If we were in his situation, i'm pretty sure 99% of us would've left as well.
Easy to say now that 'did he really think he'd get in their team', but he was running the show and dominating games for a small side who were 4th in the table. I'm sure he believed enough in his own ability to at least think he'd get a chance there. And yes i'm sure the extra 30-40k a week helped too.
Parker allowed himself to become a piece of meat(something he ll have live with!)
he helped tear Chelsea apart on that boxing day(or was it New year) so Chelseas tactic was to buy our best player and cut off our cahones (the advancement of Parkers career was no business of theirs).. i honestly think they just paid that money to nullify our threat
that 4-1 game is arguably the best cafc performance of the last 50 years ...maybe thast another thread though
Just wish he had stayed to the end of the season and joined Arsenal. Vieira was starting to wane, and Parker could have learnt so much with a season alongside him, been a regular there and for England.
Was at the game and remember afterwards we were all looking forward to the window because the Italian tv deal had fallen over so maybe there would be strikers available to top up what must have been the best Charlton team in my life time
I can half forgive him as he was young, i could completly forgive him if he ever in an interview or in public, says he regrets leaving us like he did and that it was a mistake in that transfer window but weirdly he probably doesnt regret it because of the extra cash he earned.
Sadly it was the football food chain at work. Also, it felt like Chelsea letting us know they could stuff us whatever the price, they did it to Arsenal with Ashley Cole. Charltons problem was that no matter how much money we got, we wouldn't be able to replace him with an equally good player as 1) There was no-one about and 2) They probably wouldn't come to us anyway.
Although there have been individual games that topped them for excitement, that christmas double of beating Chelsea at The Valley, The Spuds at WHL, and being 4th in the PL at the half way point, will probably be the high water mark of supporting Charlton in my lifetime.
Although there have been individual games that topped them for excitement, that christmas double of beating Chelsea at The Valley, The Spuds at WHL, and being 4th in the PL at the half way point, will probably be the high water mark of supporting Charlton in my lifetime.
Those were 2 fantastic games for the great Jorge Costa too. He did not give an inch in those 180 mins. You could see why they called him "the tank" Or was it a different December ???
Was quite surprised to read, that despite his numerous clubs, the only trophy Parker's won is the Championship with us in 2000.
I think that's more a reflection on the small number of clubs that actually win anything. Last 10 years basically Man U, Chelsea and to a lesser extent Arsenal. I know he was at Chelsea but never really featured regulary did he? If he'd had waited maybe a year he could have been the ideal replacement for Roy Keane at Utd, then he would have a medal or two! Oh for hindsight eh Spotty?
In the last ten years you can add Liverpool, Portsmouth and Man City to that list - all won an FA Cup. Liverpool have also win a League Cup, as have Spurs, Birmingham and Middlesborough.
I'm only pointing this out as I would say that Parker could have got into any of those sides, probably including the Man City FA Cup winners in 2011.
Not that it makes a lot of difference now but I was never angry at Parker for taking the money and believing he was good enough. If they hadn't made some of the subsequent signings he might have established himself.
I heard people say that it's the things that we don't do that we regret later in life. He had to believe he was going to make it. Had he not gone to Chelsea then the opportunity may have never come up again.
Look at Le Tissier. He passed up on the chance to move on and I, personally, think he missed out on a much more successful career because of it. He probably regrets that now, even if he would never admit it.
We were a small club having a fantastic season. The wheels could have come off anyway and Parker might have regretted it his whole life.
Not trying to be controversial but a) Under Curbs we always seemed to start well and become crap after Xmas. b) We could have splashed the cash and benefited from the sale, but we didn't. c) The sale of Parker wasn't the point we went into decline. We were always punching above out weight.
I used to hate him and then loathe him But now I have moved on and I look at him when he plays and think he is a Charlton lad really and I wish him well
Yes he behaved in a way that I found really hard to understand but also at that time he was young he was turned by money ( not greed) it's wrong to call it greed IMO as its not greed that makes you take a higher wage or a move to a bigger club
Better players make you better the career is short for a footballer and especially ones like spotty he gave everything for us and left the pitch exhausted bruised and knackard every time
In those full crunching tackles to win the ball and start an attack or to stop one he was risking his career he never stopped making those tackles anywhere he went and still tries to make them now
Different emotions about this through the years. At the time my heart was broken and i hated him. I guess my dislike remained for a long time because he forced the move through and showed complete disregard for us, the club, teammates and manager. He also never mentioned cafc as the years passed like we were an embarrassment to him. As i mellowed i looked at the bigger picture and how we forced kinsella out of the club. Doesn't make me like parker and i do not see him as one of ours but i do understand why he did it. Football is all business.
I am afraid it is the story of a modern footballer, and in many ways Charlton could have rejected the deal, I do not buy into this we had no option stance. Where was the man management of Curbs to persuade Parker to stay till the end of the season?. Did we really try and persuade him, or did we think, he wants to go, we do not want a player that does not want to be part of the team, and they are paying a lot of money for a relative youngster. Yes it was a lot of money, but the price we paid after this for our 'free-fall' from the top to the first division cannot be put at at one action, or one player. What about Andy Reid was he any better? and what did he actually achieve besides a nice fat wallet, to go with his ample frame..... I want our best players to stay, I am selfish and unrealistic, and I do not have to balance the books....... but then if I did as then, I think I would be rather upset at what has panned out?
The board would have rejected the deal, but in the end Curbs took a pragmatic approach and advised them to sell because Parker wasn't going to co-operate if he stayed. There is a bit more to it, in that Parker's argument turned on what he had or hadn't been promised by Richard Murray when he signed a new contract in the summer.
Funny thing is that the board had been ready to sell him to Chelsea then (summer 2003) but the deal collapsed with the regime change at Stamford Bridge.
Comments
Easy to say now that 'did he really think he'd get in their team', but he was running the show and dominating games for a small side who were 4th in the table. I'm sure he believed enough in his own ability to at least think he'd get a chance there. And yes i'm sure the extra 30-40k a week helped too.
he helped tear Chelsea apart on that boxing day(or was it New year) so Chelseas tactic was to buy our best player and cut off our cahones (the advancement of Parkers career was no business of theirs).. i honestly think they just paid that money to nullify our threat
that 4-1 game is arguably the best cafc performance of the last 50 years ...maybe thast another thread though
like many here perhaps i am just bitter !
Vieira was starting to wane, and Parker could have learnt so much with a season alongside him, been a regular there and for England.
Meanwhile just had a look at what he left behind:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3316113.stm
Was at the game and remember afterwards we were all looking forward to the window because the Italian tv deal had fallen over so maybe there would be strikers available to top up what must have been the best Charlton team in my life time
Although there have been individual games that topped them for excitement, that christmas double of beating Chelsea at The Valley, The Spuds at WHL, and being 4th in the PL at the half way point, will probably be the high water mark of supporting Charlton in my lifetime.
He did not give an inch in those 180 mins.
You could see why they called him "the tank"
Or was it a different December ???
I'm only pointing this out as I would say that Parker could have got into any of those sides, probably including the Man City FA Cup winners in 2011.
Not that it makes a lot of difference now but I was never angry at Parker for taking the money and believing he was good enough. If they hadn't made some of the subsequent signings he might have established himself.
I heard people say that it's the things that we don't do that we regret later in life. He had to believe he was going to make it. Had he not gone to Chelsea then the opportunity may have never come up again.
Look at Le Tissier. He passed up on the chance to move on and I, personally, think he missed out on a much more successful career because of it. He probably regrets that now, even if he would never admit it.
We were a small club having a fantastic season. The wheels could have come off anyway and Parker might have regretted it his whole life.
a) Under Curbs we always seemed to start well and become crap after Xmas.
b) We could have splashed the cash and benefited from the sale, but we didn't.
c) The sale of Parker wasn't the point we went into decline. We were always punching above out weight.
But now I have moved on and I look at him when he plays and think he is a Charlton lad really and I wish him well
Yes he behaved in a way that I found really hard to understand but also at that time he was young he was turned by money ( not greed) it's wrong to call it greed IMO as its not greed that makes you take a higher wage or a move to a bigger club
Better players make you better the career is short for a footballer and especially ones like spotty he gave everything for us and left the pitch exhausted bruised and knackard every time
In those full crunching tackles to win the ball and start an attack or to stop one he was risking his career he never stopped making those tackles anywhere he went and still tries to make them now
Fair play to him move on
Who was he to gamble with security for his familys future, what's on offer today may not be there tomorrow
Where was the man management of Curbs to persuade Parker to stay till the end of the season?. Did we really try and persuade him, or did we think, he wants to go, we do not want a player that does not want to be part of the team, and they are paying a lot of money for a relative youngster. Yes it was a lot of money, but the price we paid after this for our 'free-fall' from the top to the first division cannot be put at at one action, or one player. What about Andy Reid was he any better? and what did he actually achieve besides a nice fat wallet, to go with his ample frame.....
I want our best players to stay, I am selfish and unrealistic, and I do not have to balance the books....... but then if I did as then, I think I would be rather upset at what has panned out?
Funny thing is that the board had been ready to sell him to Chelsea then (summer 2003) but the deal collapsed with the regime change at Stamford Bridge.