Shrewsbury Town duly closed the door on our season this afternoon with another one-nil victory to win the tie 2-0 on aggregate. The defeat consigns us to another season in League One. Under the unambitious and disinterested Roland Duchatelet that would seem unbearable and actual home gates would tank even further. At least we have the promise of new ownership and some hope for next season.
It was a better showing from Charlton than on Thursday night and we had plenty of first-half possession as the home side were content to sit back and defend. We played some neat passing football down the flanks and across the pitch but we were again desperately short of any serious goalmouth action. Crosses, when they came, were inevitably knocked in hoping Magennis could out jump a pair of centre-halves and a goalkeeper in close attendance. We should have had a penalty before half-time for a pretty blatant handball which clearly changed the direction of the ball and which the referee must have seen and somehow decided it was ball-to-hand four yards from goal.
The Shrews scored after the restart and that effectively killed the tie. We huffed and puffed and managed a number of corners but every dropping ball was hacked clear and every attempted Charlton shot on target was blocked. Kaikai had several half-chances but failed to strike any of them cleanly which seems par for his course. He and Doodoo have typified what has been wrong with this season. Two 'strikers' clearly not up to this standard of football and both brought in as cheap offerings to try and appease the masses after having let Novak and them Holmes leave. Magennis was left to forge alone for much of the season and we even brought back 'no goals' Ajose when we had no other options.
For me personally I shared something in common with Roland Duchatelet this season - neither of us saw a game in person. For Duchatelet that's nothing new but for me it was a first since I started going as a boy. I am praying that the Aussie takeover will see the end of Duchatelet's malign influence. Rumours that he will retain a landlord interest or that he will have a percentage of player sale values going forward until he gets his price would be sickening and might yet make me feel too uncomfortable to return but I guess that all depends on what the deal is. I could live with it if he's taking the massive multi-pound loss he deserves and I have to believe the Aussies are too shrewd to pay him more than the club is worth, whether that's all upfront or over a period of time.
I enjoyed my visits to Park View Road this season and non-league football is more reminiscent of the game I used to watch before money came to really dominate it. The football was honest and competitive and I saw some superb goals and real camaraderie between the players and the supporters, even if there are only 400 of them. It was great to stand on the terraces again with a beer when warm enough and not to have to deal with any visiting arseholes or to be filmed by police officers as I arrive or leave the ground (I see that the Shropshire Constabulary used pepper-spray indiscriminately on a crowd of Charlton supporters in the stand today as they sought to arrest someone). Good, too, not to be harassed by jobsworth Stewards following orders and refreshing for the Chairman to say 'hello' when he recognised a few of his club's supporters at an away game and ask what we thought of our chances.
New ownership will, hopefully, fire my burners once again but Roland Duchatelet (and Katrien Meire) have definitely broken the emotional bond that has had me following the club loyally home and away since 1977. Perhaps it will never be the same again even after I return. Along with hundreds and probably thousands of others that will be Duchatelet's legacy. That and the record books which will show the club dropped out of the Championship and established itself as a third division side for the first time since we climbed out of Division Three South.
It was a better showing from Charlton than on Thursday night and we had plenty of first-half possession as the home side were content to sit back and defend. We played some neat passing football down the flanks and across the pitch but we were again desperately short of any serious goalmouth action. Crosses, when they came, were inevitably knocked in hoping Magennis could out jump a pair of centre-halves and a goalkeeper in close attendance. We should have had a penalty before half-time for a pretty blatant handball which clearly changed the direction of the ball and which the referee must have seen and somehow decided it was ball-to-hand four yards from goal.
The Shrews scored after the restart and that effectively killed the tie. We huffed and puffed and managed a number of corners but every dropping ball was hacked clear and every attempted Charlton shot on target was blocked. Kaikai had several half-chances but failed to strike any of them cleanly which seems par for his course. He and Doodoo have typified what has been wrong with this season. Two 'strikers' clearly not up to this standard of football and both brought in as cheap offerings to try and appease the masses after having let Novak and them Holmes leave. Magennis was left to forge alone for much of the season and we even brought back 'no goals' Ajose when we had no other options.
For me personally I shared something in common with Roland Duchatelet this season - neither of us saw a game in person. For Duchatelet that's nothing new but for me it was a first since I started going as a boy. I am praying that the Aussie takeover will see the end of Duchatelet's malign influence. Rumours that he will retain a landlord interest or that he will have a percentage of player sale values going forward until he gets his price would be sickening and might yet make me feel too uncomfortable to return but I guess that all depends on what the deal is. I could live with it if he's taking the massive multi-pound loss he deserves and I have to believe the Aussies are too shrewd to pay him more than the club is worth, whether that's all upfront or over a period of time.
I enjoyed my visits to Park View Road this season and non-league football is more reminiscent of the game I used to watch before money came to really dominate it. The football was honest and competitive and I saw some superb goals and real camaraderie between the players and the supporters, even if there are only 400 of them. It was great to stand on the terraces again with a beer when warm enough and not to have to deal with any visiting arseholes or to be filmed by police officers as I arrive or leave the ground (I see that the Shropshire Constabulary used pepper-spray indiscriminately on a crowd of Charlton supporters in the stand today as they sought to arrest someone). Good, too, not to be harassed by jobsworth Stewards following orders and refreshing for the Chairman to say 'hello' when he recognised a few of his club's supporters at an away game and ask what we thought of our chances.
New ownership will, hopefully, fire my burners once again but Roland Duchatelet (and Katrien Meire) have definitely broken the emotional bond that has had me following the club loyally home and away since 1977. Perhaps it will never be the same again even after I return. Along with hundreds and probably thousands of others that will be Duchatelet's legacy. That and the record books which will show the club dropped out of the Championship and established itself as a third division side for the first time since we climbed out of Division Three South.
That pretty much sums it up for me Dave.
ReplyDeleteWell put.