in a ideal world Uncle Roly will allow you that marquee signing that you enthused about last week Karl, but it’s unlikely isn’t it. Just like installing the underground heating with no heating, Duchatelet will do the bare minimum to take the club forward, all the while selling young prospects of any value, loading the club with debt, and making empty promises, some of which are downright lies.

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