Crown Berger Cup retained

Charlton retained the Crown Berger Cup with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Welling at Park View Road yesterday afternoon. The goals came from Morrison who nodded in a free kick and there was a 25-yard wonder strike from Danny Green, matched by a very modest celebration. The third goal came from 'A Trialist'.

This turns out to be 24-year old Sam Williams who was released by Yeovil. He comes from Plumstead (always a plus in my view) and was in our Academy before he went to Villa at the same time as Kinsella. He scored regularly for the reserves there. His Wikipedia entry is here: Williams

The Addickted present thought that it was an encouraging display, especially in the second half when something like the first choice team appeared to be playing.

Speaking after the game equine magnate John Window commented, 'Liked the German left back, big lad. Solly very good. Sullivan more confident than Elliot. Mambo certainly for the future. Their right back looked useful and I was told CP is looking at him. All in all, very good, BUT it was Welling.'

The true massives

Manchester City sometimes claim to be a massive club, but the real title belongs to Staines Town. Unfortunately, Mambo was not able to start his work experience there before he was called to Griffin Park to sit on the bench. But then at least he didn't have to meet any of the fans ...

Midlife Olympics

The one sure name on the Charlton teamsheet is Rob Elliot (we hope), but in an emergency we could always call on Merryn Smith. Seen here at the Garrison Field in the World's Smallest Football League, the hapless Garrison Gunners don't seem to be troubling the Woolpack Wanderers keeper all that much.

On Christmas Eve, I watched Victoria Wood's Christmas programme. It was a bit of a curate's egg and one of the least successful skits was the 'Midlife Olympics' which were staged at Brentford's Griffin Park. Makes sense: it's just down the road from the BBC Television Centre and no doubt the Beehive comes cheap.

A good friend of mine is a lifelong Brentford supporter. By lifelong I mean lifelong: he has lived all his life in the same house in Acton. But now he has having a struggle to prevent his children becoming Gooners or even Super Hoops.

Brentford were at one time a more successful team than they are today. I have a DVD of the Arsenal Stadium Mystery: when asked to explain the murder, the manager says 'I didn't see it.' There are extensive excerpts from a game between Arsenal and Brentford: it all looks very kick-and-rush.

By 1936-7 Brentford were the 8th best supported Division 1 club. However, they got relegated from the top flight in the first post-war season, never to return. In West London, they have to compete with the Super Hoops of Queen's Park Rangers and Chelsea as well. There has been talk of moving to a new stadium in the direction of Heathrow, but it never seems to come to anything.

Some people dismissed our hard fought victory over them in front of the Sky TV cameras at The Valley as just another one over a lower table side, but many pundits were tipping them for at least a play off place at the start of the season. They are clearly a decent enough League 1 side.

Charlton have managed to create problems for themselves. Passion can be a double edged sword and Sam Sodje has been banned for four games as it was his second red of the season and his third straight red since joining the club. Some people have been suggesting that Mambo should be recalled from the Staines Massive, but Semedo will have to slot into the centre back role. With Dailly still ill, Llera will have to try and match his heroics in attack on Boxing Day by showing sufficient sharpness in defence.

Charlton Athletic Online has already made the point that a 4-5-1 formation is a likely reaction to the absence of Deon Burton. Burton will be missed because he is a very effective player, not just in terms of scoring goals. Whether he thought that punching the ball into the back of the net was some sort of Christmas comedy routine I don't know, but it was as unfunny as many of the Christmas offerings on television and one can hardly blame the referee for applying the laws of the game.

The bookies have now decided that Norwich are the hot favourites for automatic promotion along with Leeds and that seems to be the agenda of the Football League programme on television. However, as Alan Curbishley used to say, 'It's a long old season.' Norwich are away to Walsall which should be relatively straightforward for them if they are as brilliant as some people claim, but Colchester have a trickier match at home to Southampton.

Charlton are turning into draw specialists and I am forecasting a share of the points at Griffin Park at 1-1, but it could well be a defeat. I won't be going, partly because of the difficulty of parking and partly because, having taken a few days off, I need to catch up with work. Paul May will be there and will be providing his usual authoritative commentary.

Jimmy Seed's old club

Clapton Orient (as it then was) was the club where Jimmy Seed began his managerial career on £12 a week. Arsenal planned to buy the club and turn into a nursery club but the Football League ruled the move illegal - a mistake in my view. The Gliksteens had an association with the club before becoming involved in Charlton and this is how Seed came to Charlton and turned them into a real force in football.

All 3,000 away tickets have been sold for tomorrow night's League 1 clash. Not so long some of the Addickted were forecasting relegation to League 2 because of Parkinson's alleged tactical ineptitude. These were the same people who said we wouldn't sell 5,000 season tickets or get 10,000 in The Valley.

Now, after two league wins, the gloom has turned into euphoria. It truly is the goldfish syndrome. Let's hope expectations are not dashed.

In the Premiership, there were really three types of teams. The top four plus the 'nearly men' hoping for a Uefa cup place. Then there was the mid-table mediocrity league, at one time including Charlton. And finally the relegation league.

In League 1 there are really two sorts of clubs. Those that might at least hope for a play off place or just fall short (Charlton). And those who could be sucked into a relegation battle as the season wears on, a category that includes Orient.

I would like to have gone to the Matchroom Stadium. Apparently, a block of flats has been built in one of the corners of the away end and the inhabitants can exchange cheery greetings with the normal handful of fans. They may have a shock tomorrow night.

Llera was dimissed by some fans as a carthorse after the Wycombe game, but he has shown that he is a battler. If he is not fit we face a problem at centre back. Moving Youga across might seem the solution as Basey can stand in for him. But Youga's error proneness is a problem in that position and we also lose our ability to maraud down the left. One could pull back Semedo, but he is inclined to commit one foul too many in that position.

Solly came on for Llera at Hartlepool. Could Richardson move across and Solly play on the right? There is Mambo, but this is a game and a position that demands experience.

If you are going, enjoy the game! The phrase 'Enjoy the game' is used by agreement with Reg Varney Enterprises, purveyor of football clubs to the gentry.