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"Charlton hint at return to former glories after years of decline" Report

edited November 2010 in General Charlton
Jeremy Alexander at London Road - The Guardian

Charlton have struggled since the departure of Alan Curbishley in 2006 but they are ready to put their recent toils behind them

"Doing a Charlton" has fallen into abeyance. For a while it was the aspiration of every club entering the Premier League. Then, in May 2006, Alan Curbishley left, having settled the club comfortably in the top tier for six years between seventh and 14th places, and 12 months and three managers later Charlton were relegated. In another two years they were in League One. Doing a Charlton had lost its cachet.

That may be about to change again. Peterborough are not quite Manchester City or Everton, whom Charlton beat and drew with in November 2006, but they were fourth in the table to Charlton's fifth on Saturday morning and were rolled over 5-1 at home. Not for nothing is a sword at the heart of the Addicks' crest.

Before the game Peterborough topped the charts in "goals against" as well as "for" in the division. But Charlton, arriving on a tight-lipped run, departed in smiles. "To win so convincingly away, obviously you never expect that, but we are pleased," said their manager, Phil Parkinson. His feet have never knowingly left the ground.

In retrospect the result was a formality. In defence The Posh were tosh and Charlton, never pausing on the break, when so often opportunities are lost, tore them apart with the zippy, slippy play of Paul Benson and Lee Martin, an early substitute for Joe Anyinsah. Those front two were helped by the acute promptings of Therry Racon and José Semedo and when, after three half-time substitutions, Peterborough responded with a degree of purpose and a free-kick goal, Christian Dailly and Gary Doherty brought the experience of 67 years to bear in central defence.

Charlton had been four up after 38 minutes, which is exactly what Cardiff City were last season here before drawing 4-4. Their fans are not yet so sure of the current team as to rest easy at any score but, having passed seven hours in all games without conceding, Charlton were annoyed to see the spell broken, betraying a steely new mentality. Martin's second goal, to go with two from Johnnie Jackson and one from Racon, ensured they scored five away from home in the league for the first time since a 5-2 win at Grimsby in 1999.

Peterborough's manager, Gary Johnson, did not mince words afterwards. "There is going to be a lot of soul-searching and some of the lads have big decisions to make over whether they want to be part of what we are trying to achieve," he said.

There are no such doubts with Charlton. Parachute payments are history; TV money is a tenth of the £6m it was even in the Championship; 20 players left in the summer (plus Jonjo Shelvey to Liverpool in April for £1.7m from their prized academy before they got much out of him) and only 12 came in. Crowds, though impressive for League One, are more than 10,000 short of those they had in the Premier League, so cloth is being cut according to reduced means. But smaller squads have a virtue in core spirit that Manchester City may not understand. Core spirit is strong.

Richard Murray, who became chairman in 1995, admitted in his last annual report to boardroom mistakes, markedly in managerial appointments after Curbishley's departure. Parkinson, given the job after eight games as caretaker without a win, does not seem to have been one of them. There is a feeling now, born of stability, that the club is ready to go forward. They have known worse than League One – in March 1984 they were within 25 minutes of liquidation – but nothing as bad as the spectre of Peter Ridsdale, of Leeds and Cardiff notoriety, reportedly sniffing around The Valley. Murray was quick to dismiss the story, as did Ridsdale, and deny other takeover talk while admitting he is "open to investment or even a buy- out if it is in the club's best interests".

Those best interests will be served in the short term by promotion. Only Brighton, who inflicted a wake-up 4-0 defeat last month, are above them. Murray believes Charlton should be "a top Championship team". Johnson thought "the two teams looked a couple of leagues apart", which would put Charlton back in the top tier were it not for his own side's poverty.

The Valley is one of the best old-style grounds in the country since Charlton spent £37m on it while lodging at Selhurst and Upton Parks for eight years. In 2004 they gained permission to extend the East Stand, pushing total capacity to 40,000; that is on hold. The 2012 Olympics have produced regeneration around Greenwich that will enhance their catchment potential. And last month Charlton reiterated full commitment to their academy.

Ultimately attraction of investment is related to quality of performance and vice versa. It is a chicken-and-egg situation. Such a victory is a serious egg. They will not be counting them but doing a Charlton may soon be worthwhile again.



Charlton Lee Martin is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring Charlton's fourth goal in their 5-1 win against Peterborough.
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Comments

  • I have not seen a report like that about Charlton for some time. Lets noet get carried away though still a long way to go.
  • That's probably the first time i've read a report from a non-charlton journo where i have thought they have 'understood us'.

    Well done Mr Alexander.
  • what a great "feel-good" article to read on a monday morning.
  • [cite]Posted By: roseandcrown[/cite]I have not seen a report like that about Charlton for some time. Lets not get carried away though still a long way to go.

    indeed.
  • A good impartial report, nice to see a little bit of recognition for the players and Parky.
  • Crikey!
    What a feelgood piece. Well spotted Henry!

    Henry's post led me to read a collection of Mr Alexanders pieces from around the lower leagues.
    He has a talent of reporting the facts, researching the stats, adding a good dollop of humour (see the Hull report below) and seems to connect to the fans view - I assume he goes for a pre match drink and asks real fans whats going on.

    He is excellent at evoking what it is to be a fan at plaxes like Underhill

    ''There is a charm to the game in the lower regions, an intimacy and sense of belonging long lost at Old Trafford. Bartlett, if he was not consoled by Paul Robinson, can console himself that his blooper was seen by only 225 Hereford followers, not a whole nation on TV. After the finish another game was taking place in the drizzle on an adjacent pitch – a level playing field – with four Barnet fathers and sons from six upwards emulating men they had been almost in touching distance of 15 minutes before. It was pure fun, dreaming for some and no place for mothers-in-law.''

    On the Hull Portsmouth game
    ''Dowie was an impact player, a brave centre-forward who broke 25 noses, all of them his own. With Phil Brown released on tanning leave after one win in 16 league games he has been engaged as an impact manager even if "freelance managerial consultant" is hardly an impact title. Nor did it help that Adam Pearson, Hull's chairman, let on that he saw the appointment question as multiple-choice, Dowie being fifth.''
  • Worrying thing is Benno has missed the target by a long way in that photo
  • That has made my monday morning a lot brighter :)
  • Wow - a decent piece about our favourite club and not a trace of sniping in there either!

    Really nice to see a piece that is factually correct and not biased!
  • Lovely piece and one which actually seems to understand our great club. Saturday was fantastic as it was only a matter of time before we battered someone and it's nice that that someone was a team that will surely be there or thereabouts come May. The recent run has been very uplifting and maybe if we are still 2nd in February we can dare to dream, at the moment it is one block at a time- but let's be honest there is little better in this division if we carry on playing like this.
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  • Wow - That has made me feel all warm and tingly
  • what an excellent well thought-out article - great to read
  • Loving Wagstaffs hand and Johnnies face in that pic!

    and good to see Benno sliding himself away from the celebrations lol
  • And to think there are a few people on here who knock The Guardian.
    Best piece I've read from a paper for a long time.
  • Thanks for sharing this, Henry.

    We normally don't get more than a couple of lines in the national press these days, in fact it's not even worth the bother to read reports online.
  • Loving Wagstaffs hand and Johnnies face in that pic! - A caption competition if ever there was one!

    And to think there are a few people on here who knock The Guardian - to be honest, it's be dumbed downn ever since it went to a more tabloid look - most articles read like a blog penned by a 6th form college student. Saying that it's still the my most visited website - love it, but I fookin hate it sometimes. But that's not taking anything away from the above article; by far the best piece I've read about us in a long while.
  • "Not for nothing is a sword at the heart of the Addicks' crest."

    Love it
  • there was a very good two page piece in the Football League paper on Sunday along similar lines. Would make an interesting read if it can be found on-line.
  • [cite]Posted By: stonemuse[/cite]"Not for nothing is a sword at the heart of the Addicks' crest."

    Love it
    Great article. Still buzzing after saturday and it's a long time since i went to a match where i keep wanting to say " I was there!"
  • Its all back on!!!
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  • Anyone notice how many charlton players got in The Sun's league one team of the week today? None!!!!
  • edited November 2010
    RM wants to send Jeremy Alexander a case of something fizzy (although it maybe Asti...)
  • [cite]Posted By: Bedsaddick[/cite]Anyone notice how many charlton players got in The Sun's league one team of the week today? None!!!!

    Laughable!
  • There's only one real well done there, and it's Richard Murray. If Murray hadn't spent his own money, no doubt with a little bit from the other present/former board members as well, Parky would never have been able to sign proven league one players. Congrats to Parky as well, for the first time in years Charlton have brought in proven performers at this level. Last year there were too many former champ players. This year we've seemed to get players who can play higher, but have very recently proved they are top class in League One.
  • What, no place for Dailly, Semedo, Racon, Martin and Benno......?
  • We should start a Takeover thread.
  • I won't believe it until it's on the OS...
  • Jeremy Alexander is my wife's uncle. I'm glad that there have been a lot of goods words to say about his article, and obviously by Jeremy about Charlton.

    I spoke to Jeremy earlier and passed on the compliments to him. I just managed to catch him before he was about to cycle into the Guardian to start work. He's chuffed that people thought it was a good read. I believe he will take a look at Charlton Life when he gets into work to see what people have had to say.
  • [cite]Posted By: Senpai[/cite]Jeremy Alexander is my wife's uncle. I'm glad that there have been a lot of goods words to say about his article, and obviously by Jeremy about Charlton.

    I spoke to Jeremy earlier and passed on the compliments to him. I just managed to catch him before he was about to cycle into the Guardian to start work. He's chuffed that people thought it was a good read. I believe he will take a look at Charlton Life when he gets into work to see what people have had to say.

    Is he charlton? if not who does he support? Great article have tweeted it.
  • And he does not let the facts get in the way of a good story, the 37million was NOT spent while we were at Selhurst and Upton Park but after we returned! The Planning permission for the East Stand was granted in 2005 not 2004.
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