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Nov 6

Away days

Saturday was a cracking reminder of what following the Addicks away from home can be like. I know it’s not always a pleasant experience, trust me I have watched them in many corners of the country and have returned home hours, sometimes a day, later wondering why I bothered.

But you do, as 855 of us did on Saturday. Leaving home early from wherever that may be, full of hope and no or little expectation, but equally willing to give the team every ounce of support because we know that it matters.
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Nov 5

Passport

After a busy weekend taking in a little football, a very enjoyable dinner at The Oak celebrating some good news, a couple of curries, one in Birmingham and one with some mates in Hornchurch plus a swift game of bowling in Maidstone, the most important reason for being home, allegedly, was that I needed to renew my passport.
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Nov 3

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Birmingham City 0 Charlton Athletic 1

Still grinning after a terrific day out on Saturday at St Andrews. With 850 other Addicks we clapped and sang our voices hoarse watching 11 heroes run their absolute socks off for 94 minutes and returned to the capital with 3 well deserved points.

The day started early for the three of us meeting Dave at Euston, a strong coffee trying to stabilize my body which was still a little shell-shocked from a record four and half hour flight from Bermuda to Gatwick the night before. A 150mph tail wind responsible for that.

It’s a quick hop to Birmingham New Street though, my son enjoying the 1st class carriage although that was where the opulence ended as we cabbed it to an ultimately disappointing Balti Triangle. The Sparkbrook area was certainly an eye-opener for my son born and bred in leafy Kent but like his old man he does love a curry, and we were satisfied with our choice, despite there being an absence of balti dishes on the menu.

The walk from there across town to St Andrews was depressing and whilst the Bullring has captured the 21st century, the re-gentrification of the second-city appears to end there.

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Oct 31

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Bahamas, Bermuda, Birmingham

Two days back in Bermuda and the next stop on the itinerary is St Andrews on Saturday.

I fly into Gatwick tomorrow, a short stop at my parents and then will whisk my son up to Birmingham, the scene of one of the greatest night’s in the Addicks’ history. Saturday may not be quite so important as that Friday night in May 1987, but I am still looking forward to seeing the Reds for just the second time this season.
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Oct 30

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Hotel fire

Saturday was an eventful day. My daughter on her birthday fed baby sharks and sting rays, swam and kissed and cuddled a dolphin, ate her way through an ice-cream mountain and then when fast asleep around 10pm dreaming of I would hope dolphins but probably ice-cream, she was awoken by a huge unannounced firework display a touch down the beach on Paradise Island from where we were staying.

Sleepy eyed she smiled and shuddered in turn at every splash of colour and large bang. It was a day to remember.

Two hours later just as we were about to call it a night after purposely watching again James Bond’s Casino Royale, because the hotel we were staying in plays a starring role, the sound of an alarm thundered around our room. This was followed by a recorded message that there was an incident that was being investigated but there was no need for alarm and to wait for further instructions.

Our daughter was awake again but was soon back to sleep. I opened the door of the hotel and peered into the night. Nothing going on.
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Oct 28

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Charlton Athletic 0 Wigan Athletic 0

An eventful night for me in the Bahamas (more on that later) meant I wasn’t paying as close attention to the Sunday afternoon happenings at The Valley as usual but I’ll take a point and another valuable clean sheet.

Wigan still have some obvious remnants of a Premiership side. I understand Emmerson Boyce was excellent as an example. Whilst the Europa Cup has taken a lot of wind out of the likeable Owen Coyle’s sails, Wigan still possess a team and a bank balance to do this division justice and I am sure the Latics will be in the mix come May.
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Oct 28

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10 years ago

A decade ago today I flew from Heathrow Airport to Chicago with two suitcases, a rucksack stuffed with some photos, a work visa and an address of an apartment building.

I had always wanted to experience living and working abroad, and on that Tuesday 10 years ago, I was finally going to realise my ambitions. Mind you if I was told before boarding that plane that I would still be away 10 years later, I wouldn’t have got on, no chance. That was certainly not in my plans.

I wrote a diary those first few months, and I re-read back the first week recently. It was a mixture of sadness, apprehension and wide-eyed excitement.
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Oct 23

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Bahama Mama

We are spoiling ourselves tomorrow and flying down to the Bahamas for a long weekend. It is our daughter’s 4th birthday on Saturday and after much debate on parties and cake, we somehow convinced ourselves that going away would be less hassle and more cost efficient. No, I don’t know how we came to that conclusion either.

Anyway, Nassau from Miami is a short hop and we can get there from here in half a day. So tomorrow lunchtime I should be sat by a pool with a bowl of conch chowder and a tall glass of Bahama Mama!
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Oct 20

Blackburn Rovers 0 Charlton Athletic 1

It’s been a busy weekend, but the smile across my mush has hardly disappeared after a great result up at Ewood Park on Saturday. It was another sterling display against ‘superior’ opposition. Fluid in the 1st half, rugged determination in the 2nd.

Typical Charlton confounding the form book. The Addicks will bugger up anyone’s fixed odds!
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Oct 16

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Brasil bound

Despite all of the fretting Roy Hodgson’s England made it through to the 2014 Brazil World Cup last night after beating Poland 2-0. Captain Stevie Gerrard in shades of Beckham putting a glorious end to the nail biting with a couple of minutes left.

Hodgson gets a bit of stick, but he is a media friendly steady eddie who has a fatherly relationship with players young and old and Roy did exactly what he was supposed to do and won the group, and on top of that came through 10 games undefeated.
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Oct 14

Starter for ten

Most pundits and fans alike put a lot of emphasis on how a league table is blossoming after 10 games, which is a little over a fifth of a season complete.

There are plenty of cautionary tales though, such as Iain Dowie taking Palace from a Christmas relegation battle to the Play-Off final in 2003/4 and after 10 games last season Wolves were 3rd and Hull City were 10th. The season before champions Reading were placed down in 15th at this stage of the season.

So you get my gist, it is early to be making assumptions although Penfold look-a-like Paul Scally already has and so have the chairman at Bury, Sheffield United, Carlisle and Sunderland. In our division Derby dispensed with Nigel Clough, rather suprisingly to the neutral. Mind you I am not in the camp that Steve McClaren is a bad appointment. I think the Rams, a pre-season tip of mine, might still have their say.
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Oct 13

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Ground zero

I was in New York last week and I spent a lot of time walking Lower Manhattan’s streets which always wakens the senses. This part of NYC is the oldest part of the original colony of New Amsterdam that evenutally became New York City and is a maze of history and a myriad of architecture.

Wednesday night I was in Chinatown, the largest of its type in the west. A few pints in the Whiskey Tavern and we asked for a recommendation of a non-touristy Chinese restaurant with the only insistence being that it was licensed! The barman suggested Hop Kee, and we proceeded to eat ourselves into a MSG coma. You simply cannot get good or even average Chinese food in Bermuda and it was a big treat as we all live on the island.
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Oct 11

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The Church of Wales

February 23rd, 2000. Wales were out in Qatar, helping trying to establish the game in this oil-rich land. Wales won the friendly game 1-0. A certain John Robinson was the scorer, his 3rd and final goal for the Welsh National Team.

Tonight over 13 years later in Cardiff the Addicks’ Simon Church scored with a sweet finish to give Wales a 1-0 win over Macadonia in their final home World Cup qualifier.
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Oct 11

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Wise wins case against Jimenez

Charlton majority owner Tony Jimenez lost his case today against former best buddy Dennis Wise relating to Jiminez’s golf development, Les Bordes in the Loire Valley.

Jimenez was made to pay back £500,000 to Wise, which was said to be his commitment to the resort, although Wise admitted it was more of a gentlemen’s agreement and couldn’t provide any written evidence.

Wise was also awarded costs likely to total £230,000, according the the report while the court refused Jimenez extra time to pay the ex-Chelsea player his money back.
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Oct 8

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Travelogue: Nicaragua

Nicaragua has had to endure a very sad history, and the smiles on the faces of every Nicaraguan we had the pleasure to meet suggested that there is a much brighter future ahead for this beautiful land.

Many of the locals we met had returned to the country because they wanted to help rebuild it after decades of adversity. You name it, and the Nica’s have seen it. Wars, military dictatorships, meddling Americans, natural disasters, contras and bent governments.

Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere yet it’s people talked in absolutely perfect English affectionately and emotionally about their country with real enthusiasm of a better future. It was a very sobering experience.

Despite all of the tales of destruction and strife what no one could ever destroy was Nicaragua’s natural beauty. Part of a biologocal corridor that for a million years has allowed plant and animal species from two continents to mingle, and thus it boasts extraordinary geographical beauty and wildlife.
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Oct 5

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Charlton Athletic 0 Blackpool 0

Our first league clean sheet at The Valley for almost a year, so thank heavens for small mercies. Nonetheless you don’t lose many games when you keep a clean sheet and I will look at the result positively as another step in the right direction.

From what I’ve read (CAFC Player wasn’t working again, it’s useless it really is) it sounded like both sides busily cancelled each other out in an interesting contest with defences having the upper hand, and both sides pretty flaccid in front of goal.
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Oct 4

Great news about Cousins

They say good news comes in threes and on the back of the performance at home to Forest on Tuesday, today the club announced that Jordan Cousins has signed a new 3-year contract.

I wrote after Tuesday’s game that I’d really like to see Powell build a team around Cousins but expressed concern that I wasn’t sure how long we could keep him. Of course a new contract doesn’t change that but it shows willingness by both parties to add a lot more appearances to Cousins list before he no doubt moves on to greater things.
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Oct 2

Charlton Athletic 1 Nottingham Forest 1

It was a real delight to read the Blogs and reports last night and this morning after yesterday’s game. There isn’t much more enthralling than a Charlton game at The Valley, under the lights, singing and shouting yourself hoarse and leaving the ground proud of the team.

It sounded a performance to make the heart sing and the support and backing of Chris Powell and his players showed once again how the gaffer is viewed by the supporters. As importantly to us was that it proved again that the players have what it takes to compete in this division.
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Oct 1

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Forever Charlton

…. Forever hopeful.

I am approaching these next two games with a sense of dread, but that won’t be the first time. As a kid, and to be honest as an adult I used to get very nervous before games and always feared the worst yet watching Charlton has given me some of my best lifetime memories.
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Sep 29

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Don’t give them an excuse Chrissy

This Blogger and Addick has consistently asked questions of Messrs Jimenez and Slater, I’ve tried to understand their motives, their plans, the capricious running of the club and it’s finances, their hires and reasons behind resignations and sackings of long term staff members and very importantly what their intentions are for The Valley and for the football club I have loved for as long as I can remember.

Apart from some irregular Slater baloney in the programme, we get told nothing so it is left for the fans to make assumptions, and I sense even the most insouciant of Addicks are now asking questions. Those questions I think will be loud and clear this week as we face two home games.
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Sep 28

Burnley 3 Charlton Athletic 0

Sadly not an entirely unexpected loss today to an inform Burnley, although the Clarets dented our confidence further inflicting our biggest defeat of the season. Danny Ings put them in front before half time and then Sam Vokes killed any hope that we may have had of getting something from the game making it two in the 67th minute and then added more misery with his second right near the end.
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Sep 25

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All change

How is everyone? Got over it yet? No, me neither.

The excellent Valley Talk has listed five players that should feature at Burnley and it’s hard to argue with any of them. Even sulky Sordell deserves his chance, one of the few players proven at this level. At least the Bolton striker’s stock has risen after coming on Saturday and being an improvement on the tosh witnessed before then.
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Sep 23

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Give peace a chance

A god-awful start to the weekend fortunately turned into a very good one. We spent the whole day yesterday with an old mate who is here this week with his work and on Saturday night we were lucky enough to get invited to the Lennon Peace Day Concert.

Little known, but John Lennon wrote his last ever album in Bermuda in 1980. After his son Sean was born, Lennon performed and wrote hardly any music as he concentrated on his family life in New York. Then in the summer of 1980, after being pretty much closeted in his Manhattan apartment for 5 years, Lennon felt the need for adventure and bought a small sail boat and with a crew sailed from the Newport, Rhode Island to Bermuda.

There is a wonderful article written here explaining that journey and how bad the crossing was, reinvigorating Lennon’s wonderful creativity and inspiring him to write the album “Double Fantasy”, named after a freesia of the same name, a flower that Lennon had observed in his daily visits with Sean to the Botanical Gardens in Bermuda.
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Sep 21

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Charlton Athletic 0 Millwall 1

I’ve been counting ever since the final whistle. Counting and hoping to calm the hell down. I don’t mind losing, I have had almost 40 years to get used to it, but to lose in a gutless fashion like that is not good enough.

It was a spineless performance again against one of only two teams out of the entire other 91 that Charlton fans hope their players, whatever the generation, or ability show up for.

All the pre-match chest thumping and we know what this game means, you can keep, we don’t want to hear it. Lose yes, but show some heart. From what I saw only a couple of players can sleep tonight on the knowledge that they at least respected the occasion.

Millwall were pretty dire too, and only a wickedly deflected shot gave them the victory, but their stranglehold over us knows no bounds and I would dare anyone to give me the history of a more one-sided local derby.
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Sep 19

Love thy neighbour

These days we probably have more in common with Millwall than we care to admit. Both clubs compete in the lighter-weight division when it comes to The Championship’s financial muscle. Steve Dixon wrote an excellent piece about both of our closest neighbours in the most recent VOTV, and made a good case that there is probably more affinity between the three of us than ever before.

Millwall’s chairman John Berylson threw a lot of money Steve Lomas’ way in the summer, as is often the way when owners appoint a new manager. I was quite impressed on paper with the ex-West Ham captain’s signings, but I wrote at the time that Lomas needed a good start or the natives would get restless. They are.
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Sep 17

Huddersfield Town 2 Charlton Athletic 1

Huddersfield had our number again tonight up in West Yorkshire. It was a dull game as it approached half time but just seconds before the teams went in for their slice of orange James Vaughan headed home, which wouldn’t have pleased Chris Powell.

The first half I missed but the second half I listened to, and the commentating team seemed to be losing the will to live until the stadium burst into noise signalling a stunning goal from distance from Joe Lynch and a 2-0 lead for Terriers.

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Sep 15

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Room 1727

I was just downstairs at reception asking for a new key as I’ve managed to misplace mine. “What room are you in sir?” I was asked. “Um, 1727” I said. “Sorry sir, we haven’t got a room number 1727.”

I had no idea what room I was in, this being the 4th different hotel I’ve stayed in since Monday. I moved from the ultra trendy SLS in South Beach earlier this afternoon to the ultra staid Ritz Carlton in Key Biscayne for another worky thing that begins tonight.
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Sep 14

Watford 1 Charlton Athletic 1

A very good point today at Vicarage Road. My efforts from my Miami hotel room to pick up CAFC Player were thwarted again, so I had to content myself with Twitter which did a fine job as I followed the ‘action’ whilst purveying the ‘scenery’ at the hotel pool.

As I expected it was a good attacking game, and we most definitely played our part, We had to be at our best defensively to hang on at the end but it sounded a most deserving point and one that was cheered to the rafters by the travelling Addicks.

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Sep 12

Hornet sting

I’ve been in a good place, and not just Banff, since I was at The Valley for our last game. It does seem like an age ago but I had a great day and thus my last Charlton memories are both good and fresh.

The transfer window came and went and Chris Powell even managed to add a couple of players to the squad, but more importantly no one was sold from under him and the icing to that particular cake was that Chris Solly signed a new 4-year contract.
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Sep 12

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From peaks to troughs

There are many higher places to travel to than Banff, but believe me it feels very close to heaven here. The mountains that surround Banff on all sides are breathtaking with dark evergreen trees layering them like a blanket. It is a beautiful little place, one of the most picturesque I have seen in North America.
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Sep 10

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Onto Banff

I had a little wander around the downtown streets of Calgary last night. The streets were affluent, clean and modern although not unsurprisingly on a Monday they were pretty tranquil, and it would have been hard to find any trouble, so I settled at the hotel bar for a couple of pints with the other travelling salesmen.

I leave for Banff shortly and have taken a look at what to expect. The town is actually within the National Park and began as the park’s headquarters.
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Sep 9

7 Comments

Oh Canada

I am sat at the airport in Bermuda for the start of a 10-day work trip and I have a long day ahead of me. I’m flying to Calgary, which is not simple from here. The journey will send me to New York, where I have to switch airports, although I will make good use of the long stopover by meeting a couple of friends for lunch in midtown.

Then later from Newark I take a WestJet flight to Calgary, which doesn’t get me there until later tonight.
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Sep 5

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He’s only 5ft 3

Great news to wake up to this morning with Chris Solly signing a new 4-year contract. Stories around SE7 on Saturday afternoon suggesting that his absence from the side was a sure-fire signal that he was off was counterbalanced by another rumour that he had agreed to sign a contract extension.
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Sep 4

Hold the back page!

Hold the back page! Another Addicks signing. Ben Alnwick who had his contract mutually terminated by Barnsley on Monday has joined on a one-year’s contract.

Alnwick is one of a host of homegrown young goalkeepers who has simply faded from view. The Northumberland born ‘keeper has represented England at all levels up to Under 21 and at just 20 earnt a big money move to Tottenham, who paid an initial fee of £900,000 to Sunderland.

He has since been loaned to all and sundry and ended up at Barnsley a year ago signing then a 2-year deal. Alnwick, if you remember, played very well against us in one the ‘games for fiver’ last season. He was on the bench for the away game if you are asking!
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Sep 2

One in, one out

Credit where credit’s due. Despite a host of rumours doing the rounds it was with huge relief that today’s latest manic transfer deadline day passed without any of our most important players leaving the club, this despite the club’s financial predicament.

Blackpool were linked with Yann Kermorgant and Fulham with Chris Solly, but to be honest there was nothing more than wild gossip doing the rounds today so we should accept that Jimenez and Slater were not that desperate to sell the family china. The next step (please) has to be to extend some of those contracts that expire at the end of the season.
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Sep 1

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Charlton Athletic 2 Leicester City 1

Felt good didn’t it? Seeing the boys playing like that, with confidence and a fair bit of style. A well deserved and thoroughly enjoyable first 3 points.

The formation with 5 in the middle was the difference, it added some much needed backbone and we dominated that area from early in the game allowing us to dictate the tempo.

We started with real intent and after 5 minutes my mate turned to me and said that this was already a million times better that the Donny match.

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Aug 30

1 Comment

Just another game

Safely ensconced at my parents in East Sussex with a delicious glass of red wine from my Dad’s Australian Shiraz collection, don’t tell him, watching the Super Cup on the box. Although I’m looking forward to going to The Valley tomorrow it is with a level of very low expectation passed onto me by family, friends and forums during these early weeks of the new season.

I spoke frequently on last night’s flight to a mate who is an Arsenal fan, a proud one who owns 4 season tickets but lives in Bermuda. Honesty I left him this morning at the baggage carousel thanking my lucky stars I was a Charlton fan so depressed he was. You have to laugh.
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Aug 29

Hollands leaves on loan

Good luck to Danny Hollands who moved to Gillingham today on loan for 3 months. Martin Allen seemed happy to get his man and we know that Hollands will do a good job for the Gills in League One.

Hollands has been a bit part player since we won promotion and has also been hampered by injury including whilst he was on loan at Swindon at the end of last year, which resulted in an early return to The Valley when I thought he may end up joining the Robins on a permanent deal.
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Aug 28

Huddersfield Town 3 Charlton Athletic 2

The open top bus company were not surprised that I rang and cancelled them this morning after the Addicks once against wrestled defeat from the jaws of victory to end our latest Cup run.

Powell utilised a 3-5-2 formation which although didn’t bear any fruit it did offer 179 hardy souls a much more heartening display. We started for once brightly and in an attacking mood and many chances were created against a Town side that has began the season excellently.
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Aug 26

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Beach party

The sun has appeared behind dark clouds and the heavy rain which soaked us all morning has disappeared, which is timely because we are heading out to the beach to drink, eat, laugh, build sandcastles and swim in clear seas.

Me, my other half, my son and my daughter are off out to meet friends and their kids for a birthday party, someone special. Me.

Aug 25

4 Comments

A little pessimistic to be honest

I am not going to lie, but I’m a little worried about the boys in red, but I will soon see for myself as I will be at the Leicester game on Saturday. Subject of course to it not raining!

I may be a little pessimistic, but I’m actually preparing myself for a relegation battle, which I am okay with, as long as the players show the mettle for it. One thing that Powell needs to address is how we start home games. Potential relegation battle aside our home form is critical to keeping the positivity around the club towards these players and the manager. Although this particular blogger remains 100% behind Chris Powell.
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Aug 24

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Charlton Athletic A Doncaster Rovers A

The times I have been stood or sat at The Valley during a game and wished…. no prayed, some divine intervention would occur, you know an earthquake, ice storm or just plain old rain, and the game would be abandoned!

Well, that is exactly what happened today in such bizarre circumstances. I was listening to the radio and every bloody time Donny attacked they scored. What the hell is up with our defence, Morrison particularly, tropical cyclone or not?

I knew it was raining, I saw the forecast and Peter Finch and the bungling Emma would mention it occasionally, but really? What has happened to the drainage system? Did Slater sell it to pay for Richard Wood’s wages?

Offensively it sounded okay with Cousins impressing again, Gower better, Harriott a handful and my boy Church scoring again, although the Welshman might be the only person lying in bed tonight slightly miffed.
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Aug 23

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Dilemma

There has been a lot of questions asked of the form of four of the Addicks best players from the end of last season – Yann Kermorgant, Chris Solly, Michael Morrison and Rhoys Wiggins – since the season kicked off three weeks ago.

With just over a week left of the transfer window stories persist that these four players have each been made available to other clubs should someone offer a price that Tony Jimenez feels acceptable and if true this will no doubt have an affect on the players, who I believe all had good pre-seasons, especially Yann, but have suddenly looked a little disinterested.
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Aug 17

Barnsley 2 Charlton Athletic 2

On the board tonight with a point up at Oakwell, and a base to build from.

The first hour is probably best left to the history books, although those committing hari-kari all over Twitter and elsewhere online this evening need to take a close look at themselves. I have always believed, especially in the modern game that players don’t bother themselves with what happens behind the scenes at clubs, until the pay slip doesn’t hit the current account, or until it individually impacts them.

They are professionals, young men, living a dream closeted together on a training ground, in a dressing room, or on a coach. As long as Chris Powell and his team can continue to separate whatever is happening in the dark corridors of egos and owners, then I think we will see plenty more of what we saw in the last 30 minutes of the game today. A fightback and a response that has been a hallmark of a Chris Powell Charlton team.
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Aug 16

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T’Oakwell

In my opinion the coldest football ground in England opens it’s doors to The Addicks tomorrow for what stupidly already seems like an important 90 minutes. Last season this fixture provided one of the club’s histories finest moments as we meandered our way through the spring like a newly confident baby calf.

Despite a pretty encouraging pre-season the doom-mongers are out in force, although I suspect they won’t be the ones travelling to south Yorkshire tomorrow.
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Aug 14

3 Comments

Slaterisms

Panama and Nicaragua boxes ticked, 14 days of summer holiday over, although any hint of gloominess is lifted by the thought of my son arriving here on Saturday to spend almost 2 weeks with us.

More on Panama and Nicaragua soon, but meanwhile back at the good ship Charlton all is not HP. A disappointing start to the season has been compounded by more lack of transparency from the club’s owners.
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Aug 10

Charlton Athletic 0 Middlesbrough 1

Was that the new bad, or was it only as bad as many of the home games last season? That was the question I was asking myself after the game today.

It didn’t sound pretty with a lacklustre attacking display and an uninspiring sounding midfield in which once again (at home) we failed to get anywhere near to winning the all-important possession battle.

A real shame after the encouraging win on Tuesday and a shame, although not unexpected, to only see two of that vibrant side start today.

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Aug 7

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Trumped

We flew to Panama City this afternoon, around about a 70-minute flight from Managua for the next part of our holiday.

After the remoteness and quiet that one feels in Nicaragua, the 2nd poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, we now find ourselves in Panama City, the most cosmopolitan city in Central America, which isn’t a real surprise given it’s rich diversity given to it by the famed, almost century old Canal plus it’s reputation as an international banking centre.
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Aug 6

Charlton Athletic 4 Oxford United 0

Well that was a nice turn up for the books. A Charlton cup win, and a good one at that.

Chris Powell put out a B team, but it sounded like it was an XI that was out to impress. These early League Cup matches are easily forgettable and this Cup doesn’t get remotely interesting until the 4th Round yet, with our cup history this was a result to put a smile on all of our faces.

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Aug 3

AFC Bournemouth 2 Charlton Athletic 1

Disappointing as always to lose the first game of a new season, but it’s never easy to go to a newly promoted club with the wind still in it’s sails. Those already writing us off have obviously never read a book beyond the first page before.

The Cherries were deserved winners today, although my temperature rose when Yann thundered in a very early contender for goal of the season at the start of the 2nd half, however the Addicks couldn’t wrestle control from the home side and Grabban produced his very own moment of magic to claim the 3 points.
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Aug 2

One more sleep

We had an interesting drive from Managua to the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua this afternoon passing more malnourished farmyard animals than I have ever seen stood on the side of the road, but we have reached the hotel and I am pleased to report that wireless technology has made it to this outpost of Central America.

In fact I smiled as we overtook each colourful packed rickety old bus with locals hanging from the back, each with mobile phones grasped in their hands.
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Aug 1

A new Championship season – part III

The final grouping. Those clubs whose owners and fans are only planning a run at promotion, a bit like Wolves a year ago, but will start the season as the bookmakers favourites.

I going to throw a curved ball the begin with a start with Derby County, my tip as dark horses, although in this league everyone has a chance. Nigel Clough is the longest serving Championship manager (Powell is 3rd!) and after being allowed that much coveted ingredient – time, Clough Jnr has slowy recreated the Rams from basket case into a young dynamic outfit.
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Jul 31

News of a striker on the horizon

After the strange goings on of yesterday when Michael Smith moved to AFC Wimbledon on loan and No.2 goalkeeper David Button was sold to Brentford for an undisclosed fee, late tonight strong rumours are suggesting that Bolton’s Marvin Sordell could be close to joining the Addicks on a season-long loan.

The 22-year old striker from Pinner has openly struggled to adapt to life in the north-west after his big money move from Watford to the then Premier League Wanderers. He did make 26 appearances last season and scored 8 goals. He is also a regular England U21 and proudly played for Great Britain at The Olympics.
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Jul 31

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Nicaragua and Panama

Tomorrow we head off for our summer holiday. We will spend tomorrow night in Coral Gables, a spit away from Miami Airport, and then Friday fly to Managua in Nicaragua.

Last year we holidayed this same time of year in Costa Rica – the howler monkey that flies across the top of this blog will tell you how much we adored it. My other half has little or no flexibility on her work holiday allocation, unlike me, which may not come as a total surprise to you, so our desire to see a lot of Latin America is hindered by these two weeks being the optimum time to getaway. Hindered because the further south in the Americas one goes it is winter and many countries in Central America are as hot as hades this time of year.
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Jul 30

A new Championship season – part II

A lot of clubs in The Championship will have ambitions of promotion, play-off’s at least, and the next grouping will each start the season believing this is their year, and sure enough as is proved every season, one or two will come out of the pack and surprise everyone.
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Jul 29

A new Championship season – part I

Being a bit of a nervous nellie I’ve spent probably all of my Charlton-supporting life looking over my shoulder, in a league table sense, so I thought it would be apt to start my review of the new season with the teams that I hope will spend most of their season’s looking at our backs.

The Championship is stuffed full of the ‘used to haves’ and ‘want to haves’ so I welcome Doncaster and Yeovil to the league, two clubs that will be considered as fighting above their weight. The Glovers and Donny’s sole ambition will be to stay in The Championship this season.
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Jul 28

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One up front

Yesterday’s game for Paddy sounded a bit of a bore, the legendary Addick deserved better, but a friendly is just that and in the greater scheme of things the 90 minutes were just another piece of Chris Powell’s pre-season jigsaw as he takes them into this important final week before we go to Bournemouth.

Even though I purchased a ticket, the wrist slitting amongst some of Addicks last night was a timely reminder why a gave up pre-season friendlies a couple of decades ago.

In saying that the crowd was very disappointing, and there could be a number of reasons for that but 132 from Inverness was a wonderful effort and I saw that one group that travelled down from the Highlands actually upgraded their tickets to the corporate area once they heard it was to benefit an old pro. Very honourable indeed.
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Jul 26

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Roast ’em Paddy!

Colin David Powell has always been in my life, since the very first time I first walked down those steep steps of the East Terrace that made Chichen Itza look like a sandcastle.

Paddy Powell is a proper Charlton legend. Although there was that one time in 1978 that he deserted me as a 12-year old and went to play in America for the New England Tea Men.

He and Flash Flanagan almost got us relegated that season, while they were whopping it up in Boston we couldn’t score a goal for toffee and only just escaped relegation to Division 3. I soon forgave them though, especially Colin, and in later life I realised that Paddy went for the money and I do not begrudge him that at all and of course he kept coming back.
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Jul 25

Red Bulls give BWP wings

Ok, I have a new game. Instead of getting yourselves all het up about who we have or more appropriately haven’t signed, let me tell you some transfer news of some old Valley favourites.

Whilst Darren Bent is training with the U12’s at Aston Villa waiting for Joe Kinnear to give Alan Pardew the approval to talk to our esteemed ex-striker, the highest profile summer moves involving ex-Addicks were those for Jonjo Shelvey and Bradley Wright Phillips. Valley academy graduate Jonjo’s £5m move to Swansea from Liverpool meant that we were due a six-figure sell-on fee but where that went is anyone’s guess.
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Jul 24

Striker a light

The incoming door at Sparrows Lane remains very much intact emphasising the financial constraints that Powell has been put under by the owners. Stories of alleged unpaid bills, loyal employees leaving and out of court settlements have punctured the summer transfer season again and one has to admire how Powell continues to put a brave face on the situation in public meanwhile diligently putting the players through their pre-season paces with help of his coaching team, which is also one short after Nathan Jones left for Brighton. Dagenham & Redbridge were the latest to get the runaround last night.
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Jul 21

The Island Games wrap-up

Well that was fantastic, a great week of sport, competition and friendship ended Friday night at Bermuda’s National Stadium with the last Track finals and Closing Ceremony.

I first came across the Island Games 4 years ago, the summer after I moved here. Those games were held in Åland, a Swedish speaking Finnish archipelago in the Baltic Sea, and in a nice little co-incidence my 3-year old daughter was walking around the house this morning waving the flag of Åland, given to her by one of their athletes.

I have been lamenting all week that Bermudians had not been coming out for the events, not helped by a non-existent marketing campaign, and despite of both Bernews and the Royal Gazette providing an excellent service.

However, and deservedly so, the athletes from the 22 Island Nation got the reception their efforts deserved Friday night as the National Stadium was packed and excitable and every competitor was cheered to the rafters.
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Jul 19

Doing a Ceddy

Our defensive unit seems to be coming together, as opposed to our front line, but Powell being a wily defender likes to build from the back! After signing Richard Wood, Powell and Ceddy Evina finally ironed out any differences today and the Frenchman, still only 21, signed a one-year contract with the Addicks.

Ceddy is popular with fans and players and I hope he manages to really break into the side this season.
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