I'm just happy it's back. Murray will get the blame, some deserved, but he was only one man on the board. It wasn't one individuals fault. But if it were then I'll say pardew
This could have worked well as a Poll AllHell... Curbs - For getting Bored... The Fans - For getting Bored with mid-table under Curbs... The (original) Board - For Hiring Dowie and then opening thier wallets (for Dowie and Pards) Dowie - For signing Djimi Traore... Djimi Traore - For his red card against West Ham that set us off... The Ref against Fulham (Poll?)... Pards - For being an arrogant ****, spending 5 million on Andy Gray, Varney, and Izzy Mac... I still attach no blame to Parky at all for our decline - the rot was in long before he took charge; I hope this season's success will revise the perception on Parky as one who stabilised and did remarkably well with the resources at his disposal...
That stupid dick who thought that bussing in a load of disinterested loafers wearing home counties inbreds to make up the numbers while we were in the prem. They started the rot, they moaned they phoned up 606 and bitched like schoolchildren, that got curbs de-motivated and the house of cards fell. Saw a couple back yesterday
It was the old board. They got complacent and thought it would be easy to replace Curbs because he was such an astute manager he made it look easier than it was. They then failed with a series of gambles, throwing good money after bad, and eventually lost control altogether of the clubs finances. You have to look at the very top.
Agree with every comment that has been made so far, including about Parky. My one caveat about him is the complete bumhole he made of the playoff semi against Swindon when we had them in the ropes at half time and for some bizarre reason chose to defend in the second half. That said, we have discussed elsewhere the thought that had we actually gone up two years ago the club was in such a state of decay that it might have been a false dawn. This seems so much better from the top to the bottom of the club. Much as its nice to see the Valley full and jumping, I do feel a little strange about the return of the plastics. For those of us who have persevered through the lean years (and I freely confess to my own wobble in terms of absence in the second half of last season) I've kind got used to a half full Valley full of relative diehards and a relatively easy drive home. There were a few comments around me yesterday of the "who's the number 36 with the funny socks?" and "isn't that little fella a good player" variety that did piss me off!
My favourite was regarding Dale Stephens "when have you ever seen him pull that off in the past 8 years (WHAT)" and then asking when the last time he scored from outside of the box. I politely informed them of Bury. Also someone pointed out the inaccuracies of the solly song "he's nowhere near 6ft 3". But if the club is to ever grow then you need plastics. Love it or lump it, their money is needed as we climb the leagues. Plus seeing a packed Valley is beautiful.
The old board, for their lack of ambition with Curbs at the end of his reign, and the spectacular lack of ambition when replacing him. Naively putting 100% faith in Alan Pardew, and seemingly agreeing to every one of his silly transfer/loan deals. Which ones (if any) actually paid off? The old board, for their regular bouts of silence when they were meant to be communicating with the fans. I sound like Nick Gray!
The thing is, if we could work out where it went so spectacularly wrong, we could then make sure it doesn't happen again
There are a few people who could be seen as destroying Charlton, lets go through the main culprits: Richard Murray - Defence: Got rid of Curbs a year too early which was understandable because it would make signing players difficult when we'd have said "you've got Curbs for a year but after that we'll be hiring someone else", also he could have jumped ship many a time like some chairmen but stuck with the club until a buyer was found. Richard Murray - Attack: Panicked and gave Dowie / Pardew £10m to spend each because he felt that the two years Charlton did get relegated would be the worst because of the increase of TV money, which inevitably happened. Iain Dowie - Defence: Was only given 15 games to try and make an impact so never got the chance to show what he could do with his new Squad. Iain Dowie - Attack: Only Carson and Reid were defendable signings the rest were complete dross, Pouso / Traore / Faye etc... we all know who they are. Les Reed - Defence: Wasnt a Manager and was thrown in at the deep end, should have been given the Caretaker role to see how he did rather than being given the full on Manager job, did the decent thing and walked rather than being sacked and was a Charlton man through and through. Les Reed - Attack: In losing to Wycombe in the Carling Cup blew our last chance of silverware (Soz Les couldnt think of anything else to attack you on) Alan Pardew - Defence: Almost ALMOST kept us in the Premiership with the loan signings of Alex Song and Zhi Zheng, had he been signed earlier we would have survived and we could have done what Newcastle are doing now. I still insist that Pards is a good Prem manager. Alan Pardew - Attack: Signed too many loan players when we had our own players who would have put in the effort, he is not a Football League Manager as its too competitive. Phil Parkinson - Defence: Did his best with absolutely no money by bringing in Free Transfers on absolutely no wages. Phil Parkinson - Attack: At times his tactics were a little too questionable, never really had the backing of the fans The Fans - Defence: 15,000 of us have continued to stick by the club even through our darkest days and becoming Champions of League One is fully deserved for every one of us. The Fans - Attack: The other 10,000 wanted more (i.e. European Football), didnt get it and when we faltered and sunk, fled the ship like rats and it almost destroyed the club - The chant from the North Stand yesterday "Where were you when we were ****" was hopefully aimed at those who turned up for the first time in 6 years yesterday and IMO was fully deserved
Yep you have to learn the lessons of history otherwise you're doomed to repeat your mistakes. So far the new owners haven't done anything wrong in my view, but then neither did Richard Murray in the beginning. Unfortunately the same set of circumstances won't repeat themselves, and our decline was protracted and tortuous, with various landmarks, like the sale of Andy Reid. Got to go for lunch now.
We had too many board members. We were far too incoherent and decision making took too long. When it was going well everyone was happy. As soon as things started to go wrong on the pitch, some directors withheld finances, some disagreed and others wanted out. For all of Murray's downsides, he did his best to see it through and keep us afloat. Unfortunately, when you make yourself a public figure, you have to take the responsibilities with it. Just hope he doesn't pay for it through his health.
I might write an alternate history for the years between summer '06 and now assuming that Djim Traore hadn't been red-carded. I think it would have still resulted in relegation but after a Europa Cup win.
I voted for Mr Dowie since he thought buying overpriced players makes a team. Look what CP has just done with the money from the sale of Jenkinson and how he and the back room staff have forged all of those new signings (with one or two exceptions) into a team. Curbs got Di Canio to sign for us on the strength of a video about our history and the way the club pulled together. That is what CP has brought back to the club. Forget about the plastics, look at them as cash dispensers who will help the loyal fans. The fans in the north lower who sang "where were you when we were s*#t towards the fans in the north west haven't always been there themselves this season and in doing so were disrespectful to those of us in the North West who have been there all the time. I for one welcome the plastics back since although they ask stupid questions, can't identify one player from another, tut tut over some of the language from those around them and leave if we are losing, some of them might come back and learn to be true supporters if we don't abuse them. If we are arrogant and insult those who have turned up for the first match five years then the economics of running CAFC as a viable club will become unsustainable in the next tier. I have nothing but admiration for Dick Murray who like all of us in life, made mistakes. He probably misinterpreted Curbs but paid the price out of his own pocket for a lot of what followed. He has always done what he believed to be best for CAFC including looking to sell it. Pardew was a mistake but was the best option after Dowie, he couldn't turn it around with half a season to go and spent unwisely but that doesn't mean to say he was a bad manager just someone who couldn't correct a mistake that had already ocurred. Parkinson is a manager who is now plying his trade at the appropriate level and must bear some of the blame for sending out underprepared teams who did not have an ounce of the old Charlton ethos about them, given the mount of time he was given.
The hardcore vs plastics is a bit silly seeming we rarely take 1k away, let alone requests to take 15k when on our travels...
It was the old board who appointed Dowie manager immediately after Simon Jordan had released him from his contract "to be nearer his family".So they replaced one of the most honest men in football with a liar. Why? They also gave him money to spend which Curbs could only dream about. Then after the Uncle Les business they appointed a manager who had just been sacked and also gave him loadsamoney to piss up the wall. The mistakes were made at the very top.
The appointment of Dowie was a disaster and own goal given that it was not done for footballing reasons but as a side swipe by Murray at Simon Jordan. Dowie had too much baggage and many of us knew it would not work out and the results proved that. There were better options out there which were not taken. Curbs should've been kept on the extra year until the end of his contract and maybe he would've stayed on with some financial assurances from the board since Dowie was given more of a budget but look at how much of it was wasted on players who were not of the same calibre of the grafters of the Curbs' years.
Plastic fans really grind my gears, i am nearly turning 22 and i have had a season ticket for 12 of the last 13 seasons, i didn't have one last year as i simply couldn't afford it. I ended up going to quite most of the games anyway, and as soon as Powell was put in charge i didn't miss a game. I am proud to be a Charlton fan, i have CAFC tattooed on my forearm as a sign of my love for the club. I would watch if we were in the blue square south, as it is my club. Plastic fans just don't understand what football really is, i have been there through good times and bad times, and the bad times are painful, but they make the good times all the more beautiful. Charlton is my religion, The Valley is my church.
Super, thanks for the tickets on Saturday - my anecdote from Saturday was bloke sitting next to me telling his (young) son that Kermogant was the best forward we have had since Clive Mendonca, only for his son to turn around and ask 'Who is Clive Mendonca ?' - made me laugh and cry at the same time - as it shows that there is a new generation of young fans growing up as Addicks and keeping the heritage of the club.
