|
|
| Saturday, 10-May-2008 22:29 |
Email | Share |  | Bookmark |
|
Late addition
|
 |
|
CAFC 1 Southampton 1, 12/04/2008
|
|
|
I must apologise to any Southampton supporters who've been waiting to see their photos appear here. Now that the season is over I'm compiling the annual composite image of all the match day photos that we've taken this season, and by cross-checking against the fixture list I discovered that for some reason this photo didn't get posted - sorry 
Geoff took this photo because I was away on holiday in Cape Verde. When he e-mailed me this photo he wrote: 'We played well enough to win today, against a Southamptton side that didn't carry much threat. Trouble was that a comical own goal gave them a lead and at least two blatant penalties were not given to us by the Ref. Plus ca change .......'
But by this point our season was pretty much over as far as our play-off hopes were concerned.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Sunday, 4-May-2008 22:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Not with a whimper but a bang
|
 |
|
CAFC 4 Coventry 1, 4/05/2008
|
|
 |
|
A Fistful Of Wankas
|
|
 |
|
Farewell Chrissie Powell
|
|
|
Who'd have thought it? After a season that had long since been euphemistically labelled 'disappointing' we expected, at best, a narrow win, if not another home defeat. For that reason we decided it was time for a mass outing of the 'Wanka' shirt'.
But then the team (pleasantly) surprised us all with a commanding performance and a 4-1 victory. Coventry, who could have gone down if other results had gone against them, had reason to keep fighting, which gave Charlton the chance to take advantage of an overstretched opponent. And so it was that, for a change, we saw the team finishing the season on a considerable high.
A couple of minutes before the end, when the sizeable contingent of Coventry supporters was tensely waiting for news on other scorelines around the Championship, a great cheer erupted from the Jimmy Seed stand as they heard that Leicester had failed to win and had thus been relegated, leaving Coventry safe for another season. On the face of it it was a bit bizarre too see such celebrations at such a crushing defeat, but having been relegated ourselves a year ago we knew how they must have felt.
I was pleased that we'll be playing Coventry again next season. Their supporters were great fun in the pub before the game and yet more proof that there's more that unites football supporters than divides them, local rivalries excepted.
But what will probably stay with me longest was the appearance near the end of Charlton's favourite, Chrissie Powell. He was greeted rapturously by the home crowd, and when shortly afterwards he scored the fourth goal we all seemed to be agreeing that it couldn't have been scripted better. Reports say that he was in tears as he walked around after the match in a lap of honour, and I know that there were a few lumps in throats and moist eyes amongst the supporters as well. He's been superb for us and it's a great shame that there's no coaching vacancy for him. Let's hope that we see him back at The Valley one day.
So, another season over. It was a disappointing one in that it fell apart after the win over Palace, but overall it was far more entertaining than our last few Premiership seasons. The board have renewed the offer of a free season ticket for 2009/10 if we're promoted next season, provided that we renew our tickets now. Like many others I've already decided that this is an offer I can't refuse.
We intend to carry on with these photos next season, but as I'm getting married at the beginning of August I might well be depending on Geoff to cover the early games.
Up the Addicks! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 29-Mar-2008 20:56 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
|
 |
|
CAFC 2 Wolves 3, 29/3/2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Friday, 21-Mar-2008 23:09 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Set back over a decade
|
 |
|
CAFC 1 West Brom 1, 21/3/2008
|
|
|
Confidence that we can even make the playoffs is now ebbing away. Our team has precious little cohesion and consistency, and when the opposition scores there seems little confidence that we can respond and regain the initiative. Halford's neat shot across the goal that Deano couldn't quite reach was cancelled out eleven minutes later when the ball fell to Phillips at the far post, and after that we were a bit lucky to come away with a point.
There were some bright spots in this match though. Jerome Thomas at last started to put in the effort of which we know he's capable and the crowd picked up on that very quickly. Paddy McCarthy was excellent again - I can hardly believe that it's the same player who looked so completely dreadful at the start of the season. Matt Holland continues to astonish me with his energetic performances - I thought his knees were supposed to be past it?
The trouble is that when the team puts in a poor performance the simple view is that someone must be to blame, must be identified and must be singled out for abuse, and in this regard the spotlight has now drifted away from Ambrose to Halford, with some abuse now heading in Pardew's direction - after the vilification he suffered for a while at West Ham I'm sure he can cope though 
I've always failed to understand how it is that otherwise intelligent, sensible people take player performance so personally when they have absolutely no idea of any of the important background, such as injuries, personal problems or the lack of true choice available to the manager on a given day. And no, I don't need this information either - it's none of my business. Of course, if problems of this nature aren't resolved then we'll gradually find matchday attendance less and less attractive and might even find shopping with the missus a tempting alternative.
Assuming that the likely happens and we stay down in the Championship, matchday tickets will be far more freely available on an ad hoc basis. Even though I miss four or five home games a season I still buy a season ticket so as to be assured of a seat with friends and a view that I like, but with dwindling crowds I can get both of those without a season-long investment.
So, what will make people like me, who are finding the draw of the club to be declining, renew their season tickets? Well, at the very least a fairly substantial price cut might do it. However, there's a school of thought that says that the club should renew last season's offer of a free ST for the season after next if we're promoted next Spring. If that happens then I'll renew like a shot, as that will more than compensate for the matches I've missed in the past eighteen months plus those I've yet to miss next season.
Someone said in the pub after the game that following Dowie's disastrous tenure we've now fallen back to where we were in the mid 1990s - thanks Ian - and that sums it up well at the moment. Clearly, it'll take the sort of push that we saw back then to get us up again, and at the moment we just don't have the right players, I'm afraid. We do have the right manager, though, in my opinion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 8-Mar-2008 23:00 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Bested yet again
|
 |
|
CAFC 1 Preston 2, 8/03/2008
|
|
|
After a match like this one refraining from comments for 48 hours is probably wise
The afternoon started so well. The Preston supporters were friendly and well-behaved, and together we all celebrated like mad as ManU were beaten at home by Portsmouth in the FA Cup before we left the pub for the game. One of the visiting supporters proudly told us that The Valley was her final destination on her campaign to visit all 92 grounds - that's quite an achievement.
As far as the match itself is concerned Charlton were truly dreadful, and having read Pardew's post-match comments there's not a lot of point in adding to his own rants, as they seemed spot on. But I'm seriously hoping that the cocky, complacent Kelly Youga is replaced as soon as possible by a more experienced, mature professional like Thatcher, as his erratic, lightweight performances are starting to cost us.
But all credit to Preston, who kept the pressure up and didn't allow Charlton time or space to settle. A better team would probably have given them a hard time, but clearly Charlton aren't a better team right now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 4-Mar-2008 22:55 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
The better team didn't win
|
 |
|
CAFC 1 Bristol City 1
|
|
|
A rather dispiriting evening if you were a Charlton fan, but infinitely more rewarding if Bristol City's your club.
Charlton took off fast and scored very early on. They really looked very good, and I felt sure that a second goal would follow. But as the game wore on Bristol settled and took control. An impartial observer would say that they were by far the better team on the night.
At long last Jerome Thomas showed some of the skill and trickery that we last saw in the Premiership, particularly when linking up with Youga and Ambrose, but he faded and was eventually substituted. Youga needs to stop showboating and get a grip. He could have a brilliant future at Charlton but only if he knuckles down and concentrates far better. We had our first look at Sinclair tonight, and it took me all of 10 seconds to decide that he'd be no good for us. Cook was similarly unimpressive.
Iwelumo was fouled again and again without the ref blowing up for free kicks. However, this has happened several times this season, so maybe he's up to no good and refs are wise to him. Holland and McCarthy were, yet again, magnificent.
Considering this was a cold Tuesday night City brought an incredible number of supporters with them and I'm sure that they enjoyed what they saw. It'd be good if they 'shopped' to the police the idiot amongst them who threw a lighted flare on to the pitch after they scored. Fools like that are precisely the ones who bring all decent supporters into disrepute by association.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 16-Feb-2008 20:40 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Still in the running
|
 |
|
CAFC 2 Watford 2, 16/02/2008
|
|
|
It's a funny old game. We were 2-0 up and cruising at half-time only to concede two goals in a couple of minutes in the second half and then hang on for a draw. Two points lost.
I rarely complain about referees, on the basis that it's humanly impossible to spot everything, but today's official stretched my patience to breaking point. Allowing the game to run is fine, but ignoring fouls that warranted at least a lecture if not a card infuriated the home crowd. And at the end Pardew went on the the pitch to tell him what he thought of him - I couldn't really blame him.
Still, we're not too badly placed in the league and we have a steadily improving team. A playoff spot seems the best we can now hope for, but two or three straight wins would have us right up there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Friday, 8-Feb-2008 23:30 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Orange alternative
|
 |
|
CAFC 2 Palace 0, 08/02/2008
|
|
 |
|
One to savour
|
|
|
Tonight's was the 111th match (over nearly six years) at which we've taken a 'Members of the Opposition' photo - the dreaded 'Nelson', eh? And guess what? It was the first match where not a single visiting supporter had the confidence to display his/her colours. Doubtless there were loads of them in the RoD tonight, but you'd never have known. So, no followers of The Orange One could be offered the opportunity to join in with our little tradition.
But, never mind - tonight we had an alternative. Four Dutch fans, who back home support De Graafschap of the Eredivisie, approached us for a chat and were made very welcome. Luckily, they picked a cracking match with loads of authentic English atmosphere, and when we saw them again in the pub after the game they were almost as happy as we were 
Apart from 5 or 10 minutes at the start of each half Charlton were comfortably in charge, but it took until the hour before we went ahead with a snap strike by the admirable Luke Varney who pounced again just before the end of the game. I love the way that he just keeps on running, constantly causing problems for the opposition's defence and opening up space for his colleagues. He was my man of the match tonight. Matt Holland was also brilliant - a captain who leads by hard work and example.
Greg Halford's debut was a revelation. His long throws are the equivalent of a corner to us, and his neat turn and dash towards goal frankly deserved better than the near miss that resulted. Youga continues to excite, but I really wish he'd concentrate on his game and not take needless risks. Lloyd Sam continues to irritate me immensely. He might have pace but he doesn't concentrate hard enough and often loses possession needlesslly. Still, tonight was a night to savour, no matter what.
So, for our latest Members of the Opposition photo we lost out on the Orange One's supporters but replaced them with substitutes from the land of The House of Orange - how appropriate
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Wednesday, 30-Jan-2008 02:40 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Rising optimism
|
 |
|
CAFC 1 Stoke 0, 29/01/2008
|
|
|
With only ten minutes or so to go the match was still goalless and what seemed like a reasonable penalty claim by Charlton was turned down. At that point it seemed that Charlton's consistent pressure would go unrewarded, but then Lloyd Sam bundled the ball over the line to general jubilation. If we carry on like this we might even claw our way into an automatic promotion place.
The entertainment tonight was pretty well continuous, with the home crowd constantly a-buzz with excitement. The villain of the night was the referee, who did his reputation no good at all when he enraged the locals by awarding a goal kick instead of a Charlton corner. Still it goes to show that the officials can't spot everything.
To his credit the ref did spot some first half timewasting by the visiting goalie, and he added a full three minutes of addition time at the end of the first half, even though there had been no goals, substitutions or injuries.
Again, recruiting visiting supporters for the matchday photo was straightforward. Word seems to have spread in the Championship about our initiative, which is now in its sixth season, and so there's not much explaining to do when approaching visitors, thank heavens!
Stoke's supporters must have had very real hopes of an away point for all of the match, which must have made their long midweek journey to The Valley seem fairly worthwhile!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday, 12-Jan-2008 23:43 |
Email | Share | | Bookmark |
|
Interesting times
|
 |
|
CAFC 4 Blackpool 1, 12/01/2008
|
|
|
We really don't know what to expect from our team any more, but at least match days are more 'interesting' than they were as we fell away in the Premiership.
In the event, we were two up after only ten minutes, only to lose a goal in the 12th minute to the best strike of the game to open everything up again. Blackpool steadied their ship with a change in formation, but couldn't avoid going in at half time 3-1 down. As the match progressed Charlton steadily improved and the crowd began to relax, taking the opportunity to chant in praise of Kelly Youga. Good though he was it seemed to go a little to his head with a bit of Jerome Thomas-style showboating, which I'd hope Pardew will discourage.
My man of the match was Luke Varney, who never stopped running and who caused all sorts of problems for the visitors. But Matt Holland deserves recognition for some excellent captaincy.
Blackpool also deserve credit for never giving up. They kept their heads when the tide was running against them and remained disciplined throughout. You have to feel sorry for Paul Rachubka, their goalie - he made a string of great saves but was still beaten four times.
The match was played in good spirit and there was an excellent turnout by Blackppol supporters. I'd hope that they'll stay up this season, as it'd be nice to welcome them to the Rose of Denmark again next season.
That's right - in spite of this win I can't see us going up this season 
|
|
|
|
|
