My all time favourite Charlton player from an era I enjoyed even more than the premiership years - an old fashioned winger who used his brain and skill to get past defenders rather than just punt it and rely on pace like most wingers. Great delivery with both feet - could have scored loads more but unselfishly set them up time and time again for Killer and Flash, Also should be noted that was still playing non-league football at the age of 24.
A bit late to this thread, as been away on holiday. Can only add my huge thanks and admiration for all that Paddy has contributed to CAFC over many, many years, and wish him all the very best in future. He was in the team that I first started watching at The Valley, and when he became groundsman on our return, it just helped confirm that we had our Charlton back. I very much hope that he will join the matchday ranks - might even encourage me to book a hospitality package next season!
I thought it would be fitting to put Steve Dixon's tribute to Paddy (as published in VOTV last August) online for those who haven't seen it.
Thanks Rick. Reading that and Steve's comment about never forgiving Mullery, I actually still hold a similar animosity towards Andy Nelson for bringing in Brisley from Millwall and favouring him over Paddy.
Colin Powell, my all time favourite player. I started going to The Valley early 70s and was privileged to watch Paddy throughout his Charlton career. I used to stand on the railings at the foot of the east terrace with my dad. One Sunday we went to Sparrows Den near West Wickham for a kick about and to watch some Sunday football. Paddy was there too watching a game. He saw us first and wandered over for a chat, something that totally overawed me as a ten year old; he had actually recognised US from playing down the wing in front of us - fantastic stuff! A few weeks later we saw him outside the cottage at Fulham and he gave us his comps, i'm sure I've still got the stubs somewhere.
So have a great retirement, thanks for being the player you were, for the great Valley pitches and for giving a young lad his first hero.
Tongue out and dribbling! Cover of Millwall program Friday 8th April 1977.
One of the few occasions we actually beat them (3-2).
Team sheets read:- Charlton: Wood, Penfold, Warman, Tydeman, Giles, Berry, Powell, Hunt, Flanagan, Peacock and McAuley Millwall: Goddard, Donaldson, Moore, Brisley. Kitchener, Hazell, Lee, Cross, Summerill, Walker and Jefferies.
Can't remember the scorers ... or much else really - been a hard life.
Scorers were Flanagan, Peacock (pen), and McAuley. Attendance: 16,636. The next home game, on 11 April, was 4-0 against Chelsea with a Flanagan hat-trick.
Its already been referred to but on the Big Match against the Nigels? when the manager took the blame on air for Paddy's goal. He'd told his players Paddy didn't have a left foot and with Paddy screaming down the right wing in full flight the defender just steered him inside onto his left peg and Paddy let go a ripper into the net.
He played in my first game and, I think, inevitably crossed for Hales to score. In my all-time favourite XI. I know someone who played vets football with him a few years ago and he said you had to stop him crossing with his right or he would murder you.
Comments
Thanks for all the memories Paddy.
So have a great retirement, thanks for being the player you were, for the great Valley pitches and for giving a young lad his first hero.
One of the few occasions we actually beat them (3-2).
Team sheets read:-
Charlton: Wood, Penfold, Warman, Tydeman, Giles, Berry, Powell, Hunt, Flanagan, Peacock and McAuley
Millwall: Goddard, Donaldson, Moore, Brisley. Kitchener, Hazell, Lee, Cross, Summerill, Walker and Jefferies.
Can't remember the scorers ... or much else really - been a hard life.