As this is my first activity on any CAFC blogging website I think it is best that I introduce myself before I rant on. My name is Stefano Valentino, 25, from Bexleyheath. Unfortunately, due to my young age I am not able to boast as many years of loyal support as most of the people reading this blog, for I was only a small baby when we returned home. But I have experienced first hand all the significant highs and lows of the last 20 years, and I was also at Wembley on that day. By writing this piece, I don’t intend to achieve anything other than providing food for thought and a passionate opinion on the current affairs.
Although the hot topic has been, and for the foreseeable future will be, the regime and how much it is ruining the lives of all Charlton fans, I will not be talking about this. Instead I will use this time to call in to question the actions of us, the supporters. For the record, I am a HUGE advocate of the protests, flash protests and making our feelings know about the hierarchy during the game – and long may they continue. Note: my favourite thing so far has been lobbing lots of small leaflets over the Director’s Box, right next to where I sit so whoever that is – please continue. However, there was one incident on Saturday (vs Bristol City) that really got to me and combined with us being overtaken by the penniless, playerless no hopers in Bolton Wanderers, has made me break my silence. I thought that the sarcastic cheer for Morgan Fox when he was substituted was an absolute disgrace. We all know that he’s not the best left back that we’ve ever had at the Valley, but he’s certainly not the worst. Unfortunately for him, he’s in a similar situation to all the daft ‘network’ players at the moment whereby he doesn’t have the required experience to deal with the relegation dogfight. Let us remember that he is not one of the hierarchy’s signings that have only heard of Charlton when they’re in their rented accommodation in Hungary or Spain when they receive the dreaded phone call from Katrien asking them if they fancy a pop at the Championship for a few months. He is a product of our incredible youth academy that churns out some superb players year on year and one that we are all proud of, and we should try him like one of our own.
My point is, the club in it’s entirety is at rock-bottom. So to get on the backs of our young British talents who are on long-term contracts and arguably the future of our club (if Roland DOUCHEatelet doesn’t sell them for a quick buck) is only going to deepen the woes of our football club. God forbid we go down (yes, I still believe we will stay up), then it will be the likes of the average to good academy products that will be left to pick up the pieces, as the hot prospects will have been sold on the cheap and the network players and journeymen swiftly moved on.
Saturday evening to the following Saturday morning is the time where we can reflect on the continual atrocities happening to our beloved club and bemoan the destruction likely to be left behind by the Belgians when we finally oust them out, but we only have a 2-hour period on a Saturday afternoon to really express how much we love our club and all the players that play their hearts out for the shirt. Now would be the worst time to get on the backs of the players and if we really push the boys on to get the results we need to stay up then that would truly show the owners the power that we the fans have.
I hope this amateurish but passionate piece evokes thought in my fellow Charlton fans and resonates with some of you. I’m not trying to be a revolutionary but I hope little by little we can start believing in the boys again.
Yours in collusion, Stefano Valentino
Thanks for reading.
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Comments
Yes, Morgan is floundering but there is no need for his own fans to humiliate him.
He's having a rough time at the moment but Fox showed us what he could do at the end of last season with a decent left midfielder in front of him. He is committed but desperately needs help with his attacking play, both on the field from the players around him and off the field from the coaching staff.
Let's face it we're heading for League 1 and Morgan may be important to us next year.
I still believe we will get out of it but you're right we might need these players that are "not good enough"
I'd love it if the fans took to supporting him, in particular, because I really do think he needs it and, as has already been mentioned, we might need him in the future....
In one of the nationals, we had fallen off the bottom of the page, hopefully we can be found and adopted by a caring and loving owner.
Thou it's not my style to slag off the players out loud, I guess a lots of guys are puzzled why THD isn't getting a run out at home when his attacking qualities are superior.
The sarcastic cheering of players made a return with Simon Church,
Big Mak, and now Fox.
I think our fans/supporters/watchers are punch drunk and after about 40 home defeats in under 4 seasons; can you really blame them ?
This isn't all under this regime, but since we got back in the championship our home form has been erratic at best.
To replicate the noise of the 5-4 win against Cardiff would be great or even the second half last season at home to Cardiff, when we fought back to draw 1-1 and should of won if Igor had his shooting boots on.
That must of been undisclosed,
because i don't seem to be the only person who thought that.
is famous for the slating for Francis in the 45 minutes he lasted,
but don't know if it's been mentioned but I'm am sure that BWP got an ear full at the end of the match as well by a few guys who were slagging him off for being lazy.
It really doesn't help, but the folk who do that want them to depart the club.
not to improve, i feel for their families who have to hear that.
I said that to one of the dad's at the 21 game against Millwall, how do they keep cool if their son is being slagged off ? you just have to, was the Answer. I would've had to wear ear phones if my lad had made it.