Jul 31
The second part of my look at our League One rivals as we enter our third consecutive season under our current genius owner. I am sure he is reading this as he renews his subscription for Valley Pass.
Here was Part One of my 2018/19 League One preview, which went Accrington Stanley to Coventry City.
Last season was one to forget for Charlton fans, a dismal and depressing campaign means we are back for a second consecutive season in League One and the names of Fleetwood and Rochdale are becoming more familiar than those of West Ham and Crystal Palace. The 3rd Division looks to have a lot more quality to it this time around strengthening the feeling that last season was such a lost opportunity.
League One this season has a very northern feel to it so I’ll start my look at our rivals by beginning up north and then work my way down. Remember as in other years this is just a few paragraphs of each side, if you want a proper preview then head here.
Huge heartfelt congratulations to Brighton and my mates who have followed them through their peaks and many, many troughs. 20 years ago Brighton were homeless thanks to the ineptitude and irresponsibility of a club chairman who shamelessly sold their historic Goldstone Ground from under them. They subsequently played 70 miles away at Gillingham’s ground for two years before spending 12 seasons at the Withdean athletics stadium, with portable cabins for changing rooms.
But today at their wonderful Falmer stadium, a legacy to the generous and patient Tony Bloom, the Seagulls returned to the countries top division 34 years after they were last there, and in that time only Steve Gritt and a last-day draw at Hereford stopped them from sinking into the non league, and potentially the abyss.
Brighton have long been ready for the Premier League and they are a proper club, with proper fans and the long friendship with Charlton supporters runs very deep.
There must be 626 Donny fans sat at home tonight still shaking their heads because that was how many were sat in the Jimmy Seed Stand on the afternoon of Saturday, 24th August looking on in disbelief as their own players took to sweeping water of The Valley turf with brooms, whilst Paddy Powell leant on his fork.
With Donny leading 3-1 at half-time, a half that lasted almost an hour and twenty minutes, referee Lee Collins finally abandoned the game. Paul Dickov called the whole affair “shambolic” and he was right.
I remember a couple of mates saying that with the way the game swayed before the break, we would have come back to win. This was August remember, before most of us had come to realize how rubbish we were to become.
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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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El-Hadji Diouf will take his spittal to the circus that is fast becoming Doncaster Rovers. The South Yorkshire team have performed miracles to stay in the English 2nd tier, especially under Sean O’Driscoll, who was sacked when he refused to buy into his chairman’s new transfer vision.
Donny chairman John Ryan’s transfer policy includes getting in bed with agent Willie McKay, who has promised a generation game type of conveyor belt stuffed with out of work footballers and probably the odd teasmade and cuddly toy.
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Chicago Addick 