Full but for one

It's not right you know, football on a Sunday. Sky might try and convince you it's what makes a Sunday super but I'm not having any of it. Sunday's are about church, roast dinners, and falling asleep through an old black and white film during the afternoon.

It's something I dread about any possible return to football's treasured land. That and a full stadium of fans who choose their allegiance before the season starts as they can't quite afford or are too far down the waiting list for Arsenal's equivalent season ticket. Not to mention that they'd show far more excitement for a Formula 1 Grand Prix when it comes to creating an atmosphere. No, give me Championship (or even League One) football in front of ten to fifteen thousand loyal supporters any day.

A working class game should have a working class kick off time. Three o'clock on a Saturday after the factories and production lines (remember them?) have clocked off for the weekend.

I already had a morning and lunch planned before it was announced that this weekend's game was to be moved to the Sunday due to Wigan's participation in the Europa League, so as the ground filled to near capacity thanks to the clubs "football for a fiver" campaign, one seat was certain to remain empty.

If previous "fiver" games were anything to go by I had clearly picked a good game to avoid. Drab football, a particularly poor performance from the home side, packed trains and ridiculous waiting times at the bar in search of a pint were the known pitfalls. As I got home, just in time to connect to Charlton Player for the live radio commentary, I felt incredibly 'plastic' as the rain auditioned at my window and my full glass of ale caressed and delighted my taste buds. The black and white film had the sound turned down. Maybe this was a super Sunday after all. Don't you believe it, deep down inside I wanted to be in my usual spot in SE7.

Wigan, a town better known for the rugby (a game also watched by those Arsenal families that love the Premier League so much) and for being one of the original homes of Northern Soul, brought a few hundred supporters with them,  enticed by the cheap tickets, who hoped to finally see an away goal. It had been something like seven games since these hardy fans had witnessed such a thing, and Charlton had only scored three (four if you count the abandoned Doncaster match) in front of their home supporters. The club certainly know how to choose a potential thriller to entice these occasional observers to return again.

With storm warnings dominating the news today my feet were very firmly planted on the floor, I was not going to get carried away with unfounded hope, even if we were on the back of an excellent away victory and we had our talisman striker Yann Kermorgant back amongst our starting lineup.

In fact Kermorgant's inclusion was probably the biggest talking point of the day. Scott Carson's return to the Valley in the Wigan goal was contender but he took a knock in the pre match warm up and had to be replaced before kick off. Kermorgant was to only survive for half an hour himself, injury forcing him to withdraw. I don't know if this is a new issue or a recurrence of what has kept him in the treatment room lately but it is certainly another huge blow to everyone except Marvin Sordell.

The Frenchman wasn't the only Addick to retire early. Richard Wood, our most inform player of the moment also had his game cut short with injury, in true Charlton style it doesn't rain - it blows a gale.

The game had plenty of opportunity for both sides, Pritchard coming very close in the first half while McClean put the ball over from six yards out for the visitors. The work rate was there, the quality of the build up was there, the execution of the finish was unfortunately exactly what form had predicted. Thank goodness a missed game is out the way, thank goodness "football for a fiver" is out the way. For the record book, listening to a nil-nil draw on the radio isn't that compelling either. I nearly turned the volume on the film up. That may have had something to do with the commentator though.

This is where I upset two or three of the half dozen readers. Call me chauvinistic, call me Neanderthal, but I don't really like listening to women commentate on football. I appreciate they enjoy the game, good for them, I appreciate they may present football shows on television, but ninety minutes of radio commentary? It grated. She went off on a tangent, quoted stat after stat, gave us insight into who had the ball at their feet, yet never went in depth into either sides tactics, unable to read the game at all. When co-commentator Peter Finch asked her if she believed Wigan were struggling to adjust between  Owen Coyle's style of play and the previous style of Roberto Martinez she was caught in limbo smiling and nodding blankly into the microphone. You may as well have asked her how a carburettor works. If you don't know you don't know, fair play, but you don't make a career of it. Unless you're Andy Townsend.

To constrain my irritation I studied this Manchester United email that has hit the headlines over the weekend. New Order are a Manchester (therefore local) based band, not a Nazi idealism, and study as I might (and I gave this the full first half) I could not have turned that United logo into a swastika without being told to. This is more politically correct claptrap, people so frightened of upsetting anyone that they'll crawl up any backside. Considering I'd been at church this morning, perhaps the red devil on the club's crest is slightly more offensive? I wonder if the Daily Telegraph or Manchester United will latch onto this?

Cherry Red

It felt like the other Kingston tonight, not the one residing upon the Thames. A shatteringly hot day in South London, who'd have thought the Cherry Red stadium was named after a record label and not the colour of our heads after all this sun.

My first ever visit (I think) to the ground which many know by the name of Kingsmeadow and I have to say I enjoyed it. I did once watch Sutton United in a Surrey Senior Cup final at Kingstonian's ground in the late eighties but I think that may have been their old Richmond Road ground. We stood tonight down the length of the pitch in a terrace with a low roof built for noise and atmosphere. This would be a great ground to get drawn at in a cup match.

It was the other team from Kingston, AFC Wimbledon that hosted Charlton this evening though, the Addicks first teams third pre-season friendly and the first since returning home from Spain.

Charlton put out a strong side which featured both our trialists from the off. Richard Wood partnered Leon Cort at the heart of the defence while Yann Kermorgant lined up alongside Adamo Coulibaly, a fellow Frenchman who has spent the last four seasons in Hungary playing for Debreceni VSC. A tall powerful front man with a good turn of pace, the 31 year old is only with Charlton for a week and hopes to impress. He got a good hour in tonight but is a week or two behind the rest of the squad when it comes to fitness.

As is the case with pre-season friendlies, the football was quite low key and the challenges mild. Moments of note were few and far between but Wimbledon had by far and away the best chance of taking the lead when a good ball from just outside their box from a lad with a little Jason Lee pineapple thing going on put through their striker who rounded the keeper and had the easiest of finishes to put it away but somehow hit the foot of the post instead, up there with Ronny Rosenthal. It transpires apparently that Button clipped him and the home side were claiming it worthy of a spot kick. Just looked like a comical miss to us.

Danny Green put the visitors in front with a lovely strike a little later, only for Wimbledon to equalise on the half hour as the Charlton defending went to pieces. A lad on the back post was ignored by all and left alone to calmly nod home when the ball floated over everyone else. Stealth like he was, except to the three hundred travelling fans, we all saw him.

The highlight of the second half except for the officials change of tops (from murky white/grey to yellow) was a sublime piece of skill from Kermorgant. He won the ball on the edge of the box from a Dons defender, turned and tried to chip the keeper. Chip him he did but unfortunately the ball went just over the bar, it was exquisite and deserved a bigger result.

Speaking of shirts, we saw tonight the new N**e home shirt for the first time and I must confess, it looks a lot better on a football pitch than it does on a mannequin (or for that matter an overweight fifty-something on a terrace). It did help that it wasn't violated with either a shirt sponsor or a players surname although that little peek through a retro keyhole won't last for long!

The linesman on our side made a name for himself with his balding head, his rather large waistband and his total lack of understanding as to why a goal kick is awarded. He then proceeded to lose his rag with Bradley Pritchard while the Charlton player was warming up for reasons only he could know. He got quite heated and for a moment looked capable of a Basil Fawlty explosion. Needless to say from this moment on he was heckled non stop.

The final whistle blew and one youngster next to us hurdled the advertising hoardings and ran onto the pitch, not to cause a disturbance but for a laugh and to show off to his mates. This kid didn't really know what to do once there and circled the players before legging it as a steward walked towards him. Good old Kingston police, they must have a quiet life as when we exited the ground one bobby was making it his sole purpose of the week to find this youth and lay the law down. Never have I seen a more peaceful pitch invasion or such an unnecessary manhunt.

A 1-1 draw in summer evening sunshine, a pint or two with friends I haven't seen for far too long, yes football is back. The pre season is as much for the fans to get back into it gently as it is the players. Me, I'm feeling almost match fit already.

Goals, Goals, Goals.

And so it's begun. Charlton Athletic are not only back in training but are kicking footballs on a pitch in front of paying spectators. And doesn't it feel good!

The first team have now had three matches, the traditional opener at Welling United followed by a now nearly traditional trip to Spain where they've faced a Gibraltar XI and Scottish Premier League side St Mirren.

At Welling a healthy crowd saw a five goal show from the visitors with young Joe Pigott bagging a hat trick and causing a minor storm on twitter with the #feedthepig hashtag.

A two-nil victory at Gibraltar's national stadium followed by this morning by a four-nil convincing victory over The Buddies to take our non competitive tally to eleven goals scored, none conceded. Great reading I'm sure you'll agree but I'm still concerned, we've lost Wright-Phillips, Haynes and Fuller yet haven't appeared to do anything about filling that void. Does Chris Powell have a cunning plan to unleash upon returning to our shores?

Haynes has gone to Notts County, young Waggy has gone to Bristol City, everybody seems to be moving in the transfer market except for us. We've signed Mark Gower and brought defender Richard Wood in on trial. I thought we were keen to sign Jonathan Obika permanently, and if that was the case wouldn't that have been one of the quick deals so he could have gone on the gaffers Spanish bonding session?

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see us sign players for the sake of it, and as I discussed last night with a good friend over a pint of London Pride or two, I'd much rather see youngsters given a chance ahead of loan signings that don't share the club's passion, but isn't Yann Kermorgant our only striker of note at the moment? Pigott, Cook, Smith, Azeez, all strikers on the books but not a Championship first teamer amongst them yet, and love big Yann as I do, he's not a twenty goal a season striker is he.

If a neutral looked at our first three scorelines they'd never ponder such a situation, let alone worry where the goals will come from. We've been blessed of late with midfielders and defenders getting themselves on the score sheet, but if we're going to build on last season we need match winners. Despite Haynes' fitness and Fuller's age, they were for all intents and purposes match winners, they had a bit of class about them and a real presence on the football field.

We shall see, Powell knows his job (and his resources) far better than I do, but surely there's got to be an announcement or two soon hasn't there? We're in grave danger of being left behind. While we're at it, another midfield general and a centre half would be nice but I'll settle for just a striker right now. I keep thinking I've just forgotten someone, this tropical summer heat getting to my head but I've checked the first team squad list to quash this paranoia and sure enough we look as light as I feared.

Perhaps a new front man will arrive in SE7 at the same time as the new kit. Many would assume that if you've picked a design straight out of a catalogue the suppliers would have it on your doorstep very sharpish. And then you remember we're Charlton, not really on Nike's 'A' list of clientele so we can quite happily sell replica's to the supporters and keep the coins entering the sportswear giants pockets but they in return can't quite manage to kit the players out? Well done Nike, your nonchalant sentiment never fails to make me smile, keep it up. Perhaps they are waiting to officially release it at the much anticipated 'club day' on the 21st July. I do hope not.

And so to Wednesday evening, and my first visit to Kingstonian's ground for the friendly against AFC Wimbledon. I've only ever been to one of their fixtures before, a friendly away to Sutton United at Gander Green Lane which was coincidentally their first ever match. I'm quite excited, who knows there's even time between now and then that I could witness the arrival of a new player or even a new shirt.

Then again.......