Bom Dia!

According to Sky Sports News, a Portuguese consortium is in talks to buy Charlton.  It is claimed they have a five year plan to get the Addicks back to the Premiership.  Where have I heard that before?

Leamington where I live has a large Portuguese population of several thousands (some of them are Brazilians with Portuguese ancestry).   I struggle with the language which is substantially different from Spanish (and I have enough problems with that).

Unease about Championship start date

Off the Pitch is reporting some unease about the 20th June Championship start date.   They claim that Charlton are one of the unhappy clubs, but I don't think there is much evidence for that beyond concern about the unavailability of Lyle Taylor.

Anyway what the say is:

QPR chief Lee Hoos has called the EFL's restart proposal "appalling", while Stoke and Charlton are also unhappy with the plans.

Barnsley, concerned with the financial impact, are calling on the EFL to expand parachute payments to relegated Championship sides.'

Barnsley's suggestion has more than an element of self interest.   I thought that only the Prince of Wales called things 'appalling'.

Salako praises Bowyer

An interesting interview with former Addick John Salako who praises Lee Bowyer's achievements as manager at Charlton: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/john-salako-issues-transfer-plea-as-he-assesses-incredible-job-done-by-charlton-boss-bowyer/

I have two memories of Salako.   One was when he scored an equaliser in a FA Cup game at home against Dagenham and Redbridge who were evidently a second team for many West Ham fans.  Saved initial embarrassment we then had a replay at Dagenham which we just managed to win.  Curbs told me subsequently that Dagenham had given Charlton 'a torrid time.'

The other was flying back from Liverpool to Luton after a game we lost with Curbs and the players on the plane.  John Salako was siting behind me and had a very intelligent conversation about football with a random passenger next to him.

Charlton: football disaster specialists

This is the headline on the lead story on Off the Pitch this morning, an expensive electronic newsletter widely read by football's mover and shakers.  One can hardly criticise the headline or the contents.  The concern is the amount of reputational damage the club is experiencing under its current and recent owners.

Mark Bisson writes, 'With Charlton Athletic seemingly on the verge of yet another change of ownership, a few eyebrows might be raised looking at the persons involved when East Street Investments took over six months ago.

A number of the persons involved in the takeover were also connected to other clubs who found themselves with big problems.

The emergence of at least one of the people involved was a “huge red flag” according to a Charlton observer who has been monitoring developments for many years.'

 Off the Pitch believes that a sale has taken place, but has no supporting detail or evidence.

Bisson adds, 'One of the subplots of the Charlton Athletic affair under the ownership of Tahnoon Nimer is the-emergence of a number of individuals linked with previous failed or failing clubs. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing by any of these individuals in relation to Charlton, but eyebrows will surely be raised by supporters of clubs that they have previously been associated with.'

Taylor: I won't play

Lyle Taylor won't play when the Championship resumes, shocked supremo Lee Bowyer has told Talksport.  The striker fears injury.  David Davis and Chris Solly will also not play beyond the end of their current contracts on July 1st.

The loss of Taylor is a real blow.  He is the target of a number of clubs including Burnley, Middlesbrough and Preston North End.

A full report here from the SLP's Toby Porter: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/manager-lee-bowyer-reveals-lyle-taylor-will-not-pull-on-charlton-shirt-again/

Championship restart announced

As predicted in earlier posts, the Championship is provisionally agreed to resume behind closed doors on 20th June and will be completed by the end of July.

Charlton could well be relegated, but it is better than the season being decided on a points per game basis which would not give the Addicks a fighting chance.

Louis Mendez has tweeted: 'So all games will be either streamed or on TV when games commence and sides will be permitted five substitutes during each game - with nine players named on the bench.'

As Pope John Paul the Second, a  former player noted, 'Of all the least important things in life, football is the most important.'

Happy 92nd birthday Derek Ufton

Derek Ufton is 92 today.  He was one of my childhood heroes.   He had repeated problems with a dislocated shoulder (20 times in all), but in those days you had to play on injured if you could.  

His main role was as a centre half so he scored just 14 goals in 277 league and cup matches for Charlton.

Here is a report of a match between West Ham and Charlton in 1958 when it all kicked off with Ufton as captain:

The report by Peter Lorenzo reads: 'The Quiet Man became a Very Angry Young Man for 90 seconds at Upton Park … and it ended with Charlton inside right John "Buck" Ryan, described by his team mates as "the quietest bloke in the club" being ordered off in the 68th minute of the top-of-the-table clash with West Ham.'

'But I must back Bolton referee Tom Cooper to the hilt. Said dapper Tom afterwards: "Ryan was ordered off for striking an opponent … there was no doubt about that." [Interesting that the referee felt able to explain his decision to the media which they won't do today]. Agreed. I saw tall, dark-haired Ryan aim blows at West Ham left back and skipper Noel Cantwell after they had clashed in the Charlton penalty area.'

'In the corridor outside his team's dressing room, Ryan, a 25-year-old softly-spoken Scot told me: "As Cantwell got up he grabbed a handful of mud and threw it in my face. [The pitch was almost waterlogged with clinging mud]. He was mad and that made me mad. I went to retaliate and the referee saw me. He came over, asked my name [no red cards] and said Off"'.

'Provocation there may have been for the unfortunate Ryan - "I've never even been spoken to before." But the referee had no option, despite the fierce and repeated protests of a pack of Charlton players, led by angry skipper Derek Ufton.'

'Said Ufton: "John never touched anyone. He couldn't. I was holding him all the time. In fact, it was Ryan who was punched."'

'Certainly West Ham's 6 ft. right back John Bond could count his lucky stars he was not accompanying Ryan on that lonely trek to the dressing room. Bond, for once losing his icy-cool, almost contemptuous composure, ran 15 yards to join the scramble which developed while Ryan was being restrained by Ufton. This was a completely unnecessary intervention by Bond who, in turn, had to be dragged away by team mate Andy Malcolm.'

'If the Ryan sending off was unfortunate for Charlton, it certainly gave West Ham no advantage. The depleted Charlton side seemed to find new strength.' The result was a 0-0 draw.

Charlton just missed out on promotion, losing the final home game of the season 3-4 to Blackburn. Under the present points system, they would have been promoted alongside West Ham.