Nov 16
50 years ago yesterday, half an actual century ago, my Dad did something unwittingly that would go onto change the course of my life and for that matter my family.
Saturday, 15th November, 1975 was a day I will never forget. It was my first ever Charlton Athletic game that I went to.
Please click for moreMay 25
25 years ago today. That was some day.
There were 12 of us, friends and family, at the old Wembley, ablaze with noise and emotion unlike the time we were there for the Full Members final. The game itself seemed to last for days. and we went spinning through a tornado of every emotion possible.
Please click for moreThe 2nd legs of the play-off semi-final’s begin tonight and with Sunderland, Luton and Coventry being in the mix for a Premiership place, they each offer a glimmer of hope to us disconsolate Addicks.
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.
You’ll never going to believe us, but the reds are going up. Allez, Allez, Allez.
Well, what a journey that was. What a day. What a team, what heroes Lee Bowyer and Johnnie Jackson are. Yesterday will be a day Addicks, team and supporters as one, will remember for the rest of their lives.
The finer details of the game are a little blurry. It was game that flipped from scrappy to nervy to a finely balanced battle. It’s interesting that reports of the game seemed to think we were deserving winners. I wasn’t so sure from where I sat, but Sunderland are a very functional side, hard to beat, but lacking flair. Meanwhile Bowyer has put together a team that can change a game, be the more adventurous, can play around sides. The first goal, which was pure poetry, a great example.
Nerves rattled both Portsmouth and Sunderland last night when with an eye on second place both came unstuck meaning that without kicking a ball both Luton and Barnsley were promoted.
Peterborough were two-up at Fratton Park, but then we’re hauled level. However with their own promotion push on a knife edge Posh went back in front and are now a point behind Doncaster. On Sunday Peterborough are at home to Burton and Doncaster home to Coventry.
Who one of those plays in the play-offs is all up for grabs. Even the Addicks can snatch 3rd on Sunday but Portsmouth are in pole position facing Accrington at home, although Stanley did score five last week. Sunderland have a tricky one away at Southend, who need to win.
Bow put on a brave face when talking about our promotion rivals spending in the January transfer window, but if it didn’t only highlight the budgetary disparities between us and them, it also shone a massive spotlight on differing board ambitions.
None of the clubs at the top with us are loaded with money, yet Bow’s fellow managers and Steve Gallen equivalents were all allowed to haggle and barter in the window for the betterment of their squads and Sunderland, Portsmouth, Luton and Peterborough have all come out the other end with a deeper and, on paper at least, a stronger collection of players.
Doncaster, who have one of the lowest budgets in the league, were pretty inactive in January but importantly kept John Marquis despite interest from Sunderland, and a late bid from Swansea. In demand Alfie May also signed a contract extension.
I thought before the game with our injuries that I’d take a draw. I was even more certain after half hour as we were hanging on and behind to a 2nd minute goal. Sunderland had chances to bury us in that first 30 minutes, but by the half-time whistle the worm had started to turn and we finally started to get our act together.
2nd half was a diffent game. We were excellent and it was the Black Cats that were hanging on and riding their luck. Taylor deserved the rub of the green that saw his cross turned in for an own-goal equalizer. He was excellent again.
I was thinking yesterday how nice it was that I’ve been able to watch the Addicks live on the television for their last four games. Except we’ve lost all four, and in fact the two before that, both of those were 0-3 defeats. At least we scored yesterday for the only time in those six games. I am sure there are Premier and Championship teams that will claim worst TV records, but I’d like to see them, and this isn’t a recent phenomenon remember.
Anyways, I’m here to list some positives. Yes I know, until the old scroat either sells or keels over, then positivity is very thin on the ground, but there was a fair bit on Saturday to be hopeful for.
An opening day ending in a heartbreaking defeat but a performance built on hope, a battling spirit and a fair bit of quality. We deservedly took the lead through Lyle Taylor’s penalty and for 35 minutes Sunderland were all at sea as we played high up the pitch with Aribo dominant and the front pairing of Taylor and Grant a constant menace.
The hosts were poor but they finally got their act together as we reached half-time, but our dominance deserved a second goal and it was George Lapslie who had the best chance. A powerful Pratley shot was also well saved.
Sunderland were never going to be so bad 2nd half, but we still looked pretty comfortable, our only concerns being when one of our players went down injured and wondering who the hell from 4 on-field substitutes would replace them. It was never a dirty game, but there were lots of stoppages for injuries on both sides and both Pearce and Solly ended the game limping and bloodied.
“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.
Part One of my 2018/19 League One preview, which went from Accrington Stanley to Coventry City is here and Part Two that began at Doncaster and ended at Portsmouth is here.
Perfect. 600 mile round trip on opening day and because our new friends Sky fancy it, the game will kick off at 12.30pm. Nice for those of you that wanted to see the team in the flesh on opening day. Wait, we may even have new owners sat in the stand the old scrote in his laboratory watching on his Belgian telly..
This is followed by our new big rivals Shrewsbury Town at The Valley the week after, then the club’s first ever trip to Accrington Stanley and a game under the lights in SE7 home to Peterborough.
My longest ever football memory was 40 years ago this weekend.
I don’t remember having any interest in football before May 1973, my Dad was a lapsed visitor to The Valley working weekends and providing for his family amidst power cuts and miner strikes, so I suspect the opportunity to sit down as a family to watch the pinnacle of the season was one that he was looking forward to.
Please click for more
Sarasota, Florida
