One is never enough

Charlton moved six points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining as they drew with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Their inability to score more than goal a game cost them again.

Charlton are limping towards the end of the season, but the objective has always been to stay up and then have a clear out of lower league players.

West Brom won 2-0 at Preston, but it looks as If Leicester City are all but relegated.

Matty Godden gave the Addicks the lead just after the break, having hit the crossbar on the stroke of half-time.

Gabriel Otegbayo tapped into an empty net to level the score after an error from Charlton goalkeeper Will Mannion, while the Owls felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty in the first half.

The result moves Nathan Jones' team up to 50 points, while the Owls have become the first team in Football League history to go 37 consecutive matches without a win.

In a match that lacked quality, Charlton were perhaps fortunate not to have conceded a spot kick when Reece Burke brought down Tayo Adaramola on the edge of the area, with the challenge looking very close to the line.

Godden had the best chance of the first half when he acrobatically flicked the ball against the crossbar from Harry Clarke's deep cross right before the break.

But the 34-year-old, who has missed much of the season through injury, broke the deadlock on 49 minutes when he chested down a flick on from Lloyd Jones, took a touch on the turn and finished into the bottom corner via the post for his second goal of the season.

The Addicks came wickedly close to doubling their lead as Sonny Carey's low strike hit the inside of the post and came back out into play.

The Owls equalised with less than 15 minutes to go as Addicks goalkeeper Mannion dropped Sean Fusire's cross when he came out to claim it, under pressure from Jamal Lowe, with Otegbayo tapping home into the empty net despite Mannion's calls for a foul.

Pompey overtake Charlton

Portsmouth pushed Charlton down to 19th after their 1-0 victory over Leicester at Fratton Park today.  However, as the BBC points out that puts Leicester nearer League One.  Charlton are eight points ahead of them.

With Oxford losing 1-0 at Derby, the Addicks are five points ahead of them.

Should Charlton be able to win this afternoon, they will go eight points clear.

Burke, Clarke, Coady and Godden come in. Richard Cawley talked on his pod this week about expecting Nathan Jones to go with experience for this one. Rankin-Costello, Campbell, Fevrier and Ramsay drop out. Latter not in squad, so looks to be an injury.

Hellsborough?

Charlton are unbeaten in six on the road (despite having just 39 per cent possession in these matches) and Sheffield Wednesday have not won a game at home this season. They did secure a surprise 0-0 draw away at league leaders Coventry last weekend, putting their promotion celebrations on ice. This is just the kind of scenario that appeals to the negativity and pessimism of so many Charlton supporters.

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones wants his team to be more ‘clinical’ and ‘get back to basics’ against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

He said: 'We have had opportunities to win games lately and we haven’t. We have let ourselves down on one or two little things. We have to work so hard to get chances, to get goals. We have created enough chances in recent weeks and I just want us to be a bit more clinical. If you can’t keep a clean sheet and you don’t convert your chances then that is not a good sign so we have to get back to basics this weekend.'

The Addicks will be backed by around 2,000 fans on Saturday and the visitors are set to be boosted by the return of former England defender Conor Coady after he was stretchered off and taken to hospital after being knocked unconscious on Easter Monday.

The Massives have won their last four home games against Charlton, keeping a clean sheet each time.  The Addicks have not completed the league double over the Owls since 1953/4.   Jamal Lowe has scored in both of his last two league games against Charlton, although in 2020 it was for Wigan.

Interesting that Lincoln University's student paper reckons that the Imps will have as small a playing budget as Charlton next season: https://thelinc.co.uk/2026/04/lincoln-city-finances-championship/

Shelvey's Arabian dream

Jonjo Shelvey started his career at Cbarlton, but now he is heading to the UAE to manage third tier minnows, the Arabian Falcons: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyjj2pjdypo

It is no clear whether falconry instruction comes as part of the package.

Tonight's results

Portsmouth had a surprise victory over Ipswich tonight with former Leamington ace Colby Bishop scoring the second goal.   Pompey are now just one point behind Charlton.

However, Blackburn lost, have now played one more game and have an inferior goal difference.

Addicks swoop for Dorking starlet

The official statement from Dorking Wanderers about the signing of Josh Herbert for Charlton: https://dwfc.co.uk/2026/04/joshua-hebert-signs-professional-deal-with-charlton-athletic/

A number of other EFL clubs were interested including Millwall, but Herbert has been training with Charlton.   His grandfather made one appearance for the Addicks - see Richard Cawley's Substack for the full story.

I still regret that Charlton weren't prepared to pay £10k for Colby Bishop from Leamington.  Accrington signed him and he is now playing for Portsmouth (and scoring against us).

Baggies deny rules breach

West Bromwich Albion are facing a possible points deduction after being charged with an alleged breach of the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability  (P&S) regulations.  The charge relates to the three years ending with the 2024-25 season, with Championship clubs allowed to lose £41.5million ($56m) over that period.

According to the club accounts posted on Companies’ House, West Brom lost £7.6m in 2022-23, £37.6m in 23-24, and £18.8m in 24-25, amounting to a pre-tax loss of £64m.

P&S allows exclusions from this total for “healthy” expenses, such as long-term infrastructure or community projects, which can be added back from the loss calculation.  This includes the Category One academy, which costs the club several million pounds per season in operating costs. Accounting for these exclusions, the breach is thought to be marginal.

Under the EFL’s regulations, sporting penalties from the previous term must be applied in the following term, suggesting any potential points deduction will be taken from this season’s total.

The EFL’s base punishment for a P&S breach is 12 points, but it is softened based on the severity. For example, the deduction is reduced to three points if the breach is less than £2m, four points if between £2 and £4m, up to 12 points if the breach is greater than £15m.

There can also be further deductions from the base 12-point penalty if the loss in the final season is less than the season before. In West Brom’s case, their losses halved in 24-25 compared to the 23-24 term, the second of the three seaso period in question. The EFL Board can also request up to an additional nine-point penalty for “any aggravating factors and any other penalty it feels appropriate”.

West Brom released a statement in response to reports of the charge on Monday afternoon.    The statement reads: “The club considers that it has fully complied with the P&S rules. The club will continue to co-operate with the EFL’s Club Financial Reporting Unit and looks forward to resolving this matter.”

Bilkul Football WBA, a company owned by American businessman Shilen Patel, completed a takeover of the West Midlands club in February 2024 from Chinese businessman Lai Guochuan.

West Brom have been operating under an EFL “business plan” that limited their football spending during the period under scrutiny, which further complicates the assessment of their case. The charge follows West Brom posting their financial figures for the 2024-25 season, although industry experts calculate that any infringement, should the charge be proven, would be a “small breach”.

According to the EFL’s financial rules any sporting punishment, such as a points deduction, must be applied the season after the breach — which would mean this season in West Brom’s case — but time is now running out, with only four games remaining in the 2025-26 campaign. A transfer embargo and/or a fine are also potential punishments.

Any club handed a so-called “sporting sanction” has a period of ten working days to lodge an appeal, which would take any final decision well into the close season. But the EFL does not publish its fixtures until June 25, raising the theoretical prospect of West Brom surviving relegation, only to be demoted retrospectively should they be found guilty and handed a points deduction.

West Brom will have 14 days to respond from the date of the official charge. The EFL regular season ends in 19 days’ time, on May 2, which may help West Brom argue that any points deduction should be deferred.

Football finance guru Kieran Maguire calculates that, when mitigating factors such as infrastructure and academy costs are factored in, West Brom’s declared loss will be about £42.6million — approximately £1.1million more than is allowable.

I doubt whether this matter will be resolved this season and any points deduction is likely to occur next season.