rainy days and mondays The Cup draw yesterday reminded me of happier times, there were two actually. Can you believe that?

We of course will be seen as classic giant-killing fodder by the media, and not wrongly. Salisbury City will be something different and quite an attraction for southern based Addicks although Forest were only allocated 560 tickets so don't all rush at once.

Nottm Forest is a place I have been to a couple of times. Once back in the 1988/89 season we played them in our last game of the season and unheard off during our tenure in the 'old 1st Division' we were already safe. It was a nice Spring day when we left South London but by the time we got into the ground it was bucketing rain but the excellent turn out of Addicks, some in fancy dress, didn't care as we got soundly whalloped 4-0 but lived to see another top-flight season.

I went back to the City Ground 10 years later, and the open away terrace had since become part of a wrap-around stadium, and although pleasing on the eye, like other grounds it lost it's atmosphere, similiarly Forest had lost their way on the pitch too. In 1988/89 Clough's charges roundly hammered us and finished 3rd that the season to qualify for Europe but 9 years on, although we were both struggling in the Premiership, they were sliding downhill badly whereas we were on the way to better things.

That game, played in October '98, was won by us after an early Eddie Youds goal proved to be the winner - now that's the type of player we could do with now....  ¶ 15:12