A New Year surprise

By some miracle, All Quiet In The East Stand has been nominated for "best sports blog" in the rather oddly-named Best of Blog Awards. Not that anybody thought to tell me until an astute reader left a word in a comments box below - but to whoever nominated me, thank you, it's very sweet of you.

This actually means I've had to spend the afternoon checking out whether this is all some kind of scam or not - blog awards can be the equivalent of an automated "hello! you have won a luxury cruise!" phone call, and earlier this month Vaughan Simons, who runs the damned good Wherever You Are blog, found his site nominated for an award by a bunch of people best described as cranks.

But it all looks above-board so I'm very flattered indeed. Voting appears to start at 8am on New Year's Day, but I don't have a page to link to yet, so if you'd like to support me, come back tomorrow/when my New Year hangover clears and I'll hopefully have sorted something out.

I doubt I'll win, I seem to be the only Brit there and I imagine the only reason the football blogging grandaddy, Arseblog, wasn't nominated was because of its huge popularity. Most of them about US sports I know nothing and care even less about, although there is a very peculiar Arsenal site on the list. The other categories are worth perusing, though, and it's a pleasure to see the Brits out in force in the "best sex blog" category. Maybe that's something to try in the new year!

Good move

Good work from the club, which is donating £100,000 to the tsunami disaster relief fund, doubling the donation it's already made through the Premier League.

Well-known philanthropist Dwight Yorke has urged all Premiership players to donate a week's wages - something I fear may be wishful thinking, but it's a good gesture.

I reckon Charlton's donation will work out at one-third of the receipts from the £45-a-ticket Arsenal game tomorrow, which, surprise, surprise, has still not sold out.

That was the year that was

Another year, another load of memories. Funny to think we end 2004 the way we started it - comfortable in the top half of the table, looking to the rest of the season with a healthy measure of confidence. Except this time, there's no Chelsea waiting in the wings with a fat wage packet to ruin our season. With the arrival of Thomas, Murphy and El Karkouri, you could argue a fair case for us having a stronger squad than we did 12 months ago. And we haven't even seen the best of Jeffers yet, and Andersen is giving reserve-watchers hope for the future.

The "sod the rest" attitude of the Premiership guaranteed another nailbiting year - from the whiff of Champions League lucre in January to fears of relegation and ruin in October. It'll be the same again next year. Yet hopefully we can use our gains to build a bigger and better Valley.

Off the field, perceptions of preachiness from the higher echelons of the club tended to grate when the team were performing poorly at the start of this season. Charging £45 for the "big three" teams earned me an ear-bending from a Gooner pal and made us look stupid, 24 hours after we were boasting in a paper about our sensible ticket prices. But with our performances on the field picking up, and the crowds getting a bit noiser, hopefully we can get back to singing from the same hymn-sheet.

As for the fans, the east and west stand still feel like morgues at times. As well as getting bums on seats - initiatives like the coaches from Kent should run hand-in-hand with local schemes, which seem to be missing - we need to think about how to develop our actual support. We all know about the "lost generation" from the Selhurst years - I'm one of them. It's now time to do something about it. Exactly what, however, is a tougher question.

The near-implosion of the supporters' club - the doctor was all set to pass a verdict of death by neglect and complacency - does at least seem to have been a galvanising factor, with one branch splitting off - amid a few murky allegations - to become the Charlton Independent Supporters Association, laudably offering free coaches to Southampton. As for the "official" club, the disappearance of casc.org.uk for a while didn't exactly bode well for the future. CASC members would be well within their rights to question what exactly their membership fees are going towards when it couldn't even be bothered to keep one of its main arms of communication going. However, the site is back, and hopefully things will start to move in the right direction.

If the club bothers to have another supporters' director election after the current invisible incumbent's term runs out, it should be an interesting one - with a mute supporters' director and a barely-active supporters club, it's a chance for supporters to prove just how much they care.

My wishes for 2005?

- I'd like us to keep Euell, get a decent striker and possibly a decent midfielder who can get his foot in - the 4-5-1 seems to be a tacit admission that our strikers are crap.

- I'd like to see Stephan Andersen get a chance in goal.

- For Jerome Thomas to celebrate a goal properly and not sulk around like a cheap Thierry Henry.

- For the East Stand development to get the go-ahead, and for the East and West Stands to make some bloody noise. (Tough, I know.)

- I'd like to see the club remember its roots are in London - not Kent, and to start marking its centenary properly.

- The £45 ticket price for the big three teams to stop. Now. Before they start charging us the same price to retaliate.

- For some sort of coherent, intelligent voice for the fans. Because the current lot wouldn't know it if it wasn't bussed in from Maidstone.

And finally, wherever you are reading this, I'd like to thank you for supporting All Quiet In The East Stand this year, and wish you a prosperous and happy new year. Starting, of course, with another sly New Year win against the Arsenal... well, I can dream, can't I?

Oh, and to reward you for reading this far... Michael Dawson. Couple of million. I'm tapping my nose here.

Return of the Rick-shaws

Fans all over the entire glorious county of Kent are to be given free coach travel to The Valley thanks to an exciting new initiative unveiled by Charlton Athletic yesterday.

The new service, Flask Express, will offer direct coach services to every home game. It follows the success of the coaches from Margate and the innovative French Addicks service unveiled in November.

More than 30 towns will be included in the scheme, including Dull Seaside Retirementville, Dozy Commuter Belt Town and Smashed-up Suburb Just Outside Zone 6. Pick-up points include Dover The Crabble at 12noon, Gillingham Priestfield at 12.30, Northfleet Stonebridge Road at 12.30, and Dartford London Road at 1pm.

Your £5 tickets come in two classes - SIDDAHN! or SHADDDUP!

SIDDAHN! ticket-holders will get a free blanket, flask of weak tea, and a spare colostomy bag just in case things get too exciting. SHADDUP! tickets are designed for the family, with ear-plugs for those who find the sound of fellow supporters turning the pages of their programmes too loud for theirtastes, as well as a free blanket and flask of weak tea, with free Mini Chocolate Rolls for half-time.

SIDDAHN! ticket-holders will get a seat just behind you in the ground, while SHADDUP! ticket-holders will be in front of you, and will be used to police bad language in the ground, when their children look around in disgust because you said "bloody". Indeed, SHADDUP! ticket-holders are asked not to show any emotion during the game whatsoever, while SIDDAHN! travellers are reminded they should be awake by 5pm to take the bus back to Retirementville.

Please remember that any singing or any of that football nonsense will not be tolerated on the coaches, and nor will anybody who possesses an 020 telephone number.

Kent & French Addicks organiser Richard L'Everette said: "Many supporters who live near the ground will be amazed at the levels of support we have discovered from 60 to 70 miles away, and even more.

"Indeed, we have heard reports of microbes on Uranus getting very excited about our play-off win in 1998 - obviously, it takes a while for news to spread those distances.

"We are now looking into the possibility of getting them to The Valley for our 2024 Hyper-Galactic Cup semi-final against Erith & Belvedere."

And the expansion in the club's support does not stop there.

"Our next plan is to run coaches into Essex, with stops at Upton Park, Hornchurch, Thurrock, Redbridge Forest, Chelmsford and Colchester. Obviously we're aware there's new flats being built in Woolwich, Greenwich, Thamesmead, and all along the Thames, but we're holding off our plans while we try to find them on the map.

"Another plan under consideration is fitting the stadium with wheels so we can tow The Valley down to Brands Hatch via the M20, to bring games closer to the people of Kent. It's the sort of thing those lads who founded the club in the back streets of Chatham 100 years ago [SUBS - could you check? RE] would approve of."

Meanwhile, the club's plans to expand The Valley were hit yesterday when they were rejected by the local authority. The application was returned with a note reading: "Not us. Try Greenwich Council in London. Best regards, Medway Council."

An appeal to Addicks

A message from Indonesia-based Charlton fan Jakartass...

Dark clouds are casting a long shadow over Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta at the moment. And it's not because of the rainy season or that the national side under the management of Peter Withe lost 2-1 at home to Malaysia in the semi finals of the Tiger Cup on Tuesday night (28/12). No, it's much worse than that. Much, much worse. Players of both sides were wearing black armbands that night for a very good reason indeed.

What has swung the mood from the usual year-end festive joy to one of utter despondency for Indonesians is the growing realisation that many thousands of their countryfolk have perished in the recent tsunami that has caused death and destruction in coastal communities across Asia.

Aceh, a very rugged and remote region at the northernmost tip of the huge island of Sumatra, has been battered beyond belief. Although Jakarta is completely unaffected, harrowing news footage has been broadcast into the capital city's homes. And TV broadcasters in Indonesia are not like the BBC or CNN. They do not shy away from showing the terrible consequences of a tragedy like this.

One image in particular will be etched in my mind forever: seven or eight drowned babies placed side by side in a small room, with peaceful expressions on their innocent faces, but nonetheless lost forever. And then there was the woman who had lost all her seven kids; she was left to curse the fact that she was still alive.

The death toll in Indonesia will be far higher than first expected. Initial reports suggested around 5,000 deaths; but the authorities are now looking at 30,000-40,000 plus. In one town on the western coast of Aceh, Meulaboh, a quarter of its 40,000 population have been wiped out.

Although nothing can be done to help those that have died, those still alive desperately need help. Many are starving, have no shelter and are at risk of contracting deadly diseases. The already poor communications and transport systems have to be built anew.

If you are able to make a donation - however small - you would be helping to prevent people from dying. IndonesiaHelp, a weblog - http://indonesiahelp.blogspot.com - has been set up to give online information to donors.

Thank you.

Terry Collins
Addick, Jakarta


The Disasters Emergency Committee is now taking donations.

Charlton 2-0 Everton

Proper match reports: cafc.co.uk, BBC Sport, Sky Sports, Sporting Life, ITV Football, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Independent, The Sun, Daily Mirror, Liverpool Daily Post, Netaddicks, Wyn Grant, Build A Bonfire.

A performance to make you proud - and a win I really didn't expect. Before Christmas, I thought we'd beat Southampton and draw with the Toffees. In the event, it was the other way around as the Addicks met their first real test since the Chelsea horror, and passed with flying colours. And then some.

Although with 15 minutes to go, the game looked like it had 0-0 engraved on its heart. While Dennis Rommedahl had terrorised Everton down the wing, and Jerome Thomas had broken free of his markers, Everton had stuck to their old-fashioned strengths of brute force and team spirit. Time for some subsitutions, and here it was class that told. We brought on Paul Konchesky and Jason Euell. They brought on Duncan Ferguson.

And it was Konchesky who won it, his crisp cross found Talal El Karkouri, who nodded it home on the 82nd minute.

Duncan Disorderly reacted by elbowing Hermann Hreidarsson in the face, overshadowing what had been a clean game and giving Mike Riley no choice but to brandish his only card of the match - a straight red. Hreidarsson then scored from Danny Murphy's corner. 2-0, Everton down to ten men, all in the space of ten minutes. The away end emptied pretty sharpish, while those few Evertonians that remained spat their dummies out with a chant of "shit ground - shit fans". Still, they're all heart really - what other club would tolerate an oaf like Ferguson?

To be fair to them, though, we did ride our luck - Hreidarrson had to clear off the line after 65 minutes after the kind of goalmouth scramble that would disgrace the Southern League. Match of the Day also highlight a handball from HH.

But we outfought and out-thought the Scousers, and Curbs deserves credit for an inspired bit of substitution. How Konch and Euell feel about their super-sub status is a different matter, but it's a reminder that even if you don't get in the starting XI, every player still has his part to play.

Everton will be licking their wounds - Nigel Martyn pulled up with an injury just before half-time, and Little Duncan's red card is just what David Moyes didn't want for Christmas. He still thinks there's only three teams better than them in the Premiership. We know better. We've got Talal/ El Karkouri... Bring on Arsenal!

Two points lost, one player missed

"Bartlett missing sitters again" was the half-time verdict from my correspondent at St Mary's, and despite a sound performance, it sounded like we missed an opportunity by the seaside to further fatten ourselves up for Christmas - Everton and Arsenal at home aren't exactly easy games, whereas as poor Southampton side, booed off at the end, should have been. A point's handy, but it sounds like there'll be a lot of thoughts of "What if...?" coming up the M3 shortly.

If I had a pound for every Premiership side which wanted a decent striker, I'd be able to get a decent round of drinks in later. We can only use what we've got, and without Lisbie and Johansson, we've a choice of Bartlett, Jeffers and Euell.

Jeffers just looks a bit stranded at the head of a 4-5-1 formation, but Bartlett manages to look anonymous even on his own. So it's Euell's fight and strength we need up there. Bartlett's failings are showing that getting rid of Jason Euell is starting to look a desperately unwise option.

But the signs aren't looking good, according to my spy at St Mary's: "Euell wasn't wearing football boots while he was training - he was wearing Adidas trainers. That tells you all you need to know."

In the meantime, you may wish to enjoy Radostin Kishishev's new haircut.

Radio gaga

Look! I'm sat here at home in the warm, listening to Southampton v Charlton with a cup of coffee in my hand, instead of freezing my bum off in that soulless, horrible "bowl" at St Mary's. I've had a lie-in, and I think I made the right move. Unless Danny Murphy scores, in which case, I'll be a bit gutted. I'm glad to hear we're easily outsinging the soppy Saints.

I don't know what you make of BBC London's coverage of Charlton - I can't abide the station itself, so it's never usually on my listening options on my shiny digital radio. Did you get one for Christmas? They're bloody good, they are.

So this is my first BBC London commentary, and it doesn't sound too bad so far. I was never a fan of that tiny station from Thamesmead's commentaries (which were a struggle to recieve in Charlton itself) while Capital Gold lost its lustre after Jonathan Pearce went off to Radio Five Live. So it's interesting to hear what the new lot are like.

I check out the website, and...

Also on the BBC LONDON DAB digital radio service at 1.00 p.m. you can hear full commentary on the match between West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.

Oh, marvellous. Time to dig out the bathroom radio. Just like Tinpot Radio Thamesmead days...

Season's greetings

Merry Christmas from All Quiet In The East Stand - and if you're reading this on Christmas evening, congratulations on escaping the usual festive obligations!

Tomorrow sees Charlton go to Southampton, a game I shan't be at since there's no trains, I can't sponge a lift, and the supporters' club Flask Express from Charlton at 8am isn't an appealling prospect, thanks. To be honest, it's no huge loss for me - I hate St Mary's and Southampton are as dull as their stadium. And when we did come up with a thriller last season, we still lost.

Of course, Portsmouth are at Crystal Palace, proving just how many brain cells the fixture list compilers really have. Sod the local derbies, let's make people leap into their cars... It's not just me complaining about the fixture list, Curbs had a pop last week - and he's right, four games in eight days is nuts, whether you're a player or a fan forking out for two expensive away journeys. Bouts of flu at Sparrows Lane haven't helped either. Next Monday's trip to Blackburn isn't going to be for the faint-hearted, although it's a place where we'll fancy some points.

It's been worse - until 1958, games were played on Christmas Day, often with a return fixture on Boxing Day. Simply unimaginable now - especially now public transport is closed on both days around most of the country. I've never been one for a winter break - you know Manchester United would suddenly announce a winter tour to Australia, or there'd be a round of dull international friendlies to ruin the effect.

But four games in eight days is crazy. Especially with the FA Cup looming. I wonder who'll use the fixture congestion as an excuse for being knocked out by a minnow?

Happy Christmas, Scott

Chelsea midfielder Scott Parker has blamed the newly-laid Stamford Bridge pitch for the broken foot he suffered during the 4-0 win over Norwich.

Parker injured a metatarsal and is facing three months out of action and he believes the pitch played its' part.

"The pitch was pretty poor, I seemed to buckle my foot and I knew straight away because I felt something pop," he said. (more)

Never mind, Scott. Obviously, it wasn't a playing surface you were familiar with. Maybe they'll put sand on it next time.