I'll have it when home this afternoon. If it's not posted up by then I'll take a pic and do a summary.
Chris Powell has had Saturday, February 28 highlighted in his diary for a while. Tomorrow marks the date he will make an emotional return to The Valley for the first time since leaving Charlton last March. “I would be a liar if I said I did not look for this game as soon as I came here,” says the Huddersfield manager, who served Charlton with distinction both as a player and manager and is still admired by supporters in that part of south-east London. “A lot has happened but I am pleased I have got an opportunity to go back. I am extremely proud of what I did there but, with the way it ended, I left pretty quickly. I made sure I went in to see everyone at The Valley before I went but there are so many good people there and it will be good to see them and the supporters again.” Powell is thoroughly enjoying the latest chapter of his life with Huddersfield but there is no disguising he never wanted to leave Charlton, a club he played for 270 times across three spells and then guided from League One to the Championship as manager. As he reflects on his long association with the Addicks, there is obvious regret about the way his tenure came to an acrimonious end when he was sacked by owner Roland Duchatelet just two months after the Belgian businessmen bought the club. “To be honest, as soon as the takeover happened last January I knew it was more a case of when and not if I would be leaving,” he says. “I was trying to prepare a team to win games knowing that, no matter what we did, it would not change anything. I tried to protect our fans from that but people could slowly see what was happening. “The club needed the takeover, so you embrace that. I actually said to them that I would go out to Belgium to meet them and tell them about the club. If it is not to their liking, then tell me and that is fine. But the uncertainty dragged on for two months and it was affecting me, my staff, the players and the supporters. There were rumours of what was going on but it never totally came out.” After initial disagreements, the relationship between Powell and Duchatelet quickly deteriorated beyond repair as the owner sought control of football matters. Powell was told to play certain new signings — including goalkeeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien and defender Loic Nego — handpicked by Duchatelet from his network of six European clubs and with no experience of English football. Yann Kermorgant, now helping Bournemouth’s push for the Premier League, was sold over Powell’s head and Charlton found themselves fighting relegation. “If you are told a club hero like Yann Kermorgant is not good enough, then you have got a problem,” he says. “I fought tooth and nail to keep him and Yann did not want to leave. Being told Ben Hamer and one or two others were not good enough, because the owner’s scouts in Belgium had seen them, that was tough to swallow. “I wanted to do what I felt was right for Charlton Athletic, but when I did not play certain players I knew that was me leaving even more. Unfortunately, it was the right club at the wrong time, whereas before it was the right club and the right time. “I knew the night before the Sheffield United game that it would not be long. You should not be thinking like that when you are preparing for one of Charlton’s biggest games for a long time. Of course I did not want to leave but sometimes you are better off out.” Charlton went on to stay up under Jose Riga but the treatment of Powell and his manner of his departure angered supporters, who have grown unhappy with the way Charlton is being run and want to know more about Duchatelet’s long-term vision of their club. “Sadly, now the fans are getting a taste of what I had for the first two months,” he says. “They do not deserve it because they are there through thick and thin. I understand it is a business model that can use other clubs’ resources but it is not the way we have always known it here and, when you do it, you have to do it tactfully. “Roland feels he is able to do what he wants because he owns the club and you have to remember he is investing money. But what has happened is the fans are looking at it and thinking, ‘is it the same club anymore?’ and ‘are they listening to us?’. “The fans are worried that they do not know what is happening with the club they love. They would like to know where they are heading. That is all they want. Give them their club back and let them feel part of it again.” A near full-house is expected at The Valley tomorrow, with around 25,000 tickets sold thanks to Charlton’s Football for a Fiver initiative. Powell will be given a hero’s reception by home supporters after years of excellent service for the club. “Of course it will be a little bit poignant,” he says. “But it is an important game because of where both clubs are in the table and I want to get three points.” Not the SLP but in tonight's Evening Standard
I was looking forward to applauding Powell tomorrow. I'm going to sit on my hands now. It's a cynical mind games ploy of the kind you usually associate with Mourinho , designed to destabilise Charlton's management, players and supporters and to help his team leave the Valley with the points. Shut up, man. And shame on the Suppoerters Trust for giving him a platform to attack the club in tomorrow's match-day publication.
what the fudge?? he's just saying it how it is. it's all true - how did coco the clown get in our first team - if not. all managers get asked about their next opponent. his just happens to be his last club
He's playing politics and you are naive if you cannot see that. And the Supporters Trust role in this is despicable. God, I hope we absolutely stuff him and Dyer tomorrow. We are Charlton. They are Huddersfield - which means they are the enemy. Let's all hope Luzon sends 'Sir' and his hopeless sidekick back up north with their tails between their sorry legs tomorrow.
how is believing the last success we had being naive. naive is following the regime 'cos of a five pound ticket, a couple of stickers and some dud signings; and then acting like you've finally got your own way. our current manager is sh1t. he's unproven and he will never prove himself at this club - not with our owners. i hope we win too, but i'm still going to enjoy seeing the angry minority sitting there while everyone else stands up and shows appreciation for a job well done.
I also want to applaud him as he will always be a Charlton hero to me. But Powell is a very media savvy individual and he has been very, very busy giving interviews this week, slagging off the way the club is governed to the SLP, the Standard and The CAFC Supporters Trust magaine (and the latter is to be distributed to supporters at the game tomorrow,ffs!). The Trust's connivance in Powell's attempt to destabilise the fan base ahead of a critical match has had a divisive effect (just look at the thread on Charlton Life which now runs to more than 150 comments) and Powell knew exactly what he was doing; it was a deeply political and calculated move, cleverly designed to wreak maximum damage on the club ahead of tomorrow's game. Fair enough, for the only thing Powell cares about is beating Charlton tomorrow and walking away with three points to plunge us back into a relegation battle. Which is as it should be - that's his job and what he is paid to do. But let's not kid ourselves otherwise, and our own Supporters Trust should certainly not be helping him in this objective. The Supporters Trust meeting last week voted unanimously to seek further dialogue with the club rather than to go on the offensive. Then at the next home game it seems they have gone and done exactly the opposite.
Kent, Get a life, Chris Powell was stuffed before the takeover by not having funds to build a strong enough championship team and then royally stuffed after the takeover. He appears to have given one interview which has been sold exclusively to the Standard and the SLP and probably bought by CAST as well. Is he entitled to speak his mind, of course he is since he is almost certainly no longer under any restrictions. He has jusconfirmed what most of us have thought for the last year particularly about Yann. Your standpoint seems to me that you are the official mouthpiece of the club. will I applaud him tomorrow, damn right I will.
It will be interesting to see who gets the louder applause tomorrow/today.... Luzor or Sir Chris?? I certainly know who DESERVES more applause and that's the person who has given MANY years dedicated service to Charlton and not the person whose role at Charlton is purely down to nepotism.
Factually wrong, I'm afraid. He gave different interviews to different media outlets. The interview in the Trust magazine was conducted by a Trust member, who approached the Huddersfield FC comms team last week for an interview and, to her surprise, was told that Powell would be delighted to address Charlton fans in a Charlton publication on the eve of what is a must win game for us. From the extracts of the interview I've read, he then gratefully seizes the opportunity to stick in the knife, which is what he should do as he seeks to ensure Charlton come a cropper this afternoonn. I have said repeatedly that I don't blame Powell for trying to undermine the club and using his role as a former and disgruntled employer to do so. He wants and needs Charlton to lose today and he will use every weapon in his armoury to do so. That's his job, so no complaints about his pre-match approach to the game. What I find unsavoury is the Supporters Trust giving him a platform to do so. Now you are aware of the facts, perhaps you will alter your view!
Nope. View still the same. Too cynical, in my humble opinion. I will join the ovation in protest at some terrible footballing decisions from the club and in recognition of a great club servant. Then I'll throw my voice behind Luzon's team and chant 'Chrissy, what's the score' as Igor puts the fourth past them
i thought everything was very dignified yesterday. the network stopped making it about them for a change and puts fans first. SCP got what he deserved - appreciated. even the most knuckle headed "dont clap the oppo manager" supporter behaved. the football was cracking after that. not enjoyed a game like that in a long while
The real winner was Luzon, Tony Watt and the £5 fans. The trust made itself look bitter and nasty, Chris Powell does what he does best and self promote, and Poor old Reams, has spent the entire day trying to justify his drunken bullshatting with a subtle mix of deleting old threads and fatboy violence. The valley will soon fill up again with performances like that and with a partnership strike force of Ventokele and Watt stirring up memories of Flanagan and Hales, relegation talk is now over and I can go back to the more important task of taking the piss out of the trust and ITTV.
i dont think the trust did anything. i didnt see or hear about them all day. half the fans there were new and were there to take advantage of the £5 ticket. SCP clapped back. that's it. i dont see that as self promoting. he wasnt given a mic, i cant even remember if he was introduced. some days you just gotta go with the flow and try and enjoy yourself. we're actually playing football now, enjoy it - somehow the douche will do his best to ruin it before too long.
