What a guy, watched live on the day and thought, he is grounded and happy in his "back yard", and sure, why wouldn't you want to swap the smoke for that, great on the day and good to re-run again, could've listened to the memories all afternoon...
Absolutely brilliant, great watch, thanks for posting this, loved Andy Hunt.
I’m always surprised that him scoring with his last ever touch in professional football isn’t made a bigger deal of. Has that ever happened before? Excluding retirement after tournaments and shootouts etc?
Chris Powell can’t have been far off scoring from his last touch? Also against Coventry?
I’m always surprised that him scoring with his last ever touch in professional football isn’t made a bigger deal of. Has that ever happened before? Excluding retirement after tournaments and shootouts etc?
Chris Powell can’t have been far off scoring from his last touch? Also against Coventry?
he spent two years at Leicester after he left us the second time
Always remember his last goal. He wasn’t having a good game but it wasn’t clear at the time why. We knew the sub coming on would replace him and scoring wasn’t going to change that. We were very unlucky to have Mendonca and Hunt both retire within a few years.
What a guy, watched live on the day and thought, he is grounded and happy in his "back yard", and sure, why wouldn't you want to swap the smoke for that, great on the day and good to re-run again, could've listened to the memories all afternoon...
Always remember his last goal. He wasn’t having a good game but it wasn’t clear at the time why. We knew the sub coming on would replace him and scoring wasn’t going to change that. We were very unlucky to have Mendonca and Hunt both retire within a few years.
If you watch the footage when he has scored and comes of and sits in the dug out you can clearly see him say "I'm fucked!"
I think he epitomised a Curbishley style 'Charlton player', world class? no, a very solid good player who like the other 10 on the pitch with him made the team greater than the sum of it's individual parts and great characters.
That promotion season with him and Clive was an absolute joy, especially that winning run after Christmas of 12 games. So sad for him the illness but great to see he picked himself up and he looked really happy.
I think he epitomised a Curbishley style 'Charlton player', world class? no, a very solid good player who like the other 10 on the pitch with him made the team greater than the sum of it's individual parts and great characters.
That promotion season with him and Clive was an absolute joy, especially that winning run after Christmas of 12 games. So sad for him the illness but great to see he picked himself up and he looked really happy.
I think he epitomised a Curbishley style 'Charlton player', world class? no, a very solid good player who like the other 10 on the pitch with him made the team greater than the sum of it's individual parts and great characters.
That promotion season with him and Clive was an absolute joy, especially that winning run after Christmas of 12 games. So sad for him the illness but great to see he picked himself up and he looked really happy.
Hunt had loads of quality . Could run the channels, held the ball up, could score goals. Good enough for me .
Personally - I think Hunt was a better all round player than Clive but Mendonca was unreal in the box and a great finisher.. It is a shame, they didn't actually end up playing that many games together, could have been a great partnership.
Mendonca struggled a bit in his Premier League season, along with everyone else. He then missed a big chunk of the promotion season.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
1998/99 - Premier & Cups Clive Mendonca 28 apps & 8 goals Andy Hunt 37 apps & 7 goals
1999/2000 - First Division & Cups Clive Mendonca 22 apps & 9 goals Andy Hunt 49 apps & 25 goals
Mendonca struggled a bit in his Premier League season, along with everyone else. He then missed a big chunk of the promotion season.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
Clive had a chronic hip problem from about October . He was good until then
Mendonca struggled a bit in his Premier League season, along with everyone else. He then missed a big chunk of the promotion season.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
Clive had a chronic hip problem from about October . He was good until then
Looking at the records, he managed to play until Christmas and was basically out from Boxing Day onwards. The others (Svensson, Pringle & Kitson) did a very decent job of covering for him but only managed 7 goals between them.
Mendonca struggled a bit in his Premier League season, along with everyone else. He then missed a big chunk of the promotion season.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
Clive had a chronic hip problem from about October . He was good until then
Looking at the records, he managed to play until Christmas and was basically out from Boxing Day onwards. The others (Svensson, Pringle & Kitson) did a very decent job of covering for him but only managed 7 goals between them.
I meant in the Premier league season . He played after that but in my view was never the same again beyond October 98
Mendonca struggled a bit in his Premier League season, along with everyone else. He then missed a big chunk of the promotion season.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
Clive had a chronic hip problem from about October . He was good until then
Looking at the records, he managed to play until Christmas and was basically out from Boxing Day onwards. The others (Svensson, Pringle & Kitson) did a very decent job of covering for him but only managed 7 goals between them.
I meant in the Premier league season . He played after that but in my view was never the same again beyond October 98
Yes, looking back, he played almost solidly until December but then started to fade into sub appearances before being out completely until a few sporadic sub appearances towards the end. Was probably playing half-fit for a lot of that.
Mendonca struggled a bit in his Premier League season, along with everyone else. He then missed a big chunk of the promotion season.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
Clive had a chronic hip problem from about October . He was good until then
Looking at the records, he managed to play until Christmas and was basically out from Boxing Day onwards. The others (Svensson, Pringle & Kitson) did a very decent job of covering for him but only managed 7 goals between them.
I was behind the goal at Stockport that day, and that third goal hitting the net is still imprinted on my mind….AH seemed to hit it twice as hard as it looked on the video. Happy days.
Mendonca struggled a bit in his Premier League season, along with everyone else. He then missed a big chunk of the promotion season.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
Clive had a chronic hip problem from about October . He was good until then
Looking at the records, he managed to play until Christmas and was basically out from Boxing Day onwards. The others (Svensson, Pringle & Kitson) did a very decent job of covering for him but only managed 7 goals between them.
One of Kitson's goals beat Palace, well done him.
Yes, that was Kitson's only goal. Pringle got 4 and Svensson 2 (I recall Svensson taking ages to get off the mark and finally getting a diving header).
Mendonca struggled a bit in his Premier League season, along with everyone else. He then missed a big chunk of the promotion season.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
Clive had a chronic hip problem from about October . He was good until then
Looking at the records, he managed to play until Christmas and was basically out from Boxing Day onwards. The others (Svensson, Pringle & Kitson) did a very decent job of covering for him but only managed 7 goals between them.
One of Kitson's goals beat Palace, well done him.
Yes, that was Kitson's only goal. Pringle got 4 and Svensson 2 (I recall Svensson taking ages to get off the mark and finally getting a diving header).
I remember thinking Svensson was an absolute donkey in that promotion year but he had some decent games in the premier league the following season
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Great catch up with Andy on his first return to The Valley 2016 prior to a match V Chesterfield... some memorable old footage..
That promotion season with him and Clive was an absolute joy, especially that winning run after Christmas of 12 games. So sad for him the illness but great to see he picked himself up and he looked really happy.
Hunt struggled a bit for goals in the first Premier season too but was prolific in the promotion season and was on fire at the start of the new Premier season. As Curbishley said, he looked the real deal and a continuation of that form, would've seen him snapped up by one of the bigger clubs.
The first thing that struck me was his touch and physicality. He could play with his back to any defender so comfortably. In the Championship (or whatever it was called back then) there were more gaps for him to make his runs and suddenly we saw that side to his game plus goals. He also started to score headers, of which he only got one in the Premier (away to Southampton). Suddenly we had an all-round, top quality striker and he was more than ready for another crack at the Premier League.
1998/99 - Premier & Cups
Clive Mendonca 28 apps & 8 goals
Andy Hunt 37 apps & 7 goals
1999/2000 - First Division & Cups
Clive Mendonca 22 apps & 9 goals
Andy Hunt 49 apps & 25 goals
2001/2002 - Premier
Andy Hunt 8 apps & 4 goals