Palace owner prefers Merseyside to Croydon

The leading shareholder in Crystal Palace has had enough of Croydon and the Nigels and is bidding to buy Everton: https://footballeconomyv2.blogspot.com/2024/05/palace-owner-eyes-everton.html

Dunfermline deal is still live

Richard Cawley reports: ‘I don't believe Charlton’s bid for Dunfermline's Josh Edwards has been rejected, as has been reported north of the border. And also it isn't a six-figure offer either.’

The Scottish viewpoint on the left back here: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/4989632/dunfermline-pars-reject-bid-josh-edwards-charlton/

He also reports that interested the Addicks are in a deal for Cambridge United keeper Will Mannion. He is due to be a fee agent at end of June. Mentioned in piece, but they are also looking to bring in an experienced stopper to battle it out for the number one spot.

So it's Crawley and Bolton

Next season's League One is now complete and it's looking more competitive than last season.  I would rather have faced Oxford than a Bolton side who feel they have been denied a promotion that was theirs.

I had dinner with my brother-in-law on Saturday.   He claims to have no interest in football which is understandable as his father was Palace which tends to destroy interest in the game.   However, as a Crawley resident, even he knew they were in the play off final.   They overcame expectations by winning: https://footballeconomyv2.blogspot.com/2024/05/crawleys-surge-to-success.html

Quite a few Addicks live out that way, but their away end is not big enough to accommodate our support.

Summer break

I will be taking a break from blogging for a couple of weeks.   Working for a political publishers in a general election year means that my day job is busier than usual with commissioning, editing, meetings and book launches in London.     I also want to find time to see the three generations of my family now settled in Spain.

One last word.   Fans often dismiss League One as a 'poxy' league, but as the authoritative Swiss Ramble has recently said it is a 'very competitive' league'.  Birmingham City, Wrexham and Stockport County are all going to pose problems.   Even Rotherham may be in yo yo form under charm merchant Steve Evans and Peterborough will want to overcome their disappointment.   Hopefully, Bolton will go up.

I'm certainly not banking on promotion.   And I'm not happy about the 12.30 and Friday night kick offs under the new Sky regime which make life difficult for supporters like me who have a return travel time of five hours.   Any thought of buying a season ticket again is out of the window.

It also looks as if we are going to lose Charlton Live which was the daft Dane's aqueducts moment.  I enjoyed the chats about the Curbishley era and Steve Brown's barbed comments.

Scott Fraser uncertainty

There is some uncertainty about the future of Scott Fraser who has been on loan at Hearts and has one year left on his contract.   Many fans would be happy to let him go and he is keen to don the kilt.  However, it appears that Hearts want him on the cheap so for now he has been told to report back for training at Sparrows Lane: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/scott-fraser-expecting-charlton-athletic-future-discussions-after-hearts-loan/

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town have been relegated to League One next season, both clubs with American owners.

Blues were sixth in thr Championship earlier in the season when they sacked John Eustace as he was apparently not trendy enough for the owners.

Living up to their reputation as the Millwall of the Midlands, Blues fans invaded the pitch and fought with stewards after today's match.

The American owners have bought a site for a new stadium at Bordesley alongside the railway line to New Street so they won't want to stay in League One.

Huddersfield are a team we have played in three different divisions in living memory and are likely to challenge for promotion.

Rotherham have put their faith in Steve Evans, the most charming manager in the EFL, to restore their flagging fortunes and burnish their reputation as a yo-yo club.

Wrexham with their £20m revenue also have American owners and have global appeal, ranking as the second most poopular team in the United States: https://footballeconomyv2.blogspot.com/2024/05/can-wrexham-sustain-its-success.html

To those who say League One is a poxy league, it's going to be even more competitive next season.

Many Charlton fans come from four or even five generations of supporters, but my late father and I represent two generations, albeit spanning over 100 years of support.

Next week I am hoping to see my great-granddaughter, but her dad is an egg chaser.   Having not succeeded in professional trials in the UK he has signed for a Spanish club and played for them against Barcelona last weekend and, of course, three generations of my family were there.

Farewell, and thanks for all you tried to do

Tyreece Campbell has agreed a new deal with Charlton, reports Richard Cawley.   The winger had been due to be out of contract this summer - although age would have meant he was liable for compensation. Terell Thomas and Michael Hector both released along with Richard Chin, Jack Payne, Lewis Ward and Diallang Jaiyesimi (who he? Ed).

The retained list statement also seems to indicate no late U-turn on George Dobson's move to Fehervar. "The club would like to thank George Dobson, who has played 144 games for Charlton since joining in 2021. He's given his all for the club in every training session and every game and everyone at the club wishes him all the best in Hungary."

Lualua and Wickham have not been offered new contracts, all loan players are returning to their clubs.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that Chuks Aneke is leaving by mutual consent.

Nathan Jones discusses his philosophy and plans here: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/nathan-jones-built-a-luton-legacy-now-summer-of-transfer-and-squad-construction-awaits-at-charlton-athletic/

Jones on long-term goals

Nathan Jones engages in some expectations management, warning that Charlton may not get promoted next season, it is a long-term project: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/were-not-just-looking-to-get-out-of-league-one-charlton-athletic-boss-nathan-jones-on-longer-term-goal/

Unconfirmed reports are statingthat Charlton Athletic have submitted an offer for their former academy player Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu from fellow relegated League 1 side Fleetwood Town. The midfielder is keen on a move back to the capital with personal terms not set to cause and issue.

Interest in Sky Blues striker revived

Charlton have an interest in Coventry striker Matt Godden: https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/sport/charlton-athletic-hold-an-interest-in-coventry-city-striker-matt-godden/

Career details - he spent two seasons at Ebbsfleet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Godden

However, securing a new goalkeeper is a priority, although Istead and Maynard-Brewer are still under contract.

Keith Peacock

Happy 79th birthday to a true Addicks legend.   Two random memories of him.   Watching a reserve game at The Valley near the front, a corner went wrong and he turned to us and said, 'And we practice that every day at the training ground.'

Turning on Chinese television in Kunming in Premier League days and seeing a feature on how he and Curbs worked together.

I had something of an end of season bonus when my non-league side Leamington beat Redditch United 1-0 in the Southern League play offs.  They now face Telford away.

Could we have ended up playing at Havering?

Broollands: it was also used for motor cycle speedway

A report in the Non-League Paper on Sunday brought to mind a rumour that was circulating among the Valley faithful in the md 1950s.   My father mentioned it to me and it might have been discussed in the Charlton 'Parliament' held in my uncle's newsagents in Lakedale Road late on a Sunday morning: it was the nearest thing we had to social media.

The rumour was that the board had considered relocating to Romford and renaming the club 'Athletic' just as Woolwich Arsenal became 'Arsenal'.  The argument was that Romford was more of an up and coming area than South East London.

Romford FC are in the FA Vase final, although they have had a nomadic existence and currently play at the former East Thurrock United ground which is 18 miles from Ronford.

However, the point as far as Charlton is concerned was that the Brooklands stadium (sold for redevelopment in 1977) had a capacity of 20,000 and regularly attracted 6,000.

Fortunately there was no repeat of the relocation to Catford.