Is that the time already? What time is it? My body is all over the place. I woke up in my hotel room in Detroit this morning at 6am and was startled to find out that I felt reasonably awake. That's because I get an extra hour in bed I thought to myself, no I don't I get an hour less? Do I, oh I don't know.

Anyway, I'm home now and I feel knackered and I need to go to work in the morning. Then I'm cooking tomorrow night for friends, no doubt in Keith Floyd style, so will wake to the alarm on Sunday morning with a red wine head as I wonder up to the pub to watch the game (oh god, the game!). At least kick off is 10am (CST) and not 9.

It's been a busy week Charlton wise. First of all the club announce that we have submitted proposals to Greenwich Council to initially extend the Valley's capacity to 30,900 by adding another tier onto the East Stand and filling in the south-east corner where the excuse for a scoreboard currently resides.

This is all a precurser for the eventual move to a completed stadium with a capacity of more than 40,600 and very sexy it looks too. The Training ground at New Eltham has many planned improvements as well.

Now of course as a blinkered Charlton fan I think this is all wonderful stuff and times nicely with the news that the stadium is to host a forthcoming Under 20's International in February. However I really hope that amongst the proposal's are considerations for an improvement in the atmosphere and some thoughts on returning safe standing areas to the Valley.

But irony, which you don't get much off around these parts, is a wonderful thing because - as spotted by The King of Sweden - in the week that Reg Varney announces the proposed ground expansion, he then bangs on about declining away support and just after the club in it's wisdom decide to charge £40 for the privilege of seeing us getting stuffed by Chelski, he then moans on about the ticketing policies at other clubs, namely Palarse and it not making economic sense! Get this bus out of here Butler.

Wyn Grant has done a bit of investigative blogging and found a piece on our latest transfer target Lisandro Lopez. Doesn't sound very promising does it? Oh well, there's always the Scott Parker rumours. And can we stop moaning about Dennis Rommedahl. It could have been worse, we might have been lumbered with that cheat Jesper Gronkjaer.

Lastly I would like to add my best wishes to John Robinson who sadly retired from the game this week. I remember his debut is some crappy cup competition at the Valley and like others I wondered what Curbs had bought. I think he cost £50k and was bought to replace Rob Lee which was a tough task. To make it even harder, Robbo then went and got injured but I remember to this day a Brighton mate of mine telling me that we had bought a gem. "One of the best young players I have ever seen," he told me.

Well 382 appearances later he became one of the most popular players to ever wear the Red shirt, he chased every single ball (he could teach the current squad a thing or two), he argued with the best referees in the country and I don't think I ever saw him run down the touchline to the corner flag and cross the ball in. But we loved him didn't we because he had a big heart and he could play too.

I know he has been running successful soccer schools in Sussex for many years and he recently set up a property company with Cardiff keeper Martyn Margetson. Whatever he does you know that he will do it 110%. He said on Wednesday that amongst the highlights of his career "was all my time at Charlton." Snap. Good luck Robbo.
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