25 Years on.

It's home to Dagenham in around 2 hours time.

We should be looking at 3 points but of course, this is Charlton we are talking about so nothing can ever be assumed.

It's also the 25th anniversary of the 'last game at the Valley'. 
I wasn't there on the day but I feel it is totally right and acceptable the club make a big fuss over something that really could have spelled the end of our club.

My own Charlton journey started during that time in exile at Norwood.

My friends and I used to decide on game we were heading to on a Saturday morning. 

We sometimes went to Wimbledon, (Plough Lane), sometimes Highbury, sometimes QPR and sometimes even Stamford Bridge.

Our default ground was always Selhurst Park when Charlton were at home, purely because we knew it was never a struggle to get in and parking would be fairly easy!

I started to care about the plucky team and when I moved back to this area after some time both abroad and away from the South East, I got sucked in BIG time.

I went to an evening game with Crispy when Charlton had been back at the Valley for about 18 months and I've never looked back.

Oddly, I probably wouldn't have started going if I hadn't become interested in Charlton while the team were stuck at Selhurst.

For most people, the exile was a hateful time but for me, it was a time when Charlton gained a new supporter.

Today will be emotional for many people.

As Curbs used to say in his programme notes, 

Let's hope we can be sent home happy.

Flukey Win

Charlton Athletic 1  - Notts County 0


This won't take long.

I said to a friend last night, if I think back to the hundreds and hundreds of Addicks games I've seen over the years, our encounter with Notts County yesterday would probably fall into the bottom 10 games.

It really was that bad.

The first half was woeful beyond belief with individual errors being compounded by bad decisions from both players and officials.

Both teams were pretty poor but if anyone deserved to be in front at the break it was County.

The much maligned Lee Hughes, fluffed his chances to stick one on those members of our crowd who were in no mood to forgive him for returning so speedily to his football career after taking a life and serving time in the Big House.

Hughes could have been back in the changing room at half time with 2 goals under his belt, or even a hat trick but for a lineman's flag.

Charlton were so bad I was regretting my decision not to buy a programme.
I attempted to check my emails but the signal in the East stand was so poor it took nearly 4 minutes for one to load.
It was still more entertaining than anything on the pitch.

The second half was more of the same.

Perhaps a turning point was Lee Hughes, (yes him again), blasting an undisputed penalty straight down the middle, only for Robbie Elliott to send it over the bar with a trailing leg.

With around ten minutes to go, Benson and Abbott were withdrawn for Akpo Sodje and new boy Joe Anyinsah.

Suddenly Charlton looked as if they'd been given a caffeine boost and were more lively than at any time all afternoon.

Racon, who had come on for the very, very disappointing McCormack at half time, sent a pass through to Anyinsah who (skillfully?) managed to blast the ball through the onrushing keeper's legs.

1-0 up after being absolutely appalling for about 80 minutes.
It's a funny old game.

The referee became very annoyed at Reid and Racon who held the ball in the corner to eat up added on time.
He became so annoyed, he decided not to award another corner they had won and gave a goal kick which lead to a rather lardy looking Ben Burgess having a last gasp chance to equalise.
Luckily for Elliott, he headed into his arms.

I don't think anybody at the game yesterday would believe the best team won.
I'd have been happy with a draw, such was the lack of ideas.

A Casual Rating

What a load of rubbish!
Our entire team, except Robbie Elliott, are being awarded the dreaded Primark novelty slogan tee shirt for the first half display. It was so bad, I'm struggling to find the words.
The Lacoste polo is being awarded to new boy Joe Anyinsah for his debut goal, we really didn't deserve.
Robbie Elliot can have one too for his penalty save.

It's my birthday today so we are going to pretend we are tourists and take the boat from Greenwich into town.

It'll be better entertainment than yesterday I hope.

Playing With Yourself?

Today we meet the 'Oldest Club In The World' at the Valley.

My schoolboy memory, (unchecked by google so I could be way off the mark), leads me to believe that Notts County are so much part of the history of our beloved game, the mighty Juventus took their black and white striped kit from the East Midlands club.

Being the first club in the world, really is a bit pointless.
Surely, it's a bit like being the first person in the world to have a telephone?

I'd say that being the second person to own a telephone is rather more critical to the sequence of events.

Who did Notts County play against when they were formed?

They really should have been known as Notts Onanists until they found some people willing to give them a kickabout.

It's my birthday weekend, (the 'big' day is tomorrow).
In recent years we've not won to help me celebrate.
Last year I believe Alan P*****w returned and Southampton managed a draw they didn't deserve.
Wolves gave us a bit of a stuffing the year before.

Unfortunately, I have to start my weekend by heading over to Beckton to pick up a parcel from my 'local' depot.
Local?
I've never had to go there before for a pick up. I've always just popped over to the Greenwich depot near to Sainsbury and been home again in not much more than 10 minutes.

If you fancy a preview of todays game, click here.
I'm hoping for a win yet somehow I believe we are still a team in transition. A draw at best with a loss just as likely is my rather morose view.
I really hope I'm wrong.

September 11th is always a day for reflection.
I cant believe it's 9 years since those horrific scenes in Washington, Pennsylvania and of course, New York City.
Lives were lost and ruined on that day which only makes my ramblings seem rather pathetic.

RIP.

Right, I'm off to East London.
Hope the tunnel is open.

Christian Forced To Take A Break

Unfortunately, Christian Dailly has been forced to take a break from first team duties for around 5 weeks.

The fact that his facial injury happened while playing in the worthless Paint Drying Cup only adds to my annoyance.

I don't know how far Jon Fortune is from easing into the vacant central defensive position but I hope it's not too long.
I do appreciate the skills of Big Mig Llera but I'm not sure he's the one to hold our rearguard together. He seems to play at a ratio of one very good game, a couple of mediocre games and then one stinker before he's dropped and the whole sequence starts all over again.

In other news, those 14 people who were planning on heading up to Milton Keynes for the next round of the previously mentioned PD cup, can now save themselves the effort.
I do like the Stadium:MK but I'm not racing out of work to head up there for a pointless fixture, now that Rupert Murdoch has decided to show the game live.

Get well soon CD.
"I want curly hair too."

It's MK Dons

The 'hot news' from Sky Sports News, (no longer available on Freeview), is that our heroes have been drawn away at Franchise FC in the next round of the Paint Drying Cup.

I'd guess the majority of people shrugged and then went back to their
Saturday morning chores upon hearing the news.

Daggers Blunted

Charlton Athletic 1 - Dagenham & Redbridge 0.

Hardly a feast of football tonight at the Valley.

The reported crowd of 4630 gazed upon the completely empty North and East stands, while the lower tier of the West stand seemed surprisingly cramped.

One goal, scored by the possibly Greece bound Racon, was enough to see off a spirited Dagenham who seemed to have the lion's share of possession in the first half but gradually lost their way as the game progressed.

It's enough to say that Charlton are in the next round of the JPT but had we been knocked out, I don't think I'd have been that fussed.

A (very brief) Casual Rating.
The Lacoste polo shirt is going to Paul Benson as a welcome to the Valley gift.

 Benson could have had 3 or 4 goals this evening but unfortunately fluffed his lines or encountered a good block or save at each critical moment.

Lee Martin looked lively and Semedo performed his usual spoiling role without flamboyance, Racon took his chance well, (admittedly with the assistance of the upright) and Waggy ran his little legs off but on what must have been a very difficult evening, all things considered, I'm awarding the highest accolade to Benson.

The Primark novelty slogan t-shirt is going to the kids sitting behind us.
Can you remember your first pint?
I think they'd just had it and then their second and third.

Whatever decision the linesman or referee made, even when it was cast iron correct, they reacted with the same "Ref, you're a c**t, f**k off, " "Your wife s**t in the bed". etc etc.

I quite like swearing.
Sometimes, it's the only way I can express myself and show the extreme of my opinion.
Once every third word is an F or a C it really has no impact whatsoever.
It was tiresome beyond belief.

After spending the evening being Billy big balls and trying to impress everyone within earshot with their foul language, they then had a chat about which one of their dads was picking them up.
What would mummy have thought?
Proper gangsta!

Benson Signs! (Finally).

After a rather long and drawn out process, Parky finally got his man this morning when Paul Benson signed on at The Valley for 2 years.

I have passed the time of day with Benson, having had a brief chat with him at the Daggers ground while indulging in a spot of corporate hospitality last season.
My only insight to share is that he seemed to like the shepherd's pie after the game.

Good luck at the Valley Paul.

I can't help feeling I like him after the way he's left the Daggers.
He obviously felt he owed them and didn't move to us just for a wage hike.

He realised that Dagenham had given him his chance and wanted to repay them by helping them stay in League 1.

However, the money the Daggers will receive for their star man might just help keep the wolf from the door if they do get relegated, which they may have done anyway, even with Benson in their team.

I wonder if he'll be playing tomorrow evening in the Paint Drying Cup?

EXTRA EXTRA. Anyinsah signs too