Jun 23
Interesting new signing today. Once again Thomas and the black box analytics team have raided Swindon Town and signed the 25-year old Ghana international goalkeeper Joe Wollacott on a three-year deal.
Wollacott is still young for a goalkeeper but prior to one season at Swindon had spent his whole career in non-league after coming through the Bristol City academy.
Please click for moreSeems like a confident young lad. Attacking right back Mandela Egbo became the club’s second summer signing today penning a two-year contract with an option of a third.
The 24-year old was at Swindon at the end of last season under Ben Garner, signed just to keep fit initially, but Egbo had a star run in the team as Swindon made it into the L2 play-off’s.
Please click for moreThere was rumours of a couple of not so familiar faces at the first day of training at Sparrows Lane today. Eoghan O’Connell wasn’t one of them, but the club announced the Rochdale captain as a new signing this evening.
The 26-year old Cork-born ball playing centre-half is the Addicks first summer signing hopefully signalling some further activity this week.
Please click for moreOn loan Josh Davison still has some unfinished business at Swindon Town as they kick off the play-off’s at home to Port Vale on Sunday. Davison has scored 9 goals since his move on loan in January.
One out on loan player that has returned however is Charlie Kirk. I didn’t see many grievances of Sandgaard’s signing of Kirk from Crewe in the summer, but he never settled in the smoke particularly following the death of his father.
Please click for moreYou could not make this up.
Mason Burstow is not in tonight’s squad as he and Thomas Sandgaard explore a potential sale to an unnamed Premier League club.
Please click for moreCharlton have been tracking Scott Fraser for a while, in fact even when he was at MK Dons rumours linked us to him.
Now at Ipswich who signed him a part of their massive summer recruitment drive for a ‘sizeable six-figure fee.’ Charlton made their first bid last week, but have had a second improved one accepted by Ipswich.
Please click for more“Middlesbrough attacker Marcus Browne will not be signing for Charlton Athletic. The Addicks will now shift their attention to other targets and still plan to add to their squad before Monday’s transfer deadline.” (More)
Please click for moreThe Addicks have signed Tottenham’s Nile John on loan until the season-end. The 18-year old is an attacking midfielder and was recommended to us by Sir Chris Powell. If only Powelly could have a word with that Harry chap as well!
Please click for moreBlackpool happily ensconced in mid-table in The Championship after winning the play-off’s last season have signed Charlie Kirk on loan with a view to a permanent move in the summer.
Please click for moreAn interesting development in the Marcus Browne rumour. The reliable Rich Cawley is suggesting a permanent deal for the 24-year old attacking midfielder from Middlesbrough.
Please click for more22-year old Josh Davison has moved to Swindon Town on loan for the remainder of the season to help the Robins’ challenge for promotion from League Two. A certain Welshman called Williams is already at the County Ground.
Please click for moreNot a young Spurs loanee, but another from the Chelsea factory line.
The Amsterdam born speedy left wing back Juan Castillo has signed on loan until the end of the season. Castillo did play a few games on loan at Birmingham earlier in the season. His season-long loan was cut short. Last season he played on loan in the Eredivisie for ADO Den Haag.
Please click for moreSounding more and more like Charlie Kirk’s short stay at The Valley will come to an end in this window.
There are talks of a permanent move back to the north-west with Blackpool, who obviously see things in him that we haven’t.
Please click for moreThe player we never replaced has returned today on a three-and-half-year deal said to be worth £300,000.
Aneke scored 16 goals last season, and moved for a free to Birmingham during the summer. He has played 18 matches for Lee Bowyer’s side but only 370 minutes. He has scored twice this season and came on as sub in their last game.
Please click for moreThe first transfer story of the window is out, and that is the return to Nottingham Forest of Harry Arter.
The return of Arter to the club where he began his career never had the fairytale ending some hoped it might. The 32-year old played five games and only featured under Jackson twice, at home to Havant & Waterlooville and Aston Villa U21’s and was twice substituted.
Please click for moreFrom someone who was asking for some leadership commentary on our transfer strategy through the silence leading up to the deadline, it would be amiss of me if I wasn’t to praise the article yesterday with included insight from Sandgaard, Roddy, Gallen and Adkins.
Please click for moreNot a surprise this one, although there was a thought that Nigel Adkins would use the emergency loan market for a back-up keeper, but out-of-contract 33-year old Stephen Henderson signed a one-year contract yesterday.
In the 5 years since leaving Charlton, Stephen Henderson has only played 16 first team matches, but he did have a good spell with us over two seasons and was a popular player amongst a squad that had few endearing qualities at the time.
Please click for moreCharlton added a much-needed left back to their squad today, and it was a slightly peculiar pick. Steve Gallen has a good relationship with Dougie Freedman at Palace, and looks another tip-off from our South London rivals.
Pape Souare has hardly played during the past few years last playing in the French 2nd Division during the Covid hit 2019/20 season. Palace had signed him in January 2015, and he played 34 games for them in that first Premier League season.
Please click for moreAs the clock turned 23.00 hours BST word got out that we had two final signings in the bag.
Then shortly after the hour 24-year old Morecambe captain Sam Lavelle, and old friend Jonathan Leko on loan from Lee Bowyer’s Birmingham were announced.
Please click for moreNo Ronnie Schwartz tonight in the Pizza Trophy at The Valley against Crawley Town. Nigel Adkins has changed the whole team from Saturday, and includes Elliot Lee, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Nathan Harness and is captained by Jason Pearce.
Please click for moreWords used by Gillingham’s Steve Evans to describe the Addicks bid of £100,000 for their midfielder Kyle Dempsey on Monday.
With just one day left of the summer transfer window I truly hope that those two words don’t haunt us and we go to bed tomorrow night with them rattling around our heads.
Please click for moreAt The Valley today was Harry Arter. The 31-year old midfielder will become Charlton’s next signing after agreeing a season-long loan deal from Nottingham Forest. I read that the deal may become permanent in the summer.
Arter signed a three-year deal at the City Ground a year ago but with problems aplenty at Forest Chris Hughton has written the Republic of Ireland international out of his plans, even though he is still picked by his country.
please click for moreAug 26
A bit of a weird one for me to be honest. I am quite friendly with the Lee family, although not enough to have any real intel, but I am sure Elliot Lee joining the Addicks’ today on loan will have raised a smile with both his grandad and father.
Please click for moreAs someone once said.
It is now a week until D Day, and I’m content, or at least accepting, that the club will require every minute of that whole week to make signings. It’s the way the window appears to work and the expectation is that the final day, hours and minutes of this summer’s will be extra chaotic.
Please click for moreThe 23-year old winger has been training with the Addicks, and today signed a short-term contract until January, which if not earth shattering is a sensible decision for both parties.
Blackett-Taylor came through the youth ranks at Aston Villa and spent the last two seasons with Tranmere Rovers but was released in the summer.
Please click for moreThe one thing about a sloppy start is there is no covering up the misgivings of a skinny inadequate squad.
In past season’s with a similar anemic pre-season but with a much-less caring owner, we have started well against the odds. At Sunderland a couple of season’s back Lee Bowyer carried a half-filled bench, refusing to sing the ‘pathway to the first-team’ crap and just took the players he felt could come on and make a difference.
Please click for moreWe’ve waited a long time, but after 23 days the Addicks made another summer signing with Crewe Alexandra’s Charlie Kirk joining the club today.
The 23-year old winger was a product of Crewe’s academy and has starred for the Railwayman during the last few seasons racking up 181 games.
Please click for moreAs expected Ashley Maynard-Brewer got a loan move today and heads to the Scottish Highlands and a season with SPL side Ross County.
There is a mid-season break clause but it will be good experience for the 22-year old Aussie, who has just take part in the Olympics in Tokyo.
Please click for moreThis was the team that started yesterday to round off the pre-season games at Craven Cottage. We lost 1-0 to a team described as a level or two above us, which galls me but that is because of my own unerring enmity of the Fulham 🤷♂️
With Alex Gilbey recovering from Covid and Ronnie Schwartz “still some way of inclusion” then that ladies and gentlemen is that.
Please click for moreIf our What’s App group chat was as busy on transfer incomings and rumours, as it is on how great the new kits are, then we’d all be a little more upbeat about the start of the new season starting a week tomorrow.
I am a patient soul when it comes to Charlton and I want to be careful not to put myself in the bedwetting department, but my expectation, perhaps aspirational, of a summer rebuild has so far been a long way off the mark.
Please click for moreSean Clare, who was once in Charlton’s academy has signed on a 2-year deal from Oxford United.
By all accounts a natural ball-carrying midfielder the 24-year who ended last season being part of Burton Albion’s renaissance has signed for an undisclosed fee.
Please click for moreNigel Adkins continues to get the band back together, some would say Lee Bowyer’s band, but the additions of Adam Matthews and Akin Famewo are both welcome.
Adam Matthews signed on for a year, whilst Akin Famewo joined on a season long loan, with an option of a permanent move next summer. The 22-year old has a Norwich contract until June 2023.
Please click for moreJake Forster-Caskey will become the first reigning Player of the Year to play the following season since Ricky Holmes in 2016/17…. although he was flogged in the January.
JFC signed a one-year deal today, which includes the option of a second year and is currently rehabilitating following a second ACL injury in his time at Charlton.
Please click for moreI can’t complain that I’ve never heard of him as I was calling for young players proven at this level that I’d never heard off!
George Dobson fits that re-build, released by Sunderland today, the 23-year old defensive holding midfielder that impressed on loan at AFC Wimbledon this past season joins on a 2-year deal.
Please click for moreBen Amos has signed for Wigan Athletic, who are showing to be one of next season’s biggest L1 spenders.
Amos played 92 games for the Addicks covering two full seasons in 17/18 and 20/21 and although in apparent new contract discussions with Charlton, he has followed Chuks Aneke out of the door and moved elsewhere.
Please click for moreThis may confuse those that thought Chuks and Lee Bowyer didn’t get on, but money talks and so does familiarity.
Rich Cawley is reporting that Chuks Aneke is finalizing his free transfer move to St. Andrews after spending two seasons at The Valley. He has only one Championship goal to his name after spending almost his entire career in League One. He did also play 44 games in Belgium’s top league.
Please click for moreSigning no.1 ✔️
A popular one I’d image as Jayden Stockley completes his move to Charlton from Preston. The 27-year old has signed for three years. The fee officially undisclosed, is thought to be £450,000.
Please click for moreJust checking to see if you had heard of any? Because I sure ain’t.
All very quiet on the transfer front, just the one solid rumour from a trustworthy source. Rich Cawley linked our name with out of contract Portsmouth ‘keeper Craig MacGillivray. The 28-year old won Pompey’s player of the year. Ben Amos among others is in current talks on a new deal at The Valley, but MacGillivray sounds a good option.
Please click for moreThose little tight turns, that scurry of pace with the ball at his feet, the tumbling over under the slightest challenge, the lung-bursting I really don’t want to do this chasing back, the goal at Portsmouth, the ginger beard, the Play-Off Final, that massive smile. We’ll miss you Jonny.
Picture this. It’s lockdown, no one can leave their homes, the Sky Sports transfer window crescendo is reaching its peak of absurdity, the Addicks have sold a loveable game-changer and an unloveable game-changer, and have signed no one…. well no one for a few hours, and the Sky countdown clock is way past 0:00:00.
The whole gambit of instant keyboard reaction is in absolute meltdown. Sack the board, sack Gallen, sack Bowyer, sack everyone.
Sky Sports are reporting that the missing Marcus Maddison has been found in Bolton, with Wanderers prepared to take him off our hands.
The 27-year old has played 8 games for us, and got injured falling over a blade of grass in his last appearance at home to Accrington Stanley. The will he, won’t he come good conversation looks about to be redundant as Sandgaard, Bowyer and Gallen push that swing door even harder.
Matt Smith, one of a triumvirate of Smith’s in Swindon’s squad, had made quite an impression at the County Ground, so much so that his parent club Arsenal called him back from his season-long loan and wanted to move him somewhere else. Sound familiar?
We have a good relationship with Arsenal and Gallen and Bowyer had the 20-year midfielder lined up in the summer, but were unable to finalize a loan deal due to the embargo.
With a miserable weekend averted due to the postponement of the game yesterday 😉, we now wait for tomorrow to pass to see how this season’s January transfer window ends.
The addition of Ronnie Schwartz, Liam Millar and Jayden Stockley has immeasurably improived the squad this January. Yet it is still light, especially wide with the loss of Doughty and Smyth. So I’m expecting a bit of action tomorrow.
After QPR recalled Paul Smyth this week and put him on a train to Accrington, the revolving door kept on swinging and Omar Bogle was next out of the door today, sold to Doncaster Rovers.
The number 9 shirt has finally been filled after Preston’s Jayden Stockley signed on loan for the rest of the season.
Stockley made an impression last year at The Valley, but this season has found starting hard at Preston with Tom Barkhuizen, Scott Sinclair and Sean Maguire ahead of him and recently they added Ched Evans as well.
With a hop, skip and a jump and a dodgy hamstring Alfie Doughty has hot-wheeled it to the Potteries. Wrap up warm Alfie.
Good luck to him and I hope his injury doesn’t hamper his one real attribute, his pace. It’s a crying shame that young players these days can just about make a season before their heads are turned and can’t wait to get out of the door.
Announced yesterday and not unexpected. George Lapslie played 54 games for the Addicks and joined our academy when he was 11.
23 now, it is the right time for George to move on, although many would argue, me included, that we could have saved the wage cap on Alex Gilbey and had Lapslie in the first team squad instead.
I have been a bit of an apostle for young players being loaned back to us after we’d flogged them in the past…. have we ever done that by the way?
It seems that Thomas and Steve Gallen have been negotiating hard with clubs over Alfie Doughty to a) get the best instant price b) the most attractive sell-on fee and c) allow him to see out the season with us after he regains fitness.
And good riddance. I’m getting pissed off with these young kids being schooled and nurtured by the club, get given an opportunity, play 20 odd games and want off.
No respect to sign a contract to give the club and it’s coaches that invested a lot of time and money to educate you, something back. You were literally playing in Solihull 14 months ago. No thanks or foresight. You’re not even fit son.
On the face of it, we have to be quite pleased with this early transfer business. Two players signed up in positions that badly need attention (our defence is still a slice of Edam cheese though).
Ronnie Schwartz has an enviable record and Liam Millar comes with a good pedigree and desperately needed pace.
As anticipated Ronnie Schwartz signed for Charlton today on a two and a half year contract for an undisclosed amount of Krona.
Courted in the late summer, but eventually our last minute offer turned down, Thomas has finally got his man, and Ronnie becomes the first non-British permanent signing of the Bowyer/Gallen era.
According the Rich Cawley, Charlton have cleared the way for George Lasplie to make his move to Mansfield Town permanent. There will be no fee.
George has really impressed at The Stags playing in 16 league and cup games scoring 5 from a defensive midfield position.
Last time we bought a player called Ronnie, we all had to dig deep into our pockets to afford him. Almost 40 years later that won’t be necessary this time as Thomas Sandgaard appears desperate to part with some his well earned Krone.
Schwartz has been on Sandgaard’s shopping list since he bought the Addicks just prior to the end of the ‘summer’ transfer window in October. I’m not sure how much Steve Gallen knew of the Midtjylland striker, but I’m hoping that since then the 31-year old has passed the Gallen & Bowyer sniff test, as we’ve had our fill of players hoisted own management by owners.
Panto season has begun, well it never really ended did it. Step forward dentist’s accountant to the stars Craig Freeman, the new owner of Lex Dominus acquired on Black Friday.
Friend of Farnell, friend of Elliott, another man with small willy syndrome, who owns a semi in Cardiff, is a director of a variety of shell companies, who can now add Lex Dominus to his collection of empty boxes, and has a LinkedIn page which looks like a five-year old wrote it.
Looks as if Adam Matthews is the player Lee Bowyer wants as his right-sided defender to complete the final piece of this transfer window jigsaw.
Matthews was outstanding after he came in as a free agent last September. I also thought he was our best performer after lockdown. Unfortunately it says a lot about the current state of the game that he cannot get a contract at another club, but their loss is our gain and he will provide competition for Chris Gunter, remembering that the ex-Reading player can also play on the left side.
I suspect if we hadn’t been relegated Dillon Phillips would be in goal for us today, but he honourably and respectfully made his career ambitions known and he finally got his move yesterday.
I’m unsure that Cardiff was a team and place he dreamed off when he and his family came to the conclusion that after 17 years at Charlton it was time to move on, but Cardiff have added well in the window and will be in the promotion mix I’m sure.
The loan signings before the deadline closed of Luton attacking midfielder Andrew Shinnie and wide front man Paul Smyth from QPR brought Charlton’s summer transfer window to 12.
A whole new team with a sub, although we’d have to play rush goalie.
Steve Gallen and Lee Bowyer found a bit of headroom in the constricted salary cap today.
George Lapslie, who has been at the club since he was 10 years old has moved to Mansfield Town in L2 on a season’s loan. Lapslie is popular but has been used sparingly and mostly out of position. He asked for a chance to play somewhere else as he clearly doesn’t feel he can claim a regular central midfield slot.
Double figures now for new players. Yesterday Bowyer and Gallen added centre half Ryan Innis on a permanent deal from Crystal Palace and quickly on the back of that 18-year old Chelsea prospect Ian Maasten joined on loan.
28-year old Omar Bogle was hot property when he was banging in the goals for fun as a young man in the non-league. After he helped bring Grimsby back to League Two he had another banner season hitting 19 goals in his first season in league football.
I remember thinking he would perfect for us then, but he wasn’t Belgian unfortunately so Wigan paid just over a £1m for him in January 2017, but a change in manager at Wigan saw him move on again to Neil Warnock’s Cardiff City.
This one has been on the horizon for a while, and Bowyer and Gallen have finally gotten themselves a right back with Welsh international Chris Gunter signing on a two-year contract with an option of a third.
Gunter has 97 caps and could make that 98 tonight when England host them at Wembley.
Charlton sold Macauley Bonne to QPR this morning in a deal expected to be worth £2m with an added sell-on clause. He scored 11 goals for us after signing from Leyton Orient last summer.
Lee Bowyer called Bonne a project. I never felt quite sure that he was Lee’s pick, but he took the 24-year old on and Bonne was a willing pupil. That project work is still ongoing and it’ll be interesting to see how Mark Warburton further develops him.
Happy Halloween
Sarasota, Florida
