Happy New Year! (Southend United 1 v Charlton Athletic 1)

First, a happy and prosperous New Year to anyone who frequents these pages! Some are old mates, some of you I have come to know through your posts and the majority are unknown to me but are mostly like-minded Addicks for whom Charlton Athletic Football Club have played a significant role in our lives.

As the old year ends it's natural to reflect on what has happened and I do so here through a Charlton lens. It's been the toughest year for me in supporting the club since I began in earnest as a 13 year-old. To put that into perspective, I am approaching 54. Barring the Powell promotion year from League One, it's been a largely downward spiral since dropping out of the Premiership ten years ago. However, the last three years under Duchatelet's ownership have accelerated the decline and been very hard to take.

We all know the back-story so I am not going to repeat it, save to say that I am hugely and increasingly disillusioned and am struggling to bring myself to attend games. I moved to Charlton in 1987 to be closer to the club and what has been much of my social life until recently. This season I haven't bothered with any of the cup matches and have decided not to bother with some of the home games - probably a consequence of not buying a season ticket for the first time since the 70's. On rare occasions in the past I have favoured something else over a home match e.g. a 6 Nations game I have already bought tickets and flights for well in advance of the fixture list. This season, however, I have missed games because I couldn't face it and have watched TV at home instead. I haven't missed it and, frankly, I have been pleased to have missed most of them given the performances and results.

If Duchatelet's here in August I am contemplating giving up altogether. I can't bring myself to get excited about the eighth manager in three years. The Player Farm model doesn't work for me. It's about profit, pure and simple, and it's at the expense of any footballing ambition or serious first-team strategy. You know it's become really bad when you are disappointed we nicked a point at Southend.

Talking of Southend, I only picked-up on the late equaliser which we just about deserved but like MK Dons before them, the Shrimpers could and maybe should have been out-of-sight before half-time. Youngster Joe Aribo gets a call out as having played his best game for us so far but even that positive is tinged with the obvious conclusion that he moves onto the sales ladder behind Esra Konsa and Ademola Lookman who will move to Everton this week. To fill the gap we have a loanee from Chelsea who we have zero chance of seeing play for us for any length of time - everything is temporary or unambitious for the first team. A couple of Robinson's old MK Dons players anyone? It's League One ambition at best, pure and simple.

As I look forward to 2017 I am desperate to see Duchatelet pass the baton to someone, anyone, with some ambition and honesty. I don't care if we continue to struggle because of lack of funds because we have done that under a billionaire owner who has tried to dupe us. The sheer arrogance of the man who has imposed the harridan Meire on us and who has refused point-blank to remove her despite ongoing failing, persistent incompetence and enough collateral club damage to sink a battleship, is enough to make the blood boil.

I believe Duchatelet will sell and that he is active on that front. They will deny it all day long for obvious reasons but my fear is that he won't find a buyer because no-one is likely to pay over-the-odds because of his failure to understand the true worth of the club given the shrinkage and damage he has presided over as Meire has failed spectacularly.

Beyond that, I am saddened that we have an apparent split in the remaining fan-base. The ongoing protests have been vociferous and too persistent for some. Those who perhaps will come what may and who aren't so interested in club politics. Those who recognise we have always been a selling club and that, since the War at least, we have lost more games than we have won. Those for whom, frankly, Charlton is not one of the biggest things in their lives. I am confident they are the minority and that they aren't necessarily happy with Duchatelet either but are bloody-minded enough not to get drawn in. 

The real danger for 2017 is that Duchatelet remains, the decline in the fan-base continues and the Club continues to shrink to a new perma-low with irreparable damage. I for one, am contemplating packing it in next season if there is no real change. Happy New Year Addicks, we can but hope and dream - I will continue to protest for now.