Au Revoir

I found this photograph, stored in the memory of my iPhone. It was taken before Christmas at Blackpool, Bloomfield Road. It's not easy taking a picture while trying to keep warm with a steaming cup of coffee. The players quite rightly wore gloves on a day that was really horrible.

The match itself was one of the many low points of last season. The journey was the longest that the Addicks had to make and quite frankly, it was a totally wasted journey when only thinking of the football. If we hadn't been making a weekend of it, staying with friends nearby, I would have been severely teed off.

On the Doctor Kish site, Ketts has said that Andy Gray is off to Barnsley. If this is true, (and I have no reason at all to doubt the 'Man in the Know'), it will bring to an end a most unsatisfactory period for both player and club. It never really worked for him 'down South'. His injuries coupled with his wife's awful illness meant we never really saw the best of Andy Gray. He moved to Charlton with hopes of the Premiership and for the cash that Pards waved under his nose. Now we have to get rid of him as the current financial situation means we can't afford him anymore.

A shame for Andy is that if he'd stayed put, he might now be enjoying a Premiership pre season with Burnley.

Fans favourite Chris Dickson to Gillingham? If the reported fee of £50 000 is to be believed, I'm truly downbeat at the news. He is a lively player who would appear to be good for team spirit. He obviously doesn't play to the 'system' Parky wants but in all honestly, it's hardly been a roaring success has it Phil?

Chris Dickson can't be on massive wages and we don't appear to be getting much of a fee, so why is he leaving? We will be left with Burton and McLeod as our, (ahem), fire power up front.

Not one of us leans forward with anticipation when we hear that Burton or McLeod are coming on. Personally, I think I'm doing my part if I manage to supress a groan. Imagine Dickson coming on with 15 minutes to go. Rightly or wrongly, he lifts the crowd and we believe he can do it. Surely Dickson is worth something to us? I hope Burton and McLeod are fantastic next season and those who see them everyday rather than just on match days obviously rate them but for me, neither have that 'zing' of Dickson.

Moots has been terribly treated by Charlton. He left his home country to play for us and seems to have had the handbrake pulled on his career ever since. A woeful error last season against Scunthorpe, which lead directly to their goal would seem to have been the final straw for Pards and Parky hasn't even given him a single straw, nevermind a final one. The one major error that Moots made compares favourably with the 5 or 6 that Nicky Bailey made last season.

As captain of the French under 21's, surely he has something to offer a tier 3 team? Apparently not as Moots is now on trial at Pompey.

It's au revoir from me too. In a few hours, I'm on the Eurostar to Paris and then another three and a half hour train to the base of Normandy. I'll have my MacBook with me but I'm not too sure of the WiFi in rural France! In all probability, I'll be out of the loop.

On my return, I hope that there might be some good news, however small, coming from the Valley.