Oct 31
Every Charlton fan in that photo – men, women and poor children who were dragged away from trick and treating – heroes all.
No heroes on the pitch sadly, and a not surprising defeat today on Teeside to extend our run to 10 games without a win.
Please click for moreAlmost 20 years after Richard Murray disbanded Charlton’s women’s team following relegation they are back in the big time after winning their play-off final today against Leicester at The Valley.
One of the few things Thomas Sandgaard will be remembered for is that he brought the women’s team back under the auspices of the club in 2021, although proving that he often lacked judgement he did try to change their ‘name’ to ladies from women.
Please click for moreCrazy eh?
Southampton expelled from the play-off final today and deducted 4 points from the start of next season’s Championship. Yet they’ve lodged an appeal and on Wednesday will argue the punishment is disproportionate. The EFL said it would be “working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday, 20 May”.
Please click for more🐅 🐅 🐅 🐅 🐅
I think I’d rather forego next season’s 6 points than have Millwall join Palace in the Premier League.
Please click for moreWow.
A breathtaking result and 3 points being brought 300 miles home tonight. Heroes on the pitch, and heroes in the stand.
Please click for moreAn emotional night ended with a fifth consecutive defeat.
The club and supporters as well as the referee, Boro’s team and fans beautifully remembered Headphones Norm, and there was a more spirited 2nd half to cling onto.
Please click for moreIt’s February and we have the first January window signing. Alex Gilbert (not Gilbey) has signed on loan from Middlesbrough until the end of the season.
Gilbert is an attacking midfielder, but can play out wide or a little deeper. Time will tell if he is a Conor Gallagher or a Lewis Fiorini.
Plese 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 moreThe third defeat in a row, with no goals scored and into the bottom three for the first time this season. This is not for the feint hearted.
At the end of the day it was another defensive blooper that saw us lose, Ben Purrington gifting the ball away in the 17th minute that ended with McNair scoring the winner.
That was about as far removed from a Lee Bowyer’s team performance as possible. It was awful, and my heart goes out to the brave 500 or so Addicks who wasted a day if not longer going up there to watch it. Including Matt Southall. Legends all.
Sick to my stomach. That is how I felt this morning when I woke up and saw all the Lyle Taylor transfer stuff online. Even ratified by journo sage Rich Cawley.
Brentford are flush and in the market for a striker after selling Neil Maupay to Brighton for £20m, and Middlesbrough, well they can’t believe how easy it is to take sweets from a senile old football club murderer.
Anfernee Djiksteel will complete his move to Middlesbrough on Tuesday just a few days after Roland Duchatelet said he wasn’t for sale, That wasn’t true of course as Boro just had to meet Roly’s price, which was £2m. Djiksteel is being paid peanuts, Duchatelet offers a few more peanuts, but would rather liquidize the asset, and Boro offer the 22-year old £10k a week. As Lee Bowyer knew last week, that is the end of that.
Halfway through our Championship opponents then. Part One is here and Part Two here. Part Three begins with the team geographically furthest away from SE7, Middlesbrough.
Middlesbrough’s Jonathan Woodgate is one of three new English managers in The Championship. All three, Scott Parker, Lee Bowyer and Woodgate had very good playing careers and each will hope to be able to transfer their knowledge onto their teams.
As we wait on more bodies being brought in by magicians Lee Bowyer and Steve Gallen there’s still no news on the agreement to contract extensions from Lyle Taylor and Anfernee Djiksteel.
Taylor, one has to pray is a formality, what with his influence in the acquisition of his mate Deji O, and the deal is just being negotiated with his much trusted agent. As for Djiksteel that negotiating is becoming tougher as Middlesbrough hover in the background. The club has apparently already resisted a derisory offer, but we all know as sure as eggs are eggs that the yellow toothed twunt will cash his own mother in for a few euros.
Of course you haven’t come here for a match report (when do you ever). I was sat on a British Airways flight the whole game yesterday, although encouraged by Hungry Ted, I did whistle loudly on occasion, blew up an empty packet of crisps and drifted it over my neighbours seat and walked, if not out of the plane, but around it on 74 minutes.
It was a great result and we took full advantage of a dazed and confused Middlesbrough, but I have one question.
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So I have a ‘friend’ who booked a plane ticket to come back for the crucial Middlesbrough game on the 12th March. It could end with relegation just a formality for the Addicks. That ‘friend’ has to fly back on the Sunday so they could be at work the next day. That friend’ was also taking his son and would have been joined by family and friends.
Imagine how annoyed ‘my friend’ is that the game has been switched to the Sunday at just 2 weeks notice.
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Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahaha.. what? Oh this is not one big joke?
“I’ve been training first division teams, youth teams, U16’s, U15’s and second teams. I’ve been training first teams for 11 years. But it’s not up to me, I don’t have to defend myself, because I need to focus on the job I have now.” – One. Big. Bad. Joke.
“Today we were able to compete with them for 60 minutes, but after the goal we had some difficulties.” Hanging on for dim death with a possession rate of less than 20% up until they scored with just hapless, hopeless hoofs forward to an isolated Makienok is not competing in a football match. Look at the heat map from the game.
“We can only play 11 players. If we have 11 or 30 in the squad, it will still only be 11 on the pitch.” – Thanks Roly Karel. In answer to the size of the squad, but hey as long as they were smiling, then that is the most important thing, right?
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Part I of my annual pre-season peak at our Championship rivals. Their signings, their manager, their hopes, their handicaps.
The Championship is one of the most competitive and unforgiving leagues in Europe, and picking winners and losers is almost impossible but the bookies have had a crack and I will use their sticking a tail on a donkey theory as my guide.
I will start at the top, and will begin with the 6 teams that the bookmakers think will have the best chance of promotion.
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There’s a certain symmetry to the 3rd and 4th placed teams, 4th and 5th in League Two, reaching the play-off final, if you like the ‘two best teams’ after those already promoted. You can also add the Conference into that unusual statistic this season as well.
I have worked out that this year is only the third time in 29 seasons that the best two placed teams in the three tiers have made it to the play-off final. The last time was 2000, and in 1998 it also happened. I remember it well.
Everyone has there own theories on the play-offs, although few complain that they are a bad thing, as there is no doubt it adds some great excitement and also prolongs the season’s dreams. This season is only the 8th time that 3rd and 4th in The Championship have made it to the Final. It also happened last year when 4th placed QPR scraped past Derby.
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My ultimate respect to the 200 or so Addicks that are travelling to Middlesbrough tomorrow. I hope they at least leave the ground at 5 o’clock knowing that the team put as much effort in as they did. Hopefully Johnnie Jackson is back in the line up to show some much needed leadership.
One player who won’t play is Roger Johnson, who like nearly all of our recent signings is a long way of match fitness. The Birmingham Mail said this about his arrival, but I hope Luzon can help him rediscover his form and desire, and it may well give Bikey and Ben Haim a kick up the backside, or may not.
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Butlers Wharf, London
