Chicago Addick living in Bermuda

Chicago Addick has moved to WordPress

2010-08-08T18:57:00.001-03:00

I have moved my blog to chicagoaddick.wordpress.com. Please follow me there. Many thanks.

Chicago Addick

Moving from Blogger to WordPress

2010-08-03T22:14:00.002-03:00

This will be my last post on this blog but I'm not doing anything silly like packing it in or anything, I am just moving over to WordPress from Blogger after six mostly glorious years, 1,892 posts and close to 350,000 page views.

I have been thinking of moving to WordPress for a while and finally got my arse into gear after getting back from holiday and in time for the new season. There is nothing wrong with Blogger, it's just that I wanted a change and WordPress offers a lot more flexibility and control over content.

In the meantime Blogger have started the process of chopping large chunks of archives from people's blogs, which the owners have no say in, and it got me wondering where this will end.

In the meantime however www.chicagoaddick.blogspot will stay just here for your continual perusal, and I will start afresh at www.chicagoaddick.wordpress.com.

Please join me on the other side and click here: Chicago Addick. Thank you.

Ice-cream

2010-07-30T23:49:00.005-03:00

Ben & Jerry's, founded by two drop-out hippies in Vermont in 1978, still manufactures 75% of it's ice cream in the state and we went along to their first ever factory in Waterbury today to have a look around and of course get a taste.

Not suprisingly it was busy, but organised, and we walked the half-hour tour (cost $3 each) and ended up in a room originally used as the creative think-tank by Ben & Jerry to get a free taste of the companies latest product 'Chococow late'.... a nutty creamy vanilla flavour with whole mini chocolate cows mixed inside. Pretty tasty.

The freebie was enough for us (we had already been to the cider mill, the chocolate shop and cheese creamery) and the queues to buy ice-cream were long and too many teenagers were sat around buckets of Chunky Monkey with spoons and eyes bigger than their bellies.

Ben & Jerry are almost 60 now and have little involvement in the company since it sold out to Unilever. Hopefully Ben and Jerry who spent $5 on an ice-cream maker in 1978 because it was cheaper than a bagel maker are enjoying their retirement in a hippy commune eating as much Cherry Garcia as they can.

Vermont is beautiful, and we have enjoyed our stay in Stowe but sadly we leave tomorrow. There is something rousing about being in the mountains in the summer. I looked up some scenic drives to do before we came, but there was no need as every windy road is like an oil painting and all around napier green mountains wait for the snow to arrive.

Back to the future

2010-07-27T23:21:00.004-03:00

I was in a cafe in Montreal grabbing some coffee and snacks ready for our drive to Stowe in Vermont this morning when I got a text from a mate pointing me to the Official Charlton website.

Murray reaches agreement to assume full control (more)

Unexpected news and even more unexpected in a long drought of good Charlton news I felt like punching the air with excitement.

There has been mistakes, and he admits that, but in over a century of existence rarely has a chairman or a patron cared as much or done as much for Charlton Athletic as Richard Murray.

The disharmony in the boardroom in recent years has been obvious, and although I thank the other major shareholders and creditors for their generosity in writing of a lot of money, mistakes cost money.

Richard Murray is 59-years old and is recovering from heart surgery. Maybe his heart was broken? A lot of hearts have been broken but whilst his heart has been mended, his brain has been alive with possibilities.

New York Addick has quickly put two and two together and he is most probably right to make the connection. Murray talking to the South London Press yesterday about the possibility of cash signings was another odd move, now explained.

The economy has not changed and seeking fresh investment into the football club will still be very tough but suddenly, instantly, Murray brings clarity and potential to watching parties.

What today's announcement probably does is raise expectations and the pressure now falls on Parky to not only sign, but then get the best out of further players he needs to bring in to give us a shot of promotion. I feel Murray won't take 2nd best.

It has been a tough summer for Charlton fans, shit, it's been a tough couple of years but personally I feel alive at today's news. Will Richard Murray take us back to the future? We hope so.

Mont Royal

2010-07-25T19:28:00.005-03:00

Calling Mont Royal a mountain is stretching the meaning a bit far as it peaks only at around 700 ft but we had a glorious feet-aching walk up it today and got a birdeye's view of the city of Montreal.

Locals are very proud of their mountain (they are offended when it is referred to as a hill) which inhabits the north of the city. It's winding trail led us past the Lac aux Castors (Beaver Lake) which was busy with pedalo's and not beavers, then the trees gave way to the rustic looking chalet (more interesting from the outside than in) and it's plaza with stunning views of Montreal's skyscrapers and Canada beyond the St Lawrence River.

Nearby is a 103ft-high illuminated cross that has been one of Montreal's most famous landmarks since 1924. Then on top of the mountain lie two vast cemeteries offering a tranquil moment in time.

We could easily be in France, although we have seen none of the snobbery or haughtiness that I read about towards non-French speakers but I can't help think how strange it must be to live in a corner of a vast country and speak the language of forefathers 3,500 miles away.

Anyway we're out to dinner in a minute to find a good steak frites place (there is plenty of choice), although the wine selections will quickly remind you that you are in Canada and not Bordeaux.

Pack, unpack, pack

2010-07-22T22:35:00.000-03:00

"I'd rather shut my cock in a car door" was what a mate told me when I told him we were moving and after about the 27th sweltering run between houses in the car stuffed full of crap I would have done the same myself if I had better co-ordination.

Then I encountered two comedians dressed as removal men on Monday who, paid by the hour, managed to drag the job out for 8 hours. Actually they were alright and I should thank two mates who helped me lump heavy stuff around on Saturday. Adam and Dave - thank you.

Moving is bloody painful and I should know, this was my 10th home move in 10 years. Anyway we are in now, the house is beautiful and I'm never moving again. Honest.

Tomorrow morning we have to find the suitcases, get whatever crap we chucked in there out, and pack for a 8 day holiday. We fly to Montreal, the Canadian French enclave tomorrow and have four nights exploring old and new Montreal. Then on Tuesday we drive south across the border and into Vermont and onto the ski resort of Stowe.

Stowe is a year-round resort and we plan to do nothing but rest and shop, something even the most manly of man would be willing to do if they lived in Bermuda.

I will pack the lap-top to keep an eye on BBC Breaking News to see which striker Charlton have bought.

Facts and fiction?

2010-07-16T08:38:00.003-03:00

A lot of Charlton related stuff going on.

Yesterday I think the general feeling was of delight after reading the announcement of Christian Dailly's new one-year deal. Rumours of Danny Wilson at Swindon stealing a march on us quickly went away as last season's player of the year agreed to stay at The Valley, I hope as club captain.

'So that's Doherty, Dailly, Lera and young Mambo (No.5) as centre-halves. Free agent Liam Chilvers, ex of Preston is still considering a number of offers including one from Charlton and then there was the surprising news that Jon Fortune may also sign a contract.

Fortune is still only 29 and played 170-odd games for us, many in the top flight. I don't know what his injury or fitness status is but witnesses say he looked pretty slim and dapper at Welling on Tuesday night.

Fortune is 'proper-Charlton' but may just be down at Sparrows Lane keeping fit and getting his name back out there, but wouldn't a fit Jon Fortune would be a tremendous acquisition. The question does then emerges though to whether we need five senior centre-backs?

Lera can do a job on the left too, which with Grant Basey up in Aberdeen on trial, might be necessary as Kelly Youga sounds a long way off from full fitness. Johnnie Jackson will probably start as first choice.

Back to Basey, I've always liked him as a player and always felt that he would make a fine centre-back or a holding midfielder. He lacks pace, but has a good football brain and a sweet left foot. But if Charlton are to offer him just a year and no guarantee of a first team football, a two-year deal north of the border, with an opportunity of European football looks hard to resist. Refer Darren Randolph.

Addicks with nothing to do (like me) have been furiously clicking on cafc.co.uk to see if we have signed Kyel Reid on a permanent basis after his release from Sheffield Utd. Sky Sports are saying that we have agreed a deal. Remember they got the Doherty deal right. I like Reid, he is an exciting player who makes things happen and would be a very fine signing indeed.

What else? Oh yes Deon Burton has got his dream overseas move. Greece? No. Italy? No. Malta? No. Azerbaijan? Er, yes.

Azerbaijan side Gabala have a rich sugar-Daddy and recently paid Tony Adams £1m for a one-year contract as the club strive for a Champions League place. Good luck to Deon, I am sure he will earn a fair few manat's in the tiny 2,000 year old city.

Burton was always likely to move on but it underlines our desperate need for new strikers. Talking of which rumours are doing the rounds that Izale McLeod has accepted an offer put to him by the board to cancel his contract. Let's hope so.

Money is short down at The Valley, not helped by Cardiff bloody City owing us £500,000 for the 2nd installment of the Mark Hudson transfer fee. The Daily Mail is reporting today that we have reported the Bluebirds to the FA. Good.

Tomorrow the players go on a mini-tour of the A6 playing Kettering tomorrow and Bedford on Tuesday, after which Parky will decide on signing trialists Guillem Bauza and Etienne Esajas.

Man Utd launch new shirt

2010-07-15T08:16:00.004-03:00

If I was still working in Chicago I no doubt would be heading across the street to Millennium Park later this morning to attend my companies worldwide unveiling of the new Manchester Utd shirt blazoned with my companies name on the front of it. Last night clients and employees were invited to watch players train at Toyota Park and today globally Aon have closed their offices to enable employees to host community days to celebrate the shirt launch.

Aon signed a 4-year £80m deal a year ago and we have been miking it ever since, even changing our corporate colour from burgundy or Aon Red as it was known to a brighter red colour.

There has been plenty of articles written about Aon being a Glazer benefactor and ally, but I don't see this at all. If every Man Utd season ticket holder refused to buy the new shirt, that affects Nike not Aon. It is the name recognition in the Far East that is far more important to the firm. Nike also allegedly asked Aon to support them on the clamp down of fake kits but it fell on sympathetic but ultimately deaf ears.

Aon's £80m is a drop in the ocean compared to the club's total debt of £716.5m and no doubt the Green and Yellow campaign will continue whatever name on front of the shirt. For Aon, it's hopes are that the biggest billboard in the world is cheaper than any marketing campaign. It is off to a good start as Aon's chairman is joined by Dennis Irwin and Bryan Robson in ringing the bell to open trading (remotely from Chicago) at the New York Stock Exchange this morning.

The Man Utd home shirt is a very simple 1970's look - following the Charlton trend no doubt? The away kit yet to be released is supposed to be an equally plain white shirt with dark blue and red on the shoulders. I did see some leaked photographs that showed the away kit as being green and yellow but it's hard to imagine that was ever a consideration. For those that were moaning about the cost of Charlton's home shirt, United's is £45 and £50 for long sleeves.

Final thoughts

2010-07-12T21:17:00.004-03:00

I will admit it was hardly matadors versus total football, but I found the World Cup Final quite riveting. Blood, thunder, sweat and tears.... it was all there and I was glad it was won within the 120 minutes and not have to go to the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

Of course I was saddened by the Dutch defeat but less bothered by the way the Dutch played than almost everyone else. 'It was dancers versus thugs' screamed Italy's La Repubblica.... Kettle. Black. The Dutch were the inferior side but they set out to win the game, in fact Robben's pace nearly brought them the title. Some of the tackling was X rated, but the constant diving by the Spanish in my mind destroyed any moral high ground the Spanish may have deserved.

It was a terrifically hard game to referee but I thought Howard Webb did pretty well in the circumstances, although how it took until the 109th minute for a red card is a mystery. I felt that Webb tried hard not to be centre-stage but it was difficult when he was (mostly correctly) blowing for a free-kick every 3 minutes.

In many ways the Final summed up the whole tournament. It often took us to the periphery of something special but the competition never took off. South Africa will be remembered as magnificent hosts, but despite home advantage the nation's teams made no impression, although South Africa's victory over France was one to cherish and Ghana are young enough to come again.

France were rubbish, Italy and England just abysmal, but that wasn't entirely unexpected in Italy. We just got a reality check, but don't worry 'the best league in the world' starts in a few weeks and the FA can go back to finding that hole in the sand their head was buried in before June.

South Africa 2010 will be remembered as the stage the big stars flopped with the world watching. Rooney, Torres, Kaka, Ronaldo, Drogba, Eto'o even Messi each saw their stock fall.

Mexico, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand all left good impressions. The young Germans were scary good and must be a shoe-in for the Euro's in 2012. Spain were worthy winners although they passed the ball impeccibly for such long periods that when the ball was finally moved into a goalscoring position, their forward men were half asleep. Impressive that David Villa was, he still missed plenty of good chances. Anyway wasn't it Catalonia that won the cup?

For people like me that think Brazil and Holland should throw tactics out of the window and just play expansive kamikaze attacking football, then we were disappointed, especially with the Brazilans and Dunga paid the price. Perhaps we are seeing a seismic shift in South American football following the admirable displays from Paraguay, Chile and especially tiny Uruguay.

Of course Diego Maradona did not let us down. Passion, desire, humour, he's a complete wacko and obviously has never taken a coaching course in his life. Too busy having 'fun' I suppose?

So lasting memories for me was the god-awful television coverage we had to suffer in Bermuda, although the commentator who did every game, I suspect from his front room, did a first-rate job.

The 'round' jabulani ball ruined almost every long distance shot and pass, unless you were Diego Forlan. Even in yesterday's game, the 64th of the tournament Casillas mis-judged a long distance free-kick when the Dutch turned the ball back after a stoppage. Now that would have been funny and one in the tentacles for Paul the octopus.

Despite some horror stories of wet concrete, empty seats, terrorist attacks and crowd trouble we were given a wonderful spectacle from some magnificent stadiums and settings. I just hope the poxy vuvuzela doesn't travel so well.

Sepp Blatter may have brought the World Cup to South Africa but the way he held off President Jacob Zuma to present the trophy to Spain last night reminded us all of what an egotisical chauvanist suit he and others at FIFA are. The FA aren't much better.

Anyway to finish, I have picked my World Cup XI based on the games that I saw. What do you think?

GK: Maarten Stekelenburg (Netherlands)
DEF: Sergio Ramos (Spa) - Carles Puyol (Spain) - Ryan Nelson (New Zealand) - Philipp Lahm (Germany)
MID: Xavi (Spain) - Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany) - Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
ATTACK MID: Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)
FOR: Diego Forlan (Uruguay) - Thomas Müller (Germany)
MANAGER: Joachim Low (Germany)

L'Oranje

2010-07-11T00:31:00.001-03:00

I've written many times of how I first fell in love with the game of football. I accept that as a 7-year old my life was lived behind rose coloured spectacles, but that Johann Cruyff led 1974 Dutch team played the game as if it was a dream.

Without any help I can recite that 1974 Dutch team (right) and I cried my little eyes out when The Kaiser lifted the trophy in Munich.

In 1978 I was watching live football regularly and understood the intricacies of the game better. With no England to cheer, although brave Scotland were represented again, I reverted to my first love, the Netherlands.

I was allowed to stay up late for the matches beamed into our tiny screens from Argentina. The games, stadiums and ticker-tape atmosphere were from another galaxy. Again the Dutch were undone by the hosts in extra-time at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, a stadium I have since had the pleasure to watch a game in.

The Total Football generation ended abruptly without a deserved title and the Dutch national team disappeared into the wilderness for ten years, returning to win Euro 1988 back under the tutorship of Rinus Michels. Captain Ruud Gullit, a player who could have easily fitted into the 70's Total Football side starred with Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard the Koeman brothers Ronald and Erwin.

Dennis Bergkamp came to prominence at USA 1994, a player that could find space in a jam jar and one of the best to have graced the Premier League. However for the second consecutive World Cup, the Dutch were eliminated by the eventual winners, this time Brazil.

Four years later in France, Bergkamp was joined by Marc Overmars, Phillip Cocu, Edgar Davids, Frank de Boer, Ronald de Boer, Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert and it was the tournament of Bergkamp's unbelievable goal in the quarters against Argentina. Back in the semi-finals for the first time in 20 years, they suffered heartache going down to Brazil in the penalty shoot-out.

The Dutch didn't qualify in 2002 and it signalled the end of that gifted group of players but incredibly for such a small nation, this next century has again produced another assemblage of top players sprinkled around Europe's best leagues.

Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie plus elder statesmen Mark Van Bommell (once rumoured to be coming to Charlton, hard to believe eh?) and Giovanni van Bronckhorst have all shone in South Africa during an unbeaten run which started way before the finals began.

Sure this 2010 vintage doesn't have the glitter of the Dutch teams of the 70's, 80's or 90's but then again it also doesn't have the bickering and ego's which slammed the self-destruct button so often either.

I can't help myself, I am a latent L'Oranje man. The Netherlands deserve their name engraved on to that famous trophy. They have given the football world so much joy, they deserve a little back. Kom op Nederland!

Bermuda bans mobile phones whilst driving

2010-07-10T12:59:00.000-03:00

Seven years after using a mobile phone while driving was banned in the UK, next week Bermuda's Senate also passes a new law to stop the multi-dexterous task of driving and talking.

Of course it is not necessarily the distraction of talking that is the danger, it is the holding of the mobile phone device and ever since my arrival in Bermuda I have been astonished to how many car drivers use mobiles while they drive. In a country where the longest journey can't take longer than an hour before you fall into the ocean, it is honestly rare to see a driver without a phone pinned to their ear as if the call couldn't wait.

Bermuda has one of the worst road traffic injury and death statistics in the world, and it is no surprise to see a young lad on a moped weaving in and out of the traffic on narrow roads either with their mobile rammed in the gap between ear and helmet or texting. Yes texting.

Many times when driving, I look in my rear-view mirror and watch a motorcyclist looking down whilst tapping into his phone. I hate to admit it, but often I have thought about slamming the brakes on, but I couldn't bear the mess it would make to my white car!

Where in America the state authorities blame the critical mass of the country for it's belated outlawing of mobile phone use whilst driving - just six states ban use outright, Bermuda's government blamed the time it took doing it's "research and consultation." It is a big place after all!

Interestingly the new law also bans the use of in-car televisions, probably because in Bermuda, they are bound to be above the steering wheel and also tinted windows!

Fit to wear the shirt

2010-07-09T13:24:00.003-03:00

Another busy day down at Sparrows Lane.

The new kit was revealed and I like it's simplicity. Ignoring the KRBS.com it is probably the most unfussiest shirt since the 1980/81 season. And a mighty fine season that was too. The shirt will be worn tomorrow at AFC Wimbledon and is on sale next week. Any ideas on the away shirt anyone?

The shirt on the OS was modelled by Jose Semedo, for who if the club need a sponsor for a security guard to keep an eye on him until the end of the transfer deadline, then I am willing to cough up some coin.

Plus Scott Wagstaff is holding the new shirt after announcing his signing of a new two-year contract. Good news, the 20-year old changed games last season and can only get better and will hopefully be able to dictate more games that he starts as well.

By the way there are better photos of the new kit on CAFC's Twitter page here.

The South Lions Press yesterday said that Parky is "working hard to make the (the signing of Christian Dailly) happen." But injury-prone Sam Sodje may chance his arm next season in Greece.

News also reaches us that Richard Murray is recovering from a heart operation. The very best wishes to Richard for a very speedy recovery. Coincidently a very good mate's Dad went into hospital yesterday for a heart op, I have no idea how he has kept it secret from me for 25 years that his old man is Richard Murray!

And finally Lloyd Sam has signed a two-year contract with Leeds United ending his 12-year association with the Addicks. I have it good authority that once Lloyd put his pen down after signing his Leeds contract he bent over double, puffed out his cheeks and put his hands on his knees!

The decision

2010-07-09T11:12:00.004-03:00

Sky Sports would have been furiously scribbling notes last night as LeBron James, or 'The King' as he calls himself, went on national American television at peak viewing hour and told the world which team he was going to sign for after he allowed his contract with Cleveland Cavaliers to run out.

Imagine John Terry allowing his contract at Chelsea to expire and leave 'on a Bosman' and one night in July sitting next to Richard Keys to announce his new team? I know, it's going to happen isn't it?

LeBron James easily convinced ESPN to put on a one-hour special called 'The Decision' and after plenty of arse licking James modestly announced that he will "take his talents to South Beach."

In fact once the Heat secured the multi-million dollar contracts of fellow star players Chris Bosh from Toronto and Dwayne Wade, who was already at Miami, to most fans except the dreamers in Chicago, New York and his hometown in Cleveland, his decision already looked made for him.

All three had decided long ago to coincide their contracts to expire at the same time, the three are friends, and play with each other for the celebrated Team USA.

'The King' has never actually worn the crown of a championship title, and he wants one badly. According to experts he would have had more chance of doing that with the Chicago Bulls, but with their developing team it might have taken a little while longer.

He would have been even more of a superstar in New York under the auspices of part-owner Jay-Z. James would have made more money by staying with the Cavaliers, whose distraught fans burnt his jersey in the streets last night upon his decision.

But James followed the model laid out successfully by the Boston Celtics (and Chelsea) and no doubt with fellow royalty Wade and Bosh, 'The King' thinks the title could be won by the bizarre collection of talent and egos in their first season.

However unlike in the Premier League, the NBA has salary caps, big ones but still a cap and therefore James, Wade and Bosh will have to be surrounded by lesser and cheaper players.

Think of a 5-a-side team of Terry, Gerrard, Rooney, Miguel Angel Lera and Akpo Sodje, with a bench full of unknown minimum wage youth players. That is what Miami Heat's team will be next season.

Nonetheless from Chicago's perspective it frees up a lot of cash earmarked for the James signing. Sadly one of my favourite players Kirk Hinrich has left for Washington to free up even more cash but with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and new signing the wonderfully named Carlos Boozer already in the house, there are still exciting times ahead for Da Bulls.

Jackson signs

2010-07-08T15:43:00.007-03:00

Johnnie Jackson is back at The Valley as our latest recruit. The ex-Notts County player impressed whilst on loan with us last season, where he stood in at left-back but I expect to see him fill the left hand midfield berth this coming season. Mind you Kelly Youga's injury situation is unclear and Grant Basey has yet to sign a new contract, although he has been training with the squad.

Jackson is a good signing in my opinion, and an old team mate of Gary Doherty at Spurs.

Hopefully Addicks will get their first chance to see Jackson, Doherty and McCormack alongside trialist Etienne Esajas and Icelandic international striker Gunnar Thorvaldsson.

Famous Bermudians - Shaun Goater

2010-07-08T00:01:00.004-03:00

The first in what will believe me be a short series.

Shaun Goater
Clearly recognisable by his charming smile I often see Shaun Goater driving his kids to school or just hanging out talking to some of the locals. There is no hero- worshipping here though despite his achievements elsewhere, Goater is more respected than revered by Bermudians.

Born in Court Street in Hamilton in February 1970 Leonardo Shaun Goater grew up in a houseful of women during a socially tough time for Bermuda. Brought up by his mother, grandmother and a couple of Aunties this didn't restrict his interest in football and he would play at every opportunity on any open space he could find.

Goater was offered scholarships in the USA at both Colombia University in New Jersey and Wake Forest in North Carolina, which has an excellent history in sports, especially football but during an autumn break back in Bermuda playing in midfield for North Village against some travelling English youth teams, Goater got spotted by scouts from Man Utd.

Encouraged by his football-obssessed Mum and well known Bermudian football coach Andrew Bascome, Goater at 18 left his tight family unit and travelled to Manchester for his trial, and thus forfeited his scholarships.

"Once I agreed to the trial I had forfeited my scholarship because I was deemed to be a professional. Looking back, it was a huge gamble that I took. I don't know what I would have done had it not worked out. I was confident that this was what I always wanted and knew that if I had turned it down, I could have spent the rest of my life wondering what might have been."

Shaun played two games on trial scoring once and Alex Ferguson gave him a contract. However his work permit took forever and Goater couldn't get anywhere near a first team that included Brian McClair, Mark Hughes, Danny Wallace, Bryan Robson and one Ralph Milne! One thing that did happen for Shaun though was his conversion from a creative midfield player to a striker but after less than a year he moved to Rotherham United in the 3rd Division for an opportunity to play first team football.

However Shaun was missing home and was struggling with the English weather. "It took me a good two years to get used to life in England. At first I thought the sun never shone and it wasn't for me. I found it hard to get used to life but gradually I accepted what the country had to offer."

But Goater made a lot of friends in Yorkshire and spent seven seasons at Rotherham. He learnt too even at Millmoor that professional football was a team game. In Bermuda he was a one man show, easily the best player on the island but not so in England. He had to buckle down and take the game more seriously. He was told at Man Utd that: "If you smile the next time you miss another chance, you will be on the first plane to Bermuda."

He made himself a good reputation at Rotherham as a striker who could score goals in the lower leagues. He scored 86 goals in 262 games and played at Wembley in the 1996 Auto Windscreens picking up a winner's medal as The Millers beat Shrewsbury 2-1 (right).

He fell out with manager Archie Gemmill though during that 95-96 season and decided to move on. He was now married to his childhood sweetheart Anita and had gotten used to the English weather so despite offers from Spain and South Korea, Goater chose Bristol City. It was Joe Jordan at Ashton Gate who finally lured Goater away from Millmoor for a fee of £175,000 and City began the 1996-97 season as one of the favourites to win promotion.

City finished 5th and reached the play-offs only to lose to Brentford. Goater got another 24 goals. The next season City did win promotion but by March after scoring 40 goals in 75 matches Goater had left Ashton Gate and won his dream move to Maine Road. It was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

At home on deadline day Goater waited by the fax machine to get confirmation of his £400,000 move. He remembers the machine jamming and the clock ticking past 5pm but he was thrilled when Joe Royle finally got his man.

The thrills didn't last and the trouble was whilst Charlton were on the verge of a play-off place and that game at Wembley, Man City were about to drop down to the 3rd tier to replace the Bristol City team Goater had just left and despite scoring twice in a 5-2 win at also relegated Stoke on the last day of the season City dropped to it's lowest level of their 105-year history.

That was a tough summer for Goater with the whole club in the doldrums but City won promotion straight back but only after a dramatic two goals in the last minute took the play-off final against Gillingham into extra time. City beat the Gills on penalties 3-1.

Goater scored 21 goals in that promotion season and he won over sceptical Blues fans, which seems ridiculous bearing in mind his scoring prowess. Goater felt that Paul Dickov was too popular for City fans to find room in their hearts for him, but another blistering start to the 1999/2000 season saw the famous chant of "Feed the Goat and He Will Score" start to reverberate around Maine Road.

Around Maine Road Goater was always the one player who was happy to talk to the local press, meet the fans, walk into the schools, sign a kid's autograph book. Never forced it was a natural part of who he is. As Man City won promotion for the second consecutive season, this time to the Premier League, finishing two points behind champions Charlton, Goater scored 29 goals (including both against us) and City were back in the big time.

But for Goater it was his first experience of top flight football and as he wrote in his biography 'Feed the Goat' he noticed changes. "In came the big names (Paulo Wanchope and George Weah had both signed). I saw families wanting an autograph get ignored as the stars headed to their flashy cars. I am there thinking 'well. why not sign them.'"

That summer of 2000 Shaun was awarded with the Freedom of Bermuda and 5,000 people lined the streets to welcome him. I expect in those days a lot of City shirts would adorn Hamilton on a Saturday afternoon, today it is mostly the red of United.

City were relegated in their very first Premier League season and despite missing the beginning of the season to injury Goater still ended the season City's top scorer with 11 goals. Joe Royle carried the can and was replaced by Kevin Keegan, a man who admitted to never rating Shaun Goater.

Despite this, Keegan still had the sense to play the fan's favourite and was rewarded with 32 goals - the fourth consecutive season Goater had finished City's top goalscorer. Darren Huckerby scored 26 as City hit 153 league goals in total and won the title by 11 points.

This time around the Maine Road board made their intentions clear that staying in the Premier League was paramount. With Keegan at the helm City signed Nicolas Anelka for £13m and Jon Mackem for £5m. Goater stayed but his opportunities were limited under Keegan but he still scored 7 goals in 14 starts including three against arch rivals United in the two Manchester derbies, his 2nd a lob over Barthez in the final derby game to be played at Maine Road was Shaun's favourite career goal.

"I suppose that wasn't the correct way to say thank you to Alex Ferguson for bringing me to England," chuckled Shaun after his two goal haul in the win at Maine Road.

2002/03 was City's last at Maine Road and Goater had decided to move on, and despite his wearisome relationship with Keegan he was asked to lead the team out in City's last ever game at their 80-year old ground against Southampton.

Goater was adored by City's fans and his decision to look for a final move at the end of his career was one that took months of soul-searching and led to an outpouring of goodwill at Maine Road.

Keegan said at the time: "I think Shaun Goater will end up coming back to this club one day, but I am not sure what he will do. He might be working with the youth or he might be manager but I think he will walk back in here one day and carry on that love affair with the fans. I hope so because they love him and I know the feeling is mutual."

Goater was awarded a MBE for services to sport and young people and in the summer of 2003 moved to Reading for £500,000 signed by Alan Pardew, but Pards then left for West Ham just weeks into the new season. The move you will remember was met with much acrimony. Goater said at the time: "If he goes, it'll be very disappointing as there's a lot of respect for him."

New Royals manager Steve Coppell came with different plans and set about rebuilding the squad and Goater lasted just two seasons playing infrequently but he did score 12 goals.

Shaun went on loan to Coventry and at 33-years old considered quitting but eventually signed for Steve Tilson at Southend on a free in August 2005 for one last season as a pro. It was a fantastic season and one to treasure for The Goat. Southend won the League One title and were promoted to the Championship. Goater played in 34 games, often partnering a young Freddy Eastwood up front, and scored 11 goals.

Goater's final game, his 551st, provided a fairytale end to his glittering career in England. Southend had to win to claim the league title at Roots Hall (right). They did by beating one of Goater's old clubs Bristol City 1-0 and it is said that over 400 Manchester City fans travelled to Essex on the day to serenade their hero. Bristol City fans also gave him a standing ovation afterwards.

Fans also travelled from Bermuda to cheer Shaun on to spark an outpouring of love for The Goat at the final whistle. Bermuda Hogges part owner Paul Scope was also in attendance that day and when asked what makes Shaun Goater so special, he said: "British fans love his attitude, his special smile - and they love someone who takes what they have in ability and makes more of it."

Goater returned home to Bermuda to an official welcome from then Prime Minister Alex Scott. Southend United also made the journey and played Bermuda's national side in an exhibition match.

By the end of his 17-year career Shaun Goater had scored 260 goals plus 32 in 36 games for Bermuda's national team.

Since being back in Bermuda Goater turned to coaching and giving back to the game that took him away from this island and to a career of reverence that he could never have dreamt about as a young lad kicking the ball along the street.

He studied for his UEFA coaching licence as well as for a marketing degree and is currently the business development officer for local firm East End Group Ltd, a kind of mini-conglomerate on the island.

Goater is also co-owner of Bermuda's only semi-professional team, Bermuda Hogges but strangely has no involvement with the coaching or management side as that responsibility falls to the Bermuda Foo tball Association (BFA), something that clearly rankles with him: "I've applied for a number of positions at the BFA and have either been turned down or told there is no position, only for there to be a position available a few months later."

It is incredulous that Goater has never been involved with the Bermudian national team, this is a man who has worked with Sir Alex Ferguson, Kevin Keegan and Joe Royle. "Outside of Bermuda people can't believe I am not involved. But who knows what will happen in the future."

Meanwhile Shaun continues to coach his old team North Village, runners up in last season's Bermuda Premier League. He has often doubted the desire of young people in this country to make it is the sporting world. If it is obvious to me that Shaun Goater is the undeniable choice to change this, then I don't understand why it isn't to others.

Feed the Goat autobiography.

Wish I had ginger hair too..

2010-07-07T14:18:00.004-03:00

So those Southend morons who booed Nicky Bailey's every touch last season will hopefully feel slightly less acerbic now that the money winging it's way to them for the cut of his transfer fee to Middlesbrough will probably save them from being wound up this week.

The Ginger One's long drawn out transfer to Boro was completed today for £1,400,000. We paid £500,000 to the Shrimpers, and therefore they will get 25% of the profit, i.e. £225,000.

Meanwhile we add the remaining £675,000 to the money we received from Liverpool for Jonjo and the £450,000 we received for Richardson, although I suspect only half of it was upfront, but then again one never knows with Pardew, to allow us to keep afloat, build a hungry and competitive squad and please, please be able to keep Jose Semedo.

I look forward to Saturday's team at AFC Wimbledon being made up of players called A. Trialist.

Update July 8th: Southend avoid Administration.

5 years ago today

2010-07-07T09:23:00.005-03:00

It's hard to imagine that is was five years ago when terrorists tried but failed to stop Londoners getting on with their daily lives. 52 people died and over 700 were injured on their way to work.

Four suicide bombers tried to rip the heart out of London, all they did was make Londoners even prouder of their home.

Let us never forget.

McCormack walks in swing door

2010-07-06T16:59:00.005-03:00

Out of the frying pan into the fire for Alan McCormack, revealed as Parky's second signing today, just an hour or so after Frazer Richardson was sold to Alan Pardew's Southampton.

McCormack, 26, was out of contract at Southend United and is a box-to-box midfielder, and ex-midfield stable mate of Nicky Bailey, although it is rumoured that the two had fisty-cuffs prior to Bailey's departure.

Another Irishman, McCormack's strike rate is not anywhere as good as Bailey's, hence £1.4m = free. He played 165 games for the Shrimpers scoring 18 goals. Parky said: "The thing that struck me about him more than anything else was his hunger." Well I guess we haven't seen a lot of that lately.

Southend are in the High Court on Thursday and have a large tax debt as well as owing money to the PFA and have cancelled Saturday's friendly with Ipswich as they can't get a team out.

McCormack had his contract cancelled mutually after Southend's relegation as they couldn't afford him and recently he has been outspoken about him and his ex-team mates consistently being paid wages late last season.

As I said frying pan and fire.

Next: Fraser Richardson

2010-07-06T11:10:00.003-03:00

This post began congratulating the club on the acquisition of Gary Doherty but it now has a pessimistic tone as the Official Site screams: Saints swoop for Frazer.

Richardson was pivotal in our play-off run last year and deservedly appeared in the Divisional Team of the Season and will be a big loss.

The £450,000 is clearly much needed. "Southampton expressed an interest in me and then made an offer to Charlton that I don't think they could refuse." (more)

There is a well known football dictum that you don't sell your best players to your promotion rivals. Well as Southampton get set for a pre-season trip to Switzerland, we go on a tour of non-league grounds. Something clearly not right there in the Administration v Solvency argument!

We now all hope that Semedo stays and we find it in our power to sign Christian Dailly for another year, yet the signing of Gary Doherty may hint that'll not be likely. Doherty meanwhile signals a good start to Parky's rebuilding job but it is one step forward and one step back.

Doherty was a bit of a cult hero at Carrow Road and played 44 games for the Div 3 champions last season. Interestingly centre-half Gary Doherty, who started his career as a striker, scored more goals last season than every Charlton player except Burton and Bailey.

Packing

2010-07-05T07:43:00.000-03:00

No work today, supposedly somewhere people are celebrating their independence, so we decided to close the office. Nice one.

Our weekend was spent packing our stuff into boxes as we have decided to move house after our two-year rental deal expires at the end of this month. Our current house is very nicely situated but it is old, very old and needs constant attention, something that my landlord is not prepared to give all time he is pocketing my monthly rent, which will total $192,000 by the time we leave. No, that is not a typing mistake.

We have found a house bigger, nicer, cheaper, a million times more modern and a 7-iron from the ocean and move in two weeks and we can't wait.

Continued difficult trading conditions and consolidations has resulted in redundancies as well as closure of businesses plus there has been some re-domiciling of Bermudian companies to other countries with favoured tax environments meaning simply that more ex-pats are leaving the island than coming and therefore the hugely inflated rents are reducing and there is a lot more choice.

Work will quieten substantially now July is here, which will allow me to concentrate on the house move, which is really only 10 minutes away west of where we are now in Southampton. Then a week after we move we are off on a holiday splitting 8 days between Montreal and Vermont.

Today is not a day for working though, although the other-half has to, so my daughter and I are off having fun together. The packing can wait.

European domination

2010-07-04T07:46:00.003-03:00

After previously dominating the tournament I suggested that the last four in South Africa might not contain any South American teams but when Ghana's Asamoah Gyan hit the bar from the penalty spot with the last kick of extra-time it put a knife through every African's dreams and lifted the Uruguayan's for the shoot out.

Incredibly Gyan stepped up again and dispatched his spot-kick but the experienced Abreu, who has played for 17 clubs, did 'a Di Canio' and clipped the ball into the middle of the net and over the sprawling 'keeper. What an amazing finish to a match.

I didn't take the the bet for all the South American teams to go home but I did do Holland and Germany in a double and the two European nations wrestled power back from the South Americans to dominate in their games against Brazil and Argentina.

Ever since 1974 I have had a soft spot for the Le Oranje and they put paid to the favourites and five-time winners on Friday. Then yesterday the Germans exhibited a devastating display of counter-attacking football. The Polish born Miroslav Klose, one of five non-German born players in their squad, is now just one away from Ronaldo's all-time world cup goalscoring record.

In a game of less excitement Spain beat Paraguay and their semi against Germany should be a titanic battle of some of the best passing and movement we have seen in the competition. Light years away from what we saw in the English games.

Next: Fleetwood

2010-07-02T21:50:00.002-03:00

Stuart Fleetwood is the latest player to depart The Valley after signing an undisclosed 2-year contract with Div 4 Hereford United. Sources suggest that the Bulls paid us £20,000 up front with the eventual amount circa £100,000 depending on appearances, goals scored, and promotion whilst a Hereford United player, plus a potential sell-on fee.

If true that isn't bad business for a player who played 8 minutes for us in two years. That Alan Pardew can certainly spot a player! Exeter were favourites for the west country boy but were holding out for a free transfer and were only prepared to offer a one-year deal.

I think the number of players left in the building to coin a Parky phrase, is now less than a football team. Expect plenty of trialists and rumours as he goes about building a squad in time for the new season which starts in 5 weeks time.

The last eight

2010-07-02T10:00:00.003-03:00

The cars here are slowly dispensing with their flags, which makes for a less colourful Bermuda and a realisation that we only have 8 teams left in the competition.

Apart from some sporadic potent attack play (Argentina, Germany) and some uncomplicated but intelligent passing (Spain, Brazil) and some quick counter-attacking (Netherlands, Ghana and Uruguay) the World Cup has still yet to burst into life and see a game worthy of the four-year wait.

I've seen a lot of the games and my interest has not diminished since England's embarrassing exit, but I'm hoping that the competition sparks into life today and tomorrow as the last eight become four.

The South American's have dominated and even Chile, who went home gave a very good account of themselves. Nonetheless I think there is a chance that the remaining four could all be knocked out in the Quarters but then again my tipping has been atrocious.

As for a personal favourite, I'm really just hoping for some cracking games now, but I've warmed to Maradona's Argentina, I have a lengthly longing for Holland and Germany have excited me more than most. I know, I'll wash my mouth out with soap in a minute.

I love an underdog me, who doesn't? And the romantic in me would cherish a Ghana victory or what about Uruguay, a country I have visited and one of the continent's tiniest, 80 years after they hosted and won the inaugural World Cup tournament.

Brazil v Holland is up in an hour.

Diplomacy not a science

2010-07-02T08:38:00.000-03:00

Anyone else think that appointing a Head of Sports Science when we haven't got two pennies to rub together is a bit strange? On the back of Steve Gritt being given his P45 earlier in the week and the majority of Charlton's non-footballing staff being on redundancy watch, I for one thought a splash on the website was a bit inconsiderate.

Donough Holohan is considered to be something of a muscle and strain specialist hopefully with only 12 players on the books he can fill in upfront as well.

Randolph next out the door

2010-07-01T15:57:00.004-03:00

Darren Randolph signed for Motherwell today. The SPL and Europa League qualifiers have given the Irishman a 3-year contract after he turned down just a year at The Valley.

It's hard to blame Randolph who has been more than patient in his 7 years at the club. In fact at the end of last season Darren had his longest spell in the first team even keeping the fit-again Robbie Elliot out of the side during the last 12 games of the season. Many Addicks felt that Randolph was actually a better keeper than his rival for the number 1 shirt.

I just hope now we don't get any offers for Charlton fan-Elliot and wish Darren all the best of luck up in North Lanarkshire.

Yesterday the released Matt Spring signed for Leyton Orient on a 2-year deal.

Chosen 1

2010-07-01T13:08:00.004-03:00

This morning one of the world's best athletes LeBron James became a free agent by allowing his existing contract to run out. The 25-year old who earnt $43m last year now awaits offers from around the NBA for his services.

But unlike Deon Burton or Darren Randolph where their agents will no doubt be begging and harangueing clubs for offers, LeBron James will host potential suitors at an expected lavish but secret location in north-eastern Ohio, a couple of hundred miles from his beloved home in Akron, OH (believe me I spent a lot of time in Akron, OH and I don't see it's appeal).

LeBron James is the world's best basketball player. He may even be better than 'His Airness' Michael Jordan, but after seven years of single-handedly giving the Cleveland Cavaliers success that before James was unthinkable, the Cavs nor James never won a NBA Championship title.

Jordan won six titles, all whilst wearing the colours of the Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant has won five, the same as Magic Johnson and if James is to be talked about in the same breath then he needs to hurry up and start winning.

But where will that be? Salary caps will eliminate a lot of NBA teams, as will geography. James is not going to be signing for the Oklahoma City Thunder and live in Choctaw, OK for example. James likes the good-life and any potential new home will need to offer that as well as a team that already has the foundations of potential champions. LeBron James can't afford to hang around.

The New York Knicks think that the cities bright lights will inspire James to move to the Big Apple. New Jersey Nets' Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Dmitrievitch Prokhorov will have a copy of Roman Abramovich's business plan on him when he meets LeBron, Los Angeles Clippers will offer dreams of Hollywood while Miami Heat will try to coalesce Dwayne Wade, who is also a free agent and James together to build a title winning team in Florida. And there is still a chance that no one will tempt the Ohio boy away from his home town and he will stay in Cleveland.

But surely if LeBron James is to become not only the best, but the best ever it is to Chicago that the King without a title ring must head. James has said he will make a decision on his future by July 5th.

Gritty next to depart

2010-06-30T08:41:00.004-03:00

How bad Charlton's financial predicament is continues to manifest itself with news this morning that Addick's legend Steve Gritt has left the club due to further cost-cutting.

Gritty had been the Academy Manager for 6 years so his departure will throw into doubt the long-term future of it, although Richard Murray has said that the club will be keeping the academy for at least two more years, which would coincide with the end of KRBS' sponsorship arrangement.

Murray said: "(Steve's) history with the club speaks for itself and it's a very sad day when the club is in a position where we have to make these kinds of decisions. In all the discussions that will take place across many fronts this summer, we are putting the future of the club first, and hopefully by taking painful decisions such as this one, we can strengthen the long-term prospects of the club."

One would imagine that long-term youth coach Damian Matthew will add the academy manager's role to his current one of development coach. Many would like to see Matthew take a role with the first team.

Gritty has been around the club for almost as long as I have supported it, and for me this is another sad day in one of many over the past three years.

Meanwhile the knockout Sun is shouting that Milan Mandaric wants Parky to replace Hull-bound Nigel Pearson!

Pride, Glory and Shame

2010-06-29T07:21:00.004-03:00

So the future of Fabio Capello is in the hands of the FA's Sir Dave Richards, the same bloke who three weeks ago tied the Italian to a two-year £9.6m contract. With idiots like Richards, a spectacularly failed businessman deciding 'Club England's' future we have no flipping chance.

Capello did appear like a deer in the headlights before and during the tournament, the media and player pressures clearly exceeding those he previously dealt so well with in club football. It doesn't look like he will walk away, probably something to do with that £9.6m, but Richards' declaration of a two-week cooling off period is hardly a vote of confidence.

Capello made plenty of mistakes post qualification culminating in introducing that goal-magnet Emile Heskey to the fray when we were two-goals down on Sunday but in England it's always very easy to blame the manager, the media protect narcissistic players and transplant vegetables for managers heads on their back pages but the blame is undoubtedly with the players hero-worshipped by only themselves, agents and sycophantic hangers on.

If I saw Chris Solly in the street I would ask for his autograph, if I saw John Terry I would give the bloke a mouthful. George W Bush was once elected because Americans felt they could have a beer with him. Who would you want to share a pint of lager with out of that lot? David James, Joe Cole, Lampard maybe? If he brought his girlfriend?

Of course these players are the devil spawn of the Premier League, whose chairman is, oh hang on Sir Dave Richards. The richest league in the world with one Champions League title in the past 5 years and not a Europa Cup or whatever it's called winner since 2001, and in it's 18 years of existence the FAPL has delivered an English national team that we are embarrassed by. The Golden Generation eh? Only in their pension funds.

Until the Premier League stops paying it's clubs and it's players every penny they can squeeze out of corporations, television viewers and supporters and money starts to flow back down the pyramid then nothing will improve.

But there are so many things wrong with the game me and you used to love, before prawn sandwiches replaced bovril as a half-time snack. From kids getting screamed at by parents dressed as coaches on the touchline to "get stuck in" or results driven Premier League academies being chock full of young foreign hopefuls, whilst the best young kids with a diamond in their ear and a BMW in the car park stagnate on the sidelines.

We need to get the game back from those who stole it before it is too late.

The Bundesliga 4, Premier League Greedy Bastards 1

2010-06-27T13:58:00.005-03:00

Flotilla

2010-06-26T10:13:00.005-03:00

The harbour at Hamilton has been a wave of colour this week as hundreds of flags fly over a flotilla of yachts sitting pretty waiting their next journey after the Newport to Bermuda Race. The first yacht to reach Bermuda appeared over the reefs at St David's head at daylight on Tuesday morning. The 100-foot sloop called Speedboat with a crew of 25 led for most of the race and completed the course in 59 hours.

However being first over the line does not constitute a winner as there are 5 different divisions and 16 classes. The first crew into Bermuda does have the benefit though of spending more, er shall we say leisure time in Hamilton, unlike a guy I met on Thursday whose boat Atalanta came in that morning. To say he was exhausted and thirsty was an understatement!

On Thursday I was lucky to get invited to a drinks party to see the 185 yachts of all sizes up close. After a huge party at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club last night (there are 2,000 sailors in town at the moment), the boats and their crews leave Hamilton tomorrow after tonight's prizegiving ceremony at Government House.

The future of the CAFC Website

2010-06-24T15:41:00.000-03:00

Rick Everitt posted the following this morning on Charlton Life. Please read and feel free to add comments or email Rick at votv@btinternet.com. The club need to make a decision before the end of June.

"Someone asked recently about the promised redesign of the OS, which we all accept is now looking rather dated. The reality is that we look like being forced down a road we do not want to travel, so rather than present this as a done deal here is the situation we face.

The strong and consensus view within the club is that we want to maintain an independent site. Other than attendance at matches, it is the main point of contact for fans. It is the principle way the club communicates and it acts as our shop window. And who in the high street would deliberately set out to have a shop window that looked like all the others?

We have never seen it and don’t see it now as just another piece of inventory to sell off to the highest bidder. It is a vital part of our identity.

On the other side of the equation is Football League Interactive, a subsidiary of the Football League, which operates about 80 websites, including the sites of all other FL clubs – barring Leeds United and recent arrivals in the League from either end.

There are good reasons for this dominance and they are financial. By bringing all those clubs together, FLi is able to make an attractive pitch to advertisers and share the revenue according to size of club. More significantly, from our point of view, the League controls the rights to live action – commentary and video – and licences it in such a way that it is very difficult to escape the financial logic of handing over your website.

Two years ago, in response to the demand from fans for commentary, the club entered into a deal with FLi that enables us to stream commentary (provided by us) and match highlights (provided by them). No other club has such an arrangement outside of an FLi website and to get them to agree to this we had to accept terms that are overwhelmingly in their favour. They get the vast majority of the revenue Charlton fans pay. The contract is up and they have made clear that the terms of an extension are non-negotiable.

If we give up the independence of our site we get a more equitable share of this revenue, plus a a cut of the advertising, plus a share of the syndication money the League gets from selling the internet video rights on, for example to the BBC, based on the number of Player subscribers we have. At the moment we get a flat rate of the syndication based on League One status, although our website traffic is healthy and hasn’t fallen since we were relegated from the PL.

We would no longer have to pay hosting or design costs, although they don’t offer a shop or tickets interface and these would remain under our control.

Against this, our site would look like the other FLi sites. Our staff would still maintain the club specific content, but we would have less control of how it looks, our messages would have less prominence and there are restrictions on the ways we can prioritise our own commercial activities, for example with splash pages. In addition, the contract ties us to this arrangement until 2017. This is also non-negotiable.

There is nobody at Charlton who want to wants to go down this route, but our research suggests it is worth a minimum of £50k extra a season to do so. Given that we are faced with making people redundant to save much less than this, we have build a credible alternative financial model if we are to avoid it. That is going to need the active support of fans to achieve. Hence this post and the question - do enough of you care sufficiently to help us fund the alternative?

We have plans in place to rebuild the existing site now in a much updated and improved form and continue to host it independently, but that is a cost. The only secure way of offsetting that and matching the income stream from FLi is through subscriptions, but it would make little sense in view of the values we attach to the site to put it behind a paywall. The subscriptions need to be attached to premium content. Again the League will take a significant (but much lower) share of the income just to allow us the rights to include this live action and we would have to obtain our own match footage and edit it.

We believe the main driver of subscriptions was match commentary rather than match pictures, not least because these are also available in limited form via the BBC site.

Are we correct about this? Again, you can tell us. The simplest option would be to offer a premium content service with no commentary or match action as the League cannot demand a cut of that, but even if we offer two packages and exclude premium content from one they are likely to demand a cut of both through the terms of their licence.

Whichever route we go we are likely to focus on adding more non-match video content in order to encourage subscriptions, but to take the independent route we probably need more like 2,000 subscribers than the existing 1,200. And to stay independent we might have to push the price up, probably to £4 or £5 a month. Bear in mind also that all payments include VAT and we will incur additional hosting and bandwidth costs if we run our own premium content service.

We do have some ideas around advertising and sponsorship, but experience suggests they should be discounted for the purposes of the current calculation.

In the end, the board will have to make a decision with finance in mind. They have consistently supported our resistance to the FLI route in the past and recognise the importance of preserving our identity, but cannot be expected to do so regardless of cost.

There will be people out there who are as passionate as those of us at the club are about this, but how many of you are there?

What we didn’t want to do is end up presenting a fait accompli without canvassing opinion. Unfortunately, and whatever we might like to be different, this is the financial reality of the club’s situation and we have to deal with it."

Marathon men

2010-06-24T08:46:00.006-03:00

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut shortly resume their incredible 1st Round Wimbledon match, one that has so far lasted 10 hours and with the 5th set tied at 59-59. Both players, but the 6 ft 9 inch Isner particularly looked absolutely dead on their feet as the match was abandoned due to the impending night.

The 5th set alone has lasted more than 7 hours and you my admiration for professional tennis players increased a few more notches yesterday. Interestingly only at Wimbledon, Roland Garros and in Melbourne is there no tie-break in the final set. In America, where the TV companies and spectators lust for a winner they abandoned the idea a long time ago.

John McEnroe asked for the game, which is now on it's 3rd day, to resume on Centre Court this afternoon in front of The Queen and for both players that would be a fitting tribute to these two gladiators whose names will long live in the record books.

Meanwhile in Port Elizabeth England did what they had to do and beat Slovenia to qualify for the 2nd Round. We all breathed a huge sigh of relief but was anyone else slightly embarrassed that we were taking the ball into the corner with ten minutes left against the smallest nation at the competition?

Nonetheless after five days of so many negatives, the team came together with the supporters at the end and we move onto our old foes the Germans on Sunday with the winners probably exposed to Maradona's Argentinians in the Quarter's. I am finding this group of players hard to love, perhaps Gerrard the exception, but they could take a leaf out of John Isner and Nicolas Mahut's book and play truly like their lives depended on it and come home heroes.

Spurs friendly

2010-06-22T16:11:00.000-03:00

Many of us have been underwhelmed by Charlton's list of pre-season friendlies (see bottom). Last year I broke with tradition and went to the Bournemouth game because I was at home, my son wanted to go and I was Charlton starved but I haven't bothered with friendlies for 20-odd years and this summer's serving have to be the least attractive in a very long time.

Yet, we find out it could have been very different if the club chose to accept Tottenham's offer of a game at The Valley. The cost of hosting the game, which one assumes would include a hefty match fee in Spurs' favour was deemed too excessive. This despite what I would think could have been a 10-12,000 attendance at an average price of a tenner a pop.

Back in the dark days pre-Selhurst we played all manner of top teams in pre-season but I suppose the costs, despite the distinct possibility of crowd trouble was not a factor. It certainly underlines to those that still think we can go out and 'buy' players that we tread financially a very, very thin line.

It also begs the question why Spurs are insisting on an upfront payment if true. After watching the circus that is the England squad this weekend, my despisal of all things Premier League is growing by the day!

Yesterday the club announced that "a number of Charlton staff have been formally placed at risk of redundancy." This after 14 staff got made redundant a year ago. Why the club didn't make all the sacrifices together 12 months ago is strange as I don't see what winning promotion would have greatly added to our income.

Markedly the departure of Moots, Waggott, Sports Scientist Nick Davies, Jonjo and the soon to leave Nicky Bailey still has dragged the club out of the doo-doo. My thoughts go to those that earn a fraction of what the players do, and put in a ruddy lot more effort and now face a very uncertain few weeks.

The number of players that are actually contracted to play for us at present (I reckon) is only 12 and that includes Nicky Bailey! However today Alex Stavrinou did sign a year's contract although I did read that AFC Wimbledon have enquired about taking him on loan. 8 players contracts remain unresolved.

Pre-season friendlies
AFC Wimbledon (a) - Saturday, July 10th (3pm)
Welling United (a) - Tuesday, July 13th (7.45pm)
Kettering Town (a) - Saturday, July 17th (3pm)
Bedford Town (a) - Wednesday, July 21st (7.45pm)*
Barnet (a) - Saturday, July 24th (3pm)
Bromley (a) - Wednesday, July 28th (7.45pm)*
Watford (a) - Saturday, July 31st (3pm)
* Slated as a Charlton XI match

Bailey's move to Boro imminent

2010-06-20T11:46:00.004-03:00

It looks like Nicky Bailey will sign for Gordon Strachan at Middlesbrough tomorrow for £1.4m, how that fee is made up we don't know. £200k up front and the rest dependent on Boro winning the Champions League? Probably.

Nonetheless Bailey moving is no surprise, all of us knew once he blazed the ball into the Covered End from the spot, it'll be his last kick of a ball in a Charlton shirt.

It's a fair price though, I was expecting a lot less but competition from Celtic, Southampton and Norwich helped the board's and undoubtedly the players' negotiation position.

26 goals from 103 matches, one times player of the year, one season as captain, often an inspiration, sometimes irritating but in an era when too many players have not given a toss, that criticism could never be aimed at Nicky. The very best of luck to him. Who is next I wonder?

20 years of hurt

2010-06-19T08:01:00.005-03:00

Fortunately for me the World Cup is not just about England, in fact I find them a distraction. But for the 35,000 English supporters in Cape Town who are spending hard earned savings and taking valuable time off away from home and work they frankly deserve better than one of their heroes criticising them into a camera.

How football has changed from when Gazza cried and we all cried with him. The English football world was certainly in motion then.

Kenny Daglish's Liverpool had just strolled to the 1st Division title (the last time they won it), Charlton said their top division au revoir at Old Trafford, but the Valley Party's recent success had given us all renewed hope. Alex Ferguson got a reprieve from success starved United fans (they finished 13th that season five places below Wimbledon) by beating Palace in the FA Cup final and Aston Villa were on the verge of appointing the countries first ever foreign manager Jozef Vengloš, who lasted just a season.

20 years on the Premiership has changed English football for the better. Or has it?

Quelle horreur

2010-06-18T14:41:00.001-03:00

This is better. The need for points is opening up the 2nd round of group matches and throwing up some exciting games and some upsets too.

The whole best team v fortunate runners up in the next round logic is all over the place at the moment with only Argentina impressing, but they are yet to be tested defensively. The French look like going home with their tales between their frogs legs. Raymond Domenech's swansong reminds me of Sven's four years ago. Even 37-year old ex-Chicago Fire stud Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored. The Mexicans would have been celebrating wildly in the streets of Chicago last night.

And sacré bleu, the French press are up in arms. The L'Equipe said "No sadness, no grief, above all no anger ... You can only laugh at the fact that those players are big in the head and not so big below the belt." At least Irish eyes were smiling.

Serbia turned over the Germans, who missed a penalty. Whatever next? And the USA were very unfortunate not to win earlier, Altidore's goal really should have stood and the Yanks showed great spirit in coming back aided by some inspired decision making by coach Bob Bradley. To continue the Chicago connection, Bradley was very successful when Chicago Fire's manager between 1998-2002.

Incidentially I am warming to Diego Maradona. Obviously as mad as a box of frogs but football throws up too many dullards these days, and his passion is infectious. Never thought I would say that.

I'm off home in the next half-hour to watch the England match with my 7-month old daughter. I'll try to keep a lid on the language. Then out for dinner later with friends where hopefully the beer won't be flat.

Newport to Bermuda Race

2010-06-18T12:20:00.000-03:00

In about an hour's time 185 yachts leave Newport in Rhode Island to sail the 635 nautical miles to Bermuda in one of the world's most pre-eminent sailing races.

The first Newport to Bermuda race took place in 1904, and is therefore the oldest ocean race for amateur sailors. After leaving the harbour at Newport today the competitors then spend 6 days out at sea in the very cold water of the Atlantic. They cross the very unpredictable Gulf Stream, where the weather and the current presents a real challenge and many boats have in the past come a cropper. Then for 300 smooth miles the water warms as the yachts race for the reefs and the finish line of Bermuda.

The race finishes at St David's Head at the very eastern tip of the island and I have been fortunate enough to get invited out to see the finish on Thursday.

Cherry pickers

2010-06-17T09:39:00.006-03:00

For the 4th season running Charlton kick off a new season with one of the promoted sides at home. AFC Bournemouth come to The Valley exactly 51 weeks after we went to them in a pre-season match. I was impressed with the Cherries then, and 32-year old Eddie Howe continued the fantastic job he started the season before after he saved them from relegation despite a 17-point deficit. Bournemouth finished runners up to Notts County, who we play at The Valley six games in.

After Shrewsbury away in the Carling Cup we then go to Leyton Orient, where 3,119 Addicks made the journey east last season. My son and I will hope to make it this time around.

Oldham Athletic with the loveable Paul Dickov at the helm are the next visitors to The Valley, then I guess we can forget about the 2nd Round of the Carling Cup (smiley thing) and we then spend two Saturday's on the road. Firstly Exeter and then up to fellow play-off failure's Huddersfield.

Some other games of interest, in a third division kind of way, are Brighton at home on October 16th, Sheffield Wednesday at home on October 30th, Southampton at The Valley on Boxing Day with a last visit to The Withdean two days later and then a trip to Colchester on New Year's Day.

Wednesday away is in January, Dagenham and Bournemouth away run concurrent in March, then we finish with a much 'easier' looking set of fixtures, although to be fair we made pretty light work of last season's tough finish. The Monkey Hangers come to The Valley on May 7th for the final game.

Charlton's full Div 3 fixtures, now sponsored by nPower are here.

Depressed and buoyed

2010-06-16T17:58:00.000-03:00

I spent some time last night reading through the 'It's all going to hell in a handbasket' thread on Charlton Life and was going to write a post but to be honest I had drunk too much wine and then Dave did a better job this morning.

The thread both depresses and buoys me. Depressing to watch the club I love hurtling back to the dark days of the 80's, one commenter suggesting that it reminded them of the rut that we could never get out off in the Gliksten era. But I am buoyed too by the love and passion of our supporters.

For those of us that care, for those of us that following Charlton is not just about watching football but is deep rooted into our lifes, then we all have a responsibility. Together we can be quite a force, as long as we are together.

Meanwhile our first round Carling Cup opponents will be Shrewsbury Town. The Shrews moved from Gay Meadow to the New Meadow in August 2007 and we go there the week beginning the August 9th.

And finally I see that Nicky Forster has signed a two-year deal with Brentford. At 36 I would have been sceptical of giving the Brighton forward two years. Another loan signing Matt Fry, who never actually got a game, has signed a new contract with West Ham giving weight to the story that he may join us on a season's loan.

Things can only get better

2010-06-16T16:02:00.004-03:00

Since the eve of the South African World Cup I have seen cars in Bermuda flying the flag of South Africa, France, Mexico, USA, Netherlands, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Australia, Ghana, Argentina, Greece, South Korea as well as the more common cross of St George and the Bandeira de Portugal.

There are thousands of Bermudians with strong Portuguese ancestry, mostly from the Azores and yesterday morning Portuguese workers downed tools (there was little gardening or construction work done I can tell you) and crowded into the Front Street pubs and watch their team struggle to a draw with Ivory Coast in one of the more duller games of a World Cup that risks being the dullest of them all.

Let's be honest it's been a bit boring so far hasn't it? I've even preferred to do some work on occasion. Games are lacking goals, and those that are being scored are hardly crackers although Diego Forlorn has I think just scored the first goal from outside of the box. The ball's not helping, nor is the incessant drone of the bloody vuvuzela's. I spoke in favour of them at first but I've taken it all back!

England's result is not looking too shabby now, put into the context of what we have since seen. Spain's World Cup record has never amounted to much, but losing to Switzerland earlier today was a huge turn up.

The opening round of matches were very cagey, with avoiding losing the number one priority. Would it help if we just ditched the 32-team group stages and went straight into a knockout competition with replays if necessary? Will FIFA change it? Unlikely.

It's also been sad to see so many empty seats at many of the matches, this despite 95% of all tickets said to have been sold and 110,000 foreign fans in the country. Maybe Robbie Earle had them or they are Charlton season-ticket holders who couldn't be bothered?

Anyway I'll keep watching in the hope that it get's better.

USA! USA! Win!

2010-06-13T19:50:00.005-03:00

The front page of today's New York Post. When will those American's learn? No one won, it was a DRAW, a tie if they really must!

Green Day - English idiot

2010-06-13T10:16:00.005-03:00

It's certainly hard work watching England, cheering on those overpaid egos. The uneasy and alien slow build up lacking any of the adventure or passion our league football is renowned around the world for.

In fact playing a USA! USA! team, that plays in the style of an old fashioned English team should have allowed our 'better' players to excel but it didn't. Lampard and Rooney were non-existent, the crossing from wide positions was poor and Carragher and Terry struggled embarrassingly against forwards from Hull City, Los Angeles Galaxy and Real Salt Lake.

The Americans deserved a draw playing with a growing confidence after Gerrard gave us a dream start following a flowing move that later was beyond us.

A draw is not the end of the world though in the first game, which should, I repeat should be the hardest first round game.

Of more concern was Capello's team selection. After a qualification tournament when he got it so right, his efforts firstly to pick a 23-man squad and then a first XI yesterday looked hesitant and mismatched.

I'm not convinced we will see much more of Green, King, Milner and Carragher in this tournament. Oh well fortunately this feast of football has another 31 teams in it.

Vuvuzela

2010-06-12T09:49:00.003-03:00

Well the vuvuzela's are not bothering me, they might if I was sat next to a bloke with one at a game (don't get any ideas for next season Chris) but I think it adds to the World Cup experience, like the Mexican wave or the Argentinian tic-a-tape.

The South Koreans are giving Greece a lesson at the moment, their couple of Premier League players, particularly Man U's Park Ji-sung are technically far superior than the Greeks. How they won Euro 2004 I will never know.

The opening game was a cracker, Siphiwe Tshabalala's sublime finish deserving to be a winner, but I backed 1-1 so that was fine! If the France v Uruguay game ends up being the competition's worse then I think we will all be happy.

I'm looking forward to the Argentina v Nigeria game a little later. I fancy the Nigerian's to advance but Danny Shittu might not have slept so well when thinking about the Argentinan forward line.

Then onto today's main course, England's opener againt the USA! USA! We are going to some friends who have invited supporters from both sides of the Atlantic. I have noted these last couple of days that our American brothers are getting a little bit chippy, let's hope we don't have to suffer the American media going overboard on a subject they know little about.

Heskey looks like he will start, probably why I am not a football manager but I'd like to see Joe Cole play and think David James should be in between the posts for what it's worth.

Meanwhile in Bermuda we are not getting ESPN's extensive coverage but local channel ZFB are showing the pictures and appear to have a bloke sat at home filling in the gaps after matches. Shocking but not entirely unexpected. I think I will be watching a lot of the games via the live internet feeds.

Steve Waggott to leave

2010-06-11T10:45:00.003-03:00

"Steve, the board of directors and I have agreed that Steve will leave his role as CEO at the end of the month, but he will continue to assist me during the transfer window on reshaping the first-team squad for the forthcoming season." (more)

Never the most popular of the club's heirarchy so not surprisingly Steve Waggott's role as CEO has been terminated and from July Managing Director Steve Kavanagh will oversee the day-to-day running of the club.

Waggott has faced a lot of stick from keyboard warriors including me on occasion, no one likes to see people lose their jobs but it was abundantly clear to most outsiders that with delicate finances (to put it lightly) a chairman, deputy chairman, a chief executive and a managing director was a tiny bit excessive.

Some of the attacks got personal, which Waggott didn't deserve and taking the job over from Peter Varney was always going to be difficult, akin I suppose to replacing Curbs as team manager. Nonetheless the fact remains that the club is a far worser place now than it was when Steve Waggott took over.

At the end of the day though money saved on Waggott's salary can only enhance the club as a force on the pitch.

A Rainbow Nation at peace with itself

2010-06-10T13:55:00.003-03:00

I watched the film Invictus recently, the story of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It was a good film and it evoked plenty of emotions and memories of a country coming out of apartheid under Nelson Mandela, incredibly just 15 years ago.

Invictus also got me nicely in the mood for the South African World Cup which starts tomorrow. Not everything is rosy in South Africa but these BBC opening credits (click here to watch) for the tournament are brilliant as always and remind us all what this country has been through, yet how beautiful it is as well.

The Stanley Cup goes to Chicago

2010-06-10T00:29:00.006-03:00

For the first time in 49 years. Superb. Enjoy it Chicago. I'm off to bed.

One win away

2010-06-09T08:20:00.001-03:00

The Chicago Blackhawks are one game away from becoming Stanley Cup champions for the first time in almost 50 years. I watched Game 5 on Sunday night which kept me up way past my bedtime and the Hawks exploded into the action in the first period to take a 3-0 lead but the next two periods were back and forth with the Philadelphia Flyers with nothing to lose pinning the Hawks back but with the sell-out crowd hyperventilating Chicago led by the relentless Dustin Byfuglien kept pulling away to win 7-4, the first time seven goals had been scored in a Stanley Cup final since 2000.

Tonight's Game 6 starts at 9pm Bermuda time.

Football's coming home

2010-06-08T18:15:00.003-03:00

The World Cup suddenly hit me today like a Talal El Karkouri free-kick. My son was at home wearing his new top, and putting the bunting up in his bedroom, I stuck my wallchart up in the office and did my predictions and scribbled each game into my diary so I could plan the next four weeks of my life accordingly.

44 years of hurt then but it's hard to see an England victory, in fact it's hard to see beyond Spain and Brazil although I do have England making the semi-finals along with Argentina.

I hope that the African countries proceed a long way through the competition. Nigeria look to have a decent path to the quarters and Cameroon led by Samuel Eto'o should be a threat in the 2nd Round.

Drogba needs to be fit for the Ivory Coast to live up to their billing, but they have a bloody tough group to navigate first and finishing 2nd in Group G will probably pair them with Spain. How's your luck? And you have Sven-Goran Eriksson as your manager too!

Ghana are bound to miss Michael Essien and I think Serbia will be too strong for the Black Stars in Group D, which like Group G has churned up a fantastic set of games.

I have 400/1 shots Slovakia qualifying from Group F and I think the USA may well toil to qualify from our group. Beyond the starting XI the American's look desperately light and goals may well be a problem. I have Slovenia joining England in the 2nd Round.

I also allowed my heart to rule my head and have the hosts make it into the last 16. South Africa will need beat Mexico to give themselves every opportunity but I reckon the French will choke under Raymond Domenech.

In Group H, Chile had a strong qualification and include the prolific Suazo and I expect they will join favourites Spain where they no doubt will face fellow South American's Brazil in the Round of 16.... when did it become the Round of 16, at the same time as winningest?!

Nani was the latest player to succumb to injury today and I'm finding it disappointing that so many top players might be missing. The next four weeks is a football pitch sized catwalk of the world's best players. Some will end the tournament with their names etched in our memories forever as adults revere them and kids copy them up the park.

Others will be disappointments and won't live up to our expectations, whereas there will be a host of players that will come out of the shadows of squads and become household names and probably no doubt expensive Premier League signings by August.

Bring it on!

Rubber Duck Derby

2010-06-07T08:45:00.004-03:00

And you thought the Derby was at Epsom on Saturday? Oh no, the Rubber Duck Derby was yesterday in the historic town of St George's and we were intrigued enough to take a trip up there leaving our hats and tails at home.

The weather was hot and there was little breeze but a few hundred others had turned out to watch the 14th annual running, or floating of the Duck Derby.

It was all for charity and simply you buy a duck, have your name attached to it and then they are all almost systematically lobbed into the current at the little inlet at Ordnance Island and they float down under the bridge to the finish line. The winner collects, well I don't know what the winner collected because we'd left by then but we were assured there were prizes, some even worth re-packaging as gifts!

The sight of hundreds of bright yellow ducks bobbing along the water being cheered on by the crowd was quite silly really, especially since the current was almost non-existent and the little wind there was, was blowing into the beaks of the competitors!

Helped by men in canoes and jet skis, slowly the ducks moved down towards the finish line where the winner, a handsome crested male with wrap around sunglasses, was greeted with cheers and I suspect a life in stud.

Bermuda and the BP oil spill

2010-06-05T10:15:00.001-03:00

The BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is being played out in front of our eyes like a soap opera. BP even have remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROV) showing the world live feeds from 5,000ft below the surface. The amount of oil spewing into the ocean is frightful and sad. Emotions are high and BP are getting slated.

For the first morning since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20th, BP have announced some better news in that the latest containment cap is showing the first signs of promise funnelling off 10,000 barrels of oil to the surface. But since that fateful April day over 39 million gallons of oil have been poured into the Gulf of Mexico affecting 80,000 sq. miles of ocean. The coastal towns of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida watch with mouths agape.

Computer models show that oil leaking from the damaged well could enter the Gulf Stream and move around the tip of Florida in the next few weeks and then travel as far north as Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, which on the American east coast is the nearest landmass to Bermuda 600 miles away in the Atlantic.

Potentially the oil could reach Bermuda's pink shores but Friday the Environment Minister Glenn Blakeney allayed concerns by saying there is little risk of fresh oil reaching Bermuda. Nonetheless there is a threat related to the defacing of beaches by tar balls, but more significant is the potential damage to sealife and Bermuda's coastline from the use of powerful chemical dispersal agents being used in large quantities.

This is already the USA's worst ever environmental disaster, if the oil slick makes it way to Bermuda and then onto the Artic and Europe then the world faces an ecological disaster of unknown proportions.

Bye Moots and thanks

2010-06-04T19:51:00.004-03:00

On eight grand a week we should thank Yassin Moutaouakil for agreeing to having his contract torn up. I don't know many people who firstly would say no to a silly salary offer in the first place, and then agree to walk away short changed after being treated I think quite shabbily by his employer. If he was a bad influence, a bad egg, then show me some evidence, not just hearsay.

It is rumoured that Moots took the £100,000 offered by the club, £316,000 plus expenses less than he would have received if he'd stayed and kicked his heels around Sparrows Lane for another year. Credit to the Frenchman for taking a gamble in throwing himself onto the out of work footballer heap, confident I am sure in his own ability. I for one hope he goes on to prove what a fine player he can be.

£300,000 allows the club to pay probably two 3rd Division players next season and despite my personal feelings in relation to Moots, it is good business for the club and begins a new sensible financial chapter for the us. Now what about Izale McLeod?

Charlton connections at the World Cup

2010-06-02T15:00:00.008-03:00

I love the World Cup, and like Hungry Ted it was this festival of football that made a life-lasting impression on me. My first football memories were West Germany 1974, although I do have vague recollections of the fatal England v Poland game the autumn before.

The orange-shirted Haan, Neeskens, Krol, Jansen, Rensenbrink, Rep, the Van Der Kerkhof brothers and my idol Johan Cruyff were in fact responsible for my falling in love with Charlton. It wasn't as complicated as it sounds. For a whole year after the 1974 World Cup I nagged my Dad to take me to football, to see close up this game that had enthralled me. Total football, the Cruyff Turn, the Arie Haan thunderbolt. My Dad took me to The Valley and the rest as they say, is history.

The times of the games work out pretty well here (Bermuda is four hours behind the UK), and I plan to watch as much of the action as possible. Unlike four years ago when I was in Chicago, at least one can have conversations with strangers about football here. There was nothing more to bring on a bout of homesickness in America than the World stopping for a World Cup, while the majority of Americans concern themselves with baseball.

Mind you ESPN have gone to extraordinary lengths this time to bring the beautiful game into the living rooms of Americans, which will please my collection of soccer-mad friends in Chicago. It pleases me also as it will ESPN's pictures that we will watch on television screens in Bermuda.

You may think that little 'ol Charlton has no interest in this summer's extravaganza, well think again. If I stretch the imagination a little there are no fewer than 7 ex-Addicks appearing in South Africa, and that doesn't include Shaun Bartlett, Mark Fish and Robbie Mustoe, who are there in a media capacity. These are the seven:

Danny Shittu (Nigeria)
Well the man who once while on loan at QPR had to help the interviewer with the prounounciation of his name never made a first team appearance for us, but he has made over 250 appearances for Blackpool, QPR, Watford and now Bolton. He is now out of contract and is available on a free transfer and turned a move to Turkey last week. Big Dan has 24 Nigerian caps and is expected to start alongside Joseph Yobo.

Madjid Bougherra (Algeria)
Signed and sold by Alan Pardew, Magic has gone on to be quite a star at Rangers. Despite being born in France he decided to play for the country where his grandfather was born and has collected 40 caps. Algeria are of course in our group and he only made the final squad after declaring himself fit following a calf injury. Blackpool's Hameur Bouazza did not make the final 23.

Jermain Defoe (England)
Judasssss!! Never liked the bloke personally and would slag him off at will to anyone who would listen when we regularly finished higher than Spurs. Defoe was always a shoe-in but despite him appearing to score at will (he got 3 hat-tricks this season) for the 5th season out of six the former Addicks academy player finished with less goals than a certain Darren Bent. Capello is likely to use Defoe as an impact player who has scored 11 goals in 40 appearances for England.

Jonathan Spector (USA)
Yep, possibly one of the worst players I saw in a Premier League patented Charlton shirt, the boy from the suburbs of Chicago is expected to start for the USA on Saturday week against England. I had forgotten that Spector was originally at Man Utd after being spotted while playing for the American Under-17's. A regular last season for both the USA and West Ham, he has played over 100 games for the Hammers and was on loan to us in the 2005/6 season starting just 16 games.

Alexandre Song (Cameroon)
One of our more popular loan signings. Many of us could see his talent during the 12 games the then 19-year old played for us at the end of our relegation season. Song went back to Highbury and was on the fringes until this season when he was a midfield regular playing almost 40 games. Song has 22 caps and is expected to start for Cameroon alongside his mentor and older cousin Rigobert.

Stephan Andersen (Denmark)
After playing just 17 games in three seasons for Charlton, Stephan went back to his homeland in 2007 and signed for Brøndby where he has been their first team goalkeeper ever since and is the club's reigning player of the season. Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is first choice but he is still recovering after dislocating his elbow in a game at Chelsea in April, so Anderson may play in the Danes opening match against Holland.

Dennis Rommedahl (Denmark)
Loved him or loathed him, watching Rommedahl take his place against Holland on June 14th for his 96th cap will remind us all of times past. Sold for £680,000 three years ago, the lightning quick Dane played 90 games for Charlton and never scored at The Valley but did score a little peach at Selhurst Park! This season Rommedahl started 16 games for Ajax and scored 6 goals.

Blackhawks Down

2010-06-02T08:58:00.000-03:00

Not anymore. After beating the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 Monday night they now lead the 7-game Stanley Cup series 2-0.

This is a remarkable turnaround by Chicago's famous ice hockey team. When I was living in the windy city, the Hawks when not on strike were mostly an embarrassment. I remember on the odd occasion when I would go and watch them, the crowd would boo them onto the ice. The reviled previous owner Bill Wirtz priced tickets well over the top for what is the most working class sport in the city and sparse crowds would spread themselves around the 23,000 capacity arena.

Nicknamed Dollar Bill, Wirtz also banned the Hawks from being shown on live television and the result was that no one cared a jot about one of the NHL's first six. There was no love of the team that were founded in 1926, just distant memories of the old days passed down from fathers and grandfathers. The Chicago media relegated them to also rans and to rub salt ESPN dismissed the Blackhawks with the humiliating title of "worst franchise in sports" in 2006. Quite a feat.

But at the start of the 2007 season owner Bill Wirtz died after a brief battle with cancer. He had served as president for 40 years and few tears were shed amongst Chicago's sports fans. At the minute's silence to mark his death the crowd booed loudly and his replacement Rocky Wirtz, Bill's son was met with derison.

However Rocky acted quickly to change his father's loathed and archaic policies. Rocky signed a television contract with local channel WGN and all games were aired live. Tickets were more affordable starting at just $15 and marketing and public relations improved. The game last night was the Hawks 101st consecutive sell out home game.

The city started to fall in love again with the Blackhawks, trophy-less since 1961 and the longest drought of any of the NHL teams (as the Cubs is in baseball). Before we left Chicago we saw the Hawks play their last game of the 2008 season. It was like day and night. That team included it's youngest ever captain, then 20-year old Jonathan Toews and one of North America's best young players Patrick Kane.

Today the Hawks is all Chicago are talking about. A friend of mine was at a Cubs match this weekend and told me there were more Blackhawks red shirts on show than the Cubs blue.

Tonight the Hawks go to Philly for Game 3. There will be Chicagoans in Philly unadoubtedly as they/we get everywhere, but for those sat at home, thanks to Rocky Wirtz, Hawk's fans will be stood in front of their televisions clapping, stamping their feet and screaming over the American national anthem. A tradition once as famous as the Blackhawk's losing streak.

Palace survive, Bent misses cut again

2010-06-01T15:50:00.001-03:00

The BBC followed Fabio Capello's squad annoucement today as if it was the World Cup final itself. Personally I was more interested in Crystal Palarse's future, which looks to have been rescued after CPFC 2010 agreed the outline of a deal to buy both the club and it's tatty old home.

Darren Bent for the 2nd time in 4 years can book his summer holiday safe in the knowledge that Emile Heskey is considered likely to score more goals than him in South Africa, just like Theo Walcott was expected to in Germany in 2006. Scott Parker's absence is less of a surprise with Gareth Barry making the cut following an MRI scan today.

More of a turn-up was Shaun Wright Phillips getting in ahead of the aforementioned Walcott, proving what an idiotic choice it was by Sven-Goran Eriksson four years ago. Stephen Warnock will carry Ashley Cole's divorce file after Leighton Baines froze in his chance to impress. Warnock has only played 6 minutes for England and that was two years ago.

Emile Heskey's inclusion calls for all of us 'terrace football experts' to accept that we have not a clue. I watched his contribution after he came on as sub on Saturday against Japan. Fall over, kick the ball off, miss an open goal, yet Benty get's buried for not scoring a hat-trick in 45 minutes. I was left wondering why Carl Leaburn didn't get more caps.

Meanwhile in the streets of SE25 young spotty boys with a collection of multi-coloured Palace home tops that would grace a Paris catwalk celebrated willdly at the thought of the tax payer helping to bail out their club, more back room staff getting made redundant and local businesses getting a few pence in the pound as for the 3rd time they look set to come out of administration. You know what they say. Once is unlucky, twice is unfortunate but three times is taking the piss.
The deal is not yet done though and the next step in CPFC 2010′s takeover is to agree the Company Voluntary Agreement, which is not a formality.

I would not have wanted to see Palarse be liquidated. There is no fun in that, but in saying that I do feel a bit deflated by today's news. Does that make me a bad man?

Man United Day

2010-06-01T10:45:00.003-03:00

My sole long sleeved-top will deserve it's wash today after arriving back last night from a cold London Bank Holiday. My shorts meanwhile went back into the drawer unworn!

I have come back into the office today to be welcomed by 'Man United Day', June 1st being the official day that my company takes over the shirt sponsorship. We have been receiving an email a day as the firm goes into excitement overload at the thought of paying $100m of United's debt off over the next 3 years, which is about 11% of their total. Meanwhile Crystal Palace face liquidation this afternoon unless they can find £4.5m.

My London trip was short and sweet, untouched by football except for a kick-around on London Fields on Sunday with my son and brother. While I'm at it then, good on Millwall, they deserved promotion and I think Swindon staying represents a weaker Division 3 next season with Dagenham & Redbridge bringing with them what will be the smallest average attendance.

At the end of last week in town I caught up with a lot of people and gossip on my traverses, a highlight being bumping into an old mate outside the Lloyds building whom I hadn't seen since 2003. Apart from the position of his hairline he hadn't changed at all, and we laughed for 10 minutes and swapped numbers.

My son voted for London Zoo over the Museum of London on Saturday and ducking in and out of the drizzle we pretty much had the run of the place including the new Rainforest Life where Red titi and tamarin monkey's hurtled around us, stopping occasionally to stare back at us. Sloth's laze and armadillo's sauntered in the heat, whilst downstairs in the Night Life we watched as bats created shadows in the dark and rats scurried around as if in a tube station at midnight.

It was fun and we ended the day having a superb chinese meal in Feng Shang, the floating restaurant on the Cumberland Basin near Regents Park.

Heatwave

2010-05-27T04:48:00.002-03:00

What heatwave? You Brits do get excited about a bit of sun don't you? It was bloody freezing at Gatwick airport this morning and it was drizzling. The bloke stood next to me on the train to London Bridge had a ruddy scarf on.

Today is a work day mostly. Then tonight we have our annual fantasy football drinks and prize giving that a mate and I have organised since the mid-nineties. Both of us have worked and lived abroad and it has been a great way to keep in touch with old work friends so I am looking forward to that.... standing outside the pub getting pneumonia no doubt!

I'm going to avoid all football this weekend, I truly don't mind whether Swindon or Millwall win, and likewise Daggers and Rotherham. I have a soft spot for Ronnie Moore ever since I bought his left pinky but Dagenham would replace Southend as a sort of local derby. Was Shaun Newton's injury time winner in that FA Cup replay really 9 years ago? Depressing.

Bermuda Day

2010-05-24T06:30:00.002-03:00

We have our short work-week this week as today is a national holiday and the island comes out to celebrate Bermuda Day. The highlight being the traditional running of the 'Derby' a 13-mile road race from Somerset in the west of the island to the capital of Hamilton that includes a lot of steep climbs and dips. The 1,200 or so runners will start to pass by our house at around 10.15, and we will be down there to see who we recognise and cheer them on.

A parade takes place later in Hamilton, as well as a cycle race plus the peculiar and often hilarious Bermuda Fitted Dinghy Racing begins its annual season. The dinghies are 14 feet long, with 40 foot masts but with more sail than any other vessel of similar length.

Despite their small sizes, the dinghies are each normally crewed by six people, necessary to handle the large areas of sail, and also to continually bail water from the dinghies that are often capsized by powerful gusts. A unique rule to racing states that the number of crew to finish a race can be less than the number that started. This can encourage boats to have crew dive off into the water to help lighten the boat and increase performance. Today's first regatta is at St George's Harbour.

May 24th also marks the traditional start of the Bermudian summer, i.e the heat moves from warm to hot. Also for most locals today is the first day they venture into the water, the sea not the bath. Happy bank holiday Monday.

London celebrates Bermuda Day

Thumb

2010-05-23T00:02:00.001-03:00

I spent three hours in emergency this evening after slicing the top of my thumb off!

Using a mandoline to slice beetroot and carrots to make pancakes (honestly they would have been scrummy), the top of my right thumb plopped into the dish followed by a gush of claret. Neither of which were in the list of ingredients!

Sat in the emergency ward, fortunately before the pubs closed, I was thinking that I have spent more time in Bermuda's one hospital than I have in any hospital wherever I have lived before.

The care was good and I am all bandaged up and my thumb will be sore for while but it will heal.

9 Beaches closes

2010-05-22T19:57:00.001-03:00

Bermudian travel blogger David Lahuta led me to this story of another Bermudian hotel closure. 9 Beaches was an ageing but idyllically situated hotel with rooms perched on stilts over the water and reached by boardwalks. This news added to the shuttering of the main Elbow Beach hotel at the end of last year represents a 11% reduction in total hotel rooms on the island in a little over a year.

Trying to put my natural scepticism aside, the 9 Beaches hotel does have plans for a $80m redevelopment, with investment by Canadian developer Nordica (which strangely doesn't have a website). The land is government owned and the plan is for 150 units on the property, which is twice as many as there are now. Work won't begin until year-end with plans to re-open in May 2011. You can why I am sceptical.

I have only seen 9 Beaches from the water and it's position at Daniel Head in Sandys Parish is beautiful but on closer inspection the property was crumbling. Named due to the number of talcum powder coloured coves in it's vicinity, 9 Beaches originally opened it's doors in 2003 as an eco-resort, and then was revamped and re-opened again in 2005. The eco-bit was probably a mistake and I note there is no plans for eco-anything in the renovation.

Blackpool Tower

2010-05-22T13:04:00.005-03:00

Congratulations to Blackpool and Ian Holloway, what a fantastic achievement, and one that breathes hope into every unfashionable 'small club' everywhere.

It was a terrific game, with all five goals scored in a topsy-turvy first half but Blackpool thoroughly deserved their season amongst the big boys for the first time since 1971. Blackpool's 111-year old Bloomfield Road will be the smallest ever stadium to grace the Premiership and I look forward to seeing away fans sat on the open away terrace in the rain and sleet!

Blackpool avaraged just over 8,000 last year but this final has been monikered the £90m one-off game and I sure the Oyston family will be looking to improve their famous stadium. Last week we were reminded that Charlton were due a further £250,000 from the Mark Hudson transfer if Cardiff won promotion so not a good day for the Charlton board, but I found it very hard to root for Cardiff and that sandbagger Peter Risdale and am as pleased as punch for Ian Holloway, Jason Euell and the people of Blackpool.

Honest communication now needed

2010-05-21T08:30:00.003-03:00

How are you all doing? Feeling better?

Clearly this isn't going to be much of a fun-filled summer for us Addicks. Other clubs will be sniffing around our better players looking to get them on the cheap and the crap ones we won't even be able to air-lift out of the building. Then of course there will be the mind-blowing rumours of our transfer targets. It was only a few years back that we were all over Matt Dawson, Dean Ashton and James Beattie during the summer hiatus. Fast forward half a decade and we have the humdrum news of Akpo Sodje signing on a permanent contract, another year then in watching the fabled art of not being able to flick on a lofted forward hoof.

Richard Murray and others in the boardroom will be hurting as much as the rest of us. More. More because they seriously now see their life investments being turned into 1p in the pound.

I have one plea to the club this summer after we dust ourselves down and finish drinking away the memories (perhaps that's just me). Can we please have some open and honest communciation from Richard and the board please and the sooner the better?

We know we are up shit creek. But do we have a paddle? Even a small one? Is administration even an option? Is Parky going to be retained? If so, then come out and support the bloke. Tell us what the plan is for the squad, we don't want buzzwords and fluff, we want honesty. Seriously we are big boys and girls and (most of us) long smelt the coffee and can take it. Blimey, we have been taking it good and proper for a few years now.

I would love to hear of a long-term plan for the grass roots restoration of the club. No more short-termism and budgeting for promotion and then coming up short, very short. Do we think Swindon budgeted for promotion? No.

Let's promote the benefits of youth and talk up players like Wagstaff, Solly, Tuna, Jenkinson, Davisson and Mambo and make them important members of our squad. Actively seek long term loans of young players from the Premiership and not has beens or never beens to plug holes. Give us something to cling onto Charlton, give us some honest dialogue. Please.

Unity

2010-05-18T21:06:00.001-03:00

Charlton Athletic 2 Swindon Town 1
I still feel numbed by last night's events. Numb but distinctly proud. I can't bring myself to think beyond today, not yet. Like Parky and the players I'll take a little break and collect my thoughts.

If nothing else the season ended in unity between players and fans. A quality that we have to take into next season especially knowing how rocky the road is going to be. But nothing changes one jot. I remember my brother and I having many very serious conversations 20-years ago about who we'd support if Charlton were no longer. The answer was and still is nobody.

I perversely like the idea of a struggle, a call to arms, a rebirth. Fuck Millwall let them go up and join Palace for a season and let us get on with it.

This morning was tough, I didn't sleep well and then I had to re-live the game with my son. He was very quiet on the phone. He hasn't enjoyed many good times as a Charlton fan and the re-birth story needs a better plot.

I'm still coming home next weekend, strikes and ash clouds allowing. I had conveniently arranged a work trip around it, and, well Saturday at the museum will I am sure be a nice day out for both of us! Has to be a million times better than losing to Millwall at Wembley. I'm not sure I could have coped with that.

Charlton 'til I die.

Proud Addicks: Blackheath Addicted; Charlton Casual; Drinking During the Game; Doctor Kish; Deepest Darkest; Addicks Diary; Charlton Athletic Online; Kings Hill Addick.

Not now

2010-05-17T22:07:00.003-03:00

I felt so sick. I wish I was there I really do. The togetherness is what I miss the most. I've drunk a fair bit and now is not the time for soul searching. I'm proud, I've always been proud even in darker days. Wherever, whenever.. Charlton 'til I die.

Huge

2010-05-16T22:50:00.001-03:00

My pre-game thoughts were somewhat lost in this Mail on Sunday non-story today and then the aftermath post on Charlton Life. Like many issues this one can be saved for either Tuesday morning or May 30th.

No sugar coating needs to be added to justify how important tomorrow night's game is. I accept that our financial situation may not be much better if we win promotion and the season could be spent in a relegation battle but this has been a tough and troubling campaign for most Addicks and another dose of Division 3 would be hard to swallow.

The aftermath again can wait. What we need at 7.45pm tomorrow night is a crowd and team bound by togetherness and a spirit that makes us all proud to support our special club.

I was surprised that Parky changed the team on Friday night after the performances that came before it but he has to change it again tomorrow as we need to pursue goals, without forgetting how important it is to keep it secure and sensible at the back especially noting how quick Swindon were on the counter. I wonder if Sodje will be bandaged up again and will start?

A huge, huge night then and I wish I could be there. I'll be watching though. Come on you reds, let's go.

Adios amigo

2010-05-16T21:23:00.003-03:00

Back last night from Mexico, rested and more in awe of Rosewood Hotels than ever before. We did curtail some of our touring plans that involved some distances and concentrated our time around by the pool and hotel room. It was a good time although I could do without looking another avocado in the eye again for a while. I'll write more on the 75 mile coastline of the Mayan Riviera soon.

Half time but must do better

2010-05-14T18:16:00.002-03:00

Swindon Town 2 Charlton Athletic 1
I don't know about you but the game didn't fill me with an awful lot of confidence. We looked very lucklustre from the off and Swindon were finding all manor of holes in a rearguard that gave Darren Randolph little protection. Swindon should have been ahead at half-time but they weren't and I took encouragement from that thinking that we had to be better in the 2nd half.

Sure enough we started the 2nd half much brighter and I thought Bailey had scored with our first shot on goal, only to see the ball bounce back from the post. Much better I am sure we all thought until Alan Sheehan had all the time in the world to send in a fine cross and simply Charlie Austin just wanted it more than Borrowdale and Sodje. 1-0.

This did spark our best bit of the game up until that point but we lacked any edge (again). Sam just wasn't being utilised and Mooney and Burton played like strangers. Out of the blue we were one against two on a counter-attack. Why we left ourselves so exposed I'll never know and the impressive Ward scored a goal that Lloyd Sam can only dream off.

My brother text me and suggested it was all over, certainly even with 120 minutes of the tie left I had to agree with him but five minutes later a brave Deon Burton beat Swindon's keeper to a huge clearance from Randolph and we were back in it. Burton on his knees in front of the away end rallied Addicks everywhere. Minutes later he really should have got an equaliser but he just couldn't get his head on what was to be fair a swirling powerful cross.

At that point Parky's side which according to him is packed with experience and character should have taken the game to Swindon with the home crowd silent and fearing the worse but despite some decent possession and good midfield sweep-up play led by the inspirational Semedo we never looked like scoring again despite Forster, Akpo and Waggy all coming on.

The clock ticked down but a goal in the last few minutes either way would have been pivotal and three times Swindon nearly scored at the death, and Pericard should have booked their Wembley tickets for them when he headed against the post with Randolph well beaten.

My heart is out of my mouth and back in it's rightful position but it is half-time and we have not been the better side. The Valley needs to be rampant on Monday and we have to get goals from somewhere. Just two shots on target today despite a stack of well positioned free-kicks and 13 corners. Time for Nicky Bailey to move into the middle and to start with Kyel Reid. Come on you reds let's have it.

At the County Ground: Addicks Diary; Kings Hill Addick; Many Miles; Drinking During the Game.

Ah bien

2010-05-11T11:59:00.005-03:00

It has been a mixed beginning to our holiday. We are on the Rivieria Maya in the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula off the Caribbean Sea and we chose this spot because of how 'easy' it was to get to from Bermuda, and sure enough it was, although immigration at Cancun Airport frustratingly took longer than the flight from Miami!

We picked this hotel in Mayakoba because it would provide a good base for us and the baby, and so it does and the property is beautiful. However selfishly we also picked this area because it's near to the historic Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza, but when I say near I mean a 3-hour drive. What has become abundantly clear to us in the three days we have all been here is that a 3-hour drive, remembering Bermuda is 21 miles long, is not near and then add to this the 90-degree heat and our 6-month old getting heat rash as soon as we go outside, then we have learnt some valuable lessons already about picking future vacation destinations.

We were due to drive to Chichen Itza tomorrow but we have abandoned our plans and will take it easy by the shaded pool instead. We do hope to visit Tulum on Thursday though, which is less than an hour south of us and also one of the 3,000 Cenotes in the Peninsula, the magical and sacred underground sinkholes.

Our perspective was not helped at all by us spending 3 hours roped stupidly into a 'presentation' at a Private Residences resort nearby on Monday. I am normally so savvy of these scams that I have a good radar for avoidance but like an idiot I/we got reeled in at the car hire place at Cancun Airport and thus we, baby and all, spent most of the afternoon yesterday at the Grand Mayan resort being aggressively sold a 'holiday home' that we had no intention of buying.

In my experience nice does not cut it in these situations so after approaching three hours in a oxygen filled room with the utter lowest of the low 'salesmen' I turned it nasty and we pretty much got thrown out, but not after another 3 or 4 wankers tried to downsell us as we seeked the exit door. We were then left stranded outside in the heat, but I wasn't going to leave without our promised goodies (one of which was free entrance to Chichen Itza!) and made sure we at least left with more (not less) money in our wallets.

Please don't let me see that very nice Mexican lady at the car rental office when we take the car back on Sunday because that experience will stay with me for a while. "Can we not just draw a line underneath it," says other-half. Hmmm. Anyway another lesson learnt and it came as no surprise that googling Grupo Mayan earlier brought up dozens of websites such as this one citing complaints.

Meanwhile I notice that the Swindon away tickets went like hotcakes, which is obviously fantastic but I wonder why the club didn't offer priority to regular travellers as they have done most of the season? Friends have also told me of many an hour sat in front of their PC's trying to book home-leg tickets. One can rely of course on Charlton cocking up ticketing for big games. It reminded me of a Sunday night spent outside The Valley for the remaining few hundred Old Trafford cup tickets that went on sale on a Monday morning in 1984. The club had put the entire allocation (15,000) on sale Saturday morning with no restrictions but some of us were following the team at Bolton and only found out when we got back to London that they had almost sold the entire lot!

Anyway my laptop is working and the direction our new lazy holiday is taking should include an afternoon sat by the computer on Friday afternoon. I was thinking today that I was also away for the play-off semi-finals in 1998. Different woman, different continent but let's hope for the same outcome. Buenas noches.

Dream on.

2010-05-08T23:10:00.001-03:00

Oldham Athletic 0 Charlton Athletic 2
And it was on for 13 minutes this afternoon when Millwall and Swindon were level at the New Den and inconceivably Bristol Rovers were one-up at Elland Road. Leeds were down to 10-men and it looked again if the pressure was going to get too much and they were about to implode but two goals in five minutes secured them promotion in front of 38,000. Around about the same time with us now two goals to the good Millwall also scored twice to lead Swindon. They eventually won 3-2.

Meanwhile down in the West Country Exeter beat Huddersfield despite going behind early, a result that kept Huddersfield in 6th and sent Gillingham down. Tranmere will also spend another season in the third tier after beating Stockport. John Barnes oversaw a disastrous spell in charge up until the end of November but it was the club physio Les Parry who kept Rovers up. A lesson to all money-bags chairmen everywhere.

Back to us then and we did what we had to do at Boundary Park and won to continue our nice little vein of form. It was the first time we have scored more than a solitary goal for a while and by all accounts Bailey put wide of an open goal to make it three, but the travelling 1,300 Addicks sounded like they enjoyed it and it was a comfortable win.

Because of Swindon's defeat we jumped above them to gain home advantage in the 2nd leg of the play-off semi final. In fact we occupied 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th during the 90 minutes but we avoid Millwall and go to the County Ground on Friday when I will be in Mexico.

Today for 13 minutes after Bristol Rovers took the lead I felt all of my breath squeeze out of me and my heart was racing sat in front of the computer. Heavens, it's only the beginning!

At Boundary Park: Blackheath Addicted; Doctor Kish.

Maya beauty

2010-05-07T06:52:00.000-03:00

Some of you might think I am always on holiday *removes sand from in between toes*

But we haven't been on what I would call a real holiday for quite some time, the real definition of a holiday, you know relaxing, sleeping in, exploring, eating and drinking.

Five years ago we spent a memorable holiday in Cabo at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. On Sunday we are going to the opposite coast and Riviera Maya, a kind of made up name for the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

It is a short flight down to Cancun, Mexico's equivalent of Torremolinos from Miami then less than an hour's drive to where we are staying just north of Playa Del Carmen at Mayakoba.

A Chicago Addick family holiday wouldn't be complete without some exploration (now with pram) and two and half hours away are the most famous of all Mayan sites at Chichen Itza. Much closer is Tulum, where Mayan ruins perch atop cliffs overlooking the ocean. Playa Del Carmen is a hip looking place although is swarming like Bermuda, with American cruise-line tourists.

We leave Sunday morning and return on Saturday and I'm very much looking forward to reacquainting myself with Mexico's tequila charms.

Election Day

2010-05-06T15:26:00.004-03:00

Vote early and vote often as they say in Chicago.

Like all ex-pats the UK Election Day will be viewed by me through a window and although I have found the whole campaign engrossing, although thank heavens it is only a month and not a couple of years like the American election, most of the issues don't directly affect me as I live abroad.

However it is still the place I call home, my son is educated there and we do have property in London, so therefore I naturally get drawn towards different themes than I'm sure I would if was still living and working there.

I watched a couple of the debates and have followed the campaigns avidly. As an original Lib-Dem cheerleader (SDP before that) I too was swept up with Clegg-mania but you can drive a bus through their manifesto and I'm not convinced Clegg is just David Cameron with a different colour tie.

The thought of a hung parliament both excites and scares me, but living overseas opens your eyes to how other people view us and our government and with a critical few years laying ahead, what is really needed is strong leadership and not an egoistical committee.

I have lived most of my life under Labour rule, but Gordon Brown's bigot gaffe last week surely proved to even the staunchest of followers that they are completely disconnected from the majority of people in the country. Actually ditto the majority of all MP's.

For shits and giggles I had a go at the Who should I vote for Questionnaire and astonishingly I came out Labour, in fact it wasn't even close with the Lib Dems trailing behind in a distant second!

Anyway I was unable to vote even though I tried to. I registered as an overseas voter but put the wrong address on the form of where I thought I was last registered. Then I couldn't remember the address of where I probably was registered, I think it was Paddock Wood but the house number and postcode escaped me. So I ran out of time and interest and will watch the events unfold on the BBC tonight when I get home as a fascinated neutral.

Oh and the very best of luck to Charlton fanatics Rick Everitt (Lab) and Darryl Chamberlain (Green) who are both standing today.

The Valley Party

2010-05-05T16:40:00.001-03:00

20 years ago this month The Valley Party contested local elections in Greenwich fielding 60 candidates in all but two of the seats. In a stupendously original and clever campaign The Valley Party collected 14,838 votes and won a very respectable 10.9% of the ballot causing Chair of the Planning Committee, Simon Oelman to lose his seat.

The upshot was that on Tuesday 2nd April, 1991 at Woolwich Town Hall planning permission for the redevelopment of The Valley was granted. That cold night my brother and I joined hundreds of others inside and out of the Town Hall celebrating the decision like we'd won the Champions League.

I don't know if you visit Charlton Life or not but they are running a series of interviews, stories and memories of The Valley Party to celebrate the 20 year anniversery and it is a must read. Click here for a trip down memory lane.

Photograph courtesy of Charlton Life.

Ex Addicks lead ESPN's World Cup coverage.

2010-05-05T06:37:00.003-03:00

I was reading an interview with my old Kent neighbour Shaun Bartlett the other day and saw that he is doing some well received television work in South Africa. He is also slated to be one of ESPN's World Cup reporters in South Africa this summer alongside Robbie Mustoe.

ESPN and sister network company ABC will have 300 people working in South Africa this summer, more than the BBC. I remember when I first lived in Chicago and the best football coverage was on the mostly Spanish language channel and now defunct Fox Sports World. How the beautiful game has infected the Americans. Next you'll know, a sleepy Chicago based global provider of risk management services, insurance and reinsurance brokerage will spend $100m to sponsor Manchester United!

Anyway in 2002 ESPN commentated on half of the World Cup games from a studio in Connecticut, this time they are shipping over a live set and will be at every game as well as the opening ceremony. That's 250 hours of couch potato beer supping football magic.

Not convinced that the growing soccer followers will be happy just to watch the games live, ESPN have also hired some proper commentators. Believe me the last bloke, an actual baseball reporter called Dave O'Brien, was shocking. So what have ESPN's owners Disney done? Well they have opened up their dollar bank accounts to Martin Tyler, Ian Darke and Adrian Healey. I wonder if they will offer subtitles like they do on most British television programmes that get shown on American telly?

Scottish ex-pat Derek Rae will join Tyler, Darke and Healey on the box which fortunately means Tommy Smyth, who I can't abide joins JP Dellacamera on the radio.

In South Africa ESPN have also hired the services of various ex-players including Bartlett, who spent a couple of seasons in the MLS before he found his way to The Valley via Switzerland and Robbie Mustoe who had one season (2002/03) with us after being signed by Curbs on a free. Ruud Gullit, the sagacious Efan Ekoku, Steve McManaman, John Harkes and the instantly recognisable Alexi Lalas will join them. More surprising is Wigan manager Roberto Martinez who will also provide expert analysis.

Not a bad line up and more than comparable to the BBC team which adds Emmanuel Adebayor, Jurgen Klinnsmann (they'll appeal to Arsenal fans!), Gordon Strachan and Clarence Seedorf to Lineker, Shearer, Hanson and Lawrenson. The smug Colin Murray will also play a big role unfortunately.

ITV as far as I can make out have yet to announce their World Cup team to support big new signing Adrian Chiles.

Bulls fire coach after play-off failure

2010-05-04T17:01:00.001-03:00

In practice for play-off fever I have been keeping an eye on my Chicago teams in their end of season endeavours. The Bulls eventually succumbed to a LeBron James inspired Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 1 in the 1st Round of the NBA Championship play-offs. As a word of warning to Phil Parkinson, Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro was last night thanked for his efforts and then fired.

Meanwhile the cities hockey team are doing better and are involved in a Conference Semi-Final with the Vancouver Canucks. On Saturday I tuned in to see the Blackhawks get stuffed at home by the Canucks 5-1 following an absolutely listless performance, but in Game 2 last night with the game heading to overtime with just 90 seconds left first Kris Versteeg and then Patrick Kane scored for the Bulls to take the game 4-2 and level the best of 7 series.

The winners will play San Jose Sharks or Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Final. Don't worry the NHL play-off's might just be finished by the time the World Cup Final kicks off.

New airline lands in BDA

2010-05-04T06:37:00.000-03:00

Some good news yesterday for the flagging Bermudian tourism industry as the first WestJet plane landed at Bermuda airport just after 2pm. Every seat was taken, all 130 of them arriving on the new daily flight from Toronto.

WestJet is a low cost Canadian carrier and has modelled itself on SouthWest and already the Calgary based company has grown to number two behind the countries flag carrier, Air Canada in just 14 years of existence. Flights are advertised on WestJet's website one-way to Bermuda for just $99.

Toronto has some close ties with Bermuda and 3,000 Canadians live and work here due to a favourable income tax treaty. However despite a passport not being required until recently only 10% of Bermuda's visitors come from Canada. Hopefully WestJet will improve that and certainly it has reminded me that I need one day to spend some quality time (I've only been once with work) in Toronto.

Knees down

2010-05-03T13:30:00.000-03:00

As I have long suspected the MRI scan I had last week has shown the ACL to be torn in my right knee. The most frustrating thing is that I'd wish I had found out in January when I did it playing football. The ruddy doctor here said all I needed was some anti-inflammatory tablets and to raise my leg up and down every night when I was watching television!

Fortunately I finally found a specialist physio, who has helped me strengthen the medial and lateral ligaments but something inside wasn't right as my body busily tried to counteract the injury.

As one of my mates said to me, that does make me sound very sporty and an option is to do nothing and change my sporting activities to fishing and snooker but I want to get it repaired, the question is just when I do it and by whom.

Dailly wins POTY

2010-05-02T22:40:00.004-03:00

Congratulations to Christian Dailly, who won Charlton Player of the Year tonight. The 36-year old fully deserved the accolade and gained just 1% more than my vote Jose Semedo, although I was very torn between Dailly and Jose and either would jave been deserving winners. Last year's winner Nicky Bailey was 3rd with my son's vote Sam Sodje (purely on the basis of his ridiculous neck muscles) not featured!

Scott Wagstaff beat Jonjo Shelvey to the Young Player of the Year award and the wonderfully intricate passing move that led to Lloyd Sam's goal at home to Brentford, which my son and I were fortunate to see won the Goal of the Season.

"I put a lot into my football, and it's a big part of my life - Charlton has become a big part of my life, so to get appreciation like that means an awful lot."

"it's so nice to be at a club like Charlton - I feel like I've here here for ages. It makes me very proud."

Christian Dailly.... what a great fella. (more)

A tale of two ex-Addicks

2010-05-02T11:21:00.003-03:00

It was the tale of two ex-Addicks earlier as Crystal Palarse stayed up following a pivotal moment when Luke Varney was unable to tuck away a one-on-one with the scores equal, then minutes later Darren Ambrose scored his 20th goal of the season to give the cheese rolls an unassailable advantage.

Darren Purse made it 2-2 to set up a tense last five minutes but Wednesday didn't get as close again. Wednesday were nervous and went early with the long desperate punts despite being on level footing at half-time.

In all honesty if it wasn't for their finances then Palarse would have finished 8 places higher and the difference was there for us all to see. With Palarse's immediate future still in doubt, I expect they will be forced to cash Ambrose in, although after a faltering few years, he does finally have appeared to regained his confidence in a stripey shirt.

Wednesday meanwhile had Varney, Jeffers and Soares as their attacking options in the last 15 minutes and will drop back into the 3rd Division after a five-year absence with larger debts and an older Hillsborough. They are reported to have a Chicago based investment group (that I have never heard off) ready to step in with some invaluble investment however.

I was watching a live feed of the game and it ended with Palarse fans on the pitch getting slapped by upset Wednesday fans, which raised the spirits.

Akpo! Bless you.

2010-05-01T13:43:00.013-03:00

Charlton Athletic 1 Leeds United 0

I thoroughly enjoyed that. I was able to watch the game on an excellent live feed, I'm presuming the one that was relayed back to Elland Road.. thanks chaps!

Of course due to Millwall losing at Tranmere (a game as difficult as ours last week at Exeter, yet we got a point) promotion is still in Leeds' hands but incredibly we are still in the mix as are Swindon and Huddersfield, who grabbed a late winner at home to Colchester. Next Saturday's games:

Leeds v Bristol Rovers

Millwall v Swindon

Oldham v Charlton

Exeter v Huddersfield

We can dream can't we? Leeds' bottoms go and lose to Sir Lennie, Millwall and Swindon play out a nervous draw? When have we ever done anything the easy way?

It was an entertaining up and down first half but we showed no real creative edge. We did finish the half much stronger though and Burton had a well directed half-volley saved from a Forster flick on. In the 2nd half kicking towards the Covered End we took the game to Leeds although Gradel and Becchio did look a threat but oddly Leeds lost their way when Jermaine Beckford came on just after the hour.

Charlton had a lot of possession and were winning all of the second balls. We were busy down both flanks and Sam and Bailey were involved a lot with good support by Richardson and Borrowdale. The question was as it has been nearly all season, can we score and who an earth will get it?

Sam took a couple of pot-shots, one Forster interrupted on it's way in which produced a good save from Higgs. Randolph saved well from Snodgrass from a rare Leeds threat. Meanwhile in the Jimmy Seed dirty Leeds fans were celebrating Tranmere's winning performance where Leeds loan player Andy Robinson had netted a second against the Lions.

Charlton fans meanwhile were urging the Addicks on, Sam Sodje, a head I would trust above all others, headed over when it was easier to score. Parky then threw on three subs in a brave move with Forster, Burton and Racon making way for Mooney, Akpo Sodje and Reid. Each helped to up the tempo.

We had our tails up but as I was bemoaning the fact that none of our midfielders had a shot better than an 11-year old when as the clock ticked around to 88 minutes, Lloyd put a cross into the middle that Sodje (A) headed with power towards the goal. The live feed appeared to freeze as Leeds defender and keeper both jumped to prevent it crossing the line. The net bulged, I awoke the baby. Enough said.

Kyel Reid then hit the inside of the post with a terrific free-kick before Darren Randolph made an truly outstanding save from a close range header.

Well played Charlton, the dream is alive and just as importantly the momentum continues as we march into the play-offs.

At The Valley: Deepest Darkest; Charlton Casual; Blackheath Addicted; Drinking During the Game; Addicks Diary.

Dirty Leeds; Bloody Fulham.

2010-04-30T22:09:00.002-03:00

Most of us have taken our eye of the ultimate goal this week with Jonjo's move to Liverpool causing all kinds of debate. The doomsayers reckon we are close to the administrators door, others brooded over the fact that we are a selling club, who isn't? Some say we got good money for potential, some like me just wished we'd have seen more of the 18-year old before he was sold. Whatever I very much doubt if the man who signed Jonjo for Liverpool will be around next season anyway.

On to tomorrow then and the pressure if off us a little but for four reasons a win would be very satisfying:

1. to secure 5th place, hopefully 4th,
2. to help Millwall get 2nd spot and thus avoid the grief of playing them again,
3. to keep up the play-off momentum,
4. to not have to suffer another promotion party on our own patch.

Apparently Sam Sodje will return tomorrow following a knee injury although according to this it sounds like he may have got to blow on the head as well! I wouldn't be surprised however if Llera starts and Parky keeps Sodje for the play-offs. The game should be live on the web as it's being beamed back to an expectant Elland Road. I'll be watching.

Finally congratulations to Fulham after their win over Hamburg last night. I have for a long time had a very irrational hatred of Fulham probably because of their owner and the fact that before it was fashionable Fayed bought them success. Danny Murphy's smug face doesn't help and they have regularly featured in my top 5 most hated clubs.

Nonetheless I found myself punching the air after Gera scored last night. So through gritted and jealous teeth well done Fulham. What a superb manager that Roy Hodgson is.

Shelvey to sign for Liverpool

2010-04-27T16:40:00.003-03:00

Jonjo is currently in Merseyside to agree personal terms and undergo a medical. The fee will be £1.7m with further potential payments depending on domestic and international appearances. (more)

Paul Elliot 63
Paul Walsh 98
Robert Lee 314
Lee Bowyer 57
Scott Parker 116
Paul Konchesky 104

Why do I give you those numbers. Well they were the starting appearances for each one of those young players before they left Charlton and moved on to better things. While Jonjo is in Liverpool about to sign for one of the world's biggest teams, it leaves us to wonder why Jonjo Shelvey has started only 40 games after breaking into the first team as a 16-year old.

It is also asks the question that with the play-off's beckoning why sell him now and not wait a few weeks? And I wonder how close the financial shit is to the fan?

It is a real shame to me that Charlton fans never got to enjoy the obvious talent Jonjo has, and honestly it is frustrating in the extreme that he has not been considered good enough to play in the first team for the majority of this season, but Liverpool see something that Phil Parkinson doesn't.

Having no reserve team has probably hindered Shelvey's progress, and as an aside one has to wonder how match fit players like Matt Spring are, but in recent months the first team has been crying out for some creativity, some goals and well, a hero.

Scott Parker, Robert Lee, Lee Bowyer, Paul Walsh, Paul Elliott even Konch all became heroes for Charlton during their formulative years but sadly Jonjo was never given that chance.

After such a wonderful start to the season Jonjo's intermittent appearances are even more surprising given that each one of the players listed above played for us whilst we were on an upward curve, some more curvier than others. but each played at a time when the club was at least moving forward and their respective managers would have had a better pool of players to pick from.

Jonjo mind, hit the first team at a time when we were going horribly backwards and if those that have followed his progress since he was a teenager are to be believed then the current management have not only stifled Jonjo but have also been responsible or partly responsible for taking the club downwards.

Shelvey did the club a huge favour in September by signing a one-year extension to the first ever professional contract he signed last February on his 17th birthday. His move to Liverpool returns the favour because like Paul Walsh, Paul Elliott and Robert Lee before him Jonjo's transfer fee is desperately needed to keep the club afloat.

Thank you Jonjo and good luck mate, but sadly due to the culpability of others, and one can include fellow midfielder Mark Kinsella in that, you sadly won't be remembered by us Addicks in the same vein as other youth team prodigies over the years.

PFA League One Team

2010-04-26T10:33:00.001-03:00

I mentioned a week or so ago that back in October we had half a team, if not more that at that point could feasibly have made the end of season divisional PFA selection. However only two did at last night's award ceremony at London's Grosvenor House Hotel.

This was the League One XI:
GK Kelvin Davis (Southampton)
RB Frazer Richardson (Charlton)
CB Patrick Kisnorbo (Leeds United)
CB Gary Doherty (Norwich)
LB Ian Harte (Carlisle)
RM Robert Snodgrass (Leeds)
CM Wes Hoolahan (Norwich)
CM Nicky Bailey (Charlton)
LM Jason Puncheon (Southampton)
CF Rickie Lambert (Southampton)
CF Grant Holt (Norwich)

In goal was one of our nemesis' Kelvin Davis, who has played well over 550 games (450 more than Rob Elliot). Millwall's David Forde has the best record in the division, so Lions' fans will be upset not to see him in between the posts. Casper Ankergren would have been a good consideration as well.

No shocking defensive decisions in the team. Doherty was preferred to Dailly and Peter Clarke. Millwall's Paul Robinson may have been also have been a good shout. Aussie Patrick Kisnorbo whose season was ended by injury a month ago was certainly the best defender in the league and joins Doherty. The right back berth was given to Frazer Richardson over Millwall's Alan Dunne with the 32-year old Ian Harte on the opposite side. Harte has scored an incredible 18 goals from left back this season.

Nicky Bailey takes his place in midfield. One could argue that Semedo may have been a better benefactor but Bailey's 12 goals and higher media profile cemented his position alongside Norwich's maestro Wes Hoolihan, once a transfer target for Alan Pardew. A player who was bought by Pardew was Jason Puncheon, and if the finances would have been different at The Valley in the summer then he'd have Charlton in brackets after his name, and our left-sided midfield problems would never have been a topic of so much discussion. The much sought after Robert Snodgrass deservedly collected the other midfield slot.

Other potential midfielders that may have been close to selection must have been Colchester's Anthony Wordsworth, Saints' Dean Hammond and Michail Antonio plus the Lions' midfield fulcrum Abdou.

Picking the strikers was the easiest decision of all. With 65 goals between them Grant Holt and Rickie Lambert, who was also in the divisional team last season, were a slam dunk. 19 goal Adam Lallana and 24 goal Lee Barnard as if to prove Southampton's firepower (and to think we got McLeod, Varney and Gray!) would have gotten good mentions in dispatches as would have Jermaine Beckford (30 goals but only six since Leeds' cup exploits).

Swindon, who like fellow promotion rivals Millwall and Huddersfield have no representation do have Billy Paynter and Charlie Austin who have scored 45 between them were unlucky and ordinarily in another season would have certainly been considered. Other options may have been Steve Morison, Jordan Rhodes and Dave Martin. For the record and ignoring Nicky Forster's 16 goals for Brighton, our highest placed League One goalscorer is Deon Burton in 21st place!

Borough survive

2010-04-24T17:00:00.001-03:00

The relegation excitement down in the Conference this afternoon reached epic proportions as Eastbourne Borough grabbed a late winner from the penalty spot to preserve their status in front of 2,634 supporters at Priory Road. With Gateshead winning as well at home to nothing to play for AFC Wimbledon, it was Forest Green Rovers who were relegated after losing at long-time down Grays Athletic.

Rovers were leading 1-0, then Grays drew level but with a point still enough to keep Rovers up Cissoko headed home from an 86th minute corner for Grays to send Forest Green down.

Ebbsfleet won at Tamworth 4-3 but Gateshead and Eastbourne winning consigned the Kent team owed by MyFootballClub to relegation after 9 years in the Conference. Hopefully this won't be the death knell for the Fleet whose entire squad are out of contract in the summer and now only have 800 MyFootballClub members, a far cry from the 32,000 who signed up when they took the club over in November 2007.

Anyway congratulations to the Borough who survive to play their 3rd season in the Conference. They'll be dancing on the South Downs tonight!

Devon clotted dreams

2010-04-24T14:48:00.005-03:00

Exeter City 1 Charlton Athletic 1
I listened as Charton threw everything at the Devonians late on in a result that confirmed our play-off place but also the almost certitude of missing out on a coveted top two place after straight forward hoke wins for both Leeds and Millwall. What that means is, like Norwich last week, Leeds and their supporters come to The Valley next Saturday knowing a win will take them up.

Over a 1,000 Addicks willed Charlton on as we attacked the away end in the second half and once again it was stirring performance but for the 7th consecutive game we failed to score more than one goal. Substitute Kyel Reid on for Racon got our equaliser, given as over the line by the referee's assistant although according to the radio Reid appeared in no doubt. Barnstaple born Wolves loanee George Friend had headed the home side in front.

Twice we hit the woodwork and Exeter 'keeper Paul Jones made plenty of excellent saves as time ran out. In saying that Darren Randolph also did his bit with a very smart save in each half.

There has been plenty of times this season when we have sounded lacklustre at best but to be fair to Parky's charges that has not been the case in the past four games, each one tricky. But at a time when it is results that matter we have only won one of those four matches.

At St James' Park: Doctor Kish; Charlton Athletic Online.

Oh Iain what have you done?

2010-04-24T14:40:00.000-03:00

Relegation was practically confirmed this afternoon for Hull, their results sequence since a certain Iain Dowie took over on Humberside: L, W, L, L, D, L, L, L. Back to the powerpoint Iain.

One eye on Eastbourne tomorrow

2010-04-23T14:39:00.006-03:00

My adopted non league team (everyone should have one) Eastbourne Borough's season all comes down to one game tomorrow. The Borough were promoted to the Conference two season's ago and have been punching above their weight ever since.

They started the season well but began to drift to a congested relegation battle way before Christmas and have found it hard to stay above the drop zone. Helped by Grays Athletic's ineptitude Borough have been trying to avoid the last two relegation spots along with Ebbsfleet, Gateshead, a resurgent Forest Green Rovers and a falling Histon.

With one game left of the season Borough have their fate in their own hands. Beat Oxford United, who have already qualified for the play-offs at home, and they are safe. Lose or draw then that allows Gateshead and Ebbsfleet the chance to overtake them, particularly as Eastbourne have by far the worst goal difference.

Oxford were once runaway leaders of the Conference and it looked as if the U's were to return to the football league but they've wobbled badly in 2010 and offered Stevenage little resistence in their walk to the title. However they have been watched by 6,000 odd at home and have travelled in big numbers. Borough average 1,140 and a 3,000+ crowd is expected at The Priory tomorrow.

Gateshead had a huge chance on Tuesday to move out of the bottom three but lost at home to Stevenage 1-0 and tomorrow they entertain AFC Wimbledon, who have an excellent away record. Ebbsfleet with young Addick Alex Stavrinou patrolling their midfield are at home to safe Tamworth. A point would do for Histon at home to Barrow and Forest Green should win at Julian Dicks' Grays Athletic, who are 16 points adrift at the bottom.

My heart will be in Devon tomorrow but I will certainly have one eye on Eastbourne Borough, who are probably playing their most important game in their 46-year history.

Not those play-off's

2010-04-23T13:28:00.001-03:00

Trying to keep up with my Chicago sports teams. Last night wholly unexpectedly the Chicago Bulls beat LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the 3rd game of the opening round of NBA play-off's. Everyone had it down as walk over for the Cav's but according to reports the Bulls were huge last night spurred on by a partisan full house with captian Kirk Hinrich going 4-for-4 from beyond the arc on the way to 27 points, my boy Deng getting 20 points, Miller 10 and Joachim Noah seeming to be all over the court.

The Bulls realistically won't get beyond this round but what they may end up getting is LeBron James. The best player since Michael Jordan is a free-agent after this season and Chicago is according to some on LeBron's mind. $50m a season shall do it! Game 4 (of a best of 7 series) is in Chicago on Sunday.

Far better title hopefuls are Chicago's ice hockey team, the Blackhawks. The NHL is also in Round 1 of the play-off's but the Hawks are making hard work of their series against the Nashville Predators with the tie currently finally balanced at 2 games each. The next game is at home, the same home that the Bulls use, and the day before on Saturday after the Hawks won 3-0 in Tennessee yesterday. Goal tender Antti Niemi performing a miracle in between the posts apparently. I wondered where the old Pompey keeper had gone!!

A nice segue back to footie then. By clicking Google to read about the goalkeeper Antti Niemi I found that he got paid £450,000 by Portsmouth in 9 months, playing just two reserve games and warming the 1st team bench once. It is hard to feel too sorry for them, particularly since the company I work for are listed as trade creditors to the tune of £154,000.

Ash Wednesday

2010-04-22T17:30:00.000-03:00

Just as I started to plan an further weekend in East Sussex and potentially Devon, I was on the first Bermuda flight to leave the UK yesterday arriving on time around 6.30pm last night. Surprisingly the flight was only two-thirds full and it was nice to have an empty seat next to me. Even more surprising was how deserted Gatwick was. I don't think I have ever checked in and walked through security so quickly.

Whether the sudden decision to open all the airports on Tuesday night caught stranded passengers out or families were happier to give it another day or so I don't know but certainly while I sat in Cafe Rouge having some lunch I made sure I watched a good number of airplanes take off and land before I made my way to the gate. However I am not a nervous flyer and didn't think any more off it as I sat and watched a couple of movies and helped myself to some BA wine.

There was a story doing the rounds this morning that a cargo jet was grounded in Belgium due to ash being found in it's engines but this was later denied but the RAF halted training after ash deposits were found in the engines of four aircraft. The slightest evidence that the volcanic ash still presents danger to planes' engines is not worth thinking about and I'm sure there will be many recriminations over the week-long closure of European airspace to come but hopefully the airline and travel companies will get their poor customers home before they start suing the arse off the goverment and it's regulators.

For me I actually loved my extended stay. I picked three winners (and a second) at Plumpton Races on Monday. I've bought tickets for my parents for the last few years to the Countryside Day at the pretty national hunt course and this year I was able to join them and a big crowd saw Tony McCoy return to the course where he rode his 3,000th winner a year earlier. He eased home on 2/9 favourite Bangkok Pete in the 3.20.

It was a favourites day except for the 9/1 winner Allterrain in the 3.50, which I masterly(!) picked. Aerospace, an obvious selection that I mentioned the other day, was grounded in second to last place in the race that McCoy won. I should have known.

Then on Tuesday I watched my son play football after school and then if being a Charlton fan isn't enough he insisted we went for a curry and a fine place it was too.

Fortunately I have delegated next week's work trip to Boston to someone else and therefore will be in Bermuda until we go to Mexico on a family holiday the day after the Oldham game.

Better than airplane food

2010-04-18T15:37:00.002-03:00

I should be on a plane now, like hundreds of thousands of others but instead have just enjoyed one of my Mum's roast dinners. Tomorrow my parents are off to Plumpton Races.... well it's rude not too isn't it? Any tips gratefully received although Aerospace in the 3.20 has my name all over it.

I am re-booked on Wednesday afternoon's BA flight to Bermuda but with the airspace bans continually being extended by 6 hours (currently until 7am tomorrow) the sudden resumption of flights, particularly long haul ones looks improbable.

Yesterday both KLM and Lufthansa flew Boeing 737's to the usual maximum altitude of 13km (8 miles), the German airline actually put 10 trial airplanes in the sky without any effect whatsoever. More trials were due to take place today in France, Italy and Britain, with BA's CEO Willie Walsh on board incidentially. No doubt in first class. Nonetheless despite how much I am missing my other-half and 5-month old daughter I don't particularly want to be sat on the first plane taking off.

Unsurprisingly the airlines this evening called for a review of the flight ban. European's biggest airlines are mostly already financially strapped and are estimated to be losing £25m each a day whilst their jets are grounded and their staff sit at home or are stranded like the rest of us. Governments I am sure will be put under pressure very soon by airlines to either prove the science or open their coffers to provide financial underpinning.

I'm supposed to be in Boston the week after this, as you can imagine my fretful other half is thrilled by that prospect. Fortunately at least for me I have the comfort of my parents home, roast dinners and a pretty loaded wine rack unlike many who are misplaced and unsure to where the next bed will come from.

I can tell some untoward travel stories from my life, in fact this year has been a bit of a nightmare to be honest, but who would have thought a south-eastern wind and a volcano not even considered to be one of Iceland's, let alone the planet's most dangerous could cause so much global anguish and anxiety. The title of the world's most dangerous volcano belongs to Italy's Mount Vesuvius if you were wondering.

Finally a word for Iceland, who after ruining the global economy, clogging up the world's skies and giving us relegation virtuoso Hermann Hreidarsson, I find myself wanting to stick up for this implausibly beautiful country. I was lucky to visit in 2006 and surrounded by land so cinematic to appear unreal in Þingvellir I looked deep into the continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates and stared for ages into an abyss while my fingers and toes froze. I knew I'd never forget that moment.

Some days they make you proud

2010-04-18T03:39:00.011-03:00

Charlton Athletic 0 Norwich City 1
All a Charlton fan can ever ask for is that they walk away at the final whistle proud knowing that the team gave every of ounce of effort. And climbing Charlton Lane around 5pm yesterday with Norwich's noisy promotion celebrations in the background all around me Addicks fans were having the same conversations.

There will always be the what may have beens, and the sequence of home games in January and February will be ours, Leeds, Swindon have theirs and Millwall's are maybe yet to come but we have turned in two promotion displays this week and as/if I head back to Bermuda I do with a confidence that seemed impossible in February.

Scoring goals wins games and with a solitary goal winning each of our last five it tells us everything we need to know about the difference between us and our rivals. But for Norwich's on loan goalkeeper Frazer Forster playing out of his skin, we would have got a hatful but I wouldn't be a Charlton fan if I couldn't be negative for one second and for me, we still didn't get enough quality into the box. Often Nicky Forster was drawn out to the left to put balls in, where Bailey should have been the provider. Forster by the way was again excellent.

I find it hard to criticise Bailey. Many of his 12 goals have won us points this season but although he is carrying a shoulder injury clearly making him less mobile, he just doesn't appear to have the same mental instinct that he had earlier in the season. Plus he is completely wasted out on the left. In saying that he still produced three of our 9 efforts on goal.

Although Akpo was a vast improvement from Tuesday, we carried a lot more of a threat when Burton's intelligence and link up play joined the game before half-time. One wonders why he didn't start as he appeared to have no after effects of his injury.

Of course Norwich have played better this season, but over the two games with them it has shown us to be the much better side. The 68% possession stat says it all and once they got their goal the Canaries became intent of playing the role of spoilers. For all of Frazer Forster's great saves he was also very proficent in time-wasting. Once they reverse the rule of goalkeeper's being allowed to take a goal kick from either side of the goal the better.

Watching the highlights last night one might blame Randolph for not being more authoritative at the corner for Nelson's goal but otherwise I was glad that he kept his place with Elliot returning to the bench. Again Dailly was awesome in the back four and I would love for us to somehow keep him next season whatever our fate.

Likewise Semedo played like he was a level above everyone else on the field and while I understand Parky's need to throw more goalscoring options up front when he brought Kyel Reid on, Semedo's absence caused our level of tempo to drop and not for the first time this season. If I could have found a POTY vote collector I would have been very torn.

Sadly Semedo nor Racon are going to get us goals but the Frenchman also had an excellent game and the cameo role by Shelvey described perfectly by New York Addick as a quarterback did produce some our best long forward ball passing all game. I still think Jonjo is going to have a big say in our season.

Defeat then (my first of the season incidentially) but a display to be proud of and thoughts in my head during the drive home were of what can be and not what may have been. Although if only that last ditch free kick would have been better thought out and Randolph got his head to it....

The day started well for my son and I too. He got to probably eat the best pub hot dog I'd ever seen courtesy of the barbeque in The White Swan, which is under new management. The manager a cross between Roberto Donadoni and Benny from Crossroads and his English wife have made the Village pub unrecognisable from what it used to be and I hope it succeeds. It was a nice setting to have a pint with fellow bloggers and friends before the game.

If I am still in the UK on Saturday Dave has promised to join me at Exeter. Keep it going you Reds.

Other Bloggers at The Valley: Drinking During the Game; New York Addick; Doctor Kish; Charlton Casual; Addicks Diary; Blackheath Addicted; And Nothing Else Matters; Charlton Athletic Online.

Particles of hope

2010-04-16T15:08:00.003-03:00

I'm on my Mum and Dad's computer with about 8 windows open hoping to see that the Eyjafjallajokull volcano is continuing to spew out tiny particles of molten glass across Gatwick's two runways, BA's homepage telling me that Bermuda flights have been cancelled for a week (if my other-half reads this my balls will become tiny particles) and looking at train tickets from Paddington to Exeter.

Of course the chances are that I will have to go home before the end of the season, but I will see my second consecutive game tomorrow against promotion bound Norwich City and my son and I will drive up from East Sussex still with springs in our steps following the pulsating, if not classic win over Colchester.

First the Chicago Addick family will sit down tonight to cheer on Huddersfield at home to Millwall. I have no idea if that is the result that we want, but I can't bring myself to cheer on the Spanners, so I'll worry about the consequences later after the wine has worn off.

Still suffering from a stiff neck after watching Akpo Sodje attempt to win a header on Tuesday night I do hope that Burton is passed fit and starts alongside Nicky Forster. Probably not the ideal striking partnership, not unless we can learn to play the ball forward to feet. Otherwise Bailey has to begin the game in the middle and I would like to see Kyel Reid be given a starting berth, his direct play can't but help to give us more offensive opportunities.

Let's hope The Valley is in as fine as fettle as it was on Tuesday night and we can put those Canaries back in their cage.

A performance to put the colour back

2010-04-14T13:02:00.003-03:00

Charlton Athletic 1 Colchester United 0
I know most of you have had to put up with some real dross this season, but I left The Valley last night thrilled at seeing a fighting and committed display in a pulsating match. Remember this is the 3rd Division, even from afar I long gave up on watching 100 grand a week fancy-dans performing tricks with a Mitre size 5.

Colchester are the modern day version of Wimbledon and lofted the ball into our box at every opportunity. Christ I looked at Clive Platt as he came over to the East Stand and wondered if he was actually wearing a pair of my blue trousers so long were his legs. And then there is Kevin Lisbie, a reminder of the glory days and how far we have fallen. Oh.

Obviously we lack in the striking stakes, my mate said to me as we all watched Akpo Sodje hopelessly mistime an attempted header for the 150th time (see photo), "People used to moan about Burton but he is head and shoulders above the rest." Akpo is simply a 3rd Division lump, and not a very good one but like Laurie Abrahams he gave me and others around me a good laugh. That is really what one pays to watch. You can stick your Alan Shearers.

Nicky Forster mind knows his way around a penalty box, a superb bullet diving header from a much more engaged Lloyd Sam's peach of a cross. Sam turned the unfortunate John-Joe O’Toole inside and out so badly that he had to be carried off on a stretcher. He got a warm round of applause for his embarrassment. Meanwhile Forster gave it out to the Colchester fans behind the goal after he scored. You got to love that.

For spells we played some nice committed football, too many long balls for Forster for my liking coinciding with Racon losing touch with the game in the 2nd half but no one can question the players commitment against a side that stuffed Swindon on Saturday and are a serious play-off contenders.

Dailly was immense and showed terrific awareness and concentration the whole game despite marking players almost a head taller than him and a bloke with his hair in an elastic band who thought he was playing for Argentina circa 1978. Then whilst his brother up field had trouble spotting the ball in the air as it headed down towards his head, Sam's rubber neck was working overtime heading every bullet back with interest that was fired in his general direction. I blame the parents.

Borrowdale impressed me, especially in the first half and Richardson looked back to his early season best, but man of the match, and there were plenty of candidates, for me was Semedo. He was an absolute rock in the middle ostensibly involved in every single tackle and tussle. The Covered End responded with his fellow countryman's Jorge Costa remix.

All around me people were in good spirits, although Mooney's introduction was not well received. The bloke behind me said the cupping of the ear will never be forgotten. Hopefully Deon Burton can join Forster up front on Saturday.

Finally the atmosphere and noise last night was fantastic. My son and I got to my brothers in London Fields after the game with hoarse voices, a red glow in our cheeks and springs in our step. Next please.

Other Addicks at The Valley: Drinking During the Game; Charlton Athletic Online; Addicks Diary; Charlton Casual; Stickleback; And Nothing Else Matters; Doctor Kish;

Into The Valley

2010-04-12T13:47:00.004-03:00

Homeward bound tonight to spend the second week of the Easter holidays with my son and parents, and a few thousand Addicks tomorrow and Saturday.

Tomorrow night at The Valley has all the makings of a nervy night for my son's first ever game under the floodlights. A decent crowd will hopefully remain patient and give the players a platform to play well. I personally would dispatch Lloyd Sam and find a place for Jonjo. Perhaps moving Bailey again, this time to the right and moving Shelvey into an advanced role between the midfielders and Forster.

Having said that, I haven't seen Forster play, at least for us, but he's not the tallest and unless we are discliplined to play the ball along the floor, he might not be best suited to play the solitary role. Therefore without knowing the status of Burton's injury I'd play Shelvey alongside a sitting Semedo with Akpo Sodje up front with Forster. Colchester will be big and ugly and having Akpo in there will help us on the niggly battles front. Racon has to be relegated to the bench, even though I am a big fan and I layed out bets at Bournemouth that he would get 10 goals this season. It must have been the seaside air.

Frustratingly, a lot this season we don't appeared to have played to our strengths, escalated by Parkinson, like his incumbent seemingly not knowing his best team or formation. To be fair to the manager even more frustrating is that not one player has broken out into having a stormer of a season. Many of them, in fact most of them have just played well, often exceptionally well, in parts.

If the player of the year voting sheets were out tomorrow night, who would you vote for? I think this underscores my point and probably explains the position we find ourselves in and Dailly aside each player has been droppable on at least one occassion. Also ask yourselves how many Charlton players will appear in the League One end of season team? In September we could have realistically expected Elliot, Richardson, Dailly, Youga, Bailey, Semedo, Racon, Shelvey, Burton and Sam all to have a shout. I reckon Bailey might be our only one.

Anyway 41 games have been consigned to the record books and the next five or eight are all that matters and this is the focus Parky needs to bring. The Southampton game, despite by all accounts a decent performance and a fighting finish, is done. Saturday only proved what we knew already, that we are not a top-two side.

I'm hoping to see a bit of adventure tomorrow night, dictating the play early and I hope to be in fine voice. A couple of pre-match beers will help. Hope to see you there.

Proper go

2010-04-11T12:37:00.004-03:00

Pardew 1 Parkinson 0
I find myself still looking down as opposed to up after yesterday's defeat, thus Tuesday night's game is huge and I'm glad I will be there to watch it.

Judging by the commentary - although Tony Hudd is a miserable bastard and puts pessimism to a whole new different level - we played alright but lacked as we have now done for months any real cutting edge. Our three major chances all falling to Nicky Bailey says a lot.

Kelvin Davis has been a thorn in our sides before and he pulled off a number of excellent saves to deny us a goal so overall the performance gives me some confidence as we enter the final five, potentially eight games.

I have been crusading for a 4-5-1 for somewhile and was pleased to see it but quite frankly without Sam on his game the system is useless. It annoys me so much that our longest serving player, who has seen our demise first hand, does not appear to have the longing or desire to take the game by the scruff of the neck and is seemingly unable or can't be bothered to play to his full ability. I hope Newcastle United have not had any scouts watching him since Christmas.

2nd place seems even more beyond us today with Millwall and Leeds showing us how to dispatch teams at the bottom. Millwall certainly show no signs of buckling and Leeds may have just come out of their torper.

We gave it a proper go at the end which was great to hear, even Randolph coming up for corners and staying up in the dying seconds as we piled the pressure on. Entering the play-offs is all about the team that shows the most desire and form. Togetherness and whole hearted support is paramount. Let's be that team.

Witnesses: Doctor Kish;

Inches from history

2010-04-06T14:21:00.005-03:00

At approximately 1am this morning I was up out of the sofa and watched like 70,930 others in the stadium and millions in living rooms around America as Butler's Gordon Hayward threw the ball from halfway down the court with the final buzzer gone. The trajectory was true. The arc was good. The ball took for ages to hit the backboard, then rammed off the front of the rim and bounced harmlessly to the floor.

Duke 61, Butler 59. That shot would have been played for ever more if it had dropped through the net.

The game was close throughout but for me Duke, the clear favourites and the gold standard in college basketball were always in control, but Butler's stingy defence and undeniable courage kept them hanging in there. The smallest college to reach the NCAA Championship final for 25-years were down by 5 points with just 2 minutes to go but came back to within one with 30 seconds left but missed a tight baseline shot. Giant Duke centre Brian Zoobek collected the rebound and scored one of his two free throws after being fouled and then came the last gasp miracle effort from Hayward.

My mates down in Indy are a bit quiet today but Butler will be back.

Play it again Sam

2010-04-05T22:02:00.000-03:00

Charlton Athletic 1 Carlisle United 0
Phew! With everyone winning today - the reverse of what happened on Saturday - another win, however it came, was essential in a race for 2nd place that is as tight as a gnat's chuff.

Six points from the Easter programme was excellent, and another one-nil, and thus clean-sheet which I would take all day. Sat at work I was on the edge of my seat listening out for the roar that would have greeted one of those many 2nd half chances that went begging. It never came and young Shelvey was especially guilty although I was happy to see him start in what sounded like a very advanced, if not forward, role.

The timing of the subsitutions was again ace by Parky, as Akpo and Bailey lifted the momentum and we really should have got that killer 2nd. Sam and Richardson were causing mayhem down the right hand side and by the sound of it were putting in some peach of some crosses. Blimey, we are going to hammer someone one of these days.... yeh, maybe not!

Marching on together, keep it going Charlton.

Quote: "Good game, dear?" "Yes, I booed an 18-year-old who's going to have more women and more skill than I'll ever get in my sad old life" All Quiet. Brilliant.
Bloggers: Blackheath Addicted; Drinking During the Game; Addicks Diary.

Cadbury's creme crackered

2010-04-05T08:34:00.005-03:00

No Easter Monday here, just a normal back to work Monday unfortunately. Football later at a pre-lunchtime kick-off here in Bermuda and tonight I'll hopefully be in good spirits to watch the final of the NCAA Basketball Championships where my adopted Butler University have upset everyone and won through to tonight's final to play Duke. It is a 10.21pm start though, and I am absolutely knackered.

Can you imagine if English football went down the route of bowing down to advertisers and kicked off at 3.21pm or 8.02pm? I remember when I was in Chicago and the White Sox won a sponsorship deal with the convenience stores chain 7-Eleven and from then on all night matches began at eleven minutes past seven.

Anyway I am knackered, partly my own fault warranted but mostly, and she's too young to argue, my daughters. As my other half said to me last night: "Will we ever go to bed early ever again?" "Only when she moves out when she's 30," I said.

As all parents will know full well, containing a hangover when you have young children is impossible. I had a hangover on both Friday and Sunday. Not big, not clever. Sunday's was extra painful because she came with us to friends for a dinner party Saturday night and when we got home, I flung my clothes off and downed a big glass of water, dropped a couple of aspirin and was ready for bed, my daughter though was ready to play. 2.15am I was still jiggling her around in her room listening to Il Divo trying to get her to sleep.

The weather here this weekend was perfect, although it did rain a bit on Friday morning deterring kite flyers a little but by the afternoon it was glorious as we spent it outside with some friends. And yesterday we had tradtional afternoon tea at the Hamilton Princess (photo) with a friend and old work colleague from Chicago.

Afternoon tea at the Princess with a stroll around the 125-year landmark hotel's gardens on a day as lovely as yesterday was a very good way to remind ourselves of how lucky we are to have the opportunity to live here.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T00:01:00.001-03:00

My favourite. What's yours?

Massive 3 points

2010-04-03T13:19:00.009-03:00

Milton Keynes Dons 0 Charlton Atheltic 1
Immense performance from Charlton today and for once we helped ourselves out as others around us fell. We now have a vital game on Monday which Parky and the players have to approach positively.

The radio commentary team were full of praise for Racon, Semedo, the back four and in particular Darren Randolph, who made three spectacular saves. Spare a thought for Randolph sat on the team bus tonight, he has waited patiently a long time to reap some lavish praise. Well done Darren.

We are way past the period of the season when it is about pretty football but passion, bottle and intelligence are far more important characterisations. The noisy 2,500 Addicks were the 12th man in the 2nd half and as I have written before whatever the opinions and idealogies, we now all need to be as one.

Nicky Forster showed his vast experience after winning the penalty and had a long wait before he stepped up to slot home for the massive winner. Parky also showed good common sense with the subsitutions. Shelvey and Akpo were both very involved holding up play and providing excellent channels for Racon and Semedo and Sam and Reid.

It is interesting that the middle four in the last two games has been much more joined together than when Bailey was playing. Nicky of course has been so important to where we currently sit in the table but as others have said I felt he was sometimes more of a hindrance than a help, this fact not aided by Parky's constantly tinkering. Conversely the Nicky Bailey that we all love will be absolutely raring to go when he comes back from his injury.

So a massive 3 points. Keep it going Charlton.

Bloggers: Addicks Diary; New York Addick; Doctor Kish; And Nothing Else Matters; Kings Hill Addick; Charlton Casual.
Photo: Courtesy of Twitter.com/MartTheTaxi

Almost 6,500 fans create war chest

2010-04-02T20:09:00.003-03:00

Credit to those 6,000 Charlton fans blinded by love that have already paid for next season's season tickets without knowing our fate. As many have said on various forums they, their friends and families pay to watch Charlton and not our opponents. Hurrah for that and 6,000 is an impressive number particularly as I actually don't personally know anyone that has renewed but I am sure the majority will.

These early signs suggest that crowds should still be in the 14-15,000 mark next season, even if that is in Division 3. The current total, which includes half-season tickets is 10,434. This season's average Valley crowd has been 16,973 so far, the 4th highest in the league but with three potential bumper crowds to come - Colchester, Norwich and Leeds.

Even more striking perhaps was the number of fans who have bought 5-year tickets. The 405 Addicks plus the 6,000 season ticket sales creating roughly around £2.5m of funds, a valuable war chest to help the board get through the summer period and avoid administration.

Butler Bulldogs

2010-04-01T14:41:00.001-03:00

College sports is a totally American phenomenon, none more so than March Madness the culmination of the college basketball season. 65 teams begin the series which takes place in different brackets in different cities over three weekends.

In America, college sports are normally dominated by the large, well funded, make that rich, schools that compete for the best athletes when frankly academe doesn't come into to it. On the flip side college sport is adored by Americans because it carries none of the professional razzmatazz, egos or obscene wages.

The two most watched college sports are basketball and (American) football, although you could wile away the hours quite happily watching a very decent tennis match or soccer game. I learnt in my time in Chicago, and it manifested itself pretty quickly, that in college sports, particularly for those playing basketball and (American) football, it is all about raw ambition, wearing your school colours with pride, making history and that very, very slim one in a million chance of perhaps earning a professional contract.

Unlike the U16's pony-trekking schools cup in the Highlands, the NCAA's College Basketball Championship is one of the year's most watched television events and on Saturday Butler, Michigan State, Duke and West Virginia contest the semi-finals with the winners tipping off on Monday for the final with the whole event taking place at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in front of 70,000 people, yes 70,000 people to watch kids bounce a ball around.

When it comes to college football my heart will always be with University of Wisconsin because it was in Madison that I lost quite a few hours of my life but gained a lifetime of friends, but for basketball one of my best mates in Chicago convinced me to adopt a little known university in Indiana called Butler. A small but proud 150-year old liberal arts school with a very decent soccer team (I used to play with a few graduates), so I was in.

The Butler Bulldogs play basketball in one of the oldest arena's in the country and is actually a designated national landmark. And I like this fact a lot, a bit like the glorious Valley, it was once the largest basketball arena in the United States, and it retained that distinction until 1950. A fact not really known outside of the Hinkle Fieldhouse, but something that every Bulldog is proud off.

The film Hoosiers, the ultimate feel-good basketball movie starring Gene Hackman was filmed at Hinkle Fieldhouse and on Saturday 6 miles down the road from their very own school Butler will be hoping to create Hoosiers 2. Michigan State, Butler's opponents in Saturday's semi-final is gigantic by comparison and has 50,000 students to pick five players from. How hard is that?

The other semi-finalists are Duke, which is one of the best basketball universities in America (apparently you can study nursing there as well) and West Virginia, a public-research university (quite), with a set of unruly fans and 30,000 students. Pah to the big boys.

To add a little more spice to the occassion Butler are the first team since UCLA in 1972 to play a Final Four in their hometown although it is very unlikely that many of the 4,000 students will be able to get tickets. Tickets that are as hot as a basketball court sized-pile of hot cross buns.

But, I could have had a ticket. yep, got offered one by a friend going from Bermuda, however in my new found life, flying to Indiana for four days of drinking over Easter just does not cut it anymore. But I will be in front of the box texting my mates and cheering those proud Bulldogs on.

We'll sing the Butler war song
We'll give a fighting cry
We'll fight the Butler battle
Bulldogs ever do or die.
And in the glow of the victory firelight
Hist'ry cannot deny
To add a page or two
For Butler's fighting crew
Beneath the Hoosier sky