It was nineteen years ago today...

I looked at my watch this morning and realised it was 19 years ago to the day that some of us marched through Woolwich down to the Valley and enjoyed Charlton winning their first match back at the Valley following the seven year exile. It seems amazing that this time next year will be the twentieth anniversary of that momentous day! Even more amazing the fact that a lot of the younger drinkers you see in many of the pubs around the ground on match day may not even have been born until after our return and really don't have the benefit of experiencing and understanding  how difficult the eighties were for the club and it's supporters.

When you look at the last five seasons, and our current position it really goes to show that when your not a fan of one of the big four or five teams in English football it can be so much more of a roller coaster than say an Arsenal supporter bemoaning the fact they haven't won any silverware for a few years. (Try 64 years and then you'll really have a reason to gripe, not that I am myself - and neither are many of my fellow Addicks, it's just a fact of life that with 92 clubs in the league the chances of winning one of the main domestic competitions are pretty slim to say the least). Me, I'll be more than happy to see us win the third division title or even snatch second spot and automatic promotion. (No more play offs please!!!)

We're (hopefully) bang in the middle of the sort of run that delivers a comfortable promotion, which just goes to show how quickly and dramatically things can change in a short period of time. (Also see the five years immediately following the departure of Curbs for dramatic changes).

The draw for the third round of the fa cup has thrown up a 'tantilising' trip to London rivals Fulham from the premiership. I'll be quite happy to see us beaten narrowly but heroically with Danny Murphy on the wrong end of a decent upending tackle, for his pleasant snob of a wife's car to break down on the way to the ground so she has to get on the tube with a bunch of Charlton supporters and Bradley Pritchard to get a start and put in another cracking performance.