Sunday, January 09, 2011
Embarassing...
I did one of the most stupid things I have ever done today; well, not actually today, but this morning was when I found out what I'd actually done...On Monday, before the utter humilation we suffered at the hands of Swindon, I returned some tickets for postponed games to the Charlton box office. The Rochdale and Hartlepool away games had been called off due to the December snows, and I had no chance to go to the midweek re-arrangments. Also, the five additional tickets I bought for the Boxing Day home game against Southampton would also now not be used by friends and relations, so they formed part of the £65-100,000 that the club thought it would lose by Andy D'Urso's over-reaction to the cold. I picked them all up out of my Charlton stuff-bundle at home, which includes programmes, ticket stubs, Valley Gold news etc, put them in my pocket, and handed them all over in one go at the Commercial Centre. The nice lady refunded all of my expenditure without much hassle once I'd filled in the form she wanted.
This morning, excited as always on FA Cup third round day, I woke early, had a bath, got dressed and went to pick up all the stuff I'd need for a cold day n North London watching the Addicks. I worked my way through the above mentioned bundle, and I was surprised how low I was having to go searching for my Tottenham Hotspur ticket. I thought I'd found it, deep down the pile, but then saw that the blue ticket was not for Spurs, but for Rochdale.
Then it dawned on me...
Yep, on Monday, I'd taken my Spurs ticket back for a refund instead of the Rochdale one! OMG!!!
With the game a sell-out, I have no chance of getting another, nor would I want to sit anywhere other than with Keith Peacock's red and white army of fans. I am stuck with listening on Player, or trying to get a live stream.
I feel like such a plonker. It will get worse if we get a result too...
Friday, June 29, 2007
Daz turns to Lilywhites
I was inevitable really, even though Peter Varney suggested that Darren Bent may still be with the Addicks come the start of the new Championship season, Dazza is now a Spurs player. We did get most of what we wanted as a transfer fee, but not quite the £17million that West Ham were willing to pay. The deal is £15.5m down, with another £1m in add-on fees (probably goal or appearance related).
We had two seasons worth out of the former Ipswich player, and two great seasons it was (for him) that he wore the Charlton number 10 shirt. Off the mark with two goals on his debut at The Stadium Of Light, he hit 22 goals in his first year with the Addicks. Last season, the relegation year, he was not so prolific, but even though hit by a serious knee injury that ruled him out between December and February, he still ended up the second highest scoring English forward in the league, with 13 goals.
I will always have a soft spot for Dazza. he always tried his best; led by example; urged on his team-mates; and did the club proud at every opportunity.
I wish him good luck at White Hart Lane, and hope that his future includes a permanent place in the England set up, where he belongs.
Hopefully, his trasfer fee will go some way to putting the club back on an even keel financially.
It's not all bad news though, as Bryan Hughes also left the club today, on a free transfer to Hull City.
Labels: Charlton, Darren Bent, Spurs
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Paint it Black
Charlton Athletic 0 Tottenham Hotspur 2
The inevitable finally happened at the Valley last night, as Charlton were relegated following the 2-0 home defeat to Spurs. It wasn’t just last night that condemned Charlton, but a season-long trail of error, both on and off the pitch.
Fingers can be pointed at the board, for appointing Iain Dowie as Head Coach; following that mistake with the doom-laden Les Reed being put in charge; and the much heralded overseas coaching structure that was quickly put back in the cupboard when Alan Pardew came in to steady the sinking ship.
On the pitch, the failure started with Djimi Traore (remember him?) getting sent off while Charlton were winning at West Ham on the opening day of the season, and finished with Jermain Defoe smashing in the final goal ten minutes from time last night. In between, we have seen abject losses to Wycombe, Liverpool, Middlesboro, and Forest, and poor displays at various times from Thomas, Rommedahl, Diawara, Hreidarsson, Faye, Young, Hughes, Ambrose, Song, Carson, Marcus Bent, and Hasselbaink, amongst others.
Quite simply, Charlton were not good enough to stay in the Premier League this season.
Last nights game saw Berbatov score after seven minutes, out-muscling and outpacing Luke Young to score past Carson with aplomb. Darren Bent tried his best and got free three times – twice going past Robinson but ending up on the goal-line, and with team-mates failing to get anything on target from his subsequent crosses. On the middle occasion, Bent fired wide left-footed when under pressure. Very little else caused the Spurs backline any problems. When Defoe scored the second, the crowd turned the match into a relegation party, and showed that at least some of the people present cared.
This morning, the realisation will set in, but it isn’t all bad news. BBC has reported that a possible takeover is on the cards – this may be a good thing or a bad thing? The days when takeovers seemed to want to asset strip clubs are past (I hope), and no new owners would get planning permission from Greenwich Council to build homes on The Valley anyway, even if Charlton did move elsewhere. Hopefully, if it does happen, then the new owners will put money into the club and build it back up to be a force once more.
Personally, I can look forward to four extra home game next year, plus the chance to see Charlton play away at two new clubs – Preston and Scunthorpe – which is great as new teams don’t come along too often these days. That would also take me up to 84 football league clubs that I have seen Charlton play away at!
Charlton have one remaining Premiership match to play – away at European Cup Finalists Liverpool. I’m sure they will put up some sort of fight, but wouldn’t it be nice to go down with a win!?!
Labels: Charlton, relegation, Spurs
Monday, May 07, 2007
The Last Post
Not for me, but the trumpet strains of the first few bars have started at The Valley, prior to tonights game against Spurs.Results over the weekend now make it all but impossible for Charlton to survive in the Premiership this season. 50 years after a similarly traumatic season that saw a change of management of a long period of solidity, the Addicks will go down once more. Hopefully, the future will hold a brighter option than on that occasion when it took another fifteen years to see Charlton leave the second tier, and then in the wrong direction!
Of course, wins tonight and on Sunday at Anfield would leave egg on this bloggers face, and I would love that to happen. But personally I will go along to The Valley tonight to wish a fond farewell to some players, and hopefully a quick return to the money-league in a years time with a new fresh looking squad.
All sixteen thousand plus Charlton supporters who have already bought season tickets would like nothing better than that!
This is the team I think Pardew will send out in the last home game of the season -
Scott Carson
Luke Young
Madjid Bougherra
Souleymane Diawara
Hermann Hreidarsson
Alexandre Song
Matt Holland
Zheng Zhi
Darren Ambrose
Dennis Rommedahl
Darren Bent
Subs from Randolph, Faye, Hughes, Lisbie, Hasselbaink, Thomas.
The starting eleven (and some of the subs) could, bar Bougherra, all realistically be making their last home appearances for Charlton. I expect some others will stay, but that will depend on how messrs Varney and Murray have added their sums up and what the real budget looks like for Championship football.
For Scott Carson, it will be the last time we see him in goal for us, as he will into be allowed to play against Liverpool (or hopefully Charlton!) next weekend.
Spurs still want to win each of their last three games to get as high up the league as they can, and also to ensure European qualification. After a brief challenge, I expect them to have a pretty easy night tonight.
Pedro45's score forecast is a resounding 4-1 defeat; I wish I could be optimistic, but I am more of a realist I'm afraid. I would love nothing more than Darren Bent to score a hattrick to make him to the top English scorer in the Premiership for the second season running (and add a few more quid to the transfer kitty), but even he must be starting to wonder what teams shirt he will pull on in August.
My ones to watch are all those who will be playing in front of the Valley faithful for the last time (in a home shirt):
Darren Bent - I will always remember the goals you scored, the effort you put in, how you played on when injured, and the loyalty you showed when all around (in the Premiership) jump ship at the first chance. You will always be welcome back at The Valley, and I can guarantee you will never be boo-ed.
Luke Young - Thanks for the effort, and for giving us quodos with the England call ups; what's that? Speak up Luke, we can't hear you! Was that a thank you for making you a half-decent player? No, thought not...
Scott Carson - Cheers Scotty; without you making a few saves, we would have been down ages ago. Good luck, and hopefully we can all come and watch you playing regularly for England in a couple of years time.Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - See ya Jimbo. I hope that the youngsters you have coached this season don't think they can play with a waistline as big as yours - do you have shares in shorts manufacturers?
Dennis Rommedahl - What a player! Any chance of home goal Dennis? It's your last chance you know...
And to the others, thanks for the good times, and I hope the fans of the next team that pays your salary finds they like you.
Come on you reds!
Labels: Charlton, Darren Bent, Luke Young, relegation, Scott Carson, Spurs, Valley
