A couple of weeks ago my 11 year old son asked to interview Mark Kinsella for his history project (Charlton Athletic) the club agreed readily and on the day we arrived at the training ground, Mark was still tied up and Chris Powell was hanging around in reception heard that there was a delay and started organising programmes and a pen for Dan then proceeded to get the entire squad to come out to sign these, he also took time out to chat to Dan as well, eventually Mark appeared and gave us the tour of the site then up to his office, after the interview he talked to Dan and took us back down to reception, on the way he dissapeared into a little room and came out with his training gear which he gave to my son as a momento. I think this just goes to show the classy characters that are at the Club, its great the Kinsella is back and I really hope a place can be found for Chris Powell who is an absolute gent.
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I'd love them to be in charge. i'd even stay in this league for a couple more seasons if it meant we went up with them two in charge....
But what did come across is his absolute love for the Club, I have a transcript of the interview if anyone wants to see it.
I feel Charlton NEED a Charlton-type person in charge (which Pards is, if only to a degree). Kinsella is a Charlton man through and through and saw what Curbs did to make the club successful and the type of players we need at the club.
When Pardew goes, whenever that may be, I would be gutted if we did not choose Kinsella.
Not saying I don't agree with you though!
Only if he spent millions, used 37 players, didnt know his best line up, bought another four strikers, played the long ball game and gave 101 excuses.
MK: excited and disappointed within 6 hours, it was one them pre season things, I was at Colchester United and Keith Peacock asked me to come down and train with Charlton in pre season and have a look at you be yourself and we will sign you, I think he had been watching me over the years I was at Colchester, I came here maybe a week into pre-season training trained for a week and played in two games and then saw Curbs in the office and sat down in the office he told me we want to sign you and sign a contract do this and that, I left the training ground at 2.30, I was living in Colchester at the time, I got back to the house at 5 and when I got home the deal was off! For financial reasons between the two clubs, Charlton had just sold Lee Bowyer for around £2.75 million I think, and Colchester were not a loaded club and wanted as much as they could get, the fee was £125,000 to £150,000 and they wanted it up front, at the time we did not realise the situation Charlton were in, with debts they had to pay off left right and centre, and they did not actually have the £2.75 million everybody thought they had and wanted to pay in instalments, so the deal fell through so I was very disappointed because I had sort of settled in, even though I had only trained with them the lads were different class, I played 2 games and really enjoyed it here, and I wanted to leave Colchester, everybody knew and respected that, and I ended up having to go back to Colchester and starting over again, which was hard work, eventually the deal happened 3 months later.
DF: What did you think Charlton could achieve when you arrived?
MK: When I joined the Club on Sept 19th about 10 games into the season, Here was me hoping they would lose every game while I was at Colchester, I was a disappointed man when I did not come here, they had just missed out on the play offs being beaten by their local rivals Palace, the Chairman had ambitions that within 7 years the club would get into the Premier League which was always people working at the club had as a target, so I wanted to blend in, just sort of improve my own game playing with better players, moving up 2 divisions I just wanted to make sure I was able to cope in this league. My first season we finished 15th very average but performance wise I was delighted with my own performance to make a debut in that league what happened after that was a lot earlier than the Club was expecting.
DF: How did you feel leading the team out at Wembley?
MK: Magnificent, to Captain your club in any game is an honour, I think its something that the Manager obviously respects you, gives you the armband and puts all the lads in your hands really when you are on the pitch, I was not very vocal, the first year I came in just sort of getting on with my job, there was a load of players I did not know, that I had looked up to n TV myself, so the year we got promoted I got the armband on in the middle of the season when Phil Chapple who is still working here now was injured and Stuart Balmer was suspended so all the usual Captains were not available, Curbs called me in before the Huddersfield game at the Valley and pulled me into his office and told me I want you to be my captain, I was delighted, you watch the FA Cup final every year and you watch every final every year and you watch all these players leading out teams and you think one day you would love to do that, and to actually do it at Wembley with Charlton against Sunderland, am fortunate to have that moment when we come out of the tunnel framed its on the wall in the house, it was a very proud moment.
DF: What was it like when Sasa saved the penalty?
MK: it was brilliant but it took me and Keith Jones about 10 seconds, it was one of them games where nobody was missing penalties, we scored, they scored, we scored they scored, myself and Keith actually took a penalty, so when Clive ran up we sort of said, we had come back all the time, when it came down to penalties Clive was always our number 1 so if had missed it we would have thought we probably not have got promoted, but if he scores, we got half a chance, so Clive went first, Brownie second, Jonesy third, me fourth, Robbo 5th, Newts 6th as you take it it’s a long walk up, when you are walking towards the Sunderland end I changed my mind 5 times, I am doing this, I am doing that I had the shakes I was dead nervous, I had never taken a penalty never mind score one, but once you have scored the relief is just incredible, your happy you have done your job, you did not want to be the one who missed the pen you did not want to let people down, when we got to the sudden death bit we had a meeting who is going next, we were close to the dugout so we picked the next 5 stood ready me and Keith just stood there watching it when Gray missed we were wondering who was next up not realising, it took us about 8 seconds, it took a while to settle in, then you see all the lads jump then all of a sudden the suits come on, it was a brilliant moment, My family could not watch.
DF: How did you find your first season in the Premier League?
MK: We were relaxed, we were favourites to go down everything was against us we knew there was no pressure on us, as professional and a club we would go out to every game to win every game even against Man Utd and Liverpool, we went to the last game of the season we gave it everything we had, we got some great games 4-3 at Villa with Steve Brown in goal!, 3- 3 at Anfield, even the Arsenal game the second game of the season 0-0, Southampton 5-0 we had some great games even though we got relegated, it was still a nice experience
DF: Did you think Charlton would go straight back up?
MK: We did because we thought if we kept the same squad of players, add more quality which Curbs did, Dean Kiely, we started very well, keep our momentum going and we went on such a good run in the middle we were 12 points clear we could eventually sort of lose a few at the end, the hardest part was winning the league, but we got there after winning it away at Blackburn with a draw. We played well over the whole season; we deserved to win the league. We knew we could do it but we never went into the papers to brag about it, all the other people did that for us, Charlton always keeps out of the headlines go about our business that year, was all about bouncing back.
DF: How sad where you when you left Charlton to go to Aston Villa?
MK: Very Sad, it was unexpected I definintely was not expecting it, I had just got back from the 2002 World Cup in Japan, I had a few injuries, I had two operations on my knee, I got back into the team at the back end of 2001/2002 season, and got fit for the World Cup, we had a very successful there with Ireland, came back for pre-season, maybe the writing was on the wall, I did not play a lot of the game sin pre season, I thought I was just being spared/rested, I got a phone call on my day off, that Charlton had accepted a bid from Aston Villa, that was it really, I would never have left Charlton unless they had wanted me to go, so I just left, there was no point staying if I was not wanted..
DF: Are you happy to be back at Charlton?
MK: Delighted, It came out of the blue, I was playing and coaching at Walsall, enjoying it, even though it was lower down the leagues we had a good squad of players there, young lads who wanted achieve what I wanted to achieve 15 years ago, I was enjoying it, when a club comes calling its very hard to say no, so I gave up playing, to come back to Charlton because it’s a club very close to my heart, I had 7 great years here, to win the league, promotion, and played with some good players, I had a good rapport with the fans, I think they have always held me up in good stead and likewise, it was a hard decision to give up football but an easy decision to come back to the club.
DF: Who was your toughest opponent?
MK: There was a couple out there, you always worked as a pair, myself and Keith Jones as a pair , I have great respect for Keith, he done a lot of work that was not seen, the fans appreciated what he did, he did not get a lot of publicity, when we were up against players, the hardest we came up against was Viera and Petit at Arsenal and Keane and Scholes at Manchester United, we beat Arsenal 4-2, but I never beat Man Utd, we drew 3-3 at the Valley with Man U, from 3-1 down.
DF: One day would you like to become Charlton Manager?
MK: One day, every one would like to be a manager, but that day is a long way off, I am doing the reserves at this moment in time, and working with the youths, I am enjoying all that, learning the ropes, Pards is very good to learn from, he has a very cool head in tough situations, I am learning about Prozone, I think the club is going in the right direction, a lot of ex players have come back, you saw Steve Brown, he is a scout, Phil Chapple is in charge of the scouting, Mark Robson is first team coach, Alan Pardew played for the club and Chris Powell is back as a coach, as well as playing, there is a lot of the old school at the club, its tough at the moment, there are a lot of games left and hopefully we can turn it around, and get ourselves in the play-offs.
DF: What do you think Charlton can achieve in the next 10 years?
MK: Get promoted this year, I would like to see us established in the Premier League, fighting for honours, break into Uefa Cup, I would like to think we could win some honours, it may be an FA Cup, or the Carling Cup, In the next 10 years it would be nice to see Charlton as one of the main Premier League clubs.
Kinsella may not have the class of Hughes/Keane but he did play in the Premiership for five years with us and Villa and played 50 games for Ireland including all of their games in the 2002 World Cup. He also has extensive CCC experience too with us and WBA (promoted with them in 2004) so the guy has all the right credentials.
Keane has money at Sunderland, that is true, but I don't think its money that makes a good manager on its own.
Sir Chris needs to stay at teh club im sure we could give him a few games and maybe train him up as a number 2 for Kins
Love that man.
We sponsored Kins last year, and really enjoyed chatting to him at the dinner. I still giggle when I think about his story of the aftermath of the Play Off Final - apparently, after a lengthy celebration, he woke up the next morning in a corner at Lakeside shopping centre, still hugging the trophy...that's real class!
That same patience seems to be lost on a few players this year.
Hughes??????? Not bloody Bryan Hughes Ormy please don't insult Kins with him if that is who you meant. Apologies if not.
Holland is no Kinsella, not even close. When this season, in fact when in his Charlton career has Holland taken control of a game in the way that Kinsella used to?
As a captain and a player Holland isn't fit to lace Kinsella's boots!
Kins
Powell
Rufus
Young
Parker
Jenson
They come along once in 100 years for this club. We cant expect to find the next "Kinsella" or "parker" because they are of such quality they dont exist very often. Ifthey did the top clubs wouldnt be paying zillions of pounds to get these players from overseas. We have been lucky to have seen em play for us and hopefully before another 100 years we will see their likes again.