Robbo's retirement

You have to hand it to Gillingham, sneaking the sad news of John Robinson retiring underneath the entirely trivial matter of, um, John Gorman deciding to flee the Scally clutches and go to manage Wycombe.

I got the Raise the Roof DVD out tonight and replayed that moment when Robbo turned on a ball from Mark Kinsella and walloped it into the left hand of Manchester United's net, making it 3-3, in a game I really can't believe was nearly four years ago. Sad to see a hamstring injury has forced Robinson to retire at just 33, although, true to form, he cancelled his contract a month early to save the Gills from having to cough up for him to sit around doing nothing.

There's few players who have done so much for us as Robbo, and I hope we get to thank him at The Valley soon. His enthusiasm and commitment could just rub off...

Charlton 0-4 Chelsea

Proper reports: cafc.co.uk, BBC Sport, Sky Sports, Sporting Life, chelseafc.com, The Observer, Independent on Sunday, Sunday Telegraph, News of the World, Sunday Mirror, Sunday People, Sunday Times.

Well thank heavens that's over. If Chelsea don't win the Premiership, I'll eat my Burro Derek Hales t-shirt. The best performance from a team I've ever seen at The Valley completely wiped us out. As sharp as Jose Mourinho's winter coat (it's on my Christmas list) and the man himself has just said on Grandstand, it was all about "control".

Unlike the clown-like performance from Raineri's mob last Boxing Day, once Chelsea had the ball, it hardly left their feet. Robben, Gudjohnsen, and Terry were superb - and while Petr Cech had little to worry about in goal, when he was called upon, he was fantastic. It's not just about control - it's speed too. You gawp at Arsenal when Henry or Viera accelerate up the field - most of the eleven Chelsea put out could leave them standing. You may, like me, have grave misgivings about the effect Abramovich's money is having - but let's be frank, his Frankenstein's monster is going to lay waste to the Premiership this season.

And to be honest, they left us standing so many times that it was hard to properly assess our own players. Jerome Thomas had a bright start and despite the letdown of Damien Duff's early goal, an equaliser remained a dim possibility. Although it seemed more likely to come from the feet or head of risk-taking defender Paulo Ferreira than it did from Jonatan Johansson, who looked scared out of his wits every time he blew a chance. It seemed a more evenly-matched battle by the end of the first half as Chelsea struggled to deal with Danny Murphy's corners - but the start of the second half saw the Pensioners storm out of the traps in terrifying fashion.

Two John Terry goals in three minutes killed us off - firstly from a lightning-quick Damien Duff corner, secondly after the kind of defensive foul-up which makes you wonder why you bothered getting out of bed. And then it was all Chelsea. "You might as well go home," chorused the Chelsea fans. Several thousand of our fans did just that.

Naturally, we saved our substitutions until after Chelsea's stylish fourth goal, from Gudjohnsen, with Thomas, Murphy and an awful Kishishev coming off in favour of Jason Euell, Dennis Rommedahl and Herman Hreidarsson. And we did put a bit of pressure on Chelsea on as the game wore on - largely thanks to Euell and Rommedahl, but frankly it was like a flea biting an elephant. A half-empty Valley greeted the final whistle - it's nice to know our fans are backing us when the chips are down.

But however we performed, at least you can say in May (or March) that you were there when Chelsea won the Premiership.

Wyn Grant has some very interesting views on where we go next, while Chelsea Blog's worth a read on this too.

(Apologies for the delay in putting up this match report - Blogger went arse-up last night, making nipping home early to write this a bit pointless...)

Greedy Arse-holes

I wonder if the two empty seats next to me will be filled (at £45 a pop) for today's Chelsea game? I hope it doesn't sell out today, just to serve the club right for trying to squeeze so much out of prospective punters.

Worse, though, is happening over at Arsenal...

Season-ticket prices at Highbury have doubled in the past four years and fans are going to have to part with even more money long before the 60,000-seat stadium opens in August 2006 as Arsenal look to reduce the £375m debt built up by the development.

Existing season-ticket holders will be able to choose their seats in the new ground from next April, but they will have to pay a 15% deposit for that right at a time when they also have to find more than £1,000 to renew for the final season at Highbury. Anyone buying a season ticket for the first time will have to pay the whole amount up front. (more)

Who needs Malcolm Glazer when English football has David Dein trying price everybody out of the game?

(By the way, I may be a little late with this, but if you possibly help it, don't drive to today's game - the Blackwall Tunnel northern approach is closed this weekend and the jams paralysed the area last weekend. I'm sure you'd like to be home by midnight, so take a train instead.)

Dreaming of cold January days...

You've got to hand it to Alan Curbishley. When there's expectations to be damped down, he gets in there nice and early.

"ALAN CURBISHLEY is hoping to bring new faces to Charlton in January - but admits it may be a difficult job.

Curbishley said: "We have got a bit of money - that was announced last summer.

"But it's very difficult for clubs to let players go. They have got a short space of time to replace if they want to.

"So the only players who are going to move around are players who are not actually wanted by their clubs and they feel they have got adequate cover." (more)

Now we're about six weeks from the window opening, hopefully we'll get something more juicy and hopeful than the washed-up old snippets pushed by inferior football websites and the gossip columns of the Sunday papers. Stephane Henchoz? Well, I suppose it'll give Danny Murphy a familiar face to turn to... and whatever happened to the Robert Huth rumour? I wouldn't rule that one out.

The trouble is with any of this, too, is that a player coming in for January has very little time to settle down in their new surroundings - the same problem we've faced with Jeffers and Murphy. So if you're looking for a miracle, go and watch some non-league football.

All Quiet In The East Stand understands Darren Bent is still at the top of Curbs' wishlist, although Ipswich's current form in the Championship could work against this. If their defeat to Sunderland causes them to falter some more, then it's good for us. I feel sorry for Ipswich fans - they've a good chance of promotion, yet they're still vulnerable to preying Premiership clubs after their best players. There but for the grace of...

An issue that's still live is Scott Parker - those rumours from a couple of months back forced lunatic genius Jose Mourinho to rack his brains to remember who that midfield fella was. Thankfully, they've died down, and I'm surprised we haven't seen a repeat of the "please don't boo me, I was young and stupid and Mr Raineri wanted to show me his puppies" stories.

Despite the likelihood that he'll get a game (or appearance in the shop window) in the Champions League tonight, it's got to be unlikely that Scott will return to Bobby Davro's old place a Chelsea player in February. With Parker's transfer to Chelsea coming right at the end of the transfer window, this one looks like it'll go on right up to the wire again. Everton are stomping around with their Rooney-sized wallet, and Newcastle could be another destination. It remains a possibility, but I'm not keeping my hopes up.

Anyhow, feel free to toss a few names into the hat here - I'm starting to get into the mood for wild speculation. It'll cheer me up on Saturday night.

Idiot of the week

If you're pissed off about yesterday and want to hear some idiot ripped to shreds, click here to listen to some idiot from the MK Lepers get ripped apart on local radio up there before yesterday's game against Luton. It's great stuff.

(They lost 4-1.)

"Oh no, Man U are on the telly again"

An efficient Manchester United managed to suffocate the life out of Charlton at Old Trafford this lunchtime. Luke Young managed to deflect Ryan Giggs' iffy shot into the goal, while Paul Scholes scored an admittedly cracking sort-of-bicycle kick for the United follow-up. The worst thing about watching this on the telly? Like it is for every single TV game involving United - the expectation that this is going to turn into something like a Harlem Globetrotters' game.

But thanks to United's lack of sharpness in the first half, and Rooney's wastefulness in the second, we were spared another drubbing in the north west. But it coould have been close. Jerome Thomas was outclassed, and while that 4-5-1 formation is all very good if you're winning, it's rubbish if you're losing. To Manchester United. Jason Euell's presence was missed in the later stages, while Franny Jeffers came on too late. We let our heads go down in what became a typical Charlton away performance - a carbon-copy of last season's loss at Old Trafford. Nothing too disgraceful, but it does make me worry a little bit more about next week's Chelsea game.

Attack of the plastic Mancs

"Did you know Charlton have never beaten Manchester United before?", Eamonn Holmes just uttered on Five Live.

A second's pause.

"In the Premiership, of course," he corrected himself.

Actually, to his credit, he does have Glen Tilbrook on in a minute, although he will be talking about that dreadful song he wrote for Charlton a few years ago. Although this looks much more interesting.

Peacock shows his feathers

"I'm in the twilight years of my career but feel best qualified for the job at the moment and I keep learning all the time. I hold on to certain old philosophies and ideas but two-thirds of you has to move on." (more)

A good interview with Keith Peacock in today's Evening Sub-Standard, although the paper's weak claim to be the home of London football was somewhat undermined by a sidebar on Keith's favourite players referring to a bloke called "DEREK HAYLES".

I shan't be at Old Trafford tomorrow, but I shall be close to a TV and will try to share some thoughts with you at some point. Bet you can't wait.

Stand up if you love Charlton

The good and glamorous ladies of Netaddicks have reminded me of something I'd forgotten from last night. Richard Murray came out as an advocate of bringing back terracing at football grounds - something Peter Varney's spoken about before, and now the chairman's given it some fresh impetus.

Up in my seat in the East Stand, I can't say standing really bothers me. I get a decent seat, all I ask is that the swines around me sing every once in a while. Or shout. Or even look interested. But then I go away, get a crappy seat, and would rather be standing. There's got to be room for both in our stadium.

Murray said he'd gladly turn part of The Valley into a standing section - but doubted politicans would back it. "It's not politically correct at the moment." Surely what we need to do is prove it is politically correct, in the proper sense of the term - the best way of doing things to please all parties.

The Safe Standing Campaign website, alas, doesn't look like it's been updated for some time. But just the quickest of glances shows other clubs also back the return of standing areas - the thoughts of West Ham's safety chief on forcing people to sit are worth a read.

Murray mentioned last night that making people sit at football has led to a tendency for fans to expect entertainment, like you would in a cinema. I looked through the windows out onto the deserted, dark, stadium and was reminded of a theatre once all the patrons had gone home.

He hit the nail on the head. Bringing back standing at football would help fans feel involved again. Too many people see football as a passive activity - they watch it on the telly, watch it in the pub, by the time they get to a game they've forgotten how to get involved.

But football's a community activity too - and if people feel they can be more involved standing up, let's do everything in our powers to get the laws changed. There's room to accommodate both seating and standing, and reintroducing standing would benefit both groups, since the seated supporter would benefit from a better atmosphere.

And it could be the shot in the arm this dull old Premiership needs right now.

Save Wrexham

From Clubs In Crisis and Wrexham fan site Red Passion:

20th November 2004 is to be 'Wear Red for Wrexham' Day on which fans from clubs around the country turn up to watch their respective club dressed in red.

This will be a striking visual show of support for their cause and will show the North Wales club that they are not alone. It will also show the powers that be that the rest of football cares what happens to the club.

Anyone seeking more information on 'Wear Red for Wrexham' day should email:- fansbehindwrexham@hotmail.com

It is important that as many of you as possible turn up in red to show support so please make the effort and spread the word round your club.

Wrexham fans are among the best and have rallied to help clubs such as Doncaster Rovers and Brighton and Hove Albion despite facing problems of their own. It is time for the football community to return the favour.