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predisposition to use European manufacturers such as Le Coq, Macron and the one that begun with J seems to have been superseded by the need to do a deal with the corporate American giants.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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