May 27
After Rich Cawley announced on Wednesday that Ben Garner was done and compensation agreed with Swindon there was pretty much a universal sigh of ‘who?’
Now two days later and nothing has been announced Addicks’ fans are now asking ‘what is going on?’
Please click for moreAhhhh. Enjoy that one Addicks. Out of the blue came a very well deserved win on the road against a very good side.
A solid defensive display with another dominating performance from MacGillivray with Pearce once again relishing and coming out on top of a stiff battle against a team that pep your box with a range of balls.
Please click for more🔝5️⃣. My final 2021 Top Five I’ve saved for my favourite Addicks’ matches. By my calculation we played 58 times throughout 2021 although picking five hardly evoked a rush of everlasting memories.
Thanks to Charlton TV I see more games a season now than I have ever done in 47 years of support. Even in my most active Charlton going days I probably saw 35-40 matches a season depending on cup runs…. okay 36 then 😄.
Please click for moreThe difference from just two weeks ago is astonishing.
Jacko has overseen three games, each very different, but the level of performance and commitment has been exceptional. There were so many points in tonight’s game where under Adkins we would have crumbled or given up the ghost, yet this team under the guidance of Jacko is doing exactly what it says on the Charlton tin.
Please click for moreThe first part of my League One rate the competition review guide….guide is a massive overstatement by the way, but hopefully you will stick with it.
League One is wide open this coming season, possibly only a handful of teams will have their ambitions fixed solely on survival, everyone else will either have a longing for a play-off place, expect a concerted challenge towards it or will have a vision of top two.
Please click for moreBen Purrington has flown out to Malaga to sign a 3-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Purrington had a year left on his Rotherham contract.
Rich Cawley leaked the move this morning and then today the Rotherham left-back flew out to finalize his move and join the Addicks’ training camp at La Cala.
Ben Purrington has signed on loan until the end of the season. Purrington is a Rotherham player but has played every league game at Wimbledon this season where he has been on loan.
That alone makes a welcome change to bringing in a loan player that is either returning from injury or an inexperienced young player from a big club that is looking to get some games under his belt. As Lee Bowyer said “the big positive is that he’s played every game at Wimbledon and is ready to go.”
Predictably the lowest ever Wembley League One play off final crowd of just 26,000 today saw Rotherham put pay to Shrewsbury’s hopes of a return to tier two for the first time in 30 years. Rather unpredictably it was ex-Addick Richard Wood who scored both goals to tame the Shrews and send them back to whence they came.
Sad that we have to wallow in their defeat, but what the heck. It was a good game however and Rotherham’s superior muscle and fitness to Shrewsbury’s was further evidence of what a lightweight squad Karl Robinson had put together.
Sending a message..
That was a very good result in South Yorkshire today. There is the small matter of 42 games left, but these are the results it takes to win promotion. We were dogged, resilient, and carried a killer instinct. Solly by all accounts was tremendous as was Amos, Bauer and Kashi but plaudits all around the pitch and to the travelling Addicks.
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.
The revolving door was, well revolving again this week as the club confirmed that both Richie Barker and Simon Clark will leave SE7 after Sunday.
Barker is an odd one in that Robinson made a real play for his old number two and I suspect Charlton had to pay compensation to get him (each decision better than the last). Barker, who was mysteriously re-titled as first team coach and not assistant manager, at some point during his time with us, is moving not into management but has decided to join Rotherham United as Paul Warne’s number two.
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In a week when Jurgen Klopp joined the Premier League circus, a better act than Brendan Rodgers I agree, slightly less column inches were given to Rotherham, who appointed ex-Addick Neil Redfearn as the Millers replacement for Steve Evans.
As a player Redfearn specialized in relegation, but did pretty well in routine trying circumstances at Elland Road. He had already proved himself at academy level and as first team coach before being handed the first team chalice under Massimo Cellino. It went sour for the lifelong Leeds fan and he now finds himself up the road at Rotherham.
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Today Guy Luzon was predictably vague when it came to Saturday’s team selection. Tony Watt we think is fit again, Simon Makienok may or may not be as he only started training properly today and Igor Vetokele, well who knows. He didn’t train today as he was ill Luzon said, but obviously not too ill to be in bed, as he was at Sparrows Lane.
Maybe it was jet lag Igor was suffering from as he was surprisingly allowed to make the 12 hour plane journey (one way) to Magadascar to represent Angola in their African Cup of Nations qualifier this week. They drew 0-0 by the way.
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The final part of my look at our Championship rivals. Part I is here and Part II is here.
In this section I will look at the teams the bookies have bundled together in the middle of the table, and those who the bookies have flagged as likely relegation fodder.
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The trapdoor finally opened for Millwall tonight as Rotherham beat Reading 2-1 to end the Lions 5-year stay in The Championship. Wigan, FA Cup winners two seasons ago are also relegated to League One.
Relegation for Millwall didn’t happen suddenly, the Lions have been treading water for a long while. This despite John Berylson backing Steve Lomas and Ian Holloway with the two biggest wagerolls in the club’s history. What Millwall fans want to hear now is that the American is going to stick with it.
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Chicago Addick 