An amazing day and an amazing result. So glad the fans turned out to see it all and I'll remember it for many years to come. Well done to the Sunderland fan, most I spoke to were well behaved and honourable in defeat, horrible way to lose a final but a great way to win one too.
Now hopefully Roland can sell up and we can move on to better things.
Still can't believe how it all turned out. 3 hours before the game, I was stood outside my apartment building in LA having been evacuated by a fire drill, watching about 20 cars in flames wearing my charlton shirt I'd laid out before I went to bed in anticipation of the next morning. Thankfully they put the fire out before it got to my side of the building, but got about 90 minutes sleep before waking up at 6.45am to get the stream up and running. Exhausted, stinking of smoke and semi delusional, it took longer than planned to get the ESPN+ app working on the TV. Of course when I get it working, it's just in time to see Phillips looking shell shocked and Sunderland going mad. Honestly felt like everything was just destined to go tits up at that point. The noise I made when we got the winner woke the wife up who ran into the living room panicking thinking there was another fire or something Unbelievable scenes, even if I was just sat on my tod watching it at home! Still beaming about it
No disrespect to anyone who wasnt there, but I just don't think you can understand just how the 38k'ers felt the moment the ball hit the back of the net.......especially after the past 3 seasons stuck in League 1......and experiencing last seasons pitiful surrender to Shrewsbury over 2 legs.
I still cant believe we are in the Championship next season. Anyone know when its actually official.....as in, when the fecking BBC change their pages to show the teams & the divisions they are in ??
I think I'll only fully believe it on June 20th when the fixtures are out.
It would have slightly lessened the elation, as at the back of your mind there will be the "no point celebrating too much as it will be ruled out in a minute" thought nagging you...
Someone might have mentioned it already but the only disappointment was that Chris Solly didn’t get any playing time after being at the club throughout the bad times. Not a criticism of Bowyer or AD who played brilliantly but just a bit sad
I am so happy. I've watched the highlights, bought a load of newspapers, read everything on Twitter. Was at a wedding in Essex last night, drove back this morning, took a detour passed The Valley, stopped for breakfast at The Valley Cafe.
My favourite non-Charlton/England goal is Michael Thomas' league title winner for Arsenal at Anfield on 26 May 1989, exactly 30 years to the day before yesterday's play-off final - I always look at the Arsenal fans behind the goal, wondering what it would have been like to be in that moment, the split second before it hits the back of the net when you're suspended between agony and ecstacy, and then it goes in and for the next minute or so it's like someone's plugged you into the National Grid and turned the voltage up to maximum, but in a good way. And now Charlton have got their own Michael Thomas moment. I've watched this clip about 50 times, it never gets boring, just pick a different face to watch every time and then the mass carnage across our end of the stadium. Glorious.
Not sure it's been noted and don't think the TV picked it up either but noticed Lee and Naby, having a shouting match, lots of arm waving by both so not surprised he came off at half time. They were in each others face and I wondered at the time whether he would come out for the second half!! Baby shark bites
Peter Shirtliff, Richard Rufus , Patrick Bauer - -- remarkable that all 3 Number 5s have scored vital goals for us in play offs..... -- I remain convinced that this must in fact be some sort of dream - this doesn't happen to CAFC does it ?
Someone might have mentioned it already but the only disappointment was that Chris Solly didn’t get any playing time after being at the club throughout the bad times. Not a criticism of Bowyer or AD who played brilliantly but just a bit sad
Going up the steps and waiting to receive the trophy he did look a little despondent, or maybe just very relaxed. He isn’t one for the spotlight so maybe that had something to do with it.
Either way - he lifted the trophy for Charlton at Wembley at the end of his testimonial year, and his status as an all time Charlton legend is cemented.
Peter Shirtliff, Richard Rufus , Patrick Bauer - -- remarkable that all 3 Number 5s have scored vital goals for us in play offs..... -- I remain convinced that this must in fact be some sort of dream - this doesn't happen to CAFC does it ?
Maybe everyone should have a 5 in their squad number next season or, at the very least, a single number 5 somewhere on the kit - guaranteed goals at crucial times!
Lets hope if we can keep most/all of the present squad and that we can emulate the 1930's when we gained consecutive promotions under Jimmy Seed. Just waiting for Lee B to sign new contract then will get hopefully my old season ticket seat back. COYR!
Peter Shirtliff, Richard Rufus , Patrick Bauer - -- remarkable that all 3 Number 5s have scored vital goals for us in play offs..... -- I remain convinced that this must in fact be some sort of dream - this doesn't happen to CAFC does it ?
Maybe everyone should have a 5 in their squad number next season or, at the very least, a single number 5 somewhere on the kit - guaranteed goals at crucial times!
How about, in small numbers just above the badge "93:54"?
Peter Shirtliff, Richard Rufus , Patrick Bauer - -- remarkable that all 3 Number 5s have scored vital goals for us in play offs..... -- I remain convinced that this must in fact be some sort of dream - this doesn't happen to CAFC does it ?
Maybe everyone should have a 5 in their squad number next season or, at the very least, a single number 5 somewhere on the kit - guaranteed goals at crucial times!
How about, in small numbers just above the badge "93:54"?
Over the years I've learned not to expect too much when watching Charlton, but when "Naby passed to Dillon", that was an all-time low moment. I was thinking in terms of 4 or 5, but when Dillon made a really good save just afterwards, and when Pratley started to kick their midfield up in the air, I realised we weren't going to fold.
When our own BFG scored with a few seconds to go, I must have been the only person in our half of the ground not shouting and dancing. I just stood there, with my mouth open, I assume, not believing what I was seeing. That sort of thing doesn't happen to us, does it? Why is Jackson sprinting down the touchline like Usain Bolt? What's going on? It was only when my neighbour nearly knocked me over that I realised we had won.
My son and I had a good chat with Patrick when the pre-season tour was in Austria a few years ago, so we were both really happy that he got the winner.
Finally, if the bloke on the 7.05 Level flight from Vienna to Gatwick last Sunday, wearing our shirt, is reading this, I'm sorry but I didn't notice you until you ran past me to get off the plane. I certainly wasn't expecting to see another Charlton shirt in Vienna. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did.
Over the years I've learned not to expect too much when watching Charlton, but when "Naby passed to Dillon", that was an all-time low moment. I was thinking in terms of 4 or 5, but when Dillon made a really good save just afterwards, and when Pratley started to kick their midfield up in the air, I realised we weren't going to fold.
When our own BFG scored with a few seconds to go, I must have been the only person in our half of the ground not shouting and dancing. I just stood there, with my mouth open, I assume, not believing what I was seeing. That sort of thing doesn't happen to us, does it? Why is Jackson sprinting down the touchline like Usain Bolt? What's going on? It was only when my neighbour nearly knocked me over that I realised we had won.
My son and I had a good chat with Patrick when the pre-season tour was in Austria a few years ago, so we were both really happy that he got the winner.
Finally, if the bloke on the 7.05 Level flight from Vienna to Gatwick last Sunday, wearing our shirt, is reading this, I'm sorry but I didn't notice you until you ran past me to get off the plane. I certainly wasn't expecting to see another Charlton shirt in Vienna. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as we did.
Comments
I'm in a Charlton bubble and I like it.
If not it should be.
I love this thread, club, manager, team and fanbase.
Either way - he lifted the trophy for Charlton at Wembley at the end of his testimonial year, and his status as an all time Charlton legend is cemented.
Mind you the Donny pens were amazing, until the EFL striker of the year took one ;-)
emulate the 1930's when we gained consecutive promotions under
Jimmy Seed. Just waiting for Lee B to sign new contract then
will get hopefully my old season ticket seat back. COYR!
again!