XI:

Dean Kiely, John Humphrey, Chris Powell, Peter Shirtliff, Richard Rufus, Colin Walsh, Mark Kinsella, Claus Jensen, Robert Lee, Derek Hales, Clive Mendonca

Subs: Darren Bent, Scott Parker, Mark Reid

Hard to leave out the likes of Bob Bolder, Paul Walsh, Colin Powell, Nicky Johns, Yann Kermorgant, Paulo Di Canio etc

Manager:

A choice from two here, but after 15 years in charge and 7 of those seasons in the Premier League it has to be Alan Curbishley. Relegated the following season after he went which showed the man’s legacy of how good he was with Charlton

Lennie Lawrence just behind him and what a job the man did with us playing away from our home, getting us promoted to the First Division for the first time since 1957 and then spending 4 years in the top flight against all odds. Found some wonderful players in his just under 9 years with Charlton.

Moment:

5th December 1992. Back at the Valley after 7 long years away from home. Colin Walsh’s winner v Portsmouth still brings goosebumps to myself every time I watch that goal back plus Brian Moore’s iconic commentary.

Game:

The 1998 Play Off Final v Sunderland is now 25 years old but there won’t be many better games at Wembley than that one. From Mendonca’s Hat Trick to Ilic’s save in the shootout, 8 goals, 13 consecutive scored penalties and Richard Rufus first goal of his career. Premier League football will be at the Valley.

The scenes arriving back on the train to Charlton Station and then drinks in the Royal Oak. What a day.

Nickname:

Derek ‘Killer’ Hales – Deadly in front of goal and the clubs highest ever goalscorer with 168 goals plus a man who loved to go out Shooting with his shotgun in his spare time hunting for pheasants.

Hard Man:

Eddie Youds – A man not to worry about reputations of international strikes from throwing Michael Owen into the dugouts at Anfield to giving Dennis Bergkamp a rough time which had Arsene Wenger moaning about it (He saw that then! Selective vision) and on his debut v Nottingham Forest’s Pierre Van Hooijdonk where he welcomed himself to the Valley faithful. Top man who likes a pint.

Song/Chant:

No it’s not Addicks to Victory you will be glad to read. A choice of two which I can’t split between. The Red Red Robin being played as the teams walk out or Valley Floyd Road sang to the song of Wings, Mull of Kintyre by the Covered End Choir and the rest of the ground

Special mention to the Andy Hunt song about him playing up front and having a name like a fanny! Bernie Taupin never wrote anything like that as good for Elton John.

Cult Hero:

Charlie Wright who played in goal in the sixties. Proper entertainer who would swing from the crossbar and have a chat with the home crowd whilst the ball was up the other end. Prone to the odd howler with a shot between his legs.

If coins got thrown at him by opposition fans he would pick them up, put them in his flat cap and give them to the kids at the front behind the terraces

Ran a cafe for a while in Greenwich.

Season:

1999/2000 – After being relegated from the Premier League Charlton still had a strong squad minus Danny Mills but a big plus in the signing of goalkeeper Dean Kiely from Bury.

Charlton went on to win the First Division title with 91 points despite not winning their final last 7 games of the season.

12 consecutive league wins from Boxing Day to the beginning of March pulled them 12 to 13 points at the top of table away from Ipswich and Manchester City to give them that buffer.

Andy Hunt was the man main up front that season with 25 goals in all competitions after Clive Mendonca’s last game away at QPR in December

Owner:

Roger Alwen – A club director from 1987/1988 who become Chairman of the Football club the following season and saw us back home to the Valley as Chairman along with the other directors in 1992.