Rick Everitt reports: ‘Bjorn Borg renews his loyalty pledge to Charlton in his new autobiography. It goes back to Hans Jeppson’s spell at The Valley in 1951. To my knowledge the club has never hosted him as a guest, which seems a shame.’
As he’s promoting his book, now might be the time, asks the
Rickster?
Bjorn says his family have followed Charlton Athletic since
his grandfather’s time and he will always stay loyal to them.
Richard Cawley reports, ‘Nathan Jones just told me that Josh Edwards set to go for a scan on his ankle and see a specialist. I'm not totally quoting him but his answer was along lines of "it doesn't look a great one"
.’Nathan Jones told Richard Cawley that the Scot sees a specialist tomorrow (today), so we see where we are. ‘He landed awkwardly and tweaked ligaments on the inside of his ankle, which is a bit of a rare one. We’ve got the international break coming up, which allows us to get a couple of weeks out of the way.’
Amari’i Bell, who has been so composed on the left side of a
back three, was asked to continue in the left wing-back spot he slotted into
once Edwards hobbled off at the weekend.
We have another tricky away fixture at Preston on Saturday. I won't be covering this as I am going to Spain for a few days to see the branch of my family there, not least my great-granddaughter.
As my middle daughter's farm is in a remote location off grid, I won't have much internet access so I am taking a break from posting.
James Bree's sublime first-half strike gave Charlton the lead on 37 minutes at the end of a flowing move by the Addicks.
The Rams had appeals for a penalty waved away inside the
opening minute but Thomas Kaminski in the Charlton goal was largely untested
until late in the game. The Addicks
keeper pulled off a strong save to deny Bobby Clark before defender Clarke rose
highest to head in moments later following the corner.
Greg Docherty and Lars-Jorgen Salvesen had late chances as
both sides pushed for the winner but the game ended with the points shared.
The result leaves Charlton eighth in the table, with Derby a
point clear of the relegation zone in 20th.
Macaulay Gillesphey will perhaps count himself lucky not to
have given away a spot kick in the opening minute of the match as he had a
handful of Carlton Morris' shirt when the Rams striker tumbled in the box.
An uneventful first half sprung into life late on with a
moment of quality from the Addicks attackers, all started by a long ball
forward from goalkeeper Kaminski.
Charlie Kelman found space from Dion Sanderson and took the
ball down with a deft touch, before playing in Tyreece Campbell. The Jamaica international pulled it back for
Sonny Carey and from there it was one-touch football, as he laid it off to
Docherty, who passed out to Bree in space on the right and he smashed the ball
first-time beyond Jacob Widell Zetterstrom into the top-left corner.
The hosts were much improved after the break but didn't test
Kaminski until the 77th minute of the game when Clark opted to shoot with
passing options either side and the Charlton goalkeeper pulled off a fine save.
Charlton cleared away the corner but Lewis Travis recycled
the ball back in and Clarke beat everyone to head into the bottom corner with
11 minutes remaining for an equaliser.
Both sides pushed for a winner in a frantic end to the
match, with Harvey Knibbs slicing wide before Docherty's added-time effort
deflected just wide for the visitors. Salvesen
forced a big save from Kaminski right at the end but John Eustace's side
couldn't find the second goal that would have given them a first home win in
the league since April.
Charlton Athletic
supremo Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:
"Relatively pleased. Any point on the road in the
Championship is a good point. Once we've
taken the lead we would have liked to have gone on and probably had a bit more
control of the game but full credit to Derby, Derby gave it everything. They were playing with a front four, [they]
left four up at times and had runners.
Both sides had chances. They had a chance before they scored
and then we had three late on that maybe could have nicked it. So there's mixed emotions but I'm happy that
we haven't got beaten and it's another point on the board."
Charlton's record against Derby County is not that good. We have played them 55 times, including a FA Cup final defeat. They have won 29 encounters, we have won half that number (14) and 12 games have been drawn. I am still smarting from a 2-4 defeat at The Valley in the Curbs era when we had gone ahead.
Derby lost their last league meeting with Charlton 2-1 in February 2024, but haven’t lost back-to-back league games versus the Addicks since January 1984. After their 2-1 win in February 2024, Charlton could win back-to-back away league visits to Derby for the first time since December 1962 (4 in a row).
Derby have alternated between drawing (3) and losing (3) their last six home league games; they had won three in a row on home soil prior to this. Charlton have won four of their last seven away league games (D1 L2), beating Sheffield United 1-0 in their last.
The Rams are currently just outside the relegation places in the Championship table and slightly higher in the form table.
These midweek away games are always especially tricky, but a resilient side with a strong defence should secure an away point at least. Please bear in mind that I am currently bottom of the Badger Prediction League!
One of the hallmarks of Charlton's current success is that it is coming from all round the park with (almost) all players putting in a shift. In that sense it reminds me of the teams that Curbs put out.
Richard Cawley has reported Lloyd Jones' defensive stats in the first seven matches and where that ranks out of all Championship players:
James Brie is named in the Football League Paper's team of the day this morning.
Already becoming a fan favourite, Bree is on a loan until January, but would have preferred to spend the whole season with the Addicks.
James Bree signed for Charlton Athletic on deadline day -
with his loan running until the January transfer window.
The 27-year-old spoke to South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition about his
future, with his contract at parent club Southampton expiring at the end of
June.
Why was there a
delay in you going out on loan? Nathan Jones said last week that he had been
forced to bide his time to get you.
Bree: “I had a solid pre-season with Southampton and then got injured in
the last pre-season game. It was a soleus injury in my calf. I was out for four
weeks. Being injured, I wasn’t sure what the situation was. There was nothing
about leaving the club - it hadn’t been spoken about at that point.
“We had a big squad at Southampton and the last week of the
window it was something they put towards me, if that was something I wanted to
do. I wanted to come out and play football. Once the opportunity came up to
work with the gaffer again, at Charlton, I snatched at it.
“I was still dealing with the injury when I first came here
but I was pretty much fit to be on the grass, to be fair.”
Was playing football
this season even more key with your Saints deal not having a huge amount of
time to run?
Bree: “Yeah. With a year left on my contract it was a bit of
a weird one, being sent on loan. It’s not something you see happen much. It is a win-win for everyone - especially for
me. I didn’t want to waste a year if I wasn’t going to play. I definitely wanted
to come to Charlton and play.
“Initially I thought it was going to be a season-long loan
and it ended up being six months. I’m not sure what the technicalities behind
that all were. I’d rather it be a full season - whether that be a loan or
whatever it turns into. We’ll just see how it goes until January and go from
there.
“I wanted to come and play. I’m enjoying working with the
gaffer.”
Please support Richard Cawley's journalism on Substack.
Charlton moved to the edge of the play offs in 7th place with a 3-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers at The Valley this afternoon.
It took a while for the game to warm up, with Balazs Toth
the first goalkeeper to be called into action with 28 minutes on the clock,
dropping to hold onto home skipper Greg Docherty, who let fly from the edge of
the box.
The cultured right foot of Bree, which gave Blackburn problems all afternoon, finally made an opening. He swung in a deep free kick that was met at the back post by substitute Gillesphey. The Wembley hero nodded back across goal and into the corner to give his side the lead just seven minutes after replacing the injured Josh Edwards
The penultimate chance of the half saw Pickering go for goal from a free kick, with the defender’s strike from 22 yards sailing comfortably over the top of the upright and into the home supporters behind Kaminski’s goal, before Toth produced a good stop to beat away Lloyd Jones’ header with the final touch of a scrappy first half in SE7.
The Addicks went in ahead and they almost doubled their
tally just four minutes into the second period, but Docherty’s left-footed
attempt from inside the box was parried away by Toth. before the danger was
hacked clear.
Filling in at right-back after Ryan Alebiosu was forced off
at half time, Gardner-Hickman was beginning to be targeted and after winning a
battle against the hapless substitute, Tyreece Campbell bent inches past Toth’s
left-hand post just before the hour mark with a curling right-footed effort
after darting in from the left flank.
Reece Burke missed a glorious opportunity to bag a second
for Charlton with just over 20 minutes left, with the defender firing over with
the net gaping after Toth had initially saved Docherty’s stinging effort from
18 yards out.
Charlton grew stronger as the second half progressed and when substitute Isaac Olaofe held the ball up and laid it off, Carey was given far too much time and space to weigh up an attempt and he then sent his thunderous shot flying between the desperate dive of Toth and his near post to smash into the back of the net to make it 2-0.
Bree was waiting at the back post to score his first league goal for the club since joining on loan from Southampton in the summer to make it 3-0. Olaofe, who scored the late winner in South Yorkshire last week, created the third in the fourth minute of added time, setting off on a run down the left and freeing Greg Docherty, whose pull-back to the edge of the box found Bree, who calmly stroked a side foot shot through a crowd of players.
Supremo Nathan Jones responded in his press conference yesterday to fans like Desmond from Deal who have demanded more from the team in the final third.
The Welshman said: ‘We have to build from a solid foundation, like we did then.
Once again we are building a solid foundation but come January, February, March
and April, I have no doubt if I’m doing my job then we will be a better side
than we are now - more fluent and much more potent in the final third. But
that’s an evolution process.
We have come up a level and you have to remember we need to
adjust to certain stuff. We are coming up against sides with huge budgets -
regular Championship sides that have spent money on quality. That is what we
have to get to. But, I’ve got to be honest with you, we’re sitting where we are
and we are disappointed, realistically so, with our points gained. We feel we
should have more.
We’ve got a squad now where we have got two in pretty much
every position. If I play Amari’i Bell or Macaulay Gillesphey, is anyone going
to raise their eyebrows? If I play Rob Apter or James Bree? If I play Kayne
Ramsay or Reece Burke? If I play Charlie Kelman, Miles, Tanto (Isaac Olaofe) or
(Matty) Godden in that position?
There are some tough decisions, sometimes, to make. Some
people are a little bit unlucky. Macaulay Gillesphey, for example, can feel
very unlucky and hard done by, because of what he did last season. But he will
play lots of games for us. Burkey had to
be patient.’
Kayne Ramsay is back from suspension and Jones has also
confirmed that Luke Berry is in full training.
The comments above reproduced from Richard Cawley's Substack platform where there is a lot more to read.
Blackburn Rovers arrive fresh from their washout against Ipswich Town which the EFL in its wisdom has ruled has to be played in full.
Nathan Jones believes Blackburn Rovers will pose a tough
threat when they visit The Valley this weekend.
Valerien Ismael's side would be on the back of successive wins, and
three in four games, had their Ipswich Town result stood. As it is, Rovers
still carry good momentum as they search for a third away triumph in a row.
“There won't be a Championship team that comes here where
it's a small game or insignificant, they're all massive," the supremo
said.
"Blackburn have had a decent start with an experienced
manager, narrowly missing out on the play-offs last year following a good
second half to the season. They've
started quite well this time out and it’s another tough game, and one where we
have to concentrate on us. We want to be the best version of ourselves at home.
"We love playing back at The Valley. The crowd is
fantastic and so is the atmosphere. Matchdays are real occasions now and
something we always look forward to."
Spirits are said to be high in the Blackburn camp as they prepare for their trip to the capital.
CAS Trust reckons the mood is more upbeat at Charlton than at Blacburn: https://www.castrust.org/2025/09/game-set-match-or-second-serve/
Richard Cawley is continuing his fascinating interviews with
former chief executive Peter Varney.
Varney recalls: 'In terms of Curbs leaving, I had no inkling that was
on the cards, at all. I did know that Alan was concerned about having a clause
in his contract that was about compensation - and he saw signing that new deal
as preventing him from going for any top jobs.
The first I knew about it was sitting in my office a day
before the Blackburn game at the end of April 2006. Richard Murray called and
asked me to go down to the boardroom. I went down there and Richard said:
‘Alan’s leaving us’.
We had a very close relationship and in some way I felt
myself getting emotional. I’d worked with Alan the whole time and we spoke
every day. Suddenly just to be told he was leaving was a shock. And it was a
done deal: ‘We’ve agreed everything and Alan’s going’.
I said: ‘He can’t just go, after what he’s achieved. The
fans have to get the opportunity to thank him. He can’t just go and that is it.
That’s not appropriate’. That was my only input to it, really, which led to the
announcement being made the following day.
It became clear there had been conversations going on about
a new contract but Alan not wanting the clause, which I totally understand. It
was so he had options. It wasn’t necessarily a case that he wanted to leave, it
wasn’t that at all. But it led to the departure. It then became a case of ‘where do we go from
here?’
It was agreed there would be a series of informal interviews
which Richard and I would conduct. Then it would go back, principally, to Bob
Whitehand and Derek Chappell, as the main shareholders,
It became clear, and I sort of get it, what a tough act it
is to follow - Alan Curbishley. You could be forgiven for thinking ‘is there
any upside?’ or that sort of thing. But then again it is a Premier League job.
Shortly after that Billy joined Derby County.'
The ultimate answer was, of course, Iain Dowie. Subscribe to Richard Cawley’s Substack page to find out how
he came to make his move north.
I wasn't able to say goodbye to Curbs myself. But a few years later (after he had left West Ham) he was sitting next to a colleague at a dinner in London and asked how I was and to be remembered to me.
Nathan Jones admitted that Isaac Olaofe has been “frustrated” at his lack of Championship game time. Asked what else Olaofe needed to show to Jones to get greater game time, the Welshman told South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition: “Exactly what he has done today. Goals, energy, running ability - game-changing. That is it. He will get opportunities.
“You have to understand that we can only play 11 players and
we’ve got competition in every position now. So there are arguments for everyone. Joe Rankin-Costello came here to play. So did
Harvey Knibbs, Tanto Oloafe and Rob Apter. We’ve got competition from behind
that and people who have done well for me - Karoy Anderson. Ibby Fullah is
pushing at the door and he is training off the charts.
“The competition and levels had to go up at this club and
they have - significantly. If people want to stay in the team, or get in the
team, then they have to be consistent every day.
“That will do him the world of good and I’m really proud of
him, because he’s had to be patient. He’s come on late and been frustrated. He
was one of the main men at Stockport and he thought ‘I’m coming here to play’.
No, you’re coming here to be a Championship player and help Charlton Athletic
be the best we can be.”
“If he wants more minutes then keep doing that. It is hard
to leave you out.”
Support Richard Cawley on Substack.
James Bree is named as star man by the Football League Paper this morning. 'We don't like cheddar, we like brie.'
Other scores:
It was Chris Wilder's third debut at Bramall Lane by popular request, but the day confounded pundits with Charlton winning 1-0 in a victory that took them up to 11th. Charlton fans chanted: 'You're getting sacked in the morning.'
Before the game moaners wallowed in their pessimism forecasting a 3-0 home win, while the more optimistic went for a brill 0-0 in the rain. Not a good result for those who have been saying that relegation is inevitable.
Charlton were solid in defence and dangerous on the break. Olaofe scored a late winner on 90 minutes, making use of a pass from Brie. It was his first goal for the club.
Richard Cawley described it as a statement performance and result.
Despite the difficult environment, it was almost the perfect
start for the Addicks when captain Greg Docherty played Charlie Kelman in
behind the Blades’ defence on the halfway line in the second minute. Kelman charged towards the goal, but the
chasing Blades defenders caught up with the American youth international,
forcing an early attempt on goal which drifted well wide.
The Addicks almost suffered a catastrophic self-inflicted
setback when shot-stopper Thomas Kaminski took a heavy touch from a simple pass
by Bree. With Kaminski seemingly beaten,
the Sheffield United attack looked to pounce, but the Belgian recovered
excellently to clear the danger at full stretch.
On the half-hour mark, Tyreece Campbell darted into the box
and struck an excellent ball goalward, but Ben Godfrey was on hand to block the effort
before it was eventually cleared away.
The Addicks enjoyed an exceptional end to the half, but
lacked the finishing touch as an opener eluded them - with Michael Cooper on
hand to make an exceptional stop from a header in the six-yard box.
The introduction of Harvey Knibbs late on injected a late
spark to the Addicks. The switch almost
offered an immediate reward when he combined with Miles Leaburn to win
possession back near the edge of the hosts’ box, but Leaburn’s effort was well
saved.
Charlton were in full flow now in their search for a winner,
however, and Sheffield United looked increasingly unable to contain the
Addicks. Eventually, Charlton put the
Blades to the sword as substitute Olaofe netted a 90th-minute winner, elating
the 1,154 travelling Addicks.
A simple ball across the box from Bree had the beating of
Femi Seriki, landing in the path of Olaofe, who made no mistake finding the
back of the net from point-blank range.
The Addicks saw out the remainder of the match with ease, a
once energised and positive Bramall Lane by then one of anger and
disappointment, compounded by the victory for the Massives at Portsmouth.
In their last away match the Addicks faced a Super Hoops side seeking to get back on track after a 7-1 pasting at Coventry City. Not only did they succeed, but it is rumoured that QPR fan Lord Toby Young chased Rick Everitt to the nearest tube station shouting 'Take that, you town hall tyrant.'
Now we face Sheffield United, a team that was trounced 5-0 by the Tractors. Chris Wilder is back in the dugout as retread manager.
A concerned Nathan Jones said at yesterday's press conference: 'We can’t second-guess anything. Does it give them a lift? Absolutely. The crowd were obviously disillusioned and they had a tough result last week. There was always going to be a bounce, it was similar to the QPR one.
Chris has gone in there, he is synonymous with the football
club and has got the best out of it in recent years, so of course it is going
to be difficult. It was always going to be a difficult game - Sheffield United
at Bramall Lane in the Championship.
“Does this make it more difficult? We don’t know. We will
only find out at five o’clock on Saturday. We only try to affect the things we
can affect at Sparrows Lane. If we are the best versions of ourselves - turn up
and are at it like I know we can be - that is all I can ask for.
Then everything else is God’s will.'
The Almighty probably has too busy a diary to intervene in a Championship match, so we will have to rely on a solid defence and a possible goal from an unlikely player. I am not optimistic.
The CAS Trust preview is here: https://www.castrust.org/2025/09/a-wilder-weekend-expected-in-sheffield/
CAS Trust have written to the relevant police authorities about events after last Saturday's match against Millwall: https://www.castrust.org/2025/09/police-management-of-millwall-match/
There are surely lessons to be learned about the overall policing plan and particular incidents on the day.
I appreciate that the Met Police have a lot on their plate, but hopefully they seek to do better.
Last Saturday was, of course, a particularly difficult day in terms of policing requirements. A friend who is a sheep farmer on the Feldon here in Warwickshire, and therefore not always up to date with events in the metropolis, went to the theatre on Saturday afternoon to see the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and was amazed at the mayhem she encountered on emerging with her family.
I read a number of disturbing reports on social media about what happened after the Millwall game on Saturday, both in terms of the arrangements made by the club and the conduct of the police.
I have no means of verifying individual reports, but I was particularly concerned to read of one supporter who had taken his young son to a match for the first time. When they eventually reached the station there were already a considerable number of Millwall fans there and his son was hit on the head by an object thrown by someone, leaving him with a bump on the head. Understandably, the youngster doesn't want to go again.
Of course, such incidents are not new. My late wife received a head injury after a game against Palace and had to go to A and E.
I am pleased that CAS Trust have produced an aggregated list of the concerns raised by fans and it will be interesting to see what response they get: https://www.castrust.org/2025/09/management-of-last-saturdays-match/
The club have now responded to CAS Trust and have said they will conduct a matchday survey: https://www.castrust.org/2025/09/club-responds-about-management-of-millwall-game/
My impression is that the police were following the plan they implemented for the last home game against Millwall which I attended and caused serious problems then.
If you want a bit of light relief, I recommend the Paddy Power advert showing Curbs making his pitch to manage Manchester United: https://x.com/paddypower
Kayne Ramsay took to Instagram on Saturday night to apologise for his sending off. “Devastated about my decision-making today,” he posted. “I cost the team three points. I’m sorry to all the fans and my team-mates, especially with the magnitude of the game. Learning curve, for sure. I’ll be back.”
The right-sided centre-back could have no grievances over
his two cautions -both on Aidomo Emakhu, Millwall’s only dangerous attacker
with Josh Coburn and Mihailo Ivanovic both subdued.
Ramsay’s first booking on 56 minutes was for cynically
halting the Irishman and then he mistimed a sliding challenge in the 74th
minute. Referee Robert Madley showed no hesitation in one again reaching for
his yellow card before brandishing a red.
By the time Nathan Jones reached the written media press
conference he had toned down his criticism of Ramsay, which appeared to be
stronger in his interview with broadcaster Sky Sports.
“It was going to take something - like a set-play or a
moment of madness to concede and we got a moment of madness,” said the
Welshman. “When you are on a booking and you lunge in then you know you are
risking something. You have to be cleverer than that. Top defenders stay on
their feet and make people work for something - when they go to ground it is a
last resort or they know they can win it.”
It is so hard though in the moment. Players make decisions
in split seconds and Ramsay, who had already made one clean challenge seconds
earlier on Emakhu, clearly felt he could do so again.
But the risk-reward ratio was out of kilter says Richard Cawley. Why? You need to subscribe to his first rate Substack account. This extract is posted as a taster.
Sonny Carey gave the Addicks the lead against Millwall with his first goal for the club as he smashed into the corner in the first half. But Kayne Ramsay was sent off for a second yellow card with less than 20 minutes remaining and the visitors made Charlton pay as they so often have done.
Ra'ees Bangura-Williams came off the bench to Millwall's
rescue, having a goal disallowed for handball before netting the equaliser with
two minutes left of normal time.
What the first meeting between these two sides since July
2020 lacked in goalmouth action in the early stages, it made up for in passion
and intensity with the pace unrelenting.
Both sides looked dangerous in wide areas without producing any real
efforts of note until Charlton winger Rob Apter tried to bend one from
distance, with the ball looping up off a defender and almost dropping over
Steven Benda, just clipping the bar.
The hosts' goal came from the corner that followed. Benda
made a strong connection to punch away Conor Coventry's in swinger but the ball
went straight to Carey, whose first touch created space to fire the ball
through a sea of players into the bottom corner.
The turning point came after 74 minutes when Ramsay lunged
in late on Aidomo Emakhu, having already been booked, giving referee Bobby
Madley no option but to pull out the red card.
Millwall made the extra player count and thought they'd equalised
when Bangura-Williams, impressive after coming off the bench, took the ball
down in the box and smashed it into the top corner with Thomas Kaminski well
beaten.
But referee Madley was well placed to see the ball strike
his hand first touch before the accomplished finish.
The 21-year-old was not to be denied again though as he
finished off a Millwall move. Joe Bryan's expert pass found Luke Cundle in the
middle and the midfielder's shot was parried back into the box by Kaminski,
with Bangura-Williams quickest to react as he buried it into the bottom-right
corner.
Neither side was able to find a winner in five added
minutes.
Sanguine supremo
Nathan Jones said: "I'm proud of the performance because it took a red
card for us to draw the game. We were comfortable and I didn't see us conceding
today. Once we got the goal I just
wanted to get the next one, which we couldn't do. It was going to take
something – like a set-play or a moment of madness to concede and we got a
moment of madness.
"When you are
on a booking and you lunge in then you know you are risking something. You have
to be cleverer than that. Top defenders stay on their feet and make people work
for something – when they go to ground, it is a last resort or they know they
can win it. It is a learning curve for
him. He's a young boy and he has so much ability, he has been outstanding for
us. That was categorically the turning point.
"We should have
had six points from our last two home games but we took one. We're comfortable
at the level."
The English Football League (EFL) is considering a plan to add an eliminator round to the Championship play-offs, a move that would extend the number of teams in the play-offs to six.
The proposal, which has received wide initial support from
Championship clubs, is for a similar format to the one used by the National
League, with the team that finishes fifth playing the eighth-place team and
sixth meeting seventh in singles ties at the better-placed team’s home ground.
But unlike the National League’s play-offs, which are all
one-off matches, the winners of these eliminators would then proceed to
two-legged ties against the teams that finished third and fourth, with the
winners meeting at Wembley for a place in the Premier League.
Preston North End chief executive Peter Ridsdale presented
the idea to fellow Championship club executives at a meeting last week and it
was very well received as it would reduce the number of dead-rubber matches at
the end of the season, add two more high-profile games to the calendar and give
more clubs a shot at promotion.
Desmond from Deal comments: 'If this story was concerned with a change in relegation arrangements, it might be relevant to Charlton. As it stands, it gives extra motivation to Millwall.'
'Despite Bermuda having the lion’s share of possession with
54 per cent of the ball, Jamaica were purposeful in attack and could have
scored more goals.'
It is hoped that Zach Mitchell will be joining Hibernian on a year's loan. His kilt has been ready for him, but there was (another!) problem over the paperwork and the deal awaits Fifa approval as a cross-border transaction: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/hibs-look-seal-zach-mitchell
My Easter Road correspondent writes: 'That is an area that Hibs need to strengthen - the squad is well-filled with midfielders and attackers but thin on central defenders in the event of any of the regular starters being injured. So he ought to be a good addition to the squad if the deal goes through.'
Richard Cawley has now confirmed that the deal has been completed.
The 'where are they now?' feature was one I particularly enjoyed in the erstwhile Voice of the Valley and I am pleased that it has now been resurrected online: https://www.votvonline.com/home/the-2025-26-blogs/4-9-where-are-they-now/
Many have sunk to obscurity, but others have gone on to greater things. I annoy my wife every time I say 'former Charlton player'.
According to the authoritative Swiss Ramble, Charlton had the second largest transfer spend of any club in in the Championship in the recent transfer window.
The Zurich-based football finance fiend states: 'The club with the highest net spend this summer was Hollywood’s own Wrexham with £24m, which was more than twice as much as Charlton Athletic £10m and Derby County £8m.'
He notes: 'the highest player sales in the Championship are nearly always made by the clubs relegated from the Premier League, as seen again this summer: Southampton £111m (Mateus Fernandes and Tyler Dibling), Ipswich Town £76m (Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson) and Leicester City £47m (Mads Hermansen). Four other clubs sold more than £20m, namely Norwich City £32m, Middlesbrough £25m, Sheffield United £21m and WBA £20m. Every other club made less than £10m from player sales.'
Compared with the barmy Belgian, the current owners have been prepared to spend some money to stay in the Championship.
However, armchair critic Desmond from Deal commented: 'It's all gone on mates of Jones and/or League One journeymen. Mark my words, we'll be relegated by Christmas.'
It is not clear what is happening about a loan deal for Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker David Fofana. It does look as if he has rejected the kilt at Celtic, but it is by no means certain that he is coming to Charlton despite reports that claim that he is: https://www.inkl.com/news/chelsea-striker-turns-down-celtic-in-favour-of-efl-loan
Preston North End were also in the picture, although Chelsea could keep a closer check on him in London.
A Chelsea site states: 'Signed by Chelsea in 2023, David Datro Fofana has had numerous spells away from Stamford Bridge on loan. The 22-year-old striker has been part of the bomb squad at Cobham this summer, which has been made up of unwanted players not involved in the first-team plans.'
Sky Sports is saying that the paperwork wasn't completed on time. It's a shame because we could do with more fire power up front.
Charlton are working on a deal for Southampton's right back James Bree. Worked with Nathan Jones at Luton Town and the Saints, reports Richard Cawley. If there are no last-ditch hurdles then Bree is set to be the 10th signing of the summer transfer window.
The 27-year-old has made more than 200 Championship
appearances + 22 at Premier League level. Bree made 17 Premier League starts last season
for Saints (13 of those starts) as well as being a regular on the bench (unused
15 times).
Report from Southampton sources: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/25431357.southampton-defender-nearing-deadline-day-reunion-jones/
Armchair critics of Nathan Jones will no doubt complain about the signing of another player associated with him, but he is the gaffer, not them.
Update: now signed on loan until January.
Charlton went down 3-1 to a resurgent QPR at Loftus Road
today. QPR went ahead early doors, but
Charlton managed to equalise in the second half. For a while they were in the ascendancy but QPR
went ahead again. Exposed at the back
as they tried for an equaliser, the Addicks went 3-1 down in time added on.
QPR started with real intent and were soon 1-0 up. Paul
Smyth scored against his former club from Vale's cross - Kone with a dummy to
allow the ball to run for the winger. Richard Caswley commented, ‘Kaminski has got
to be doing better with that, is my first thought. Goes with his legs to try
and keep it out.’
The Addicks improved in the final 20-25 minutes of the first
period with Leaburn striking the top of the crossbar. But Cawley noted an all
too familiar story, a lack of quality in the final third, including most of the
crosses put in. Scare right at the end of the half with Norrington-Davies'
header clipping the outside of the post but looked like Kaminski had it
covered.
Charlton equalised after Campbell put in a deep cross but
Apter's shot struck the ball down into the turf and the bounce takes it past
the QPR keeper Walsh. It was Apter’s
first goal for the club.
QPR went ahead
again after their Japanese midfielder Saito had come off the bench. His body swerve took him away from Jones. The
low shot creept into bottom right corner of the net. It might well have got a slight nick off the
two Charlton defenders who slid in to
try and block.
For the third goal, Kaminski started to come for the ball,
then decided against it. Kone punished that indecision, slid the ball into the
net for his second goal since signing from Wycombe.
Nathan Jones was clearly not happy at full-time. The shell shocked supremo marched straight on
to the pitch to talk to referee Andrew Kitchen. As usual, some of the officiating was
questionable with the lino oddly failing to assist the referee on one key
decision although had the clearer view.
Nathan Jones was unhappy about the fact Mbengue not given a second yellow for his foul on Kelman when the score was 1-1. The Charlton boss says that referee told him it wasn't penalised further due to the attack "not being in a promising position".
But the simple fact is that Charlton were outplayed, a verdict being echoed by the keyboard warriors. One fan has already told the BBC that Jones's position must be 'under consideration'. This is the usual silly nonsense one gets from some fans, but there is case for saying that Charlton should have hung on for the away point in front of a home crowd that was getting restive rather than trying to get all three.
Lord Toby Young is a keen QPR supporter and often writes about them in his Spectator column. but this week he has turned his ire on Charlton fanzine editor Rick Everitt.
Young complains that he had a wasted day trip to Thanet where he was hoping to confront Everitt on Margate beach. Everitt sensibly decided he had better things to do on a Tuesday morning.
Young has now declared the Rickster to be a 'Town Hall tyrant.' I'm not sure that Thanet has a town hall, but no matter.
What the noble lord doesn't seem to realise is that a keen Charlton fan like Everitt is likely to be at Loftus Road on Saturday. At high noon they could indulge in handbags at six paces.
Young more or less invites Everitt to take him and his followers to court, but again I suspect Everitt would regard this as a waste of time and money.
On the pitch, the Super Hoops are hoping to avenge their defeat by Coventry: https://www.castrust.org/2025/08/can-qpr-bounce-back/
The Addicks will definitely add to their ranks before
Monday’s 7pm transfer window deadline accosting to Nathan Jones.
“We will strengthen this squad in the next three or four
days,” he said. “We have a list, we are working through certain things. There
is scope and there is a desire to improve on at least one level.”
If so, it means that the recruitment drive will tick them
over into double figures for incoming deals, comments Richard Cawley.
“To be fair to the board they have never said ‘no’ in terms
of anything. We have managed the budget very, very well. We always try to stay
within budget….we have. Jim Rodwell (managing director) has done fantastically
well staying within budget on everything."
“We’re in a good place. I usually want a little more
quality, constantly, but I’m very aware that we have to stay within budget. The
board have backed us this year. So let’s see what comes about in the next two
to three days. It’s always an interesting one - it’s like a mental sandwich -
where people want to do deals and one kickstarts another. So who knows?”
Richard Cawley has commented on Twitter: ! om Lockyer posting pictures on his Instagram from his Charlton
playing days. Amari'i Bell giving it the [deleted]. A quick web search tells me
Lockyer's #tbt could
mean Throwback Thursday. I can confirm it is Thursday. I can't confirm whether
it means any more than that.’
Under pressure manager Nathan Jones said at this afternoon's press conference about two key injured players:
“We’ve had to manage Matty [Godden]. He played through the pain
barrier last year, so we had to rectify that over the summer (he underwent
surgery. It was so important that we got him to the end of last season - he was
one of the best strikers in the league and he was our top goal scorer.
“He was important to us and Miles (Leaburn) was injured. We
felt we needed to get him through (the games) and as a result of that he’s had
a shortened pre-season. He is now back on the grass and we just have to build
him up.
“What we don’t want to do is bring him back too quickly, he
then pulls a hamstring and is out for another month.
“Luke Berry is exactly the same. He played through stuff
last year."
“Those two are the only two now that we have as absentees.
Hopefully they will be back soon. The international break gives us a two-week
window, without missing games, to put a bit of work into them. They will be in
a better place coming out of that.”
I have a particular dislike for QPR. I am a bit hazy about dates (found out it was 4th October 1997), but Curbs haven't been manager without Gritty for all that long. We went to Loft**** Road and beat them 4-2 (and demolished them more than the score would suggest).
Shell shocked QPR fans then decided they wanted a young attacking manager who could be brought from a smaller club. Curbs was formally approached, as he subsequently admitted, and did consider it, but decided he would go on building something at Charlton.
I also remember that when they had their first (disastrous) takeover and a QPR fan who was interviewed on tv said: 'In five years time there will be one question: which is the bigger club, Real Madrid or Queens Park Rangers.'
Talk about delusions of grandeur. In fact a recent report by the New York Times suggests that they are the only 'leading' London club that have fallen back in terms of average league position. Mind you, one did get the impression that in New York they thought they were the royal team playing in Windsor Great Park.
That brings me to Loft**** Road. They know it's an awful stadium and have been trying to leave for years, something that Brentford succeeded in doing. It's like a series of shoeboxes on their side.
I haven't been there for a long while, but at one time they had Japanese tourists near the away end who laughed and took photos every time we got cross with the referee.
They also have some weird fans. Lord Toby Young is the son of Michael Young who wrote a brilliant book called The Rise of the Meritocracy which people saw as a celebration when it was really a warning delivered before its time.
Great oaks often overshadow their saplings. Just consider Robert 'So' Peston on ITV who he is the son of a brilliant economist.
Young often uses his columns in the Spectator to moan about the travails of following QPR (to be fair, he does go to away games). However, more recently he has got into a ridiculous spat with VOTV fanzine editor Rick Everitt.
Young heads something called the Free Speech Union which seems to be made up of people who are all for free speech provided you agree with them. He recently named Everitt as a threat to western civilisation as we know it. Many people dislike the Rickster (I don't), but I have never seen him as much of a threat except possibly to Spanners and Glaziers.
Anyway Young offered Rick the equivalent of pistols at dawn (actually 10.30 am) on Margate beach which he rightly ignored, going to The Valley instead.
And I fear they will beat us on Saturday (a draw is actually more likely).
Here are my notes on the match, I feared I would not make it back from a tiresome EU meeting in Brussels
A working trip to Greece meant that I wasn't able to see Charlton's morale boosting wins that had preceded the Stockport match:4-0 at Norwich and the 4-1 victory over Bradford. Now my attendance at Loftus Road was in doubt.
The end of the week would see me representing the UK's interests in Brussels and the secretary of the committee had warned me that the meeting could be long and difficult. Hence, it was scheduled to continue on Saturday, but I took a risk and booked myself on the last flight on Friday night to Birmingham. Come Friday afternoon, the predicted difficulties were arising.
Would I have to get one of Brussels's crazy Moroccan taxi drivers to take me the wrong way down one way streets (something they don't need much encouragement to do!) to make my plane. I had told the chair that I wanted to be at Loftus Road the next day. Suddenly, from nowhere, he produced a sum of money which solved the main obstacle, and I was on the flight to Brum.
Next day saw me on the train to Marlylebone. Radio 5 commented that QPR were quietly confident of victory, observing that 'the cream must rise to the top' in Division 1! Well, we are used to being patronised by the media.
On walking to Baker Street, disaster struck. The Hammersmith and City line was out owing to 'subsisdence at Edgware Road', so I had to go across to the Central Line and travel to White City. I arrived five minutes late somewhat hot and flustered.
But what a feast of football! As the QPR web page later admitted, Charlton came determined to win and comprehensively outplayed the 'Super Hoops'. What is more, the Charlton faithful outsung a largely silent home support. Robinson took us 1-0 ahead, and after QPR had equalised, Steve Jones put us ahead before half time.
A second Robinson goal and one by substitute Phil Chapple completed the picture. In the last fifteen minutes, however, we let QPR back into the game. Our defensive weaknesses under pressure became apparent and only a couple of great saves by Andy Peterson stopped it going to 3-4. And, as QPR had come back from 4-0 at Port Vale to draw 4-4 last season, anything could have happened then.
Nevertheless, a sparkling Charlton performance. Good attacking football, with Kinsella in midfield playing probably his best game of the season to date. So Charlton fans could with justification chant, 'QPR, ha! ha! ha!' However, as far as the media were concerned, it was not a question of Charlton winning, but of QPR losing.
One of the ironies here is that another QPR supporter is a former Cabinet Secretary and it was the Cabinet Office who had landed me with this assignment in Brussels, claiming they were short staffed.
Nathan Jones has made it clear he wants defensive additions before the transfer window closes, reports Richard Cawley.
The ‘really disappointed’ Welshman said after the defeat at Cambridge: “We have to (add to the defenders at the
club). We have to strengthen in that area because if we don't strengthen in
that area it only takes one or two [to get injured or suspended] and we're exposed. And, with the greatest of
respects, the Championship is different."
Jones fears that Charlton would be stretched defensively
against QPR. Additions do not depend on
further exits with seven players all out on loan.
Some fans feel with good reason that we need more firepower up front but, as the Chicago Addick has pointed out, last night showed that the reserve back five are not good enough.
League Two Cambridge
United beat Championship Charlton Athletic to reach the third round of the
Carabao Cup and moaners rounded on Nathan Jones.
The shell shocked
supremo told BBC Radio London: "I thought we were way, way off. I don't
want to use any adjectives that are disrespectful but we were way off our
level, we were outbattled, outfought.
"There's three
or four things in all those goals that we could have done better, that we do
well normally. I didn't see any fight,
any energy. Normally we outwork, out-press, outrun teams. Tonight I can't
remember us doing that."
Jones changed his entire starting XI from Saturday's
defeat to Leicester City and the U's made the much stronger start to
the game, with goals from James Brophy and Kylian Kouassi putting them 2-0 up
inside 30 minutes.
Ibrahim Fullah struck from range to halve the deficit just
before half-time with his second goal in two EFL Cup games this season.
Zak Bradshaw restored the home side's two-goal lead 10
minutes into the second half before Neil Harris' side saw out a deserved win
against the Addicks, who had Karoy Anderson sent off deep into added time for
catching Ibsen Rossi in the head with a high boot.
Summer signings Charlie Kelman and Tanto Olaofe came into
the Charlton side both looking for their first goals for the club, while Joe
Rankin-Costello and Harvey Knibbs were also included as Jones gave his new
players a chance at the Cledara Abbey Stadium.
But the visitors looked disjointed in the early stages and
the visitors took full advantage as Brophy swept home his third goal of the
season following a neat cutback from Elias Kachunga. Blackpool loanee Kouassi doubled the lead on
29 minutes as he outmuscled Charlton defender Zach Mitchell before clinically
finishing past Ashley Maynard-Brewer for his first goal for the club.
Charlton improved as the half wore on and a moment of
quality from Fullah brought them back into the game. The 18-year-old cut inside from the left
before smashing an effort past U's keeper Jake Eastwood with a minute of normal
time remaining in the first half.
Bradshaw reacted quickest following a strong save from
Charlton goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer to deny Kachunga and put the hosts in
control on 55 minutes with his first goal at EFL level.
Both sides made several changes in the second half which was
interrupted by multiple head injuries, resulting in 14 minutes of added time at
the end. But the Addicks would not find
a way back and had Anderson sent off as he made contact with the head of Rossi
in the Cambridge box and was shown a red card.
The word from the King’s Head at Deal is that this is the
worst cup defeat since Northwich Victoria, but that was televised. It would have been nice to progress, but
minutes have to be given to players who have lacked them.
Like many fans, the departure of Scott Parker for Chelsea when we had a chance of European qualification left me with a bad taste in the mouth at the time, but Peter Varney gives a more informed and balanced view in Richard Cawley’s Substack. Just a few excerpts as a taster (Varney also discusses the plot to sabotage The Valley floodlights).
‘Scott was like a lot of players. He wanted to play for
England and in the Champions League. At the time Chelsea were a big club with
Roman Abramovich coming on the scene. It transpired that Richard Murray had
said, at the time when Scott last signed a contract, that he could go if a
top-four club came in for him.
One of the things that fans often say is that, with a chance
of Europe, how could he just walk away? They say that it is all about the money
and whatever else. Of course money plays a part. They offered him significantly
more than he was on at Charlton and a long contract. So it was about that, but
it was also that ambition to play for England, play in the Champions League and
test himself against the best players in the world.
It’s just a shame how it ended because I would say he is one
of the best players to ever play for Charlton. So that legacy is so sad - he
was massive for us in the Premier League, and in getting to the Premier League.
Scott would be absolutely exhausted when he came off after any of our games. He
ran and ran and ran.
He was so instrumental to Charlton and the way we played. He
did the work of two players, effectively, box to box. And he could get goals.
When you get a pattern of play, a shape - we weren’t having many injuries - and
everything is rosey in the camp then there is no doubt if you lose your best
player, him and Claus Jensen dominated the midfield, it has a massive effect.’
Celebrating their newly owned stadium, Coventry City crushed next Saturday’s opponents Queens Park Rangers 7-1 on Saturday.
The New York Times has
been trying to make sense of what happened using the expected goals model. It’s clear that speculative sharp-shooting
played a big role in their result. Two goals came from outside the box, and the
overall xG per shot stood at a paltry 0.07.
Take Coventry striker Victor Torp’s brace. His first saw him
reach behind him to guide the ball through a sea of bodies into the
bottom-right corner. The xG value of this shot is 0.04, and it’s pretty
reasonable to estimate that only one in every 25 of these efforts goes in,
given the precise nature of the finish that is required with so many players
between Torp and the goal.
His second was even more spectacular and unlikely: a
ferocious curler into the top-right corner. The model puts it at a one per cent
chance, and again, it’s difficult to argue with that assessment.
But stringing together that many low-probability finishes in
a single game is incredibly rare. By analysing the individual xG of each of
Coventry’s 19 shots, the model puts the chance of scoring seven or more at
0.004 per cent — roughly 1 in 25,000.
The unlikeliness the model assigns is matched by the
observed data. Across 18,631 matches in England’s top four leagues, the
Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A since the 2019-20 season, only two produced a
larger single-game xG over performance: Wigan’s record-equalling 8-0 win over
Hull in the Championship in 2020 and Mansfield’s 9-2 victory against Harrogate
Town in League Two in 2024.
Single games are subject to so much randomness that no one
model can fully capture it. Even the chances that feed into xG are
context-dependent over 90 minutes: a high-value opportunity can come from a
calamitous mistake or a fortunate bounce rather than repeatable attacking play.
That variance makes huge outliers like Coventry’s possible (though still
improbable).
QPR goalkeeper Joe Walsh should have prevented four goals.
While his positioning and shot-stopping were far from pristine, this feels an
unduly harsh assessment of his display on Saturday, and it’s hard to fault him
for the majority of the goals.
Coventry’s over performance was mainly down to freakishly
good finishing, but the model probably did undervalue the value of their
opportunities. But the very rarity of an over performance like this points to
their clinical display being a massive statistical outlier rather than evidence
of a busted model. (Anyone familiar with
a basic two variable linear regression knows that such outliers occur).
The result doesn’t help very much as QPR will be determined
to prevent a repetition in front of their home crowd.
The Charlton wing-back has his right arm wrapped around the
neck of his opponent, who seems particularly keen to hit the turf directly in
the official’s eyeline. There is often plenty of contact allowed inside the
penalty area from set-pieces. Not on this occasion.
Addicks boss Nathan Jones found the decision tough to take.
The Welshman was careful with his comments, keen to avoid any disciplinary
scrape with the FA. He clearly felt that Whitestone overly-protected
Leicester’s players during the match. “They felt that our physicality,
aggression and how we press was something they didn’t want to do - and that was
helped out,” said Jones, who added the reason behind striking off his
namesake’s goal was “an absolute fairytale”.
It probably partly depends on which technical area you are
standing in as to whether you feel it was a foul,’ concluded Cawley.
Jones
Why did he start Leaburn rather than Kelman? Tactics and the fact that Leaburn had been impressive in training during the week. Fans don't (usually) see what happens in training but managers can't disregard it.
In any case Leaburn had a decent game. If anyone had a mare it was Tyreece Campbell.
Where the pessimists have a point is our inability to score goals. We had plenty of chances in the second half. We miss Godden, but need to score without him.
On Saturday the Super Hoops will be looking to avenge their drubbing by Coventry City. My Sky Blue neighbour was round my house on Sunday celebrating the result and the fact that Coventry had now bought their stadium. Coventry fans have been through the mill with their former owners, playing in Northampton and Birmingham, but now the wealth of Stratford upon Avon has come to their rescue.
I know a little about just how many multi-millionaires live in that town often in discreet but fabulous houses (I have been fortunate enough to be invited into a couple). The town council owns a lot of the central town and were able to fork out for a nice new stadium for Stratford Town (the Bardsmen) with all weather training pitches. But don't expect 'verily' and 'forsooth' if you find yourself at the Anne Hathaway!
Charlton lost 0-1 to Leicester at The Valley this afternoon. It's the first game the Addicks have lost at home since December 2024. Charlton played well, but the relegated Premier League side had one moment of real quality. The Addicks had their chances in the second half, but could not find the back of the net, although one attempt by Jones was disallowed because of a tussle in the box.
Bright start to this game, end-to-end stuff with Abdul
Fatawu on the right and Jeremy Monga on the left showing quick feet for City
and earning their side a corner. Kayne
Ramsay needed a spot of treatment for a facial injury before they take it.
Leaburn was unlucky to be caught half a yard offside, An Addicks corner was unproductive. A Leaburn shot deflected for a corner. Conor Coventry picks a Leicester pocket in
their own half but Miles Leaburn sees a 20-yard blast cannon over the bar off
Jannik Vestergaard, and the Foxes are able to deal with Josh Edwards' curling
corner.
Leicester had a lot of the ball in the opening stages but
the vast majority of it has been in their own half or on halfway. Charlton were
doing a good job of pressing them into errors.
Jordan Ayew managed to get in behind Lloyd Jones for a
moment and drove towards the box, Jones manages to get back goal side and
forces Ayew to eventually drag a low shot a yard or so wide of Thomas
Kaminski's right hand post from just inside the area.
Good battle between Jordan Ayew and Lloyd Jones with the
Addicks defender being penalised after bundling into the forward in midfield.
Nathan Jones was making himself useful, trotting onto the
pitch to help remove a foil balloon and streamers which had blown onto the
playing surface.
Clumsy from Abdul Fatawu who barges Tyreece Campbell over
near the corner flag giving the Addicks a useful set-piece opportunity. Conor
Coventry's high cross was however routine for Leicester keeper Jakub Stolarczyk
to claim just outside his six-yard box.
Charlton had a very clear plan to press the Leicester
players high up in their own half when they're on the ball and so far it's
working. Conor Coventry and Greg
Docherty haven't given the Foxes any room to move in the midfield and when they
do turn the ball over the Addicks get players forward quickly and looked a
threat.
Abdul Fatawu provided a rasping 25-yard strike from the right which
Lloyd Jones stooped to deflect behind off that big forehead of his. The corner drops to Louis Page on the edge of
the box but the 17-year-old snatches at his volley and blazes well over the
crossbar.
Josh Edwards whipped in a free-kick from the right flank
which is met by the head of Kayne Ramsay at the back stick, only for his effort
to fly off-target.
Steve Brown said we had not allowed the Foxes to settle into
any rhythm at all, the pressure was so good.
Good move from Charlton as Miles Leaburn played a neat reverse pass
through for Sonny Carey, whose inviting near-post cross was well cut-out by the
sliding Luke Thomas.
Conor Coventry ooks aim from 25 yards and scorches a
swerving effort towards the top corner, only for Jakub Stolarczyk to fly across
to his left and tip the ball around the angle of post and bar. Great save.
Kayne Ramsay was penalised for a challenge on Jeremy Monga
which gives Leicester the chance to get the ball in the box but once again they
can't make anything of it.
Four minutes added on.
An aerial collision near the Addicks box bought both sets of trainers
back onto the pitch to treat Abdul Fatawu and Josh Edwards.
Leicester had enjoyed more of the ball in accordance with
their possession style but the Addicks were well drilled and prevented the
visitors from doing much with it in dangerous areas. Steve Brown praised the harassing by
Charlton.
HT: 0-0
Charlton started the half on the front foot and Tyreece
Campbell wins a corner down the left. Conor Coventry's ball in was met by the
head of Lloyd Jones, with Hamza Choudhary just glancing it past Coventry's next
corner was met by Kayne Ramsay at the far post and Jakub Stolarczyk makes a
fine block on his line at near point blank range.
The dangerous and experienced Fataw opened the scoring for
the Foxes on 48 minutes with a brilliant goal. Leiceter worked the ball neatly through the
Charlton press to Abdul Fatawu on
the right. The winger drifted inside towards the box, got a yard on Josh
Edwards and bends a glorious effort from an angle into the far top corner of
Thomas Kaminski's goal. He had no
chance of saving it.
The first goal Charlton have allowed this season, from the
first shot on target they have allowed in their box across the three matches.
The Addicks were seeking a quick response and a cross from
the right breaks to Tyreece Campbell just beyond the far post but Hamza
Choudhary did brilliantly to throw himself in the way of Campbell's strike and
deflect behind for a corner.
Miles Leaburn just put a little too much force behind his
angled through ball for Greg Docherty who had acres of space darting into the
Foxes box and the ball rolled through to the grateful Jakub Stolarczyk. Heads in hands all round for the Addicks,
that was a real chance.
Conor Coventry went into the book for hauling back Boubakary
Soumare as he threatened to break away.
Jordan Ayew followed him into the book for his protests to ref Dean
Whitestone.
It was Charlton.
Miles Leaburn somehow corralled a high ball in the box, spins, and sees
his near post strike on the stretch deflected behind for another corner. Josh Edwards' corner drops to Sonny Carey but
his fierce volley from 18 yards is blocked in a forest of legs.
Tyreece Campbell and Miles Leaburn combined to send Rob
Apter haring down the right but his low shot was heading for the side-netting,
until it is tipped behind by Jakub Stolarczyk, who got hisangles wrong, for
once. Rob Edwards had two attempts to
take his corner as the ball was rolling the first time but a looping header
from Lloyd Jones at the far post evaded the stretch of Stolarczyk and somehow
skews past the upright off the heel of Conor Coventry.
Lloyd Jones went into the book for a foul on Patson Daka and
Leicester almost capitalised from the deep free-kick, Jannik Vestergaard
getting two bites at the cherry in the goalmouth but scuffed his final effort
from the floor which made it a simple save for Thomas Kaminski flopping to his
right.
Another Charlton corner from Josh Edwards was met by a
flashing header from Conor Coventry at the near post, taking advantage of some
static defending from Jannik Vestergaard, but his effort flew over the Foxes
crossbar. This was a real chance.
Harry Winks and Silko Thomas came on for Leicester, with
Jeremy Monga and Oliver Skipp the ones to make way as Marti Cifuentes tried to
regain the initiative in the final 20 minutes or so.
Rob Apter went off to loud applause and Kelman came on. Carey came off and Harvey Knibbs came on.
Josh Edwards put in a mighty throw which Miles Leaburn met
with a powerful close-range header which was straight at keeper Jakub
Stolarczyk who clings on well
The Foxes made sure their substitutions took an
eternity. Greg Docherty and Miles
Leaburn went off for the Addicks with Tanto Olaofe and Joe Rankin-Costelloe
sent on to try and spark an equaliser for the Addicks with five minutes plus
added time remaining. Josh Edwards was
replaced by Gillesphey.
Charlton were throwing everything forward at the moment with
Lloyd Jones staying up top as a makeshift forward and proving a handful for
Caleb Okoli in particular. Six minutes
were added on. A deep Addicks corner was nodded back into the middle where
Tyreece Campbell could only steer a header over the bar from eight yards out. He had time and space to do better.
Those in attendance saw a real contest, but the armchair
managers will soon be at their keyboards explaining how they would have done
better.
Steve Brown said that we won in every department, but admitted that we were guiilty of missing some very good opportunities.
Today The Times announces the 55th birthday of lifelong Charlton fan, author and broadcaster Charlie Connelly.
For over ten years Charlie lived in Deal, but perhaps it was encounters with Desmond from Deal that finally drove him to live north of the border: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/5285243/charlie-connelly-on-his-love-for-dundee/
Charlie was a contemporary of my middle daughter at uni. She retired with her husband to a farm in Spain as she approached 50 (now joined by my granddaughter and great-granddaughter) and always reminds me that she is a multi-millionaire rather than a mere millionaire. Actually, I never managed to get Charlie's book on radio back off her. However, he is best known now for his one man show on the shipping forecast. It always sells out.
Charlie's early books included one on the Liechtenstein national team (which I really enjoyed) and also one on football in London.
I once asked him if he had ever played football competitively and apparently once he was drafted in by a non-league reserve side short of players. He was out of puff after 30 minutes.
Charlie still has to make the decision which of the Dundee teams to back in his new home.
Question to Nathan Jones at yesterday’s press conference: ‘Leicester City, Premier League champions not that long ago, heading to The Valley on Saturday. There seems a little unrest from Foxes fans over the way their club is being run. How do you assess the challenge?’
Jones: “They are a stern test. They were playing Premier
League football last season. They have got Premier League footballers and
individuals who can hurt you at any time.
“We can’t concern ourselves with what is going on at
Leicester. We just have to prepare Charlton. If we are the best versions of
ourselves then that is all we can ask. We are very proud of our best version,
so that is all we can do.
“Whatever else happens, happens. They are a fantastic club
and one of the favourites to go back up.
“We will be saying this week in and week out, there is not
one of the 46 games when we do a press conference where you are going: ‘Well,
this should be an easy one tomorrow or Saturday’. That won’t happen at this
level. There aren’t any gimmes at Championship level. It is probably the most
relentless league.”
Four Four Two says: ''The Foxes' managerial change was slow and a possible points deduction is looming, but enough quality remains for a play-off push. Monga - who was six when Leicester won the title - is a prodigous talent.' [He made his debut as a Premier League player aged 15 in April].
The fan forecast a 2nd place finish: 'I won't be happy unless we bounce straight back. Promotion is essential.'' He names the key player as Abdu Fotowu, who destroyed the Championship in his first season but missed most of the last campaign through injury.' He also thinks the club needs a reliable centre back.
CAS Trust reminds us that we have a good record at The Valley against the Foxes: https://www.castrust.org/2025/08/leicester-city-overpriced-and-overpaid/
Greenwich University have for a long time been aligned with Charlton but now they have formed a partnership with Crystal Palace: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/25397074.university-greenwich-partners-crystal-palace-fc/?ref=rss
A lot of claptrap is spouted about their core values aligning, but Greenwich is our home borough. And as someone who was born in Greenwich, I take particular offence.
Towards the end of my career a West London university offered me a six figure salary to take a senior position. If it had been Greenwich I would have accepted and then there would have been a partnership!
Charlton facing the biggest challenge of their season so far when Leicester City visit The Valley on Saturday. The Foxes are forecast to finish sixth by Four Four Two.
Richard Cawley reports that Nathan Jones has stated on transfers: "What we probably want to do is add, at least one body. We know the position we need it. Maybe to do that, we want to make sure our numbers are good. "
“The club have been amazing in backing us and they then
trusted us to put players out, developing the assets. We have done that. Gassan
has got a really good move and started really well. Alex Mitchell has got a
move. Kaheim has gone and is in a wonderful place there. It is important if
they are not going to impact on us now, it is important we keep developing the
asset and sending them to the right clubs."
Nathan Jones revealed that centre-back Reece Burke is back
in full training this week. The Charlton boss said goalkeeper Will Mannion
missed the Bristol City game due to a "minor accident" but is also
back fully up to speed.
Topics covered at today's press conference included Kayne Ramsay's contractual situation, whether one of the senior goalkeepers is set to make an exit and the decision to start Amari'i Bell ahead of Wembley goal hero Macaulay Gillesphey.
There are reports that Wycombe Wanderers are interested in signing free agent and former Addick Chuks Aneke: https://the72.co.uk/2025/08/19/wycombe-wanderers-offered-chuks-aneke/
Chuks is the sort of player that the Chairboys like, but Burton Albion are also interested and St. Mirren are said to be prepared to offer him the kilt.
Wherever he ends up, the 32-year old will provide work for the club's medical department, but good luck to him. He did his best for us.
Today we say goodbye to Tracey Leaburn as Head of Player Care. She has provided 10 years of great service to the club, not least in staying put at The Valley as one of a trio who stood up to individuals who were a great threat to the club's existence. The surname Leaburn is legendary at Charlton and I wish her every success and happiness in the future.
I only met fellow blogger Dave Thomson (Drinking During the Game) once when Murray mints called in all Charlton bloggers for a meeting. That was at a time when the blogsphere was more populated and of greater importance.
Dave sadly passed away in 2023 from cancer and his daughter Heather is undertaking a 30 mile walk to raise money for cancer research: https://www.castrust.org/2025/08/sponsor-heather-thomson-in-memory-of-her-father/
Football is more than the game itself. A few days ago I made a routine visit to my chiropodist. She is a keen Villa fan (season ticket holder) and we usually talk football, but she was more restrained than usual. Then she revealed that her father whom she went to games with had passed away and she couldn't raise her normal enthusiasm for the season.
Alex Mitchell has joined Plymouth Argyle on a season-long loan. Richard Cawley comments: ‘Always expected the centre-back, 23, to make a temporary move away from Charlton.’ Some fans have responded with sad emojis to the news.
Mitchell has always shown a strong desire to play first-team
football, even going back to when he was on Millwall’s books.
Nathan Jones: “He’s at an age where he needs game time and
given the form of others and our new signings the loan move to a good club like
Plymouth was a good opportunity and we weren’t going to stand in his way."
Cawley adds: ‘Remains to be seen what happens with Zach
Mitchell. It seems he has impressed Nathan Jones but he also has a strong desire
for regular game time.’
Yesterday's Football League Paper has a very positive story about Charlton: 'Charlton Athletic's change in fortunes over the past nine months has been little short of remarkable .... Turn the clock back to last December and the Addicks' rise was hard to predict. [Indeed the over large crowd of pessimists at Charlton was predicting we would be playing in League Two the following season.]
Nathan Jones commented: 'There's a certain level I always demand from players and if we reach it, we reap the rewards. We have confidence in ourselves, we always feel we have a goal in us, and I need us to keep looking up.'
Jones added: 'It's been a matter of getting minutes into new players and bedding them in, it's absolutely vital. The early indications are bright. We preached to our transfer targets what Charlton is all about, where we think we are going and what we think they can do for us. That enticed a lot of them and now feel there is a great blend in the club.'
'I always take recruitment so seriously because I have learned the hard way no matter how good I think I am, if I get recruitment wrong and have a bad group, success is quite simply impossible.'
'This is a journey, not a destination. We don't just want to keep pace with the level, we want to affect the level and really make our mark in the Championship.'
Charlton have fallen back to 10th after Sunday's games.
The one downside risk is that clubs will start to realise that it's not just a matter of turning up to claim three easy points from sure fire relegation candidates, but they need to take us seriously.
Shortly after coming on as a late substitute for Stevenage yesterday, Gassan Adahme scored in their 2-0 victory over Northampton. The Gasman scored 90 seconds after coming on and sent Boro to the top of the League One table.
On 82 minutes the Boro No.10, Dan Kemp, put the ball into the channel for the Gasman to hook across the keeper who was stretching.
Give us a K: one of Team Lisbie, Kyreece, contributed to Colchester's 2-0 victory at Shrewsbury with a late goal.
Charlton are 8th in the Championship after a creditable 0-0 away draw at Bristol City (Millwall are 15th). The home side dominated the first half with the Addicks relying on counter attack. Charlton came more into their own in the second half with Apter having the best chance of scoring.
It’s nearly nine
hours since the Addicks last conceded in a league match (including play-offs).
In the first half Charlton were defensively very organised
and work so hard to press. City had a few moments when they've got into good
positions but Thomas Kaminski was protected very well. Keeper only had the one
save to make from Hirakwa's shot from the edge of the box.
City were doubling up on Rob Apter every time he got on the
ball. With good reason.
Apter forced Bristol City keeper Vitek into a save low down to his left after being fed on the right of the box by Carey. Clearest chance either side produced, although Bristol City's Anis Mehmeti hit the woodwork in the second half with a well-struck effort.
Kayne Ramsay was excellent . He made a fine block to cut out Hirakwa's
cross and also produced a couple of crunching and perfectly-timed sliding
challenges.
Nathan Jones was going ballistic towards the end of the match about some of the officials' decisions.
As the game went into seven minutes of added time, Charlton summer signing Harvey Knibbs had a close-range chance smothered by Vítek.
