71/72, 79/80, 08/09 were all as bad or worse than this in my opinion.
Although I think the confidence and motivation will go after last night's bodyblow and we will capitulate, nobody can accuse this lot of not putting a shift in unlike Racon et al in 08/09 and old donkeys like Tony Hazell after one more payday in 79/80.
The problem this year is a lack of creativity and strikers worthy of the name. It's obvious but if you don't score you don't win and no matter how good a defence is mistakes will be made eg Wood for Barnsley's first goal.
Agree those seasons were bad, but there was hope for the following seasons eg 79/80 we had Mike Bailey on board and the young Paul Walsh to look forward to.
Wasn't there last night, but have trouble believing it was as bad as the Barnsley game in 08-09. 3-0 down by half time and they weren't even much cop anyway. I never leave early but was really tempted that day.
2008-09 was the worst for me. I can only recall the home 2-0 win over a dreadful Plymouth team with any fondness. Even the 2-0 home win v Swansea on day one, was tinged with the realisation that we had been totally out-footballed by a newly promoted team. I recall Jonjo Shelvey chasing shadows in that game and it was pretty depressing.
Next worst for me was 1989-90 when we were relegated from the top division. We'd had to sell Colin Pates to Arsenal and a lot of things seemed to go wrong for us (although we did have good spells and some notable victories...Man City, Coventry & QPR away & Man Utd at home being highlights). Being knocked out of the FA Cup in the puddle game at WBA after missing a penalty summed the season up in a nutshell. We were so light up front (especially when Paul Williams was injured for part of the season) and I remember thinking/hoping that Kenny Achampong would be the answer!
Closely followed by the JFH/Dowie/Reed season. It started with so much hope for a new dawn but quickly spiralled into a mess. On top of that we had a western in the cup against Wycombe. Looking back, we probably did well getting as many points as we did!
This one feels bad at the moment and if we go down it will take 2nd place behind 08/09. If we stay up it won't register in the league table....because something good will need to have happened in the last five games which will make it all feel ok!!!
Its like seeing a rainbow, getting to the end and finding a dog shit, all that hope and no end product.
Couldn't have put it better myself.
Win to take us out the zone one week, lose to drop us back in it the next. Spoil a steel city FA cup derby by beating the 'Massive', torn to shreds by League 1 United in the quarters. New millionaire owner saves club from bankruptcy early January, sells fans favorite and top scorer (and most creative midfielder) during the last 2 days of the window. Loan players brought in, loanees only capable enough for U21's. Chris Powell offered new contract, sacked 2 weeks later. Beat Yeovil to effectively ruin their hopes of survival, bring Barnsley right back into the dogfight.
Just let it end so we know our fate for next year (and so I wont have to keep spunking my money up the wall for another few months at least).
This season takes some beating for a bunch of players with such paucity of technical skills; our half-dozen "strikers" are an appalling shower. And I wasn't fooled by our rare Cup run - we failed to beat Oxford at home, didn't face Prem opposition, and succumbed with barely a whimper on live TV to a team from League One. No strength, no accuracy, no speed, no cutting edge. This has got to be the worst season in the last couple of decades.
89/90 was bad as I really thought we might go out of business when we went down being still at Selhurst. However 08/09 I did give up on the team, it was that painful. Then 10/11 under Powell was very painful too. What hurt then was that we were a midtable mediocre League 1 club and nobody in the media mentioned it with any shock.
2008/09 was the most gutless excuses for footballers, laden with loan signings who didn't give a shit. At least this bunch care. Church is hopeless but he puts in a shift. I have not enjoyed the football at the Valley for a while now. But I keep on going because I can't kick the habit.
79-80 was poor...relegated to Div 3, still we did bounce back at the first attempt, finishing 3rd the following year.....behind Rotherham and Barnsley.
I'll second that.. 79-80 was awful. Poor quality football, no atmosphere at many games. Only 1 win after Christmas - so no relegation 'fight' at all, we seemed to simply accept our fate. Off the field was less traumatic, but we were perennially broke, so there was always a nagging fear that we were in terminal decline (back then, it seemed inevitable that lower-league teams would become part-time)
This season is obviously one of the worst, but there have at least been occasional rays of light and we're not done yet...
This season is by far the worst and most miserable season I have experienced. Terrible football, no investment, rubbish pitch, tortuous sale by owners who clearly run out of money but was still trying to squeeze every pound out of the deal, rubbish take over with inept and divisive owners. Terrible strike force. I will be very glad when this season is over. It will take a lot of clear improvements in the close season to persuade me that getting a season ticket is worth while even by some chance and luck that Charlton survive.
The season with Pardew and Parkinson and the winless 17 game run was bad but it did not feel as bad as this season.
08/09 was more of a shock. I felt sick when we went down. On top of Zabeel and the realisation that the people in charge were not as clever as I thought, it was the straw that (almost) broke the camel's back. The mess that is this season has been predictable since the close season. It's really only a bit worse than the Charlton norm over the last 60 years or so - slightly farcical, slightly shambolic - and I am now reconciled to the fact that this is the Charlton way. No different to most light-middleweight clubs I suppose. Besides, we're not down yet.
08/09 Just simply dire, not sure waht was worse, the rudderless leadership from the board, 2 awful managers a terrible set of players with attitudes which were worse than their abilities
The (smallest) silver lining of 08-09 is that it set a benchmark (that I don't think will be beaten) for depressing seasons. I remember the 5-2 loss to Sheffield Utd and then being 3-0 down to Barnsley a week later. I just numbly stared into my half time pint thinking "We're going to do a Leeds here."
79/80 it was obvious before a ball was kicked that we would be relegated and it really was never in doubt. An away record of 0 wins 4 draws 17 defeats. The lowest point was losing 1-0 at home to also relegated Fulham with Les Berry scoring an own goal.
79/80 it was obvious before a ball was kicked that we would be relegated and it really was never in doubt. An away record of 0 wins 4 draws 17 defeats. The lowest point was losing 1-0 at home to also relegated Fulham with Les Berry scoring an own goal.
In front of a crowd of 5,014. The away game at Fulham was a couple of weeks later....crowd of 3,566. Cracking London derbies....
79/80 it was obvious before a ball was kicked that we would be relegated and it really was never in doubt. An away record of 0 wins 4 draws 17 defeats. The lowest point was losing 1-0 at home to also relegated Fulham with Les Berry scoring an own goal.
In front of a crowd of 5,014. The away game at Fulham was a couple of weeks later....crowd of 3,566. Cracking London derbies....
I think that Fulham A was the first time I'd been there. I got off at Parsons Green by mistake & had to leg it back.
There were very few Charlton there. Very few.
Anyone that thinks this season is the worse, has lived a privileged life :-)
08/09 was a lot worse - this time there is a core of players who have some desire and our luck with poor decisions and referees and near misses has to come to an end, which is why I still remain optimistic.
08/09 was worse although a scenario in which we get relegated, Millwall stay up, Liverpool win the league (I know they deserve it but I don't like 'em from back when they won everything), Palace stay up and Fulham weasel out of relegation again, will put this one right up there.
79/80 it was obvious before a ball was kicked that we would be relegated and it really was never in doubt. An away record of 0 wins 4 draws 17 defeats. The lowest point was losing 1-0 at home to also relegated Fulham with Les Berry scoring an own goal.
The stand out memory of that season for me was the FA Cup game at Wrexham. We took around 400, not too shoddy at the time. One down at half time playing okay, I remember saying to my mate Martin that we could get a draw and take it to a replay. Final score: 0-6. Went back a couple of weeks later in the league. Two nil up, lost 2-3.
Oh, and going to Luton on a Friday night just before Christmas. Fell over three times due to a lethal alcohol/snow mixture, bruised everywhere. 0-3 if I recall correctly.
I think this is my worst season of 35 years. The shocking strikers and lack of goal action is an obvious factor but, for me, knowing that the club is in turmoil with key players leaving (e.g. Poyet) because they don't want to be part of us and the prospect of no improvement to the poor current squad next year. All a bit depressing really. A big part of me thinks that a poorer squad next year gives us very little to look forward to in 14/15. Anyone else excited about Roland's strategy of growing youth and not spending money of quality signings?
Comments
Next worst for me was 1989-90 when we were relegated from the top division. We'd had to sell Colin Pates to Arsenal and a lot of things seemed to go wrong for us (although we did have good spells and some notable victories...Man City, Coventry & QPR away & Man Utd at home being highlights). Being knocked out of the FA Cup in the puddle game at WBA after missing a penalty summed the season up in a nutshell. We were so light up front (especially when Paul Williams was injured for part of the season) and I remember thinking/hoping that Kenny Achampong would be the answer!
Closely followed by the JFH/Dowie/Reed season. It started with so much hope for a new dawn but quickly spiralled into a mess. On top of that we had a western in the cup against Wycombe. Looking back, we probably did well getting as many points as we did!
This one feels bad at the moment and if we go down it will take 2nd place behind 08/09. If we stay up it won't register in the league table....because something good will need to have happened in the last five games which will make it all feel ok!!!
Win to take us out the zone one week, lose to drop us back in it the next.
Spoil a steel city FA cup derby by beating the 'Massive', torn to shreds by League 1 United in the quarters.
New millionaire owner saves club from bankruptcy early January, sells fans favorite and top scorer (and most creative midfielder) during the last 2 days of the window.
Loan players brought in, loanees only capable enough for U21's.
Chris Powell offered new contract, sacked 2 weeks later.
Beat Yeovil to effectively ruin their hopes of survival, bring Barnsley right back into the dogfight.
Just let it end so we know our fate for next year (and so I wont have to keep spunking my money up the wall for another few months at least).
Fighting relegation on the main, mostly turgid uninspiring home performances with a couple of wins chucked in at the end.
Our little run at the end in a very tight league gave us a finishing place that doesn't reflect how dire the rest of it was.
We could (we won't) go on a similar run now and this season would mirror the last in my view.
Agreed though, at there were at least there was a couple more highlights.
This season is obviously one of the worst, but there have at least been occasional rays of light and we're not done yet...
The season with Pardew and Parkinson and the winless 17 game run was bad but it did not feel as bad as this season.
Relegation from Prem was worse, with JFH, Faye, Traore, M Bent etc.
79/80 was abysmal - Tony Hazell, Tony Burman - Jeez.
This season has been great by comparison.
There were very few Charlton there. Very few.
Anyone that thinks this season is the worse, has lived a privileged life :-)
Oh, and going to Luton on a Friday night just before Christmas. Fell over three times due to a lethal alcohol/snow mixture, bruised everywhere. 0-3 if I recall correctly.