Luton reflections

I was only able to listen on line, although I have read Paul May's report. Fortunately, we were spared Emma so perhaps some of the complaints have had an effect. We also had Steve Brown as summariser. His praise for the Hatters in the first half was unstinting, but he also shrewdly said after the break that Waggie's equaliser was crucial and we would now go on to win.

Steve also said (and he probably still has good contacts inside the club) that if the Peter Varney-led takeover did not go ahead, the club would have to go into administration. That would mean a 10 point deduction and the effective end of our promotion hopes.

No doubt we shall hear plenty of complaints about how poor Charlton were. I don't mind how poor we are as long as we win.

I also think that Phil 'must go' Parkinson actually had a strategy which he executed. Luton are an all out attacking side and they then leave themselves exposed at the back. In the first half we tried to absorb their pressure. Admittedly, the midfield was not linking up well with either attack or defence, but that was rectified at the break. Our equaliser came because the Hatters had too many players committed in attack.

The money from the Spurs game will be very welcome. I am sure we are going to lose 3-0 or 4-1. Some Premiership clubs might put out a weakened side against us, but I think that 'Arry won't take many risks.

Thursday football

Thursday evening is the night on which football is most unlikely to be played. Nevertheless, our replay against Luton Town has been scheduled for this Thursday and the reason is television. It is being screened on Fox in the United States, although quite what their tea party enthused viewers will make of it is another matter. Given the state of Kenilworth Road, they may see it as an awful warning of what happens under 'socialism'.

More importantly for the Addickted it will be shown on the Walt Disney channel, ESPN. Apparently if you have a Sky subscription you can get a two month free trial of this channel.

We don't have Sky. The local council (quite rightly) bans satellite dishes in conservation areas. There is a cable, but it is not clear who owns it as the company that laid it has long since disappeared. The Villa fan down the road has found his own solution by erecting what looks like a repeater station for RTL in his back garden, but I would rather grow plants than satellite dishes.

As I have BT broadband, I did talk to BT Vision. But they only have Sky 1 and Sky 2 on offer, not Sky Sports News which I used to enjoy when it was on Freeview. Nor do they have Sky 3 or Sky 4 which often carry British ice hockey games.

Actually, I haven't seen the Sky cameras as the Skydome this season. A shame they missed last Saturday's bench clearance which is now a big media hit in Canada where the NHL has stamped down (probably literally) on mass brawls. Blaze have had so much additional commercial interest that it may pay the fine the league are likely to levy on them (although Panthers may get a bigger one as their guys swarmed off the bench first).

I have heard rumours that it may be possible to stream the Luton game to your computer, but this may not be legal and could run the risk of importing viruses. Looks like it may be just Emma and me.

After Crawley Town beat Swindon at the County Ground in last night's replay, Luton probably think they just have to turn up to win a trip to White Hart Lane. Possibly, but Charlton are a bigger danger on the road than at home. This one could go to penalties.