It's being so cheerful as keeps me happy

The New York Times has come up with a 'happiness index' for the supporters of Premier League clubs.  Of course, it's all a bit of festive fun, but why I am not surprised that Tottenham Hotspur are bottom with West Ham United down there?  Spurs fans are notorious for their constantly disappointed sense of entitlement.   I took great pleasure in seeing them beaten 1-0 at the then White Hart Lane by a goal scored by their fan Chris Powell,

I think that if the NYT did something similar for the Championship, Charlton fans would get a high miserable score.    It doesn't take much to bring out all the negativity and pessimism.

The words I particularly dread are 'if the fans can see it, why can't the management?'   I have been following Charlton for over seventy years and one lesson I have learnt is that I know nothing about football.  Of course, the game has changed beyond recognition, especially in the last few years.

There has been a sudden surge in hits on this page.   I was puzzled  by this as surely not that many people are suddenly interested in the Addicks, or not least in my meanderings about them.

Then my stattos in Dublin emailed me and said that I was being 'scraped' by AI.   Indeed, I did have a good conversation with a robot chat bot the other day.

More worryingly, they told me that Desmond from Deal may not exist other than as an avatar.    I spent a few days in Deal in the summer hoping to find Desmond and his moaning pals.    We had some great meals, but no Desmond.   (But I am advised by a RHDR volunteer and Addick that Derek from Dymchurch is a real person).

Admittedly, Desmond is hardly AI, more AD (artificially dim).   His latest missive is: 'As I predicted, the wheels are coming off.  Jones was riding his luck, but now he is being found out.'   If I thought they were intelligent enough, he could have actually been unleashed by Spanners or Nigels.

A distinguished life scientist (who came well out of the Covid inquiry) once told me that his starting position was everything he knew was wrong.  I was quite taken aback, but now I know what he meant.

Waiting for Godden

Desmond from Deal may be considering convening a get together of armchair critics from his part of the  Kent coast, but around the coast Ramsgate-based fanzine editor Rick Everitt takes a more positive view of recent setbacks in a 'torrid week': https://www.votvonline.com/home/the-2025-26-blogs/1-12-torrid-week-still-leaves-us-waiting-for-godden/

As the Rickster points out, a lack of firepower is as much a problem as defensive lapses and we are still 'waiting for Godden'.   However, Nathan Jones and his players still have a load of credit in the bank even if the rumbling of discontent is getting louder.

How Sasa Ilic became a Charlton hero

Richard Cawley has published the latest instalment of the Peter Varney diaries, this time giving the inside story of the Greatest Game.

You need to subscribe to Richard's excellent Substack page to get all the gems, but here is a taster extract about how Sasa Ilic became the keeper at Wembley.

'He had been playing in Yugoslavia but then was on the books of St Leonards Stamcroft, a non-league side based in Hastings.

It transpired Sasa was standing outside our training ground, holding a bag, and was stopping cars as they came in. He had decided he wouldn’t write to the club about training with us, or ring up, he’d just come up to Sparrows Lane.

The natural reaction is just to get rid of players in that scenario. I think Curbs was the one who went down and asked what the story was.

They put him in a game, it wasn’t a first-team one, and they thought he had something about him. It was a very similar story with Nick Pope. He didn’t just rock up at the club but he came in from Bury Town - we gave them something like £9,000 and some kit.

It was Keith Peacock who said: ‘I think Ilic has got something about him, but he’s very, very raw’.

He got in the team and kept all these clean sheets. Still to this day he makes out he made a wonder save from Gray and not that it was a bad penalty. He was a character Sasa, you had to admire the fact he had a huge amount of self confidence.'

Billy Bonds MBE

As we mourn one of football's greats and his association with West Ham, we should not forget that he started out with Charlton.

Born in Woolwich, Bonds grew up in Eltham, where he played for a Sunday boys' team, Moatbridge, and Kent Schoolboys and joined the ground staff at Charlton after leaving school at 15. He played in the youth and A team and occasionally in the reserves before joining the playing staff shortly before his 18th birthday in September 1964.

Bonds played his first game for Charlton against Northampton Town in February 1965.    He became a first team regular for three seassons and went on to make 95 appearances for the Addicks, scoring one goal, before signing for West Ham for £50,000.

Using the Bank of England inflation calculator this would be £855,000 in 2025 prices.

One fan recalled how he came into the bank he worked in and always had time for a chat, particularly about Charlton.   Fans are agreed that he was a true gentleman.

Some more details of his relationship with Charlton appeared in a double spread in The Times yesterday.

He remained a south Londoner all his life, always living that side of the river, heading back through the Blackwall Tunnel before some of his team mates has showered.

It is said that Arthur and Barbara Bonds were watching Charlton at The Valley hours before William was born.   They returned to the terraces with him when he was three months old.

Even so they insisted that he start work in a ship propeller factory for two months before he joined Charlton.

.

Defeat to league leaders

Charlton were defeated 3-1 by runaway league leaders at the CBS Arena this afternoon   Charlton took the michael by scoring an opening goal through Harvey Knibbs, but two home goals just before half time more or less sealed the result.

The Sky Blues have scored three goals in ten games this season

A sold out away end braved some wet Warwickshire weather to demonstrate their Addicktion.

After their opening goal the Addicks rose to 10th in the as it stands table, but ended up 17th.

Harvey Knibbs gave the visitors a surprise lead at the CBS Arena when he turned in Tyreece Campbell's deflected shot from six yards.

But the Sky Blues put themselves in front with two goals just before half-time as Josh Eccles scored from outside the box and Ellis Simms glanced in a header from a corner.

Charlton pushed for a leveller after the break before Simms poked in Coventry's 50th league goal of the season to seal victory.

Coventry have now won 11 of their past 12 matches and only lost once in the league all season.

Shell shocked supremo Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London: "I'm really disappointed with the manner of the goals (conceded) but the level of the performance I'm relatively happy.

"First half we had the majority of the chances - with a little bit more better decision making we'd have gone in further ahead.

"It's been tough week, Southampton, Stoke away and then the leaders away, especially when we're stretched as we are but I'm proud of the applicaiton.

"Now we have to go into December and stem the tide and come out of December in a significantly better position than we are now."

Black Friday acquisition 'a calculated gamble' admits supremo

Nathan Jones has told South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition that the club’s move for free agent Jerome Roussillon is a “calculated gamble”.  He would be allowed to play at today's game.

Roussillon, 32, has been a free agent since leaving Union Berlin in the summer.  He has also played for VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. Before that the Guadeloupe international, capped at U18 and U20 level by France, represented Sochaux and Montpellier.

Roussillon is closing in on 350 first-team matches and that includes 10 appearances in both the Champions League and Europa League.

He played for Guadeloupe in Gold Cup Group C matches against Panama and Jamaica in June.

Roussillon has been training with Charlton for a few weeks before signing. It was the same scenario with Hernandez. Both players are only on deals until the January transfer window.

“We had to have a look at him physically, in terms of things,” said Jones. “There are not many left-siders around in the free agent market, so you have to be very clever.

“He (Roussillon) is a left-back or more of an attacking full-back. He has got wonderful quality in the final third. So he will add that and he is very composed - he’s played several seasons in the Bundesliga.”

“He comes with a good pedigree. What we have to do is get him up to speed because pedigree-wise it is not a problem. He will provide good competition and he’s an excellent character.

“It’s a mini gamble but it’s a calculated one. It’s one we needed to take.”

Jones has praised head of recruitment Phil Chapple, appointed in May, for finding solutions to Charlton’s defensive deficiencies.  “I’m not sure there are not many players on the planet that Phil doesn’t know about,” said the Welshman.   Clearly he is no Chapple of Rest.

 

It's a really, really tough test admits shell shocked supremo

The Coventry Evening Telegraph looks at how Frank Lampard has transformed his career prospects and those of Coventry City: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/frank-lampard-coventry-city-chelsea-32961942

The Sky Blues may be a promotion juggernaut, but Charlton fans have sold out the away end at the CBS Arena.

At home the Sky Blues have won eight and drawn too, scoring 22 and conceding six.   The Sky Blues have lost just one of their last fifteen league games at home against Charlton.   The stats do not make good reading for the Addicks: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3w788v340xo

I do remember winning at Highfield Road, but that was in the FA Cup.  This was in January 2000 when we came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Coventry fans contemplate a shock Cup defeat by Charlton

Some Charlton fans have already identified T Campbell and Leaburn as scapegoat players, but football journos have been giving them relatively high ratings.

Nathan Jones gave Richard Cawley his excuses first on the journo's Substack page: 'We started this season well, lost players and stopped doing the basics a little bit. That is why we’ve got hurt. We have to reset and start doing what we do best - then results will come.'

'Coventry have been an outstanding attacking team and Frank has done a wonderful job. They were a really established Championship side anyway - they got to the play-off final and lose narrowly on penalties to Luton. They added again in the window under Mark Robins and when Frank came in he has probably taken them considerably further than where they were at..'

“They have invested wisely and got an excellent squad. They’ve got pace, quality and score goals so, of course, it is a really, really tough test. But it is 11 v 11 and we have to make sure that we are the best versions of ourselves. If we do all the basics right then it gives you a platform to win a football game.'

'That is what we haven’t done in the last couple of games.'

CAS Trust have difficiulty in finding words to discuss the prospects for the game: https://www.castrust.org/2025/11/nothing-to-lose-at-coventry/

Blue skies over Coventry

My eldest's home at Ryton is just down the road from the Coventry City training ground.   Not so long ago it was a forlorn sight, but now it is surrounded by high wooden fences to obstruct the view.  A cluster of Sly Blues fans can usually be seen hanging around outside in the hope of seeing one of their stars or perhaps even Frank Lampard himself.

Lampard was greeted with some scepticism when he was appointed manager by fans given his track record, but he has set the Sky Blues on the road to promotion.

Coventry fans have been through the mill.   Owned for many years by a hedge fund who seemed to have no strategy, they were reduced to watching their team at Northampton and even Birmingham City.  Now they are back in the excellent CBS Stadium, once used by the Wasps rugby team which went bust.

The club has been acquired by a Stratford upon Avon businessman and, no, he didn't make his money by selling Shakespeare tat.  There is some very serious money in Stratford.   I have only once been invited into one of the multi-millionaire homes along the River Avon (as you come in from Tiddington past the Home Guard ground) and it was very impressive.    In return for some free advice on the consequences of Brexit, I got a nice lunch and a chance to sample the lifestyle of the really opulent.

Stratford is associated with a particular kind of Englishness.    When I was freelancing for Sky I was asked on a slow news day to get down in front of the Shakespeare birthplace and talk about Englishness which I did as Japanese tourists clicked their cameras.

Now the Birthplace Trust has had to make big redundancies and close some premises, while all is not well at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.    For now, howver, half an hour after leaving home (in winter) I can enjoy world class theatre.

Quite a lot of central Stratford is owned by the town council and they paid for a new ground for the Bards (Stratford Town) with a nice stand and artificial training pitches.   I well remember Leamington beating Stratford at their old ground and starting a chart of 'Two-nil or not two nil?' after that became the score.  Bemused tourists were then greeted by a victory parade through the centre of Stratford.

There are some Coventry City supporters in Leamington, but many local residents would never go near Coventry which they refer to in unflattering terms.   Historically it was Villa territory, but there now seem to be a lot of Baggies supporters around.

I correctly forecast the result at Stoke at the beginning of the season and containment has to be the emphasis on Saturday to avoid a thumping.   The one thing that might help us is that Coventry feel that they just have to turn up on the pitch to claim three points, but that is clutching at straws.

Charlton slump at Stoke

Charlton moved down to 14th in the Championship after a 3-0 defeat at Stoke tonight.   Saturday's opponents Coventry moved ten points clear at the top of the table after winning at rivals Boro.

The defeat  away at Stoke was widely predicted, but has reinvigorated armchair managers.   I just feel sorry for those loyal fans who made the trek to the Potteries to see a disappointing performance.

Shell shocked manager Nathan Jones admitted that the performance was no good enough even given injury problems.   'We were not at the levels we needed to be.[

Stoke scored their first two goals within five minutes and added a third on 34 minutes due to a Kaminski error.   After that they were in cruise control.

Stoke scored with their first real foray into the Addicks' half, although the opener carried more than a touch of good fortune.

Eric-Junior Bocat's tenacity saw the ball poked out to the left, where Thomas made space to send over a cross which was well struck and the ball looped over Charlton keeper Thomas Kaminski.

It went from bad to worse for Charlton supremo Jones, returning to a club that he managed for 11 months in 2019, as they went 2-0 down after just five minutes.

Goalkeeper Viktor Johansson's long ball was contested by Potters' centre-forward Robert Bozenik and defender Lloyd Jones.   The Slovakian bundled his opponent out of the way, the ball falling to Thomas who found Manhoef on the right.   The winger was able to cut inside and deliver a low shot just inside Kaminski's right-hand post.

The Addicks conceded a third before half-time.   Bae Jun-Ho fed Thomas, again loitering on the left, but this time he cut back onto his right foot.

Bozenik and Kayne Ramsey contested the cross in front of keeper Kaminski who reacted late, the ball dribbling under his arms and crossing the goalline.

Charlton eventually threatened - Luke Berry testing Johansson from distance just after the hour mark - but Stoke substitute Sam Gallagher went closest to finding the net again with a late snapshot.

The ultimate away test?

It is said that the ultimate test in the EFL is a midweek winter's night game in Stoke and that is what Charlton face tonight.   After third placed Stoke they face runaway Coventry City on Saturday at the CBS Stadium so it could be a run of three games without a point.

Fans were more philosophical than I expected about the home defeat to Southampton, but the knives will be sharpening along the Kent coast if we suffer two more defeats.

At home Stoke have won four, drawn one and lost two, but have conceded just three goals so it will be a challenge for Charlton's often blunt attack.

Stoke did lose 2-1 at Leicester on Saturday due to what their manager described as two avoidable mistakes.   He felt that his players chose the wrong option too many times.  

The Addicks' brick wall: the Lloyd Jones story (part 1)

Yesterday's Football League Paper had a feature on the Addicks' 'brick wall' Lloyd Jones.  Here we look at the first part of his varied football journey.

In 2011 he was plucked from Plymouth's academy by Liverpool.  He was widely regarded as one of the most promising English defenders in his age group, but never got near Jurgen Klopp's first team.  (In my view top clubs like Liverpool often sign up talent just to stop their rivals getting hold of it rather than developing the player as happens at Charlton).

There were loans in the lower leagues and then a permanent move to Luton in 2018 led to six appearances in two years. On loan at Northampton, he opted not to take part in their victorious play off campaign. A proposed move fell through and along came Covid.  

Unable to find a club he returned to the family home in Plymouth, wen on bike rides and gradually rediscovered his love of the game.  He rejoined Northampton in 2020, played every single minute thereafter and was handed the captain's armband after four months.

Manager Jon Brady said of him, 'He's mature, he's a leader, he's decisive in his decision-making.  He is everything you want in a captain and an inspirational young guy as well.'

He then played 61 games in two years at Cambridge and cleaned up on the end of season awards in 2022/23.  Charlton saw his potential and signed him on a free in the summer of 2023.

Valley of Humiliation

I remember our first game in the Premier League when we beat Southampton 5-1, although their keeper was sent off.   I was not able to follow yesterday's game as I was a panelist at the University of Warwick's 60th anniversary celebrations, but just as we were able to start, a former colleague whispered 'Your lot are 1-5 down at half time.'

At first I thought it was a wind up given that even if we don't score many goals, we don't concede many.  Charlton are now in the bottom half of the table in 13th place.

Ryan Manning headed home the opener before Adam Armstrong and Caspar Jander made it 3-0 inside 20 minutes.  Finn Azaz then scored twice before the break, although Charlton managed to get one back just before half-time as Lloyd Jones headed home from a corner.

Southampton opened the scoring in the 14th minute as Manning crashed into the box and nodded the ball into the top corner of the net after a cross from the right.

Two minutes later, Armstrong doubled the lead, finding himself in space and seeing a shot blocked before following up with a lashed effort, high into the net from an angle on the left.

Saints' third goal was a fine footballing move as Gavin Bazunu started with the ball almost on his own goal line before then starting a sequence that saw Eckert's side work the ball beautifully up the pitch.

As they moved towards the halfway line, Armstrong swivelled in possession before playing Jander clean through on goal and he - after a fair dash - provided a composed, low finish with his right foot.

Azaz then made it four after Armstrong found his piercing run into the box and the summer signing took the ball around Charlton keeper Thomas Kaminski before slotting it home.

The Republic of Ireland international then scored a fifth for his side two minutes before half-time. Tom Fellows made a run down the right and then sent a powerful cross across the face of goal, with Azaz on hand to poke it home at the back post.

Just before the break, Charlton managed to get a goal back as Jones rose highest to head the ball home from a Sonny Carey corner.

Saints appeared to take their foot off the pedal in the second half and almost played themselves into trouble at times but managed to escape without conceding again.

This was just Charlton's second home loss of the season, their only other league defeat at The Valley coming against Leicester in August.

Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:

"Give credit to them, for 20 minutes they were as good a side as we have seen at this level [but] could we have been a bit more aggressive? We did not do the things we normally do and that is basically what has cost us.

"We do not defend the box well enough for the first goal, we allow certain things to happen for the second which kind of kills it, and then they go up and level and make it three and four very quickly.

"We showed a lot of character in the second half, we tweaked it defensively – we were probably a little more reserved than we normally are. Credit to Southampton they were much better than us but that is a learning curve for us.

"We are stretched. We have four fit defenders and one could not play today because it is against his club; wingers in wing-back positions, so it's tough.  We did not quite get things right, we gave them too much respect."

"We were deep and weren't aggressive in winning that first ball that we normally do and then they had runners and quality and real technique to go and hurt us and we looked open, which is not something we normally do."

 

Jones loves his Charlton journey

Tomorrow's game against Southampton is attracting a lot of media attention and here are some extracts from a Times interview with Nathan Jones.

If you saw the way that Nathan Jones celebrated Sonny Carey’s 95th-minute winner against West Bromwich Albion this month — haring down the touchline, leaping on to the advertising hoardings and pumping his fists towards the sky like a man possessed — just think how a win for the Charlton Athletic manager against Southampton might be greeted on Saturday.

It’s three years this month since Southampton handed Jones a crack at the Premier League, an appointment that unravelled painfully quickly, ended with caustic chants inside St Mary’s and one young fan trying to hand the former Luton Town manager a giant, homemade P45, shortly before the real thing arrived.

Jones’s 95-day tenure is the eighth-shortest by a permanent manager in Premier League history, yet when he meets his previous employers for the first time in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off he does so with a spring in his step once again, five points and eight places better off than managerless Southampton.

Since Charlton appointed Jones in February 2024, his work at the Valley has been nothing short of remarkable. Jones inherited a side who had not won for 14 games and sat three points above the League One relegation zone. After steering them to safety, last season Jones returned the club to the Championship via the play-offs.

Only Stockport County and Birmingham City have collected more points in England’s top four tiers since the start of the year. A 1-0 defeat against Wrexham before the international break was only a second loss since August. Charlton, the least fancied of the three promoted clubs, are two points outside the play-offs, above big-spending Birmingham and Wrexham. Southampton, meanwhile, are searching for a fifth manager since Jones’s departure in February 2023.

Jones has lost none of the zeal and intensity that, over two spells, dragged Luton from the depths of League Two to the brink of the Premier League and made him one of the most coveted coaches in the EFL. Charlton — like Luton, but not Stoke or Southampton — were ready to buy into the Welshman’s idiosyncratic ways after painful ownership fiascos and eight of the past nine seasons spent in the third tier.

Like him or loathe him, those frenzied touchline celebrations are box-office viewing and there is no denying that, with total buy-in, the 52-year-old will make his club a force to be reckoned with. “I’m a passionate person,” says Jones, whose side are drawing in the largest crowds seen at The Valley since relegation from the Premier League 17 years ago.

“As a player, I tried to glean everything out of my playing career. I was energetic, I was front-footed, I was super fit and my teams, I think, are a reflection of that.

“I’m animated in those 90 minutes, and I have a certain persona, a bit Batman and Bruce Wayne. Sometimes I get carried away. Sometimes I do stuff that I look back on and think, ‘Ooh, that was touch and go there,’ or, ‘That was very close to the wire.’ But they’re authentic, they’re not fabricated.

Jones, a devout Christian, has a strong relationship with Charlton’s club chaplain, Matt Baker, who leads a dozen-strong prayer group before each game at the Valley. “We’re very proud of our faith at this football club and I’m convinced that’s why we’re in a good place,” Jones says.

While his Luton team romped League Two and League One playing a diamond midfield and expansive football, and by scoring a bucketload of goals, Jones has been on something of a tactical journey. Charlton’s approach this season rather captures the zeitgeist: they average the league’s second-lowest share of possession (43 per cent), have its second-meanest defence, have won 100 more aerial duels than any other team and have scored more goals from set plays (eight) than anyone but league leaders Coventry City.

“Now I’m at a club I love. I love the journey we’re on. I love the people I work with. I love my group. And yes, there are more talented groups. There are bigger budgets. There are shinier training grounds. But this is a proper football club. And we are nowhere near our ceiling yet. That’s the exciting thing.

“I feel at home in the fact that the people here have embraced me, the fans have embraced me, and in the work and the autonomy I get to do my job.

“God willing, that takes us back to the Premier League. Not me, us. Then I’ll be in a different starting point to where I was at Southampton.”

Jones wants bounce back against Saints

Talking to Richard Cawley, Nathan Jones makes it clear how appreciated he feels at Charlton, but regards the game against Southampton as simply one that has to be won.

“I feel very wanted and appreciated at this football club, hence the relationships I have with all the owners, the board and especially the fans now. I signed a new contract, so I got all the recognition I need.

“Every day I look at the group I work with and I absolutely love them. The way they work, the humility they show, how they want to get better and the interaction we have and they have with each other - it’s all the recognition I need.”

“I want us to bounce back because we lost our last game. The added edge will come from elsewhere. When we took four points from the games against West Brom and Swansea, I didn’t care where they came from. People say: ‘Yeah, but you’d have loved to have beaten Swansea’. I want to win a football game.

“I’m not putting an extra edge on this one because it is my old club. If you’re going to do that then I’ve got two of those games coming up.”

CAS Trust preview here: https://www.castrust.org/2025/11/nathan-welcomes-the-saints/

Jones more saint than devil

Nathan Jones was viewed with contempt when he left Southampton, but the local paper admits that he has many qualities, not least finding value in under appreciated players: https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/25626886.southampton-set-jones-reunion-championship-returns/

Penalty pain for Charlton

Josh Windass netted a late penalty as Wrexham beat Charlton Athletic to earn a third successive home win in the Championship.

Nathan Jones' men had the better chances in what was an even opening half at the Stok Cae Ras - with Harvey Knibbs firing against the crossbar.

But the Welsh side carried the greater threat in the second half and had the game's decisive moment on 77 minutes as Windass scored his fifth goal of the season from the spot after Onel Hernández was penalised for a handball.

Victory extended Wrexham's unbeaten Championship run to five matches as Charlton's own five-game unbeaten streak in the league was ended.

The hosts survived a real scare just 40 seconds into the contest though as Isaac Olaofe was unable to prod the ball home after Sonny Carey's effort was saved by Arthur Okonkwo.

Wrexham settled and had their best opening on 17 minutes as Kieffer Moore teed up Max Cleworth from Issa Kabore's cross - with goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski tipping the defender's shot over.  Okonkwo reacted well to keep out James Bree's strike with his legs.

Both sides lacked a ruthless instinct in the final third, although the hosts were let off the hook in the 36th minute as Knibbs lashed against the crossbar from eight yards out after Dom Hyam slipped in his own box.

At the other end, Nathan Broadhead dragged a shot wide before Ryan Longman blazed over from a tight angle as the score remained level at the break.

Parkinson's men looked to turn the screw after the restart as Moore flashed a header across goal from George Thomason's inviting corner - with Longman firing well over soon after.

Josh Windass, Lewis O'Brien and James McClean replaced Broadhead, Thomason and Longman midway through the second half as Charlton sent on Hernández for Knibbs.

But the turning point came 15 minutes from time as referee Leigh Douhty awarded the hosts a penalty as substitute Hernandez handled McClean's cross.

Windass slotted his spot-kick into Kaminski's bottom left corner to break the deadlock with his first home goal for the club.

The game became stretched late on as Moore was well denied by Kaminski in the final stages.  Charlton came agonisingly close to equalising in the ninth minute of added time as Okonkwo tipped Luke Berry's header over/

Nathan Jones commented: "It's a moment of madness that's cost us at least a point.   I thought it was a tight game, we had a lot of chances in the first half and should have been ahead.  It's taken that bit of madness to break the deadlock. But I'm proud of the group for what they've given me because I can't ask for any more."

"We've come here twice now and been depleted with injuries. It seems like this place is a jinx. We just had to get to the international break, it gives us that respite. We're good in most areas, it's just defensively that we're a bit light. Bree couldn't take a set-play because of his groin."

 

Moore and Jones to battle it out

Nathan Jones is looking forward to the battle between Lloyd Jones and Kieffer Moore tomorrow - and has revealed he ran the rule over the Wrexham striker when he first started on the coaching ladder at Charlton Athletic.

Moore, 33, has been capped 52 times by Wales and scored nine times in 16 matches in all competitions this season, including a hat-trick against Coventry City in his last appearance at Stok Cae Ras.

Charlton vice-captain Jones has won 101 aerial duels in the Championship with only Moore able to better that, moving back into pole position with 105 after Wrexham’s 0-0 draw at Portsmouth on Wednesday evening.

Te manager said: “He is in a wonderful place. Some of the performances he puts in, you won’t see better defensive ones, at times. And he is a linchpin, in terms of our defensive responsibilities. We build a defensive structure around him. It allows the people who play around him to be the best versions of themselves, knowing he is that leader.

The Red Dragons drew 2-2 with the Addicks at The Valley in October last year, although Parkinson's men won the reverse fixture on home soil in April 3-0 - a result that earned the Welsh side promotion into the Championship.

Wrexham supremo and for mer Addicks boss Phil Parkinson admits there is an "edge" between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic as a result of the battles they had in League One last season.

Nathan Jones' men went on to gain promotion via the play-offs, and ahead of the meeting between the sides at Stok Cae Ras on Saturday (15:00 GMT), Parkinson said he is relishing the prospect of another exciting encounter with Charlton.

"It's going to be a really good game," he told BBC Sport Wales.

"I think it's going to be competitive and there's an edge between both teams after our competition last year.

"They're very Wrexham supremo Phil Parkinson admits there is an "edge" between Wrexham and Charlton Athletic as a result of the battles they had in League One last season.much similar to how they played last year, a similar shape and they've made a few improvements and some shrewd signings. They've done really well.

"We know Charlton are going to be very competitive in terms of the way they play, similar to the Portsmouth game in many respects, but we're prepared for that."

CAS Trust reckon Wrexham are something of a bogy team for Charlton: https://www.castrust.org/2025/11/is-another-hollywood-ending-in-store/

BBC: Charlton moving in right direction for promotion

Injury hit Charlton moved up to fifth in the Championship table by beating West Brom with a goal in the sixth minute of added time.

Addicks midfielder Greg Docherty had a first-half penalty saved by visiting goalkeeper Josh Griffiths and in a game of few clear cut chances the contest had looked destined to finish goalless.

But a long range effort from Sonny Carey, which took a deflection off substitute Chris Mepham and beat the dive of Griffiths, delivered the hosts a late three points.  Charlton extended a superb run of just one defeat in 10.

The win also put another brick in the formidable defences being built by Nathan Jones and his side at The Valley where they have lost just one match in 24 in all competitions stretching back to December last year.

West Brom will be left wondering how they came away with nothing, but in truth, while their approach play delivered chances, particularly in the first half, their finishing and decision making in front of goal left plenty to be desired.

The best chance of the lot fell to the hosts after they were awarded a penalty when Ousmane Diakite was deemed to have handled under pressure from Miles Leaburn just after the half-hour mark.

The midfielder argued long and hard with referee Lewis Smith but in the end it mattered little as Docherty's telegraphed spot-kick was easily kept out by Griffiths diving low to his left.

The second period saw more life from both sides with Price forcing a fine save from Thomas Kaminski on 50 minutes, despite better options being available to his left.

And Carey served notice four minutes later of what was to come with a straight snap shot from distance which Griffiths kept out superbly diving low to his right to tip around the near post.

With the game heading into added time a point apiece seemed fair and generally acceptable to all parties, but a corner from the left for Charlton found its way to Carey on the edge of the box.

Gathering the ball and turning back towards goal he took one last speculative swing of his boot to earn his side three points and spark wild celebrations with the substitutes and management team on the touchline.

The  BBC commented, ‘Ipswich secured back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League in 2022-23 and 2023-24 and while there is still a long way to go to emulate their rise, Charlton are moving in the right direction.’

Nathan Jones on Sonny Carey: “He is positive in everything he does. "Every pass and touch he has is forward. Whatever run he makes is forward. Every shot zings or tests something. He has been an absolute revelation and it’s why we’ve brought him to the football club."

Nathan Jones just made an appreciative noise when he talked about Ibby Fullah. "I don't think he made a bad touch all night. I told him to light the place up - and he did."

 

Baggies firing blanks

Charlton have their injury woes, with unconfirmed rumors saying that Kelman has suffered a training ground injury, but tonight's opponents, West Bromwich Albion, have a number of midfield players out of action.

The Baggies have won four games away, more than they have at home, but have lost three.

They have now failed to score in three of their last five matches a nd head coach Ryan Mason says they have to be sharper in front of goal.  He said, 'We need to get inside the minds and bodies of the group to sniff out chances.'   Against Sheffield Wednesday, Mason felt that his side displayed anxiety and a lack of conviction.

Short at the back

Unless there is an exceptionally magic sponge in the medical room at Sparrows Lane, Charlton manager Nathan Jones is set to be without three defenders for the visit of West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday writes Richard Cawley.

Josh Edwards (ankle), Bell (hamstring) and Burke (foot) are all expected to miss out. Ramsay would, you expect, deputise for Burke at right-sided centre-back. It’s a change that likely would have happened anyway, even if the former Luton Town man was fit.  Campbell probably gets the left wing-back gig.

It leaves Charlton stretched defensively but they only have two matches to navigate before the international break.

The next chance to quiz Jones on the severity of the injuries to Bell and Burke will be in his post-match press conference after the game against West Brom.

If either is out for any serious length of time it hampers the ability to rotate. Not great timing, when you consider that Charlton play 10 games between November 22 and January 1.

Bell chimes with Addicks

Amar'i Bell reckons that the Charlton squad shows the same 'hunger' that saw his former club Luton promoted to the Premier League against all the odds.

'When somebody has something to prove and a hunger to achieve that is always going to work well, especially when there are so many people who want the same thing,' the 31-year old told the Football League Paper.  'Even myself, having got to the Premier League before, has made me hungrier to do it again.'

'What we have got now isn't the Luton spirit,' he insisted.  'It's a spirit the manager created with the character of all the personnel he broughtt in.   He knows what he wants to get out of the lads.  He drivesd standards and has an intensity that he wants to play at.'

'The fans have been amazing.   They give us extra motivation and help.   To hear them going crazy when we've made a goal-line clearance or put that strong tackle in lifts your energy levels.'

Kelman scores first Charlton goal

Swansea City fought back to claim a point at The Valley as Adam Idah's sharp finish cancelled out Charlie Kelman's first Charlton Athletic goal.

Kelman steered in from close range via the underside of the bar when Swansea failed to deal with Conor Coventry's hopeful ball into the box in the opening seconds of the second half.

But Swansea levelled as Republic of Ireland international Idah scored only his second goal – and his first from open play – since his £6m move from Celtic two months ago.   After volleying one effort narrowly over, Idah was given time to turn 20 yards from goal and took full advantage, arrowing a low shot into the net via the base of the post.

The draw extends Charlton's unbeaten run to four games, and means they have now lost only once in their past 23 home fixtures in all competitions.

Nathan Jones' team drop to eighth in the table.

The first half of was scrappy, with Macaulay Gillesphey coming closest to a goal with a header which was brilliantly saved by Lawrence Vigouroux.

Gillesphey may have been fortunate to still be on the pitch by that point, after the Charlton defender's sliding challenge on Eom Jisung in the first minute of the game went unpunished.  Swansea felt Gillesphey should have been sent off as Eom was running through on goal, but referee David Webb decided there had been no foul.

Nathan Jones said this was the toughest Swansea side he had faced.   He was disappointed that Charlton had been unable to impose themselves.

Coventry expected to start today

One midfielder who is expected to come straight back into the starting line-up for tomorrow’s visit of Swansea City is Conor Coventry.  The former Republic of Ireland U21 international was benched for the 1-1 draw at Hull City.

“He (Coventry) had a big fall-off in his energy for the Preston game, which was his third match in a week,” Nathan Jones told Conor Coventry.

“We don’t want him to get injured or suspended.  So we wanted to mix it up (at Hull City, when Charlton again played three games in eight days), try something with two attacking midfielders rather than two sixes.”

“Conor is a six and Doc is more of a six/eight while the other two are eight/tens. We were very, very bold in trying that. I was pleased with how we came through that because it shows we have other things we can do.

“Plus we have Karoy, Joe (Rankin-Costello), Ibby and Bez (Luke Berry) to come in. It is important to freshen everything up. This Championship is relentless. I could easily have changed the whole midfield [at Hull], but I wanted to have a little bit of continuity and try to evolve stuff.

“We need Conor to be the best version of himself. He has been outstanding for me. Will that be the case (that he comes back out of the team when Charlton head to Wrexham) next Saturday? I don’t know.”

Godden close to first team readiness

Richard Cawley reports:'Matty Godden closing in on a return to the first-team fold. Nathan Jones: “Matty Godden is a lot closer. He is far more mobile and doing the things we want him to do. He’s had two weeks now of fitness work. That is really good. It will give us another option, another headache. We are looking forward to that."

“Josh Edwards is the only one then that is a little way off.”

Tomorrow's opponents, Swansea City, have avoided defeat by Charlton in the last three encounters.  We last beat them in 2008, although obviously in many seasons we have been in different divisions.

The Swans beat a struggling Norwich City 2-1 at home last Saturday and then had a midweek encounter with an altered Manchester City side which they lost 1-3.

On the road the mid-table Swans have won two, lost two and drawn one, conceding just three goals.

CAS Trust notes that Swansea have one of the most international squads in the division and like to play possession football with short to medium passes: https://www.castrust.org/2025/10/valley-beats-charlton-v-swansea/

Jackson recalls Charlton departure

On his Substack platform Richard Cawley has an hour long interview with AFC Wmbledon manager Johnnie Jackson.   Here are some excerpts relating to his departure from Charlton:

"It’s a shame it ended like that. It’s not the club’s fault and I don’t hold any gripes towards the football club. It is on him [Sandgaard], as far as I’m concerned. He could’ve pulled me that night. What was I going to do? Start screaming and shouting? I would have been upset but would have thanked him for the opportunity.

“I had the fans on my side. I had the players on my side. We got them winning. We had started that season horrendously, let’s have it right, we were in the bottom three and we had nine points after 13 games. We were in trouble."

“We went on that winning run and they gave me the job - I think reluctantly - on a full-time basis because they probably had to.

“We know they put some unrealistic parameters in for me to have to get the job on a longer term."

"Knowing what I know now, I think I’d be in a much better position to take over when I did. But the facts remain I’d still be in the middle of a season, not having had a pre-season or a window to recruit and no stability around what I was doing."

Berry, Berry late

Hull City were denied a fourth straight league win by Luke Berry's stoppage-time equaliser, just as it looked like the Tigers would hold on for victory, with the game finishing 1-1.   Berry came on from the bench to make use of Bree's corner on 90+1 minutes.   Charlton are now 6th in the table.

City had to grind it out against a side in terrific form of their own,.   The home sidetook the lead early in the second period when Matt Crooks won the ball and fed Leeds United loanee Joe Gelhardt to crash in the opener to make it three goals in as many games.

Inside the opening three minutes, the visitors have two glorious chances from deep crosses to the back post, which City failed to deal with. Ivor Pandur turned the first over from Tyreece Campbell, and the second he blazed over.

Most of us would take the point, seven in a week.

Nathan Jones commented: "It's an outstanding point. If you are any team in the Championship, seven points (from the last three games) is an excellent return.

"We have had to dig in. We made a big error to allow them to take the lead.  To beat Sheffield Wednesday, to beat Ipswich on the road and to draw with a flying Hull is great.

"You can be a bit more upbeat about a seven-point week in the Championship because that is outstanding."

Another tough away game

Two sides separated in the table just by goal difference meet at Hull on Saturday and the Tigers hope to maintain the momentum reflected in their 2-1 victory over Leicester City midweek.   At home they have won three matches, drawn one and lost one.  Last Saturday they won 3-2 at Birmingham City.

Assistant manager Dean Holden said: ‘ It's up to us to keep that going now. There's not much turnaround before the weekend. We've got one prep day to get ready for a totally different game against Charlton. We know what type of energy and direct style at times under Nathan, and everybody knows the way Nathan's teams are going to play, so we know we've got a totally different game to prepare for at the weekend, but the training ground will be rocking over the next couple of days and and we need to keep that going.'

Now assistant boss to Sergej Jakirovic at the MKM Stadium, Holden spent a short spell at The Valley, joining in December 2022 and seeing him steer the club away from relegation before losing his job early in the following season, and praised the club's supporters for their backing as he prepares to come up against them once more.

'It's a fantastic football club, I loved my time there,' Holden told Hull Live. 'It should have gone on for longer, but for other reasons I won't go into (it didn't), but the crowd really got behind me there, I felt the love and support from them, and it'll be nice to see them on Saturday.'

CAS Trust reckon that Hull are dangerous going forward but leaky at the back: https://www.castrust.org/2025/10/ipswich-heroes-travel-north-again/

Charlton stun Ipswich

Charlton Athletic stunned Ipswich Town with three goals in 12 second-half minutes at Portman Road to pick up their second away win of the season.   The Addicks are now in the play off places at 5^th.

The home side, previously unbeaten on their own patch this term, dominated the first half - but Ivan Azon had an effort smothered by Addicks goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski and Ipswich forward Chuba Akpom hit the crossbar.

Charlton, who have now won four of their past six games, made them pay, as Sonny Carey scored his fourth goal in seven games and then Macaulay Gillesphey headed in a second.

Ipswich, who have now lost two on the bounce and saw goalkeeper Alex Palmer limp off injured in the first half, were clearly rattled, and Miles Leaburn added a third shortly after going on as a substitute.

The south London side had conceded a total of 14 goals in their previous three games against the Tractor Boys, and with the home side dominant early on, this meeting looked like going a similar way.

Azon was denied by Kaminski, the dangerous Jack Clarke had an inswinging corner headed off the line by Charlton's Greg Docherty, and then Akpom smashed a shot against the bar after great approach work by Azon.

The loss of Palmer, who seemed to suffer a muscle problem as he raced out of his area to sweep up, did not interrupt the flow of the game, but Charlton then created the two best chances of the first half as a warning of things to come.

Isaac Olaofe, in his first league start, turned away from Ashley Young and ran clear of the defence only for substitute goalkeeper Christian Walton to save with his feet, and then Gillesphey miscued a glaring chance over the bar from James Bree's wicked curving corner.

The dancing feet of Clarke continued to look like Ipswich's best means of opening up the visitors, but Kaminski turned the former Sunderland man's shot over the bar and then Akpom headed his fine cross narrowly wide.

Charlton came alive again after 52 minutes as Carey picked up Leif Davis' headed clearance and drove straight back at the defence, peeling left to beat Dara O'Shea and then driving a low shot beyond Walton.

Suddenly it was all Charlton as Walton produced a fine save to deny Charlie Kelman, and following the resulting corner, Carey's cross was flicked by Olaofe's heel at the near post and ballooned off the diving Walton to fall neatly onto the head of Gillespie for 2-0.

Kasey McAteer thought he had pulled one back with a far-post header, but an offside flag ruled the goal out.

Charlton rubbed home their superiority when Conor Coventry retrieved an over-hit corner and played a sharp pass towards the byline. Tyreece Campbell collected and delivered the ball onto the head of Leaburn, who made it three.

George Hirst's poor touch denied Ipswich their final chance of retrieving something from the game, and Charlton could have added a fourth when Leaburn and Campbell both went close.

Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London:

"It was a magnificent result - some squad, some team."

"In the first 25 minutes we had to get to grips with it because we were really passive and allowed them to work patterns and get their good players into areas, and we had to defend the box really, really well.

"Then we became more aggressive, got on the front foot a little bit more, and we had four really good chances in the first half.

"At half-time I got into the players and said 'Look, if we want to be passive, these are a good side who will play round you and through you'. In the second half we were really aggressive and went after the game.

"The goals were excellent goals and the game-changers that went on were excellent. It was some performance."

 

Both teams expecting a tough test

Charlton face Ipswich Town at Portman Road tonight and Nathan Jones commented: 'It is probably one of the toughest tests in the Championship but we have earned the right to be there. We played them in pre-season, so we'll have a gauge of the levels we need to be at - and we'll have to be better than we were on that day. It's an exciting time. We know it is a tough game, but I imagine Kieran McKenna is sitting there thinking exactly the same thing. Hopefully he's not. But I would imagine that he is.'

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times: "We are expecting a really awkward team to come and make it really, really difficult for us on Tuesday night. They go man-to-man defending, which is always a different challenge, especially when you don't face it very often. They've been a really tricky opponent for everyone and we know we're going to have to do well.'

Kieran McKenna was asked what he takes from fact Ipswich won 2-1 against Charlton in pre-season: "No, zero credence. It was a pre-season friendly. Especially with the players they have. As a team they don't tend to translate as strongly in a pre-season friendly. Competitive action is completely different. I don't know him (Nathan Jones) very well, to be honest. He is a good manager and a pleasant guy whenever we have played against him. He's got a really strong record at a lot of different clubs."

The Tractors are undefeated at home in the league, having won three and drawn two.

Manager McKenna said that his side made too many mistakes in the 2-1 defeat at Boro on Saturday.  'We need to be stronger.  We didn't stay together defensively when it was really tough.'

Charlton back to winning ways

Charlton went 9th in the Championship after their 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday at The Valley this afternoon in front of a crowd of 23.009.

Goals from Sonny Carey and defender Reece Burke had the Addicks in control by half-time and even though Wednesday rallied as Jamal Lowe's opportunist goal got them back in the game, they had goalkeeper Ethan Horvath sent-off in added time as they fell to another defeat.

Charlton came out quickly and Max Lowe made a vital block on an early Burke strike.

Wednesday's best chance of the opening 45 minutes came in the 11th minute but Jamal Lowe could only head the ball straight at Addicks goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski from very close range.

Charlton opened the scoring in the 17th minute with Carey collecting his third goal of the campaign. The summer signing (free transfer) from Blackpool was initially denied by Horvath but followed up to lift a cool finish into the top right of the net.

The visitors' defence regularly looked uncomfortable as the Addicks pressed aggressively and it needed a last-second block by Gabriel Otegbayo to frustrate Charlie Kelman inside the penalty area. Carey was proving to be an uncontainable influence and his wicked cross was begging for a finishing touch that never came in the 32nd minute.

Charlton extended their lead in first-half stoppage time. James Bree's free-kick was headed in at the near post by centre-back Burke, his first goal since joining from Luton in July.

Barry Bannan was out of sorts for the visitors, summed up by the Scottish charm merchant over hitting a couple of routine crossfield passes out of play to the delight of the Addickted.

Jamal Lowe made amends for smashing wildly over from the left-hand side of the box when he reacted quickest to convert after substitute Sean Fusire's shot came back off the right post in the 69th minute.

Keeper Horvath was shown a straight red card by referee Tom Reeves for wiping out Isaac Olaofe as the pair competed for a ball just outside the Owls' penalty area late on.

Nathan Jones, who has lost just three matches as Charlton manager, told BBC Radio London: '"I'm delighted that we won because you come out of these international breaks and never know what you're going to get. People have had two weeks off, you've had internationals who have travelled around the world, you never know.

"First half we were good. We scored two goals and with a little bit more killer instinct we'd have scored more. Charlie [Kelman] has had two situations where he could score, [James] Bree has put in some wonderful balls that, again, we could score from - two was the least we should have had.

"We warned [our players] at half-time because we've watched them [Wednesday] a number of times and they've been 2-0 down twice and come back to 2-2, and they should have won the Wrexham 3-2 or 4-2 so we knew there was a sting in the tail if we didn't do what we did.

"We almost had that but we saw the game out really well and came strong late on."

Mark Kinsella received a great reception from the home crowd, declaring that The Valley was his home.

Surgery for Edwards

Left wing-back Josh Edwards has undergone surgery on the ankle he injured against Blackburn Rovers, reports Richard Cawlwy.. Nathan Jones: “Josh has had a surgical procedure which was the best scenario, because it sped up the process. That will be more weeks than a short-term one.”

Cawley asked Nathan Jones about Amari'i Bell, who didn't feature in Jamaica's second World Cup qualifier in midweek. NJ: "A bit of stiffness of certain stuff. Rather than risk him they kept him around. "Amari'i is back with us today. We'll assess him and see how he is to go on the weekend. He has played a lot of football and more consecutively than he did last year, so we have to be careful. Jamaica were respectful of that."

CAS Trust preview of game against Sheffield Wednesday: https://www.castrust.org/2025/10/red-white-black-and-back-on-track/

Wednesday are no walkover

It is remarkable to think that despite having a squad of only 15 senior players, and being under five transfer embargoes, Wednesday have six points from their first nine games in the Championship and were a whisker away from claiming victories against Birmingham City and Wrexham. Oh, and they knocked Leeds United out of the Carabao Cup too. All of this has taken place amid protests against the owner, Dejphon Chansiri, who has not been to a match all season.

Because of their transgressions, the EFL is expected to punish Wednesday with a points deduction, while the newly formed Independent Football Regulator is set to investigate the club and, in theory, could unseat Chansiri.

Wednesday’s academy had a fallow period but now the likes of 19-year-old striker George Brown (two goals in three league starts), 20-year-old Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles and 19-year-old centre back Ernie Weaver have grasped their chances, although the latter is now out for four months with a broken ankle.

HMRC has now filed a winding up petition against the club.

Deano recalls his amazing time at Charlton

Richard Cawley has a long and very interesting interview with Dean Kiely on his Substack platform.  Here a few extracts.

"Charlton gave me the opportunity to get into the Premier League."

“I didn’t just stand and watch a team rip apart or blow away sides every single week. I had stuff to do, I was flying around and making a contribution, but I was really mindful this team at Championship level was a very, very good team."

“The sweet spot was that it was my best form and my best time individually, but it coincided with Charlton’s best time as a club in recent times. People talk so fondly about it. I remember beating Arsenal at home. Beating Chelsea, Tottenham and Kevin Lisbie’s hat-trick when we defeated Liverpool. All those things, in the moment, are great achievements."

“My mantra was consistent, reliable and dependable. People might say: ‘That isn’t take your breath away match-winning saves or penalty saves’. But by being consistent, reliable and dependable that gave you the level to make you do that."

"I fitted in at Charlton. It fit me and I fitted the club. My family felt connected. Everything was good. It was an amazing time."

Deano's dad lived down the road from me and I ran into Deano a couple of times at Leamington matches, he was always very friendly.

'Charlton until I die' says tennis great

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.

Josh Edwards injury worry

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.

Jones: 'a point on the road in the Championship is a good point'

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."

 

Can Charlton stage a Ram raid?

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!

In praise of Lloyd Jones

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: 

• Third for aerial duels (47) 
• Joint third for interceptions (12) 
• Fifth for clearances (58) 
• First for total fouls conceded (19) That last one is all about the aggression that Nathan Jones wants his players to show says Cawley.   (Blackburn's manager was losing his rag in the Football League Paper yesterday saying that Jones had used the hand of God in defence and instead of awarding a penalty the admittedly hapless referee had merely winked at the Rovers captain).

Cheese award

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.”

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Capital performance

Charlton moved to the edge of the play offs in 7^th 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.