Whilst our soon to depart captain has caused much angst with his penalty miss and mis placed pass, he has yet to be honoured with a song to celebrate the event,unlike Leicesters penalty ace.
Tuesday, 25 May 2010
Sunday, 23 May 2010
Boom time for Blackpool, recession for Charlton.
Well done to Blackpool they have secured their financial position for the next few years, subject to Burnleyesque controls on the purse strings. Well done Particularly to Ian Holloway, a man who I thought was just a clown, who for a few months now I realise is a good manager.
Hopefully the civic dignitaries of Blackpool will recognise the achievement, because the move to the premiership will add significantly to the economy of Blackpool town for the next 12 months, from increased revenue from visiting fans to the increased expenditure on the completion of the groiund and higher disposable income of the players. Blackpool sounds like a well run club (lest we forget so did we!), apparently the players move onto summer contracts now and are being paid £90 per week, nice money if you can get it!
The effects of falling from the grace of the Premiership is all too well known at Charlton. A microcosm of the effect on the local economy can be seen at the Rose of Denmark, a friendly Charlton fans and away fans pub on the Woolwich Rd. During the Prem years the Rod was always bursting on match days, from 11.00 am onwards, nowadays you can get there at 14.00 and easily get to the bar. The car park is virtually empty and the extension built during the heights of our success is really no longer needed.
We talk about football clubs being parts of the community and the two different perspectives of Blackpool and Charlton highlight this!
Hopefully the civic dignitaries of Blackpool will recognise the achievement, because the move to the premiership will add significantly to the economy of Blackpool town for the next 12 months, from increased revenue from visiting fans to the increased expenditure on the completion of the groiund and higher disposable income of the players. Blackpool sounds like a well run club (lest we forget so did we!), apparently the players move onto summer contracts now and are being paid £90 per week, nice money if you can get it!
The effects of falling from the grace of the Premiership is all too well known at Charlton. A microcosm of the effect on the local economy can be seen at the Rose of Denmark, a friendly Charlton fans and away fans pub on the Woolwich Rd. During the Prem years the Rod was always bursting on match days, from 11.00 am onwards, nowadays you can get there at 14.00 and easily get to the bar. The car park is virtually empty and the extension built during the heights of our success is really no longer needed.
We talk about football clubs being parts of the community and the two different perspectives of Blackpool and Charlton highlight this!
Friday, 21 May 2010
The dream is over
I never warmed to Chris Dickson, but I have always felt sorry for anyone who is released by their employers. For Chris, Alan Pardew plucking him from the obscurity of Dulwich Hamlets into a Premier League Club was a dream come true and even the relegation to The Championship, I am sure, did not dampen those expectations of glory.
His first experience of first team football was not quite the glory he had expected as Dario Gradi's Crewe took him on loan but soon returned him, still without a league goal. Pardew had always said that Dickson was a rough diamond and would need time to develop and it appeared that his Crewe expereince had a positive effect as he joined Gillingham and soon became a goalscoring machine, to the extent that Scally and Stimson then pursued him for months to come. the romance of every football fan is fed by the romance of a player like Dickson, rags to riches, emulating his hero Ian Wright, and both pardew and Parkinson were dogged by fans calling for Dickson to be given a longer run in the team.
Other fans pointed to his lack of work rate and poor level of skill and there were rumours of poor training and an over inflated ego. Despite this he won himslef international honours with Ghana and he and his agent were banging on Parkies door for more time on the pitch, whilst Scally was placing stories about how poorly Charlton were treating Chris and how much Scally and the Gills wanted him.
Ultimately, though, he went on loan with former Charlton manager Lennie (why do Charlton managers not use their real first name) Lawrence, at Bristol Rovers, all augered well after his first game scoring twice against Brentford, but another 13 appearances delivered only one further goal and a question by Robin, sorry Lennie to Parkie (is his real name Phil?) how do you cope with Dicksons agent, who apparently over inflated Dicko's ego and continually battered at the managers doors over how hard Dicko was done by. Despite a deal to buy him being on the table, Rovers decided to send him back to the Valley, in a no returnable envelope no doubt. Gillingham finally got their man, after a performance against Brentford which showed off Dickos talents to their best as he won a penalty with his speed, he was shipped off to the team who had courted him for upto 24 months to repeat his feat of 7 goals in 12 games, but as fate so often does it kicked him or was it Gillingham in the teeth and his tally in this second loan period was 1 in 9. This is markedly better than his Charlton tally of 2 in 34. Soon after his loan period started murmurs, all too familiar, about work rate were coming out of Priestfield. If you are a goalscorer then work rate is not an issue, but if you are a non scoring goalscorer and you don't have a work rate ethic then you have nothing and that is Chris's problem. Before Gillighams fate had been sealed and that of Stimson, soon to be sacked, it was announced that the soon to be out of contract Dickson would not be joining Gillingham and now we know that Gilligham will be playing 4th tier football and there was no consideration for making that decsison after their fate was known, so in their opinion not good enough for third or fourth tier.
So finally Chris returned to the Valley, maybe in the hope that he would have a part to play in the play offs, although I suspect the plagues of hell would have had to befall us before that came true.
Today the Club has announced that Chris is being released, his career at Charlton is over. Hopefully the promise seen by Pardew can be revivied through the shock of unemployment, maybe he can change his agent and knuckle down to develop the parts of his game that will make him at least a valued squad member of a 4th tier or conference club. Goalscorers are a rare breed and for one to be discarded as he has been damns him and his other talents, maybe there is a manager out there who sees something that can be redeemed, I hope so, but so far and unusually i have not read any message boards expecting him to one day return to the valley and bite us on the bum. I hope he finds a club and he does well and in 10 years time, like some of the strikers rolling around the third and fourth tier at Brentford and Orient, he can look back at a career of establishment in the lower leagues and a record of goals.
Meanwhile, Parkie find us a goalscoring machine from the lower leagues and quick.
His first experience of first team football was not quite the glory he had expected as Dario Gradi's Crewe took him on loan but soon returned him, still without a league goal. Pardew had always said that Dickson was a rough diamond and would need time to develop and it appeared that his Crewe expereince had a positive effect as he joined Gillingham and soon became a goalscoring machine, to the extent that Scally and Stimson then pursued him for months to come. the romance of every football fan is fed by the romance of a player like Dickson, rags to riches, emulating his hero Ian Wright, and both pardew and Parkinson were dogged by fans calling for Dickson to be given a longer run in the team.
Other fans pointed to his lack of work rate and poor level of skill and there were rumours of poor training and an over inflated ego. Despite this he won himslef international honours with Ghana and he and his agent were banging on Parkies door for more time on the pitch, whilst Scally was placing stories about how poorly Charlton were treating Chris and how much Scally and the Gills wanted him.
Ultimately, though, he went on loan with former Charlton manager Lennie (why do Charlton managers not use their real first name) Lawrence, at Bristol Rovers, all augered well after his first game scoring twice against Brentford, but another 13 appearances delivered only one further goal and a question by Robin, sorry Lennie to Parkie (is his real name Phil?) how do you cope with Dicksons agent, who apparently over inflated Dicko's ego and continually battered at the managers doors over how hard Dicko was done by. Despite a deal to buy him being on the table, Rovers decided to send him back to the Valley, in a no returnable envelope no doubt. Gillingham finally got their man, after a performance against Brentford which showed off Dickos talents to their best as he won a penalty with his speed, he was shipped off to the team who had courted him for upto 24 months to repeat his feat of 7 goals in 12 games, but as fate so often does it kicked him or was it Gillingham in the teeth and his tally in this second loan period was 1 in 9. This is markedly better than his Charlton tally of 2 in 34. Soon after his loan period started murmurs, all too familiar, about work rate were coming out of Priestfield. If you are a goalscorer then work rate is not an issue, but if you are a non scoring goalscorer and you don't have a work rate ethic then you have nothing and that is Chris's problem. Before Gillighams fate had been sealed and that of Stimson, soon to be sacked, it was announced that the soon to be out of contract Dickson would not be joining Gillingham and now we know that Gilligham will be playing 4th tier football and there was no consideration for making that decsison after their fate was known, so in their opinion not good enough for third or fourth tier.
So finally Chris returned to the Valley, maybe in the hope that he would have a part to play in the play offs, although I suspect the plagues of hell would have had to befall us before that came true.
Today the Club has announced that Chris is being released, his career at Charlton is over. Hopefully the promise seen by Pardew can be revivied through the shock of unemployment, maybe he can change his agent and knuckle down to develop the parts of his game that will make him at least a valued squad member of a 4th tier or conference club. Goalscorers are a rare breed and for one to be discarded as he has been damns him and his other talents, maybe there is a manager out there who sees something that can be redeemed, I hope so, but so far and unusually i have not read any message boards expecting him to one day return to the valley and bite us on the bum. I hope he finds a club and he does well and in 10 years time, like some of the strikers rolling around the third and fourth tier at Brentford and Orient, he can look back at a career of establishment in the lower leagues and a record of goals.
Meanwhile, Parkie find us a goalscoring machine from the lower leagues and quick.
Money coming our way?
Thanks to AFKABartram of Charlton Life for pointing out our interest in tomorrows Championship Play Off Final, also known as the richest game in football, as the winner gets a guaranteed return of £90 million. Oh how we could do with a share of that !
And we can, not much of it granted, 1.11111% to be precise. But like every silver lining this £250,000 lining comes at a cost and that cost is the winning of promotion to the Premier League by non other than the Millwall of Wales, Cardiff City. The only thing positive to ever come form Cardiff as far as I can remember is John Toshack, yes the fat bloke with the welsh national squad, used to be a Liverpool player, making a deadly duo with Keegan. We sold a player to Cardiff and cleverly (was it Mr Waggott) inserted a promotion clause.
So tomorrow, we forsake £250,000 and support the bright lights of Blackpool and the jocular Ollie or we go with our wallet and support Cardiff. Forgetting about the money of course, I will support Cardiff, because ... well The Premier League deserve their fans!!!!!!
Oh, the player by the way, was our esteemed former captain who gave up the ghost long before we were relegated Mark Hudson.
And we can, not much of it granted, 1.11111% to be precise. But like every silver lining this £250,000 lining comes at a cost and that cost is the winning of promotion to the Premier League by non other than the Millwall of Wales, Cardiff City. The only thing positive to ever come form Cardiff as far as I can remember is John Toshack, yes the fat bloke with the welsh national squad, used to be a Liverpool player, making a deadly duo with Keegan. We sold a player to Cardiff and cleverly (was it Mr Waggott) inserted a promotion clause.
So tomorrow, we forsake £250,000 and support the bright lights of Blackpool and the jocular Ollie or we go with our wallet and support Cardiff. Forgetting about the money of course, I will support Cardiff, because ... well The Premier League deserve their fans!!!!!!
Oh, the player by the way, was our esteemed former captain who gave up the ghost long before we were relegated Mark Hudson.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
Now the dust has settled
And no we are not talking about the volcanic stuff. Monday was a devastating day for most addicks, but if you support the club for almost 40 years you learn to pick yourself up, brush yourself down and start all over again. And it does feel like that with the financial melt down the number of players out of contract etcetera, etcetera.
There are lots of rumours about what will happen over the close season, some like myself predict that by Christmas we will be in administration, but its uninformed conjecture. A few years ago now, I remember Prague Addick calling for the board to announce their intent for a forthcoming season, it did not happen then but I think now is the time for them to either reassure the fans as to our situation or manage our expectations for the coming 18 months.
I for one would love a return to the Championship next season, but if we have not got the resources then lets know about it now, rather than letting what sembelance of a team turns out next season be booed every game. An announcement by the board in the next few weeks would be really welcome. Although, don't hold your breathe.
There are lots of rumours about what will happen over the close season, some like myself predict that by Christmas we will be in administration, but its uninformed conjecture. A few years ago now, I remember Prague Addick calling for the board to announce their intent for a forthcoming season, it did not happen then but I think now is the time for them to either reassure the fans as to our situation or manage our expectations for the coming 18 months.
I for one would love a return to the Championship next season, but if we have not got the resources then lets know about it now, rather than letting what sembelance of a team turns out next season be booed every game. An announcement by the board in the next few weeks would be really welcome. Although, don't hold your breathe.
Friday, 12 March 2010
For Passion, for glory, for promotion, for Charlton and most of all for the fans
Curbs down played derby's they were the fans matches, not to do with the team, the players. As we approach Millwall on Saturday, I am hoping that Parkie has a different perspective on this derby, I hope that Parkie uses the emotion of the fans to motivate his players, I hope that Parkie motivates his players to show passion, passion beyond any passioin they have shown in the last 5 years.
Tomorow I want Parkie to line up the players at Sparrow Lane and pull out Robbie Elliot and get Robbie to tell the players what it means to a Charlton fan to beat Millwall, I want Parkie to pull out Sam and get him to tell the players why we should beat Millwall at the New Den, I want Scot Wagstaff to tell the players why they have to do it f0r the fans.
Pre match, Parkie can do the pre match tactics and game plan but lets see a true Charlton do the team talk , lets get Gritty in, lets fire the players up, lets get Keithy in. There will be so much passion on the "terraces", lets make sure that the players match this on the field, lets see ours win the 40-60's, if players are going to be upended then let those players be the home players.
On Saturday the team must play for promotion, for charlton, for the fans for Prince Harry* and for Charlton!
*Not quite sure what he is doing here!!
Tomorow I want Parkie to line up the players at Sparrow Lane and pull out Robbie Elliot and get Robbie to tell the players what it means to a Charlton fan to beat Millwall, I want Parkie to pull out Sam and get him to tell the players why we should beat Millwall at the New Den, I want Scot Wagstaff to tell the players why they have to do it f0r the fans.
Pre match, Parkie can do the pre match tactics and game plan but lets see a true Charlton do the team talk , lets get Gritty in, lets fire the players up, lets get Keithy in. There will be so much passion on the "terraces", lets make sure that the players match this on the field, lets see ours win the 40-60's, if players are going to be upended then let those players be the home players.
On Saturday the team must play for promotion, for charlton, for the fans for Prince Harry* and for Charlton!
*Not quite sure what he is doing here!!
Sunday, 7 March 2010
So it begins.......
The run in begins here, in a few days time we travel to the New Den for our first competitive match there for a long time *and we look to continue the form of our last match at the Den when two Kim Grant goals put The Lions to the sword or the friendly match at the tool box when we saw fat boy Hasselbaink score for the addicks and offer us a false hope of premiership growth.
As I train for a quick get away after the game on Saturday (unlikely to happen as away fans are held inside the ground after the match) . I reminisce . I have been to quite a few games with Millwall there is a game I recall around 1970, at the Valley, both sides were looking to change division, we were looking to go down and they to go up. Now no one else remembers this game and without looking too far, I have not found reference to it, but my recollection is that this night match was attended by around 30,000 and when Derek Possee slotted away the 1st of two goals, the unsegregated ground erupted with what looked like 25,000 Millwall fans, I can recall being at The Den seeing 6ft something Dave Shipperley marking 5 ft nothing Derek Possee, I saw Keith Weller play against us ( He later won the European Cup Winners Cup for Chelsea against the mighty Real Madrid), I recall seeing Kasey Keller being awarded Millwall's player of the season on the pitch, Charlton leading 2-0 with 5 minutes to go through Gord
on Watson and Paul Williams goals only for them to get two late equalisers. My Grandfather in Law used to take my Mother In Law one week to Millwall, One week to Charlton - fortunately her loyalties are with Charlton to the extent that her next birthday she will receive a Charlton Garden Gnome.
Millwall are scary, there is tension around the games that there should not be that have nothing to do with football, but I still love the idea of playing them as our real rivals, for me the rivalry with Palace is about their abuse of us at selhurst and the joint Noades / Fry attempt, whereas Millwall Charlton is familly, it is the South London version of Celtic Rangers, Liverpool Everton,Gunners Spurs.
So to Saturday, Millwall have a great home record, they have lost only one game, have beaten Leeds and Norwich, so this will be no walk in the park. The match is more or less a sell out, so the atmosphere will be hot. Millwall will want to get one over their more illustrious neighbours or as Eamon Dunphy described us "The Nancy boy's down the road", plus enhance their play off chances and put a marker down for a potential playoff showdown with us.
We need the points, with Leeds stuttering, an automatic is not out of the question (based on my biased BBC predictor, Norwich and Charlton both get automatic). We have worries over left back and I'm not putting money on Jackson, Basey or Youga being available. Semedo, Solly or Richardson may have to fill in. This really has been our cursed position. If Moutakill is not allowed to play right back maybe he could make the mother of all left backs.
Who will start up front now that Burton is fit, it has to be a choice between Mooney and Burton, given Akpoe's 5 in 7 starts, personally I would go for power so would make it Mcenzie and Akpoe - fat chance.
This is the sort of game where Dailly, Bailly and Richardson have to step upto to the plate and lead the younger heads in the team, making sure that players stick to the game plan and are not intimidated by Millwalls players or fans. A lot of managers have said if you can get on top of the Charlton team at the Valley in the 1st 20 minutes then the crowd will turn against the players, we have to take this attitude against Millwall at the New Den. We have the ability to play it tight at the back, out pass Millwall and take them on the break, too many teams seem to have gone to the Den scared, there is no reason for us to do that. I think that we will come out of the game on Saturday, I just hope it is not a black eye!!!
Footnote: A tribute to Millwall legend Harry Cripps, who used to teach me football, which probably explains how bad I am.
* Thanks to Chacago Addick on setting me right on having played at New den previously
As I train for a quick get away after the game on Saturday (unlikely to happen as away fans are held inside the ground after the match) . I reminisce . I have been to quite a few games with Millwall there is a game I recall around 1970, at the Valley, both sides were looking to change division, we were looking to go down and they to go up. Now no one else remembers this game and without looking too far, I have not found reference to it, but my recollection is that this night match was attended by around 30,000 and when Derek Possee slotted away the 1st of two goals, the unsegregated ground erupted with what looked like 25,000 Millwall fans, I can recall being at The Den seeing 6ft something Dave Shipperley marking 5 ft nothing Derek Possee, I saw Keith Weller play against us ( He later won the European Cup Winners Cup for Chelsea against the mighty Real Madrid), I recall seeing Kasey Keller being awarded Millwall's player of the season on the pitch, Charlton leading 2-0 with 5 minutes to go through Gord
on Watson and Paul Williams goals only for them to get two late equalisers. My Grandfather in Law used to take my Mother In Law one week to Millwall, One week to Charlton - fortunately her loyalties are with Charlton to the extent that her next birthday she will receive a Charlton Garden Gnome.Millwall are scary, there is tension around the games that there should not be that have nothing to do with football, but I still love the idea of playing them as our real rivals, for me the rivalry with Palace is about their abuse of us at selhurst and the joint Noades / Fry attempt, whereas Millwall Charlton is familly, it is the South London version of Celtic Rangers, Liverpool Everton,Gunners Spurs.
So to Saturday, Millwall have a great home record, they have lost only one game, have beaten Leeds and Norwich, so this will be no walk in the park. The match is more or less a sell out, so the atmosphere will be hot. Millwall will want to get one over their more illustrious neighbours or as Eamon Dunphy described us "The Nancy boy's down the road", plus enhance their play off chances and put a marker down for a potential playoff showdown with us.
We need the points, with Leeds stuttering, an automatic is not out of the question (based on my biased BBC predictor, Norwich and Charlton both get automatic). We have worries over left back and I'm not putting money on Jackson, Basey or Youga being available. Semedo, Solly or Richardson may have to fill in. This really has been our cursed position. If Moutakill is not allowed to play right back maybe he could make the mother of all left backs.
Who will start up front now that Burton is fit, it has to be a choice between Mooney and Burton, given Akpoe's 5 in 7 starts, personally I would go for power so would make it Mcenzie and Akpoe - fat chance.
This is the sort of game where Dailly, Bailly and Richardson have to step upto to the plate and lead the younger heads in the team, making sure that players stick to the game plan and are not intimidated by Millwalls players or fans. A lot of managers have said if you can get on top of the Charlton team at the Valley in the 1st 20 minutes then the crowd will turn against the players, we have to take this attitude against Millwall at the New Den. We have the ability to play it tight at the back, out pass Millwall and take them on the break, too many teams seem to have gone to the Den scared, there is no reason for us to do that. I think that we will come out of the game on Saturday, I just hope it is not a black eye!!!
Footnote: A tribute to Millwall legend Harry Cripps, who used to teach me football, which probably explains how bad I am.
* Thanks to Chacago Addick on setting me right on having played at New den previously
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