A bit about you:
Views from two of the team leading the Charlton Supporters Trust
Name: Craig Sloman
Current home town: South East London Birthplace: South East London
How long have you supported your team? 25 years
Overview of your club:
Favourite thing about your home ground: Probably the history; the Valley’s existence is a reminder of what can be achieved by football fans when they are united behind a cause that has the best interests of their club at heart. Owners, managers and players will come and go but the supporters will remain the only constant and the Valley is this country’s monument to that.
Favourite match played by your team & why: It would have to be that 1998 Playoff Final (known as “the Greatest Game” by supporters of the club) – a hat trick, extra time, a penalty shootout and a victory for the underdogs assembled on a shoestring budget. It had everything and is ranked as one of the greatest games to ever have taken place at the old Wembley
Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Probably Clive Mendonca, although Robert Lee runs him close. Without Mendonca’s incredible finishing in that playoff final it’s possible that the expansion the club saw over the subsequent Premier League years wouldn’t have happened. Strikers who know where the back of the net is are the most precious thing in football and Mendonca certainly had that ability.
About our forthcoming match against you:
Your favourite current player in your squad and why? I know it wont be popular with the Leicester fans but I’d have to say Yann Kermorgant. His work rate is absolutely incredible and he has a little bit of class about him, both qualities which are required if we’re going to consolidate in the division this year. Incredible in the air also. One of our famous fans commented that if Napoleon had an army of Kermorgants he’d have won at Waterloo !
Player in your squad we should most fear and why? Chris Solly. He might look small and at the start of the game you might be thinking he’s one of our mascots that’s managed to stay on the pitch, but his ability to get past players is incredibly exciting up and down the wing and he is great tracking back too, he’s the allround package for a modern day full back and I full expect great things for him, a fantastic player.
Player in our squad you most fear and why? Tough as Leicester are a good side with an excellent squad – the sort of teams we were looking forward to playing again during the long hard slog of three years in the third tier. Nugent is probably the stand out player in the squad but I’ve also been impressed by Knockaert and think he will be a big threat, particularly if we get caught too far up the pitch.
Up and coming prospect in your squad? We have some good young players coming through and the club is well represented at England youth levels. The one who may get a chance to show the Foxes fans what he can do is Callum Harriott. Still some way off being a first team starter he has had a couple of substitute appearances in which he has looked good, with plenty of tricks and skill – one for the future.
Where do you think you’ll finish this season? If you’d asked a couple of weeks ago I would have said mid-table, which I would have been happy with. Since then we’ve had three or four bad results, including losing to our bitter rivals Crystal Palace, but the team has actually played ok in those games and they’ve all been lost by the odd goal (most of which after leading the game). That being said I think most reasonable fans would still see avoiding relegation as a decent start to our return to the second tier and I think we’ll manage it, just !
How do you think you’ll do against us? It will be very difficult, as I said Leicester have the sort of players (and wage bill I’d imagine) that we haven’t been able to attract for the last couple of seasons. That being said, the onus is very much on Leicester to come and attack us, and this season – particularly away from home where we’ve recorded our best results – that has suited us. I’ll go for a draw, 1-1, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we knick it and take three points back to SE7 with us.
Any other comments? Good luck for the rest of the season Leicester.
A bit about you:
Name: Barnie
Current home town: Welling, Kent Birthplace: Greenwich SE10
How long have you supported your team? 27 years ish
Overview of your club:
Favourite thing about your home ground: Even after its rebirth it is an iconic Football ground, still with bags of character, a natural amphitheatre with the East stand being part of the hill.
Favourite match played by your team & why: Play off final, best ever match at wembley ever of course, seeing your team win on penalties and come back numerous times and end at 4-4, as well as seeing the best striker to don our colours put in a hattrick at Wembley, etc
Favourite player of all time who played for your club: Sir Clive Mendonca
About our forthcoming match against you:
Your favourite current player in your squad and why? Kermogant for two reasons, one he’s mustard, the other… (big smiley face)
Player in your squad we should most fear and why? Probably Fuller, he can on occasion pull a goal out of nowhere
Player in our squad you most fear and why? Ouch sorry, have not paid much attention to squads this year, too busy with Trust stuff.. and I missed the reverse fixture while on Holiday, sorry.. but I believe you have invested quite a bit, and we’ve been down in League 1 for a while. Have heard of Vardy..
Up and coming prospect in your squad? Harriot, seemed very fast and tricky when he came on recently towards the end of a game.
Where do you think you’ll finish this season? Its such an even league, with a bit of luck outside relegation, but doubt we’ll make the playoffs without any new recruits/loans to add some new enthusiasm and energy. Powell is a top fella, still learning his trade, and hasn’t been able to spend much though.
How do you think you’ll do against us? I’m a realist and would say on current form I’d love a draw, but fear the worst.Then again our away form is far better than our home form and we are due another win soon..
Any other comments? I remember many years ago Curbs used to model us on you, then for a while we became the model club, and how here we are, not really sure who we model ourselves on but Swansea would be nice.
Barnie and Craig are both Interim Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Charlton Supporters Trust, read the latest about their Trust here http://www.castrust.org