Not the Sunday we had in mind......

                                A very different sundae was on show at the Valley yesterday...........

Arghhhhhhhhh ! What to make of that ? It was one of those days........you might say Hagen Daz when you knew after 10 minutes that you'd wished you hadn't bothered.........clearly the players did ! However, I didn't dessert ! No, indeed I stayed the ( 3rd ) course.

Added to it all, it was as cold as ice ! To play so badly against a team like WALLSall whose confidence was wafer thin was so poor. I couldn't help recall when Millwall beat them last season............the LIONS MADE short work of them that day.

To top it all it's a game we'd win 99 times out of a hundred ( and thousands ) but the defence was flakey !

The performance was more Tom and Jerry than Ben and Jerry. It went down like a bombe. As they say in parts of the states.......we were frappe. For the goal the defence was all over the glace.

I declined a sherbet at half time opting for a cup of kulfi although that didn't cheer me but it'll help the club's catering takings with me playing the PROFITerole.

So the Saddlers scooped the 3 points and we're left with nothing...........not very ice that !

My God ! This is what a bad defeat does to me ! I bet it leaves you cold. Enough already, no more ice cream " puns ".

Never look back wishing Sir Lennie once said..............so we'll gloss over that and turn our attentions to the Paint Pot Trophy.

BTW I see that Matt won x-factor...................oh no it's happening again and we haven't even lost yet......

Walsall F C

                                         As if things weren't bad enough for the Saddlers....... !

My trip to SE7 today is my second part of sporting action this weekend. Last night I saw Northamtpon Saints play Cardiff.........well I say Cardiff but really it was Saints v Dan Parks as the unerring boot of the Scotsman produced all the points for the Blues. Dan did miss one kick but given that was about 10 metres inside his own half he could be forgiven for showing that he is human after all.

Walsall pitch up at the Valley today. Everything points to a home win against the team bottom of the league and a return to second place, one point behind The Seagulls. However, this is Charlton and we all know it probably won't be like that.

The match gives echoes of a home game against Swindon  a few years ago. I recall we lost 1-0 courtesy of a rare gaffe from Kiely following the only attack The Robins had all afternoon. Should the presence of another bird, a swift, on the club badge be seen as an omen I wonder.

The replay win over Luton was most welcome as is the match at White Hart Lane in terms of finance. That we are managing to win when not playing well is a good sign.......long may it continue. I don't think any of us cares about the manner of victories just that they keep coming. If as Steve Brown said on Thursday that without invesmtent and promotion we are in the words of Private Fraser " doomed " then that really is all that matters.

The probable return of Peter Varney has been most welcome news. The best cheif exec we've ever had in my view on a number levels. Highly regarded by many football folk this is a real shot in the arm. Hopefully there'll be no problems with the takeover. I've no idea if the group he's heading loads of cash or not......I'm not getting the impression that they have much. However, that's largely immaterial as it's more important that we have someone at the helm who can run the club in proper fashion and make the most of what we have.

Other clubs, dare I say, Millwall, have achieved promotion on leeser crowds and turnover than us so it's not an impossible task. We need to be prudently run and following all the cutbacks the club has seen in reason seasons then financial stability shouldn't prove beyond Varney's capabilites.

This has been quite a few days in the world of football.........just when you thought nothing could be more bizarre than the recent fiasco with both the 2018 and 2022 world cups, up pops Newcastle again ! Always good for laugh on the domestic front, they've surpassed even their own high comic standards. Shearer was always going to be a failure as a manger ( I never liked him as a player ) and so it proved but the Mags still wanted him to manage in the Championship. It was to their eternal good fortune that he said no and that they stumbled upon Hughton.

Getting rid of Hughton was one crass error and then appointing " Super Al " another............then going on to give him a five and half year contract, well words fail me ! That's going to cost them a pretty penny when he goes in 12 to 18 months time. We all know that Al likes the squeeze out the last drop of blood......." he'd take the drippings from your nose " as my mum used to say, an epxression that seems tailor made eh !

I love the fact that he was happy to take credit for the win yesterday against a poor Liverpool side. " We made a couple of changes "...............and got lucky he should have gone on to say !

The only good to come out of this sorry episode is that a decent bloke like Hughton will find his stock has never been higher and he should soon return to managment and that we can all enjoy Pardew making a real mess of things. Expect the call for another " Messiah " to echo round Sid James's Park very soon.

Come On You Reds !

Who Wants To Be A Milliner

Apparently her name is Alice...........

A welcome relief from league action tomorrow sees us take on Luton. I'm quite pleased we're playing them as several folk I know are Hatters fans.......not least my next door neighbour who's travelling down with me tomorrow. Last time he was at the Valley the game was decided 6-5 on penalties in our favour I think. I'd settle on something a little less exciting tomorrow if we win..........a boring 1-0 is ok by me !

I'm hoping to give Crossbars a try prior to the match given that it's free. The last time I went in there was when it first opened and I'm keen to see what there is that would make folk part with some wonga to go in there.....what makes it so much better than a free Bartrams ?

Hopefully the Courage Best is on offer there.........quite enjoyed that last week.

Saturday was not a great performance but the result was everything of course. Tuesday was different and 99 times out of a hundred we'd have had a convincing win but then we've got to balance that against games we've drawn or won this season that we didn't deserve anything from.

Not sure why we decided to attack the covered end in the first half on Tuesday. I always prefer us doing that in second and thought it was an unwritten rule for us.  Hope we don't do that again........it just don't seem right.

Whilst the cup isn't our top priority it'd be good to win and go on to hopefully a big tie that would provide much needed funds. I'm sure that Luton will feel the same way and I sincerely hope that they can regain league status soon. I felt that they were treated very badly by the league following their entry into administration.

Injuries, suspensions and cup-tied players means a very different looking side tomorrow. However, I hope we see some keen and hungry players with a point to prove. It'd be especially good to see some of the youngsters who will almost inevitably be on the bench at least.

I've not seen us in the cup for some time now and am really looking forward to this one. It promises to be an entertaining game and I hope it lives up to my expectation. Let's pray that fans turn out in force to support the decision to open the covered end. Hopefully we get a good atmosphere too.

Come On You Reds !

The Bland Leading The Bland

                                                  They sure know how to sell themselves !

Drab, hard to read, nothing interesting, easy to navigate and no remotely useful comment or information..........sound familiar ? Yes, that's Nothing Else to a tee !

It's not easy to maintain such a low level of blogging.....no indeed it's hard work and needs time. Sadly Nothing Else has been rather busy of late and even the office junior has been restricted to a mere 1,000 hours on FIFA 2010/1/2/3/4 or whatever the latest edition is.

Suffice to say that today's blogette ( ? ) is short even if not sweet.

A cup win in midweek and who cares if we were poor and that the final score should probably should have read Elliot 1 Barnet 0, we're through to play Luton.....hooray !

Let's pray that we can maintain our purple patch with a win against Yeovil who I've a soft spot for after a rather splendid day at their place last season.

A later departure today leaves little time for pre-match sherberts but that doesn't mean that tomorrow's potential blogette will be any more coherent than usual..........we've standards to maintain !

Come On You Reds !

Mystic Meg

MM demonstrates her ball handling skills........perhaps she should have kept goal for Posh yesterday



My pessimistic mood and heavy defeat predicition were, thankfully, wide of the mark. I had a real Victor Meldrew feeling yesterday morning and too at half time in a different kind of way...............I don't believe it !

Ante-prandials were consumed in the wonderful Palmerston Arms which served very toothsome ales. All very pleasant. Loads of friendly Posh fans in there too with no hint of aggravation which is always welcome. A few chips en route to the ground were pleasant and passing The Happy Valley Chinese takeaway had me wondering if that it was actually going to be our day.

Like the players, the Addicks fans seemed well up for this one and were in good voice. The lads came out of the blocks like I've not seen them for many a month.....that was pleasantly unexepected as indeed was the half time scoreline of 4-0 ! Wow !

Having missed the trip to Carlisle I'd not seen us score 4 away from home since goodness knows when. One fan was reminiscing about 1966 as the last time he could recall it. The full time 5 goals and I was fairly confident I'd never seen us score that many possibly even at the Valley ( I missed the Southampton premier game.......... away on a badly timed holiday ! ).

Elliott seems to have confidence restored and made one of a few good saves early on yesterday. I have to say Doherty played well and won a few important headers with Dailly again mopping up when needed. Franics won a few headers too but still looked clumsy.

Martin was certainly in the mood and played ever so well when he replaced Joe. He and Benson did brilliantly in chasing down the ball for the fifth goal.

Good thinking by the CAFC management saw Semedo, under instructions, pick up a fifth booking for time wasting that rules him out of Tuesday but available for the Yeovil game.

I bumped into Ketts at half time both of us a little shocked at the scoreline. As he says someone is due some credit for the upturn since the Brighton debacle and his belief that Mr Murray may have had an influence is probably correct. 

Parky has certainly got turned it around since the Seagulls slaughter. I remain to be totally convinced but you've got to acknowledge the results since then.

A couple of post match beers in the nearby Peacock was very pleasant and again some very good natured  Posh fans. To a man they are all supportive of their manager and believe that if they can get the defence sorted they'll do well.

The majority of results went our way yesterday and second place is ours. Who'd have thought that after Gus hopped on the bus departing the Valley a month ago.

Where we will finish up I wonder ? Little point in asking me...........I'm off for a chat with her of the crystal ball....... 

Posh Away

She's real purdy..well, yes, actually she was...

Wouldn't mind bumping into the lovely Joanna today but somehow feel that's unlikely. No, we don't have to be Posh to be privileged but that's what we are in supporting CAFC. I'm right aren't I ? Life wouldn't be the same following Chelsea or somesuch always winning at home and usually away, always in the Prem, boring, lifeless, souless, unprincipled beings representing your team. No siree, it's much more fun following the Addicks.

BTW the new website ? WTF ! More like webs*ite I'm afraid. No surprise in it's format cos it's the same as the other mindnumbingly boring ones thay've to every other team that uses them. Part of our identity went with that I'm sorry to say. Would have been nice ot have been forewarned......that was anasty saurprise on Thursday.

I'm keeping those posititve thoughts of the joys of following the Addicks to the fore as I head off on a relatively short journey to London Road today. The office junior has been given the day off following his big away day at Barnet last week. He enjoyed a few shandies too many at the Old Red Lion I'm sorry to say. However, he did report on events but sadly I didn't get time to post them during a busy week.

I was disappointed to hear of Addicks fans ( idiots really ) bashing a train with metal bars at Euston, however, plod caught up with them at Barnet and they were thankfully whisked away. Junior advises that we played pretty well save for Franics ( quelle surprise ) and Abbott which isn't good as we may well need him and surely he has a point to prove and should be up for it.

Despite my reservations over added games and the paint pot itself, I was quietly pleased with our midweek win over the Shrimpers. I've yet to see Racon's goal but believe it was rather good.

So to today's game which promises to be our toughest away game yet. We know the Posh possess a very potent strike threat. Indeed I recall we tried to sign both some years ago........they turned us down ! How very dare they ! We were alright then too...........can't see them joining any time soon.

However, their defence has a tad Welsh national symbol of late.........a bit leeky.......boom boom ! Let's hope we are able to exploit it.

I'm in miserable old git mode and see nothing but a defeat and potentially a big one at that. What worries me is Parky's seeming inabilty to make the correct changes and at the right time when things go wrong. Let's hope we get it right today.

If fit I'd like to see Solly in for Francis and Fortune for Doherty who appears to be a latterday Mooney.......he shall play come what may !

Here's hoping we get at least something from the game as it's very important not to lose although that is a partially negative mindset that I hope our boys don't go into the game with.

I'll be seeking a decent real ale pub for ante-prandials and The Palmerston Arms is looking favourite at present.

For those of you going like me I wish you all a very good afternoon and may we return having trousered 3 points.

Cone On You Reds !

It Won't Happen Again.........will it ?

                             Today's Nothing Else reporter...........give him a wave if you see him.

Sadly I can't be at today's game which is a shame cos I'd like to bee ( ha ! ha ! ) there. No, Nothing Else having already been banned from the board room subsequently received total ban from the ground itself following some comments we made about Barnet. Therefore, I'm spending the day with my mate David in the East End listening to commentary from Underhill and some game in Birmingham.

There are ways round these things, however, Nothing Else has pulled out all the stops and dug deep into our reserves ( well, a bag of toffees and a copy of the 2002 Beano Annual to be preicse ) to send the office junior ( pictured above but travelling incognito ) to report back on the game.

Someone once said ( to be fair he said every week on his t.v. show )  it's a funny old game and how right he was ! I wonder what odds you'd have got on the Addicks winning the next 3 games after the Brighton debacle. Whatever the manner of those wins and there were varying degrees of success it's been fantastic. I remain to be convinced of Parky and his overall managerial skills and abilities but you've got to acknowledge an improvement in attitude, performance and consistency from the lads.

Following Wednesday's away trip, I recommend parking and indeed, drinking at the cricket club should you visit the County Ground again.....all rather pleasant and reasonable.

There's still plenty of room for improvement and also team selection with the Addicks but it's better to enjoy this upturn in our fortunes than dwell too much on that.

Today sees us return to F.A. Cup action and it gives the players a chance to redeem themselves following last year's shocker. I'm fairly confident we can avoid a repeat of defeat to a lower league side. I'm also confident we can do this whilst resting one or two regulars. Therefore, I'm hoping that Parky leaves some out but wholesale changes are probably not in the best interests of the team.

We come up against the Count today and I hope and can't why he won't get anything other other than a warm reception from the away contingent. He always gave his best and I remember him soldiering on after a nasty blow to the old wedding tackle away at Stockport on a rather cold day last year........I think we all shared a bit of the pain on that day........not nice.

Let's hope for a comfortable win, no injuries or suspensions and an easy home tie in round 2 that hopefully would serve up a lucritive 3rd round game.........we can but hope.

Come On You Reds !