Hornets fear their sting may not be enough

Current Watford boss Ed Still has said that the 2-1 defeat for the Hornets at Loftus Road on Saturday effectively ended their promotion hopes.  They no longer had a realistic chance of getting into the play offs.

Still called on his side to bounce back against Charlton on Monday, even though it might be too little, too late.

Watford struggled to create chances against the Super Hoops, although they scored a spectacular goal from a free kick.

The Hornets are just a few places above Charlton in the middle of the form table.    Their home record is better than their away record, having won ten, drawn six and lost just four at Vicarage Road.

Having been unbeaten in seven league games against Charlton between 2006 and 2012 (W3, D4), Watford have now lost four of their last six against the Addicks (W1,D1) 

Following their 1-0 win in August, Charlton are looking to complete the league double over Watford for the first time since 1995-96. 

Watford have alternated between not scoring (4) and scoring (3) in their last seven home league games.  Charlton are unbeaten in their last five away league games (W2, D3), having been winless in their previous nine on the road (D3. L6).

Watford have been plagued by a lack of inconsistency and an inability of their key players to score.

Veteran Charlton supporter Rick Everitt looks on the bright side of life: 'Charlton have only won twice at Watford in the last 50 years - 4-3 in 2013 and 2-1 in 1996 - but haven’t visited since the infamous 5-0 thumping in 2015, although they picked up three away wins and two draws there from 1971-74, all of which I saw (23rd visit tomorrow!).'

BTW, Lord Young devotes his Spectator column this week to the travails of being a QPR supporter, at least the space isn't used for another attack on Everitt: https://footballeconomyv2.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-travails-of-supporting-qpr-apply-to.html

A contrast in managerial styles

It's unusual to see Charlton's game the lead on the front page of The Times sports section or to see a two-thirds of a page report above that on Millwall's victory at Boro.  The explanation was, of course, Roy Hodgson.

The Times did note the contrast in styles between the two managers.   'The home manager. Nathan Jones, well known for his antics, bellowed instructions from the touchline.  Hodgson, by comparison, only reacted when he needed to, gesturing to his players with hand movements about key tweaks he wanted to see from them.'

A post match mystery was the appearance of Rick Everitt in the press room after the game.  He had been absent for more than 20 years.  He was, of course, for some years sports editor of the much lamented Greenwich Mercury.  He even game me the occasional assignment covering youth FA Cup games in the Midlands.

One rumour was that he has been signed up by The Oldie as their football correspondent.   Others have suggested that attacks on him in the right wing Spectator have given him a role at the New Statesman.

More prosaically he may have been signed up by the Isle of Thanet News.

Shipshape and Bristol fashion

Charlton went down 1-2 to Bristol City at The Valley this afternoon.  They started brightly enough with a great effort by Harry Clarke, but then Scott Twine put Hodgson's heroes ahead.

Last ditch Dykes equalised on 29 minutes with the assistance of Kelman.

The visitors then went ahead from a free kick delivered by Scott Twine.   Noah Eile was able to score after Mannion fumbled the ball.

Charlton seemed lethargic with the crowd of nearly 21,000 subdued.

But then a series of substitutions livened things up and there were a number of opportunities in the last ten minutes of normal time with the keeper saving with his legs from Dykes and Campbell sending the ball off target.    The keeper also had to make a great save from Matt Godden.

Ramsay had to make an excellent tackle to prevent the Robins going 3-1 ahead.

The referee behaved as if his retirement plan was with Hargreaves Lansdown as every marginal decision went the way of their works side and he was taken in by their play acting

In truth it was the usual incompetence.  We should stop sending referees to Specsavers and use a more up market optician like Bayfields.

Charlton remain 18th, eight points above Leicester City.

Frustrated manager Nathan Jones said: At the start of both halves, we were poor and that's cost us the game today.

"We work every single week on starting fast and being front-footed and in the first 50 seconds, we mess about it and give a corner away and that sets the tone.

"It was a game we could have drawn or won in the end but we didn't show enough quality in the final third and some of our defending was so un-Charlton like, it was crazy.

"The start killed us. When we're in the game, we know we're going to be strong late on attacking that end, but we're not giving ourselves a chance.

"It's a carbon copy, the last three home games, we're not learning from that and that's tough to take."

Do you remember the 1971/2 season?

That was the challenge laid down by Ramsgate-based fan Rick Everitt in a recent Richard Cawley podcast.

My honest answer has to be, no.   In September 1971 I moved to the Midlands to take up a job offer in Coventry and then met a new girl friend.

In the preceding two seasons the Addicks had finished third from bottom in the old second division.  That was not a relegation position way back then.

In 1971/2 things seemed to be going quite well, at least in terms of survival.  Admittedly, the home league gate was down to just over 10,000, the worst figure since 1927/8.   The club had to sell two houses at a profit to make ends meet but the overdraft was nearly £100k.   (£1.17 m in 2026 prices).

Then, a collapse set in.  Our last win was Game 38 in mid-March.  There were a few draws, but our last two matches were a 0-2 home defeat by Millwall and then a 5-0 thumping at Blackpool which sealed our fate.

The Rickster's point is that it could still go pear shaped.  We need one more win for safety or perhaps a few draws.   Let's hope we can get that win against Bristol City tomorrow. 

Roy Hodgson says that his training session went well, although he seems to be under the impression that his first game is on Saturday.

Bristol Live reports: 'Despite the change in the dugout, the Reds will have to continue to deal with the injury issues that have plagued the side over the course of the last two months.

The expectation remains that Rob Dickie, Rob Atkinson and George Tanner will not play again this season while Luke McNally and Joe Williams have also been sidelined in recent weeks, with no exact time frame placed on when they could return to the fold.'

As a client of Hargreaves Lansdown for some 40 years I have indirectly contributed to the considerable sums of money that Steve Lansdown has put into the team, albeit without achieving the goal of promotion.

To be fair, they have got me into a club that, whilst it may no longer be exclusive with 3 million members, is still worth joining.   More importantly, when I was recently accused of money laundering, they came resolutely to my defence.   Still want to beat their works side.

CAS Trust points out that Roy Hodgson is the fourth new manager this season to have his first game against Charlton: https://www.castrust.org/2026/04/bristol-city-on-good-friday/

Jones the preacher man

Charlton manager Nathan Jones is going to use some of his summer break to preach in a Welsh village.   The elders of the tin tabernacle in Llanddewi Brefi have been impressed by his style of delivery.  Instead of using the pulpit he runs up and down the aisle shouting at the congregation.

Jones has prepared a number of football themed sermons which will also be available as podcasts:

God does not need VAR as he is the ultimate referee and never makes a mistake in his judgments.

2.     God does not need a fourth official: the Holy Trinity is enough for Him.

3.     With divine help it is possible to resurrect a club like Charlton and see it ascend to the Promised Land of the Premier League.

4.     You can save penalties – if you have been saved.

5.     There has never been a Saint Nigel.

6.     You discover that your neighbours are Millwall – are they beyond redemption?

T

   

Charlton can't sell stair lifts, what about funeral plans?

I have finally got round to listening to the Richard Cawley podcast on club finances and I thought it was very good value.

It starts by interviewing the financial supremo at The Valley who I thought was impressive, in particular straightforward and transparent in his answers.

It would appear that the £1.4 m profit on player sales is largely down to Alfie May.   Much criticised at the time, it has proved to be good business on and off the pitch.

The second part of the podcast is an interview with fanzine editor Rick Everitt.   Rick also worked for the club for 14 years, primarily in a development role, pioneering the 'Rickshaw' coach service which penetrated parts of Kent I did not know existed (to the fury of Gillingham)..

The Rickster stressed that he is not an accountant, but he has been studying the club's accounts for decades and knows where to look to find information that would not otherwise be in the public domain.  (One of my findings in the past was that Richard Murray had originally gone under another name which appeared to be East European).

Before jobs adverts went online, the FT was full of positions for chartered accountants.   I have always seen it as a job that is both boring and stressful.  One day a typesetter at the Pink 'Un changed an advert to 'Chartered Alcoholic'.   I got that reproduced in Private Eye.

One puzzle that Rick uncovered was that directors' pay had gone up to more than £300k which is high for Charlton.  His first thought was that it must have been to grease the palm of Charlie Methven, but he is not listed as a director at Companies House.

Rick pointed out that the commercial figures had been artificially boosted by taking the club shop in house and that the club's record on commercial were poor, as it always had been.

He thought that the explanation for this was structural in terms of geography: where the club was located and where the fan base was to be found.   I take his first point to be is that it is an unfashionable part of London (despite recent boosting of Plumstead by The Times as the  next fashionable place to live in London).

The biggest concentration of fans is in Kent which has a relatively elderly population in the coastal areas where many fans to be found and many areas of real deprivation.  There isn't much commercial mileage in stair lifts, zimmer frames or funeral plans (although given the latter market is currently very competitive, I would give it a try.)

We could have a demonstration stair lift in one of the stands and perhaps sell the naming rights so that it became the Pure Cremation Valley.    Perhaps not.

Commercial sponsors are interested in young males in particular who think they have money to spare and are receptive to brands.  My step grandson is happy to pay £300 for a top with the right label.

Finally, the Rickster took issue with the assertion by football finance guru Kieran Maguire that the finances of clubs like Charlton are not sustainable.  Sure, the current owners have put in £15m but if they backed up someone else would come along with the readies.  Maybe, but I will feel more comfortable if we owned the stadium and the training ground.

Why did Robins sack manager?

Chris Dunlavy writes in the Football League Paper yesterday: 'Why sack Gerhard Struber when the season is stone dead?   Why drag a 78-year old client out of retirement who stands no chance of being there next season?'

Presumably the board had grown weary of Struber's public grumbling over the state of City's squad and their chronic failure to tie star players down to longer contracts.

The Austrian had the Robins playing energetic, attacking football and they were in contention for the play-offs prior to the January departures of Anis Mehmeti (Ipswich) and Zak Vyner (Wrexham) - both of them key players who were sold for cut rate fees due to contracts that expired in the summer.

The dreary performances since then were inevitable and predictable, and sacking Struber will not fix that.'

I would add that Bristol must be the largest metropolitan area in England without a top flight side (Bradford may come close).

Steve Lansdown (of funds supermarket Hargreaves Lansdown) has poured money into the club and justifiably may be disappointed at the return on the pitch   He has put in £280m over the years.

The stake of the Guernsey-based billionaire in Hargreaves Lansdown is now down to 7 per cent but share sales and dividends have helped fund his sporting investments.   City lost £18.6m in 2024/25, even more than Charlton.

The writer is a satisfied client of Hargreaves Lansdown.

Clubs should handle politicians with care

You can't keep sport out of politics, but clubs would be well advised to keep out of partisan politics.  Fans necessarily hold a range of political views and appearing to favour one position can undermine unity as recent events at Ipswich Town and Sunderland have shown: https://footballeconomyv2.blogspot.com/2026/03/many-sunderland-fans-opposed-to-farage.html

There are two exceptions: politicians who have a long track record of support should be tolerated and the local MP should always be welcome as his or her help may be needed.

That applies to MPs in an area where there are many fans although the miserable Edward Heath was a Gooner and would never discuss Charlton.   Although he may not have danced in the streets of Raith, Gordon Brown was a long term supporter of the Kirkcaldy club.    Dave Cameron claimed to support West Ham Villa.

I think there was a time when Charlton seemed to become closely associated with New Labour, although to be fair to those in charge at the time they could claim simply to be working with the government of the day (and one that was long lasting by current standards).

Nevertheless, I was very interested in what Peter Varney had to say on this topic in his latest discussions with Richard Cawley.

Tony Blair asked for help with the sports side of turning Thamesmead School into an academy.  Varney recalls: 'I spent about 20-25 minutes with Tony Blair when he officially opened the academy. I found him very good on the details, which you often are left wondering about with a lot of politicians, but he was also very PR obsessed. He said it was a government initiative - that he dreamed of having these academies - more than talking about the Charlton side of initiative.'

'Not long afterwards, Gordon Brown came to the training ground. I found, out of the two of them, that Gordon was more focused on what we were doing, rather than wanting the PR.'

I never met Tony Blair, but I thought he was slippery.   A friend who was no longer with us was an education adviser at No.10 and drew up a plan to boost FE colleges which in my view are an important but under estimated part of the education system.  Blair's immediate reaction was 'Great!  Let's screw them.'

I did have a long conversation with Gordon Brown and it was like having an intellectual hoover attached to you.  I then got invited to No.11 during the Blair/Brown transition and got a second invite.  I didn't go back.  Not the easiest person to work for.

If Brown was intense, Dave Cameron was laid back and charming even in the face of rudeness from Boris at an event I attended at No.10, but even things he cared about about got delegated to incompetents.

The competition that Charlton faces

Wrexham have reported a record turnover of £33.1m for last season, a record for a League One club not receiving parachute payments.

What is more striking, reports BBC Sport is that it is almost three times as much as the £11.2 m turnover posted by Charlton   - who followed Wrexham in gaining promotion from League One last season - for the same accounting period.

In other news, 78-year old Roy Hodgson will take charge of Bristol City at The Valley on Good Friday.  Wags are saying that he was motivated to take the interim role because he had never taken charge of a team at The Valley.

Fans were taken in by April Fool jokes

In the latest installment of his reminiscence interviews with Richard Cawley, Peter Varney recalls the various April Fool jokes at Charlton that have taken in gullible fans.

He recalls: 'We pretended to change the badge in April 2002, and again that went in the programme, this time when we hosted Arsenal. The ruse sort of originated from the fact the Gunners had changed their badge a couple of months earlier, a move to secure intellectual property rights and enable copyright protection.

We claimed that Greenwich Council had “asked us to consider whether the sword in our current badge is appropriate to the welcoming environment we wish to maintain at The Valley”. We designed one crest that was really a straight replica of Fulham’s one - with CAFC instead of FFC. There were also two that replaced the sword with a smiling fish or a cartoonish robin.  We had more than 300 votes online and hundreds more rang or emailed the club to complain.'

Actually I think the best one was when a ground share was announced with Millwall with half the seats painted blue to make them feel at home.  I recall that one Australian photographer who is a keen supporter was taken in.

Varney also discusses how a humour less Sandgaard want to axe the Red, Red Robin, although he has doubts about its timing.

I also thought that my idea of branding consultants renaming the club Estuary hit home. Revisit it here: https://addickschampionshipdiary.blogspot.com/search?q=Estuary

I do have one ready for next week!

All things Welsh

Watching the Wales match last night I recalled that Addicks legend Johnnie Robinson was once player of the year for Wales.  He was born in Zimbabwe but had a Welsh grandmother.

Now we have a Welsh manager routinely referred to as 'the Welshman' by Richard Cawley, but referred to by some fans as the 'Welsh Onanist' or the 'Welsh ****.'

My own links with Wales have been reinforced recently when one of my granddaughters discovered her inner Welsh woman and moved to Swansea (Abertawe), although she does not speak a word of Cymraeg.

It's a difficult language to learn as an adult, you need to be immersed in as a child like my great niece. It can sound very melodious.   Some years back Bill Hague and his wife invited me to a summer garden party at their lovely home near Welshpool and they had a choir of local school children singing in Welsh and Ffion gave thanks in her fluent Welsh which sounded just right.

I am ambivalent about Wales.   I like Rob Brydon, but he is a classic example of a vertically challenged Welsh chancer.   When he was a radio disc jockey in Cardiff he pretended to be his own agent so he could boost his fee for personal appearances.

There is also the 'Taffia' issue.  Such a close knit society, especially in South Wales, can suffer outbreaks of corruption.

My granddaughter has just had accepted a bid on a three bedroom property near Swansea which needs a bit of TLC but the asking price is not far into six figures (and she gets the conveyancing free as she works for a firm of solicitors).   Her cousin who is looking for a property in or around Oxford and looks like having to pay £350k for a two bedder.

Mind you, they have both been eclipsed by another granddaughter who took out a mortgage at 19 and now owns a three bedroom apartment outright.

The reaction to Jones because he comes from another nationality in the UK is a bit concerning as I think if we are going to progress as a club we will need a good foreign manager (not Karel Fraeye)

Charlton present at enthronement

Watching the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury yesterday it struck me is that she is not just Primate of All England and the worldwide Anglican communion but also bishop of the Canterbury diocese, albeit that her local duties are mostly delegated to the Bishop of Dover.

A recent post showed that Charlton fans are the leading group of football supporters in Kent and it occurred to me that there should be some representation from the club in the congregation.

Lo and behold, VOTV editor Rick Everitt posted a selfie of himself there.  No doubt he was there in his capacity as a 'town hall tyrant' (copyright Lord Young of Acton) although apparently the headquarters of Thanet District Council are a 1970s redbrick building in Margate.

It all brought back memories of theology lessons at St. Margaret's CoE on Plumstead Common.  I think that the now demolished church was on the high end of the spectrum and we were told that if we went to France on holiday we could go to a Roman Catholic church.  The nearest any of us were going to get to France was a day trip to one of the channel ports: a day excursion by steam train to Margate was more likely.

However, this led me to ask whether the real difference between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church was that the Pope was Italian not English and was based in Rome rather than Canterbury.  I was thrown out of the class and the headmistress told me that I was a very wicked boy.

Returning to football, Richard Cawley has an important podcast on Charlton's finances.   I am yet to listen to it, but I am sure that it is a thorough treatment of some worrying financial results.

The ultimate insult

University Challenge last night.  'Which football club has its ground in the Royal Borough of Greenwich?' Answer: Crystal Palace.   Mind you, asked which club played in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, they answered 'Brentford' and they had never heard of Sandwell or Wsst Brom.

The Sunday Times published its 'Best Places to Live' supplement on Sunday.  One shouldn't take these things too seriously.  Stratford upon Avon made the cut for the Midlands with the comment 'if you can see through the tourists'.  Well, you can't.

I was surprised to see Plumstead named as one of the best places to live in London, much as I have fond memories of Plumstead Common.   However, apparently 'the charming common'is surrounded by houses with 'smartly scrubbed with smart shutters' whose inhabitants can be seen 'promenading' on the common.

For me one of the great merits of living there was the 53 bus to Charlton, but the accompanying copy makes no mention of the Addicks and the interview respondents display no interest in football.

The facts of the matter are that only a minority of Addicks now live in the home boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley.  The biggest concentration is now in Kent (just scan the list of Valley Golf prize winners).  Indeed, if my personal circumstances had been different when I retired I might not be living on Regent Street in the Royal Spa but on the Kent coast.

A 'new town' is now planned for a Greater Thamesmead.   Somehow all these incomers need to be introduced to Addicktion, albeit that many of them will already support other London clubs.

Commitment of funds unsustainable at Charlton

Charlton Athletic have published their annual accounts for 2024/25.  A big loss of £16.8m is slightly offset by player sales: https://www.charltonafc.com/news/charlton-submits-annual-accounts-report

Given that the club does not own its stadium or training ground, it is essentially a financial basket case reliant on owner funding, although that applies to many, if not most, football clubs. However, Charlton's situation is not financially sound.

Revenue was up from £8.8m to £11.2m, but the wages to turnover level was 141 per cent, double the recommended level.

Turnover was up £2.3m to £11.1m. No single cause - broadcast revenue, match day and commercial  were all up about £0.5m and “other” up £0.7m. Some of that reflects reaching the play-off final against the very poor 2023/24 season. Commercial is big increase relative to a very low base.

Commercial increase probably relates at least in part to bringing retail in house, which means all sales appear in the club’s turnover and not just commission. It would be partially offset by increased cost.

The operating loss is shown as debt to the parent company, interest free, repayable on demand, now £25m. Salary costs were up £3.6m to £15.7m, reflecting increased turnover, but non-football staff numbers were static.

Accounts disclose an £8.9m investment in the squad for 2025/26 (fees and contracts). That is £8m net of commitments to players who have left. Directors received £308k in 24/25"

The club commented, 'What our financial results do highlight, however, is the cost of football.

We are grateful to the club's ownership for backing the board's vision and putting us in a position to achieve what we did last season and prepare us for 2025-26 with a significant input of resource.

That resource commitment is unsustainable in the long-term for any club, and it is a challenge for all of football to alter the economics of the game to reduce this level of cash loss.'

That is unlikely to happen soon if at all, although the independent regulator is still examining the distorting effect of parachute payments on the Championship.

Charlton reported £3m investment in stadium and training ground improvements and said staff bonuses for promotion and increased wages in the second tier have impacted their financial figures.

On the plus side, the club also reported rises in both attendances and season ticket sales on 2023-24 and increased broadcast revenues after achieving promotion via the play-offs in May last year.

Oxford have lost £17.5 m, West Brom £17 m and Coventry £21.6 m.

Canaries on song

On form Norwich City took all three points at The Valley this afternoon, an early doors goal being enough to give them a 1-0 win. 

The Charlton defence were forced too deep and this mean that the midfield was unable to contribute as they should have done.   Norwich were much better in the final third than Charlton with the lack of Addicks fire power evident again.

Worrying financial results for Charlton were slipped out before the match began, more on this tomorrow.  

The Canaries were soon in front as Ali Ahmed took on the home defence down the left before laying it back to Mattsson, who was given too much time and picked his spot beyond keeper Will Mannion from 20 yards.

Charlton did not heed their lesson and could have found themselves two down as Paris Maghoma cut inside to create a shooting opportunity for himself, but Mannion went down smartly to push it away.

It took the Addicks half an hour to test Vladan Kovacevic, but Lloyd Jones' header from a Harry Clarke cross was comfortable for the Norwich keeper.

Ahmed was prominent at the start of the second half and Mannion did just enough to foil him as the Canadian tried to get on the end of Mathias Kvistgaarden's ball across the box but Charlton were almost level when Ramsay's header following a corner struck the bar and Harry Clarke's follow-up was blocked.

Mannion remained the busier keeper, saving well from a deflected effort from Maghoma and then going down low to his left to deny Mattsson a second, but his earlier strike was enough to secure Norwich's eighth away win of the campaign.

Nathan Jones was annoyed that Norwich supremo Phillipe Clement would not shake hands with him after the game, stating that it showed a lack of respect.

A rueful manager felt there were multiple factors behind Charlton Athletic’s 1-0 loss to Norwich City today. The Addicks boss was left unhappy at the manner of the winning goal, scored in the fifth minute by Danish midfielder Pelle Mattsson.

But Jones also rued the lack of end product from his Addicks side, who have not netted more than once in a home Championship match in their last 14 fixtures in SE7. Charlton have scored 11 times in those 14 games.

Jones was also deeply unhappy at the performance of referee Will Finnie. The official ignored appeals in the second period when Lloyd Jones had his arm pulled by Ruairi McConville inside the penalty area.

Some fans have also commented on the poor standard of refereeing.

The canary in the ground test

Charlton face another tough test at The Valley tomorrow afternoon when they play resurgent Norwich City. At the beginning of the season I had this down as a 1-3 win for the Canaries.

Norwich did lose against another resurgent club, Southampton, midweek but just by 1-0.   The Saints had to work hard for the win as the Canaries dominated the second half.

Norwich have been rejuvenated after changing their manager, picking up 42 points from 23 games.  Former Rangers gaffer Phillipe Clement replaced Liam Manning when Norfolk's finest were in the bottom three before Christmas.   They've collected more points than any other team in 2026.   They have averaged nearly two goals a game.  They are top of the Championship form table.

At St, Mary's Norwich were the better side for much of the second half with Southampton keeper Daniel Perhetz pulling off fine saves to deny Kellen Fisher from close range and then keep out Ruairi McConville's goalbound header at the death.

Writing in The Football League Paper, Adam Virgo stated: 'Under Liam Manning, they'd win possession, go sideways and backwards, and then build up again.   It was very regimented, with no room for individual expression, and it didn't suit a squad of very talented players.'

'With Clement, you still have to work hard and be disciplined out of possession.  But the attitude is very much" Can we play that ball forward first?"

'Their January window was arguably the best in the Championship.  Ahmed came in from Vancouver Whitecaps and has hit the ground running.   Best of the lot is midfielder Paris Maghoma, whose £800,000 move from Brentford looks an absolute bargain.  He's exciting, he's inventive.  He makes things happen.  He's got a deceptive pace about him and he's just a very intelligent footballer.'

BTW, congratulations to my Saints supporting friend Joe the Saint on his forthcoming civil partnership with Cheryl.  Saints supporters who tie the knot are required to wear a Portsmouth shirt at the nearest home game.

Budget decisions for next season start soon

Richard Cawley has been talking to CAFC chairman Gavin Carter.   The chairman more or less confirmed that this season the Addicks had had one of the lowest budgets in the Championship, simply noting that crisis club Sheffield Wednesday's playing budget was lower.   

He also pointed out that the metrics were not straightforward.   Confidential discussions did  take place with other clubs when visiting them for matches.   He realised that fans were not keen on key performance indicators, but they were a key decision-making tool.

One of the reasons the board liked Nathan Jones was that he had shown at Luton that he could manage a constrained budget.

Discussions about next year's budget will begin towards the end of March,  It was evident that the board was waiting to see what the finishing position would be.

The owners are open to the injection of fresh capital, but are more focused on the quality rather than the amount

Congratulations, Lyndon Dykes

Lyndon Dykes has been called up for Scotland's international friendlies.  This means that he may have a chance of joining their World Cup squad

He has proved to be a good signing at Charlton despite initial scepticism.

Welshman hits centenary

Richard Cawley reminds us that Nathan Jones chalked up 100 league games in charge of Charlton at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.

The last manager to achieve this feat was Lee Bowyer in 2020.

Under Jones the Addicks have won 41, drawn 32 and lost 27,   His win rate is 41 per cent.  Arguably too many draws.

I wouldn't rate Jones as anywhere near Jimmy Seed, Alan Curbishley and Lennie Lawrence (or Chris Powell who suffered from the barmy Belgian).

But he is doing a job for us, getting us out of League One and probably keeping us in the Championship.  I don't think we're quite safe yet and Saturday's fixture against Norwich is tricky.

One thing most fans would agree on is that some of the players are not good enough for the Championship and we need them to find their level in League One or Two.   No names, no pack drill as there is understandably disagreement about some names.

But with a second season in the Championship, a good stadium and training ground and a London location, we should be well placed to attract some quality players next season.

Penalty pain then joy for Charlton

After holding Oxford to 0-0 in a low quality first half, Kayne Ramsay bundled over Oxford starlet Will Lankshear in the box.  (Lankshear was being watched by England Under 21 supremo Lee Carsley).  Mannion dived the right way for the penalty kick, but Brannagan put the ball in the bottom corner.on 57 minutes.

Richard Cawley put out an appeal for video of the penalty incident.   Some Addicks there doubted that it was a penalty.   (Referee Matt Donohue is often VAR at top flight matches).

Shortly afterwards it was almost 2-0 to the hosts.   Will Lankshear gets through and plays a lovely chip over Addicks keeper Will Mannion.  Mannion just gets enough on it to slow it down and give Lloyd Jones enough time to get there and clear the ball off the line.   Good goalkeeping there from Mannion.  (Most Addicks supported his selection).

Coventry was replaced by Jayden Fevrier.

Stanley Mills, son of Danny Mills, was booked for a foul on Luke Chambers.   Danny Mills and Steve Brown were seen in conversation before the game,

Into the last 10 minutes of normal time and Charlton are really going to step this up to get anything from this game, they haven't created anywhere near enough.

The Addicks have had just two shots in the entire match so far and have not tested Jamie Donley in the Oxford goal   Both Leaburn and Campbell have disappointed (although many would say that Campbell never looks interested).   Losing Dykes in the warm up was a real blow.

Ibrahim Fullah and Joe Rankin-Costello were introduced in place of captain Greg Docherty and Luke Chambers.

The Addicks were awarded a late penalty and Kelman scored on 90+3 minutes.   He shot low into the bottom left-hand corner with the keeper diving the right way but unable to connect.

Dumbo Ciaron Brown grabbed hold of the shirt of Lloyd Jones and pulled him to the fkoor after Fullah had put in a decent cross.

Two points off Oxford, one for Charkton.

Mercurial supremo Nathan Jones told Richard Cawley that he blamed his players for the disappointing result: They didn’t stick to the game plan and they didn’t do a single thing I said at half-time. That is why we came unstuck and conceded.'

Oxford dream or nightmare?

It would be very Charlton to do the unpredictable at Boro and then fail to claim any points at Oxford United on Saturday, although I am hopeful of at least a point which means two points off Oxford.

This is not, of course, the Oxford of dreaming spires but more that of Blackbird Leys.   I must say that I find a three sided ground a bit of a joke with people perched on the tops of vehicles to see the action.  However, they now have plans for a new stadium to the north of the city.

The dreaming spires are represented by non-league and former amateur team Oxford City.   They were once headed up by Norman Chester, the warden of Nuffield College who wrote a prescient but now forgotten official report on the state of football.  Actually finding their ground is a real challenge.

Of course, I remember when Oxford played at Headington, recalling their origins as Headington United. It might be said to be a ground with 'character' with a series of individual stands.   We bought some of the seats and the turnstiles at Leamington.

Enough history.  Oxford have made a bit of a recovery recently, beating Blackburn 1-0 at home during the week.   At home they have won just five matches, drawn six and lost seven.

Oxford are unbeaten in seven home fixtures with Charlton (won four, draw three).  The Addicks last won there in 1998.   This was also the last time we did the double over them.

I'm not sure whether this matters, but Oxford have only won one of the last twelve home games that have kicked off at 12.30.

I was interested to see that Charlton are now above QPR in the table.  Each season there is usually a team that gets dragged into it late on and I wonder if it could be the Super Hoops this year.   It would be just repayment for QPR super fan Lord Young of Acton using his Spectator column to attack Charlton fanzine editor Rick Everitt.

In their preview, CAS Trust emphasise the extent to which Oxford rely on set piece goals.   Our defending at corners still concerns me.

They also note that the two clubs are close together in the form table which suggests a tight contest.

Dykes was taken ill during the warm up and replaced by Miles Leaburn.  Zach Mitchell joined the bench,

In the opening 25 minutes, the Addicks had 60 per cent possession but neither side had any shots.  After Harry Clarke put in some excellent defensive work, there were chants of 'Sign him up' from the Addickted.

A late tackle by charm merchant Helik caught Leaburn on the shin.  The Charlton man was in some pain and the home player received a yellow card.

The home side applied more pressure after 30 minutes and Luke Chambers was booked for a needless foul, but the free kick from a dangerous position went over.

0-0 at half time.  As Louis Mendez commented, 'Not a great spectacle'  Charlton had more possession, but failed to create chances.

To the Londoners 1-0

Charlton's unexpected win at Middlesbrough tonight eased their relegation fears.   The winning goal came from Conor Coady, viewed by many pessimists as a useless signing.

Kim Hellberg's home side dominated possession throughout the game but not for the first time of late lacked a clinical touch in attack and were frustrated by the well organised visitors.

Wing-backs Matt Targett and Callum Brittain were wasteful in good positions early on, while Aidan Morris thumped the crossbar during a strong first-half spell.

The Addicks had their moments on the break, though, and Charlie Kelman should have done better when his shot was saved by Sol Brynn at his near post.

The pattern of play continued in the second half until Coady, on his 400th career league start, got ahead of his marker to touch in a mammoth throw from Harry Clarke.

The goal, his first for the club, all but silenced the home fans.

Boro kept up the pressure, ending the night with 34 shots on goal, but Will Mannion in the Charlton goal was largely untroubled until he saved well from Hayden Hackney late on.

Charlton, who had won just one of their previous 12 on the road, now look comfortable in 17th place with a nine-point cushion to the relegation zone. 

Negativists struggled for a narrative with avatar Desmond from Deal saying in despair: 'Just when Jones looks like getting his P45, he pulls a rabbit out of the hat.'

One leading moaner said before the game, 'Jones has lost the plot.'   

But as the coach explained to Richard Cawley: '“It was a gamble because I’m sure social media would have been going ‘oh, they’ve taken this game lightly’, ‘they don’t think they can win it’ or ‘they are preparing for Oxford’. I imagine that is the case - I don’t read social media. So you’ll have to tell me if that is true or not,” said the Welshman.

“But we have to utilise the squad. It demonstrates the trust we’ve put into them.We’ve had to use the squad because we’ve got seven first-team players out at the moment. Josh Edwards, Collins (Sichenje) and (Reece) Burke. Three defenders - you can’t take too many risks in that area. (Luke) Berry, Harvey Knibbs, (Matty) Godden, Thomas Kaminski.  All huge players.'

Boro game poses difficult choices

Curbs used to call them 'bonus ball' games when you were away to a much stronger side.   If you did win them, it was a great plus.    Many of us can remember the 4-2 'Black Sabbath' win at Highbury or winning 3-0 at Everton.

However, Curbs also emphasised that what mattered was beating the teams around you.   So the really crucial match this week is not tonight's game at Middlesbrough, but the six pointer at Oxford United on Saturday.   The early kick off to suit Sky gives the Addicks even less recovery time.

Boro will be motivated to win tonight after the victory by Millwall yesterday put them just one point behind in the automatic promotion race.

After some signs of faltering, Boro won 3-1 at Birmingham and then brushed the Super  Hoops aside 4-0 at Loftus Road.   Although we didn't manage it, QPR often collapse under real pressure.

We do need to avoid a pasting tonight.  Goal difference may yet matter and it wouldn't be good for confidence.    Boro have sometimes seemed nervous at home, leading to five draws.

Clearly the strategy should be to defend and counter attack, but that still leaves some difficult decisions about players.  Lloyd Jones, a key player, is one card away from a ban, but we don't have many other options.

Remarks made by Nathan Jones to Richard Cawley suggest that he now sees a real competition for the keeper slot.   In one sense that is welcome, but it still means a difficult choice with armchair managers ready to pounce.

Boro have lost just one of their last thirteen games against Charlton.   They are unbeaten in their last five games at home, conceding just one goal.

There are quite a few northern Addicks who go to these midweek games 'oop north and I hope we put on a display for them tonight.   My guess would be 3-0 to the Boro. but a draw is possible.

Reporting on the line up, Richard Cawley says it looks as if key players are being rotated/rested.

There's only one Lloyd Jones

Richard Cawley reports that Lloyd Jones leads the Championship for the most defensive clearances this season (374) and aerial defence work (222).   He made 22 defensive interventions against the Blues yesterday.

Worrying news from Cawley that Addicks striker starlet Micah Mbick was stretchered off at Colchester's game at Newport yesterday and taken to hospital.

Upset U's supremo Danny Cowley told the Football League Paper: 'It looks a really bad one unfortunately.   It's a horrendous tackle and I'm sick and tired of officials.   He didn't even give a foul.  It was so clear - the fourth official was there and he saw it all, that it was excessive force.'

On a happier note, congratulations to former Charlton director Lord Michael Grade of Yarmouth (isle of Wight) on his 83rd birthday today.   Seeing him heading rather modestly towards the directors' entrance at Anfield at one game, I almost shouted a greeting.

He has been described as an 'admirably steadfast' Addick and in 2024 appeared on a podcast interview entitled 'Football Ruined My Life'.

Jonathan Grade is a Charlton supporter active on X.

Yet again one is enough

It was a difficult day for pessimists as Charlton moved nine points clear of the relegation zone with a 1-0 victory over Birmingham City at The Valley this afternoon.   Louis Mendez points out that on 44 points Charlton are on the average to stay in the Championship over the last 12 years.

Charlie Kelman's winner was enough to give Charlton their victory and an important three points in their bid to move further clear of the relegation zone in the Championship.  The forward's fifth goal of the campaign came moments after coming off the bench, and settled a game of few clear-cut chances.

Prior to the winner, Tyrese Campbell had the best opening for the Addicks, denied only by a spectacular last-ditch block from Christoph Klarer to prevent the hosts taking the lead.  It is the first time Blues boss Chris Davies has lost three consecutive league games since taking charge at St Andrew's.

Only one of the previous 14 games between these two had produced more than two goals, so it came as no surprise that this was another tight encounter of few opportunities.  There was little to speak of in the opening exchanges before the hosts had numerous sights of goal in quick succession midway through the first half.

Strong work from Greg Docherty in midfield teed up Lyndon Dykes, but the striker's effort from 30 yards was off target.  Moments later, Harry Clarke found Kai Wagner in the way of his goalbound effort, and from the resulting corner Blues keeper Ryan Allsopp did enough to divert the ball away from Connor Coventry.

It was the same story after the break, and Blues' backline was called into action again when Campbell found himself clean through on goal, and it took a perfectly-timed challenge from Klarer to keep the score goalless.

The breakthrough came with just under 20 minutes remaining from Kelman's first touch after coming off the bench.   The striker brought down a long throw-in that had been flicked on, and fired home beyond Allsopp.

Birmingham – who had made five changes from the 3-1 defeat at home by Boro - threatened late on via a counter attack that saw Ibrahim Osman fire just wide, but ultimately slipped to a third straight league defeat.  Miles Leaburn almost added some gloss to the scoreline for Charlton in injury time but could not direct his effort on target.

Supremo Nathan Jones took the opportunity to make a few subtle digs at his many critics: "Every win is massive in this league and this stage of the season. I felt it was thoroughly deserved.

"Others had won or picked up points, so we knew we had to do that as well. It's all about us getting to a points total we're comfortable with and building from there.

"I don't think we're close [to safety]. You won't feel that way until it is mathematical. That wasn't our goal after the first 15 games. We didn't expect to be in this position.

"We picked up injuries at the wrong time but now we're coming through that. The performance levels have been good lately, we haven't lost many. Could we have won a few more? Yeah. Have we let ourselves down with one or two performances? Yeah. But we are fighting and competing at this level, it's only our first year back."

Apologies for late coverage but I was helping my youngest to clear out the house that the family has lived in for nearly 50 years.

I left early to catch what I could of the match, leaving her alone.  In a 150 year house we have had some issues with ghosts over the years and unfortunately her activities in the attic led to her being chased out of the house!

Both teams need three points tomorrow

After back to back defeats by Millwall and Boro, Birmingham City need all three points at Charlton tomorrow. Otherwise they can say goodbye to their fading play off hopes.

Equally, the Addicks need three points to stave off relegation fears.  A draw is a more than possible result but would not help either team.

Nathan Jones was appropriately cautious in his remarks to Richard Cawley about tomorrow's game, emphasising that you can't read off results from recent ones.

Last season we beat the Blues 1-0 in SE7 and I would take that.   It's difficult to see Charlton scoring many goals, but odd things can happen in football (like the prospect of us playing Spurs next season).

CAS Trust are expecting tight margins: https://www.castrust.org/2026/03/blue-reunion-at-the-valley/

• Charlton are looking for consecutive home league wins against Birmingham for the first time since beating them in 2004-05 and 2005-06 in the Premier League.

• Only one of the past 14 league meetings between Charlton and Birmingham has seen more than two goals scored, a 2-1 Addicks win in April 2016.

• Charlton have lost 11 of their past 21 league games (W4 D6) – since the start of this run on 8 November, only Sheffield Wednesday (18) and West Brom (12) have lost more Championship games.

• Birmingham City have lost their past two Championship matches but have not lost three league games in a row under manager Chris Davies before. The Blues last had a longer losing run in March 2024 (four defeats).

• Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones has only won two of his nine league games against Birmingham City as a manager (D3 L4), 1-0 wins with Luton in February 2021 and the Addicks in October 2024.

Jonny Williams talks about Roland Rat

Like many Addicks, I always liked Jonny Williams as a player and a person.  I always felt he tried to give his very best.

Richard Cawley has a fascinating in depth interview with him on his Substack page.  Apparently Williams took a pay cut to stay at Charlton when we went up to the Championship.  Williams is full of praise for Lee Bowyer who recruited him. 

No surprise that the 32-year old is now taking a course in football psychology.  He also talks about how often he got tackled and the lack of protection he got from referees.

He also discusses Roland Duchatelet’s deeply damaging decision to hand over control of the club to East Street Investments, whose sham ‘takeover’ never received EFL approval and saw funds completely dry up.

“You would be lying if you said it didn’t worry the players,” said Williams. “It affected everyone. We were in a bad situation on the pitch, in terms of results, but off the pitch it was an absolute circus at the time, to be honest.

“There was all sorts going on. No-one really knew where they stood. At times we had our own meetings as players and staff. We tried to park all that other stuff and take care of matches. In football it is about focusing on controlling the controllables and you let go of everything else. But it has an effect on people’s mentalities, worries and anxieties. It is everyone’s job at the end of the day - you have got X, Y or Z to pay."

Charlton can't hit the target

Charlton were 18th in the Championship, still seven points above Leicester in the first relegation position after today's 0-1 defeat at The Valley by Wrexham.    Ollie Rathbone's fine first-half strike earned them victory over Charlton Athletic at the Valley.

The superb 30th-minute effort – Rathbone's sixth in the Championship since returning from injury in December – ensured Phil Parkinson's side retained a four-point cushion over the sides chasing a top-six spot.

But the Addicks could have every right to feel hard done by after carving out the game's best chances, only to fail to find the net and make it four games without a win.   Wrexham needed a brilliant 90th-minute save from goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo to deny Sonny Carey as their unbeaten away run extended to a sixth game.

Even before Rathbone's opener - a superb flick and skidding volley - three times Charlton had found themselves in space inside the Wrexham box, and three times they returned without joy.  Luke Berry had taken a second too long to pull the trigger to allow Issa Kabore to block superbly. Then former Addick George Dobson threw himself at the ball to stop Carey.

There was no visiting player for Harry Clarke to blame when he got his angles wrong and skewed wide when he really should have scored as Charlton's counter continued to cause problems.

But an encouraged Valley was collectively shaking its head just moments later as Rathbone did with half a chance what the hosts had failed to do with far better opportunities.  It came as Callum Doyle's cross was headed away to the edge of the area where Rathbone proceeded to flick the ball away from the defender and on to his left foot before his volley skimmed into the far corner.

Lewis O'Brien should have doubled Wrexham's lead four minutes after the restart when he met Kieffer Moore's cross, but Kayne Ramsay did well to thwart the danger.

Yet while Wrexham had improved after the break, Charlton again could blame a lack of clinical edge as a string of openings were not finished off, a wayward header from Tyreece Campbell the most glaring.And when Carey did hit one on target, they found Okonkwo at full stretch and at his best to protect Wrexham's result.   

Disappointed supremo Nathan Jones told Richard Cawley: “It was a dominant performance - we were excellent in how we moved the ball.We limited them to just counter-attacks…..bearing in mind they have got some very, very good players. But good sides find a way to win games. I watched them in midweek - Portsmouth had all the possession and they (Wrexham) were clinical and scored in the moments they needed to."

“They weren’t just half-chances we created today - they were clear cut. Bezza’s chance is unbelievable. I expect him to score that, because that is the player he is. Harry Clarke’s chance is gilt-edged. TC (Tyreece Campbell) and Miles (Leaburn) have chances. So does Collins (Sichenje). Sonny Carey….the keeper makes an unbelievable save at the end.“

"The stats said we only had 12 shots - I couldn’t believe that. I don’t think you’ll see a more dominant display."  But Jones emphasised the importance of taking your chances.

It's soccer ball time at The Valley

Much as I find the football coverage of the New York Times enjoyable and interesting, I do find their obsession with Wrexham irritating.  They get more coverage than any other EFL club and more than some top flight teams.

However, it has to be admitted that Wrexham have a big following among soccer ball fans in the US.  It's not just the injection of cash that they have had, it is the way they have leveraged this, albeit using their Hollywood connections, to create a global brand.

This has been achieved in a rather remote city in North Wales, although one that has had a rather colourful history (counterfeit notes come to mind, but also a famous victory over Arsenal).  I think that many local people would admit that Wrexham has faced economic and social challenges.

It does have a university, but according to some figures I saw recently, its graduates have the second lowest value added in terms of post graduation income.

The point is that the owners have used this challenging context as an asset rather than a liability   Instead of complaining, other clubs might see what they can learn from them.

Anyway on the football front, American soccer ball fans have been told that former Addicks manager Phil Parkinson has some injury problems that have led him to tweak his formation, giving a greater to former Addick George Dobson.    

Ben Sheaf and Matty James have been ideally suited to the 3-4-2-1 box midfield setup favoured by Parkinson since Christmas, bringing a level of control against other play off hopefuls during a holiday period that thrust Wrexham into the promotion race via four straight wins.

But now Wrexham are needing to cope without both Sheaf and James, since the latter broke his toe in the February 7 home defeat to Millwall. No return date has been set for James, 34, whose recovery has suffered a slight setback.   “It’s a real blow,” said Parkinson after confirming Sheaf is facing up to 10 weeks out with medial ligament damage, potentially taking him up to the final day of the season. 

His solution against Portsmouth was to partner Lewis O’Brien with George Dobson in the holding roles. The duo could be happy with their first-half efforts but could not stem the tide of Portsmouth attacks following a tactical reshuffle by the visitors at the break, as Gus Caballero was withdrawn and the lively Adrian Segecic brought on.

Only in the closing stages did Parkinson turn to Zak Vyner, the January signing from Bristol City, to see out a game in which Wrexham had been forced to defend 11 corners in the second 45 minutes and repel six shots on goal.

“You have to factor in Matty’s broken toe and then losing Ben on Saturday,” said Parkinson. “A lesser group would have maybe let that rock them but we didn’t   We didn’t quite get the control we wanted. But sometimes football is about finding a way to win. We did that really well tonight."

CAS Trust refer to criticism of the manager's defenisve tactics: https://www.castrust.org/2026/02/the-circus-comes-to-town/

Another away point

Charlton remain 17th in the Championship, seven points above the relegation positions, after drawing 1-1 with the Bagges at The Hawthorns this evening.   'Last ditch' Dykes scored the second half equaliser and was named player of the match.

West Bromwich Albion's winless run in the Championship stretched to 10 games as they were held to a draw by Charlton.

Albion had not scored in their last four Championship outings but led at the break after George Campbell climbed highest at the back post to head in Alex Mowatt's corner in first-half stoppage time.  The hosts spurned several chances to extend their advantage, with Josh Maja and Isaac Price both missing good openings.

Charlton then made them pay on 70 minutes as Lyndon Dykes raced on to Kayne Ramsay's pass and calmly finished between Max O'Leary's legs to earn the visitors a point.   The result leaves the Baggies just one point above the relegation zone and increases the pressure on head coach Eric Ramsay, who has been in charge for the last eight matches.   He succumbed to the curse of Charlton immediately after the game.

Campbell's header capped a dominant first half in which the hosts had more than 60% possession and six shots to Charlton's one.  Maja squandered the clearest opportunity to make it 2-0 when he was sent through one-on-one in the 52nd minute by a delightful Mowatt through ball but the striker slid wide. That was before Price somehow blazed over from inside the area after a good run and pass from Jayson Molumby in the 69th minute.

They paid the price a minute later when Dykes ran on to a ball over the top from Ramsay to equalise  Whilst the Baggies remain 21st in the table, Charlton's 11th draw of the season means they stay in 17th on 41 points from 34 games.

One fan summed it up as not a good performance but a great result, particularly given that Blackburn lost

at home to Bristol City and Portsmouth lost at Wrexham.

Average rating