"Down Greenwich reach
Past the Isle of Dogs"
(Eliot)
Away from the trials and tribulations of League 2, we have a game offering us a potential passport to untold riches when the “big” clubs enter the draw in the F A Cup 3rd round. First we have to get past the Addicks, and if you thought that Walsall’s ownership comings and goings were newsworthy just compare that with the recent goings-on at Charlton - like 4 new owners in less than four years…
Charlton currently sit exactly half-way up (or down) League 1, in 12th place having played 16 matches, winning 6 and losing 6 with a goal difference of Zero (17-17). Manager Nathan Jones was appointed in February this year and doesn’t seem to be flavour of the month according to a prominent forum. Their current League 1 form looks like this:-
October 19th Stockport County (H) Drew 1-1
October 22nd Barnsley (A) Drew 2-2
October 26th Wrexham (H) Drew 2-2
November 9th Exeter City (A) Lost 1-0
November 23rd Huddersfield Town (A) Lost 2-1
November 26th Burton Albion (A) Won 0-1
Incidentally, for those who were griping about our 4,424 attendance at home to Bromley, the gate at Burton Albion on Tuesday was reported as 1,749 - Christmas is round the corner I guess!
I haven’t researched the undoubted hundreds of players who have represented both clubs, as I have a particular mental block where Charlton Athletic is concerned. I was one of many thousands who witnessed “that game” at the end of the 1962/63 season when all we needed was to draw at home to Charlton to preserve our Division II (Championship) status. To cut a very long story short the game was scheduled for a Tuesday night and abandoned at half-time after the heavens had opened and flooded the playing area. Re-arranged for the Friday night before Cup Final Saturday we were holding our own when our goalkeeper (Alan Boswell) was stretchered off having sustained a fractured jaw. No substitutes in those days, so an outfield player had to suffice. We also had another player as a complete passenger (hobbling on the wing), and we let a couple of goals in. True to Walsall form we actually managed something of a come-back and scored to make it 1-2. After that we seemed to pepper their goal, testing the strength of the woodwork in several places, all to no avail. Charlton won, and those two points brought them up equal to us, but we were relegated on a slightly inferior goal average (0.596 vs 0.660). Heigh Ho…
Incidentally (and here’s a “trivial pursuit” question), did you know that in the famous comedy series “Only Fools and Horses” Rodney’s full name is Rodney Charlton Trotter?
Prediction? Mat Sadler will probably ring the changes following a somewhat tired showing against Bromley. It is also important to bear in mind that we have a few vital League 2 games on the near horizon, and promotion must remain the priority. Nevertheless I would think we have enough strength in the squad to register a home win (say 2-0) and then wait for the inevitable banana skin of someone like Brackley Town in the next round!
UTS
