***MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL LIFERS***

It's hard to believe this is now the eighth Christmas message we’ve put out. Our first one bemoaned Charlton’s misfortunes and not having much to cheer about, and it is fair to say very little has changed since!

For various reasons, the last year has been a particularly difficult one for the pair of us, and with that in mind we are even more grateful than normal to the handful of people that do that ‘little bit extra’ to keep this operation ticking over. The fact a lot gets taken for granted is testament to the consistent commitment that those people put to things like moderating, previews, match related threads, stats, auctions, quizzes, sponsorships etc. Things that are just ‘there’ when you expect them to be.

We’ve introduced some changes of late with the Reactions and Best Of options as we try to find subtle ways to improve content and recognise appreciated users. We’ve a few more changes hopefully in the new year. We’ve introduced adverts of late to try and claw back the ever growing costs associated with the site. We’ve not wanted to impact on people at Christmas time, but in the New Year we will be adding a donations link to help us try and make CL become self-sufficient. We will turn to this again in the New Year.

As we say every year, CL is every members platform. The opportunity is there for you to utilise it as much as you want, so if you wish to get involved in any way, or have any ideas, please send us an inbox, or email to admin@charltonlife.com. The three articles this week on the Upbeats, Italian football, and managerial change analysis are an example to the potential variety on offer.

So to everyone who posts or reads this site, wherever you are in the world, thank you for using CL and we wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

AFKA & Lookout