Fan spokesman backs Jones

The BBC's chosen fan deplores a lacklustre performance at Vicarage Road, but says that Nathan Jones still has plenty of credit with him.  Only relegation would change his mind: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/charlton-athletic

One of the charges made by the manager's critics is that he does not know how to play attacking football.  Try to play attacking football with this group of players and you may not score many more goals but you are likely to concede more.

There is no long queue of well-qualified managers who want to seize the poisoned chalice and take charge at The Valley.   Of course you could find someone eager to restart their career, but would they be any better given the lack of money?  I doubt it.

Who did the club supremo blame?

Former Mercury sporst editor Rick Everitt has now given the full sp on what he heard after the Watford game: https://www.votvonline.com/home/the-2026-27-blogs/19-10-a-chance-encounter-with-jim-rodwell/ 

Who was managing director Jim Rodwell referring to?  If it was Nathan Jones, some fans would be pleased.

The 'we' issue in football

Over lunch on Sunday I made some footballing reference using the word 'we'.  My 'youngest' pointed out that it always amused her when football fans used the 'we' word in relation to the club they supported.  She pointed out that we don't own the club and we don't control its decisions.

Actually I was referring to my non-league club and the 'we' was justified as I had to ball it out during Covid so I am now one of the owners, not that I ever interfere in decisions by the board or the management.  They know what they're doing and I don't.

Many Charlton fans, however, seem to think they know what should be done and that is sack the manager. Fortunately, they are not the decision makers.

Managerial tenures are become shorter and shorter in football.  Ever since electronic football games started, fans seem to think that managers actually control the movements of players on the pitch.

Fortunately, the board know that sacking the manager would cost a lot of compensation.  They would then face the task of attracting a decent manager to a club with an ill assorted group of players and little money to spend (unless we offload Tyreece Campbell in January).

To be fair to the owners, they have tried to attract new investment, but any investor looking for capital appreciation is going to think twice when they realise that the club doesn't own its stadium or training ground.

For a long-time supporter like me, it is enough for Charlton to survive as a club in the EFL, ideally in the Championship, but League One is more our financial level.

Rather than change managers, I would like to get some more patient fans, but that is also unlikely.

Meanwhile, Rick Everitt has chosen to give a warning shot to a member of the club hierarchy: 'Understandable that senior Charlton officials were unhappy with that performance [at Watford]. It might be wise though, Jim, not to sound off about a particular individual in the street, especially when you don’t know who is walking right behind you.'

Charlton lack creativity as they go down to defeat

In a rather uninspiring match at Vicarage Road, Charlton managed not to concede by half time.  Watford had the edge, but were also unable to score.  One goal could settle it, but Charlton may be seeking to confirm their role as draw specialists.

But it was Watford that went ahead.   They then assumed a more defensive shape but were able to counter attack.  They scored their second goal in the five minutes added on after what Steve Brown described as 'criminal defending'.  

After their recent run of poor results, Watford were the more motivated side and Charlton lacked any creative spark.  Charlton are now 17th in the table.

Under-fire Watford boss Alessio Dionisi rang the changes for his side's crucial meeting with Charlton Athletic at Vicarage Road this lunch-time.   The Hornets have conceded nine goals in their previous two games, including five at Cardiff in the week and, as a result of that, introduced five new faces to his starting XI.

Marc Bola, Krepin Diatta, Iker Bravo, Soumaila Coulibaly and Luca Kjerrumgaard all start, while Othmane Maamma, Martin Payero, Stephy Mavididi and Jordan Zemura are among the substitutes.

Addicks supremo Nathan Jones made a single change to the side who grabbed a dramatic point at Burnley on Tuesday - late scorer Ivan Mesik is rewarded with a start in place of the benched Amari'i Bell.

Out-of-sorts Watford began quite brightly.   Iker Bravo was lively - he collected the ball in the middle and spread the ball to Marc Bola on the Watford left.  He twisted and turned his way into the penalty area but then pulled his shot into the side-netting at Arthur Okonkwo's near post.

Charlton had a good chance to take the lead - or at least have tested Watford goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia.  Billy Koumetio found Ivan Mesik on the left. His first-time cross was a good one and was met by Miles Leaburn, who should have done better but nods wide.   Nathan Jones, typically animated on the touch-line, is frustrated by that - he clearly thought Leaburn's header should have been on target.  This will only add to recent criticisms of Leaburn by many Addicks.

Danny McNamara was the first to go into the book for Charlton.   Karlan Grant gave Watford attacker Marc Bola a nudge and McNamara and Bola collided as a result - the ref gave a free kick to the hosts and booked McNamara, who was pretty bemused by the decision.   I forgot to check who the referee was, but it looks like he is a homer.   However, he did even things up a few minutes later by booking a Hornet for pulling Ramsay's shirt.

A good save from Arthur Okonkwo kept the score goalless.  Watford workedit well, onto the edge of the penalty area. The ball eventually found itself at the feet of Krepin Diatta on the right hand side - he cut inside and fired towards the near post, but Okonkwo was equal to it.   As Watford piled on the pressure, they had another chance to score, but the shot was pulled wide.

After 30 minutes, Watford were clearly on top.  Luca Kjerrumgaard found Myron Boadu, who had peeled away from the last line of the unsettled Charlton defence, but Billy Koumetio recovered and produced an excellent last-ditch challenge to deny the forward.  Watford recycled it but Kjerrumgaard fired over the bar. The beleaguered hosts have shown a bit of urgency and have moved the ball a fair bit better than Charlton thus far.

As the half drew to a close, Charlton, for perhaps the first time in this match, enjoyed a sustained spell of possession, albeit they have were not able to truly worry Watford.  The Addicks have tried to get the ball to Karlan Grant and Tyreece Campbell in the wide areas, but so far they have been successfully nullified by their hosts.  Billy Koumetio went as close as anybody for the Addicks when he directed Campbell's mis-hit towards goal but the ball curled wide of the angle of post and bar.

HT: 0-0

Luca Kjerrumgaard broke the deadlock after half-time when he converted a rebound from close range when Charlton goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo could not hold onto a shot by Edo Kayembe.

Hornets stopper Federico Ravaglia made a big save at 1-0 to keep his side ahead, before Jordan Zemura finished things off with a fine finish in stoppage time.

Watford's Edo Kayembe took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and it was his driving run from halfway which led to the opening goal.  His deflected shot from the edge of the penalty area was parried by Okonkwo, with Swedish striker Kjerrumgaard ideally placed to control his volleyed finish.

Kayembe forced another fine save from Okonkwo and then blazed a further golden chance high and wide, before Ravaglia somehow thwarted Charlie Kelman's shot from a couple of yards out at the other end.

Watford secured the points - and potentially Dionisi's job, for now at least - deep in added time as Rocco Vata picked a perfect pass for Zemura, who expertly lifted his shot over the goalkeeper.

It is now eight league matches without a win for Nathan Jones' Charlton.

Nathan Jones did not spare the players in his comments to BBC Radio London: We didn't pass the ball well, we didn't defend well, and had three clear-cut chances. It's always going to be important to take the first chance because of the predicament they [Watford] have been in.  We had the best chances of the game in the first half, and then had another and didn't take them.

"Then we were really poor on transitional play. [The first goal] was a catastrophic goal from our point of view. Teams are not having to do a hell of a lot to score against us.  We're not defending our box well enough, we're not doing the basics. We've broken the record at this club for clean sheets, and we're not looking like that now."

Rick Everitt is now covering matches for the News Shopper and you can read his report here: https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/26646699.eighth-winless-game-charlton-beaten-2-0-watford/

On the March

Richard Cawley reports that Charlton are set to offer a short-term contract to former Brighton winger Solly March. The 32-year-old has been without a club since leaving Brighton at the end of last season. March is a player that Nathan Jones knows very well, worked with him when he was part of the coaching staff at the South Coast club.

March has suffered from injury setbacks during his career: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solly_March

Skipp is not for the skip and Ouma is not hiding in one

Nathan Jones has come to the defence of Oliver Skipp who has been criticised by Charlton fans.  “We haven’t lost many games since he has come in,” Jones told South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition.   [That may have something to do with other players, a correlation is not causation, WG] “He is a really energetic defensive midfield player that progresses the ball."

“He hasn’t played a lot of football. He is doing fine for us. I’ve got no problem with Skippy.  There will be more to come from him when he gets rhythm but he was brought here for us to have more possession - and we are having that. So he is doing a big chunk of his work for us.  One, he wins the ball back for us. Two, we are keeping the ball better now than we have. That shows that people are doing their job and he has been a part of that.

Jones neither confirmed nor denied there was an issue with Timothy Ouma after his absence last weekend.  There had been suggestions the Kenyan midfielder had not returned on time from international duty.

“It would be wrong of me because it is quite a complex situation,” said Jones, asked today if there was any clarification on the 22-year-old, signed on loan from Slavia Prague in August. “Rather than me coming out and saying something direct - it’s a work in process.  There are a lot of things going on around that, that we have to be sure about, before we release any statement. We are not trying to hide anything.”

WG: The problem is that Ouma has previous for this type of unsatisfactory conduct.  Surely by now the club must know something? 

Hornets' nest in chaos

The rumour mill has been suggesting that tomorrow's opponents Watford are posed to sack their coach Alessio Dionisi but it looks as if he might be staying on to succumb to the curse of Charlton tomorrow, but can Charlton take advantage of the disarray at Vicarage Road?https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cmd7qv7l2530o 

Having beaten 0-4 at home last week by Burnley and succumbed to Cardiff 5-1 away, making four successive defeats, the Hornets are now in the relegation zone.   Against Cardiff the Hornets were definitely fragile at the back, but still looked sharp at the back.

One can imagine the chorus of moaning from the armchair managers if Charlton fail to win at Watford, but doubts persist about our ability to score.  Miles Leaburn seems to be replacing Tyreece Campbell as this season's scapegoat player, with some fans saying he is not good enough even for League Two,but as someone pointed out if Haaland jumped ship from City he would have difficulty in getting service from our midfield.

Watford fans think that their weak link is in midfield: https://www.castrust.org/2026/10/goodbye-yellow-brick-road/

New financing deal may not benefit Charlton

Although I do not have all the details, I am far from sure that the new deal between the Premier League and the EFL will be good for clubs like Charlton who are likely to be in the lower half of the Championship.  Apart from anything else, it seems that parachute payments for relegated clubs are likely to continue at near to the current distorting level.

The English Football League (EFL) and Premier League are now only £27 million apart from agreeing a comprehensive new financial solidarity package for the men’s game after years of stop-start talks.

While there are still some other details to decide, the EFL has told the Premier League it will accept the so-called New Deal for Football if the latter ups its latest offer of an extra £180m a year in solidarity payments to £207m annually, with the additional amount ring-fenced for Leagues One and Two.

Under the terms of the last solidarity deal the leagues agreed in 2019, the Premier League currently shares 13 per cent of its £4 billion-a-year media-rights income with the rest of the game, just over £430m a year. Of that sum, more than half goes to half a dozen or so clubs recently relegated from the top flight in the form of parachute payments, with just over £140m shared between the rest of the EFL’s 72 clubs in solidarity payments and a similar sum dished out to fund community projects, football-related charities and small grants to non-league and women’s football.

Last week the Premier League came back with a solidarity offer of 14.7 per cent, which would be worth an extra £180m a year, over a seven-year period. But this would still be distributed on an 80/12/8 basis, with a Championship merit rake of 1.75:1, which means the team that finishes stop of the table gets a central distribution worth 1.75 times the team that finishes bottom.

There are several Championship clubs who believe this will create a new cliff edge within the division but it seems that enough clubs are now happy with the “quantum” on offer to vote it through, providing the Premier League agrees to a five-year deal – which would in effect be a seven-year deal as the IFR has already pointed out that the backstop process would take about two years.

 

Last gasp equaliser

Ivan Mesik scored a 96th-minute equaliser for Charlton to deny Burnley what would have been their first home league win in 360 days.   1,100 Addicks were there.  Charlton remain 12^th pending tonight’s games.

There were just 14 seconds of added time remaining when Slovakian defender Mesik took full advantage of some poor defending by the Clarets to strike home his first goal for the Addicks.  Mesik's dramatic goal came after Largie Ramazani thought he had ended Burnley's long winless league home run when he scored the Clarets' second.

That came after Kayne Ramsay cancelled out Jacob Bruun Larsen's opener for Burnley and Charlton will not care that they are without a victory in seven games after that sensational ending.

Jamie Vardy made his first start for Burnley in place of Zeki Amdouni, who had an ankle injury, and the 39-year-old striker fired well over from his only real effort on goal.  The Clarets took the lead on 36 minutes when Bruun Larsen cut in from the left on to his right foot and his shot went through the Charlton defence and goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo's legs for his second goal in successive games.

The goal brought the Addicks to life and Kyle Walker cleared Billy Koumetio's effort off the line before goalkeeper Gregoire Coudert saved from Lloyd Jones' header and a Karlan Grant attempt.

Charlton kept up the pressure and after Miles Leaburn missed a header at the back post, the visitors equalised on 50 minutes.  Coudert failed to deal with a corner swung into the six-yard box and Ramsay smashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

Back came Burnley and Anel Ahmedhodzic fluffed a header before Ramazani produced a piece of magic to restore their lead on 57 minutes. Igor Julio fed Ramazani on the right and Charlton stood off the on-loan Leeds winger, inviting him to finish right-footed into the far corner.

Burnley were nervous and deep into stoppage time, substitute Hjalmar Ekdal failed to deal with a high ball and Coudert made a mess of Mesik's shot to condemn the Clarets to two more dropped points in stoppage time for the second successive game at Turf Moor.

Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London: "I thought we were excellent, I really did. I thought first off we had less control, but we had real clear-cut chances to take the lead and make the scoreline a lot more comfortable for us at half-time.

"At half-time we just reiterated the gameplan and they came out and we were excellent. We really were.

"The disappointing thing is after controlling the early stages of the second half, then we just conceded from a counter-attack. We allowed them to go through us and that's the disappointing thing.

"But I thought we controlled the game, I thought we outpaced them, we worked really hard and they're an ex-Premier League team. I'm really proud of the performance."

Okonkwo's younger brother Brian saved a penalty in the needle derby between Leamington and Redditch and the Brakes went on to score two goals in time added on to make it 2-2.   A strong presence from both Warwickshire and West Mercia police ensured a trouble free game.

 

It's tough 'oop North

Burnley are looking forward to back up their first Championship win of the season with three home points when they welcome the Addicks to Turf Moor tonight.

These midweek away matches in the north of England are always a tough challenge.  Away support will be depleted, although it does give a chance for the quite considerable number of Addicjks exiled in northern parts to support the team.

The only slight concern at Turf Moor is that some players are tired after Saturday's exertions, leaving the manager with something of a rotation dilemma.  However, the expectation is of a clean sheet with Burnley scoring two or three goals.

I have the option of watching the derby between Leamington and Redditch, but trouble is anticipated with both Warwickshire and West Mercia police brought in.

The Clarets picked up their first league victory of the campaign in style at Vicarage Road on Saturday, thrashing Watford 4-0, but they still remain in the relegation zone.

Since winning their opening three games of the season, the Addicks are now on a six-game winless streak (D4 L2) following a 1-1 draw with Bristol City at the weekend and have slipped from top to 12th on that run.

• Burnley have won each of their past five league meetings with Charlton without conceding, with this their first since winning home (4-0) and away (3-0) in 2015-16.

• Charlton have lost six of their previous seven league visits to Burnley, winning the other 1-0 in November 2012.

• Burnley could become only the second side in English Football League/Premier League history to go 20+ consecutive home league matches without a win (currently 19 – D9 L10), after Sunderland (20 from Jan-Dec 2017) and Sheffield Wednesday (23 from Apr 2025-Apr 2026).

• Since the start of last season, the only ever-present side to win fewer away games in the Championship than Charlton (5) are Watford (4).

• Since the start of last season, Charlton have won three of their four Championship away games at sides newly relegated from the Premier League (D1), already winning 2-1 at West Ham this term.

The strange saga of my relationship with Burnley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I would be satisfied with an away point tomorrow night.

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

Neither side launches at The Valley

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you have seen Ouma, please notify Richard Cawley.

Jones has more players available

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mbick offered new contract

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

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

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

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

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

Luke Warm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not really shipshape and Bristol fashion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Okonkwo's brother joins my non-league team

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

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

Bindon scores in Japan

Tyler Bindon's good form with New Zealand continued as the on-loan Charlton Athletic defender helped his country reach the final of Kirin Cup in Yokohama.

Having scored in a 3-0 friendly win over China on Sunday, the 21-year-old fired home the first penalty as the All Whites beat Panama 5-3 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.

New Zealand will face the winners of the tie between Japan and Ecuador in the final on Monday, 5 October.

Bindon joined the Addicks on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest in August and has made five appearances for the club.

Nigels lose their ultras

Before Palace’s opening home game of the season with Manchester City, the Holmesdale Front released a statement announcing they were “choosing to stop all organised activity as the HF inside the stadium” and cited “never-ending problems with the club up to the present day” among various reasons for the decision.

One of their concerns, relayed in a statement before February’s Conference League first knockout round home leg against Zrinjski Mostar, is a perception that the “club is determined to keep trying to force an American-style ‘experience’ on us”.

Chairman Steve Parish says it is “disappointing” to lose the group from Selhurst but believes there is nothing more Palace could have done, and cites safety and regulatory requirements.

“We’ve embraced them from the day I arrived here, and we’ve used them in our marketing,” he told The New York Times. “I don’t really know what’s at the heart of it. I understand that it’s difficult and frustrating at times — look at Lech Poznan, when they let off all those fireworks (in the opening Europa League match of this season at Selhurst).

“It’s hard because of the rules and regulations we have and the safety group. I understand it (and) we’re a very heavily-regulated society, so it’s frustrating for them sometimes. I don’t think that we could facilitate them any more than we do whilst trying to keep them safe and trying to get within the regulations.”

“I don’t really deal with them. They’re ultras, that’s not really how they roll. They have a dialogue with the people at the club on an ongoing basis. I understand how they feel. There are people that are around football who don’t want that kind of support at football grounds.

“I’ve personally had big battles on their behalf. I’ve been told by ‘the authorities’ on multiple occasions that we should ban the whole group. There’s an element where football fans are pushing back on it, where they want to have a bit more freedom to express themselves, but everything’s banned in England. It’s a fair frustration.”

There has been criticism of what some perceive to be a more ‘manufactured’ atmosphere pre-game and after Palace goals which the HF appear to believe stifles the organic approach they have tried to facilitate. Parish, though, says the choice is not binary.

“You have to be realistic,” he says. “We are a global show. We are putting on a show, and not everybody wants the same things all the time. There’s room for both of those things, but I don’t know a stadium up and down the country that doesn’t do any of the things that we do, and they work really well.

“There is a bit of a frustration sometimes from the fan base that they all have to do what (the HF) want all the time. ‘We have to sing their songs and do what they want, when they want’. Families come and sit in other parts of the stand and stadium and they want to hear some good music. Fans can’t sing the whole time in the lead-up to a game. You can always find a good compromise, and I think we will. Something will come back, and we’ll make it work.

“We loved everything they did. We were hugely supportive, and in the face of some quite vehement opposition. They’ve been an important part of what we’ve done. Anybody that wants to do something similar, we’re trying to accommodate it as much as we can, but not everything stays the same all the time."