The Addicks avoided the humiliation of relegation at the Ricoh in front of a crowd of 16,121 today by obtaining their third goalless draw in four matches. However, they are hanging on to their Championship status by their fingernails with Norwich and Southampton winning (the latter against Crystal Palace) and Forest drawing with the Blades.
Shelvey found the back of the net, but had his effort disallowed. Bailey had a chance to secure all three points towards the end of the match, but hit the post. Once again Charlton's lack of effective strikers showed.
Before the game Sky Sports News featured a reporter who must have got his Media Studies degree last year who gleefully informed us that Charlton could go down to the third tier for the first time since the 1930s. So much for contemporary sports journalism.
Luton are the first team to be relegated in the Football League this season, but they laboured under the burden of a massive points deduction and ex-Addick Kevin Nicholls had the honour of lifting the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Wembley. One for us next season?
9 comments:
Another clean sheet is a real bonus and bodes well for next year if we can sign Ward and keep Hudson. Our lack of quality in the striking department worries me much less. If you look at our goals for and against against, it's clear that woeful and comical defending undid us this season. It's a pity it took the management so long to realise.
The JPT is a competition that clubs do not seem to take seriously.There are even rules demanding a certain number of players who have played in the previous couple of games must be included.
It would appear a good route for a Wembley appearance if approached in the correct manner.However,the Leaue will always be given priority.
Hi Gwyn
I always read your blog with interest (along with some of the others), so thought it would be a good forum to post the following.
It has been for some time a bit of an in joke within the ground about the massaging of actual attendances with the inclusion of absent season ticket holders in the weekly figures announced. In as much as the 'club' seem to have this idea that if they admit to much lower turn outs than those published it means we are a failing club with a constricting support. I note with interest that within the official club website, where usually with the match report the (manipulated) attendance is included this is not attatched to the Birmingham game. (I was there and was the emptiest i've seen The Valley since the 'good old days', certainly no way near the average 20 or so thousand). Wondered whether this was an oversite, or a case that the Valley PR spin doctors could not bring themselves to do the usual inclusion of absentee's ??? Not that it matters particularly, I just found it amusing.
I don't know why the information was omitted on this occasion, although the attendance did seem low (partly because Birmingham brought relatively few supporters for a club supposedly on the verge of Premiership glory). The official club explantion for the figure usually given is that the 3 per cent levy paid to the Football League is based on seats sold rather than occupied. Also it would take quite a lot of time to count all the ticket stubs.
It seems that all clubs show tickets sold as the attendance. If you read the report in the attached link http://www.coventrycity-mad.co.uk/news/loadrprt.asp?cid=MTCH&id=442950 you will notice that the blogger commented that there were "howls of derision" when the attendance of 16127 was announced, his view was that there it was no more than 14000.
The system is ludicrous. In charlton's case it's made worse by the fact we have a high number of season ticket holders V ground capacity.
The discrepancy is unlikely to be as obvious next season.
Daggs - the discrepancy will be less obvious, masterful understatement!
Wyn - which are you suggesting charlton should pursue for next season? Kevin Nicholls or the JPT?
I attended said final (with Luton supporters) and thoroughly enjoyed the day out, Nicholls was clearly the man of the match. Charlton should keenly pursue both. My JPT final ticket was £20 - Charlton board setting next season's admission prices please note, inwardly digest and revise your expectations forthwith.
Yes SCN it was meant to be !!
I would go after Nicholls and I would try and have a serious go at the JPT, instead of our usual 'can't be bothered' attitude towards cups, important though the league is. And I would make JPT home fixtures in the early round free for season ticket holders and a low price for walk ups (if that is allowed).
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