The strange saga of my relationship with Burnley

It is often our luck to play a team that has just found form.  Burnley suffered a woeful start to the season under a manager who has only managed Haverford West in the UK,   The FLP described it as a 'bizarre appointment'.  Nevertheless, Burnley managed to thump Watford 4-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday.   Of course, that may say as much about the lack of sting on the part of the Hornets as it does about the Clarets.

This result moved Burnley off the bottom of the table.  They are also above Charlton in the form table with the Addicks second from bottom.

This is, of course, plays into the hands of the armchair managers who argue in particular that Jones has made the wrong team selections.

I never feel qualified to question the decisions of a professional coach.   My GP recently varied my meds (Nurse!) and I didn't question whether he had got the right tablets in the right strengths.  If I dared to do so, I would risk getting delisted.

But short termism is everything in football.  During the international break the FLP proclaimed. 'Are Burnley in danger of getting relegated?  I don't see how it's possible to say anything else ... The whole thing is a recipe for disaster and it's been coming for a while.'   The basic argument was that Burnley had not spent enough money, although it's far from clear that they have any money to spend without going further into debt.   In the circumstances, hiring Jamie Vardy can be seen either as an act of desperation or a clever use of limited funds.

In relation to the Bristol City result, they do have some very good players.  Arthur Okonkwo was quite fortunate not to get sent off or concede a penalty.   Ironically, younger brother Brian did just that in front of a crowd of nearly 2,000 in the Warwickshire derby at the Anne Hathaway stadium.  He was not able to make the save, but at least the fact that the game ended 2-1 to the Bardsmen meant that the Bardy Army could not chant the classic 'Two-nil or not two-nil.'

Rather unusually, Burnley are only team I have watched in the away and home ends at Charlton and similarly at Turf Moor.  I have known a Burnley fan locally ever since i moved to the Royal Spa.  He celebrated his 80th birthday the other week in  what is now the Silicon Spa and everyone was given an memoir which contained many stories about the Clarets.

When Charlton moved to Selhurst I rather lost touch with the club, although the main driver was that I had three growing children who needed a taxi service for most of Saturday.  Burnley were drawn away in the FA Cup to the Addicks and I navigated my friend to The Valley.  The East Stand was still a building site.  I watched the game from the Jimmy Seed and Charlton won 4-1.  I had to bite my lip.

When he celebrated his 60th birthday, I watched Burnley beat Hull 2-0 from the home stand.  Then we had a midweek game at Burnley and he drove me up there.   Chris Powell was ui the squad but didn't play so he was put in a kind of box in the away end from where he signed autographs and chatted to the Addickted.   I can't remember the result offhand, but I think we drew.

I would be satisfied with an away point tomorrow night.

I had been thinking of going to Swansea v. Charlton and was considering taking the granddaughter who has moved to Abertawe.  Then I found out the match was on New Years Day.  In any case, I saw her at the weekend and she told me that as part of her new identity as a Welsh woman she has become an egg chaser.  At least she has realised that she will have to learn Cymraeg.   It is one of the most difficult languages to learn as an adult, but any great-grandchildren will be taught in Welsh.

Neither side launches at The Valley

The clash between Charlton (River Thames) and Bristol City (Bristol Channel) ended 1-1 at The Valley this afternoon as draw specialists Charlton maintained their unbeaten home record.

The Addicks scored early doors through Karlan Grant, but the visitors eventually secured the penalty they demanded to level up.

The second half was disjointed and scrappy, showing the effects of the break on two tired sides, but Charlton had the best two chances which fell to Tyreece Campbell and Harvey Knibbs with a free kick that drew a good save.

Charltion are down to 10th and may fall further after results later this afternoon.   With Millwall's win at Preston they ended up 11th.

Bristol conceded from Charlton's first attack in the eighth minute when Grant beautifully controlled Tyreece Campbell's cross from the left before firing home left-footed for his second goal of the season.

City took charge and Charlton goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo was fortunate to escape conceding a free-kick on the edge of his area, and perhaps a red card, when he appeared to bring down Yu Hirakawa after the Japanese forward latched on to Josh Edwards' under-hit header.

Dom Ballard headed over for the visitors but then won City's penalty when he was felled by Conor Coventry for Twine to slide home.   The Robins maintained the pressure and Okonkwo did well to touch away Twine's free-kick at his right-hand post.   Meanwhile, his brother was getting ready to face the Bardsmen at Stratford Town's Anne Hathaway stadium.

The second half was poor although Addicks forward Campbell twice went close in quick succession, his first effort saved by City goalkeeper Sam Tickle before he fired another over.

Charlton might have snatched all three points in the final minute but Tickle did well to touch over Harvey Knibbs' free-kick with a strong right hand.

The moaners have been out in force and Nathan Jones admitted: '"I'm a bit disappointed really because you know we've worked on a load in the last two weeks, freshened them up.  We started really well, looked fluid, scored and then we didn't really go on. We stopped passing the ball well, gave the ball away, were deep, were passive and that was the frustration."

"Their goal, I'm really disappointed because it's someone rushing out, dangling their leg and that's the second time he's [Conor Coventry] done that. He has to be better at that because he's a defensive midfield player.   We were better when we changed shape in the second half. We had the best chance of the game to win it and overall I'm disappointed."

Jones equivocated when asked about reports that Timothy Ouma had reported back late from international duty with Kenya, saying he would deal with those rumours when they became relevant.  'Anything we need to put out, we will put out.'

If you have seen Ouma, please notify Richard Cawley.

Jones has more players available

Charlton have had a number of their players away on international duty and only Arthur Okonkwo, who had hooked up with Nigeria, has completed a full week of training because he returned earlier than the likes of Tyreece Campbell, Tyler Bindon, Ivan Mesik and Conor Coventry.

Nathan Jones told had told Richard Cawley's website that after the loss against Cardiff that Billy Koumetio, Kayne Ramsay, Micah Mbick and Will Mannion were set to be back after the international break.

Cawley notes that it’s been mentioned countless times before that Jones is reluctant to confirm player availability that can be picked up by the opposition. But the Welshman did impart some info.  Asked if that quartet were available, he said: “We are significantly ahead of when we went to Cardiff."

“Whether all those play, we’re not giving any information away. But they are all back in training and available. It’s just where we feel they are at, in their rhythm.  I’ve given away that we have got at least 25 players fit - because we have just had a practise match and three have been on the side.”

The CAS Trust preview emphasises the strength of Bristol City at set pieces and they have hired a new set piece coach this week: https://www.castrust.org/2026/10/which-early-bird-will-catch-the-points/

The Addicks go into the game without a win from their past five games while City snapped a two-match losing streak by beating Watford 1-0 last time out.

• Charlton have won one of their past six league games against Bristol City (D2 L3), a 3-2 victory in December 2019.

• Following a 2-1 win at Charlton last season, Bristol City are hoping to win consecutive away league games against the Addicks for the first time.

• Charlton Athletic have kept three consecutive home league clean sheets, with their past two games at The Valley ending 0-0. Burnley, in January 2025, were the last Championship side to have three 0-0s at home in a row.

• Bristol City have won four of their past six league games, as many as they managed in their previous 17 games combined (D5 L8).

• Bristol City's Rio Cardines has created the most chances (31) and assisted the most goals (6) in the Championship this season

Mbick offered new contract

Charlton Athletic have tabled a new contract offer to Micah Mbick, reports Richard Cawley.

The 19-year-old striker was the subject of a £5million bid from Southampton at the end of the summer transfer window which was rejected by the Addicks.

South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition understands that Mbick scored twice in a behind-closed doors friendly against Barnet last week.

The teenager was also a target for Brighton in January but the Addicks showed no desire to negotiate with the Premier League club.

Geography alert: Bristol Live is saying that Bristol City are heading for East London on Saturday,  Good luck on getting back through the Blackwall Tunnel, or perhaps try the Free Ferry.

Luke Warm

Many summers ago I headed from Helsinki in my favourite country of Finland on a flight to Oulu in the country's north.    I was going there to catch up with Charlton's Nordic tour (we drew 2-2 with Oulu).  The local youngsters were thrilled to see Finnish international JJ and be handed free Charlton merchandise.

There were quite a few Charlton fans there already, although I was probably one of the few with a smattering of Finnish.  All the talk was about new signing from Spurs Luke Young.   Asked about him, many fans inevitably responded 'I'm Luke Warm about him'.

Richard Cawley has carried out a fascinating in depth interview with Luke Young.  One thing that comes across is his respect for Curbs   The manager set up a meeting with Young at his brother's home in Little Venice to persuade him to join the Addicks.

Young admitted to Cawley that he failed to make a positive first impression.  “I was a little bit off the pace, if I’m honest,” said Young.

"People forget that, at 22, I had never been a regular playing 30-odd games in a season. So I was still learning my trade, from a first-team point of view. To play week in and week out, you have to learn how to deal with the ups and downs, to be resilient. Charlton was my first year doing that.

There were games where I played not so great and ones where I did well. But Curbs kept me in - no matter what. I think he knew the player I could perhaps become and he was patient with me. He gave me the games I needed.”

One of my memories of him is scoring against Liverpool in a 2-0 home victory.  A disgruntled Liverpool fan said afterwards at the station, 'I was so looking forward to this evening.'

I was interested to learn that Young has a Substack page based on his years at Charlton and I must try and find time to read it.  Unfortunately or not, I am getting more work at the moment that I can readily handle.

Not really shipshape and Bristol fashion

This international break has dragged on in my estimation, but it gives me a chance to look at Saturday's opponents Bristol City.   Ahead of the game, they have just announced the appointment of a new set piece coach which gives some indication of their intentions.

First, a disclosure.  I am a client of Bristol-based Hargreaves Lansdown and Steve Lansdown has been the benefactor of Bristol City.   I have been with them since the 1980s, and they have been superb, but that doesn't alter my view of Bristol City.

There has been a bit of edge between Charlton and the 'Robins' in the past   I seem to remember it kicking off in Bristol back in the day.  In his excellent book about life at Charlton, Gary Nelson recalls he went down to Charlton Station to catch the train after the game and there was a knot of Bristol supporters on the platform who recognised him and were rather menacing.

Bristol is one of the largest provincial cities in the UK, but Bristol City have never been in the Premier League.  They were in the old top flight between 1976 and 1980.   Apart from 2013-15 when they were relegated to League One, they have been ever presents in the Championship.

Why haven't they done better?   Like many clubs in the second tier they have suffered from having to compete with clubs receiving parachute payments: https://footballeconomyv2.blogspot.com/search?q=Bristol+City

According to the FLP, the latest deal the Premier League is offering the EFL is to cut parachute payments by five per cent over three years which is just a nominal amount (even allowing for the eroding effects of inflation).   The distortion of competition will continue.

Bristol is also egg chasing territory.  Indeed, Lansdown has built up a whole sports club on the Barcelona model which includes rugby union and basketball (Bristol Bears and Bristol Flyers).

Bristol is also a rather unusual city in some ways.  Apart from Brighton, it is the only city that has a Green MP.  The city was clearly implicated in the slave trade, but I'm not sure that throwing a statue of one of the guilty men into the harbour expunged the memory.   What I am saying is that it may have fewer potential football supporters than many cities.   Some residents may disapprove of competitive sports.

There is also the presence of another club.   A number of provincial cities sustain two clubs, although arguably Sheffield might have a more secure place in the top flight if it had just one club, but Blades and Owls would never accept a merger.   The Bristol case is more like Nottingham: one leading club and a secondary one,

My view of the Gasheads is that they are real nut jobs.  When I was at uni, there was a Bristol Rovers supporter who drove around in a Triumph Spitfire bought by his indulgent parents.  My pal Annie used to shout 'Micky Mouse' at him when he got out of his car.  He didn't like this coming from a cool rock chick who was the guild of students social secretary and booked all the bands.

As far as I was concerned, he thought I was one sandwich short of a picnic as a Charlton supporter.   He was simply patronising when his wealthy and super cool girl friend bought me an expensive suede jacket for my birthday.   Let's call her 'Annabel'.

We all went our different ways, Annabel having returned Micky's engagement ring.  I encountered him in Canberra when the federal government appointed him to a job I thought I could have done better.  He made a complete Horlicks of it and returned to the UK.

Shortly after my first wife passed away in 2014, 'Annabel' suddenly appeared in my in box.  I had kept tabs on her very successful career and by this time she was a dame commander and an adviser to the late Queen.   She had kept everything I had written to her back then and wanted to return it to me and meet up in Exeter.

Meanwhile, Micky was living nearby and offered to drive me to a midweek match between Rovers and Charlton.  I knew that he was in touch with a mutual friend who was also in contact with Annabel and indeed had phoned me to warn me against meeting her.   What happened afterwards would be a good subject for a novel, but I decided that I didn't want to be questioned all the way to Bristol and back about what I was up to or what I had been up to in 1971.   As it happened, Charlton beat Rovers 5-1 and Micky said that he would have left me in Bristol which I am sure was no idle threat.

Annabel and I did eventually met in 2016 and I decided that enough time has passed to invite both her and Micky to my 70th birthday party.  Old Gasheads never forget and there was a confrontation.

Sadly, Annabel developed terminal cancer and I used to go and visit at her home elsewhere in the UK. When we had dinner for the last time were both hugging and in tears.  As the taxi driver drove me away to the station, he asked, 'What's the story with her?'

Okonkwo's brother joins my non-league team

Brian Okonkwo, the younger brother of Addicks keeper Arthur, has joined my non-league team (Leamington) from West Bromwich Albion.

In Saturrday's 4-0 win over Hitchin he made two outstanding saves from open play and then saved a  penalty.