Best CAFC Eleven
- Thread starter Ponders Revisited
- Start date
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My best 11 of Charlton's second top flight era (and the years leading up to it).
Basically the tenures of Ken Craggs & Lennie Lawrence (1982 -1991)
I've allowed myself three substitutes.
In the late 1980's the rule was changed so a team could use two from a bench of five.
Bob Bolder
John Humphrey
Peter Shirtliff
Scott Minto
Mark Aizlewood
Alan Curbishley
Rob Lee
Colin Walsh
Paul Mortimer
Carl Leaburn
Allan Simonsen *
Sub: Mark Stuart
Sub: Steve Thompson
Sub: Jim Melrose
* Granted Simonsen played only 17 times for Charlton, but I couldn't leave him out.
Even several years past his absolute peak, the player was pure class.
My third top flight era team will follow soon...
Basically the tenures of Ken Craggs & Lennie Lawrence (1982 -1991)
I've allowed myself three substitutes.
In the late 1980's the rule was changed so a team could use two from a bench of five.
Bob Bolder
John Humphrey
Peter Shirtliff
Scott Minto
Mark Aizlewood
Alan Curbishley
Rob Lee
Colin Walsh
Paul Mortimer
Carl Leaburn
Allan Simonsen *
Sub: Mark Stuart
Sub: Steve Thompson
Sub: Jim Melrose
* Granted Simonsen played only 17 times for Charlton, but I couldn't leave him out.
Even several years past his absolute peak, the player was pure class.
My third top flight era team will follow soon...
Last edited:
Done
In theory I could name up to five subs (of which two could be used from the late 1980's onwards).
My best 11 of Charlton's third top flight era (and the years leading up to it).
The tenure of Alan Curbishley (1991 - 2006)
Dean Kiely
Jon Fortune
Paul Konchesky
Chris Powell
Radostin Kishishev
Mark Kinsella
Claus Jensen
Matt Holland
John Robinson
Darren Bent
Jason Euell
Sub: Paolo Di Canio
Sub: Scott Parker
Sub: Jonatan Johansson
Sub: Clive Mendonca
Sub: Mark Fish
So many remarkable players to choose from.
Doubtless I have overlooked many.
Soon I'll try to bring my three teams together to pick an all-time best XI...
The tenure of Alan Curbishley (1991 - 2006)
Dean Kiely
Jon Fortune
Paul Konchesky
Chris Powell
Radostin Kishishev
Mark Kinsella
Claus Jensen
Matt Holland
John Robinson
Darren Bent
Jason Euell
Sub: Paolo Di Canio
Sub: Scott Parker
Sub: Jonatan Johansson
Sub: Clive Mendonca
Sub: Mark Fish
So many remarkable players to choose from.
Doubtless I have overlooked many.
Soon I'll try to bring my three teams together to pick an all-time best XI...
Kiely;
Solly, Costa, Rufus, Powell;
Robbo, Parker, Jensen, Stuart;
Mendonca, Hunt.
Solly and SCP at full back because wingers never seemed ton get crosses in against them. Solly because he was so nimble, and SCP's positioning was perfection. Parker is probably the most influential Charlton player I've ever seen, so has to go in,but leaving out Darren Bent is a tough one.
Solly, Costa, Rufus, Powell;
Robbo, Parker, Jensen, Stuart;
Mendonca, Hunt.
Solly and SCP at full back because wingers never seemed ton get crosses in against them. Solly because he was so nimble, and SCP's positioning was perfection. Parker is probably the most influential Charlton player I've ever seen, so has to go in,but leaving out Darren Bent is a tough one.
Finally then, I have to choose my all-time CAFC best XI.
I find I cannot choose a single criteria for selection, so I'm going to have to 'bottle' it and choose two;
A) An all-time best XI based on statistical achievement for Charlton.
B) An all-time best XI based on pure talent of the player and / or iconic status at the Club.
Here are my candidates for A) based on the three top flight era best teams I already posted;
Sam Bartram
Bob Bolder
Dean Kiely
Norman Smith
John Hewie
John Humphrey
Peter Shirtliff
Scott Minto
Mark Aizlewood
Jon Fortune
Paul Konchesky
Chris Powell
Radostin Kishishev
Don Welsh
Derek Ufton
Joe Jobling
Alan Curbishley
Rob Lee
Colin Walsh
Paul Mortimer
Mark Kinsella
Claus Jensen
Matt Holland
John Robinson
Eddie Firmani
Stuart Leary
Charlie Vaughan
Chris Duffy
Harold Hobbis
Carl Leaburn
Allan Simonsen
Darren Bent
Jason Euell
Subs:
Mark Stewart
Steve Thompson
Jim Melrose
Paolo Di Canio
Scott Parker
Jonatan Johansson
Clive Mendonca
Mark Fish
So there it is; my all-time best XI based on statistical achievement for the Club at the highest level;
Sam Bartram
John Hewie
John Humphrey
Jon Fortune
Paul Konchesky
Don Welsh
Paul Mortimer
Mark Kinsella
John Robinson
Stuart Leary
Carl Leaburn
I find I cannot choose a single criteria for selection, so I'm going to have to 'bottle' it and choose two;
A) An all-time best XI based on statistical achievement for Charlton.
B) An all-time best XI based on pure talent of the player and / or iconic status at the Club.
Here are my candidates for A) based on the three top flight era best teams I already posted;
Sam Bartram
Bob Bolder
Dean Kiely
Norman Smith
John Hewie
John Humphrey
Peter Shirtliff
Scott Minto
Mark Aizlewood
Jon Fortune
Paul Konchesky
Chris Powell
Radostin Kishishev
Don Welsh
Derek Ufton
Joe Jobling
Alan Curbishley
Rob Lee
Colin Walsh
Paul Mortimer
Mark Kinsella
Claus Jensen
Matt Holland
John Robinson
Eddie Firmani
Stuart Leary
Charlie Vaughan
Chris Duffy
Harold Hobbis
Carl Leaburn
Allan Simonsen
Darren Bent
Jason Euell
Subs:
Mark Stewart
Steve Thompson
Jim Melrose
Paolo Di Canio
Scott Parker
Jonatan Johansson
Clive Mendonca
Mark Fish
So there it is; my all-time best XI based on statistical achievement for the Club at the highest level;
Sam Bartram
John Hewie
John Humphrey
Jon Fortune
Paul Konchesky
Don Welsh
Paul Mortimer
Mark Kinsella
John Robinson
Stuart Leary
Carl Leaburn
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Here's my all-time best Charlton XI based on the pure talent of the player and / or their iconic status at the Club
due to their involvement in key times or matches during our history, such as
Sasa Ilic
Peter Shirtliff
Richard Rufus
Shaun Newton
Don Welsh
Steve Gritt
Keith Peacock
Rob Lee
Derek Hales
Johnny Summers
Clive Mendonca
There are many other iconic players who could have made it,
Mike Flanagan being an obvious choice. But I could only choose 11.
Bob Bolder & Nicky Johns could easily have been the goalkeepers too.
My memory of Sasa Ilic dropping onto that tame penalty at Wembley just swayed my heart...
due to their involvement in key times or matches during our history, such as
- The 1947 FA Cup Final
- The 1957 league victory 7-6 against Huddersfield Town
- The 1987 play-off Final re-play against Leeds United
- The 1998 1st Division play-off Final against Sunderland
Sasa Ilic
Peter Shirtliff
Richard Rufus
Shaun Newton
Don Welsh
Steve Gritt
Keith Peacock
Rob Lee
Derek Hales
Johnny Summers
Clive Mendonca
There are many other iconic players who could have made it,
Mike Flanagan being an obvious choice. But I could only choose 11.
Bob Bolder & Nicky Johns could easily have been the goalkeepers too.
My memory of Sasa Ilic dropping onto that tame penalty at Wembley just swayed my heart...