The new home kit..

...with Andrews Air Conditioning emblazoned across the front reminds me of, well, to be fair it does look like a uniform that might be worn by a fitter employed by a multi national Air Conditioning company doesn't it? (Perhaps this is a money saving idea embraced by the boards of both the club and Andrews in these Austere times?)

This coupled with Charlton Casual's reminder that Nike's human rights record is far from exemplary leaves me deciding that I'm not as fan.

We've had some great kit's and some great kit suppliers over the years. Our recent predisposition to use European manufacturers such as Le Coq, Macron and the one that begun with J seems to have been superseded by the need to do a deal with the corporate American giants.

Going back probably the kit supplier and one that closest to my heart would be the old Oska kit. Outside of South East London I'm pretty sure no one had heard of it. (In fact at the Eltham school I went to, which was populated by fans of local sides such as West Ham, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool, none of my peers had heard of it either - but then there was something about being one of what seemed like only around three and a half thousand, in the world, Charlton supporters that appealed to me).

It ended up having our new shirt sponser's name 'The Woolwich' in a white band across the front. Well classy! The other would be its preddecessor by Adidas. The Fads one, that the boys wore on my debut in the West Stand against Gillingham.

I have both safley stored in my loft with my collection of old programmes and magazines.

It's amazing what one starts to blog about once the close season boredom really starts to kick in.

So long and many thanks Mr Varney

So Peter Varney has stood down a season earlier than he'd intended to to make way for the slightly enigmatic (looking at his LinkedIn which gives nothing away) Martin Prothero.

http://blog.umbro.com/post/the-new-england-kit-martin-prothero-a-kit-to-turn-heads/

Not sure if you copy and paste the above it will work . Its a link to the Umbro blog, where he used to work apparently. To be honest it does make him sound what I would term as a bit 'media poncey'.

So we have the ex Umbro vice president watching over a new era for the club which has a shirt deal with Nike and are sponsored by Andrews Air Conditioning, a multi national corporate born and based locally with a very ordinary and none corporate sounding name and logo.

Only at Charlton. It's what makes it all such fun.

Just going to throw this one out there. I think, maybe, Sir Chris's success last season took the new board by surprise, and their anticipation was it would probably take more like two seasons to escape the third tier. (hence Varneys original plan to stay for two seasons after the take over).

Now the boards 'business plan' has moved forward at an accelerated pace. I fully expect there will be some surprising twists and turns just around the corner. I know those of us that get over excited by new signings were spoilt last pre season, this time round I wouldn't be surprised to see only one or two incoming, but of better pedigree than most of the early rumours have indicated.

But then I've been wrong before. Quite a lot.

Either way I'll still be taking my seat in the West Stand and cheering on the mighty Addicks.

All becoming a tad exciting...

... The usual summer months of football famine certainly don't apply this time round.

League cup draws and championship fixture lists are imminent, England actually looked (tactically at least) capable, and various online sources are listing Charlton as a Championship side!

I'm blogging today between appointments in a coffee shop on London Wall. (this is a development that has left me oddly excited.)

When you look at the Championship table after nil games played things look even better, with us equal with both Palace and Millwall on (no) goal difference but ahead of them alphabetically.

Interesting developments in the world of British football. Rangers are going going gone, but apparently all of the staff and players should be 'transferred' to the new company whilst the club retains its history and should be re-elected to the SPL. I'm sure supporters of Wimbledon, Newport, Aldershot etc and all of those other small clubs who went tits up and had to start all over again are splitting.

Rangers will be banned from competing in European competition for three years, if Scotland still get two berths in the Champions League this could be of real financial benefit for whoever finishes third in the SPL, and actually enable them to compete a little bit more with Glasgow's big two. I think it might not be to bad an idea for Rangers, who lets face it, gain most of their revenue via gates and sponsorship to start back in the Scottish third tier. I'm sure they will eventually walk their way back up through the leagues to the SPL and along the way guarantee their poor relations throughout the leagues at least one big payday a season.

Equally interesting developments at Nottingham Forest, with an apparent take over imminent. In fact I read that there are more than one potential sets of new owners battling for control. I've not viewed Forest as having much potential of getting back to the top flight for some time. No money, over expectant and unrealistic board and supporters. More of a giant in a coma than a sleeping giant. It could just be that this season we'll see Forest back in the mix pushing for promotion alongside the favourites and usual suspects.

Can't wait for Monday and the chance to start planning my Saturdays and looking forward to who we'll be seeing under the floodlights at The Valley.


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Reasons to be cheerful...1

It' been pretty grim in terms of media coverage since we left the Premiership, and even more so during our three long years in the third tier.

Sky and BBC red button services (or ceefax as I prefer to call it) offer club by club in depth info and news for the first and second flight clubs in English football, but just round ups for those in the lower league divisions.

I've been trawling these sites on a daily basis to see when our status is finally elevated, but alas I'm guessing this won't be until the 2012-2013 fixtures are released (18th June, can't wait).

However, on the football leagues website there is this http://www.football-league.co.uk/latestnews/20120527/201213-divisional-line-up_2293301_2733793 which I think you'll agree shows the green shoots of recovery for us Addicks.


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Job Done!

Well the club and team certainly did not dissapoint yesterday afternoon. A great game preceded by a fantastic display by The Red Devils parachutists and the rather lovely Victoria Stanyon.





It had been my intention to do a bit of a photo log of the day, but to be honest the camera soon went back in its bag as I got on with enjoying the moment.





Much has been said about the 'smurfs' from the North East, and I apologise for re-iterating what great sports they were, really playing their part in making it such a memorable day. In fact Hartlepools United are pretty much the only thing I'll miss about the third division.





It's been such an enjoyable season, difficult to blog about (it's always easier to write about stuff going wrong), King Chris has certainly leapt into another stratosphere when it comes to club legends. What really impressed me yesterday was he did have a plan B changing the shape of the team in second half, which was instrumental in us coming back into the game and ensuring we broke that magic one hundred points total.

Haynes I found particularly impressive. His pace giving us a completely different dimension up front and down the flank. He's obviously finally got his fitness levels up to speed, and with a full pre season I think he will feature heavily in next seasons campaign. I did hear someone, who usually doesn't talk rubbish, that they've heard a rumour Powell will be given 10million quid to invest in a promotion push next term. Not too sure about that one.

Not really a great deal more to say about this season and the day overall yesterday. Magnificent I think will suffice.

Final note, I just took a good look at the new Nike shirt on the club website. Very tasteful, I've not done replica shirts for quite some years, but I think I might part with some folding for this one. I would imagine with his penchant for 'lablled' clothing it will meet with Charlton Casuals approval.

I may post periodically during the Euro's to comment on Roy's Boy's.

Enjoy the summer, and look forward to playing some proper teams next season, and Crystal Palace!


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The exorcism of the ghost of Christmas past...

During the first four months of 2012 Charlton well and truly shut the harpengers of doom up and put the 'traditional' new year capitulation that the afore mentioned negative Normans seem to enjoy banging on about.

One of my more negative Charlton supporting acquaintances has been going on since the Bournemeouth home game (yes for that long) about how King Chris will be found out eventually and we'll be lucky to make the play off's.

I bumped into him back in November, and when asked about what he thought about the rest of the season he replied (more of a grunt really)' going down with the Christmas decorations'.

How wrong can one be?

Up to the end of the first half of the season on 31st December, when the ref scuppered any chance of a decent game against Orient, Charlton had a win rate of 65% and were proudly top of the league.

Now having played two games less, we have a win rate of 60%, but still have two more games to play. Which if we win will take us up to 69% ratio of wins to games played. And we've retained that top spot all year.

A truly monumental season, littered with new records, memorable goals, numerous hero's, wonder goals, the list of positives just goes on and on.

Today we hit the road for one last time this season, t'north to Preston, where I really think buoyed by the fact that a win will see Charlton enrolled into the 'one hundred club' (and let's be honest, even the most optimistic Addicks couldn't have foreseen that) we will meet the game full on and well up for the win. Preston 1 Charlton 3.

I'm so looking forward to next Saturday.


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It's been a long time...

Since i've posted and more importantly since we've had such a fun and enjoyable season.

Work commitments mean I've been both too busy and knackered to post following, for once, Charlton sticking to the 'Walt Disney fairy tale ' script and doing what was needed when it was needed.

Two more games to go, and the target of a ton of points to hit. (what an achievement!)

Without wanting to tempt providence, I think there's more fun to come. This group of players, the board of directors and course King Chrissy Powell (yes his stature has now risen from mere lordly to regal) do not strike me as being the types to think this season and a return to the Championship is 'job done'.

I'll be at The Valley for the Hartlepool game, for what will be the absolute Polaris of last seasons identical curtain call where we all collectively breathed a sigh of relief that the season was over. It's going to be a much more special occasion that I look forward to enjoying with a special person.

Can't wait.


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