Sponsors Dinner

Tonight two of my mates will take my place at the Shirt Sponsors Dinner at The Valley. Unfortunately I couldn’t get ‘management approval’ to return home a few days earlier this week and instead will fly Friday night instead.

A couple of years back I felt inclined to support the club in some small financial way as I was no longer a season ticket holder so I made the decision to enter into a bit of shirt sponsorship. I went for Semedo last season and for this Champion year I sponsored Danny Hollands.

Under the floodlights

We have been down around 1,500 to 2,000 home fans for midweek games this season. I was one of 13,300 Addicks at the Colchester game and there were similar home numbers for Sheffield Wednesday, although that was on the box with the Bury game proving the least attractive with less than 13,000 Charlton.

However on Saturdays the Preston, Carlisle, Oldham and Notts County crowds were far better despite a similar number of visitors.

He runs down the wing for me

Will he, won’t he? Chrissy Powell talked about not rushing Jackson back midweek and I don’t think he’ll be risked tomorrow against one of the division’s known cloggers.

Question is who will play on the left side and what is Hogan Ephraim up to these days? Anyone have his number?

We miss the skipper don’t we? His leadership, his desire to win, his goals. It was no coincidence that last year’s collapse coincided with a Jackson injury but anyway, we’ve moved on. 15 games left, deep breath. Buckle up.

Happy anniversery

19 years ago today. Seems like yesterday. 3.07pm, Saturday December 5th, 1992. Darren Pitcher lays the ball off to Colin Walsh, who swings his precious left foot and sends the ball from the edge of the box into the corner of the net in front of a delirious Covered End. More memories.

Voice of the Valley

 

Click on images to make larger.

The very first edition of the Voice of the Valley from February 1988. The whole edition can be read here. Somewhere in the abyss of my parents loft lives a whole collection of VOTV’s except for a couple that I have in a box under my desk at work that made the journey to Chicago and then Bermuda with hundreds of significant (to me) programmes that I rescued from my ex-wife.

That editorial written by Rick Everitt is enough to give you goosebumps and it’s why on my sadly infrequent visits that despite some of the dross that has been served up in recent years my hearts still beats a little faster when The Valley comes into view on Charlton Lane.

With thanks to Charlton Life.

Mascot memories from Saturday

Saturday’s mascot experience was fantastic, and a real credit to the club. We’ve glossed over the middle 90 minutes in our family but to be fair kids don’t dwell on results, and my son is still buzzing from the day. Hopefully most of those that came on Saturday for the first time or the first time in a while will remember the atmosphere and the experience as a whole and not the result. I know that I pick my games and therefore have to take the rough with the smooth.

Anyway our day started at 12 noon when we met the mascot co-ordinator Sue and we were given our excellent goodie bag. We waited for the other match mascots in a little waiting room by the players entrance and greeted each player as they showed up for ‘work.’ First we were taken to the Director’s Lounge, which had just been overhauled and redecorated by the new owners, with the whole intention to move on from our past achievements and allow the club to embark on a new era, a theme that we heard a lot as we toured the west stand.

Overlooking the car park the Director’s Lounge was unfussy and simple, a bit like like the trophy cabinet, although I will never tire of staring at the sparkly Play-Off and Championship trophies.  

Next we were up in the Director’s Box complete with panoramic views of an empty Valley before the gates opened. Then down onto pitchside for some irresistible photo opportunities. The dugouts sadly showed signs of how tight the purse strings were previously. Half the seats were a faded and torn red leather, the other half replaced by the plastic seats one finds in the stands. A chirpy and huge Bob Bolder greeted us, Colin Walsh shook my hand and I’m in two minds whether to wash it this week and then there was Colin Powell patrolling the right wing, like he used to, who at any minute I expected to scream “keep off my grass.”

Later just before kick I had a chance to catch up with Big Dave Lockwood and then I saw Colin Powell again and told him that 30 years previous he was my brother’s favourite player when he was the mascot. Powell’s face broke into a huge grin and he asked me to thank him. No, thank you Colin.

Sue took us around the inside corridors of the main stand stopping to explain photos, art work and honour boards. Then my son and the other mascots were taken off to finish their tour as my brother and I went for a pint in the Crossbars Lounge behind the goal.

We bought my son a red football from the club shop and he was armed with a marker pen as he went off with the other four mascots to tour the player parts of the stand, such as the Physio’s Room and the Dressing Rooms. There he met all the players and his ball is covered in autographs.

Scott Wagstaff, each one of Saturday’s five mascot’s favourite player, was armed with jelly babies for the kids. Trouble is each one of the kids had to pick a second choice as Waggy was on the bench. My son already had a back-up plan and was paired up with Robbie Elliot. In a nice personal moment my son showed Chris Powell a photograph from the holiday we met him and his family on in 2002, and he wrote a treasured little message on the back of it. Later he greeted me with a big hug on the touchline just before kick-off.

At 2.15 the mascots joined the players out on The Valley turf for the pre-match warm up and a session with a coach, before going back in the tunnel to reappear with the teams and the officials to almost 25,000 fans and The Red, Red Robin at ten to three.

He loved every minute of it, so did my brother and I and a couple of mates that we had with us as well. According to my son, the players were great with Semedo, Waggy and Elliot coming in for extra praise. It was a terrific day and an experience we will all remember forever. Finally a huge thank-you to a couple of people. Ravi Patel at the club who was particularly helpful and especially Sue Gallop who was a fantastic host.

PR disaster

Charlton Athletic 1 Exeter City 3
I”ll leave our mascot experience for another post because it puts the club in such a positive light I don’t want this one to ruin it!

Equally the people behind the idea, funding and hard graft that encouraged almost 25,000 people into The Valley yesterday once again made me extremely proud to be a Charlton fan and everything I have witnessed and heard about the new owners so far has impressed me greatly.

Shame about the players then.

It was a truly disappointing performance bearing in mind the effort everyone else with some affection for the club had made but those of us long enough in the tooth know how we all too often are let down.

By all accounts the first half was a big improvement on recent games but apart from a couple of BWP-inspired moments we were so lucklustre in front of a willing crowd, a size that perhaps only Dailly and Doherty had played in front of before Perhaps that was the problem?)

The first half fizzled out and Charlton appeared to lose any stimulus that the big crowd had provided. As the 2nd half developed I could see that the Exeter players (and their band of supporters) grew in confidence. In Harley, Golbourne and Noble the Grecians had men that could pick a pass on a wet surface and the same could not be said for us.

From our front row seats in the NW Quadrant Abbott was desperately unlucky with a curling effort that hit the bar, and that turned out to be the turning point as within minutes Exeter silenced The Valley by taking the lead.

It was then with still plenty of time remaining I got pissed off. Powell made no changes, the back four continued to hurl hopeless balls forward, McCormack confirmed he is playing a division too high, Jackson didn’t know where he was playing, BWP looked disinterested, Abbott was isolated, Eccleston was a one man show and then Doherty effectively ended the game by gifting O’Flynn a second. Game over.

Kyel Reid was getting ready to come on at the time Doherty attempted his header back to Elliot, but when he did finally enter the fray I thought he and Racon improved us going forward and there were a couple of scrambles in our favour before Elliot joined Doherty in the dunces corner by clearly bringing down O’Flynn and Harley crashed home as Robbie stood and watched.

To be fair the crowd kept with them and at least we got to see a goal but BWP’s flick-in from a fine Doherty shot was just a consolation.

Not good enough and I will come back to this later in the week but I’m finding it hard to blame Powell after he hugged me like a long lost friend just before kick off but the result was not only 3 points lost but a PR disaster too.

Fellow Addick Bloggers in the 24,767: Drinking During the Game; Kings Hill Addick; Charlton Casual; Blackheath Addicted; Addicks Diary; Doctor Kish; From The Hill To The Valley; And Nothing Else Matters; Deepest Darkest; Mike’s Meanderings.
CA fact: One to put a smile on Addicks’ faces. Yesterday’s home attendances: Millwall 11,871; Palace 14,241; Charlton 24,767.

Mascot

I head back again to London tonight and get to spend the day with my son tomorrow on his 11th birthday. However I think both of us are more excited about his birthday treat on Saturday.

I booked him in as one of the match mascot’s for Saturday’s game at home to Exeter at the beginning of the season and told him just a week or two ago. With the added exhilaration of there being a 20,000+ crowd at The Valley to run out of the tunnel to it will hopefully give him many memories to cherish forever.

I was talking to my brother the other day and exactly 30 season’s ago he was the match mascot (there was only one in those days) for a pre-Christmas match at home to Carlisle United. It was our promotion season but needless to say the crowd was a long way off 20,000. we think it was more like 5,000.

Anyway Charlton won 2-1, and my brother picked two favourite players, apparently so he was told, this had never been done before. Those players were a young Paul Walsh and the slightly more experienced Colin Powell who scored on the day to keep us top of the Division 3 table. The other Charlton goal was an own goal after Carlisle took the lead.

The Valley was a bit different 30 years ago even though my son will run out to the same famous song as my brother did three decades previous. My son has picked another winger in Scott Wagstaff as his favourite player and also selected a second as is tradition in Rob Elliot and my brother will join us on saturday so it will be a real family day out. “There’ll be no more sobbin’ when he starts throbbin’ his old sweet song.”

Before that on Friday night I will head over to see my Hornchurch mates and I’m really looking forward to seeing them for a few pints as it has been too long. Then I end this short trip with a stopover down on the East Sussex coast with my parents.

What has changed?

Next Saturday I will get to see for myself Chris Powell’s new look team, but in the mean time I’m left to listen to the radio and witnesses and observe the results. 

So, forgetting the minor thing of results, what else has changed? Powell has signed BWP of course and added left back Bessone (have we ever had an Argentinian play a first team game before?). Fry’s loan has been extended until the middle of March and Akpo Sodje was moved onto Hibs.

Also significantly Alan McCormack has been preferred to Racon, although the Frenchmen impressed when he came on for him at Yeovil. It’ll be interesting to see if the boss reverts back to McCormack tomorrow. Powell has clearly tightened up a previously porous defence (12 goals conceded in 4 games) and by all accounts got our full-backs working higher up the pitch. Francis in particular has come in for some praise. Chris also appears to have gained favour with referees and linesmen, as for the first time in an age we have been on the receiving end of some very good officialdom fortune.

But, and Powell has been honest on this, we haven’t been playing anywhere near an expansive game and our performances are patchy, especially in the first half. The reason then for all of this? The same players mostly, but a different motivator and definitely a more patient crowd.

Peterborough bring back some good memories, and the 5-1 win there in November was one of Parky’s best moments as we handed out a lesson in counter-attacking play. Two months later both teams have a different manager but remain in similiar league positions. Darren Ferguson, like Powell has improved results and lifted a cloud over the club, yet they are still playing to type scoring and conceding goals at will.

An interesting scene then set for tomorrow, in what will be Chris’ toughest test so far in management.

By the way, Charlton Life are encouraging all Addicks to put the word out about the Exeter £5 promotion. Great credit to the club to incite more enthusiasm as we enter a new era. I’ll be there with 4 others and there are suggestions that the crowd might top 22,000!

Another positive sign at The Valley is the return of the big screen (hopefully without the fish), which the club are hoping to have ready for tomorrow’s annual Tribute Day so they can scroll the names of Addicks that passed away during the last year.

And you were saying?

Charlton Athletic 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0
So my first visit to The Valley this season and I really don’t know what all the fuss was about!!

The team was gelled, rarely did they resort to the hoof, in the first half we passed the ball like Brazil, Lee Martin’s late touchline manoeuvre was straight out of the Samba textbook, in the 2nd half we defended like George Graham’s Arsenal, Benson ran his socks off, Anyinsah was his perfect foil, the pairing of Semedo and Racon worked together better than sausage and mash, the two old boys at the back must have been playing in a time machine, Matt Fry will be in West Ham’s first team by Christmas, Simon Francis for England, Waggy is the best youth product since Billy Bonds, Robbie Elliot never even owned a pink shirt, Emma from BBC Radio London has lied to me all along and if Parky is not the next England manager I will eat one of the many pints of beer that I consumed during the day.

Other Addicks at The Valley: Drinking During the Game; Addickted to Football; Charlton Casual; Mike’s Meanderings; Stickleback.
CA fact: On Academy Day Waggy was our 4,999th goalscorer.

Robert Lee

I got some feedback from Rob Lee’s family (only us Addicks call him Robert) following his day at The Valley on Saturday to commemorate the 25-year anniversery of the ‘last game.’

Rob took his Mum and Dad and two sons Oliver and Elliot, who are both on West Ham’s books to the game. According to Rob he thoroughly enjoyed the day and the reception he got, the only downer was the result, which I think anyone connected with Charlton viewed as a defeat and not a draw.

I got to know Lee through my mates in Hornchurch deep in the heart of West Ham country. Certainly to a man Rob’s mate are all Hammers, and Rob would be hard pushed to say he isn’t as well, particularly as his two boys (aged 18 and 15) grew up in Tony Carr’s famed academy. However cut Rob in half and he will bleed Charlton red and Newcastle black and white. He certainly witnessed a lot at Charlton in his 10+ years at the club and has some great stories.

It was Rob’s dad Reg who got him involved in Charlton and although he will deny it, he did do a stint (for free) as a turnstile operator. Reg was born in Woolwich and was a Charlton fan as a boy and is pictured next to Derek Ufton in the directors box.

Fame and fortune came to Rob quite late in his footballing career, although still mobbed whenever he goes out in Newcastle, he lives his life in Essex very much under the radar.

Currently he is part of a Sky commentary team that beams games out to Asia as well as being heavily involved in charity golf and football days.

25 years ago today

Rarely do you attend a game and have no real interest in the outcome of it but that was how I felt as my Dad drove us to our regular parking spot at The Heights 25 years ago today.

Rick Everitt wrote in his magnificent book ‘Battle for The Valley’ that the atmosphere that day was poisonous and the whole afternoon was a shambles of discontent, and they’re exactly what my memories of the day are. The anger and absolute helplessness had built inside me from a fortnight before when we were handed that extraordinary piece of paper entitled ‘Message to our Supporters.’

Many would argue that 21st September, 1985 was the day that Charlton fans united and that jointly going through the pain of leaving The Valley was the springboard to a new and brighter chapter in the club’s history. It was, but at that moment 25 years ago there wasn’t the slightest glimmer of what the future held.

I was there that day but it was a very surreal experience. There was no real media coverage and I had just started my first job and I’m not even sure I’d shared my Saturday afternoon hobby with the people I worked with yet. 8,858 were left to mourn a 66-year old friend alone. No one else gave a shit.

Like others I shouted abuse at nobodies in the stand and was on the pitch after the game, finally getting on from the closed East Terrace once the old bill gave up the chase. I remember only leaving after a man who had climbed the floodlight pylon, was finally coaxed down and my Dad insisted there was nothing else to see.

I took some turf home dug from the pitch and planted it in my Mum’s garden. It died. My brother and I used to drive to the vacated Valley on Sundays afterwards and break in, well it wasn’t really breaking in, it was climbing in and we would wander around and read the grafitti that others had left. We used to have conversations regularly about which team we would support when Charlton died.

I’m sat here with a tear in my eye after reading (again) this thread on Charlton Life and I have a tingle down the back of my spine. What it is to support a real club, eh?

If you have never read Rick Everitt’s ‘Battle for The Valley’, then do anything to find a copy.

Charlton fan David Wheeler’s memories from the Stoke game can be found here, as can Kings Hill Addick’s here and Kap’s here. What are your memories of that strange day 25 years ago?