Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Murphy's Law
Charlton Athletic 1 Fulham 1
I was late. It was about ten to eight when I caught my first glimpse of The Valley on this matchday. The stands rose high and the floodlights shone up into the night sky. The stadium looked magnificent, conjuring memories of when it wasn't so grand. The fans were getting into their seats and the players ready to do battle.
I normally arrive about 30-60 minutes before the match: I enjoy reading the programme; I like to see the players come out onto the pitch and warm-up; I anticipate the announcement of the team; I watch the referee and his linesmen trundle round the touch and goal lines from my West Stand seat. I even like the music and the obligatory Curbs interview on the big screen fifteen minutes before kick-off. If I can, I also like to get a beer or two in Floyds beforehand. Here, you can chat with friends, and watch the game build ups on Sky TV; Charlton occasionally getting a mention now we are high in The Premiership.
But not tonight. Tonight was different. I was late. Best laid plans and all that. Murphy's law...if only I'd known. I hadn't taken the weather into account; I should have guessed.
The early morning fog had dissipated and though a little misty, it would be a good floodlight footie night.
But I had a problem. It was ten to eight and I was still a couple of miles away from the Valley. I could see the ground but I had no chance of making the kick-off. I was late due to the early morning fog at Heathrow; I was looking down on The Valley from seat 5F, at an altitude of 10,000 feet or so, onboard a Boeing 737, traveling in towards Heathrow. The ground looks great from the sky.
I have flown over the Valley before, about ten years ago one summers day. It looked good then, but better now. But this was one day when I would not be seeing Charlton play live at The Valley. No, the ground had disappeared behind the wing and out of sight. I hadn't allowed for Murphy's Law - Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
I have missed games before of course - we all have (or will!). Nearly every season one home game falls when I am out of the country on holiday, but it's controllable; I plan my travel dates only once I have the fixture list, and I don't miss many (any?) for other reasons.
I have also been late into The Valley before - usually caused by train problems. I heard the cheer when Gary Speed scored early on against us for Leeds in an FA Cup replay a few years back, and similarly from Floyd Road I heard the shouts when Derek "Killer" Hales scored against Luton in the League Cup twenty-odd years ago. I also arrived at a league game in the early eighties versus Notts County with just ten minutes to go, again due to major train problems. I think we won 2-0 that night, but I missed the goals and any worthwhile action. But this time, this Fulham game, I wouldn't be there to see anything...
It was about thirty minutes into the game by the time I'd cleared passport control, probably just as Fulham scored the games first goal! It was well into half time by the time the Heathrow Express left the terminal four platform. When I got to Paddington, it was just into the second half, and Danny Murphy had equalised.
What happened? What caused me to miss the game? My weekend in Copenhagen went well, but the BA flight home, due to land at 2.45, was cancelled due to early morning fog at Heathrow and the knock-on effects on subsequent flights. The next flight out was full (if I could have caught that, I would just have made it to the ground by kick-off I reckon), so that meant I was to be delayed by at least four hours. Then the plane I was put on had a further hours delay. In total, I was back at Heathrow five and a half hours later than planned! At least BA had the courtesy to upgrade me, though it was little consolation for missing a Charlton home game!
I finally made it home at 10.15. I had decided not to find out the score, but to tape the game when it was repeated on Sky during the night. I then watched the recorded match in full this morning, not knowing the score or what had happened at all.
There are full match reports elsewhere (official site report here). After a bright start, Dennis had hit the post in the first half. For the Fulham goal, Powell was caught napping at a free kick forty yards out, and the resultant cross was hooked in by Collins John (interestingly, John Collins also used to play for Fulham; has this first name/last name interchange ever happened before?).
Early in the second half, Powell's cross was missed by the Fulham defence, and Danny Murphy crashed the ball into the far corner - a different kind of Murphy's Law.
Ian Darke told us that 79,000 spectators had been in the Valley once to see Charlton play Arsenal; Alan Smith (the Leicester/Arsenal version) told us that Allan Simonsen had scored a hat trick against him and his Leicester teammates here back in the eighties - how memories corrupt eh?!?
The team played in fits and starts it seemed; there was obvious confidence but sometimes they tried too hard. Thomas's control was poor throughout, Smertin failed to get control in midfield (Boupa Diop outstanding), Chris Powell had a tough time controlling Malbranque, and Darren Bent had his worst game in a Charlton shirt (awful really!). On the plus side, Murphy was good all night, and so was Hermann. Kishishev marked Claus Jensen out of the game. Kish and El Karkouri were booked by fussy ref Mike Rielly (41 free kicks!). Charlton had 16 shots at goal, but only three on target - something for Curbs and Merv to work on I'd say...
The point moves Charlton up to fifth, and still very handily placed in the league. A good performance on Saturday, in front of the Sky tea-time cameras will push us higher in the table once again. Hopefully, I will see that match as it happens!
I was late. It was about ten to eight when I caught my first glimpse of The Valley on this matchday. The stands rose high and the floodlights shone up into the night sky. The stadium looked magnificent, conjuring memories of when it wasn't so grand. The fans were getting into their seats and the players ready to do battle.
I normally arrive about 30-60 minutes before the match: I enjoy reading the programme; I like to see the players come out onto the pitch and warm-up; I anticipate the announcement of the team; I watch the referee and his linesmen trundle round the touch and goal lines from my West Stand seat. I even like the music and the obligatory Curbs interview on the big screen fifteen minutes before kick-off. If I can, I also like to get a beer or two in Floyds beforehand. Here, you can chat with friends, and watch the game build ups on Sky TV; Charlton occasionally getting a mention now we are high in The Premiership.
But not tonight. Tonight was different. I was late. Best laid plans and all that. Murphy's law...if only I'd known. I hadn't taken the weather into account; I should have guessed.
The early morning fog had dissipated and though a little misty, it would be a good floodlight footie night.
But I had a problem. It was ten to eight and I was still a couple of miles away from the Valley. I could see the ground but I had no chance of making the kick-off. I was late due to the early morning fog at Heathrow; I was looking down on The Valley from seat 5F, at an altitude of 10,000 feet or so, onboard a Boeing 737, traveling in towards Heathrow. The ground looks great from the sky.
I have flown over the Valley before, about ten years ago one summers day. It looked good then, but better now. But this was one day when I would not be seeing Charlton play live at The Valley. No, the ground had disappeared behind the wing and out of sight. I hadn't allowed for Murphy's Law - Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. I have missed games before of course - we all have (or will!). Nearly every season one home game falls when I am out of the country on holiday, but it's controllable; I plan my travel dates only once I have the fixture list, and I don't miss many (any?) for other reasons.
I have also been late into The Valley before - usually caused by train problems. I heard the cheer when Gary Speed scored early on against us for Leeds in an FA Cup replay a few years back, and similarly from Floyd Road I heard the shouts when Derek "Killer" Hales scored against Luton in the League Cup twenty-odd years ago. I also arrived at a league game in the early eighties versus Notts County with just ten minutes to go, again due to major train problems. I think we won 2-0 that night, but I missed the goals and any worthwhile action. But this time, this Fulham game, I wouldn't be there to see anything...
It was about thirty minutes into the game by the time I'd cleared passport control, probably just as Fulham scored the games first goal! It was well into half time by the time the Heathrow Express left the terminal four platform. When I got to Paddington, it was just into the second half, and Danny Murphy had equalised.
What happened? What caused me to miss the game? My weekend in Copenhagen went well, but the BA flight home, due to land at 2.45, was cancelled due to early morning fog at Heathrow and the knock-on effects on subsequent flights. The next flight out was full (if I could have caught that, I would just have made it to the ground by kick-off I reckon), so that meant I was to be delayed by at least four hours. Then the plane I was put on had a further hours delay. In total, I was back at Heathrow five and a half hours later than planned! At least BA had the courtesy to upgrade me, though it was little consolation for missing a Charlton home game!
I finally made it home at 10.15. I had decided not to find out the score, but to tape the game when it was repeated on Sky during the night. I then watched the recorded match in full this morning, not knowing the score or what had happened at all.
There are full match reports elsewhere (official site report here). After a bright start, Dennis had hit the post in the first half. For the Fulham goal, Powell was caught napping at a free kick forty yards out, and the resultant cross was hooked in by Collins John (interestingly, John Collins also used to play for Fulham; has this first name/last name interchange ever happened before?).
Early in the second half, Powell's cross was missed by the Fulham defence, and Danny Murphy crashed the ball into the far corner - a different kind of Murphy's Law. Ian Darke told us that 79,000 spectators had been in the Valley once to see Charlton play Arsenal; Alan Smith (the Leicester/Arsenal version) told us that Allan Simonsen had scored a hat trick against him and his Leicester teammates here back in the eighties - how memories corrupt eh?!?
The team played in fits and starts it seemed; there was obvious confidence but sometimes they tried too hard. Thomas's control was poor throughout, Smertin failed to get control in midfield (Boupa Diop outstanding), Chris Powell had a tough time controlling Malbranque, and Darren Bent had his worst game in a Charlton shirt (awful really!). On the plus side, Murphy was good all night, and so was Hermann. Kishishev marked Claus Jensen out of the game. Kish and El Karkouri were booked by fussy ref Mike Rielly (41 free kicks!). Charlton had 16 shots at goal, but only three on target - something for Curbs and Merv to work on I'd say...
The point moves Charlton up to fifth, and still very handily placed in the league. A good performance on Saturday, in front of the Sky tea-time cameras will push us higher in the table once again. Hopefully, I will see that match as it happens!
