Feb 4
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.
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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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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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.
Well, well. The best result so far under Karl Robinson’s leadership, in fact probably the best of the season, but one that after 12 minutes looked highly unlikely. Lewis Page has had a bit of an inglorious start to his Addick’s career and after he was giving his marching orders and Bolton scored from the resulting free kick, I guess most of us not there switched off.
Former Addick Dave Shipperley passed away on Saturday aged just 64.
One of my early heroes when my Dad first took me to The Valley. Ship, Ship, Shipperley was in his second spell at Charlton then after spending three successful seasons with Gillingham in between his time at Charlton where he came through the youth set up.
He was a no-nonsense big centre half who raised Valley pulses when he used to lumber forward for set plays. He was a giant of a man and I remember him fondly when he would bring the ball out of defence with his feet.
When the mad professor and his useless lackey finally jack it in and leave us to pick up the pieces, there won’t be a book written about their days of yore, or a movie, or a television series. No, there will be a west end show, a proper comedy romp. Oh how we will laugh….
It was great to see Ademola Lookman score for Everton yesterday. I was thrilled for the lovely young man. Every Addick can be rightly proud that he was ‘Made in Charlton’. It was equally as good to see Joe Gomez return from his long term injury for Liverpool last week in the FA Cup, and he too was on the bench yesterday at Old Trafford. It can be impossible to keep these players from moving to the next level, particularly when Charlton appears to be low on ambition, and the reality is that we have become a middling League One club.
I think under Robinson, if he is allowed a longer term to influence young prospects, we may see academy players stay to play closer to a century of games. Of course we know Katrien Meire’s view on moving our best young players on, and for Roland Duchatelet, it is just a way to make money for his network project.
I think the biggest thing for me today was the atmosphere and the heartwarming sight of seeing the Covered End packed. There’s been some depressing sights at The Valley this season with woefully low attendances and depressingly soulless atmosphere’ but today showed what can be.
Although I’m on the fence with Karl Robinson, there is no denying his passion for the game and his new club. It’s a building block, and allowed time Robinson could make a real difference, even though our owner is intent on selling all of the concrete.
I remember John Hendry is all I’m saying. March 1992. So throw all five loanees into the team on Saturday and watch one of them win it for us. Although it will have to be four as Botaka is away at the African Cup of Nations with the DR Congo. Shame.
Anyway why am I talking about this? Because Nathan Byrne signed from Wigan today on loan, our 5th loanee in the squad and therefore our last allowed.
Byrne is a quick attacking wing back or winger who came up through the ranks at Spurs and after a few loans finally settled at Swindon where he shone. He then made a big money move to Wolves, signed by Kenny Jackett, who can spot a player and had a reasonable first season at Championship level but was then offloaded by new manager Walter Zenga, who couldn’t spot a player.
Robert Lee’s youngest son Elliot has found himself in the rumour mill and his Dad hasn’t denied it. I know the Lee family pretty well and they always had high hopes of Elliot emulating his Dad but I think he stayed too long at West Ham and was probably a bit too comfortable there, although to be fair he did suffer from various managerial changes and at the point when he should have been knocking on the first team door Big Sam shunned him, much to Rob’s disgust.
Elliot moved to Barnsley in the summer on a free after being released by the Hammers and is on a two-year deal at Oakwell but after only a few sub appearances he would like to move back south. Any move to SE7, which was supported by his Dad on social media would probably be a loan. It is thought that Colchester United, where Lee has had two previous loan spells, were in the driving seat to sign him.
The latest on the academy production line was sold today. Morgan Fox signed for long term suitors Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee, thought to be £700,000, which is quite a lot less than Meire turned down in the summer.
Anyway, the best of the luck to the Morgan, who did make 116 appearances for the club and to be fair I think the lad needs a fresh start. In my mind Fox never gave less than 110% for the club, where had been since he was 14. He was always first over to thank the fans, and wore his heart on his sleeve and gave everything to his best ability, and I never understood why he was singled out for stick, because there were far more deserving cases.
I wish Ade well at Everton, and I’m pleased that he has signed for a ‘proper club’ with no disrespect to the Chelsea’s of the world, where he would just populate their burgeoning unused or pawned out talent pool.
We saw it coming so it is no surprise, nor is it that the fee is “undisclosed,” although thought to be £7.5m up front rising to £11m. Question now is how much will go into Duchatelet’s pocket and how much will be given to Robinson for his mid-season rebuilding quest. If rumours are true it is only thought to be a single digit percentage.
Katrien Meire, who has kept a low profile recently said: “We have a fantastic academy here and it is testament to everyone at the club that Charlton continues to develop high-quality young players.” She did not add this time that it’s great that we can watch them for a handful of months before watching them on MOTD in the Premier League playing for someone else. Welcome to Roly’s player farm.
Can we play you every week?
A late Christmas present from our cheeky chappy Scouse Santa which made our festive period pretty decent despite not surprisingly losing our game in hand to Millwall.
It sounded a performance to create a bit of noise at The Valley and unite Addicks, which a run of results will surely do. We did go a goal down but importantly we pulled it back before the break thanks to Josh Magennis’ first of a first ever career hat trick. Magennis has been a flickering candle in a dark first half of the season and two headers and a Yann type 3rd gave him the match ball and much deserving praise.
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Karl Robinson has confirmed that Tony Watt will return for a 4th time in just two years. A move back to Scotland to be nearer family and play back in the SPL for Hearts has ended after signing for the season in July. Just 12 starts and a solitary goal (a last minute Hearts winner at the end of August) later the Scot is heading back to SE7 and his waterfront apartment.
Watt, who could easily gain hero status, has fallen over time and time again, and the 23-year old is now well and truly in the last chance hotel and Robinson knows it.
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As I sit here in my pyjamas with a beer with far too long to wait until midnight I feel content that I don’t have to go out and pretend tonight will be the best night of my life. Movies are downloading, my daughter sits at my feet and we have a fridge full of snacks. Good enough for me.
I turned 50 this year and we spent a couple of memorable weeks in Rio at the Olympics to celebrate it, although I’ll be honest I’ve struggled moving into the next decade of my life. Not physically, I feel good and I think I look alright but it has made me very introspective and I question myself a lot, especially when I wake in the middle of the night, which happens more and more. Must be old age and my eyes are going and my ears are getting bigger as well….
My 2016 had its challenges. Personally and professionally. Questions without answers. Vacillant sometimes, headstrong other times.
Charlton are no longer an escape for me or sadly for the majority of us. I never ever thought my love for them would wane, but incredibly it has and it breaks my heart.
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A last minute equalizer by Andrew Crofts salavaged what sounded like an undeserved point at Roots Hall today. It was the Shrimpers who made the most chances and we had to thank Dillon Phillips and a missed open goal just before Aribo set up Crofts to smash home in the 90th minute.
For the longest time travelling Addicks had little to cheer although in a couple of minute spell in the 2nd half we had two chances well saved and the very impressive Joe Aribo hit the bar.
However it looked like another blank for Robinson until Crofts got his first Charlton goal to give us a point, which looking at the team and bench before kick off was probably more than we could have anticipated against an in form Southend.
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Wyn Grant found these quotes this morning and thanks to some good work by one of Charlton Life’s finest the whole interview with Duchatelet and his partner Mareike Höfte, who is the president and the front person of STVV, can be found here in two parts. Click part 1 and part 2.
I have paid close attention to Duchatelet and his family since they bought ‘my’ football club almost to the day 3 years ago, and I am convinced that they, more so him, are completely cuckoo.
He really has no concept of sporting integrity or ambition and the ultimate dream of any human being that has ever pulled on a pair of football boots or walked into a professional football club’s stadium for the first time.
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Not what Karl Robinson would describe as vintage or even a potentially good harvest but a win is a win and Robinson’s first as Addicks’ manager.
We didn’t impress but defended resolutely enough and Ademola Lookman grabbed a fine winner from a superb Andrew Crofts pass in the first half to give us the Boxing Day points.
Needed as much as those 3 points were they won’t mean an awful lot unless we can build on them at Southend on Saturday. The Shrimpers lie 6th and to my mind if we can’t beat them then we have no real claim to be play-off contenders ourselves.
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The best motivational speakers and trainers are also very good listeners. I wonder if Karl Robinson listened today when he met the players individually?
Robinson hasn’t stopped talking since he walked in the door. He loves a media appearance, he loves a press conference and he is particularly fond of a pre-match tactics discussion. Sadly we are still waiting to witness one come good.
His Scouse cheeky-chappy tone has changed though. From the best job in the world, we will play open attacking football scoring goals at will, and what a great set of lads I have, some of whom are the best in the league, to not my fault, have you seen the mess I inherited here, I can’t wait to sign a new team in January. And I’ve got more injuries than a Friday night in A&E!
Yes Karl, such a mess that we had lost only once in nine until you pitched up.
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Instead of taxing my mind and creating a new blog post to attempt to explain another capitulation by a Charlton team against our most local of rivals. I decided instead to copy and paste this report from a game we played at the Den on March 13th, 2010. Same old Charlton….
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21 long years since we last beat our rivals just 3.7 miles up the road. That double in the 1995/6 season. The double. Can you imagine it?
Karl Robinson understands the significance of this game to Addicks, as does Andrew Crofts, although Robinson has never won at The Den either, he has had a lot less goes at it than recent Charlton managers.
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Tom Rubashow must be rubbing his hands at getting his feet under the desk at Charlton. He is set to start work for the club on January 2nd. If I was him I wouldn’t bother.
The mad crackpot Roland Duchatelet has opened his mouth again:
“He (Chris Powell) is not a clever person and those who think the same are also not clever. In principle we were giving them the advice so they had responsibility and could take responsibility and that is how we work. I find it very stupid that a person who is getting help, an important person for the club, does not accept it. I also find that the activists, some activists at the club, who from their reactions think the coach was right, well they are just stupid people too.”
Dave has it all here.
The video interview is here starting at 1.08.30. Watch him squirm.
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Bit of a shocker today by all accounts as we were comfortably beaten by Peterborough at The Valley in front of more sparse stands. Robinson pretty much involved everyone available to him, and despite losing Lee Novak who has joined the injured ranks, he played a very attacking formation with Lookman, Botaka, Magennis and Ajose all starting.
This all seemed to leave an already pedestrian midfield even more isolated and I feel for Morgan Fox, who obviously is not playing well but I don’t agree with booing your own players.
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Many of you will know of Kyle Andrews. He is the man behind the compelling words at Chris Powell’s Flat Cap. Kyle from his home in Bukinghamshire, travels up and down country, normally with his Dad, watching Charlton through thin and er, more thin and rarely misses a game.
If watching Charlton wasn’t enough, Kyle on a daily basis is at war with his own personal demons, both mentally and physically and I ask you to read this very emotional and heartfelt blog post he wrote a little while back.
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An early exit out of this season’s FA Cup. Not entirely unexpected bearing in mind the team Karl Robinson put out. Although on paper the mix of untried youth, the more familiar youngsters and those with plenty of experience looked as they could still pull off a result but according the eye witnesses we were rarely at the races.
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When we signed Jason Pearce I called him as Slade’s best summer signing. He started slowly but has proven himself as a leader and a very accomplished defender. Today Pearce tweeted this:
Not the news I wanted at all. Tough one to take.Gonna work hard&come back stronger and hope to be back to help the team achieve our goals.⚪️🔴
— Jason Pearce (@jpearce05) December 13, 2016
That is a blow, but the silver lining is that this has to open up a return for Jorge Teixeira, who was outcasted by Slade, possibly under Duchatelet’s orders. However Karl Robinson involved the Portuguese straight away and he is undoubtedly a class act. Bauer is suspended but will be back for Saturday, and these two will still make a formidable central defensive pairing.
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A second goalless draw for Karl Robinson today but it was a point that a battling performance deserved and was well received by travelling Addicks’ at the final whistle.
We created a number of chances in the first half but Bradford, unbeaten at home, finished strongly and it took every inch of effort to keep a clean sheet, especially after Patrick Bauer got sent off for a 2nd yellow. Dillon Phillips in particular coming in for high praise.
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I’m a bit late with this but it is most definitely worth a plug and over 10,000 people have already listened to them I believe but as the pro-Duchatelet brigade get louder and the splits amongst the fan base get a little wider I implore all Charlton fans to listen to the recently released Getting to Know The Network. Whatever your view of how Duchatelet and Meire are running the club these two initial podcasts of an eventual set of four are required listening.
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It now all makes sense. A top 6 budget does not necessarily mean on midfielders or goalscorers, it means on specialised marketing and communication staff.
After Mel Baroni walked out 46 days into her new job following Roly’s {…} rant in March, Meire attempted to steady the sinking ship by hiring specialist sport and entertainment PR firm Pitch at I expect great ongoing expense.
If that wasn’t enough Meire has now hired full time, Tom Rubashow from Pitch PR as Head of Communications. This story had already been broken by Matt Wright in the last VOTV. Tom is so communicative that after word got out of his impending move to Charlton, he made his Twitter account private.
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Very difficult and traumatising subject this, but when I first saw the press that Eddie Heath’s name had surfaced in relation to the recent child abuse scandal enveloping English football dating back to the 1970’s and 80’s I can’t say I was surprised.
I knew of Eddie Heath through a couple of mates that played in his youth set up at both Millwall and Charlton in the late 70’s and early 80’s before he died suddenly at the club’s training ground in Eltham in December 1983. It was well known amongst local youth football at the time that he would prey on vulnerable young players mostly those who came to games and practice without their parents. I read today that he would befriend single Mum’s so that he would gain their trust of having their sons in his care.
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After a week of plenty of talking Karl Robinson’s team were rather mute on the pitch today in front of less than 5,000 supporters of Robinson’s new and old clubs. It was a lackluster performance that delivered none of the promise of goals, buckling up, entertainment and on the edge of your seat. Not much of any new manager bounce either.
But the Karl Robinson revolution is going to take time, and a few different players. Maybe more than a few. Neither of which Roland Duchatelet has been keen on giving Robinson’s umpteen predecessors.
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Nothing to complain about of Karl Robinson’s first interaction with fans, in a much more controlled setting of the west stand with the fawning and fibbing Katrien Meire not to be seen.
Robinson came across honest and genuinely excited about his new job. He said all the right things, but what newly unveiled manager doesn’t, yet real enthusiasm spilled out of him like a kid on Christmas Eve and there was a lot to like.
Obviously he called for unity between fans and club, I can understand that, and there he is no doubt that he had a very good relationship with the supporters of MK Dons, not that us them can be categorized in anyway similarly.
His comments about Chris O’Loughlin were a little odd, and I understand he has made them again since. One word of advice Karl, don’t pull the wool over our eyes. In addition I see that the CAST has offered to meet up with Robinson to offer him support but importantly to give him background and substance to the majority of fan’s grievances towards the club’s owner and CEO.
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A thoroughly undeserved point on Saturday after Patrick Bauer equalized in taxi time against most people’s promotion favourites Sheffield United.
Despite United’s dominance and a superb display from young Dylan Phillips, the Blades only had a single goal to show for it, a well worked free kick move. As we all know one goal is never often enough and sure enough from a lovely Adam Chicksen free kick, the big German bundled in late.
“Following a thorough appointment process.” Cut and paste and repeat.
Well welcome Karl and I sincerely hope that you don’t sell your Buckingshire home and buy that one in Greenwich that your missus has fallen in love with. Rent mate, rent.
I’ve always been a bit marmite on Karl Robinson. As a young coach he impressed at MK Dons with a limited budget and caught the eye of chairmen of bigger clubs but to his credit stayed loyal. They had a pleasing attacking style and Robinson has worked well with many young players, either homegrown or on loan. His record, although marred by nearly’s, does have a promotion on it, and despite a 20-year age gap is much better than Russell Slade’s.
Kevin Nugent played a very much in the background assistant manager role under Russell Slade. I don’t think I ever saw him interviewed or step out from behind his bosses shadow. He let his influence play out on the training field. Undoubtedly he was upset and shocked, as much as you can be working for Charlton these days, when his boss was sacked last week. However he has carried out the role of caretaker manager in a distinguished and venerable way.
If Meire is true to form she will pack Nugent off this week, you know, every decision better than the last. But if he is to go he should leave with his head held high and Addicks will remember him fondly.
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We need a Chris Solly at the moment. But today Rich Cawley broke the news that Solly will be out for a “number of months” with another knee injury. No more details than that but I have been surprised how much he has played this season when last year he was regularly rested, especially with Kevin Foley a ready made replacement.
At Swindon Solly did not look himself and was sluggish, which now explains his own performance, from a man that never shirks any challenge and has played at a consistently high standard since he broke into the first team in 2009.
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The 426th man to take charge of a Charlton team under Roland Duchatelet actually did better than most of the previous caretaker managers and won 3 points today beating Port Vale 2-0 at another morgue like Valley. It was very much Russell Slade’s team, and it was interesting listening to Kevin Nugent on video after. For sure Slade had a positive influence on the back room, making it even more impetuous of Duchatelet to kick him to the kerb so suddenly.
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A penny for Johnnie Jackson’s thoughts this week. I know they say that in the modern game that players don’t get too attached to managers, but Jacko and Solly must be wondering what an earth is happening to the club they have shown so much loyalty to.
Jacko is the most respected and loved Charlton player of a generation, yet this is not proving a banner season for the skipper. Saturday painstakingly showed the skipper up for someone that is teetering on the end of his career. Definitely he can no longer do a job out wide, in the middle, more so in a five, he can at least mix it up, break up play and get his foot in.
Also let us not forget that he is second top scorer, which should embarrass every midfielder and striker at the club, other than Ade Lookman.
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“Charlton Athletic Assistant Manager Kevin Nugent will take on the role of Caretaker Manager until a permanent replacement for Russell Slade is appointed. Nugent will be supported by Simon Clark and Chris O’Loughlin, a new addition to the club’s coaching staff who, contrary to reports, will not become the club’s new Manager.” (more)
Contrary to reports….. You have to laugh. Bit like contrary to reports that Russell Slade is the way forward. I’ll tell you what, let’s wait and see shall we.
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I was skeptical when Russell Slade was first unveiled as the club’s first manager since Chris Powell, but I warmed to him. He talked in honest terms in words we could understand and clearly was much better qualified for the English game than all of his recent predecessors. He also talked of promotion being the only goal.
However nothing ever seemed perfect, or anywhere close. There were rumblings of discontent over transfer policy and interference from Duchatelet’s network scouts. The signing of Andrew Crofts took an age, and it was clear to everybody that as the season kicked off at Bury we were very short on numbers, and this was not improved before the transfer deadline.
Nonetheless money was spent, and a lot for this level, and Russell Slade cannot complain that this was not a team that he built, albeit missing a few bricks in midfield. He bought known firepower, had a wealth of riches at centre-back, a goalie too good for League One and had the added benefit of the further emergence of Ademola Lookman and the potential of Ezri Konsa to work with. We were short on numbers and our midfield was like a 14-year old addicted to football manager had put it together…. but there was more than enough to have us knocking around the top 6, a position we made just once in the early weeks of the season.
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Within the next hour Charlton will announce that they have sacked Russell Slade after just 16 league games. Slade was heralded by Katrien Meire as some sort of saviour, thinking that appointing a British manager was the answer to the destruction her and Roland Duchatelet had caused since he bought the club in January 2014.
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Yesterday a London cab driven, I am proud to say, by one of my best and oldest mates left The Valley for a road trip to take the ongoing CARD led protests to Belgium, the home of our absent and apathetic owner, and his lying and worse than useless CEO.
12 Addicks with the CARD sponsored taxi leading the way took the Eurotunnel to Belgium and drove last night to St Truiden. My mate reported a “proper good and funny night with a few beers” was had before after breakfast they made their way to the town’s main square to spread Addicks’ message for Roland Duchâtelet to sell our famous football club. 2,000 leaflets were handed out and with black and white beach balls rolling around the square, the group made quite the entrance and received a warm welcome with overwhelming support from locals.
The entourage then moved onto Stayen, St Truiden’s ground, where a whole load of birthday gifts for Roland to celebrate his 70th year were delivered including those gorgeous pink pigs. Apparently security were waiting and Roland has already told the local media that “he is very upset.”
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An enjoyble weekend at home for the football, only ruined by the football! I’m only glad that I didn’t waste time watching it on the telly. Oh….
A 200-mile round trip across a very rainy London, the fact that it stopped raining when we reached the magic roundabout was the only highlight of another dismal day of being a Charlton fan. A couple of players out on international duty and our most creative and direct player injured showed up all of Russell Slade’s tactical weaknesses and how glaringly sparse and unbalanced our squad is, with 9 defenders in the 18 man squad!
How bad we were yesterday left me a little shell shocked to be honest. The first half was dreadful, but Swindon at least showed some splashes of intent and had a couple of players that could play the ball well on the ground. Meanwhile all we could do is move the ball sideways and backwards around the back four and eventually hoof it up front to no one in particular. Nicky Ajose attempted to make a fist of a couple of wayward high balls, but as an attacking force we showed no invention and less ambition.
In fact throughout the whole game we had just one shot on target. Novak and Ajose scored 39 goals between them last season yet Slade looks unable to get them playing together or individually to their strengths. I only found out once we got home that Slade had them set up in a diamond formation. I think those of us there were oblivious to that, although it might explain why Novak and Ajose kept being found out wide. Or then again it may not.
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Remembrance Day, 11/11, is actually a public holiday in Bermuda, which is a very honourable way to remember the 125 brave Bermudian’s that were lost during the World Wars.
I’m taking the opportunity tonight to fly home for the weekend. Land Friday morning, depart Sunday afternoon. In and out, no time to get affected by the time difference, and a crash bang wallop opportunity to see family and friends and against my better judgement the Addicks.
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Played in front of a depressingly paltry band of Addicks, those that decided not to clean their fridges or put their socks into pairs were rewarded with a good game, three cracking goals and an impressive victory.
Lookman’s first was something else, and I always welcome a Jacko goal. Rudd kept us ahead at 2-1, and Ulvestad played very well by all accounts and I’m looking forward to seeing him next Saturday. Hopefully Holmes will be fit too.
Sadly we will miss Lookman, who continues to shine and improve and impress other team’s scouts. I hope we can at least keep him the season. His goals, if Slade can play him in his best position, will be paramount to any kind of promotion push.
The beauty of the cup long lost on Addicks’ fans since 1947. No? Ok, I was at the Old Trafford ‘things can get only better’ game, and the 1981 Ipswich Town ‘whatsa matter you’ game but seriously we are pretty much the worst team in English FA Cup history and tomorrow’s game is I believe a free pass for Russell Slade.
Drawn against the highest placed team in the hat, free scoring Scunthorpe backed by around 700 fans will give us a torrid time as Russell tinkers with his small squad. We play again on Tuesday in the ‘whatsit cup’, that I’ve not even followed and then we go to Swindon missing four players live on the box a week tomorrow.
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The City of Chicago, well at least one half of it, will be in meltdown this morning after the Chicago Cubs won a world series for the first time in 108 years in unbelievable drama. Cubs were 3-1 down in this first to 7 series but came back to take it 4-3, the last two victories in Cleveland.
It had been a drama packed final series and last night was no different with a rain delay and then an extra inning meaning the game finished well into the early hours. It was an incredible and exciting post season and for the first time in everyone’s lifetime the Cubs finally delivered after being the best team throughout the summer season.
Naturally nothing came easy for the Cubs. They were 6-3 up but Chicago’s collective jaw hit the floor when the Cleveland Indians pulled it back to 6-6 in the 8th. Then there was a 17-minute rain delay which stalled the Indians but reinvigorated the Cubbies. When MVP Zobrist doubled and Montero singled to drive in runs in the 10th thousands of Cubs fans in the stadium went absolutely potty.
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From the age of 8 to my mid 30’s I scarcely missed a Charlton home game and went to hundreds of aways. Other than maybe a late consolation in a stuffing, and there were a fair few of those, the feeling of a Charlton goal would without fail every time drive me to the edge of frenzy.
My brother had a phrase for it. Bro, he would say, when we scored I just didn’t know what to do. I could not celebrate enough. It’s a beautiful thing and something all true fans of football clubs can relate to. My euphoria of a Charlton goal felt no different to me as an 8-year old as it did to me as 35-year old.
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On another day when the divison’s top sides showed promotion qualities, Charlton finally awoke from a slumber to win late against the division’s bottom side. It was a welcome win, and much needed, but can’t conceal another dismal negative performance from Slade’s side.
As one of my commenters told me the CARD flag day was a little flat along with the rest of the atmosphere, but hardly surprising when the real crowd, we are reliably informed, was less than 7,000. Some of the pictures of rows and blocks of empty seats is the legacy that Duchatelet and Meire are building for our great club. Truly shameful.
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Irony may not be one of Katrien Meire’s rare qualities, although blocking Addicks’ fans calling into a chat show was good old English League One irony at it’s best.
The club deny it of course, but the evidence points to Meire or her PR ‘machine’ obscuring the fans’ right to reply on Jim White’s talkSPORT’s show on Thursday. Rick Everitt did get a right to reply today and a stand up job he did again, with Jim White seeing through the veil of Meire spin and deceit and apparently offering every support to Rick and CARD in an effort to continue to question Meire and more importantly Duchatalet’s motives towards our historic football club.
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Nicky Ajose’s late penalty hides more cracks than a nudist convention after Charlton salvaged a point at Gillingham today. A pretty appalling 1st half performance at least improved amongst a bizarre refereeing display with the intoduction of Ajose after the break but when Ricky Holmes missed a penalty it looked as if we would slump to an embarrassing defeat. Yet a second opportunity from the spot after another handball decision gave Ajose a second chance to equalize and he did confidently and ran to Slade pointing at his chest.
The couple of thousand of Addicks at Priestfield made their feelings pretty clear towards Russell Slade at the break and two points from six leaves us sandwiched between Millwall and Gillingham in 17th fast approaching a third of the way through the season. That’s one win in twelve.
Do you ever feel like you can’t do anything right? Roland blames us, Meire and Keohane hate us and now Slade wades in having a go at a train full of Charlton fans prepared to invest time and money and travel halfway up the country to support their team on a Tuesday night.
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For me trying to follow the game remotely, the game and therefore the result was a little secondary on Saturday. Greater forces of importance were at play yesterday afternoon in a wonderful coming together of two sets of supporters. Coventry fans take a bow and I really hope you rid yourselves of the imposters that have somehow got themselves to be leaders of your famous club’s future.
As for us, the result, a much needed 3 points, showed again that there is no correlation between full scale protests and the team’s performance on the pitch, in fact to the contrary if anything, it has been a spark provided by fans to give the team a platform to actually show us what they can do.
The first half, a cracker of a goal by Ricky Holmes aside, was pretty uneventful on the pitch accept for the arrival of 3,000 pink pigs thrown on by Addicks and Sky Blues’ fans just after kick off to remind our respective owners that pigs are more likely to fly than they give two snorts about the future of our historic football clubs.
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I’m stuck in Texas unable to get to Miami due to Hurricane Matthew, so I’m catching up with the Charlton news and I see that with 9 days to go until the Coventry protest match, Ms Meire has offered to meet CARD next week in an obvious PR effort to stem fan’s disposition to join the likely huge protests. Before CARD could respond Meire with the help of PR firm Pitch leaked the club’s offer to the media.
And CARD’s response was superb. A firm, detailed and exceptionally passionate response that can be read here.
“You had two years to talk and you declined to do so. Now it is time for you to go” is pretty unrelenting way to sign off. Nothing from Meire of course.
“We know we made mistakes managerially. Everything is now in place with Russell to give us stability.” – Katrien Meire before the game getting her size 10 stilettos stuck in her big fat gob again.
If I remember rightly she said a similar thing about Chris Powell, Bob Peeters and Guy Luzon before she fired them.
1 point from three home games against AFC Wimbledon, Oldham and Rochdale. One point. Add that to the two points away at Fleetwood and Oxford, clubs that were in the National League just a few years ago. Now, we have no given right to beat anybody, but what we do have is a right to change. This club is rotten to the core, and if those that are intent on destroying it won’t do the honourable thing, then we need to enforce it.
The Coalition Against Roland Duchâtelet (CARD) announced today after last night’s most recent on the field disappointment that they will resume their organized protests at the home game versus Coventry on October 15th.
Whilst away from The Valley anti Duchâtelet and Meire songs, chants and flags have filled away ends, the sparse home crowds have been devoid of the pre, during and post match protests we saw last season, although there was a black and white day to coincide with the visit of AFC Wimbledon.
At the beginning of the season CARD said that they would not organize any protests during the opening month of Russell Slade’s reign as manager, and in that time The Valley faithful have seen just one league win from 5 games and a League Cup defeat.
Many Addicks, myself included, have been calling out for a resumption of the protests, especially since Duchâtelet and the so called senior management team appear to have learnt nothing from their previous mistakes.
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Well that sounded utterly painful and depressing and not forgetting, rubbish.
Again we were ahead, although unlike last week against AFC Wimbledon, this time undeserved. But we were ahead thanks to a well worked goal scored by Josh Magennis, yet leading only appears to be a signal for Russell Slade to sit deep and lock up shop.
One up front, a pedestrian midfield and Lookman on the bench. Hardly a shot at goal for 95 minutes and lucky to escape with a point against a team second from bottom and who had not scored in 6 of their previous 9 league games.
All this played out in front of thousands upon thousands of empty seats with the real crowd estimated at under 7,000.
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Hidden away for a few days in Florida at a very nice hotel in Amelia Island, the southern most point of the chain of barrier islands stretching down the east coast of America. I have been here before, and am happy to be here again, even if this time is work. It says here!
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I know little of Saturday’s game apart from what I have read from eye-witnesses and I don’t think it was much cop. A sell out away end didn’t seem impressed and I note that the anti Roland songs are getting louder and more prolonged.
Just 2 wins from 9 games, and those against two teams below us in the table. It’s early, although I always take note of that 10-game barometer, but as Barnsley will attest this league is most definitely a marathon and not a sprint.
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Sounded a decent game and I would happily have taken a clean sheet against a side that has been banging in the goals. The Iron had scored 9 in the preceding two home league games.
Slade set us up not to lose and waited until extraordinarily late to add some extra attacking force, which probably cost us all 3 points but with Bauer back alongside a much better Pearce we sounded much tighter at the back and all four defenders came out of the game with credit.
What a shame that Jacko couldn’t win it at the end with a trademark free-kick which cannoned off the woodwork.
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Sep 18
There is no sugar coating that yesterday. That was a dreadful result. I was following the game online and journalist Rich Cawley echoed my own thoughts midway through the 2nd half when he wrote “That lack of a second #cafc goal is making it nervy now for the hosts. #afcw still not creating clear chances but pushing more.”
And after playing a game of clinging on, the Dons grew in confidence as we retreated and not only equalised but then had the audacity to take all 3 points with a 85th minute winner.
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New York, New York
