Que Sera Sera

Has there ever been occasion before when the only upset from the sixteen cup matches constituting the fourth round of the FA Cup has been the holders getting through?

A week of football that has seen us beat two and discover a third opponent in this prestigious competition, cup fever has certainly hit our part of South East London to a degree not seen for far too long.

I'm a huge fan of the cup, the extra preliminary round, the third round draw, the sunny final in May with hours of build up, I love every moment of it, even if it hasn't always been that kind to us. You could be forgiven for immediately groaning as the last two draws have been made; trips to the two clubs we escaped from League One alongside. Away from home though we currently stand far more chance as round three proved.

After a scary start we pulled Oxford back to a draw in the much delayed first outing of our assault on the trophy, but on Tuesday, on a proper playing surface, we looked far more professional as we ended up strolling into the fourth round and a third visit of the season to Huddersfield.

I've had some great away days in the cup following Charlton, a quarter final defeat at Bolton Wanderers with charging police horses, a dramatic victory against then Premier League Coventry City and more recently a fine day on the ale at Fulham. But as I'm older, married, working on Saturday mornings, boracic and to be honest just a tad lazy, I wasn't going to seek permission, take a day's holiday, borrow some wedge and get off my posterior to see a third defeat of season at the home of The Terriors.

How I wish I had, and i doff my cap to those that did, just to have seen young Harry Lennon appear from the bench to make his debut to the tune of "He's better than John..." Superb.

Before kick off I was bemoaning the departure of Michael Smith to Swindon Town to a friend. Chris Powell had said that the young lad needed week in, week out first team football. I'd have let him have it over Church and Sodall gladly, and of course he scored the first of two debut goals on the half hour and my theories were confirmed. How was I to know Simon Church would cap off a fine Charlton passing move later in the afternoon to seal our spot in the last sixteen?

As games go it was no classic, the talking point being a rash challenge or two from Dale Stephens culminating in a mass brawl which also saw Michael Morrison have his name taken for squaring up. The tackle on Adam Hammill was, on further viewing, dangerous and deserved far stronger action from the official. Comments Hammill said himself in a roundabout way on his twitter account; these were accompanied by a photograph of his knee which had swollen up like a barrage balloon.

To the fifth round draw then and I, like every other Charlton fan, was glued to the television having watched Chelsea stroll past a lackluster Stoke to join us in the last sixteen wishing that rather than a needless interview with Frank Lampard, Adrian Chiles would just hurry up and send us to Wembley to put pay to this uncontrollable excitement.

Citeh got Chelsea, Arsenal got Liverpool, I feared our big fish was going to be Cardiff, no disrespect. Even they came and went dragging Wigan with them. Out came Wednesday next and I knew, just knew that the number four ball was to follow.

It's a very winnable game, a very real chance of making the quarter finals and then we're just ninety minutes from Wembley.  When I watched Whyteleafe in the extra preliminary round the lads there had a tin foil cup, I wonder if they still have it? I'd love to hold that aloft in England's home of football wearing a huge rosette. Daft? Perhaps, but didn't Harry Lennon once sing "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"?

Just another week in the life of Charlton Athletic

We are promised excitement, but have been delivered the opposite. Very early stages they may be but how welcome the news of this new adventure is this week considering the latest on pitch (or more precisely off pitch) developments.

Friday morning saw our FA Cup fixture  against Oxford United called off, the first of the weekend's fixtures to fall foul of the persistent wind and rain. A collapsed drainage system at one end of The Valley is said to be at blame, the embarrassment though stems from the game being called off twenty four hours before many non-league fixtures.

A dome tent has now been erected on the pitch but far too late to save the midweek fixture and Wednesday's rearrangement has therefore also been axed. If Saturday's league game against Barnsley also fails to go ahead we'll have been without competitive football for two weeks. At least the postponement guaranteed our name going into the fourth round hat.

Sunday saw the draw, and our reward(?) should we finally get the chance to defeat Oxford will be yet another trip to Huddersfield Town. There have been many stories in both the back and front pages of late regarding match fixing. Has anybody thought to bring draw fixing to the attention of the FA?

Under normal circumstances these events would have deflated even the most upbeat of supporters, but, like Paul Lambert, Addicks up and down the land have this weekend seen the prestigious cup competition as little more than a distraction. The only thing on the lips of the fans at the moment is new owner Roland Duchâtelet and what impact his regime will have on the club.

News of the Standard Liege owner's company, Staprix NV purchasing the club broke over twitter on Thursday evening, and was followed by the clubs official website on Friday stating that Richard Murray was to stay on as a non-executive chairman whilst Slater, Jimenez and Prothero were departing.

We saw this news coming, what we didn't expect was the news that followed shortly afterwards. Astrit Ajdarević a young Swedish attacking midfielder has to come to SE7 on a six month loan deal from, yes you guessed it, Standard Liege. A player and a large tarpaulin, things are moving quickly under our Roland.

Ajdarević, who will wear the number 42 shirt should we eventually take to the pitch again, has FA Youth Cup honours with Liverpool, international recognition with Sweden at all youth levels, and a working knowledge of our manager through their time together at Leicester City. The first of a new foreign influx of players we can't pronounce?

There is black and white proof that Duchâtelet comes into clubs and shakes things up his way, selling the stars for big money and changing managers like he does his socks. We can only hope his cheque book is sitting willingly upon his new oak desk and the inkwell is full. If we don't have on pitch action to indulge in, news of continual contract signing will be more than welcomed.

Chris Powell will be hoping he has the rest of the season to prove his worth, Roland can't help but have noticed how loved the manager is by the supporters. Should he eventually decide that a change is needed, he couldn't begin to compete with Millwall in the farcical stakes. Even Vincent Tan would struggle to match the appointment of ex-Palace boss Ian Holloway at The New Den as a replacement for Steve Lomas.

As we embark upon a new and hopefully fruitful chapter in this football club, it is bracing to know some things will always remain the same. Continued opportunity to laugh at our rivals.

Vanishing Act

Not a great time to be a Charlton fan is it. As if losing to geographical rivals isn't bad enough, to do it with the eyes of the nation upon you, and to surrender without the trace of a fight is, quite frankly, embarrassing.

Tuesday night saw the Addicks travel once again to Huddersfield, and once again The Terriers ran out victorious. Now I shouldn't judge some of our opponents on name and standing alone, but Huddersfield, really? They came up with us, looked certain fodder for the drop but appear to have developed a hold over us of late. They had a star striker, Jordan Rhodes, who seemingly single-handedly won them promotion, yet his high profile and very expensive move to Blackburn should have stopped them dead in their tracks, yet they continue to chalk up points and currently sit in a very healthy ninth spot.

They can attract (and pay for) players of the calibre of James Vaughan, clubs like Huddersfield are in great danger of leaving us behind. We aren't one of the bigger fish like so many would like to believe, but are going to have to show resourcefulness and passion if we are to emulate the finish of the last campaign. At least a wonder strike from debutant loanee Cameron Stewart saved some face, the baby faced winger doubling his career goal tally in stunning fashion.

Good old Millwall, they're still on our level. A home tie against old rivals would show the belief and hunger come flooding back wouldn't it? Except London derbies don't really bring the best out in Charlton, mix that with the Sky cameras also in attendance and every jinx known in SE7 was put in place for a truly unmemorable game of football. True to form Charlton read the script. We lacked any goal threat, we consistently played square passes in very dangerous situations, standing off the opposition and letting them take a firm hold on the match.

Many have tried to show some reason and justification with quotes of both sides being poor, the huge slice of luck with The Lions goal being the deciding factor. In truth though they looked far more hungry on the back of a good victory over Blackpool midweek. Nicky Bailey and Liam Trotter could pass the ball with conviction, a very impressive Martyn Woolford would run amok through our defence and they even had the audacity to bring on former Charlton loanee Lee Martin towards the end who also seemed to reap free reign of the attacking third. Woolford in particular ran at everybody, at one point beating two or three, getting tackled but regaining possession after being quickest to the loose ball. A very impressive showing from a player that clearly wanted three points from the match. Combined, our eleven didn't show as much devotion as Woolford alone, even the usually earnest Jackson appeared to be running on frustration rather than any positive emotions.

As magical illusions go, you'd be hard pressed to see a better vanishing act than Charlton's desire, passion, zest and intensity. Even the young Stewart's late cameo couldn't revive any dignity this time around although he did finally send a ball or two into their keeper's six yard box at the death.

Last night I enjoyed an evening with a difference, a local theatre hosted Morgan & West, two time travelling Victorian magicians. It was a great night of comedy and illusion, perfect for forgetting the agony of defeat. As clever as they were, and I seriously recommend catching them if you can during their Autumn tour, there is one trick I doubt even they could pull off, the near impossible and most daring of all known feats of wizardry, conjuring up a Charlton London derby victory.
 

The Capital One at the John Smith's

Sponsorship, loads of money thrown at events and places (amongst other things) that already exist in an attempt to get your name 'out there' and on the tip of every tongue. It's big business, plenty of smaller fish depend on it. I see it's need but it still bugs me. The League Cup is thought of as a pretty meaningless competition by the big boys, and everyone else once they've been knocked out of it, Capital One can throw thousands at it, I still very much doubt I will ever use one of their services.

Huddersfield's ground is now known as the John Smith's stadium. I can't even begin to think how much money would be needed to make me drink that horrible bath water of a beer. The brand name is owned by Heineken, just as awful. Money well spent all round then. Yet when it was called the Milk Cup, now that's a product I'm very keen on........

Once we'd gotten past the branding we realise this is most certainly not the tie of the round as Huddersfield entertain Charlton in knock out football. Again. How we groaned in South London when the draw was made, and how they groaned in West Yorkshire also. It was going to be tough to get the home supporters interested let alone those travelling from SE7. In the end the number in the visitors section numbered 159 and I tip my hat to each and every one of them. Imagine going that distance on a Tuesday to watch Charlton in a cup match, we've all seen villains in the movies torturing poor unsuspecting souls with pliers, flame throwers and other implements of mutilation. Even Hollywood script writers aren't cruel enough to endure a Charlton cup tie on them.

Tonight it sounded from the commentary and from the tweets of those there (yes Spanish, I mean you) that Charlton for once looked good despite ultimately getting knocked out of the competition. The opinion seems to be that the result was a little harsh and the better side lost.

Chris Powell opted for a different formation, three centre halves and Evina and Wilson as wing backs. Jackson was back in the middle and Sordell started up front with Piggott. Huddersfield put out a strong eleven not to dissimilar to a team they would field for a league match.

Twice Charlton led, first from a Dale Stephens strike, then a goal for the immensely irritating Sordell. All strikers need a goal for confidence and getting off the mark is important when joining a club, but I fear as we continue to watch him he will persist in provoking and inciting us with a lack of effort, interest, and results. Perhaps I'm harsh, I'll quite happily eat my words if proved wrong.

Can we complain if we've scored two goals away from home? I suppose we can a little if we've conceded three. At the moment we are shipping goals at a rate of knots. Leaking boats sink. Teams that concede lots lose, I've no more low quality nautical analogies left after Saturday I'm afraid, but suffice to say our defending remains a worry.

For now though at this late hour I shall sleep content in the knowledge that we can concentrate on more important issues than a two bit cup that nobody has any real interest in. Except for Peterborough and Bristol City possibly.

I'm not jealous.

Really I'm not.

One day............

Safety?

Championship survival this season for Charlton is heavily dependent on results away from The Valley. Fortunately this week we've had two welcomed away days and the chance to put some more, much needed, points on the board.

Peterborough and Huddersfield have entertained the Addicks over the past six days, two sides that were heavily fancied to struggle at the beginning of the season. Sure enough, both are finding life tough although they do have a habit of getting a result when least expected. If we were to fail on both these occasions we too could be hovering in the vicinity of the divisions trap door. So tight is this league that two wins and a draw separate a relegation place from the top half of the table.

The game at Peterborough on Tuesday evening started as I feared with Charlton falling behind but the Addicks battled well scoring twice before the Posh pulled level for an entertaining game to finish 2-2. Forty four on the board, already good enough to survive on four of the previous eight seasons.

Yesterday we went to Huddersfield who with ten men had snatched a point off us back in November at The Valley, then had the audacity to dump us out of the FA Cup at the third round stage. Some revenge was needed.

On a pitch that Charlton should be used to, it looked as rough as our own, (although our game is of course much better played on a decent playing surface) the visitors took a rather out of character early lead. Callum Harriott had earned himself a second successive start after a good showing at London Road midweek, at three minutes past three on Saturday he had repaid Chris Powell's faith in him tenfold. Chris Solly rolled the ball his way and the nineteen year old struck the ball sweetly finding a gap between the post and the keeper with inch perfect precision.

It's certainly a rarity for Charlton to score the first goal of the afternoon in their division. I'd be interested, if any of you can help, to know the odds they normally offer for such an occurrence.

Huddersfield went on to have more shots, more corners and more of the possession as you'd expect for a home side but Charlton dug deep and as Chris Powell said afterwards, "the defenders and the goalkeeper showed a strong desire to keep the ball out of the net!" Another gritty performance on the road and another three points, that's forty seven. Only three sides in the last eight seasons have got relegated with that number of points, we still have nine games left which equates to a possible twenty seven points. I think we've at least two wins left in us, that's enough to ensure safety. Perhaps now we can relax as supporters and enjoy the run in without worrying what's happening below us.

That said, Millwall and Bolton now come to SE7 for two home fixtures, we could enter April still on forty seven points. I'm renewing my season ticket this week, next season's has surely got to prove to be more value for money than this one hasn't it?

Whilst we're on the subject of safety, I've had a rather busy week. On Monday I sold my 1400cc Suzuki motorbike which was capable of 150mph, and then on Tuesday bought a scooter more suited to speeds of around 50mph. Not only is it slower, it's also bright yellow and therefore hard for even the most blinkered of car drivers to miss.

Safer and slower, am I getting old? No, I don't think so, just cooler! And it goes without saying, every scooter needs a personal touch...........

It's A Knockout

Stuart Hall used to laugh a lot. In fact if I remember correctly he used to laugh all the time. The action was certainly entertaining, never a dull moment and the winners would come back for another crack whilst the losers were forgotten forever. It's a knockout really was great family entertainment, unlike Charlton Athletic at The Valley today. The only similarity between the two is that the FA Cup is a knockout competition and that's exactly what happened to us. Even Stuart Hall would have found little to laugh at.

We fell at the first hurdle of the League Cup against Leyton Orient back in August and now we've fallen at the first attempt in the world's most famous knockout competition. It's fair to say we really aren't known as a cup side.

Speculation before the game centered around who would be not just rested but avoiding being possibly cup-tied too. Chris Solly was the high profile name absent from Chris Powell's squad, read into that what you will but Pritchard and Stephens, both of whom linked with Premier League moves this January ruined any chance of a cup final appearance today.

A disappointing crowd of just over six and a half thousand coupled with a below average (or rather below acceptable) performance saw Huddersfield walk out 1-0 winners, the gaffer was quite rightly annoyed and apologetic after the final whistle. He never dreamed of recreating the glory of 1947, although a little run in the competition would give a welcomed distraction for the squad. That quarter final appearance at Bolton Wanderers back in 2000 seems an eon ago now, a game you'll remember that Powell played in.

A defeat was of course no surprise to the majority of us Addicks, I had even predicted such an outcome earlier in the week when I was invited to be Buddy Bet's guest predictor.

Buddy Bet were gracious enough to sponsor the most recent Socrates bloggers meet up in London late last year where I met the very likable James King. James asked me to predict the outcome of eleven tasty looking third round ties for their 'Kicked Upstairs' blog. I correctly called Brighton's victory over Newcastle and West Ham's draw with Manchester United, beginner's luck you may say. Let's see who's still laughing when Mansfield beat Liverpool tomorrow and confirm my impeccable knowledge in such matters!

So it's back to the league for Charlton, a Wembley visit still ultimately possible as it's not too late to count out a play-off charge, especially if we can recreate the desire we showed at Watford when Blackpool visit The Valley next Saturday. This match is marked as the closest fixture to my birthday and a few ale's will be supped, hopefully in a double celebration.

I don't think I'll bother watching the fourth round draw tomorrow.

The Weekender

Every now and again during the course of a season, a weekend will appear on your calendar that involves two or even three events rolling into each other. This weekend was one of those.
The visit of Huddersfield Town to The Valley was still a long way off on Friday afternoon when my weekend got under way, i had a lot of drinking to do first.

It started in Islington with fellow blogger and all round good guy, Hungry Ted. Now this is a man who knows his beer and just as importantly where to drink it. The Craft Beer Company has a wonderful selection of fine ales under it's roof, whilst providing a majestic environment to drink them in. Clean, classy and spacious, we found a corner with armchairs that invited you to settle in and get comfortable. My favourite tipple here was a beer called 'Happy Chappy', it seemed fitting for my mood as a weekend 'bender' was about to begin.

White Lion Street N1

From White Lion Street we then ventured to just the other side of the Angel tube station to Danbury Street where we found The Earl of Essex, another gem of a boozer situated in a lovely residential area, fortunately well out of my price range. How the residents manage to conduct a life outside the pub remains a mystery to me. More locally brewed masterpieces here, the names of which elude me ( i admit that in a rather embarrassing fashion), and i knew i'd had an unbelievably long overdue good old fashioned Friday afternoon booze. Now many people (my age at least) would have quite happily called it a day there and gone home to sleep it off in front of a film on the sofa, but not me. No sir, i had other plans. I was headed to Camden for an evening i'd been looking forward to for literally months. Myself and yet another fellow blogger, Marco were going to watch The Wedding Present at Koko, a venue next door to Mornington Crescent tube.

Now i thought i had some front, Marco's sister Becky had plenty more. After a quick chat and photo opportunity with David Gedge, the Weddoes frontman, we hunted for a good view for the show. After climbing some stairs Becky pointed to a shut door with the words 'directors box' on it and beckoned us to follow. High up in a box, with it's own private bar, we settled in to watch the support act, an all Japanese girl band Toquiwa. I'd seen them before a couple of years ago in Brighton at another Wedding Present show although they billed themselves under a different name then, so i had a good idea of what to expect. Infamous for their cover of Kennedy, a Gedge classic, they didn't disappoint jumping off the speakers and giving it their all. Good fun and obviously a favourite of David's as he's now released their album on his label.
And then the hours, days, weeks, and months of waiting were over, The Wedding Present took to the stage to perform their iconic Seamonsters album.

The boy Gedge doing what he does best

The album made up the middle of the set opening an opportunity for the band to 'knock out' a selection of other classics both before and after. It's hard to pick out highlights when the set is of such quality but everyone i spoke to enjoyed the rare rendition of My Favourite Dress.
A surprise for the three of us was the unexpected arrival of two fellow addicks, Flynny and Louis, both regulars from the Rose of Denmark. It would appear they had stumbled in on accident but were both suitably impressed with what they saw and heard.

As the songs came and went i looked over the edge at the dance floor below. The first six or seven rows were full of forty somethings moving around in what i believe you would call these days a 'mosh pit'. Try as i might i couldn't resist it's lure and raced down to become a part of the sweating mass. It was while i was down there swaying with the crowd wherever it chose to go that i could have sworn i heard David Gedge say he'd be back to perform another album, The Hit Parade, sometime in the future. I'm already counting the months down.

The venue turned into a club after the set, we knew beforehand we were a little old for that. Instead we met friends at the Cittie of Yorke pub in Holborn where we kept going till last orders before venturing back to Woolwich to rest the eyes a little, well there was a football match to attend just a smidgen over twelve hours away.

A nice early start in the Rose and we soon turned our attentions to the match. With three wins on the trot, many Charlton supporters were full of expectation leading up to this visit of Huddersfield, so much so that we hit the 20,000 mark for bums on seats for only the third time this season.

Emmanuel Frimpong came straight into the starting eleven, Stephens was back in the middle but there were noticeable absentees in Dan Seaborne and the in form Danny Haynes. Fuller started up front with Hulse, Kerkar filled in at left back whilst the biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for Yann Kermorgant returning to the match day squad after his injury enforced lay off.

The Terriers have started this season in surprising fashion having lost their talisman striker to Blackburn in the summer, many would have tipped them as relegation fodder before a ball had been kicked. Talking to a slightly tipsy away fan in the Kings Head at London Bridge after the game i was informed that they may well have used their season's luck up already, he assured me they had been second best to most they had played so far but had grasped good fortune with both hands once it came their way.

I thought Huddersfield matched us quite well, even when they went down to ten men. Does every club struggle to play against ten men in the same way we do? I really can't recall an occasion where we made numerical advantage count and truly dominate a side wearing them down.

The conditions were awful (although i fail to believe this could have had a bearing on why blue and white stripes clash with red), the rain lashed down although not quite to the standards of the Hull match earlier in the season. This could have had a bearing on the game as the first half struggled to get going, the straight red (which i've yet to see again) being the main talking point. The second period was much more eventful.
Charlton took the lead with a wonderful goal, a nice run and cross from Bradley Pritchard and a sweet clean finish from Rob Hulse raised the spirits of the very damp home fans. Now to capitalise and kill the game off.......

A very hard working and influential Frimpong went off seven minutes later, not through a bad challenge but just a tweak due to a lack of real match fitness. This highlighted a real problem with the loan market, a chance for other teams to use us to get their players match it, a similar thing happened of course to the Arsenal midfielder with Wolves last season.

Chris Powell must have felt we'd done enough, big Yann came on for a cameo, the gaffer obviously keen to please the crowd and make the popular substitution. He replaced Fuller who again showed moments of class yet frustratingly mixed this with an occasional sloppiness.  Four minutes later things were a lot different, the buoyant atmosphere silenced. Chris Solly allegedly challenged unlawfully and the away team had a last minute penalty.

Of course they scored, we really had thrown this away. Hulse twice had chances to snatch it in stoppage time, the first a mix up and lack of communication with a team mate, the second foiled by some magnificent goalkeeping.

We left feeling like we'd lost. It was a case of two points being thrown away, something that always leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. There was nothing else for it but a couple of sobering pints on the way home!
My wife had been shopping with her sister in Camden so we caught the same train out of town stopping for a curry just to round off what had been a very heavy couple of days. A true weekender.

On Tuesday Peterborough arrive in SE7, i'll be a lot more upset if we throw points away against them.

Is Jamie Stuart dench?

As i celebrated my twenty first birthday in a manner which i've now long since forgotten, although i assume in a South London public house, a baby boy was born many miles away in Kumasi, Ghana. This lad would go on to live the dream we all had as children, to play professional football.

By my twenty first birthday i'd long since ruined any chance i had of fulfilling this dream with the help of a concoction of alcohol, nicotine and motorbikes. The complete lack of talent and five years of being forced to play rugby at grammar school also partly contributed, hindering any ambitions of an appearance on The Big Match.

Emmanuel Frimpong is the latest in a long line of young footballers to pull on a red Charlton shirt and 'live my dream'. The young midfielder was snapped up in the week on loan until the end of the calendar year from Arsenal. Graduating alongside a certain Jack Wilshere, Frimpong has represented England at youth levels, already made his bow in the Premier League for Arsene Wenger and suffered injury heartache whilst on loan at Wolves.

A young player with a big personality, Emmanuel Frimpong is likely to make some loud noises in the dressing room too, i'm certain a little 'gangsta rap' will go down a storm with the more youthful elements of our squad.

All young footballers are now taught to manage their finances responsibly, Frimpong seems to have an astute business brain already at his tender age. Alongside his rapper cousin Lethal Bizzle (one presumes a stage name), the midfielder has started the clothing brand 'Dench', the word originating from a modern teenage variant of slang. Cool became sick which became dench and one day might just become groovy again, let's hope not but you get the gist.

A pacy midfielder likened to former Arsenal prodigy Alex Song, it's certain that with continued hard work and dedication this young lad has a bright future in the game. Learning from your mistakes is important, learning from the mistakes of others is key.

I missed Charlton's trip to Burnley last Saturday completely. Another victory on the road after success at Ashton Gate, not to mention the third win in a row makes for a much more palatable league table. With two home games now in the space of  four days, starting with the visit of Huddersfield on Saturday, we have the perfect opportunity to continue this winning streak and put a really good run together. Danny Hollands has gone to Swindon on loan and we've hardly batted an eyelid, that's how different the club is in just a month.

Whilst the hardy few made the trip to Turf Moor, i made a far shorter journey to Gander Green Lane, home of the chocolate and amber Sutton United. Regular readers will know of my soft spot for the U's, having lived on their door step for the best bit of twenty years. This was a long overdue visit, my first of the season and the first since a Conference South play off defeat at the hands of Welling United last May.

Little has really changed down the Lane since then other than the form. In their first season back at this level the play offs were a staggering achievement, far more than they could have hoped for, yet this second season is proving a much sterner test. Second season syndrome hits at every level it would seem.

An always very welcoming club house meant the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones whilst enjoying a pint or two of Tribute, a beer they always excel in keeping, putting many a good old fashioned boozer to shame in the process. I was keen to throw into conversation whilst enjoying this liquid refreshment the small matter of summer signing and club captain Jamie Stuart.

"You've been Frimponged."

 

 

Stuart was of course a Charlton marvel who came through the youth ranks and made his first team debut, ironically enough, against Huddersfield Town. Rather than follow the path of many youngsters towing the line and aspiring to be the best, Stuart followed my lead and blew it. Not in quite the same way, he didn't go the whole Hells Angel route, just the cocaine and cannabis although his temperament would certainly have fitted in with the biker fraternity i knew.

Infamously sacked by Charlton he still had enough ability to grind out a professional career playing lower league football but the question always remains, how well could he have done?

Sutton fans on the whole are a little underwhelmed by his arrival from the not so popular (down the Lane at least) AFC Wimbledon. The clubs internet fans forum, like every other clubs, is full of scathing remarks and constant moaning, and it would appear that plenty of this is aimed at their aging centre half.

Watching him for myself against visitors Bath City, his ability to read the game was obvious, his ability to carry out his duty on the other hand, a little harder. Kings of the backpass, Sutton constantly played the ball around their back four during the first half with it frequently returning to Kevin Scriven in goal, much to the irritation of the five hundred odd crowd. I noticed when defending a corner Stuart used his chest (he's filled out an awful lot since leaving Charlton) to barge a player out the way. Their foreheads met like two rhino's about to lock horns before the Sutton captain moved away and found the player he was supposed to be marking. Intimidation is obviously the name of the game, he hasn't changed that much.

The second half provided slightly more determination from the home side who had gone into the break a goal down. If the finishing had been just a tad (or in hindsight a lot) better they could have justified a point from the fixture, but alas it was too little far too late and Bath pounced again at the death to make victory certain.

Despite the result it's always a pleasant experience taking in some non league football, it harks back to the 'good old days' in so many respects. Bath City looked like Newcastle United in their black and white striped shirts, complemented with black shorts and stockings (that's what we used to call them).
At no point did the referee or linesmen think their very traditional all black attire would clash and therefore make the visitors wear an away kit.
And in case you're interested, Paul Doswell, the Sutton manager's job is secure and still will be even if they fail to get through to the third round of the Surrey Senior Cup next week, unlike the circus that is Chelsea and their need to keep buying success.
There is proper football, played in the mud and then there is soap opera television football played in London SW6.

So is Jamie Stuart dench? He certainly threw away a great opportunity to fulfill his potential, although in his twilight years as a player he still lives a dream i never even came close to. That's kinda cool innit?

comeback comeback all is forgiven

Johnny Summers

Of late there's been a sense of disillusionment brewing with the modern game. The back pages have been filled with stories of diving, racism, and overpaid attitudes as opposed to the actual game of football being played. I agree that standards have to be set, and subsequently reached, but i don't really want to concern myself too much with an analysis of a referee's performance and his drawn out trial and eventual execution. I also have no interest in who shakes who's hand before a game. I, like many others, do seem to have fallen out of love with our national sport, Rich at The Football Attic touched on the subject eloquently this week and almost had me in tears!

Football though is a beautiful game and claws you back like a heartbroken lover when it thinks you may just close the door for good. The League Cup (or COC (snigger) for short) is not necessarily the most attractive of  proposals, yet in a time of Premier League Super Sundays is probably the closet we get to seeing football how it used to be, perhaps due to the resting of the so called superstars and the chance for young lads who want to play?

Last night Arsenal beat Reading 7-5 at the Madejski Stadium, coming back from four nothing down. This is a scoreline that many of us had never witnessed and possibly the greatest comeback of all time? It certainly grabbed our attention and reminded us why we can never fully walk away from football. It was as i tweeted last night, reminiscent of 'make up sex', hence the loan of Kirk Brandon's lyrics for the title.

I say possibly the greatest comeback because there was one game in history that potentially outshines it. It occurred on the 21st December 1957 when Huddersfield Town came to The Valley.

Back in the glorious days of medicine balls and flannelette jerseys football was a much different game. It was far more attack minded with wingers, inside forwards and the traditional centre forward. Playing five up front  does give a team far more opportunity to score, and of course on the flip side concede. Football's a lot more cagey now with so many more potential high profile windfalls available to the winners and let's not forget the almost carefree abandonment with which chairmen will change managers. In the fifties you could afford to lose a few games in a row and still have the clubs full backing.

As is the way with Charlton supporters, as soon as the goals went flying in at Reading, the twitter timeline was full of boastful pride as Addicks reminded their followers that they weren't watching the greatest of all comebacks. The greatest was a lifetime before, a time when 99% of these tweeters weren't even born.

Charlton entertained Huddersfield in this league fixture and with only a quarter of an hour played they were reduced to ten men, Derek Ufton having been rushed off to hospital after dislocating his shoulder. The notion of substitutes was still a long way off, Keith Peacock was only twelve years old at this point.

Huddersfield had the run of the play and were strolling 5-1 with just half an hour to go. Jimmy Seed the Charlton boss played a masterstroke by pulling Johnny Summers off the left wing where he was getting no joy and moving him into the centre. Summers in true comic book style had changed his boots at half time, this new pair were certainly his shooting boots as he would go on to score five goals all in all. A feat made even more remarkable as this natural left footer got them all with his right peg! John 'Buck' Ryan also netted a brace as the Londoners ran out 7-6 winners, the Terriers still hold a record as the only club to score six and still lose a football league match.

So which is the greatest comeback? Not being alive in 1957, it's very hard to give a true evaluation. Certainly in times past goals were far more frequent. If you look at club records for the majority of sides their biggest win, their heaviest defeat and their highest aggregate scoring match were all long ago in the distant past which would hint towards last night's game being the greater achievement. Arsenal did it with eleven men on the field though so perhaps Charlton's was the greatest.

The only thing i can decide for certain is that their are four goalkeepers that have had a game to forget!

7up

Seven games to go. As much as I've enjoyed this season, i can't wait for it to end now. Everything had been better than we could have dreamed of............... and then we entered March.
All sides have little off spells guaranteed, but why do Charlton always wait until the home straight?Chris Powell knows this all too well from his playing days.

On BBC's (regional) Late Kick Off programme Monday night he showed little sign of worry though. His appearance wasn't just to make new converts to his large fan club, but also to tell all of the south east how this month has been just a minor blip, and how his team have the strength to finish the job.
Mark Bright alongside him was quick to mention how the fifteen point gap has been reduced to eight. I wonder sometimes why Brighty who is so obviously Palace through and through ever signed for Charlton.

It was a refreshing change to watch this very Palace biased programme hardly mention the boys from SE25 at all. I'm sure somebody at Auntie Beeb will have had words and things will return to normal next week.

Since my last post we've seen a great victory against form side Yeovil at The Valley, followed by Saturday's defeat at the hands of promotion rivals Huddersfield. Oh, and a Kent Senior cup defeat to Dartford.
That of course was a Charlton eleven and was therefore an excellent exercise whilst we wait for a much needed reserve league. I'm told Alonso played but I'm not taking it for gospel until i see photos!

Yeovil saw the Charlton debut for Millwall loanee Dany N'Guessan. Seven minutes in, he kept up a tradition of debut goals by scoring from out wide when his cross found the back of the net.
The boss had deemed it time to change things around in an attempt to get back to winning ways.
Matt Taylor who had had a couple of shaky moments of late dropped to the bench allowing Leon Cort to start alongside Michael Morrison. I'd be quite happy to see these two continue for the rest of the run in, Cort has always impressed when I've seen him.

Wright-Phillips and Russell put the game to bed but it was Yann Kermorgant who shone. His involvement in Russell's last minute third was both controlled and stunning. This was a combined effort and a goal of the season contender.

A knock earlier in that game meant the big French striker would miss the trip to the Galpharm in West Yorkshire. Step up Paul Hayes. Recalled from Wycombe Wanderers, the striker had been on a rich vein of form for the Chairboys scoring, i believe, six in six and walked straight into the starting eleven on Saturday.

Not even the most poetic of writers could dress this up as a good clean contest. Tackles flew in, two of which by Antony Kay niggled Powell so much he felt the need to mention it again on Monday night.
Jordan Rhodes added to his impressive goals tally with a penalty on the quarter of an hour. This was conceded by Darel Russell who had, it's fair to say, a far worse game that the Tuesday before. He was sent off for a retaliation after Kay's second appalling tackle (the first on Scott Wagstaff) on the hour. Agreed, a retaliation is a big no no, but this was on a repeat offender who shouldn't have been on the pitch anyway.

That is all water under the bridge. There are twenty one points available and it's not just ourselves who find it hard to cross the finishing line. Leyton Orient come to SE7 Saturday and we'll be keen on revenge after our visit to Brisbane Road on new years eve. We played that one for nearly the whole ninety minutes with ten men when Ben Hamer was sent off for handling outside his area. Never will revenge taste so sweet especially after Sheffield United's hammering of Jonstones Paint Trophy winners Chesterfield tonight, we need three points more than ever.

If we needed an excuse, or even a dedication, for a win then lets do it Saturday for club director Richard Murray. Recovering today from a minor stroke, the former chairman is Charlton through and through. He has done more for our club than I can put into words and we owe it to him to make his full recovery as stress free as possible. It's still ours for the taking.

Come on you reds!

Charlton who?

The national papers don't like us. The BBC don't like us, ITV even less. And as for Sky..................
Dare i say it, but i almost feel a Millwall chant coming on.

We had been playing second fiddle to Huddersfield Town wherever you looked in the build up to League One's 'clash of the titans', not to mention the obvious omission of a certain Chris Powell as the press have run with this racism story of late. Apparently the game is still rife with that narrow minded hatred, hence the reason why black men never succeed as managers. Apart from in SE7 of course!

Personally i like hiding in obscurity, and in fact feel a little nervous when the worlds eyes are upon us. A selfish thought perhaps, I'm sure the gaffer, the squad, and the board welcome their moments under the spotlights. I didn't support Charlton to see them on football focus every week, to be able to read about the players private lives in the Sunday tabloids, or to buy the latest 5th choice kit somewhere in Asia.
I support Charlton because they're our team. They belong, albeit not on any official documents, to me, my friends, and of course you. We have that intimacy, that involvement and an unconditional love.

As i said before, i have a selfish thought or two, I'm like that, and i don't always want to share my Charlton with every Tom Dick and Harry. That's why, when the eyes of the world are on us, I'm quite happy to let Huddersfield, Halifax, or whoever it happens to be that week play the leading role. We'll all still be there long after the cameras have gone.

So, last night the eyes of the world did descend upon The Valley. Well all except mine. Good old Sky wanted my ticket for this match and as it panned out, no one had it. A Saturday fixture would have had me making my jolly way to my favourite London venue, but a Monday night reschedule meant work. Not even a glimpse of the stupid TV, perpetrator of this evil. I still haven't seen the goals.
No, for me it was good old BBC London radio in the cab of my Tesco dot com van. I could listen whilst driving then deliver to someones door just as we were putting the ball in the net!
As things went, I'd have settled for that.

I caught the beginning, and what in all fairness was probably the most important part of the whole broadcast, a minutes applause for the late Gary Speed. A win and seven points clear at the top of the table are great but pale into very little in comparison.

I heard the opening ten minutes and the Terriers early pressure then, as i was driving down the narrowest of roads in deepest darkest Dorking, BANG!
The back of the van clipped a parked car. Marvelous. In six years of evening deliveries for the supermarket I'd never hit anything and i was, i admit, quite proud of this.
The football commentary was still on but i wasn't hearing a word of it. For only the briefest of moments i thought about just driving on, but common decency prevailed and i pulled over. Good job too as the resident was already out of his house and looking at his damaged wing mirror as i approached him. Very little damage considering the noise of the impact but a knock is, at the end of the day, a knock and procedures have to be followed. And what procedures they are.
It was a good half hour before I'd finished filling out the paperwork in the van log book, logged the accident on Tesco's own incident line, apologized to the owner of the car and climbed (in by now, very damp clothes) back into the cab.
I will admit to being very tempted to asking whether we could go into his house to dot the i's and cross the t's and possibly drop into conversation whether he had Sky sports or not!

When the radio came back on it was half time, Charlton were two goals to the good courtesy of Yann Kermorgant and Hogan Ephraim, and i was very late for the rest of my round.
Even though i didn't have the distraction of the second half as i drifted further into the outback and lost all radio signal, i failed to make up time and returned to the store, and in turn, home at a stupidly late hour.

A bad night for me, a fantastic night for seventeen thousand Addicks at the game. What do i know of the actual match itself?  The two loanees, Ephraim and Darel Russell, came in for Andy Hughes and the injured Johnnie Jackson. I know Charlton got better as the game progressed and with each goal put a firmer stamp on the match. Not much else really. This certainly isn't the place to read a match report!

To sum up then, the media don't recognize us, i quite like that. I crashed the van and Charlton won a top of the table clash with a great performance that, if it hadn't been for Sky, I'd have witnessed first hand.
Gripping stuff eh readers?