[theo_luddite]

or as I might have called it - The South of The River Dance - Part 2

Into The Valley
Are we on The Skids?
Are we just Born to Run?
Or just being given the Run Around, Sue?
A big run around starts,
Near to The Valley.
The London Marathon
So a Marathon for Town to get Promoted?
Or Just a Sprint?
Baba O'Reilly, Who really knows?
Won't Get Fooled Again?
Don't be too sure.
London SE7 8AN


Kick-off 12:30 UK Time
Saturday 29/03/25

On the tellybox

Oh yeah, it's on the tellybox, well, Sky Sports+ if you've a Sky or Now TV subscription in the UK. Paramount+ in Trumpland, 50% tariffs may apply, on both half's, seperately, and collectively. I mean, why can't this game be played in Nowheresville, Michigan, with all 'Mercan soccaball players and ballpeople? None of those beautiful tariffs would apply. They can leak it out to you for free on WhatsApp if you give us a dodgy name with a real phone number, as they ain't paying much attention to detail in that there The Ununited States of 'Merca. Just ask for a free Putin password.

Deny Ukrained your neck that far afterwards and it really wasn't your fault. You just happened to have the phone number of some journo you claim you never met in your contacts list and you've called him someone you think you've met. Hey, it's an easy fubar to make in the Ununited States of 'Merca.

Oh and it's on HTTV in the rest of the civilised world for a small fee. No additional tariffs are applied. Yet.

Question.
Is an HTTV season fee plus a Nord VPN annual fee cheaper than a season card in any stand for next season?
You know - the VPN guys they've been plugging all season? Just asking for a friend who might want to pretend he's watching from, er, Canada, or Australia or the Ununited States of 'Merca, say?

Latest news

Kevin the Gerbil is back Rat Fans, yeah! and they've reversed some of the Season Card rip-off's for the young'uns and increased the discount even further in the stores to us old'uns, not that we ever spend a fortune in there anyway. Most of us will still be paying more than Halifax Town fans are paying this season though. I mean why, how did it ever come to this? There's a reason they average less than 2000/game and we might join them.
Did I mention Davy buying The Shay Stadium or is it The Shay Fields? Are The Beatles and The Stones playing there next season? Oh, Shea Stadium, Noo Yark. Now that would be a bit of a hike for Fartown egg chasing fans.

You might have seen this on one of our other threads, if so, move on.



Kevin the Gerbil reckons he's spent £20 million and something (£'s, $'S?) in the club and Stadium so far. I've no detail to doubt him, but most of that is buying the club for 2/3rds of feck all because Deano wanted to bail, a few cans of paint and maybe £5m on players who have mostly been injured or failed to perform so far. Oh hang on, we sold someone for £3-4m to somewhat balance those books. Where the rest went maybe you can find stuck to the banks of the River Colne amongst the dead dogs, cats and the rusty supermarket trolleys. Wherever it went, it hasn't performed on the field very well so far.

Hang on - who mentioned Frothy's got a new job close to his Jockland home, in Welsh Wales, Swansea? Probably Snoots. Well, it's closer than Germany, or South Korea come to that. Maybe? You can fly from Germany to Glasgow several times a day. There's a few trains from Swansea to Glasgow, on a good day. One day he might be the best coach in Wales as well as Germany, if they ever fit doors and seats in his gob. More highlights in The Sack Race.

International duties

I'm pickin' from Mr. Chicken's emails again for the content below.

Brodie Spencer and Callum Marshall were involved for Northern Ireland in their 1-1 draw with Switzerland and 5-1 defeat to Sweden. Spencer started at left-back in both friendlies, while Marshall got minutes from the bench against Sweden. Dion Charles had dropped out of the squad through injury.

Conor Falls was meanwhile an unused substitute for Northern Ireland U21s’ 1-1 draw with Moldova and started their 1-0 defeat to Ukraine. Details of their Tuesday game against Uzbekistan are not available.

Tawanda Chirewa started Zimbabwe’s 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw with Benin, with Steve Mounie (remember him apart from that game at Palace? Me neither.) on the scoresheet of the opposition. Chirewa then came off the bench to score a last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Nigeria on Tuesday night.

Jon Worthington has indicated all Town’s internationals have returned without issue. Until they train with us.

Out Injured/Suspended/Isolating

Dion Charles had to withdraw from the Northern Ireland squad with the hamstring injury that kept him out against Crawley.

Herbie Kane was expected to be out until mid-April with his knee injury.

Chris Maxwell had been suffering with a hip issue and Tom Iorpenda has a long-standing back issue.

Rhys Healey, Danny Ward and Nigel Lonwijk are all ruled out for the season.

Back training but not oven ready/Back in the frame

Radinio Balker, David Kasumu and Mickel Miller were all thought to be closest to a return before the international break began.

Previous updates had also suggested Josh Koroma was expected back from his calf injury around the beginning of April, which is now drawing near.

So either they'll all be on the bench or they'll all still be in the seats behind the bench, if they travel.


Musical Interlude

I gave you a big hint earlier and if that didn't clue you in ..... you really will get fooled again.

Oh yes, this is my fave match and fave thread because I can go all out 'Oo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1_69AAX-OY

We probably will

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu9HhYv0C7E

Will either side be on The Skids after the game?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9udxbvHi...rt_radio=1

Maybe just given the run around for 90 minutes +10?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrvEIlR1VvA

Or like Worthy when he played ......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuThNgl3YA

Either way on my last trip to The Smoke .......
I Woke Up In A Soho Doorway,
A Policeman Knew My Name.
He Said, You Can Go Sleep At Home Tonight,
If you can get up and walk away .......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ww5Loi5e8

Oo' the "Heff" are you? Doo, doo. Doo, doo?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MomyaekDrdA

Last time out

Joy - this might take a while. We've had a weekend off, but there's been a few others playing in between ..... just saying

Town went from Duff Duff boring ball to on the front foot Worthy Ball and blew Crawley off the side of the Gatwick Airport runway inside 30 minutes. Fair play to Crawley, they tried to play football, but too often thay couldn't get halfway to the halfway line before Town had taken it back off them, again.



Charlton solidified 4th place with a 2:1 home win v Wigan



So, on that there weekend, 'ere's how it all went darn me ol' cock sparrer.

Up in the nose bleeds, Northampton handed out yet another one by drawing with Brum, in the big 'un Wrexham came away from Wycombe with a 0:1 win , with Smogport winning at Bolton to stay 5th. Town moved up to 6th, replacing Bolton and Reading held on to 8th with a 1:1 at home to Stevenage.



Down in the dungeons, Burton won at bottom placed Shrewsbury, Cambridge lost at home to Pish Posh and you know what happened to Crawley.

Then last Saturday came .... and Town didn't have a match, but ......

Charlton went to Pish Posh and spoiled everybody's pools coupons and predictions by getting stuffed 3:0.

In total only 6 games were played last weekend, due to international call-ups, and a few had a bearing on the uppies and downies apart from the game above. Two games are still to be rearranged.

The main one at the top saw Wrexham playing another top 6 club and winning again 1:0 v Smogport to put themselves into 2nd place.



Down amongst the deadmen, Cambridge snatched a point away to Barnsley, Crawley beat Brizzle 1:0 at home, Northampton lost at home to Blackpool.

All that left Wrexham in 2nd place above Wycombe, Crawley moved above Cambridge on goal difference, Burton 6 points from safety but with a difficult run in to say the least, they've got a lot of the top 6 still to play. Brizzle and Northampton are on the trap door but it's difficult at the moment to see where those below them will get the points to catch them as long as they both keep picking up about a point a game.

The Sack Race

Fun and games this week and some old Town erm, coaches and players, finding themselves back in a job. No apologies for repeating comments on other threads here (or from above).

Going back through the out door, Rob Elliott was handed his cards by Creepy Crawley shortly after the defeat at Town. Hard to know what they are hoping for there, they are likely going down regardless but another manager sacked shortly after playing Town. It never used to be like this. Chairmen in this division clearly aren't as clued in as they are in the top two divisions.

Gareth Ainsworth finally decided to throw his leather jacket in at Shrewsbury and turned up at 19th in League 2 Gillingham, just in time to replace John Coleman, who can now return to his Little House on the Lancashire prairies just 79 days after starting the longest commute of his life. Michael Appleton now has the thankless task at Shrewsbury for the rest of the season.

And thanks to posts elsewhere, take a look at Swansea now, won't you? Bit of an ex-Town flavour going on here, isn't it?.

HEAD OF GOALKEEPING - MARTYN MARGETSON - been there a while, was also part of Gareth Southgate's England coaching crew but is now back in the Welsh Wales fold as part of Craig Bellamy's crew.
FIRST TEAM COACH - RICHARD STEARMAN - joined in the last few days from Solihull Moors
FIRST TEAM COACH - MARK FOTHERINGHAM - joined in the last few days from most recently working under Jurgen Klinsmann with the South Korea national team. Coral/Ladbrokes are not currently offering odds on how many days it will take for him to piss the whole squad off with one of his Radio Rental rants.

Tables, Form & Stats

These don't all include the Orient v Stevenage result - I'm not going back to do 'em all again but they are now two points.
Charlton are two places and 5 points above Town. The form tables don't look good if you're a Town fan. Charlton have won their last 7 at home and were unbeaten in 6 until Pish Posh became the form team of the division last weekend. No pressure lads. Town's away form is average, under Duff. First shot for Worthyball away.





Charlton are unbeaten at home against the current top 8 and have only lost two games all season at home. To Blackpool and er, Crawley. These are also the only two games where they've conceded 2 goals at home. They've only conceded 10 all season at home so far and have scored 24.




A season of two halves so far. Charlton started with 3 wins, then only won 3 of the next 16 games, moving them from Top 6 to mid-table mediocrity. They decided to stick with Nathan Jones, who they appointed in February 2024, rather than twist, as many Chairlumps have done this season, and fortunes started to change around mid December. They've only lost 3 of the last 19, winning 13 and drawing 3 to plant themselves firmly back in the top 6. You might say Town are due a draw sometime soon ......

Innies and Outies

Their big spend was on a striker, Gassan Ahadme in the summer for £1m+ who has scored 4 goals in all comps so far. Well he's had someone over a barrel there. You'd never catch Town spending £m's on strikers that don't score many. Oh! Wait a minute ......
Charlton also let one go, a certain Alfie May, who decided to sign for Brum despite having his pen hovering over a Town contract at the time. Have to wonder how that's worked out for him?

The January sales didn't see much movment either way, though some young chap called Ramani Edmonds-Green caught the Woolwich ferry and moored himself at Orient.




Who's banging 'em in

Matty Godden is the main scorer this season. He had a brace in their last home game.



They can't all win

In the early kick-off's, well, Thursday night is pretty early. Orient scored in the first half to beat Stevenage 1:0, without putting another shot on target after their 12th minute goal and putting them two points behind us. Rockin' all over the World their jock played afterwards. Hmmm, hardly.

As for Saturday's early kick offs, apart from us, Smogport play Burton, then it all goes to 3pm. Top of the league Brum are at home to Shrewsbury, who they've already lost to once and have a new manager again. Wrexham go to Exeter, Wycombe are home to Lincoln. Bolton are at Blackpool and Reading will try to get their place back from Orient at home to Pish Posh.



Down amongst the deadmen, The Shrews are in the above news, Cambridge play Northampton, Crawley go to Rotherham, already mentioned Burton.

We've played 'em before

Not much difference in this fixture and Town have only lost 2 in the last 7 League visits to The Valley. Normally one of my favourite away days but the early kick-off, no cheaper trains running on The Chiltern Line and it's a tellybox game means I'll be watching from home. I'd have swallowed the higher train fares had it been kept as a 3:00pm kick off. There's ways and means sometimes to get the price down.



Next up?

Lincoln away on Tuesday then it's Mansfield at home next Saturday. April already? Where did that go?

Pressers

Joe Hodge and Worthy do the Radio Local thing. If you're in furrin lands let me know if you can't get these anymore, I'll try find a way but our Government of any flavour is making BBC content access outside of the UK harder to obtain - effing rediculous. This is getting harder to find for us too.

Joe Hodge - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/curation/p0cjdv3n

Worthy - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0l0hbtl

BBC Radio Local have been forced to move their Clips content to BBC Sounds. The BBC are making BBC Sounds unavailable to folks in furrin lands, because folk in furrin lands don't pay the BBC licence fee. Ffs they never did or ever had to and the BBC World Service radio has had an enormous positive influence throughout the world for as long as folk could ever receive it. They will now have to connect through BBC.com which I might also have to connect through via a VPN to try and find Town related content to post on here. The infuence of the BBC on the World Stage will only diminish. Talk about creating a drama from a crisis that didn't ever exist.

If I'm paying for that Nord VPN - I might pay for a season's worth of HTTV too and bollox to the Season Card. Just saying, on behalf of a friend.

The views from The Cutty Sark

Nathan Jones, doesn't drone on too long ...... there's a song in there somewhere .....

https://www.charltonafc.com/news/jones-w...ounce-back

For some reason, nearly all the text is showing as Bold, even though I've only highlighted the normal headings and I can't find any stray [/b]'s anywhere. So I've given the headings a different colour.
For some reason, after I was checking the draft last night, I lost nearly all of this post.
Fortunately I'd done a copy and paste of the text to elsewhere but I've still had to redo the pics/screen grabs this morning.
Anyway - hope you enjoy the thread.
Not a clue what is going on here. I still don't get email updates either.

[talkSAFT]

Good luck tomorrow - you still owe Charlton one (from 1957) 7-6 !

(I thought it was quite normal at the time. WBA had just beaten Red Banner of Russia 6-5 in a friendly, which was live on the telly).

[theo_luddite]

I might have been a glint in my mum and dad's eyes back then. I was born the following October.

[talkSAFT]

I might have been a glint in my mum and dad's eyes back then. I was born the following October.

Another freak result!!

[Lord Snooty]

Nice one, theo

I think the difference between us and Halifax Town fans is that the Shaymen don't have a billionaire owner. Like when we were skint, I didn't mind paying extra to keep my club alive. If I were a Halfax fan, I would say that now.

As a Town fan, I resent having to pay top dollar for a product that is not worth even half a dollar. If we still had a well meaning, local entepeneur in charge, I wouldn't mind. As it is now, with the owner boasting about how much money he's spending, I do mind.

[theo_luddite]

All a bit tongue in cheek from me Snoots to be honest.

Its been a chicken wing bone or two me and my Fax watching youngest (60+) bro have gnawed on with a sense of humour for a few seasons. We both think it's stupid. It really has been crazy that we've paid so much less to watch our Town than they have had to (for ages) to watch their's when they aren't even in the EFL.

Thing is, even if they'd dropped their prices to £250 instead of somewhere around £350, not many more would turn up to make up the difference in revenue. Just like, we can piss and moan about our increase as much as we want, but most that currently buy and do turn up, will buy again if there's a hint of a miracle on the horizon. There's plenty that bought (especially in the Prem) and only turned up to watch a few games because our prices were so cheap compared to other clubs.

Had Duff Duff still been in charge - about 50% wouldn't have renewed in my opinion at the same price, let alone the increased one.

---

PS - If I ever find a spare day or two, (retired and never been busier doing nothing, working the whole day through) I might do a proper survey of season ticket prices, rather than the half-assed one the BBC do where they compare full priced adult tickets at one club to concession priced (e.g. old farts) tickets at another, because their question is, what is your cheapest adult season ticket price? Some reply with the under 60 somethings price and some reply with the over 60's/65's price and some with a reduced 18's-25's ish/stoodents price. They are all adults after all, but the Beeb just asks the ticket office and doesn't look on the club websites to check the info they've been given and compare the same age groups.

[theo_luddite]

There's also a big issue with the way Davy plans to buy then offer The Shay back to the Halifax clubs, given that the pair of them can't afford to buy it back from Calderdale Council right now.

His plan is to buy the ground from the council. Then fix the pitch (good luck with that, it becomes a bog everytime there's a light morning dew or an ice rink at the first hint of frost) and spend whatever he thinks it will take to bring the rest of the ground up to Super League standards. Given some of the stadiums in Super League, it massvely beats some of their standards (looking at you Castleford and your mythical new stadium that you've been building for at least 10 years as an example).

When he's built the "new" Giants stadium in Huddersfield, or somewhere in West Yorkshire maybe close to Huddersfield, he'll sell the ground back to the Halifax clubs on an interest free basis of whatever he decides he has spent. I'm sure he'll be totally honest about that amount given his past record with his McGalphSmiths shares.

Where are they both getting the money from to buy a ground from him, that will be even more expensive for them then than it is now, that they can't afford now, unless someone with a magic money tree comes along to buy/finance the pair of them? Or does he continue to own 2 stadiums? Or do CleckHuddersFax become a new team, with a pinch of Sheffield as seasoning?

[jjamez]

Feels like ages since we last played a game.

From my understanding of the kev interview, he's expecting or has already spent £40m on the club, whether or not that includes purchase fee and stadium I know not, but if it doesn't, then it shows how much has been spaffed up against the wall in less that two seasons!

In other news, Yeovil are banning fans for two seasons should they say anything negative against the chairman. Imagine if town did something like that especially where Cartwright and co are concerned.

That being said, I'm fairly certain Yeovil would lose in a court of law should the fan take them there and have a coherent argument prepared, and not a cider driven one.

[WakeyTerrier]

Once again nothing less than a win will do today, hopefully a few more players back and hopefully Worthy has worked on the game plan a bit more of the international break.

£40million spaffed, most of it will be on paying Dean for his shares and then paying compo out to all the managers and backroom we sacked in the past 2 years…

[theo_luddite]

How they line up today

Central defender Radinio Balker steps straight back in from the start in place of Josh Ruffels, who drops to the bench. It’s a first appearance since 22 February for Balker, who has missed five games with a thigh complaint.

Josh Koroma and David Kasumu are now fit enough to be named in the match day squad.