Having watched the videos kindly posted on here recently from the 1986/87 season I was reminded again of what a very good striker Jimmy Melrose was - especially when crosses came into the box - and that without his goals in that season we would have gone down and been in real financial strife.
Taking a wider view, in modern times we have had three high-class goalscorers play for us in the top-division, Melrose (17 goals in 1986-87), Paul Williams (14 in 88-89) and Darren Bent (18 in 2005/06).
I know some will argue for the inclusion of Clive Mendonca and Andy Hunt in here but the truth is that both players did their best work for us in the second tier and neither really scored that many in the Premiership - largely due to injury/illness. Jonatan Johansson would also be close to the list - although he only scored 11 PL goals in 2000-01 and faded badly as a player after that initial great burst.
I would be interested to know how other 'older' Charlton fans like myself - who watched the team at Selhurst Park - ranked these three players?
I know most younger fans will feel Bent is the best striker we have ever had - and they are probably right - but I also feel that Melrose's 17 Division One goals in 86-87 might be one of the most unheralded feats in our modern history.
Williams' achievements in 1988-89 should not be overlooked either, 13 top-flight goals in 30 games in your first full season of professional football is something very few players have ever achieved.
Having said that, Bent's first season was a stormer as well, 18 PL goals is a top achievement and it remains an outrage that Walcott went to the WC in his place.
Now that I have given it some proper thought, my view is that although Darren Bent is very likely the best striker we have had in modern times that the actual achievements of Melrose in 86-87 were truly extraordinary in terms of what they actually meant for the club at the time and that his efforts that season were probably the most significant we have seen from a Charlton striker in the modern era.
Feel free to agree/disagree....
Comments
Willo came from non league(woodford town) to the top flight of footy which is a massive leap and I don't think he was just a one season wonder I'm sure he had a bit more than that for us and went on to play for sheff wed for a bit as well .
Even though we were at selhurst this was when I started to go to every game and beacame truly addickted to us and as a young lad for us to be mixing it with the best in english footy it was a dream come true.
When Darren Bent arrived we'd already been spoilt with top class footballers for a bit in the prem and being the negative type I didn't think what little I'd seen of him was all that but under the guidance of our greatest modern day manager benty flourished into a top class striker and I am one who is still very happy when I see he's netted ....
DB wins it for me but the hazy memories of melrose and willo were where my true love for this football club was cemented
Melrose was quality and unheralded largely I feel because of the bigger issues surrounding the club at the time. I would have truly loved to see a fully fit Mendonca play in our best premier team with Parker et al. I think he could have scored a pot full. Always thought Williams was a bit of a one trick pony.
Favorite was Mendonca. Was absolutely buzzing when we signed him.
Best? Probably bent.
Liked Williams alot and met him a couple of years ago at a Valley Gold event. Nice bloke.
Played for Bobby Robson's England 'B' team alongside wunderkind Paul Gascoigne, finally being sold for £750,000 to Sheff Weds once we were relegated.
Terrific achievement for a non-league player to make.
Melrose had played top flight football for Leicester, Coventry and Man City, and a year at Celtic inbetween - a wily old bird who always turned up at the right time and at the right place. Much more of a box striker than Willo, better in the air, experienced, sharp and savvy; scored 19 goals in his season and a bit with us.
Darren Bent's performances and reputation speaks for itself.
Andy Jones!!!! PSML, we signed him thinking we had the next Mark Hughes, turned out he was as fat and useless as Nerys Hughes.
'Willo' became a hero for me with his goals in 88/89. Vital goals, that kept us up & afloat, & comfortably, at the end of that season. He grabbed 10 the following year in a relegated team, including the goals in another victory over Man Utd. I think he struggled as the squad was decimated with injuries & departures. In a similar way theat Darren bent didn't get as many for us when we went down.
He was another player who's sale kept the club going for another period of time.
Of the modern era, Darren Bent was fantastic for us, & I also have a smile everytime he gets a goal, England call-up/start & good reviews. In his first season, his goals were vital. If it wasn't for those contributing to the start we had, we would've been staring down the barrel of relegations gun that year. As I said above, he didn't grab as many in our relegation season as he had the season before, but his goal tally was an achievement because of it. I'm chuffed to see him getting better every year.
I think all have played their part & each have been just as vital to the club in their own ways. I summise that Melrose pips Williams due to the severity of what lay in front of us, had he not got the goals he did. Williams goals were no less important, but I feel the club could've survived getting relegated at the end of that year, but not 86/87.
Bent wins greatest top flight striker as he has gone on to score more at the top level & be an international striker, plus with the change in physical nature of todays game, Melrose & Williams may've struggled in the modern era top flight.
The greatest achievement for US though(most importantly), & what wins it for me is what Jim Melrose did. Without those goals, there may not be a club!
For me, Benty just about shades it over Melrose and Mendoca..........Super Clive would be top if he had manged to play a full Premiership season.
Killer is my all time No.1 striker, but as he never played in the top division with us I can't really put him in the same league (geddit) as the other 3.
Mendonca wins hands down for me.
Darren Bent is one of the best players ever to wear the shirt but I loved Willo in that 88/9 season when we stayed up at a canter (2 games from the end wasnt it)
Loved that season, Arsenal 2-2 at Highbury, Norwich away I think when Mortimer took the mick...
Didnt realise Melrose got that many, certainly did the job in 85/6.
Super Clive is my favourite player but he never really got a run to prove himself at that level whereas Bent did it for us and has kept doing it.
Up to Ten Top Flight Goals mininum (Play Off Goals and games included from 1987)
Euell 34 Goals in 139 League games
D Bent 31 in 69 League games
Johansson 27 in 148 League games
Bartlett 24 in 123 League games
Williams 23 in 82 League games
Melrose 17 in 42 League games
Jensen 16 in 122 League games
M Stuart 15 in 71 League games
Jones 15 in 59 League games
G Stuart 14 in 113 League games
Crooks 14 in 40 League games
Lisbie 14 in 113 League games
Holland 11 in 126 League games
R Lee 11 in 126 League games
C Walsh 11 in 91 League games
Hunt 11 in 42 League games
Mortimer 10 in 98 League games
Melrose was a good old fashioned striker, not a target man, but knew where the ball would be, anticipated well and was invariably there or there abouts. Sometimes he scored, sometimes he didn't, sometimes it rained...to paraphrase another sporting quote.
But if you look at his career he never stayed at one club for long and his days at Charlton were going to be numbered, I think his family stayed up north (we signed him from Man City I think) and he was staying with family in London.
If Mendonca had been fit for most games that season, we may have well stayed up.
He had his moments and, to be fair, he wasn't all that bad but I think its fair to say that he was a bit of a disappointment in the end!
My 1-2-3
1. Bent - he's done it everywhere else too - even at Spurs his scoring rate was top notch despite what Redknapp said.
2. Melrose - had other years in the top flight outside of Charlton and as many have said - much underrated. Heard that Lawrence told him if he moved down south he'd get a new deal, whilst Jim said he'd move down south ONLY once he'd sold his house oop North, so a stalemate occured and so he ended up leaving. Shows how different the money was back then.
3. Williams - did have other good years in the top flight with Sheff W and (I think) Palace, but IMO not as much to his game as Jim.
Special mention to Andy Hunt. I remember his two goals at highbury when we lost 5-3 and i just thought how easy he made it look and that he was really going to score loads. I'm confident that in an alternate universe somewhere, Andy Hunt didn't get ill and he went on to score 20 premier league goals that season.
Mendonca I think didn't quite have the physical presence and all-round ability that Hunt had, despite being my favourite all-time player.
Hales (at his best) was a little before my time, but I understand that he did score 14 in the top flight for a deservedly relegated West Ham side.
Melrose was brilliant for us and Off-It's disparaging comments about his qualities as a human being are a charactersitic piece of ''look-at-me-I'm-so-controversial'' attention seeking which are best ignored.
The account of why he left is entirely correct. I heard it direct from Lennie at the time.
I'd add a special mention for Bartlett, who played better in the almost impossible lone striker role against top premiership defences than he was ever given credit for. But Off-It will no doubt be along soon to tell us he was a pathetically inadequate human being . . .
impossible lone striker role against top premiership defences than he
was ever given credit for."
Agree. Bartlett was totally under-rated by many, but IMO sacrificed his own game to play the selfless team game that Curbs asked of him.Decent finisher and great header of the ball, not only attacking the oppo goal - but defending set pieces in our box too.
Those 2 goals on his home debut to end Man Utd's long winning run in that amazing 3-3 draw; the 3-2 win at Spurs scoring 2 and red carded for that "save"; the winner at Anfield - plus that amazing wonder goal against Leicester.
And a thoroughly nice bloke off the park too.
Spill the beans about the orrible ginger haired swetty off it........
Top Flight - Bent
Best Ever Charlton Striker (in my time) - Killer (imagine how good he would have been if he bothered training?)