Deja Vu

It really is a great feeling to be a Charlton fan right now isn't it? At least two goals in every game played so far. Six straight wins, three away from home playing some sparkling football. Top of the table. Young players emerging and genuine talking points from every game. The press are beginning to take some notice too, after a couple of seasons of increasing obscurity. Those of us old enough to remember the 80-81 season may be forgiven for an overwhelming sense of deja vu.

As I have said previously, that was the most formative year of supporting Charlton for me. I can remember every result and a fair bit from most games. Not something I can say about some of our seasons in the top flight. It was also a year when we set a whole host of positive records, unlike some of those we created last year e.g. 18 games without a win. It was also the year we were too good for our division and bounced straight back out of Division Three.

On Saturday we face the prospect of equalling the seven straight wins we recorded during October and November 1980. That year we followed a goaless home draw with Barnsley on 4th October to then beat Walsall (h) 2-0, Sheffield United (h) 2-0, Hull City (a) 2-0, Swindon Town (a) 3-0, Blackpool (h) 2-1, Reading (h) 4-2, and Huddersfield (a) 1-0, before conceding a late goal at Fellows Park to draw 2-2 with Walsall. If the team were disheartened by that draw they didn't show it. We won the next six league games to set-up an unbeaten league sequence of 15 matches. What really strikes me from checking the records is that the biggest Valley attendance we mustered during this winning sequence was 6, 838. We can expect close to three times that number on Saturday.

This week Southampton are our visitors as we look to match the seven successive league victories from 1980. Our task could hardly look easier. Southampton have yet to win a game and they are at the opposite end of the table. They are still recovering from their traumas of relegation and a last minute buy-out. Their new owner, Marcus Liebherr, is a wealthy foreign businessman who has promised to invest and they have a new manager of course in Super Alan Pardew (sic). Pards has already begun spending but he will no doubt tell us that his players need time to gel (Excuse Number 1 from his repetoire).

Caution would appear to be the Charlton fans watchword this week and you can understand it in terms of our history of tripping ourselves up. However, that was not something we did too often during 80-81 and I can't see the Saints halting our progress. It could have more of a derby feel to it and Pardew's new side may battle but I can see us winning this game and setting up a historic opportunity at Carrow Road. Let's hope that delays in international work permits and clearance prevent Southampton from fielding Radhi Jaidi and ex-Fiorentina striker Papa Waigo N'Diaye.