Pi Pints and pie

The journey up M1 to Leicester was trouble free and we did it in a couple of hours from Essex. Dean did the driving for this one - thanks Dean!We met the Old Man in a strange bar about ten minutes from the ground. It had Sky Sports News, some comfy armchairs and good service. I think it was meant to be a trendy bar. It was fine for a pre match drink but I do puzzle over the thinking that went into the naming of the bar. It was called pi - the mathematical symbol. And just so you come away suitably educated, the windows had the number 3.14159 written on them. I really can't think how maths and beer go together.

After a pint in pi we went to the ground for a pie - it seemed appropriate.

The game itself was poor. I'm sure the bumpy pitch and the wind didn't help, though it didn't seemed to affect the half naked drummer at the top of the stand with the Leicester boys in it. Leicester even have a fixed platform for the drum. Maybe he sees himself as a rival to Tango at Sheffield Wednesday. I think he's also had a few pies - and not of the mathematical variety!

For a while it looked like big Chris was going to be the latest Addick to see red, but he just about managed to avoid a second yellow card. A draw was probably a fair result but we really need to look at the transfer window as an opportunity to get some invention into our play. There's a real prospect of the deason tailing away unless we do.

Up The Addicks!

Robin

Happy New Year

The Norwich game involved a fair bit of driving for Matt, so he's sitting this one out. Dean's getting behind the wheel to drive up for this one. The Old Man is visiting relatives in Corby so will be travelling from there. The wonders of mobile phones means that we should be able to hook up before the game for a swift beer. Not sure where though.

Getting to this new stadium is as easy as getting to the old Filbert Street. It's virtually on the same site. Parking at the Rugby ground has always been a good option. Once out of the car park, you're on the main road for a quick journey home. The Walkers stadium has all the features of a newly built stadium. No more stewards laying down because the front row seats are below the level of the pitch. No more crammed facilities at the back of the stand. And no more squeezing through cramped turnstiles. And yet despite all that I quite enjoyed going to Filbert Street. It was one of my favourite grounds because we were under cover and the acoustics were good.

The real attraction this time is to see whether we can maintain some good away form and to have a bet as to who's gonna get sent off this game.

Up The Addicks!

Robin.

Seasonal good will to all men

Except those that make two footed tackles it seems. It's now fashionable to be sent off for lunging in with both feet off the ground this Christmas, and Match of the Day showed a number of similar incidents from the Premiership. Clearly Sodje thinks of himself as a Premiership player as he went for that tackle at Carrow Road. It's not the worst tackle I've seen, but if the rule is that you can't tackle with both feet off the ground, then I guess he deserved to go.

We've now had five games where we've had someone sent off which makes us look like a dirty side. But when you look at the incidents, Sam was caught wrestling; Semedo had two bookings yet they were dubious fouls; Fortune swung an arm - after the final whistle for Christ's sake; Mills couldn't keep his mouth shut and Sodje made a fashionable tackle. In my book only Sodje's tackle could be labelled 'dirty'. But that label will stick unless the players become more disciplined.

When you look at the top of the table you can only speculate where we might be if we hadn't had these unecessary suspensions. Certainly at Norwich we were looking the better team until the sending off. In the second half it was just a matter of time before the Canaries equalised and I suppose we should be grateful that we took a point. We can now look forward to our last game of 2007 at Lineker's crisp stadium on Saturday and hope that 2008 brings better fortune - and discipline - than 2007.

Up The Addicks!

Robin

Let's be having you

Poor Norwich supporters. Not only are they saddled with being Canaries, they have Delia Smith running the club. Yet the rejuvenated club have long since sold out their allocation against us on Boxing Day. We're close to selling out which is an achievement when you consider there is no public transport.

Christmas Day celebrations will need to be kept in check as Matt is doing the driving on Boxing Day. He has to get back from his girl's place in Tilbury so we can set off mid morning for Norwich. It's usually a good day out in Norfolk, but somehow it doesn't have the same feel travelling for three hours each way at Christmas.

It'll be a case of fielding the walking wounded for this game, and with Norwich on a bit of a roll, it'll be a tough game. Let's hope our fans are not too hung over and can provide some real support. We'll need it for this one.

Up The Addicks!

Robin

For if you know your history...

...You'll know that 50 years ago Charlton won what the News of the World described as 'the most amazing game in history'.

The late Albert Doyle was Robin's grandad - a man responsible for two more generations of Addicks - and the one game he spoke about more than any other was the famous 7-6 game against Huddersfield.

It was typically Charlton to parade the four surviving members of that team before the Hull game. It must have been great for them to walk the Valley turf once more and remember that game. Life is about memories like that. I hope they enjoyed their day.

In some way - but a very different way - Robin will remember the game against Hull. Mediocre in the extreme with their keeper almost redundant. We clawed our way back only for the departing Danny Mills to do what he does best and get sent off. At the time there was a possibility that we could win the game. But as soon as he went off that changed. He was unbelievably stupid to keep arguing with the ref. We know the refs in this league are sub standard, but there's no need to keep arguing. Danny's had a good half season with us, but unlike the Huddersfield game, our memory of Danny will now be tarnished.

But the day started well. We met up with Toby for a pre-match meal in Legends. The food was good though clearly it was the busiest day of the year in Legends and the club have had to drag in staff from wherever they can to serve the tables. They must have struggled to get any English staff, and you do wonder whether we would be served in any restaurants these days if we didn't have a healthy influx of immigrants. The staff worked hard, and when they get a sense of organisation the service will be good.

But it wasn't a bad day out. Just a shame we didn't get three points.

Up The Addicks!

Happy birthday Toby!

Young Toby from Basildon has reached the ripe old age of 16 today. A lifelong supporter and season ticket holder for the past few years, Toby lives in 'character building' Basildon. Going to school North of the Thames surrounded by West Ham fans always tests your stamina - as other Essex based supporters will know. But although having to go to school with them really is character building, he's stuck with Charlton throughout and hasn't wavered.

So well done Toby and welcome to the tax paying world.

To celebrate his birthday a small group of us will be making an occasion of it with a pre-match meal in Legends. Members of the Essex Branch of the supporters club have had meals there before, so know what to expect. As it's just before Christmas there should be some Christmas fare, but really it's about celebrating Toby's birthday.

So it's an early start on Saturday. Tickets to collect for Norwich and Leicester before the game anyway so we'll need to be there by noon. You tend to get kicked out of Legends 20 minutes before kick off, so we may be there to see the surviving members of the team that beat Huddersfield 7-6 50 years ago. It's a shame that many of those there on the day will have passed on by now, but I'm sure there will be plenty of reminiscing anyway.

As for the game, we won't be at full strength with three regular midfielders out injured. Maybe this will be the true test of how good we are. You'd hope we'd get three points, but when you look at our home record it's anyone's game.

Let's hope it's memorable for Toby. Another 7-6 should do it.

Up The Addicks!

Robin

West Brom 4 Charlton 2

It was all going so well for a while. Me, Matt & Sarah got the 8 o'clock train from Euston, arriving at The Hawthorns in good time to get tickets and sort out a boozer. We decided to try a different pub this year, and it seemed only right that we had a few beers in the Royal Oak before the game. A rough pub, without the luxury of carpet. For some reason the locals preferred to watch some cooking programme that Soccer AM. But the pub was OK and the service good. And unlike the Horse & Groom, it was open.

So we were in good spirits as we approached the game. And the team duly obliged us by taking the lead. It was all going to plan.

But this was West Brom. Now officially a 'bogey' ground for me. West Brom equalised and then took the lead. And though we equalised and made a good game of it, in truth we were beaten by a better side. For the first time this season we came up a team that were better than us. It didn't help that Weaver and the back four didn't gel again. At least three of the goals were scored from within the six yard box, and there has to be questions about our defence. Even our midfield struggled to get the grip they usually get.



This is a long season, and we're not out of the picture yet. We will need to string some results together to push into the top two. On the way home we learned that Watford had lost so we're still only three points off a promotion spot.

On the way home we loitered around the New Street area, reminded that most of our support was out shopping or had watched the game on TV. It was probably a good game to watch, but the three points would have been better. We had the chance to go top and blew it.

Up The Addicks!

Robin