Aug 29
This is really sad news to wake up to today.
Steve Thompson, or Rambo as he was affectionately known, has lost his long battle with cancer aged 70. Steve was part of Lennie Lawrence’s brilliant promotion side when we were in exile at Selhurst Park.
Please click for moreScott Minto said on social media today that former Charlton physio Jimmy Hendry had passed away. The Scot was popular at The Valley and joined at the time Lennie Lawrence was made manager in 1987.
Jimmy played in Scotland for Queens Park, moved south to study physiotherapy and then worked for Chelsea before moving to The Valley.
Please click for more“Charlton say that austerity is necessary to “restore the financial health of the club”. But Duchatelet has brought Charlton Athletic to its knees over the last four years, demeaning the club with every misjudged cut, sale, sacking and bad appointment. Staff that leave now are rarely replaced and the whole club is desperate for profound change and renewal. For the long-term survival of Charlton Athletic, all that matters is Duchatelet finally selling this club on to people who can take better care of it.”
From the excellent article in today’s Independent written by Jack Pitt-Brooke.
Following on from the sad and unnecessary relegation of Leyton Orient, Jeff Stelling’s Hartlepool United joined them yesterday after a 96-year stay in the football league. This video clip encompassed every emotion that a football fan can go through. Jeff is a proper fan and in the early days of Soccer Saturday I was lucky enough to sit next to him at a friends’ birthday dinner and his passion for his hometown team and football in general was then pretty obvious way before he became one of the most famous faces in English football media.
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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Lennie Lawrence has watched the last 3 Charlton games, which has fuelled rumours that he is negotiating with the club’s current board about re-joining Charlton in the summer. It is thought that Richard Murray is pushing Roland Duchatelet to embrace a British coaching and management structure with Lawrence as Director of Football supporting a Head of Recruitment and a young Head Coach. Where this leaves Jose Riga is unknown.
Of course, and it is my opinion, that Duchatelet will ignore Murray and simply employ another one of his lackeys with Ujpest coach Nebojša Vignjević in pole position.
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Former Addicks winger Ralph Milne has died, aged 54. Milne passed away after suffering with liver problems.
Milne was signed by Lennie Lawrence in 1987 from Dundee United, where he helped them win the league title and still to this day holds the Dundee United record as their top European goalscorer. At Charlton though he was mostly remembered as a comical figure whilst we played at Selhurst Park in the top flight. Overweight and known to like a pint, he played just 22 times and made little impression before being moved on to Bristol City, who were in the 3rd Division at the time.
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“He’s met the players, he’s had some chats and they are well aware of how he wants to play as well, so we tried that in the first-half.” – Damian Matthew
So Guy Luzon has his work permit, and the Israeli officially becomes the Addicks 24th manager in it’s colourful history.
At the end of the day he will get my support, because wanting the team to be successful is the only way I know. Life and in particular being a Charlton fan is complicated and draining enough without wishing ill of something that has been part of me for 40 years.
When football fans set off for games it is not to support the owner, or the CEO, it is to support a collection of footballers wearing a shirt, representing a club in a community that they have an emotional connection with, and that will be no different on Saturday.
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It is important to witness the lows to celebrate the highs and we should all be happy with ourselves today. I am certainly looking forward to watching/listening to how The Championship games unravel on Saturday morning (my time).
Jose Riga deserves to take a lot of credit for what he has achieved in his 15 games, because looking back over the last 40 years we have often gone down without much of a fight.
We haven’t been very good at relegation battles. In recent times the dream team of Dowie, Reed and Pardew ended our love affair with the Premier League and then Pardew and Parky took us another step down, this time without as much as a whimper.
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After Mick McCarthy was unveiled as the new Ipswich manager this morning, it got me wondering if Curbs will ever manage a football club again. Curbs is linked to almost every job going and must hold some sort of record. It is said that he has some very narrow parameters for jobs that he would take, selfishly perhaps, but he doesn’t need the money nor obviously the challenge.
Without even working his stock must have reduced since he left West Ham in 2008, although his record stands up against most and certainly McCarthy’s. Ipswich would have been a perfect job for Curbs. Good infrastructure and history with supportive and hands off owners plus just a drive up the A12 in his Merc.
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City of London
