Aug 2
The one constant in the last tumultuous half a decade at The Valley has been Steve Gallen, and that has now come to an end with the OS announcing what we all thought anyway that he has left the club.
Karl Robinson brought in Gallen as Head of Recruitment in April 2017 and worked with six managers and four owners in his time. I am sure he could tell a few stories and would make a great after dinner guest.
Please click for moreAnother update about having no update today by current CEO Peter Storrie.
It does sound like this takeover is a long way from being finalized, and who’s hand is at the wheel and in who’s pocket it is in when it comes to transfer activity is very mystifying.
Please click for moreHappy Christmas Eve all, and a busy Charlton news day it was too.
Ged Roddy had become a bit of cult figure amongst Addicks’ fans, not for anything that he’d particularly done, but for what he had supposed to have done. He gave one early interview when he came across as knowledgeable and excited about the role, but ever since whispers of his baneful operating style out-noised any responses from the man himself.
Please click for moreFrom someone who was asking for some leadership commentary on our transfer strategy through the silence leading up to the deadline, it would be amiss of me if I wasn’t to praise the article yesterday with included insight from Sandgaard, Roddy, Gallen and Adkins.
Please click for moreCharlton added a much-needed left back to their squad today, and it was a slightly peculiar pick. Steve Gallen has a good relationship with Dougie Freedman at Palace, and looks another tip-off from our South London rivals.
Pape Souare has hardly played during the past few years last playing in the French 2nd Division during the Covid hit 2019/20 season. Palace had signed him in January 2015, and he played 34 games for them in that first Premier League season.
Please click for moreNo Ronnie Schwartz tonight in the Pizza Trophy at The Valley against Crawley Town. Nigel Adkins has changed the whole team from Saturday, and includes Elliot Lee, Corey Blackett-Taylor and Nathan Harness and is captained by Jason Pearce.
Please click for moreI am quite a level-headed Addick. There’s thousands of posts below here ⬇️ that would suggest that. What would Curbs say? Don’t over celebrate the wins, nor over scrutinize the losses. Something like that, anyway.
Although it posted on Sunday morning, I did write my post match blog straight after the game against Gillingham. I was frustrated, disheartened and annoyed. Nothing like a good moan in the pub after a defeat with your mates, accept there was no pub, or mates to talk out the sorrow with until you realize there is always next week, and the next pint.
The number 9 shirt has finally been filled after Preston’s Jayden Stockley signed on loan for the rest of the season.
Stockley made an impression last year at The Valley, but this season has found starting hard at Preston with Tom Barkhuizen, Scott Sinclair and Sean Maguire ahead of him and recently they added Ched Evans as well.
The salary cap is an annoyance isn’t it. The first time since our promotion from League One under the spiffs have we got a few bob to spend and we can’t spend it.
January transfer window activity is notoriously hard, even before the current EFL restriction and in the wider context of what the pandemic has brought, but I do foresee Thomas pushing through a fair bit of January turnover.
The medical team at Sparrows Lane have long been scrutinized by Addicks’ fans and it was known privately that Lee Bowyer has been unhappy with our history of injuries and wanted to see changes.
There was zero budget previously to change or upgrade the medical team, but last week as part of Ged Roddy’s drains up review of all things off the pitch the head of medical services, Alastair Thrush lost his job.
Chatham lad Conor Washington becomes Lee Bowyer and Steve Gallen’s second mid-season signing.
I wonder if the EFL are allowing signings on a case by case basis as long as we keep within our budget and show evidence of a plan to move to a secure ownership?
A lot of out of contract and loan players have moved on and I will be surprised to see us start the season with both Dillon Phillips and Alfie Doughty. Remembering the transfer window doesn’t actually close until October 16th.
What a weird time to be a Charlton fan as Ms Meire would say.
On our knees, no money, no owner, not allowed to sign anybody, then just before bedtime a ‘Done Deal’ alert.
MK Dons’ 25-year midfielder Alex Gilbey joins for 3-years for an undisclosed fee. Three years. Fee. Huh.
I was awake way before the alarm this morning feeling restless. I avoid looking at the phone because I know that is the day starting. But, first glance of the phone and I’m leaping out of bed.
Solicitor Chris Farnell was terminated by Charlton today as ESI v1 wrestle control of the club back from Chris Farnell and Paul Elliott aka ESI v2. Both Farnell and Andrei Mihail were removed as directors of ESI on Friday.
It’s hard to write this. Hard to take, and even harder to look into our future now.
Of course we shouldn’t have been here. Having to go to the league’s best team needing to win. We’d already blown it. When Birmingham’s scored last week I knew that. Congratulations to Luton and Barnsley. They properly stepped up when they had too, and commiserations to Wigan and their supporters. How about that bottom three f*ucked over by shysters eh?
EFL, you must be proud, and I hope Lyle Taylor and Chris Solly sleep well tonight.
The make-up of next season’s squad is as fluid as ever. Not knowing what division we’ll be in or who own’s the Addicks are just two major variables.
It does seem that the tireless work of Steve Gallen continues though as following the news a few weeks back that Albie Morgan and Josh Davison had signed new deals, Alfie Doughty has been offered an extension too.
Good news today as the club made a positive investment in the future by offering new contracts to Albie Morgan and Josh Davison.
Morgan and Davison, both 20, signed three and two years deals respectively. Davison has an option of a further year.
Last week Charlton players returned to group training for the first time for 11 weeks. Week one of a planned four-week mini pre-season was non-contact with the players in small groups of five working on three different pitches. Lee Bowyer had 25 players back, everyone was tested and all results came back negative.
The three players who didn’t return were loanees Matt Smith and David Davis, and Tomer Hemed, who by all accounts will return from his home in Israel.
Last word on the transfer window.
You have to admire Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAntony who issued a video diary today of his open and honest thoughts of the transfer window. You can watch here, and it gets interesting after about 4 minutes as he discusses Marcus Maddison.
Maddison it seems had no interest at all in coming to us. London was a turn off and he initially refused even to meet Bowyer and Gallen. When he did he demanded too much money like he did to Birmingham and another unnamed Championship club.
Most thought Matt Southall made a Freudian slip yesterday calling Steve Gallen the “Director of Football,” but nope, today the Chairman unveiled Steve as the club’s Director of Football.
Lots of cheesy grins and happy faces watching the Thursday press conference today at The Valley. The press were clearly given the heads up that this was not going to be your regular Sparrows Lane Thursday session, as Sky, BBC and ITV joined the local hacks.
Still necking the espresso’s.
After what seems like a lifetime we have our Charlton back. Roland Duchatelet’s ownership has sucked the life of Addicks fans, had burdened us with debt, made us a footballing laughing stock, and has ridiculed men, women and children who have our little football club in their blood.
Addicks love for Steve Gallen only grows. CAST released a summary of his Q&A at their AGM this week in which Steve talks openly about a range of topics.
Gallen expresses again the management team’s wish to have longer contracts, because a) they love it and b) they want to build a football club for the long term and not just window to window. “Lee is desperate to stay and extend and then we can focus on looking forward to the next few years and not six months at a time.”
Very surprising news coming from Bermondsey tonight as Neil Harris has tendered his resignation. A Millwall legend, Harris was one of the longest serving managers in the country and has delivered much success on a limited budget amongst much more affluent or at least more speculative clubs in this division.
I had their game at Luton on the box last night and they played pretty well, and were unfortunate not to take 3 points in my mind, yet I understand there were shouts of ‘Harris out’ amongst the away end.
“Great stuff. This is my Charlton” fellow Addick @HungryTed called out following the announcement of Grant Basey’s promotion from Kit Manager to First Team Development Coach today.
It’s hard not to agree with him, and indeed another sign that Roland Duchatelet is finally listening to advice given to him, a trait he has rarely shown. There’s been a long-needed liaison between the first team and the U23’s, as young men’s careers can easily make or break at this point. Steve Avory has championed this kind of mentoring and developmental role for a long time, and if anyone should know what level of influence and kinship is required at this stage of a player’s career it is Steve.
There’s been many people associated with Charlton Athletic over the years that I’ve admired and had many reasons to be thankful for, whether they are players, managers, coaches, owners or fans. Steve Gallen is the latest.
The 45-minute interview with Steve on Valley Pass is insightful and absorbing as he talks about a whole range of subjects from his childhood through to being appointed a Director of the club recently.
I love this team. Lee Bowyer’s team. Well, team’s because this is the second one he has had to build. Bowyer and his coaching team, and not forgetting miracle worker Steve Gallen, have put together a group of players of such energy and gusto. They are almost rewriting the ‘Charlton way’. Look at that picture of Conor Gallagher. He’s only been here just over a week. The personality of this team is to die for. It really is.
The 5th and final loan happened way after the 5 o’clock deadline tonight when Brighton’s experienced Israeli international Beram Kayal signed up for the season.
Kayal is thought off very fondly down on the south coast, and it was pleasing to see so many good wishes from Seagulls fans towards both the player and us.
The Israeli moved from Celtic to Brighton in 2015 and made 122 appearances, including 37 in the Premier League during the last two seasons. He brings ability and much needed experience, and he sounds every bit a Bowyer player.
Jul 31
Worried yet? I’d hate to think how much Bow’s and Gallen’s phone bills are. Yet still we wait for additions, and it looks more and more that we will head to Lancashire with a squad very short of numbers, with Lewis Page and Chuks Aneke injured, and a bench full of kids. Deji vu.
You may be able to give yourselves a slow start in League One, but I worry that The Championship is less forgiving. Our start, on paper, isn’t the worst, which is handy in that we will spend the first two games adding players, apparently as many as five or six, and then the following four to six weeks integrating them.
About 9pm tonight Charlton’s OS and Twitter burst into life as the club announced the signing on a free transfer of Deji Oshilaja, a 26-year old centre-half. Oshilaja turned down new contract offers with AFC Wimbledon and allowed his contract to run down, leaving in June. Since then he has been on trial at Luton Town, even playing for them last week. Hatters’ manager Graeme Jones was said to be impressed, yet a few days later, he signs for us.
Andy Marshall, the last of Lee Bowyer’s coaching team has signed on the dotted line meaning that all of Bow’s team from last season remain for our first Championship campaign since 2015/16.
Shay Given originally recommended Marshall to Bowyer and undeniably improved both Dillon Phillips and Jed Steer, and can take great credit in both those men winning play-off final winner’s medals. Steer kept Croatian national keeper Lovre Kalinić out of the Villa side on his return to Villa Park in January.
Like waiting for a bus. The Addicks made two signings today. Tom Lockyer, a centre back from Bristol Rovers and striker Chuks Aneke from MK Dons. Both players pictured and are free agents after turning down deals at their current clubs.
Roland Duchatelet has typed or dictated some scatterbrained old tosh in the past, but yesterday’s beats the lot.
As always blaming everybody and everything other than himself. The man has no shame. Dragging into public consumption details of salaries and negotiations is utterly disgusting. He trashes other clubs and their owners because as we know only Roland has the plan for a sustainable and successful football club.
Duchatelet has dealt with agents broadly since he and Katrien Meire were in charge of the club. We had the third highest agent fees in League One in 2018 and in two seasons RD lined agents pockets to the tune of over £1m. So why the dig at Lee having a representative? The poor bloke has had to deal with Duchatelet’s representative Lievan de Turck for ages. Conflict of interests my arse.
A surprise signing today down in SE7. Macauley Bonne, Leyton Orient’s top scorer from the last two seasons, 49 goals in all. Even more surprising was there was a fee. Lee Bowyer indicated that RD maybe prepared to offer small fees on players, where there is future value.
Bonne signed an extension to his O’s contract last summer and it is thought that there was a break fee of £200,000.
I’ve hardly removed my Charlton pants for washing and already Twitter is alive with rumours of who’s joining and leaving. As Bow said success breeds teams trying to steal your players and manager. I’m paraphrasing of course, but if the Belgium twit doesn’t get his finger out then I going to go over there and daub his building with my sharpie myself.
The internet is suggesting all sorts of clubs that want to talk to Bowyer, but according to the Rat and the more reliable source of Rich Cawley, Bow will continue his discussions with the owner over a new contract next week.
So what were you doing this time last week?
Tremendous wasn’t it. My screen time has been off the charts this week. I have watched every video, zoomed in on every photo and read every article. As the song goes…. I just can’t get enough.
I took today of work mostly to look after my daughter who wasn’t well enough to go to school, but it also did me a proper favour as my voice was shot and I am absolutely knackered. That was quite the weekend.
Today the club made a decision to split the Jimmy Seed Stand for the 2nd leg and make available 1,000 tickets to Addicks. These went on sale at 5pm. By midnight 850 of those had been sold. The rest will surely go first thing and over 24,000 Addicks will back Bowyer’s men on Friday night.
After being ambushed by puppet and puppeteer last week, the fans forum had another crack at getting together last night (Monday). This time Steve Gallen joined to answer questions on transfer strategy and contract renewals. Things close to Addicks hearts after a tough end of January when Karlan Grant was sold and Lee Bowyer wasn’t allowed to replace him.
The meeting notes are here.
I woke up uneasy. Feeling a sense of dread and deja vu, or whatever the Flemish equivalent is.
Yesterday was disappointing, very. Blackpool are decent but it was another missed opportunity. No win in four, and a creeping impression that we are suddenly easier to play against and we haven’t any solutions. Or goals.
Three points behind 2nd and four behind 1st as we approached the end of the January transfer window. Since then we have fallen away badly thanks to one man. The richest, most obtuse and neglectful owner in our history.
24 hours until the transfer deadline passes, and not a rumour in sight, wild, concrete or otherwise. I don’t know what the Flemish is for deja vu, but this is stonewall Duchatelet. How many times has he left us in this situation..
At the turn of the year our squad was down to the bare bones with not ready kids sat on the bench. Since the new year Jonny Williams, Chris Maxwell and Ben Purrington have come in. Jed Steer, Jamie Ward, Nicky Ajose and Karlan Grant have left, so we are one down on numbers. Billy Clarke potentially also leaves tomorrow.
Roland Duchatelet did the right thing today and made Lee Bowyer permanent first-team manager. Well deserved Lee.
The statement says a few things, possibly. There is a chance that the EFL told RD the club needs some stability and a permanent manager would be a start, but on recent history I’d be surprised that the EFL would be that demanding. It may tell us that the Aussie bid is dead, or not. It is only a 9 month contract after all, and I don’t think the two things are related. Finally it appears Richard Murray still has a tongue.
Jamie Ward snuck under the door at The Valley on Friday after Sky Sports and the BBC had wrapped up their final transfer window coverage and gone home for the weekend.
There was mad panic loaning today around the EFL, and it looked as if the Addicks were not going to get the one more player Lee Bowyer had hoped for. A striker, a good player who can play anywhere up top Bowyer described him as yesterday, but no whispers to who that could be until around 4.30pm, when this player turned out to be Jamie Ward.
Charlton added to it’s skeleton squad today with the season’s acquisition of Krystian Bielik from Arsenal. The 20-year old can play at centre-half and in midfield shielding the back four. The Pole should also be quite adept at playing in an oft-preferred Bowyer back three as well.
City of London
