Semedo returns trophy

Jose Semedo has returned his Player of the Year trophy to Charlton which means that it will now be presented to the runner up, Chris Solly, on the pitch before the game against Huddersfield on Saturday.

Andy Hunt once pointed out that most players will play for several clubs during the course of their careers and it is unreasonable to expect them to have a special attachment to any one of them. Indeed, most players support other clubs, e.g., Chris Powell and Spurs.

Nevertheless, returning a trophy you won through the votes of fans is a little unusual, although no doubt many such trophies are hidden away in bottom drawers. Semedo told the Sun, 'I was very happy at Charlton but this one is the true happiness, I’m a 100 million times more happy here.'

Semedo has, of course, become very popular at Sheffield Wednesday, forging a special bond with their fans. At Nottingham Forest on Saturday Owls fans staged a special Semedo Day or Portugal Day complete with Semedo masks: Semedo. Nothing wrong with that: indeed, living in a town with a large Portuguese speaking population, I have asked for a course to improve my very limited Portuguese for Christmas.

Of course, it could serve as a distraction from Wednesday's current position just above the relegation zone. However, Dave Jones said after Saturday's match, 'There's no one in this division who's any better than us.' Admittedly, former Addick Miguel Llera deciding the match with a own goal was unluckly, but there's a limit to how much can be put down to bad luck or biased referees.