...Insipid Charlton beaten by Boro

I wish i'd kept my mouth shut now.

Defeat is something we have to face up to with dignity when we support a football team. However the nature of the defeat can sometimes make this a tad more difficult to do.

Today, pretty much to a man, we were dreadful. Defensively we were abysmal. Considering this has been one of our strong points since the doors started revolving at The Valley it is a big worry.

I know and appreciate that no one gets relegated after only two games, but there will need to be a big improvement if we are to stay in this division, and stop crowds really plummeting. 14,800 odd supporters today is not the sort of attendance that will help us financially with the new ffp rules.

The goal was gifted by two minutes of shambolic defending, and there was also a back pass that we really should not have got away with. (Thankyou for rubbish ref's).

Our passing and movement was not up to scratch. To many times players ran into the wrong space, didn't run at all or passed to blue shirts or empty spaces. It was a bit like watching the blind football at the Olympics, but without the skill!

I suppose if I were to look for positives it would be Harriot, boy can he run and is tenacious, Gower looked promising for me and Church played with intent.

Kermi looks like he's spent the summer enjoying a bit too much smelly cheese back home and Sorrdell was full of running but very little else.

When Stephens came on it did seem to add a bit of spark, for about ten minutes and then he was back to his usual self. (I still can't understand why we didn't bite Villas hand off).

On the plus side Millwall lost again so are below us on goal difference. Off to Barnsley, where we really will need a performance and a result to kick start our season.

Cheers.

...Charlton to take on the mighty Boro - and win big!

I can't wait for tomorrow. Tony Mowbray brings his Middlesborough side to The Valley, hopefully to eat a nice big slice of 'umble pie. (I won't mince my words, after his comments last season after we got a draw at their place the word mug springs to mind).

Last seasons 1-4 home defeat was my late fathers last game as a Charlton supporter (although he wasn't there in person he was pretty dammed close - QEII Hospital.) So the first game of the season, along with me taking his seat under my name as a season ticket holder will be even bigger for me than the usual first home game of the season.

Apparently Boro are so big that they can actually start rewriting results, so they should have a pretty good season. http://www.mfc.co.uk/page/matches/first-team-table

According to the clubs official website everyone else got it wrong and they actually didn't lose 1-2 at home to Leicester City http://www.mfc.co.uk/page/matches/first-team-fixtures but actually won two nil and are now sitting third after one game.

Now that is the kind of spin that even our very own communications department would be proud of! (If the Boro website realises it's mistake and the correct result shows when you click through to the link I assure you that at 7.20pm on Friday night they believed on their website they won 2-0).

Hopefully if they carry on with this policy then they'll be top of the league and reporting a rousing '5-0' victory on Saturday night.

It's so hard this early to make any kind of prediction, but i'm going to anyway. Because of all of the important things that are linked to tomorrows game for me, I feel supremley optimistic the lads won't let me/us down. It's gonna be goals, goals, goals at The Happy Valley. Charlton 6 Boro 1.

Come ooooooooooooooooooon youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuureeeeeeeeeds!

I'm so excited i could crush a grape...come you reeeeeds...

It's here. Not sure about everyone else, but hasn't it come round quick?  (Especially considering how quiet the close season was).

Interestingly SCP was quoted on the BBC website banging on about how we 'overachieved' last season. Like most of what drivel has come out of the club via the official site it does all really smell (stink) of club based spin driven to keep the (simple and unimportant) supporters quiet (how little the powers that be know us lot!). Honesty being the best policy in my opinion they should just 'fess up' and say thing are tight and we've got to cut our cloth.

On a more positive note I really do feel quietly confident about this season. I've no expectation that we're going to run away with the league, or even sneak through the play off's. But what I do know is that we have a great group of players who have a respect and comrade re with the management team.

We have a group of young players who are coming through and being bigged up (more spin, am I becoming cynical?) by the management. If the example of Callum Harriot is repeated (who I think will be a star this season - think Paul Walsh, who was 17 when he first made a BIG impact) then we have several reasons to be cheerful.

The big question is how will we line up tomorrow. It's going to pan out one of two ways as far as I see it. With the first the most likley.

4-5-1 with Yann up top, Harriot and Green on the flanks and Hollands/Stephens/Pritchard. Jackson and Gower in the centre. Solly and Whiggins at full back and Morrison (#cafc legend in the making) aand Cort in the centre. Hamer of course in between the sticks.

The other alternative is Prtich backed up to the bench and Sordell up front in a four four two (a formation SCP does seem to like).

I'm going to make a bold and silly match prediction for this one. (It is the first game of the season though, so allow me that) 451 to start, finishing on 442, 4-1 to Charlton with Yann getting one and Sordell claiming a hat trick.

As is always the case my predictions are often out there and often wrong, but i am feeling confident and excited and really cannot wait for it all to kick off tomorrow.

COME ON YOU REDS...

Winge, winge, winge...

I was kind of waiting for the late transfer flurry and end of pre-season to post any kind of comment on the close and pre season.

It's been a pretty quite one for sure. Besides lots of recriminations from fellow Addicks over the lack of transfer activity and the antidote of the 'in Sir Chris we trust' brigade.

One thing is for sure is that we are extremely light in the striker department, with only the great Kermogant as our only recognised senior striker.

I think there are two realities we all need to come to terms with. 1. We simply ain't got much money and 2. The fair play rules are coming into force, thus we really do need to cut our cloth accordingly. Problem being that although there is no maximum wage bill the most important rule which can result in sanctions is that if the club owner DOES NOT inject equity into the coffers the maximum loss the club can make is just 3 million, which we all know based on recent accounts is entirely possible. The real irony of the new rules this season is that in the event that the owner DOES inject cash into the club then they can make up to a maximum loss of 8 million! (How is that fair?)

Simon Church got a run out against Ebbsfleet today, I've checked his goalscoring credentials out, and they're far from pretty reading.

I think playing Yann the Man up top on his own is one option, but you do need to have a bit more that and i've always found him most effective with a partner to take the heat off of him(and even then he ends up black and blue).

Many have expressed their relief that we have managed to keep hold of our key players, and there have been one or two nonsense rumours floating about. It's a while until the premier league season starts, and i'm sorry to say i wouldn't be surprised to see one of our crown jewels move on for money between our season starting and the Premier kicking off. I suppose the big question would be how much would go towards balancing the books and how much, if any, would be given to SCP to bolster or improve the squad.

I'll be taking my son to Princes Park on Tuesday night to see a Charlton eleven take on Dartford, and would not be surprised to see one or two free agents get a run out.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

...It all starts here

...So the boys travel to Park View Road today to begin the pre-season friendly programme.

You'd usually like to see any new personnel on board by now so player combinations can be tried and tested before a competitive ball is kicked in anger, but this term this just isn't going to be the case.

Much has been said about lack of signings but as I've said before, we've got we've got both in terms of players and money so we'd better get on with it.

It would seem that from last seasons success we have a good development squad and young players, and it could actually work in our favor for these players to come through hungry and with a real chance of making a name for themselves and challenging for a first team place.

If the case is that we're not going to see any or many new faces incoming then we'll need a strong pre season where the key will be getting match fit and integrating those young players who are making the step up into the first team squad and creating a competitive nature where no player feels they are a shoe in for a first team start.

I'm guessing we'll see most of our first team from last season start along with the couple of trialists we have up front and in defence starting and then making way for some of the young blood in the second half. Piggott and Jordan I think will almost certainly get a run out.

It'll be a good day out in the sunshine and I think some of those more negative among us will be pleasantly surprised by a fresh performance and some maturing youngsters stepping up.

It's now the excitement begins and we can start dreaming of a good campaign.

Oh south London, is wonderful, it's full of t.........and Charlton...

...So the 1st of July is nearly upon us. There's been plenty of conjuncture about have we got any money?, will we sign anyone?, have the current board got any ambition/sense? - We'll find out soon enough!

The bottom line is that those clubs already making signings, you know the European giants such as Juventus (who have a different window to England) and the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd who have made big bids are all in a completely different stratosphere to us and our peers.

We've seen a few out of contract signings happen across the football league (Gower being one) and a few loans (Millwall's excellent re-acquisition of Morrison on loan) but we won't really see any real action until the window officially opens. I'm certain there a quite a few deals about to be rubber stamped, but what no club of our current standing can afford to do is play with an open hand and allow another club to come and gazump them to a signing in what by the very nature of the new fair play rules and the current economic climate could easily happen. The competition to pick up a bargain is fierce at this level more so than ever.

We're either playing a close hand or just don't have the resource to go on a summer spending spree. (To be fair I would imagine with the complex way transfer payments are made, deferred and staggered we are still paying for some of the nineteen odd that were signed to get us out of the third division). If the latter is the case then we'll just have swallow it back and hope that some of the fringe up and coming youth players come good Harriot style.(There is a famous quote of someone saying 'you'll never win anything with youngsters' that was proven wrong.)

I was encouraged to see that Evina has turned up for training, maybe he knows that there may well be a better chance of him getting more starts this season - I for one think he's far to good a prospect and player to be warming the bench. I wouldn't even be surprised to see him maybe develop into more of a midfield player with his attacking qualities.

I'm sure that Sir Chris, whatever our circumstances knows what he's doing, regardless of what our board of directors may or may not be.

The impression the squad of players we've enjoyed for the last two season gives me, is that they are young, have the ability to develop learn and get better. (Something we have bared witness to over the last two campaigns). They are tight knit - hate losing and there seem to be no flash tarts in the team.

The 1st will be the day when we really know how the issue of personnel will pan out. Any of our better players who are going will be announced that day, and i'd imagine any deals that see new faces will also be verified. Bottom line is whatever happens I can't wait till I hear the thud of my new season ticket on my mat.

Final note, and i'm guessing you'll know who you are, things ain't that bad, last season was actually pretty bloody good when you analyse it against the last few terms and Charlton are most certainly NOT in East London!

'It was twenty yeears ago today' well sort of...

In a fit of boredom at work today I decided to see what the silky skilled Carl Leaburn was up to these days. So did a bit of Google research (i'll come back to Leeeeeabuuurn in a bit), and then decided with the lack of CAFC news (lets be fair everybody needs a holiday) and the season now well and truly over (by the way, cheers to Kevin Phillips for ruining my Bank Holiday Monday) I thought i'd have a skim of a dig and see what the class of 92 are up to these days.

Who'd have believed when we triumphantly marched back to the Valley that bright December day what the next twenty years would hold for us Addickted?

Two promotions to English footballs top flight, the greatest ever play off final to take place at Wembely (take note Palace and Watford), three relegation's, third division football, a record point haul and promotion (again), the return of a Charlton legend thrice - the third time Sir Chris dragging the club up by it's lapels back towards the promised land as manager. Kevin Lisbies hat trick against Liverpool. It really has been a wonderful rollercoaster ride since our return to SE7.

Below is the team that lined up against Portsmouth.

 Bolder, Pitcher, Minto, Gritt, Webster, Balmer, Robinson, Power (Grant 89), Leaburn, Nelson, Walsh. Subs. Grant (not used): Pardew

This was back in the days when (some of those younger supporters may find this fact difficult to believe)  you were only allowed two subs. I wonder if we were to regress to the days of having just the one sub how much more a level playing field football would be for the smaller less well resourced clubs?

Bob Bolder

A firm favorite of mine, still can be seen at The Valley on club match days as a member of the community and match day hospitality team, and also still turns out for the Liverpool Football Masters Team, which is quite funny as he actually made zero appearances for the Anfield club between 1982 and 1985.

Darren Pitcher

I wasn't all that happy when Pitch left for Palarse. His career was ended by a bad tackle by Paul Reid at Huddersfield Town, he even tried to sue for damages (a case which he lost). Apparently he is now working in the building trade.

Scotty 'Mincer' Minto

Minto went from Charlton to play for Chelsea, Benfica and West Ham, finishing his career at Rotherham. Where apparently initially (according to Wikapedia) he spent one day a week ferrying passengers to and from a Rotherham hospice as an unpaid volunteer. He can be seen as a pundit/match reporter on Sky TV and also achieved a degree in sports writing from Staffordshire University in 2008

Steve Gritt

An absolute legend and part of the management duo along with Curbishley who oversaw the game. Gritt wasn't playing too much by this point, but wanted to play a part in such a big game. And he ran his socks off.

Gritt, who you would have thought it would have been easy catching up with has gone off the radar a little since he parted company with Bournemouth where he was head scout last September. Prior to that he famously kept Brighton in the football league with a last game of the season win as manager and even spent a very brief period as joint caretaker manager at Millwall.

Simon Webster

Simon Webster's career took a turn for the worst following his departure from Charlton to West Ham he only played 5 games for the Hammers, breaking his leg in a training ground accident (a tasty tackle from Julian Dicks apparently) forcing him to retire from the game in 1995.

He then went back into education and became a fully qualified physiotherapist, climbing the ladder of his new profession first as a junior physio working for Bromley NHS Trust then onto West Ham and Gillingham as Head Physio and now working as Practice Manager for Nuffield Health in Cannon Street and also working as Physio to the Charlton Womens team.

Stuart Balmer

Having left Charlton to go on and play for Wigan, Oldham, Scunthorpe and Bolton Sweaty returned to his native Scotland and up until only a couple of weeks ago had spent some time as assistant manager and under 20 team boss at Ross County. Interestingly at 43 he still retains his players registration.

John Robinson

A firm favourite of myself and many the Valley faithful. Another ex Charlton player who has very recently made a move. Following leaving Charlton he played a season for Cardiff before moving to Gillingham to be nearer his family (and Mother who was in ill health), he 'retired' from football after just four games for the Gills stating 'I haven't fallen out of love with playing football, it's the politics of football and becoming a commodity I don't like.'

After retiring he played a handful of games for Crawley Town and Lewes, both close to his Brighton roots and then set up a property business. In the last couple of weeks he was named new manager of Florida Adrenaline in the United States Premier Development League (the US equivalent of our Conference Premier in their terms).

Lee Power

Not a name that springs to mind in the Charlton Hall of Fame. He was built like a pitbull terrier, squat and wide.

He only played the five games on loan that season for us (his parent club being Norwich City). His career spanned ten years and thirteen clubs, and he went on to become a football agent, football chairman (Cambridge and Rushden and Diamonds), Caretaker manager (Cambridge after they parted with their manager whilst he was on the board). Apparently he now owns racehorses.

Carl Leeeeeaaaburrrn

I've taken this information directly from wikepdia, i'm not sure about the security guard bit, what I do know is that thanks to him there is a photograph taken by my late father of me eating a smelly old 'boiled' pair of addidas gazelles, something I said i'd do if he ever scored a hat-trick. (Cheers Ipswich).

'After retiring, Leaburn completed a study for a BTEC Radio Broadcasting course. He worked for BBC London as a match summariser and interviewer. He now works for Premier Leagueproductions as a match analyst and occasionally as a security guard for the Canary Wharf estate. Leaburn also worked with Redstone.fm, a community radio station for Redhill, Reigate andBanstead.'

Gary Nelson

If not the most talented strikers ever to play the game, certainly one of my all time favorite football people. A great writer, and picture framer - so i'm told. Gary was senior commercial executive at the PFA this was followed by a stint as Managing Director of Oakwood Promotions then as Chairman of Leisure Link Golf Holidays and for the last two years has been group head of marketing at a company called AllClear Insurance Services.

Colin Walsh

We all know what an important part Colin played in our first game back at the Valley. And he can often be seen at the ground working as part of the hosting team and plays for the vets.

Kim Grant

Kim went on to play for an amazing 16 clubs before his retirement, scoring 68 goals in 333 matches. Kim is now residing in his native Ghana and is owner and president of Takoradi Football Club. This is actually really interesting, he founded the club in 2009 in honour of his granfather George Alfred Grant who was an extremely influential political activist in Ghana. Kim was also interestingly a direct decedent of Arthur Wharton who was the worlds first black professional footballer.

Alan Pardew (Unused sub)

Last and by all means least. In the interests of common decency (and the fact that some under 16's might read this) I won't really go into and don't need to tell anyone what HE has been up to since.

Cheers

Enjoy the close season.