Charlton Athletic F.C.

Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London. They currently compete in League One, the third tier of English football, having been relegated from the Championship in the 2019–20 season. The club was founded on 9 June 1905 when a number of youth clubs in south-east London, including East Street Mission and Blundell Mission, combined to form Charlton Athletic. Their home ground is the Valley, where the club have played since 1919, apart from one year in Catford, during 1923–24, and seven years at Crystal Palace and West Ham United between 1985 and 1992, due to financial issues, and then safety concerns raised by the local council. The club's fans formed the Valley Party, nominating candidates to stand in local elections, in a bid to return the club to The Valley.

This article is about the men's football club. For the women's football club, see Charlton Athletic W.F.C.

Charlton Athletic
Full nameCharlton Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)The Addicks, Red Robins
Founded9 June 1905 (1905-06-09)
GroundThe Valley
Capacity27,111
OwnerEast Street Investments
ManagerLee Bowyer
LeagueLeague One
2019–20Championship, 22nd of 24 (relegated)
WebsiteClub website

Charlton turned professional in 1920 and first entered the Football League in 1921. Since then the club has had four separate periods in the top flight of English football: 1936–1957, 1986–1990, 1998–1999, and 2000–2007. Historically, Charlton's most successful period was the 1930s, when the club's highest league finishes were recorded, including runners-up of the First Division in 1937. After World War II, Charlton reached two consecutive FA Cup finals, losing in 1946, and winning in 1947.

The club's traditional kit consists of red shirts, white shorts and red socks, and their most commonly used nickname is The Addicks. Charlton share local rivalries with fellow Kent clubs Gillingham and Dartford.

History
See also: List of Charlton Athletic F.C. seasons

Early history (1905–1946)

Charlton Athletic F.C. were formed on 9 June 1905[1] by a group of 15- to 17-year-olds in East Street, Charlton, which is now known as Eastmoor Street and no longer residential. Charlton spent most of the years before the First World War playing in youth leagues. They became a senior side in 1913 the same year that nearby Woolwich Arsenal relocated to North London.[1] After the war, they joined the Kent League for one season (1919–20) before becoming professional, appointing Walter Rayner as the first full-time manager. They were accepted by the Southern League and played just a single season (1920–21) before being voted into the Football League. Charlton's first Football League match was against Exeter City in August 1921, which they won 1–0. In 1923, Charlton became "giant killers" in the FA Cup beating top flight sides Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion, and Preston North End before losing to eventual winners Bolton Wanderers in the Quarter-Finals. Later that year, it was proposed that Charlton merge with Catford Southend to create a larger team with bigger support.[2] In the 1923–24 season Charlton played in Catford at The Mount stadium and wore the colours of "The Enders", light and dark blue vertical stripes. However, the move fell through and the Addicks returned to the Charlton area in 1924, returning to the traditional red and white colours in the process.[3]

Charlton finished second bottom in the Football League in 1926 and were forced to apply for re-election which was successful. Three years later the Addicks won the Division Three championship in 1929[4] and they remained at the Division Two level for four years.[1] After relegation into the Third Division south at the end of the 1932–33 season the club appointed Jimmy Seed as manager and he oversaw the most successful period in Charlton's history either side of the Second World War. Seed, an ex-miner who had made a career as a footballer despite suffering the effects of poison gas in the First World War, remains the most successful manager in Charlton's history. He is commemorated in the name of a stand at the Valley.[5] Seed was an innovative thinker about the game at a time when tactical formations were still relatively unsophisticated. He later recalled "a simple scheme that enabled us to pull several matches out of the fire" during the 1934–35 season: when the team was in trouble "the centre-half was to forsake his defensive role and go up into the attack to add weight to the five forwards."[6] The organisation Seed brought to the team proved effective and the Addicks gained successive promotions from the Third Division to the First Division between 1934 and 1936, becoming the first club to ever do so.[1] Charlton finally secured promotion to the First Division by beating local rivals West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground, with their centre-half John Oakes playing on despite concussion and a broken nose.[7]

In 1937, Charlton finished runners up in the First Division,[8] in 1938 finished fourth[9] and 1939 finished third.[10] They were the most consistent team in the top flight of English football over the three seasons immediately before the Second World War.[1] This continued during the war years and they won the Football League War Cup and appeared in finals.

Post-war success and fall from grace (1946–1984)

Charlton reached the 1946 FA Cup Final, but lost 4–1 to Derby County at Wembley. Charlton's Bert Turner scored an own goal in the eightieth minute before equalising for the Addicks a minute later to take them into extra time, but they conceded three further goals in the extra period.[11] When the full league programme resumed in 1946–47 Charlton could finish only 19th in the First Division, just above the relegation spots, but they made amends with their performance in the FA Cup, reaching the 1947 FA Cup Final. This time they were successful, beating Burnley 1–0, with Chris Duffy scoring the only goal of the day.[12] In this period of renewed football attendances, Charlton became one of only thirteen English football teams to average over 40,000 as their attendance during a full season.[1] The Valley was the largest football ground in the League, drawing crowds in excess of 70,000.[1] However, in the 1950s little investment was made either for players or to The Valley, hampering the club's growth. In 1956, the then board undermined Jimmy Seed and asked for his resignation; Charlton were relegated the following year.[1]

Chart showing Charlton's table positions since joining the Football League

From the late 1950s until the early 1970s, Charlton remained a mainstay of the Second Division before relegation to the Third Division in 1972[13] caused the team's support to drop, and even a promotion in 1975 back to the second division[14] did little to re-invigorate the team's support and finances. In 1979–80 Charlton were relegated again to the Third Division,[15] but won immediate promotion back to the Second Division in 1980–81.[16] Even though it did not feel like it, this was a turning point in the club's history leading to a period of turbulence and change including further promotion and exile. A change in management and shortly after a change in club ownership[17] led to severe problems, such as the reckless signing of former European Footballer of the Year Allan Simonsen, and the club looked like it would go out of business.[18]

The "wilderness" years (1984–1995)

In 1984 financial matters came to a head and the club went into administration, to be reformed as Charlton Athletic. (1984) Ltd.[1] although the club's finances were still far from secure. They were forced to leave the Valley just after the start of the 1985–86 season, after its safety was criticised by Football League officials in the wake of the Bradford City stadium fire. The club began to groundshare with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park[1] and this arrangement looked to be for the long-term, as Charlton did not have enough funds to revamp the Valley to meet safety requirements.

Despite the move away from the Valley, Charlton were promoted to the First Division as Second Division runners-up at the end of 1985–86,[19] and remained at this level for four years (achieving a highest league finish of 14th) often with late escapes, most notably against Leeds in 1987, where the Addicks triumphed in extra-time of the play-off final replay to secure their top flight place.[1] In 1987 Charlton also returned to Wembley for the first time since the 1947 FA Cup final for the Full Members Cup final against Blackburn.[20] Eventually, Charlton were relegated in 1990 along with Sheffield Wednesday and bottom club Millwall.[1] Manager Lennie Lawrence remained in charge for one more season before he accepted an offer to take charge of Middlesbrough. He was replaced by joint player-managers Alan Curbishley and Steve Gritt.[1] The pair had unexpected success in their first season finishing just outside the play-offs, and 1992–93 began promisingly and Charlton looked good bets for promotion in the new Division One (the new name of the old Second Division following the formation of the Premier League). However, the club was forced to sell players such as Rob Lee to help pay for a return to the Valley, while club fans formed the Valley Party, nominating candidates to stand in local elections in 1990, pressing the local council to enable the club's return to the Valley - finally achieved in December 1992.

In March 1993, defender Tommy Caton, who had been out of action due to injury since January 1991, announced his retirement from playing on medical advice. He died suddenly at the end of the following month at the age of 30.

Premier League years (1995–2007)

In 1995, new chairman Richard Murray appointed Alan Curbishley as sole manager of Charlton.[21] Under his sole leadership Charlton made an appearance in the play-off in 1996 but were eliminated by Crystal Palace in the semi-finals and the following season brought a disappointing 15th-place finish. 1997–98 was Charlton's best season for years. They reached the Division One play-off final and battled against Sunderland in a thrilling game which ended with a 4–4 draw after extra time. Charlton won 7–6 on penalties,[22] with the match described as "arguably the most dramatic game of football in Wembley's history",[23] and were promoted to the Premier League.

Charlton's first Premier League campaign began promisingly (they went top after two games) but they were unable to keep up their good form and were soon battling relegation. The battle was lost on the final day of the season but the club's board kept faith in Curbishley, confident that they could bounce back. Curbishley rewarded the chairman's loyalty with the Division One title in 2000 which signalled a return to the Premier League.[24]

After the club's return, Curbishley proved an astute spender and by 2003 he had succeeded in establishing Charlton in the top flight. Charlton spent much of the 2003–04 Premier League season challenging for a Champions League place, but a late-season slump in form and the sale of star player Scott Parker to Chelsea, left Charlton in seventh place,[25] which was still the club's highest finish since the 1950s. Charlton were unable to build on this level of achievement and Curbishley departed in 2006, with the club still established as a solid mid-table side.[26]

In May 2006, Iain Dowie was named as Curbishley's successor,[27] but was sacked after 12 league matches in November 2006, with only two wins.[28] Les Reed replaced Dowie as manager,[29] however he too failed to improve Charlton's position in the league table and on Christmas Eve 2006, Reed was replaced by former player Alan Pardew.[30] Although results did improve, Pardew was unable to keep Charlton up and relegation was confirmed in the penultimate match of the season.[31]

Return to the Football League (2007–2014)

Charlton's return to the second tier of English football was a disappointment, with their promotion campaign tailing off to an 11th-place finish. Early in the following season the Addicks were linked with a foreign takeover,[32] but this was swiftly denied by the club. On 10 October 2008, Charlton received an indicative offer for the club from a Dubai-based diversified investment company. However, the deal later fell through. The full significance of this soon became apparent as the club recorded net losses of over £13 million for that financial year. Pardew left on 22 November after a 2–5 home loss to Sheffield United that saw the team fall into the relegation places.[33] Matters did not improve under caretaker manager Phil Parkinson, and the team went a club record 18 games without a win, a new club record, before finally achieving a 1–0 away victory over Norwich City in an FA Cup Third Round replay; Parkinson was hired on a permanent basis. The team were relegated to League One after a 2–2 draw against Blackpool on 18 April 2009.[34]

After spending almost the entire 2009–10 season in the top six of League One, Charlton were defeated in the Football League One play-offs semi-final second leg on penalties against Swindon Town.[35]

Former Charlton player Chris Powell returned to the club as manager between 2011 and 2014

After a change in ownership, Parkinson and Charlton legend Mark Kinsella left after a poor run of results. Another Charlton legend, Chris Powell, was appointed manager of the club in January 2011, winning his first game in charge 2–0 over Plymouth at the Valley. This was Charlton's first league win since November. Powell's bright start continued with a further three victories, before running into a downturn which saw the club go 11 games in succession without a win. Yet the fans' respect for Powell saw him come under remarkably little criticism. The club's fortunes picked up towards the end of the season, but leaving them far short of the play-offs. In a busy summer, Powell brought in 19 new players and after a successful season, on 14 April 2012, Charlton Athletic won promotion back to the Championship with a 1–0 away win at Carlisle United. A week later, on 21 April 2012, they were confirmed as champions after a 2–1 home win over Wycombe Wanderers. Charlton then lifted the League One trophy on 5 May 2012, having been in the top position since 15 September 2011, and after recording a 3–2 victory over Hartlepool United, recorded their highest ever league points score of 101, the highest in any professional European league that year.

In the first season back in the Championship, the 2012–13 season saw Charlton finish ninth place with 65 points, just three points short of the play-off places to the Premier League.

Duchâtelet's ownership (2014–2019)

In early January 2014 during the 2013–14 season, Belgian businessman Roland Duchâtelet took over Charlton as owner in a deal worth £14million. This made Charlton a part of a network of football clubs owned by Duchâtelet. On 11 March 2014, two days after an FA Cup quarter-final loss to Sheffield United, and with Charlton sitting bottom of the table, Powell was sacked and leaked private emails suggested that this was due to a rift with the owner.[36]

New manager Jose Riga, despite having to join Charlton long after the transfer window had closed, was able to improve Charlton's form and eventually guide them to 18th place, successfully avoiding relegation. After Riga's departure to manage Blackpool, former Millwall player Bob Peeters was appointed as manager in May 2014 on a 12-month contract. Charlton started strong, but a long run of draws meant that after only 25 games in charge Peeters was dismissed with the team in 14th place.[37][38] His replacement, Guy Luzon, ensured there was no relegation battle by winning most of the remaining matches, resulting in a 12th-place finish.

The 2015–16 season began promisingly but results under Luzon deteriorated and on 24 October 2015 after a 3–0 defeat at home to Brentford he was sacked.[39] Luzon said in a News Shopper interview that he "was not the one who chose how to do the recruitment" as the reason why he failed as manager.[40] Karel Fraeye was appointed "interim head coach",[41] but was sacked after 14 games and just two wins, with the club then second from bottom in the Championship.[42] On 14 January 2016, Jose Riga was appointed head coach for a second spell,[43] but could not prevent Charlton from being relegated to League One for the 2016–17 season.[44] Riga resigned at the end of the season.[45] To many fans, the managerial changes and subsequent relegation to League One were symptomatic of the mismanagement of the club under Duchâtelet's ownership and several protests began.[46][47]

After a slow start to the new season, with the club in 15th place of League One, the club announced that it had "parted company" with Russell Slade in November 2016.[48] Karl Robinson was appointed on a permanent basis soon after.[49] He led the Addicks to an uneventful 13th-place finish. The following season Robinson had the team challenging for the play-offs, but a drop in form in March led him to resign by mutual consent. He was replaced by former player Lee Bowyer as caretaker manager who guided them to a 6th-place finish, but lost in the play-off semi-final.

Bowyer was appointed permanently in September on a one-year contract and after finishing third in the regular 2018-19 EFL League One season, Charlton beat Sunderland 2–1 in the League One play-off final to earn promotion back to the EFL Championship after a three-season absence.[50] Bowyer later signed a new one-year contract following promotion, which was later extended to three years in January 2020.[51]

Under new ownership (2019–)

On 29 November 2019, Charlton Athletic were acquired by East Street Investments from Abu Dhabi, subject to approval from the English Football League (EFL).[52] Approval was reportedly granted on 2 January 2020, however on 10 March 2020, a public disagreement between the new owners erupted along with reports that the main investor was pulling out.[53] The EFL later stated that contrary to reports, the takeover had in fact not been approved.[54] The Valley and Charlton's training ground were still owned by Duchâtelet, and a transfer embargo was in place as the new owners had not provided evidence of funding through to June 2021.[55] On 20 April 2020, the EFL announced that the club had been placed under investigation for misconduct regarding the takeover.[56] On 9 June 2020, Tahnoon Nimer was reported to have sold Charlton to a new consortium.[57] On 10 June, Charlton confirmed that East Street Investments had been taken over by a consortium led by businessman Paul Elliott, and said it had contacted the EFL to finalise the ownership change.[58] However, a legal dispute involving former East Street Investments director Matt Southall continued.[59] Southall later attempted to regain control of the club to prevent Elliot's takeover from going ahead, but this attempt failed and he was subsequently fined and dismissed for challenging the status of the club's directors.[60] Charlton were relegated back to League One at the end of the 2019–20 season after finishing 22nd.[61] On 7 August 2020 the EFL said three individuals including ESI owner Paul Elliot and lawyer Chris Farnell had failed its Owners' and Directors' Test, leaving the club's ownership unclear;[62] Charlton has appealed against the decision.[63]

Stadium
See also: The Valley
One of Charlton's early grounds, Siemens Meadow

The club's first ground was Siemens Meadow (1905–1907), a patch of rough ground by the River Thames. This was over-shadowed by the Siemens Brothers Telegraph Works. Then followed Woolwich Common (1907–1908), Pound Park (1908–1913), and Angerstein Lane (1913–1915). After the end of the First World War, a chalk quarry known as the Swamps was identified as Charlton's new ground, and in the summer of 1919 work began to create the level playing area and remove debris from the site.[64] The first match at this site, now known as the club's current ground The Valley, was in September 1919. Charlton stayed at The Valley until 1923, when the club moved to The Mount stadium in Catford as part of a proposed merger with Catford Southend Football Club. However, after this move collapsed in 1924 Charlton returned to The Valley.

During the 1930s and 1940s, significant improvements were made to the ground, making it one of the largest in the country at that time.[64] In 1938 the highest attendance to date at the ground was recorded at over 75,000 for a FA Cup match against Aston Villa. During the 1940s and 1950s the attendance was often above 40,000, and Charlton had one of the largest support bases in the country. However, after the club's relegation little investment was made in The Valley as it fell into decline.

In the 1980s matters came to a head as the ownership of the club and The Valley was divided. The large East Terrace had been closed down by the authorities after the Bradford City stadium fire and the ground's owner wanted to use part of the site for housing. In September 1985, Charlton made the controversial move to ground-share with South London neighbours Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. This move was unpopular with supporters and in the late 1980s significant steps were taken to bring about the club's return to The Valley.

A single issue political party, the Valley Party, contested the 1990 local Greenwich Borough Council elections on a ticket of reopening the stadium, capturing 11% of the vote,[64] aiding the club's return. The Valley Gold investment scheme was created to help supporters fund the return to The Valley, and several players were also sold to raise funds. For the 1991–92 season and part of the 1992–93 season, the Addicks played at West Ham's Upton Park[64] as Wimbledon had moved into Selhurst Park alongside Crystal Palace. Charlton finally returned to The Valley in December 1992, celebrating with a 1–0 victory against Portsmouth.[65]

Since the return to The Valley, three sides of the ground have been completely redeveloped turning The Valley into a modern, all-seater stadium with a 27,111 capacity. There are plans in place to increase the ground's capacity to approximately 31,000 and even around 40,000 in the future.[66]

Supporters

The bulk of the club's support base comes from South East London and Kent, particularly the London boroughs of Greenwich, Bexley and Bromley. Supporters played a key role in the return of the club to The Valley in 1992 and were rewarded by being granted a voice on the board in the form of an elected supporter director. Any season ticket holder could put themselves forward for election, with a certain number of nominations, and votes were cast by all season ticket holders over the age of 18. The last such director, Ben Hayes,[67] was elected in 2006 to serve until 2008, when the role was discontinued as a result of legal issues. Its functions were replaced by a fans forum,[68] which met for the first time in December 2008 and is still active to this day.[67]

Nicknames

Charlton's most common nickname is The Addicks. The most likely origin of this name is from a local fishmonger, Arthur "Ikey" Bryan, who rewarded the team with meals of haddock and chips.[69]

The progression of the nickname can be seen in the book The Addicks Cartoons: An Affectionate Look into the Early History of Charlton Athletic, which covers the pre-First World War history of Charlton through a narrative based on 56 cartoons which appeared in the now defunct Kentish Independent. The very first cartoon, from 31 October 1908, calls the team the Haddocks. By 1910, the name had changed to Addicks although it also appeared as Haddick. The club also have two other nicknames, The Red Robins, adopted in 1931, and The Valiants, chosen in a fan competition in the 1960s which also led to the adoption of the sword badge which is still in use. The Addicks nickname never went away and was revived by fans after the club lost its Valley home in 1985 and went into exile at Crystal Palace. It is now once again the official nickname of the club.

Charlton fans' chants have included "Valley, Floyd Road", a song noting the stadium's address to the tune of "Mull of Kintyre", and "The Red, Red Robin" .[70]

Charlton Athletic featured in the ITV one-off drama Albert's Memorial, shown on 12 September 2010 and starring David Jason and David Warner.[71]

In the long-running BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses, Rodney Charlton Trotter is named after the club.[72]

Charlton's ground and the then manager, Alan Curbishley, made appearances in the Sky One TV series, Dream Team.

Charlton Athletic has also featured in a number of book publications, in both the realm of fiction and factual/sports writing. These include works by Charlie Connelly[73] and Paul Breen's work of popular fiction which is entitled "The Charlton Men". The book is set against Charlton's successful 2011–12 season when they won the League One title and promotion back to the Championship in concurrence with the 2011 London riots.[74]

Timothy Young, the protagonist in Out of the Shelter, a novel by David Lodge, supports Charlton Athletic. The book describes Timothy listening to Charlton's victory in the 1947 FA Cup Final on the radio.[75]

Colours and crest
Crest of the former Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich Council, used by Charlton briefly in late 1940s and early 1950s

Charlton have used a number of crests and badges during their history, although the current design has not been changed since 1968. The first known badge, from the 1930s, consisted of the letters CAF in the shape of a club from a pack of cards. In the 1940s, Charlton used a design featuring a robin sitting in a football within a shield, sometimes with the letters CAFC in the four-quarters of the shield, which was worn for the 1946 FA Cup Final. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the crest of the former metropolitan borough of Greenwich was used as a symbol for the club but this was not used on the team's shirts.[76]

In 1963, a competition was held to find a new badge for the club, and the winning entry was a hand holding a sword, which complied with Charlton's nickname of the time, the Valiants.[76] Over the next five years modifications were made to this design, such as the addition of a circle surrounding the hand and sword and including the club's name in the badge. By 1968, the design had reached the one known today, and has been used continuously from this year, apart from a period in the 1970s when just the letters CAFC appeared on the team's shirts.[76]

With the exception of one season, Charlton have always played in red and white. The colours had been chosen by the group of boys who had founded Charlton Athletic in 1905 after having to play their first matches in the borrowed kits of their local rivals Woolwich Arsenal, who also played in red and white.[77] The exception came during the 1923–24 season when Charlton wore the colours of Catford Southend as part of the proposed move to Catford, which were light and dark blue stripes.[78] However, after the move fell through, Charlton returned to wearing red and white as their home colours.

Kit sponsors and manufacturers

The sponsors were as follows:[79]

YearKit ManufacturerMain Shirt SponsorBack of Shirt SponsorShorts Sponsor
1974–80BuktaNoneNone
1980–81Adidas
1981–82FADS
1982–83None
1983–84Osca
1984–86The Woolwich
1986–88Adidas
1988–92Admiral
1992–93RiberoNone
1993–94Viglen
1994–98Quaser
1998–00Le Coq SportifMESH
2000–02Redbus
2002–03All:Sports
2003–05Joma
2005–08Llanera
2008–09Carbrini Sportswear
2009Kent Reliance Building Society
2010–12Macron
2012–14NikeAndrews Sykes
2014–16University of GreenwichAndrews SykesMitsubishi Electric
2016–17BETDAQITRMEmmaus Consulting
2017–19HummelGaughan Services
2019–Children with Cancer UKCannon Glass

Rivalries
Main article: South London derby
Charlton and Millwall pay tribute to Graham Taylor at The Valley in January 2017.

Charlton's main rivals are their South London neighbours, Crystal Palace and Millwall.

Crystal Palace

In 1985, Charlton was forced to ground-share with Crystal Palace after safety concerns at The Valley. They played their home fixtures at the Eagles' Selhurst Park stadium until 1991. The arrangement was seen by Crystal Palace chairman Ron Noades as essential for the future of football, but it was unpopular with both sets of fans. Charlton fans campaigned for a return to The Valley throughout their time at Selhurst Park. In 2005, Palace were relegated by Charlton at the Valley after a 2–2 draw. Palace needed a win to survive but with seven minutes left Charlton equalised, relegating their rivals. Post-match, there was a well-publicised altercation between the two chairmen of the respective clubs, Richard Murray and Simon Jordan. Since their first meeting in the Football League in 1925, Charlton have won 17, drawn 13 and lost 26 games against Palace. The teams last met in 2015, a 4–1 win for Palace in the League Cup.

Millwall

Charlton are closest in proximity to Millwall than any other club, with The Valley and The Den being less than four miles (6.4 km) apart. They last met in July 2020, a 1–0 win for Millwall at the Valley.[80] Since their first Football League game in 1921, Charlton have won 12, drawn 26 and lost 37. The Addicks have not beaten Millwall in the last twelve fixtures between the sides and their last win came in March 1996 at The Valley.[80]

Players
As of 15 August 2020[81][82]

First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Dillon Phillips
3 DF  ENG Ben Purrington
4 DF  ENG Deji Oshilaja
5 DF  WAL Tom Lockyer
6 DF  ENG Jason Pearce
7 MF  WAL Jonny Williams
8 MF  ENG Jake Forster-Caskey
10 FW  ENG Chuks Aneke
13 GK  ENG Ben Amos
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF  ENG Darren Pratley
17 FW  ZIM Macauley Bonne
19 MF  ENG Albie Morgan
29 MF  ENG Erhun Oztumer
32 MF  ENG George Lapslie
45 MF  ENG Alfie Doughty
— MF  ENG Alex Gilbey
— FW  NIR Conor Washington

Under 23 Development squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
30 GK  AUS Ashley Maynard-Brewer
31 GK  ENG Nathan Harness
33 MF  ENG Ben Dempsey
34 FW  ALG Wassim Aouachria
38 MF  GNB Junior Quitirna
40 MF  ENG Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu
41 GK  ENG Joseph Osaghae
44 FW  ENG Josh Davison
46 MF  ENG James Vennings
47 MF  ENG Johl Powell
49 FW  ENG Charles Clayden
No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  ENG Nathan Harvey
— DF  ENG Kasim Aidoo
— DF  ENG Freddy Burton
— DF  ENG Billy French
— DF  ENG Lucas Ness
— DF  ENG Luca Vega
— MF  ENG Eddie Allsopp
— MF  ENG Jay Mingi
— FW  ENG Hady Ghandour
— FW  ENG Richard Afrane-Kesey

Academy squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
48 MF  ENG Aaron Henry
— DF  ENG Mo Buhari
— DF  ENG Tyrone Kirunda
— DF  ENG Charlie Moore
— DF  ENG Sam Nwosu
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  ENG Luca Albon
— MF  ENG Ryan Godding
— MF  ENG Euan Williams
— FW  ENG James Gody

Former players
Further information: List of Charlton Athletic F.C. players

Player of the Year
Year Winner
1971 Paul Went
1972 Keith Peacock
1973 Arthur Horsfield
1974 John Dunn
1975 Richie Bowman
1976 Derek Hales
1977 Mike Flanagan
1978 Keith Peacock
1979 Keith Peacock
1980 Les Berry
  
Year Winner
1981 Nicky Johns
1982 Terry Naylor
1983 Nicky Johns
1984 Nicky Johns
1985 Mark Aizlewood
1986 Mark Aizlewood
1987 Bob Bolder
1988 John Humphrey
1989 John Humphrey
1990 John Humphrey
  
Year Winner
1991 Robert Lee
1992 Simon Webster
1993 Stuart Balmer
1994 Carl Leaburn
1995 Richard Rufus
1996 John Robinson
1997 Andy Petterson
1998 Mark Kinsella
1999 Mark Kinsella
2000 Richard Rufus
  
Year Winner
2001 Richard Rufus
2002 Dean Kiely
2003 Scott Parker
2004 Dean Kiely
2005 Luke Young
2006 Darren Bent
2007 Scott Carson
2008 Matt Holland
2009 Nicky Bailey
2010 Christian Dailly
  
Year Winner
2011 José Semedo
2012 Chris Solly
2013 Chris Solly
2014 Diego Poyet
2015 Jordan Cousins
2016 Jordan Cousins
2017 Ricky Holmes
2018 Jay DaSilva
2019 Lyle Taylor
2020 Dillon Phillips

Club officials

Club officials as of 20 March 2020

Coaching staff
Role[83] Name
Manager Lee Bowyer[84]
Assistant Manager Johnnie Jackson[84]
Director of Football Steve Gallen[85]
Goalkeeper Coach Andy Marshall
First-Team Lead Sports Scientist/ Fitness Coach Josh Hornby
First-Team Strength & Conditioning Coach Ian Jones
First-Team Development Coach Grant Basey
Club Doctor Chris Jones
Head of Medical Services Alastair Thrush
Head Physiotherapist Adam Coe
Assistant Physiotherapist Steve Jackson
Head of Performance Analysis Brett Shaw
Kit Manager Wayne Baldacchino
Academy Manager Steve Avory
Senior Professional Development Lead Coach (U18-U21) Jason Euell
Professional Development Phase Coach (U17-U18) Sergei Baltacha
Professional Development Phase Coach (U16-U18) Anthony Hayes
Youth Development Lead Phase Coach (U12-U16) Adam Lawrence
Foundation Phase Lead Coach (U5-U11) Rhys Williams
Academy Physiotherapist Joe Ranson
Performance Analyst (U21) James Parker
Performance Analyst (U18) Jonny Dixon

Managerial history
Alan Curbishley managed Charlton between 1991 and 2006
Name Dates Achievements
Walter RaynerJune 1920 – May 1925
Alex MacFarlaneMay 1925 – January 1928
Albert LindonJanuary 1928 – June 1928
Alex MacFarlaneJune 1928 – December 1932Division Three Champions (1929)
Albert LindonDecember 1932 – May 1933
Jimmy SeedMay 1933 – September 1956Division Three Champions (1935);
Division Two Runners-up (1936);
Football League Runners-up (1937);
Football League War Cup Co-Winners (1944);
FA Cup Runners-up 1946;
FA Cup Winners 1947
David Clark (Caretaker)September 1956
Jimmy TrotterSeptember 1956 – October 1961
David Clark (Caretaker)October 1961 – November 1961
Frank HillNovember 1961 – August 1965
Bob StokoeAugust 1965 – September 1967
Eddie FirmaniSeptember 1967 – March 1970
Theo FoleyMarch 1970 – April 1974
Les Gore (Caretaker)April 1974 – May 1974
Andy NelsonMay 1974 – March 1980Division Three 3rd place (Promoted – 1975)
Mike BaileyMarch 1980 – June 1981Division Three 3rd place (Promoted – 1981)
Alan MulleryJune 1981 – June 1982
Ken CraggsJune 1982 – November 1982
Lennie LawrenceNovember 1982 – July 1991Division Two Runners-up (1986);
Full Members Cup Runners-up (1987)
Alan Curbishley &
Steve Gritt		July 1991 – June 1995
Alan CurbishleyJune 1995 – May 2006Division One Play-off Winners (1998);
Football League Champions (2000)
Iain DowieMay 2006 – November 2006
Les ReedNovember 2006 – December 2006
Alan PardewDecember 2006 – November 2008
Phil ParkinsonNovember 2008 – January 2011
Keith Peacock (Caretaker)January 2011
Chris PowellJanuary 2011 – March 2014League One Champions (2012)
José RigaMarch 2014 – May 2014
Bob PeetersMay 2014 – January 2015
Damian Matthew &
Ben Roberts (Caretakers)		January 2015
Guy LuzonJanuary 2015 – October 2015
Karel FraeyeOctober 2015 – January 2016
José RigaJanuary 2016 – May 2016
Russell SladeJune 2016 – November 2016
Kevin Nugent (Caretaker)November 2016
Karl RobinsonNovember 2016 – March 2018
Lee Bowyer (Caretaker)March 2018 – September 2018
Lee BowyerSeptember 2018 – PresentLeague One Play-off Winners (2019)

Chairman
YearName
1921–1924Douglas Oliver
1924–1932Edwin Radford
1932–1951Albert Gliksten
1951–1962Stanley Gliksten
1962–1982Edward Gliksten
1982–1983Mark Hulyer
1983Richard Collins
1983–1984Mark Hulyer
1984John Fryer
1984–1985Jimmy Hill
1985–1987John Fryer
1987–1989Richard Collins
1989–1995Roger Alwen
1995–2008Richard Murray (PLC)
1995–2008Martin Simons
2008–2010Derek Chappell
2008–2010Richard Murray
2010–2014Michael Slater
2014–2020Richard Murray
2020Matt Southall

Honours

Records
Charlton's top appearance maker, Sam Bartram
  • Goalkeeper Sam Bartram is Charlton's record appearance maker, having played a total of 623 times between 1934 and 1956. But for six years lost to the Second World War, when no league football was played, this tally would be far higher.[88]
  • Keith Peacock is the club's second highest appearance maker with 591 games between 1961 and 1979[89] He was also the first-ever substitute in a Football League game, replacing injured goalkeeper Mike Rose after 11 minutes of a match against Bolton Wanderers on 21 August 1965.
  • Defender and midfielder, Radostin Kishishev is Charlton's record international appearance maker, having received 42 caps for Bulgaria while a Charlton player.[90]
  • In total, 12 Charlton players have received full England caps. The first was Seth Plum, in 1923 and the most recent was Darren Bent, in 2006. Luke Young, with 7 caps, is Charlton's most capped England international.[91]
  • Charlton's record goalscorer is Derek Hales, who scored 168 times in all competitions in 368 matches, during two spells, for the club.[89]
  • Counting only league goals, Stuart Leary is the club's record scorer with 153 goals between 1951 and 1962.[92]
  • The record number of goals scored in one season is 33, scored by Ralph Allen in the 1934–35 season.[93]
  • Charlton's record home attendance is 75,031 which was set on 12 February 1938 for an FA Cup match against Aston Villa[94]
  • The record all-seated attendance is 27,111, The Valley's current capacity. This record was first set in September 2005 in a Premier League match against Chelsea and has since been equalled several times.[94]
AchievementRecord (year, division)
Highest league finishRunners-up in 1936/37 (First Division)
Most league points in a season101 in 2011/2012 (League One)
Most league goals in a season107 in 1957/58 (Second Division)
Record victory8–0 v. Stevenage, 9 October 2018
Record away victory8–0 v. Stevenage, 9 October 2018
Record defeat1–11 v. Aston Villa, 14 November 1959
Record FA Cup victory7–0 v. Burton Albion, 7 January 1956
Record League Cup victory5–0 v. Brentford, 12 August 1980
Most successive victories12 matches (from 26 December 1999 to 7 March 2000)
Most games without a win18 matches (from 18 October 2008 to 13 January 2009)
Most successive defeats10 matches (from 11 April 1990 to 15 September 1990)
Most successive draws6 matches (from 13 December 1992 to 16 January 1993)
Longest unbeaten15 matches (from 4 October 1980 to 20 December 1980)
Record attendance75,031 v. Aston Villa, 17 October 1938
Record league attendance68,160 v. Arsenal, 17 October 1936
Record gate receipts£400,920 v. Leicester City, 19 February 2005

Player records
AchievementPlayer (record)
Most appearancesSam Bartram (623)
Most appearances (outfield)Keith Peacock (591)
Most goalsDerek Hales (168)
Most hat-tricksJohnny Summers and Eddie Firmani (8)
Most capped playerDennis Rommedahl (126)
Most capped player while at the clubRadostin Kishishev (42)
Oldest playerSam Bartram (42 years and 47 days)
Youngest playerJonjo Shelvey (16 years and 59 days)
Oldest scorerChris Powell (38 years and 239 days)
Youngest scorerJonjo Shelvey (16 years and 310 days)
Quickest scorerJim Melrose (9 seconds)
Quickest sending offNaby Sarr (1 minute)
gollark: We designed octree strings ages ago.
gollark: HellobOi, this isn't surprising, I'm often here.
gollark: Minoteaur has this, ironically.
gollark: You can do that in about 50 lines of Python.
gollark: Your final project can be a very slow edit distance lookup thing?

References
  1. "Charlton Athletic – Club History". Charlton Athletic FC. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  2. Clayton 2001, p.30
  3. Clayton 2001, p.33
  4. Felton, Paul; Spencer, Barry. "England 1928/1929". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  5. Jimmy Seed, Soccer From the Inside (Thorsons Publishers, 1947), p.19.
  6. Seed, Soccer From the Inside, p.66.
  7. Colin Cameron, Home and Away with Chalton Athletic 1920–2004 (2004), p.69.
  8. Felton, Paul; Edwards, Gareth. "England 1936/1937". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  9. Felton, Paul; Edwards, Gareth. "England 1937/1938". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  10. Felton, Paul; Edwards, Gareth. "England 1938/1939". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  11. Cameron, Home and Away with Charlton Athletic 1910–2004, p.112.
  12. "Burnley 0 – 1 Charlton". Charlton Athletic FC. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  13. Felton, Paul. "England 1971/1972". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  14. Felton, Paul. "England 1974/1975". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  15. Felton, Paul. "England 1979/1980". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  16. Felton, Paul. "England 1980/1981". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 January 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  17. Clayton 2001, p.141
  18. Clayton 2001, pp.142–150
  19. Felton, Paul. "England 1985/1986". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  20. Clayton 2001, p.156
  21. "Alan Curbishley – Background". Charlton Athletic FC. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  22. "Charlton clinch nail-biter". BBC News. BBC. 25 May 1998. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  23. Wembley's Greatest Events (1923–2010) Archived 8 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Wembley Stadium
  24. "Charlton bounce back in style". BBC Sport. 29 June 2000. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  25. "Curbishley basks in glory". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 May 2004. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  26. "Curbishley to leave Charlton". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 April 2006. Archived from the original on 14 June 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  27. "Charlton unveil Dowie as new boss". BBC Sport. 30 May 2006. Archived from the original on 22 May 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  28. "Dowie exits Addicks". football.co.uk. 13 November 2006. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 November 2006.
  29. "Charlton appoint Reed as new boss". BBC Sport. 14 November 2006. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  30. "Pardew replaces Reed at Charlton". BBC Sport. 24 December 2006. Archived from the original on 12 January 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  31. Sinnott, John (7 May 2007). "Charlton 0–2 Tottenham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 17 August 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  32. Bose, Mihir (7 May 2007). "Group eyes £50m Charlton takeover". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 August 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  33. "Pardew and Charlton part company". BBC Sport. 23 November 2008. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  34. "Charlton 2–2 Blackpool". BBC Sport. 18 April 2009. Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2009.
  35. Fletcher, Paul (17 May 2010). "Charlton 2–1 Swindon (Agg 3–3) Swindon win 5–4 on penalties". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 20 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  36. "Emails show Charlton owner Duchatelet 'tried to dictate' team". Mail Online. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  37. "Bob Peeters sacked as Charlton coach after 25 league games". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 January 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  38. "Charlton Athletic have sacked Bob Peeters after a dismal run of form". Daily Express. London.
  39. "Guy Luzon: Charlton Athletic sack manager after winless run". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  40. "Former Charlton Athletic boss reveals he never had final say on transfers". News Shopper. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  41. "Karel Fraeye: Charlton Athletic appoint interim head coach". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  42. "Karel Fraeye: Charlton Athletic sack interim head coach". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  43. "Jose Riga: Charlton Athletic reappoint Belgian as head coach". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 23 May 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  44. "Bolton Wanderers 0–0 Charlton Athletic". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 21 April 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  45. "Jose Riga: Charlton Athletic head coach resigns following Burnley defeat". CAFC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  46. "Charlton Athletic fans call for Roland Duchatelet to sell club". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  47. "Charlton Athletic fans protest against owners in England and Belgium". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
  48. "Charlton Athletic has today parted company with manager Russell Slade". Charlton Athletic F.C. 14 November 2016. Archived from the original on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  49. "Kevin Nugent placed in caretaker charge of Charlton Athletic". BBC Sport. 17 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  50. "Charlton 2–1 Sunderland – League One Play-off Final". BBC Sport. 26 May 2019.
  51. https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11688/11915175/charlton-boss-lee-bowyer-signs-new-three-year-contract
  52. "Charlton Athletic: Roland Duchatelet agrees sale to East Street Investments". BBC Sport. BBC. 29 November 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  53. "East Street Investments complete takeover of Charlton Athletic". Charlton Athletic. Charlton Athletic. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  54. Conn, David (10 March 2020). "Charlton takeover in chaos after public disagreement between new owners". Guardian. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  55. "Charlton Athletic: Majority shareholder Tahnoon Nimer claims he will remain as director". BBC Sport. BBC. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  56. Ransom, Ben (20 April 2020). "Charlton Athletic takeover by East Street Investments under investigation by EFL". Sky Sports. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  57. "Charlton Athletic: Tahnoon Nimer agrees sale of club to consortium". BBC Sport. BBC. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  58. "Consortium led by businessman Paul Elliott purchases East Street Investments". Charlton Athletic FC. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  59. "Charlton Athletic to defend 'ridiculous' High Court insolvency action". BBC Sport. BBC. 12 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  60. Stone, Simon (17 July 2020). "Matt Southall: Ex-Charlton chief executive told to pay £21,000 in costs". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  61. https://fanbanter.co.uk/this-is-who-is-promoted-and-relegated-from-the-championship/
  62. "Charlton Athletic: English Football League rejects takeover by Paul Elliott". BBC Sport. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  63. "Update following EFL statement". Charlton Athletic F.C. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  64. "Details about Charlton Athletic". BBC London. 15 June 2007. Archived from the original on 21 September 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  65. "Charlton 1 – 0 Portsmouth". Charlton Athletic FC. Archived from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  66. "Expansion plans underway". Charlton Athletic FC. 29 November 2004. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.
  67. "History of the fans' forum". Charlton Athletic FC. 29 October 2011. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  68. "Fans' forum". Charlton Athletic FC. 29 October 2011. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  69. Clayton 2001, p.10
  70. "Charlton songs". www.cafc.co.uk. Charlton Athletic FC. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  71. "Albert's Memorial". www.itv.com. ITV plc. Archived from the original on 11 September 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  72. "The Top 10 Football References In Only Fools And Horses". Balls.ie. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  73. "Many Miles.... A Season In The Life Of Charlton Athletic". charlieconnelly.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  74. "Paul Breen, Author of The Charlton Men speaks to The Football Hour's Dom Betts & Alex Mearns". Audio Boom.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  75. "Out of the Shelter, by David Lodge on Google Books". books.google.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 December 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  76. "Charlton Athletic F.C. Crest History". footballcrests.com. 4 March 2002. Archived from the original on 10 July 2007. Retrieved 10 July 2007.
  77. Clayton 2001, p.8
  78. Clayton 2001, p.32
  79. "Charlton Athletic". Historical Football Kits. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
  80. "Charlton's Head to Head comparison with Millwall". Statto. Archived from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2015.
  81. "First team". Charlton Athletic F.C. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  82. "2019/20 squad numbers revealed". Charlton Athletic F.C. 1 August 2019. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  83. "Coaching Team". Charlton Athletic FC. Archived from the original on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  84. "Karl Robinson's backroom staff confirmed". Charlton Athletic. 1 July 2017. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  85. Charlton Athletic. "Steve Gallen appointed Director of Football". cafc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  86. "Charlton Athletic". Historical Kits.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
  87. "Trophy Cabinet". CAFC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  88. Clayton 2001, p.104
  89. Clayton 2001, p.320
  90. "Radostin Kishishev - International Appearances".
  91. "Every Addick Who Wore the Three Lions".
  92. Clayton 2001, p.112
  93. Clayton 2001, p.58
  94. "Charlton Athletic, The Valley". Football Ground Guide. Duncan Adams. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2008.

Bibliography
  • Clayton, Paul (2001). The Essential History of Charlton Athletic. Headline Book Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7553-1020-3.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.