Tuesday 10 November 2009

Blog suspended

This blog is being suspended for a while. The negativity and pessimism of Charlton fans has really become too much for me. It may be that fans of all clubs are negative or it may be that there is something in the view of Inspector Sands that the Addickted are subject to a particular kind of suburban misery. It's noticeable that when we get a win there are few comments on the list run by Glynne Jones, but get a poor result and there is a torrent of complaint.

Charlton are 2nd in the table but there are demands for the manager to be sacked. OK, we lost to a non-league club for the first time in our history, but have the managers of Crewe, Grismby, Shrewsbury and Yeovil been sacked? Fans keep going on about the form table, but it is the real table that matters.

Just to reiterate some messages I have been trying to put across:
1. Phil Parkinson is not a brilliant manager, but he is what we can afford and any replacement would face the same constraints.
2. We have a thin squad which has been hit by injury to key players. The club doesn't have money to spend on new players.
3. Realistically the best we can hope for is a play off place.

Apart from the negativity making following Charlton a dismal experience, it doesn't help when we face a key game like that on Saturday and the fans start getting on the back of players.

As far as Wednesday's game is concerned, I don't really have any suggestions to make about who should play up front. Indeed, I find match previews difficult anyway and they are better done by some other blogs. I would just make the following comments:
1. Burton: playing through the main barrier, needs to be rested for Saturday.
2. McLeod: not up to the standard required.
3. McKenzie: still a bit of an unknown quantity, but perhaps could start.
4. Mooney: not cup tied, so could be played.
5. Tuna: disappointing in the FA Youth Cup, I am told.

At the moment, Charlton is the sourest aspect of my life and that is not a satisfactory state of affairs. I do not feel that reasoned argument gets anywhere given the embedded negativity. So I will take a break for a while and possibly come back refreshed at a later date.

41 comments:

1979addick said...

Wyn, I have been an avid reader of your blog for many a year and am gutted that you are suspending writing for a while, although I do completely understand your decision. It has been said before but one of the worst things about being a Charlton fan is other Charlton fans, however in your case that statement could not be further from the truth. I look foward to your return whenever it may be. Up the Addicks.

StoneMuse said...

Come back soon Wyn. I understand how you feel, my blog posts get more intermittent as time goes on and Charlton Life is a well of disaster at the moment.

Best post of today was 'Get a grip' ... I wish most of them would!

Anonymous said...

I'd love to say "please don't go Wyn" but very much understand your decision. Writing such a blog puts you in the front line in many ways.

I shall miss your match reports most of all - the best by far.

Take care mate and come back refreshed soon. For what its worth some of us do absorb and try to effect your pearls of wisdom


Pembury Addick

Friendly Henry said...

I can understand your reasons, but you'll be sadly missed by many. Some of us do want to support the club, support the team and have fun at matches, win or lose. That's surely why we all started going to football in the first place.
I couldn't help thinking how much fun it would have been to be a Wimbledon fan last night. I wish we could have such passionate, positive support.

sillav nitram said...

totally understand your decision and i couldn't agree more re, your thoughts about the general charlton fans attitude. but in fairness, i'm one of the, over 40 years brigade and apart from perhaps 10 years, most of the time supporting charlton has been a depressing affair, with very few highlights! have a rest and come back soon.

Jules1 said...

Wynn
Thats disappointing and I feel I might have contributed to the overall malaise with my post a couple of days back. To be honest , its nice to have somewhere to have a bit of a moan or make some observations . Its better than kicking the cat or talking to yourself ( the wife)
I think you should reconsider out of a sense of social responsibility and my sanity

Anonymous said...

Of all the blogs, your's seems to be the best and factual. Your positivity does grate and second in the third division and being knocked out of the cup by non league side is pretty grim. The quality of football has gone downhill considerably since the first six games of the season, and that effects the fans mood.
In the real world my wife has left me, I have two young children who I am the main carer for, and my business has taken a battering from becoming a back seat boss. When real things happen football becomes no more than a passing hobby, one has real issues to deal with. Yes Charlton can get the fans down but lets keep it in perpective! Look forward to reading your blog again soon.

Wyn Grant said...

It certainly wasn't a response to any particular post. I also realise that people face much bigger challenges in their lives as noted in the last post. It was just that it had stopped being fun and become a source of sourness. I think the pessimism, although it does have a basis in reality, is being overdone and can become self-defeating.

I'm not closing down, just taking a break to refresh and reinvigorate. I may come back just as a match reports blog which is what it was originally.

Jan Becher said...

As a lawyer I can only call this a cruel and unusual punishment. You are right about the negativity (although I just had to sit through a lunch with people with two people from Cheshire who had been to the match at Northwich) but I am looking forward to the blog suspension being lifted again (as with the Chelsea transfer ban I take this to be a foregone conclusion).

Rob said...

Hello Wyn
I understand your decision and lets face it, it has been a bleak experience being a Charlton fan for the past 3 years. However as a fellow blogger, although in the economic sphere, I can say that feedback is very important. The feedback you have had should tell you that you play an important role in the (small) world of committed Charlton fans.
Don't give up ,mate. After all, persisting in our folly is what makes us different from Man U fans.

Ketts said...

Make the break a short one Wyn. Re-charge those batteries & come back to blog land soon.

Things are not great right now but it would not be Charlton if it was a smooth ride.

Hopefully read your thoughts again very soon. Take care.

Anonymous said...

Wyn, I read your blog for sometime now, in fact I've got you in my favourites. Its the first one I read when logging on to For ever Charlron, which I will always be. Since we have been addicted for about the same length of time, I always read your blog with interest. Sorry to see you go mate have felt I have come to know you over the years. Come back soon fully refreshed. Your Fans need you. Take care John Walker

lesberry'sdbp said...

Wyn,
Completely understand your reasoning,and have enjoyed your blog over the last few years,well informed and well written.

Come wind, rain, and whatever division we end up in I'll still go and will stil support the team/players. I agree with you that getting on players backs especially when lacking confidence doesn't help.

PP has to try something else and the best option (although untried) at the moment does appear to be Mooney/McKenzie.

We have to get lucky at some point with our strikers.
Hope you come back soon!

AC said...

What a pity. Your blog is by far the most interesting and informative. Hope you come back soon.

Luv Robin said...

Jenny is going to miss the updates on the Brakes. She still talks about that lovely evening. Enjoy your "break" and come back soon.

Phil said...

Sorry to hear that Wyn. I've always enjoyed reading your blog.

Hope the break does the trick and look forward to reading your thoughts again soon.

Phil.

Anonymous said...

The last few years have been a rough ride Wyn, but I've enjoyed reading your comments as I've always felt they carried some authority and a reasoned response. I agree with you that the best we are likely to achieve this season is a play-off position, but that is not bad given the poor state we were in at the end of last season. Hope you'll feel refreshed and rejuvenated sooner rather than later. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I know how you feel Wyn. However, isn’t it rather contradictory that you are giving into the negativity of some fans thus becoming one of them too? You have the best blog on our team around, one I always read and look forward to reading. Would much rather you continue as would everyone else. Did not expect you to give it up. Bcaddick.

peterB said...

Wyn, I hope that you will want to come back to your blog soon. I'll miss the balanced voice of reason and an entertaining personal perspective.
I've been following your blog for many years, so, until your blog returns, thanks for the entertainment and the the work and dedication in keeping it relevant and enjoyable for so long

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear this but hopefully we can still read your match reports. I rarely read any other blogs.
As previously mentioned, I too have you on my favorites (note the US spelling)
Looking ahead with postive vibes.
Best regards Len

Wyn Grant said...

There is a logic in what BC Addick says, but I have just got weary of the tendency of fans to look on the negative side of every situation. Doing the blog has stopped being enjoyable and that is the main motive for doing it.

Hilltothevalley said...

Truth be known , Wynn has just won £45 million on the Euro jackpot and needs a bit of time to spend the monye. Looking forward to the new Addicks Loads a money Diary

New York Addick said...

Wyn, I hope you reconsider and change your mind. Like many others I'm sure, I turn to your blog when Charlton news breaks before I turn to the club website.

As a fellow blogger, I've tried to be realistic, not optimistic or pessimistic. However when I started blogging in 2004, we had just finished 7th in the Premiership and just five years later, we are losing to Northwich Victoria and it's barely even news any more.

As falls from grace go, it takes some beating and unfortunately I think even Alastair Campbell would struggle to put a positive spin on it. Unfortunately realism can read like pessimism, when infact it's merely a factual assessment of a very depressing couple of years.

Otherwarwickaddick said...

What about Brakes and the Blaze! You've got to keep us up to date with those especially for those of us who don't have access to the Courier (who don't cover Cventry Blaze in any case). - and perhaps you could mention the Addicks as an aside.....

ChicagoAddick said...

I've met you a few times Wyn and frankly you are someone I could listen to for hours. As someone said you talk with authority and deep love of the club and you appear to have a sixth sense of what goes on at The Valley.

As NYA said it is here that I turn for Charlton news and stories. Enjoy the break, I hope you miss 'it' and return back soon. CA

Anonymous said...

Being a Charlton Fan has always been a labor of love and pessimism is hardly surprising when the writing is on the wall for all to see that the team has lost its way AGAIN.
I always reed your blog and admire your informative match reports from afar. I hope you feel inspired again soon ! i hope we all do !

sm said...

Perhaps we are such a bunch of miserable so and sos because we know that we will appreciate the highs when they do eventually come along. It appears that we now have the dual pleasures of Charlton's recovery and the return of this blog to look forward to.


Wouldn't it be incredibly boring to support a team that is always winning.

Anonymous said...

Wyn

Thanks for all the posts over the years which I have enjoyed enormously. There is no point doing it if it has become a chore.

I enjoy the Charlton blogosphere, and think we are lucky in the quality of it. With the loss of yourself and NYA, it is going to be a poorer place. I do feel like a freeloader sometimes, as I do not run a blog myself - perhaps all of us commenting here should start a blog and over time we would see which ones were good and had the legs to keep going. However, I am not sure any of us could ever match your canine analysts, the Silver Bone and Juno the Soccer Cat.

Corner Counter

Unknown said...

I have enjoyed your blog for several years and been guilty of the occasional negative comment.My daughter tells me supporting Charlton is 95% pain I cannot argue, but when the 5% joy comes it all seems worthwhile.

Please come back soon as yours is the only blog I read regularly

jula meadows said...

Wyn, I wanted to add my thanks. Not something we often say to bloggers, but I always enjoy reading what you have to say. Until the past couple of weeks I've actually enjoyed games this season more than for a long time but, like you, find the very vocal anger and vitriol of others in the stands and online a bit unpleasant.

Anonymous said...

Think you'd have been proud of me tonight, a gobby middle aged woman was slagging the team off from two rows behind me so I challenged her and suggested she should be supporting the team or otherwise sitting with the Saints fans.

Malcolm - Sussex said...

Dear Wyn, Really sorry that you have decided to suspend your blog - I look forward to reading it every day! I've been supporting the Addicks for over 60 years and the happiness of fans has definitely dwindled over that period - is it a general malaise felt by the public as a whole? Whilst understanding how you feel, I hope you you will resume normal service soon - I will certainly miss your match reports and the latest gossip! Best regards ... Malcolm

Friendly Henry said...

Sorry, but how can positivity grate? Jeez, there's enough real problems in the world to worry about... If you get no enjoyment out of following your team, really, what is the point?

Anonymous said...

its sad when a charlton supporter becomes disallusioned for whatever reason Just think how lucky we are supporting an 'interesting ' team (some ups and some downs over the years) (i have supported them since 1946 so have seen good and bad times. BUT how glad i am to support Charlton and not say Man U - now that must be really boring all that regularity of winning! They moan afer only one loss !!

Anonymous said...

I read your blog when I'm supposed to be working. It's far and away the best Charlton blog. Take that break and come back soon, please.

Anonymous said...

Wyn,
No point in me reiterating what has already been said what has already been said. I will only add that I have been following your diaries and blog for many years and have many book marked with the earliest being from 1998. The diaries make great reading as they come from a period when trying to find a report on a Charlton game was almost impossible. However, this is no longer the case and reports are now much easier to come by. I would urge you to continue with your blog in its present format as it truely is the best of the CAFC blogs for infomative, well written and current information. And where else would we get the chance to follow the adventures of Leamington and the Blaze!
Refresh your batteries and come back soon!

Anonymous said...

Agreed. Come back soon, I will miss this blog while it's gone.

Ken Jennings said...

Wyn: Have been Absent Without Leave and just caught this latest post.
I agree that it can be depressing, as even when the team are not playing too badly, there are always the moaners in the crowd but when the team are stinking the place out(especially after showing what they CAN do),it is decidedly difficult to ignore those moaners. Same is reflected on the internet, of course).

Sometimes you have to "Just lie there and think of Charlton" and get those fingers tapping the keys again ;-)

Come back soon, please!

Finkle said...

Hey Wyn, just to let you know that I think it's a shame the you're stopping the blog. It's my first port of call for Charlton news because, as you say, it's more positive than most Charlton news on the Internet (The Charlton Life forum springs to mind)

David Bingham said...

Wyn,

I hope that our recent exchange of views on the mailing list was not a catalyst for your decision.

It is rare that we disagree and I enjoy the intelligent debate we have had over the years and your blog in particular.

I understand your feelings and hope you are able to start blogging again soon.

Charlton Til I Die.

Wyn Grant said...

Let me emphasise that the decision was nothing to do with any particular exchange or set of comments. It was just a sense of overwhelming negativity. Thanks for all the supportive comments, I will try not to take too long a break.