Cheer up Charlton

Chatting to Curbs

After the pessimistic hysteria among Charlton fans yesterday following fake news about the sale of the club, I felt that I needed to find some new way of cheering them up.

I recalled that when I was Alan Curbishley's kit sponsor, I used to send him the occasional crate of champagne.  It went down quite slowly as he only opened it when Charlton won.

I also recalled that Super Hoops fan and Charlton scourge Lord Young of Acton also celebrates their successes with wine.  Sometimes he settles for a bottle of plonk at £40, but the rare thrill of a QPR victory is celebrfated with a £80 bottle.

This is pretentious nonsense.   I don't claim to b a win connoisseur, but I do have shares in a vineyard in Charlton territory and I was one of the 'angels' that provided the capital to set up Naked Wines.

The Moneda Palace

Admittedly there are truly exceptional wines.  On my first visit to Chile I was invited to meet the Minister of the Presidency at the Moneda Palace and I was served the best glass of red wine I have ever tasted.

On my second visit I was invited to the Palace to meet the then president, Michelle Bachelet.   Because of the importance of our relations with Chile (think Falklands) I had to be briefed by the UK ambassador.   I was interrogated quite brusquely by one of his aides and the ambassador suggested I should buy myself a bottle of wine from the shop round the corner.  After discovering that the lowest price was three fgures in US dollars, I made my excuses and left.

The president turned out to be very friendly and I was served an even better glass of red wine.  The president asked if I had ever been to Buck House and I said that I had been invited to garden parties twice.   She then mischievously asked. 'Did the Queen give you a tour?', but I explained that it didn't work like that.  'Well I am going to give you a tour of my palace; which she promptly did. 

I am sure that a lot of Charlton fans likely to celebrate victory with a few beers, each with their favourite tipple.  As I only drink zero alcohol beers these days I can't help there.

What I am going to do for each Saturday is recommend a competitively priced good quality wine from Aldi or Lidl or occasionally from Tesco or Sainsbury's.   (I am shareholder in the two latter supermarkets).

Finally, can I give a recommendation.   I have dealt with Stone, Wine & Vine for longer than I can remember: https://www.stonevine.co.uk/

They are not cheap, but their sales offer great value as they offer 'damaged' quality wines, e.g., with distressed labels at knock down prices.

Rod Liddle, the journalist who broke the mould

Rod Liddle certainly had an interesting life as the one page obituary in The Times today testifies.  Born in Sidcup, he supported Millwall rather than Charlton as part of a more general rebellion against his strait laced parents.

In the various media outlets he wrote for he has been a scourge of Charlton over the years.   It was typical of his provocative style of journalism.   He certainly could write in a way that grabbed the attention of readers.

In particular he was front man for the campaign initiated by Spectator editor 'daddy dancing king' Lord Gove against the 'Charltification' of football.

Presumably this role will now be taken on in the Spectator by QPR fan Lord Young of Acton who tried to lure VOTV editor Rick Everitt whom he tried to lure to a confrontation on Margate beach last autumn.  Having failed, he then attacked the Rickster in his column.

There is speculation that he is going to enlist his QPR mates Louis Theroux and Giles Coren in a new expedition to  Margate.

Caution needed about Charlton sale story

More later on this, but some caution is needed about The Guardian story that the  club is up for sale. Rather, the club is renewing a search for new investors but using a different company to attract them.

Richard Cawley reached out to the club yesterday evening to ask for comment on The Guardian’s article.

Early indications from the club have been that nothing has changed since Slater’s story about them seeking investment, except that it is now a different company doing it.

Charlton have since managed to consolidate their place in the Championship, avoiding an instant return to League One, with their women’s side promoted to the WSL, returning to the top flight for the first time since 2007, although staying there is likely to be costly.

It would be counter-intuitive for GFP not to progress the club when looking for investment, that the focus remains on driving it forward, that their spend this summer is in line with long-term planning and will see an increase in wages spent on players.

Many fans have gone off the deep end, but you shouldn't treat everything that you read in the papers as gospel.

Tyreece Campbell on his way?

Richard Cawley has confirmed reports that Tyreece Campbell is being linked with a move to Preston North End.  He has one year left on his Charlton contract.

He divided fans last season, being a scapegoat player for some because of what was seen as a lack of consistent effort.

We are not short of wingers so it may be a chance to cash in.

A summer mist rolls in from the Thames

Because my stepdaughter was visiting I was unable to watch Saturday's game against Reading which is probably just as well.  The 0-3 scoreline against the League One side (admittedly on a roll) reflected an evidently dire performance, not least in midfield.

The closed doors recipe was rather stringent and even included the media so Richard Cawley was unable to file an informed report.

Now it appears that the Carabao Cup at Cheltenham is to be used to fine tune the side as they prepare for the opening Ram raid.   This strikes me as a hostage to fortune particularly if GCHQ staff turn up to try out some disruptive equipment.

Shell shocked supremo Nathan Jones admitted “There are masses of disappointment (after the Reading game) because this has been a really disjointed pre-season, in terms of getting everyone up to speed. Today should effectively have been our final pre-season [match] but next week will be, even though it is a cup game.

“We are having to look after so many people and make so many changes.

“We have to make sure we arrive at the Derby game and everyone is ready to go - that we can pick our strongest 11 and have game-changers from the bench. Then we build into it from there."

I know than I resorting to the kind of football cliché I dislike but I am not sure that Jones knows who his best 11 are or indeed who will be available against Derby.

Two narratives are emerging.  One is that this just confirms that Jones is a useless manager whose achievements are limited to getting us promoted and keeping us in the Championship on a limited playing budget.

The alternative is that the owners are starving Jones of necessary funds.   Given the money the club loses every week and the failure to attract new investors, the lack of cash is no surprise.

What we are to make of Ramsay rumours?

I'm not sure what to make of rumours that Torino are interested in Kayne Ramsay who has one year left on his contract at Charlton.

The story seems to have started on the Currant Bun website and has then echoed around various advert heavy clickbait sites.   However, the fact that Richard Cawley has referred to it suggests that it may have some substance, although it could have started with the player's agent trying to stoke interest in the UK.

Ramsay had a rather stuttering start to his career before being signed by the Addicks from the Sulphurites.

A dependable figure across the back line, he helped the Addicks earn promotion and cemented his place as a regular Championship starter. Now 25, Ramsay has amassed more than 200 senior appearances.

As an athletic, versatile defender, these are qualities that make him an attractive, cost-effective target for clubs such as Torino. The Serie A outfit may be looking to replicate the success of Brooke Norton-Cuffy after he made the switch to Italian side Genoa.

Maynard-Brewer hands in kilt

Ashley Maynard-Brewer's short stay in Scotland is over,  He played 12 games for Dundee United but was then injured, just as he was when he was on loam at Dingall's Ross County.

He has now gone on a free transfer to Sheffield Wednesday: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-wednesday/sheffield-wednesday-sign-former-charlton-athletic-and-dundee-united-goalkeeper-8832014

Having been brought up in sun kissed Joondalup with its kangaroo infested golf courses, the former Addicks keeper may have found the Scottish climate taxing, not to mention haggis and chips and fried mar bars.