Another day of intrigue and mystery
Where to begin….
As they say, there is a lot to unpack here.
Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard today appointed four “experienced professionals in senior roles at the club.” (more)
Please click for moreDec 20
Where to begin….
As they say, there is a lot to unpack here.
Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard today appointed four “experienced professionals in senior roles at the club.” (more)
Please click for moreVery sad news broke tonight about the passing of Graham Tutt. The former Addicks’ goalkeeper died after suffering complications following recent heart surgery. Graham was 65.
Graham Tutt is the first name of the team I can name verbatim from my very first Charlton game versus Sunderland in 1975 at The Valley. Ironically it was at the reverse game at Roker Park on 21st February, 1976 that Graham suffered his awful career ending injury all in front of the Match of Day cameras. He was just 19, with a prosperous career ahead of him.
Please click for moreVery pleased for Sunderland yesterday. Jealous they have made their way finally out of this graveyard of a division, but in Alex Neil they finally found the right man after a merry-go-round of duds. I hope they are able to stay up and progress back to where they belong and that their new owners can rid the club of the last lot.
An historic club with proper fans, both humble and knowledgeable. Congratulations to the Black Cats.
Please click for moreIt seems strange that L1 finished their season before everyone else, not that I’m complaining, but it is odd that every other league including the National are still playing.
Wycombe got a huge 2nd goal late into the game at home to MK Dons tonight to give them every advantage of making the Wembley final, which is not until the 21st.
Please click for moreI’ll take that. A point and a clean sheet after 5 defeats and conceding 12. That was only our second clean sheet in 2022 and we needed it.
Today was a back to basics Curbs-like performance. Little inspiration but plenty of perspiration, the players put a shift in, we defended well, certainly rode our luck but stuck to the task and thanked MacGillivray for making good saves when called upon.
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 moreUnrecognizable that performance. Full of core traits we hold dear – passion, spirit, commitment. Since 1905 it is all you can demand as a Charlton fan.
Sunderland had won every league game at home this season, and then up on the LNER comes this rag tag of bunch Addicks led by a man dressed like the bloke from the Milk Tray advert. They must hate us.
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 moreA proper result that.
Huge defensive effort, lots of second ball wins, and we were quick to get forward to create chances. All without that sense of inevitability at the end, although that last ten plus six add-ons did seem like a lifetime.
We were slow out of the gate though and had to thank Amos for keeping us on level terms in the early exchanges. One save from Wyke in particular prevented a sure goal. Pratley at fault, but this was not a trademark error-prone display.
I would have taken a point before the game, but that was a abominable match and unfortunately we more than played our part in it.
It was a strange line-up and formation at kick-off even given Bowyer’s lack of options. He changed the formation numerous times during the game, but apart from a ten minute spell when Chuks Aneke came on there was nothing to get the pulse remotely racing.
The Addicks back in the third tier for the fourth time in five seasons. From our first season back down there in 2016/17 AFC Wimbledon, Fleetwood, Gillingham, Oxford United, Peterborough, Rochdale and Shrewsbury are all still there. Both Gillingham and Peterborough are the longest serving with this season being their 8th consective.
The 24 teams are evenly spread north and south, but I will begin my quick glance at our League One rivals at the top of the country.
Midnight in SE7 and out from the dark appears Aiden McGeady, the 33-year old attacking midfielder from Sunderland. A loan deal until the end of the season.
McGeady has a wealth of experience and 95 Republic of Ireland caps. He of course came on as sub at Wembley for the Mackems to a great reception. He was voted their player of the year.
Pah to the transfer window. Lee and Steve go on. Today 27-year old Welsh right back Adam Matthews signed a one-year deal after a successful trial.
Matthews played 28 games for Sunderland last season, even appearing in their final league game. He left in the summer due to his high wages, one of many still at the Stadium of Light signed in Premier League days. Sam Allardyce signed the then 23-year from Celtic for £2m in 2015, but within weeks Allardyce had gone and David Moyes was chosen. Relegation came next and four further managers, and a another relegation for Matthews to work under.
A big day for Chris Solly, one of our most popular players in what has been a topsy turvey last decade for the club. Solly’s debut was as a substitute in the last game of our wretched Championship relegation season in 2008/9.
That team and the one the next season never really gelled with me as we missed out in the play-offs under Phil Parkinson. Yet youngsters like Solly, Scott Wagstaff and Jonjo Shelvey were little specks of light in a dark tunnel that Chris Powell drove us out of at full speed.
We’re on the way, we’re on the way….
Yesterday morning I woke bruised and weary. With a slight headache and a sense of bewilderment, but the red blood in my veins flowed like a gentle river.
Last night was another night of sweet dreams. I flew back to Bermuda yesterday and am back in the office today, and nothing, not nothing will take this massive smile off my face.