It seems like a popular trend during these relatively barren summer, close-season weeks to have 'Best XI', 'Crap, but players you liked anyway', 'Best players of the decade' - type-forum topics, so I thought I heartily jump on the bandwagon with this one. :-) Though I have a feeling that this has probably been done before in threads gone by, I thought it'd be nice to hear other fans viewpoints on players over the years. I'm not including homegrown talent, as that could be another topic(if not already done?)
Heres my team, & a brief description why:
1 - GK - Bob Bolder - £60-100k not 100% sure - My first Charlton hero(as an aspiring then-young goalkeeper)Big, strong, surprisingly agile, heart on sleeve, solid as a rock-type. Could've gone onto Sir Sam-esque status had injury not prevailed.(Deano being the true modern day equivalent)
2 - RB - John Humphrey - £35-75k - not 100% sure on the exact fee, just know it was part of a deal involving Tony Towner - Johnny H' was the finest right back I've witnessed in my time as a footy fan. Fast, strong, good in attack, good in defence, would've been Englands No2 if Bobby Robson dared to look lower than the top 5/6 clubs at the time(Steve Bull an exception).
3 - LB - Mark Reid - Can't remember that, still under the fee cap though - No nonsense, hardworking full back who was pretty lethal from the spot. Except for when he narrowly missed a hat-trick of penalties from the spot against Palace, & a later game against Swindon from memory.
4 - CM - Keith Jones(run close with Bart-Williams) - £150k - Hardworking, passionate, quietly creative midfielder who popped up with the odd useful goal here & there.
5 - CB - Peter Shirtliff - £250k - Took no crap, not afraid to get stuck in, heart on sleeve player who gave his all. Those goals against Leeds rival the importance, & more, of Sir Clives brilliant treble, 11 years later.
6 - CB - Simon Webster - £100k - Crap first season, but blossomed into a brilliant defender & brilliant captain for the club. Damn shame his career ended in the way that it did.
7 - RW - John Robinson - £75k - Big shoes to fill after Robert Lee's departure, but brought something different to the party with his energy & passion after a slow start.
8 - CM - Mark Kinsella - £150k - Enough said!
9 - CF - Paul Williams(a close run with DiCanio) - £10k - His goals were vital in our battles against the drop in the old Division 1 days. His partnership with Leaburn bore impressive fruit through tough seasons(Leaburn a lesser extent on the goals, but a great target man!)
10 - CF - Andy Hunt - Free - Would've gone onto ultimate Charlton hero status had his fatigue syndrome situation not kicked in
11 - LW - Paul Mortimer - Free-£20k - memory not quite serving - Blindingly skillful, scored some truly world class goals, Norwich(2-1win) 88/89, Chelsea 89/90(3-0 win, a wonderful night!). Could be a bit lazy, but never in the Jerome mould. Really happy when he returned(though a little past his best).
Cheers for reading!
C'mon you Reds!
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Comments
with AFKA on CBW not fit to lace Jones's boots/
John H
Mark Reid
Webbo
Shirtliff
John Robinson
Aizlewood
Kinsella
Mike Flanagan
Andy Hunt
Derek Hales
Humphery £60,000
Reid £40,000
Shirtliff £125,000
Webster £120,000
C Walsh £125,000
Kinsella £175,000
Jones £125,000
Robinson £75,000
Hunt £0
Di Canio £0
If I'm right he brought in Reid, Johny H, Pender, Thommo,Shirtliff and a couple of other fringe players.
I reember we played liverpool at the Valley pre-season - only narrowly losing 2-1 and no-one at the time was to believe what was to come - 2 months later we had been kicked out of our home and sharing with the stripey nigels......but 6 months after that promotion.
The only point I would make is that the £250k spent on Peter Shirtliff for example was equivalent to rather more than that as time has gone on.
You could argue a case that we've had equivalent value out of say Danny Mills (the first time) even though he was £350,000 rather than £250,000. 1998 values v 1985 values.
How much did Jimmy Melrose cost? £150k is ringing a distant bell but it was a long time ago! If it was £150k he has to be in there I'd have thought.
Chris Perry and Jerome Thomas. Premiership players for £100k nearly 20 years on from the Lennie lot are also decent value.
Shirty cost £125,000
Melrose cost £45,000
£45K definitely in then!
That pre season Lennie brought in a whole new back four in
John Humphery £60,000
Mark Reid £40,000
Steve Thompson £25,000
John Pender £35,000
Also brought in
George Shipley £15,000
Jimmy Loveridge £0
John Pearson £100,000
Later on in that season he brought in Jimmy Melrose for £45,000
Fantastic business by Lennie that season.
That pre-season's buys were unbelievable though and from a whole host of places as well. I always got the impression with Curbs that he was a bit narrow with his transfer targets but Lennie sought his from far and wide, and his scouting network was probably just him and a couple of mates.
What about Andy Peake? Didn't he come in at about the same time? A pretty decent midfield player if my memory is not playing tricks on me.
Andy Peake (75,000) came in the following season, along with Colin Walsh, Peter Shirtliff and Bob Bolder.
So if i had 60k in 85 what is its equilvant in 2008?
then we can see if they were bargins ( and i agree they were fantastic but it would be good to try to work it out and i am a dunce and wouldnt know where or how to start)