Game in hand

Another hectic week at work ended last night with my team's, er, Christmas night out. Five pints of varied real ale at Ye Olde Watling and a curry for those who didn't need to be on trains to Leeds and Nottingham. The Romford commuter didn't make it in due to the snow, nor did the Southampton one. Cambridge was already committed elsewhere but we had a Wycombe, Huntingdon and an Ipswich commuter who hung on with the London boys 'til the end (Ealing, Charlton and Bexleyheath).


My boss is taking his team out on Tuesday to a posh restaurant - another curry - and then that's my lot for Christmas. I'm not complaining as I have started my January diet earlier-than-normal in an attempt to weigh less on new Year's Day than last time around. It'll be a lean weekend to atone for last night and I will need to be disciplined next week if I'm out on Tuesday.


So I'm catching up with Charlton news this morning and it's no surprise that our game at Hartlepool is off. It's good that they have managed to call this early to avoid additional expense and inconvenience for the die-hards who were planning on being there. I also think we might stand a better chance in the replay if it's delayed. I have commented before than we have been fortunate so far this season in largely playing sides at the right time. Tomorrow wouldn't have been the right time to play Hartlepool who have found a rare bit of form and scored four at home in the week. Let's hope we hold this game over until the business end of the season.


So, just another week until The Big Day. The suspense is killing me as the speculation builds over just who is behind the takeover at the Valley. The natural born optimistic in me is confident that Peter Varney intuitively knows that all Charlton fans are looking for the signal that our fortunes have finally turned and that the timing of the confirmation of the new deal has been carefully staged-managed as a Christmas present for us all. The deeply rooted pessimist, however, is suspicious that the time taken to sell the club means that the new owners are perhaps third choices and that ownership is being handed on as a forced sale to avoid the ignominy of the Big A.


I will look for the positives from whoever the new owners are but I have one wish from Santa. Please, please don't let that urchin Dennis Wise have anything to do with it.