I always thought that he was good at bailing others out when they made a mistake. But if he made a mistake no one managed to repay the favour so he often got blamed for the team conceding goals.
Interesting to see someone post something similar to what I was going to say. He was a real hard worker but for some reason, whenever he did make a mistake, wherever it was on the pitch, it led to a goal. I've never looked at it from your perspective, I just always assumed he was massively unlucky.
I used to really dislike him when he started. I was young and didn't see what he brought to the tem, especially at RB, but as I got older I began to understand how much he did in the middle of the park. Lovely man as well. Big fan
My eldest who was young at the time she used to go with me, is still convinced his name is Raddish KitchenChef... You can't choose your parents can you?
There was a guy who sat in the row behind me. Me and my mate called him Granddad, because he was old, and he was angry at the world. But ultimately we created a bond, as people who who spend their Saturday afternoons together for nearly a decade do.
Anyway, whenever he saw Bryan Hughes or Kish on the teamsheet, or on the ball, he'd go crazy. He couldn't stand the pair of them. "You're not good enough Kiiish" he'd scream. I'm sure if you were to ask him now who the worst players he's ever seen in a Charlton shirt were he wouldn't say Piotr Parzyszek or Yohann Thuram, he'd still say it was those two.
Anyway, Christmas was rolling round and like every year my mate and I both wanted Charlton shirts. We always had our favourite players on the back. Parker or Kinsella, Powell or Kiely. But this year we had a plan, he was going to get Hughes and I was going to get Kishishev.
The day finally came on Boxing Day against Fulham. Two minutes before kick off we took of our coats, and stood in front of him with Hughes and Kish proudly emblazoned across our shoulders. I could only feign ignorance for so long, and made looked mischievously over my shoulder. To this day I will not forget the vein throbbing in his temple and the look of sheer disbelief on his face.
One of my favourites. I do remember a cracking 40 yard pass played with the outside of his right boot, between two centre halves that led to us scoring. Man City, away, may be.
It wasn't what he did on the ball but off it. He was a human shield in front of our back four cutting off angles so the killer pass couldn't be made. How we missed him when he got injured in the relegation season.
I rated him very highly. Not the most skillful but certainly had skill, made mistakes (don't we all) but never ever gave less than 100% and the shirt appeared to really mean something to him.
And as @garrymanilow said he was a really top man off the pitch.
Possibly my second favourite Charlton player behind Lord Humphrey of Right-Back.
I remember writing something about Kish on the old CAFC Babes forum that was on the front page for ages - probably until the site went down!
People used to slate him for "misplaced" passes but a lot of the time it was because he saw a good pass into space or behind defenders but his teammates weren't always on the same page and couldn't react quick enough.
Played out of position (as a 'holding' midfielder) by Curbishley in rather negative formations in 2002-2006 and went a bit stale, albeit he wasn't too bad in the role in many games.
Possibly my second favourite Charlton player behind Lord Humphrey of Right-Back.
I remember writing something about Kish on the old CAFC Babes forum that was on the front page for ages - probably until the site went down!
People used to slate him for "misplaced" passes but a lot of the time it was because he saw a good pass into space or behind defenders but his teammates weren't always on the same page and couldn't react quick enough.
This is so true. It is something a lot of fans don't understand. Stephens was slated for it to. But both Ksih and him were looking for incisive balls. Balls that lead to chances. When weak players get slated for these sort of passes going astray they go simple and go nowhere. Many examples in the Oldham home match. You don't have to understand football to watch it and everybody has the same right to be a fan, but this does frustrate me because it means Fox bottles it and plays an easy ball in the middle allowing opponents to close us down (somebody else's problem) when a slightly harder ball out wide would have put Looman on the attack with space! That example from Oldham but many more.
Main thing I remember about him was whenever he played my old man would shout "Kishishev you're shit" in a proper deep voice, which when I was a youngster used to have me and my brothers in fits of laughter everytime
Those who say he couldn't pass the ball were obviously not at The Valley when he returned playing for Brighton. Although nearing the end of his playing days, he was excellent .
This. I know we were in the same division as now but he ran that game for a good hour playing much deeper than he normally did for us.
He got a great reception from the Charlton fans and he was clearly delighted by that.
He loved playing for us and he loved the fans. Unlike so many, he didn't "hide" when the going got tough. Also, he would always try to retrieve the situation if he lost the ball or "misplaced" a pass. I admired him for these qualities and for his work rate.
Some players in the "premiership years" were so big-headed they'd moan if they were played out of position (Paul Konchesky springs to mind), but not Kish - as long as he was on the teamsheet you got the impression he'd play in any position for the gaffer, for the team and for the fans.
Started off shocking as a right back, Then played holding mid and he was different class, proper grafter that gave 110% not always the best technically but a fans favourite he was.
I remember when the official programme featured a small comic strip story abut one of the players. It featured Kish one week and, referencing his early career in Bulgaria, had a little voice balloon over the crowd saying "Ayet, Ayet".
Didn't have a clue what that meant, but from then on me and my (then) young son used to shout out Ayet, Ayet when Kish did something good in a game.
Looked it up on Google translate just now. It means "Verse, Verse". Appears to be the writer's lazy attempt to convey chanting coming from the crowd.
Comments
I used to really dislike him when he started. I was young and didn't see what he brought to the tem, especially at RB, but as I got older I began to understand how much he did in the middle of the park. Lovely man as well. Big fan
One of my favourite players of the time.
Anyway, whenever he saw Bryan Hughes or Kish on the teamsheet, or on the ball, he'd go crazy. He couldn't stand the pair of them. "You're not good enough Kiiish" he'd scream. I'm sure if you were to ask him now who the worst players he's ever seen in a Charlton shirt were he wouldn't say Piotr Parzyszek or Yohann Thuram, he'd still say it was those two.
Anyway, Christmas was rolling round and like every year my mate and I both wanted Charlton shirts. We always had our favourite players on the back. Parker or Kinsella, Powell or Kiely. But this year we had a plan, he was going to get Hughes and I was going to get Kishishev.
The day finally came on Boxing Day against Fulham. Two minutes before kick off we took of our coats, and stood in front of him with Hughes and Kish proudly emblazoned across our shoulders. I could only feign ignorance for so long, and made looked mischievously over my shoulder. To this day I will not forget the vein throbbing in his temple and the look of sheer disbelief on his face.
Remember seeing him selecting potatoes when I was shelf stacking at Sainsburys Bromley.
And as @garrymanilow said he was a really top man off the pitch.
I remember writing something about Kish on the old CAFC Babes forum that was on the front page for ages - probably until the site went down!
People used to slate him for "misplaced" passes but a lot of the time it was because he saw a good pass into space or behind defenders but his teammates weren't always on the same page and couldn't react quick enough.
Played out of position (as a 'holding' midfielder) by Curbishley in rather negative formations in 2002-2006 and went a bit stale, albeit he wasn't too bad in the role in many games.
He got a great reception from the Charlton fans and he was clearly delighted by that.
Some players in the "premiership years" were so big-headed they'd moan if they were played out of position (Paul Konchesky springs to mind), but not Kish - as long as he was on the teamsheet you got the impression he'd play in any position for the gaffer, for the team and for the fans.
Didn't he shed something like 14lb in a match once - such was his workrate?
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RodneyCharltonTrotta said
No it was a stone
That must have been some kidney stone.
Didn't have a clue what that meant, but from then on me and my (then) young son used to shout out Ayet, Ayet when Kish did something good in a game.
Looked it up on Google translate just now. It means "Verse, Verse". Appears to be the writer's lazy attempt to convey chanting coming from the crowd.