About five years ago a documentary series featured Charlton and Plymouth. A senior executive from both clubs swapped roles for a few days. Charlton were premier and Plymouth were tier three. Steve Sutherland, then reporting directly toRichard Murray, represented Charlton. We came over as a bit smug and a bit patronising, whilst the guy from Plylouth seemed over awed by the Premier League club and set up, we were a Club he wanted to emulate on and off the field.
Just a few years later and we languish at the bottom of the table in the 2nd tier and Argyle are just a few places ahead of us. Now we are willing to emulate any one above us, we are seen as a badly run club on the slide. Tomorrow two poor clubs face each other, we need to win, despite havimg given up I know a win will transform us. We have not had a run for years,its about time we did and saved ourselves from the inevitable.
Friday, 13 February 2009
Saturday, 7 February 2009
News From The Valley
The nation received an apology from a Charlton director this week, unfortunately for us it was to the nation by Michael Grade. How unlucky can ITV have been, 119 minutes of boring football,1 minute of excitement and it was during this minute that ITV's automatic advert player kicked in. Anyway its nice to know that Charlton directors have not lost the art of apology.
So no game today, I have no doubt that Andy D'Urso has correctly cancelled the game, but looking out at my SE London garden at 7.00 this morning and only a few miles up the road I do wonder if the decision is premature. No freezing temperatrure in SE23 today.
Its six years since we last postponed at the Valley and I suspect if we had still been Premier League we would have the resources to have the game on, as it is there are no helicopters or whales, we just can't afford them. Of course there is the conspiracy theory, a team out of form, only one fit central defender,new players in needing time to gel - the weather - a god send! OK far fetched . . . . . maybe!
So no game today, I have no doubt that Andy D'Urso has correctly cancelled the game, but looking out at my SE London garden at 7.00 this morning and only a few miles up the road I do wonder if the decision is premature. No freezing temperatrure in SE23 today.
Its six years since we last postponed at the Valley and I suspect if we had still been Premier League we would have the resources to have the game on, as it is there are no helicopters or whales, we just can't afford them. Of course there is the conspiracy theory, a team out of form, only one fit central defender,new players in needing time to gel - the weather - a god send! OK far fetched . . . . . maybe!
Monday, 2 February 2009
Go home and prepare for the third division
So now Jansen and Christianson leave the club whilst the club will probably not admit it, we are now preparing for the 1st division. The next few months are going to see a number of players leave and go on loan,come the summer we will see the elite Gray, Hudson, Ambrose and ZZ to name a few depart, but we will also see the lesser players, those that did not make the grade or do not offer value for money depart, Dean Sinclair is another who comes to mind as a player bought by Pardew who never made the grade.
One who we may have problems keeping is Jonjo Shelvey as the pressure for money may be too much as the big boys want to come in and take him to bolster their reserves, that is one of the reasons for maintaining Championship status.
Every summer for three seasons the summer has seen an upheaval, we don't know the players we don't even know who is with the club and who has gone, I thought Christianson had left months ago. We have to get away from this, 38 players we have used this season, we need to establish a relatively smaller squad next season, with few loanees and players who we can be guaranteed to be able to support and have them there the next week.
One who we may have problems keeping is Jonjo Shelvey as the pressure for money may be too much as the big boys want to come in and take him to bolster their reserves, that is one of the reasons for maintaining Championship status.
Every summer for three seasons the summer has seen an upheaval, we don't know the players we don't even know who is with the club and who has gone, I thought Christianson had left months ago. We have to get away from this, 38 players we have used this season, we need to establish a relatively smaller squad next season, with few loanees and players who we can be guaranteed to be able to support and have them there the next week.
Sunday, 1 February 2009
If this was boxing...
Some one would be standing at the edge of the ring throwing in the towel, instead we are going to carry on until May, against the ropes taking every punch, yesterday it was a sucker punch, On Tuesday we managed to get our own hook in, but prior to that there was a 4 punch combination at Sheffield Wednesday.
Believe me my heart is optimistic, we can pull our selves out of this, we have the squad to do it, but my head says different. The loss of both Fortune and Hudson prior to the Burnley game contributed to any sense of momentum gaining after the Palace game being squashed in its infancy. We need 10 points to get to safety whilst the three teams above us have to go in to the sort of run we have just got our selves out of, although 5 games without a point would be acceptable rather than the whole hog of 18. Three wins and a draw is where our points total and goal difference leave us and to think we are capable of such results at all between now and the end of the season a laughable.
I've started to try and work out what advantages we would have by going in to tier 3. Well here are my top ten:-
1. We'll see more wins (Just like we believed when we came into the championship).
2. We'll get to loads of new grounds.
3. We'll be able to go to that nice ground next to the refuse disposal plant in New Cross, or is it the refuse plant?.
4. Dropping to Tier 3 has been good for some teams, enabling them to regroup - Hull and ????
5. We'll see more of Jonjo Shelvey (Probably on the box with a Prem or Championship team)
6. We'll have more chances of Wembley - FA Cup, League Cup, Play Off Final, Johnstone Paint Trophy.
7. We'll see more of Chris Dickson.
8. We'll be able to turn up at the Valley at 2.45 on a Saturday and still find a parking space
9. We'll be able to turn up at the Valley at 3.05 on a Saturday safe in the knowledge that they will be holding up the kick off for our arrival.
10. We won't have to play Palace next year.
Believe me my heart is optimistic, we can pull our selves out of this, we have the squad to do it, but my head says different. The loss of both Fortune and Hudson prior to the Burnley game contributed to any sense of momentum gaining after the Palace game being squashed in its infancy. We need 10 points to get to safety whilst the three teams above us have to go in to the sort of run we have just got our selves out of, although 5 games without a point would be acceptable rather than the whole hog of 18. Three wins and a draw is where our points total and goal difference leave us and to think we are capable of such results at all between now and the end of the season a laughable.
I've started to try and work out what advantages we would have by going in to tier 3. Well here are my top ten:-
1. We'll see more wins (Just like we believed when we came into the championship).
2. We'll get to loads of new grounds.
3. We'll be able to go to that nice ground next to the refuse disposal plant in New Cross, or is it the refuse plant?.
4. Dropping to Tier 3 has been good for some teams, enabling them to regroup - Hull and ????
5. We'll see more of Jonjo Shelvey (Probably on the box with a Prem or Championship team)
6. We'll have more chances of Wembley - FA Cup, League Cup, Play Off Final, Johnstone Paint Trophy.
7. We'll see more of Chris Dickson.
8. We'll be able to turn up at the Valley at 2.45 on a Saturday and still find a parking space
9. We'll be able to turn up at the Valley at 3.05 on a Saturday safe in the knowledge that they will be holding up the kick off for our arrival.
10. We won't have to play Palace next year.
Saturday, 31 January 2009
The Robin dropped
The Red Red Robin is less relevant to the Charlton team today than ever and it has beeen decided to drop the Red Red Robin by the Board for something they felt was more relevant, for this season at least, so the team will be greeted as they run out by a rendition from the Who
followed by the naming of the team.
followed by the naming of the team.
Sunday, 25 January 2009
The Wall of Sound Grows Louder
Not since Leaburn has a striker caused so much debate in the club as Chris Dickson, ex hamlet and £35,000 striker. He did himself no harm yesterday with his cameo performance resulting in his 1st goal of the season and his 2nd of his Charlton career.
Parkinson now comes under pressure to play Dickson in the big one on Tuesday. Charlton life message board strongly pushes for Dickson to gain his first league start for Charlton, with both logical and emotional debate. The interesting thing is not those that have been clamouring for his inclusion for two season now, but the rest of us, who recognise a player with limited ability, with the exception of one golden nugget of skill - he knows wher the back of the onion bag is.
Why this change of position from the non believers, well in all honesty he is the last hope. He may not be the player to hold up the ball, play crafty passes etc,. but if he gets the chance then more of us would back him to score than anyother player on our books and what we need now is someone who can score, someone who can inspire - If anyone can Chris can.
Yesterdays second half performance sounded like a real battling Charlton and if I was Parkinson I would be sorely tempted to maintain the side with maybe two exceptruion, Randolph for Elliot and Kelly Youga, who the Sheffield commentators highlighted as Sheffields best player in the second half - what happened to the player that returned from Scunthorpe, who some of us were afraid would be poached by a Prem club.
I have come to the conclusion that we will not get out of the relegation plight that we are in, so Tuesdays game becomes important for the fans beyond the gaining of points but for self esteem and prestige. I don't knw any palace fans, but I hear that they are enjoying our plight (as we have theirs), fans have been receiving directions to third tier grounds and comments such as "shala la ... whose laughing now." Parky and the boys need to give us something to smile about on Tuesday, somethong to take with us to harlepool and Scunthorpe next season.
Parkinson now comes under pressure to play Dickson in the big one on Tuesday. Charlton life message board strongly pushes for Dickson to gain his first league start for Charlton, with both logical and emotional debate. The interesting thing is not those that have been clamouring for his inclusion for two season now, but the rest of us, who recognise a player with limited ability, with the exception of one golden nugget of skill - he knows wher the back of the onion bag is.
Why this change of position from the non believers, well in all honesty he is the last hope. He may not be the player to hold up the ball, play crafty passes etc,. but if he gets the chance then more of us would back him to score than anyother player on our books and what we need now is someone who can score, someone who can inspire - If anyone can Chris can.
Yesterdays second half performance sounded like a real battling Charlton and if I was Parkinson I would be sorely tempted to maintain the side with maybe two exceptruion, Randolph for Elliot and Kelly Youga, who the Sheffield commentators highlighted as Sheffields best player in the second half - what happened to the player that returned from Scunthorpe, who some of us were afraid would be poached by a Prem club.
I have come to the conclusion that we will not get out of the relegation plight that we are in, so Tuesdays game becomes important for the fans beyond the gaining of points but for self esteem and prestige. I don't knw any palace fans, but I hear that they are enjoying our plight (as we have theirs), fans have been receiving directions to third tier grounds and comments such as "shala la ... whose laughing now." Parky and the boys need to give us something to smile about on Tuesday, somethong to take with us to harlepool and Scunthorpe next season.
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Curbs and Murray ruined my life
As most of my Charlton friends know I started life being a Chelsea fan and at around 13 years of age became a Charlton supporter, the distinction here between supporter and fan is someone who follows a team, goes to matches and is there through thick and thin while a fan is someone who follows from a distance and watches on Match of The Day.
I converted from a team of Osgood and Bonetti to a team of Wright and Crawford. Top tier to 2nde tier, most people go the other way - what is the opposite of a glory hunter - whatever it is thats me.
I began watching Charlton the season after the were pipped by the Selhurst crew for promotion and in a season - one of many - when we avoided relegation by the skin of our teeth.
Any fans who supported Charlton around this time will remember a team that was exciting to watch in matches that were exciting to watch, the team may not have been very good - even with Alan Campbell - but the games were fun and there was always the peanut man and we would see lots of goals, I saw us beat Swansea Town 6-1, lose to either Bristol or Blackburn Rovers 2-4, but I did not really care because we had no expectations of grandeur top flight, there was the brief encounter with Simonsen when what looked like naked ambition turned out to be just a brief interlude in the pursuit of mediocrity.
Then in the 80's Uncle Len with a ragga muffin band of players got us into the top tier, we loved it but we never really thought we should be there, each and every season we expected it to be our last and eventually it was,but we had enjoyed our stay at the top and really never expected to be there again. Sorry when I say we, I mean me, it was nice while it lasted.
Then came Curbishley, Gritt and Alwen, to be succeeded by Curbishley and Murray and what did they do, they gave us hope they got us into the Prem, they bought half decent players and over a decade they gave us results and positions that we could be proud of and we came to expect.
So now when we get beaten, which is an all too frequent occurence it hurts, when as yesterday I see an inept performance by a forward like Grey (who's idea of attacking the ball is to stand still and hope it bounces off his head to one of his mates) instead of thinking of Dickie Plumb or Barry Endean, I think of Darren Bent and Andy Hunt (Ok Clive Mendonca too), when I see inept loan players as we have had too many of lately, I don't think of Mike Small, I think of Jorge Costa - when we put in an inept performance like we did yesterday, when our Championship life depends on it, I don't think "well thats Charlton- thats what we are like, thats what life for a Charlton supporter is all about." I think "I've been short changed, my team don't care, I am gutted."
After the Owls fans chanted "We've got our Wednesday back", our fans chanted "We want our Charlton back." Well maybe we've got our Charlton back, but thanks to Murray and Curbishley there is no turning back, they have given us expectations and its like opening Pandoras box and it hurts.
I converted from a team of Osgood and Bonetti to a team of Wright and Crawford. Top tier to 2nde tier, most people go the other way - what is the opposite of a glory hunter - whatever it is thats me.
I began watching Charlton the season after the were pipped by the Selhurst crew for promotion and in a season - one of many - when we avoided relegation by the skin of our teeth.
Any fans who supported Charlton around this time will remember a team that was exciting to watch in matches that were exciting to watch, the team may not have been very good - even with Alan Campbell - but the games were fun and there was always the peanut man and we would see lots of goals, I saw us beat Swansea Town 6-1, lose to either Bristol or Blackburn Rovers 2-4, but I did not really care because we had no expectations of grandeur top flight, there was the brief encounter with Simonsen when what looked like naked ambition turned out to be just a brief interlude in the pursuit of mediocrity.
Then in the 80's Uncle Len with a ragga muffin band of players got us into the top tier, we loved it but we never really thought we should be there, each and every season we expected it to be our last and eventually it was,but we had enjoyed our stay at the top and really never expected to be there again. Sorry when I say we, I mean me, it was nice while it lasted.
Then came Curbishley, Gritt and Alwen, to be succeeded by Curbishley and Murray and what did they do, they gave us hope they got us into the Prem, they bought half decent players and over a decade they gave us results and positions that we could be proud of and we came to expect.
So now when we get beaten, which is an all too frequent occurence it hurts, when as yesterday I see an inept performance by a forward like Grey (who's idea of attacking the ball is to stand still and hope it bounces off his head to one of his mates) instead of thinking of Dickie Plumb or Barry Endean, I think of Darren Bent and Andy Hunt (Ok Clive Mendonca too), when I see inept loan players as we have had too many of lately, I don't think of Mike Small, I think of Jorge Costa - when we put in an inept performance like we did yesterday, when our Championship life depends on it, I don't think "well thats Charlton- thats what we are like, thats what life for a Charlton supporter is all about." I think "I've been short changed, my team don't care, I am gutted."
After the Owls fans chanted "We've got our Wednesday back", our fans chanted "We want our Charlton back." Well maybe we've got our Charlton back, but thanks to Murray and Curbishley there is no turning back, they have given us expectations and its like opening Pandoras box and it hurts.
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