False Start

The final pre season match has come and gone, and the new season has started, almost. The thing is, it doesn't really begin until Saturday, the league table is still in alphabetical order, yet we have already endured the bitter taste of defeat.

Once upon a time there was only the one season curtain raiser, the Charity Shield. Back in the day this was a hotly contested and almost meaningful match, just ask Kevin Keegan, but today unfortunately it plays a poor second to the lucrative tour of either the far east or America.

Most clubs will now have a competitive interlude between actual friendlies and league fixtures in this modern football world, with the first round of the League Cup, or COC as it's now known, due to 1, sponsorship and 2, a good name for the referee's used for the competition.

After the impressive 'behind closed doors' friendly victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage last Friday, many would be forgiven for getting a little above themselves with their hopes of what will unfold over the next few weeks. What we all needed was a little reminder that this season is going to be a lot harder than anything this squad has come across before. Thank goodness Charlton delivered.

A blind man wouldn't have known the Cottage was empty last week, the home end still as vocal as normal. He also wouldn't have seen Monday's announcement of the squad numbers.
I hate squad numbers with the player's surnames boldly written above. It should always and forever more be 1 to 11, we know the names of our players and don't rightly care who the opposition are.
When Stuart Balmer wore the number one shirt in defence we took a different view of the system and inadvertently threw an anarchic spanner in the works. Bring it back i say!

There were few surprises, as is usual the unwanted and soon to depart are given the low numbers behind the up and coming youngsters.  Last season Rob Elliot won the honour, this time around Paul Hayes and Leon Clarke know where, or more appropriately don't know where their future lies, wearing 39 and 40 respectively.

Kevin Lisbie and David Mooney returned once more to The Valley with Leyton Orient (disguised as Millwall in their blue and white away strip) for this low key London cup tie.
It's not a competition we've excelled in, even the word average would be an over statement in trying to describe our performances and our record in it, still, we're a club on the up and eager to let rip into some poor unsuspecting team. Just not right now.

Chris Powell didn't field an actual second eleven but it was a side noticeably missing of the 'names'. Kermorgant, who has this pre season increased his popularity and standing at the club to quite an extent was a notable absentee whilst skipper Johnnie Jackson and top scorer Wright-Phillips were both on the bench.

Those that did start can all stake a claim to a place in the normal eleven though. These are all players knocking on the door as opposed to a Charlton XI in it's true meaning.

New signings Lawrie Wilson, Jordan Cook and Salim Kerkar all got a competitive debut and there was also a start for Michael Smith who, i thought, had a great pre season for us.

Is it too early to say we are concentrating on the league? Chris Powell obviously wanted to win this one as his frustration, rather surprisingly, got him sent to the stands (for throwing a water bottle at the ground).
It just wasn't to be our day, the East Londoners wanted this a little more and it was the O's who held the winning lottery ticket at the end.

A goal apiece after ninety (and forty five) minutes, both sides had an effort cleared off the line during extra time. All to no avail, it would be a late journey home for those hardy souls in attendance.
We've had great penalty memories with Sasa Ilic and co, and awful ones with Nicky Bailey, they have certainly made their mark in our history. Last night's penalty shoot out won't be remembered for long in the memories but summed up 'Charlton and the League Cup' as hopes of a cup run once again fizzled out.

Johnnie Jackson is up there with Clive Mendonca in the penalty taking stakes, but even super Clive must have missed one. If the skipper misses you know it's not your night and we are just one in a large handful of Championship teams that have fallen at the first hurdle.
Included in this unfortunate group are Millwall who also went out on penalties to Crawley Town. After losing to the League One new boys in West Sussex a couple of weeks ago, Crawley completed an impressive double at The New Den.
Result of the round however must be Scunthorpe's win at Derby, again on penalties. After ninety minutes this was five all! How did they manage to both keep a clean sheet for the thirty minutes of extra time?

Orient have been rewarded with a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton in the second round. We of course don't need that kind of fixture congestion at this early stage of the season.

The real thing gets underway Saturday at Birmingham. Kermorgant had better be starting that one!

Come on you reds!

Season Opener

We may now be a Championship football club, but we start the 2012/13 season against familiar opposition in both location and recent encounters.

The Football League Cup is now rebranded as the Capital One Cup. Not as catchy as Carling, Coca-Cola or the fantastic Milk Cup, but on par with Worthington and Rumbelows in the roll off the tongue stakes.

The draw for the first round was made this morning and gave Charlton a home tie against League One's Leyton Orient. This game is scheduled for the 14th August, the Tuesday before the league programme gets under way. However, there is a chance it may get moved because of policing requirements due to the Olympics.
This of course is the reason there are no home friendlies and the anticipated game against Fulham at Craven Cottage will be behind closed doors.

Charlton do of course have confirmed matches at Welling, Bromley, Bury Town, Crawley and Gillingham before a competitive ball is kicked with, i suspect, one or two more to be announced.

You cannot of failed to notice that this summer we have been treated to a close season tournament on the TV, which it has to be said, has been both entertaining and of good quality. Euro 2012 may make a good filler for those of us who prefer our football live rather than through a television camera, but even the likes of Spain playing Italy, Germany playing Holland or even England playing anybody aren't as mouthwatering as a London cup tie derby. For the benefit of those of you who use twitter I'll add a hashtag, #rosetintedspecs.

In all seriousness though, a home tie against the Orient is a perfect little outing before the Championship campaign kicks off. The fixture list is revealed on Monday and the first game will be contested on the 18th August.

Chris Powell has been silent in the transfer market as of yet, a complete turn around on this time last year. There is talk of a deal with West Ham which would take the Addicks player of the year, Chris Solly, north of the water. Twitter is, as always, awash with rumours as to who may move to SE7. Free agent Keith Andrews is the most popular name banded about although at the moment I'm guessing his mind is on international matters and the small prospect of a match tonight against the world champions.

Whoever comes and goes, and i know a departure for Solly would bring tears to the eyes of many fans, we have to trust the continued judgement of Chris Powell.
There is no doubt last season he worked wonders and there is no reason to believe he'll do anything but the same this time around.
We cannot forget that even with the success of last year we are still in the middle of the rebuilding process and need to be patient if we want the foundations of this club to be solid again.
The new owners have come in and done a wonderful job of steadying the ship, but unlike many more high profile takeovers we do not have what appear to be endless funds.

Lets just take one step at a time, worry about who's in and out of the door when it happens and enjoy some cup football.

Counting the days.............

Festive travels

Boxing day and new year. Great days in the football calendar whoever you support. For the Addicks it was a couple of away games and the chance to improve on our already impressive record on the road.

Yeovil on Boxing day was always a blip in the fixture computer. The road was the only option for hardened travellers, but how they were rewarded. Twice coming from behind, Charlton stole the points in injury time thanks to the very deserving Danny Green.
I was spending Christmas in Tunbridge Wells with family in a house that has possibly the worst wi-fi I've ever used. For me even the twitter updates were few and far between.
Unavailable for that one, i knew the next fixture was one i would have to see from home on the bench, Leyton Orient new years eve. At least the start of 2012 would see me available for the first two outings of the year!

Before the trip to East London though, we had transfer rumours appearing from every source regarding Paul Benson. It would appear that in January he will be heading west to Swindon Town in a deal that sees Paulo Di Canio's best buddy Leon Clarke coming our way.
I wish Benno the world of luck at Swindon, he's a real 'heart on the sleeve' player who has done Charlton a great service. He is not though a championship striker and I'm guessing Chris Powell is thinking long term with his efforts to unload the former Dagger.
Leon Clarke is now famous for that bust up. He is experienced though and is certainly on form with his recent displays at Chesterfield, who are of course bottom of the league.
It's still a possibility that Bradley Wright-Phillips could be off to pastures new in January and the gaffer needs to bolster that area just in case, but i doubt many scouts will have the greatest review of our number 10 if based solely on recent outings!

Brisbane Road then and Leyton Orient. I've always had a little soft spot for the Orient going back to the days of John Chiedozie and the 'braces' kit. Living in the shadow of another East London side, I've always had the impression of a hard working club both on and off the pitch.

New years eve 2011 wasn't however going to be one Ben Hamer and Charlton Athletic will want to remember.
I thought with the Huddersfield win that the TV camera jinx was over but Sky had other ideas. I should have known better with so many former Charlton faces on display that someone was going to come back and haunt us! At least it wasn't Mooney!
Kevin Lisbie, Matthew Spring, (both of whom i have great respect for) and the very odd looking Dave Mooney (spit) all started against an addicks side that saw the welcomed return of skipper Johnnie Jackson.

I've poured the first of many beers for the night settled down comfortably and I'm ready for a display of quality football. Five minutes later and the night is in disarray.
Ben Hamer has come charging out his area and made contact with the ball on his chest. It was close to his arm, close enough for the ref to give him a straight red, but it seemed to me to be panic goalkeeping very early on. I expect us to start a little more assured than that.
So John Sullivan got 85 minutes more than he expected, and you had to feel for Scott Wagstaff who made way for him. A rare start nipped very much in the bud.
Sullivan didn't have the best of performances. it's got to be hard to come on after five as i would expect you're not mentally quite prepared for it. Even so, there were a couple of occasions where he seemed to flap a little.

Orient, it's fair to say, dominated the first half. In many respects we could think ourselves lucky to only be one goal behind at the break.
Matthew Spring scored it after a deflection from Matt Talyor leaving Sullivan, off his line, no chance.
The very impressive Jimmy Smith could have made it two later had his effort not be ruled off side. Very harsh, yes, but then so was the sending off!

And that was it really. For the last ten minutes Charlton looked like they may have been able to snatch something from the game but it never materialised. The twelve, sorry, eleven men of Leyton Orient were too much for the ten of Charlton. It's our second defeat of the season (both 0-1 away), and a boost for the Sheffield clubs who have us now back in their sights.

Monday however is another day (and another year) and Brentford at The Valley is the opportunity to send a message out to anyone thinking we've taken our foot off the gas.

Happy new year, come on you reds!!!

Day Tripper

We all know how busy Christmas time is. A hectic twenty four days of planning, shopping and drinking before one day of total excess, not to mention a packed festive season of sport.

Like everybody else, my pre Christmas run-in is no different. A church carol service and nativity, three family birthday parties, a church group Christmas meal, whilst not forgetting the busiest time of year for delivering people's groceries. How i managed to book a day off amongst this for a real 'old school' booze cruise to Calais still baffles me, but book it (and enjoy it) i did.

The P&O ferry was a real bargain price, and surprise, costing only a pony (£25) for a return ticket for the car. Heidi's parents booked the trip and took us along with my sister in law. That's five pound a head, you don't need to buy much beer to save that!
As it turned out the beer was actually cheaper on the boat although wine, (and more importantly) port were stupidly cheap in the supermarkets.
I saved more than my fiver in one swoop with the lack of VAT on a bottle of perfume for the wife. At twenty percent nowadays, that's almost a tenner to put towards some liquid refreshment.

We didn't go just for the beer though. Arriving in France mid morning and not leaving until the evening, we did get to make a day of it, explore the town and enjoy the local cuisine.
By local cuisine, read French steak house chain. Buffalo Grill is as American as you can imagine in all but location and language, but man they serve a beautiful steak. They cater for your ears as well by playing both kinds of music inside. Country AND Western. For all i know, The Good 'Ol Boys may well be the house band!

I'd forgotten how much fun a booze cruise could be and didn't realize that, this day and age, it was still a financially worthwhile option. Looking in the fridge at some gorgeous cheeses and meats though, and I'd happily make this a regular festive event on our calendar.
I did suffer the following day with a stomach upset but i believe that bug was there beforehand and the details of which are not for describing here!

So now we are ready for Christmas. I finished work today, Heidi finished the present wrapping, and the coffee table is full of boxes of chocolate. The only thing missing is a boxing day football ticket.
In fairness, even if it wasn't Yeovil away, I'd still struggle to get away from a large family gathering to attend a game. For me it will have to be Brentford on the second followed by the trip to Craven Cottage.

In between this we do of course have that trip to Leyton Orient on New Years Eve. How wonderful would it be to have six more points on the board before the year ends, especially after the 'dissapointment' of two draws on the spin!
Oldham Athletic's visit to The Valley on the 17th coincided with my boss having the day off to attend one of his Christmas functions, resulting in me having to work all day and missing out on the Rose of Denmark and the CAFC twitter crowds Christmas drink. I'm reliably informed it had it's fair share of casualties!

The game itself won't be remembered for much. In short, the ref was once again awful, Darel Russell scored his first goal for the club and Yann Kermorgant cut his head and played with bandages wrapped around it.
The Frenchmans injury reminded me not of Terry Butcher, like most, but of Stuart Balmer. An almost iconic vision of 'Sweaty' wearing (what i have to admit to being one of my favourites), at Fratton Park, the white green and purple away shirt we wore whilst borrowing the colours of Wimbledon Lawn Tennis club. That was of course in the days before you had to change your shirt if you had the smallest drop of blood on it.

It just leaves me then to bid you all a very merry Christmas and to leave you with a question. Below is a Feyenoord sticker i spotted on the homeward leg in the loo of the ferry. Those decent chaps on twitter have translated it to 'bastions of censorship'. Does anybody know the relevance of this? I'm guessing the supporters feel the club have kept something quiet!

Have a very happy and peaceful Christmas! God bless.