ADDICKTED: A Charlton Athletic Story

The days get longer, the nights get shorter, long shadows dance on the floor and the distinct smell of freshly cut grass fills the air. A gentle breeze tugs at the mans trousers, but there is no hint of rain, as the sun sets over London. From around the corner the man can smell the merest hint of freshly baked bread and hears gentle footsteps moving towards him. The shadow of The Valley towers over him. The man turns the corner to see the bakery his nose had already provided proof of and he sees a silhouette striding, calmly, slowly, yet purposefully towards him. The man is nervous, his hands clammy, “Thank you once again for this opportunity". The man says, trying to make his hoarse, rough voice sound like something nearing polite, the man extends his hand in an offer to his new companion.

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"Welcome aboard, I trust you are this Mr Stedman the Chairman has been telling me so much about? I'm Alex Dyer, I am to be your Assistant." Dyer grasps his hand, firmly.
Stedman relaxes on hearing that the man he had almost feared, is to be his assistant, his right hand. Although they had never met before Mr Stedman felt more at ease in knowing that, he trusted Dyer already. The pair walk together into the stadium as Dyer gives Stedman a tour of his new workplace, quite a step up from Whitstable Town that's for sure!

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Soon after the pair part ways, Stedman returns to his cold, unwelcoming hotel room and draws up in his head the plans for training tomorrow, whilst nursing a Scotch. He stays up till the small hours, drawing out cones, poles and hurdles, tomorrow would be a big day.

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He wakes around 7am, the papers sticking to his cheek as he lifts it from the desk. Soon he realises the time and begins rushing around the room. Mr Stedman showers and changes from his tired, creased suit into his pristine Charlton Athletic Training kit. He leaves the hotel with a few days stubble clinging to his face and forming a dark shadow beneath his jaws.

Good luck

Good Luck! Just a tip, try to paragraph your work. It makes it more comfortable to read

Good luck with this. I don't believe I've seen a Charlton story so I'm looking forward to reading it.

I repeat what P-Kiddy says, try and use paragraphs, it's a lot easier to read

Days came and nights went, Stedman settled in quicker than he had first thought. He soon found his squad to be amiable and relaxed, yet driven and focused, just as he had hoped.

The squad are already taking to his tactics and moulding to his style of play. Mr Stedman likes to have a creative team, with a big front man to offer a presence up front and a definite spearhead to attacks. One man in particular steps forward to fill this role…



Strong, determined and good in the air, Yann Kermorgrant has shown himself to be the target man Mr Stedman needs, meaning he doesn’t have to look far from home to find his leading man.

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BREAKING NEWS: Charlton Athletic secure the signatures of 2 experienced midfielders.

Having already expressed a desire to add experience to his Charlton squad manager Kieran Stedman has set about this task quickly, signing Luis Boa Morte and Paulo Nagamura.

Boa Morte will be a familiar name to English football fans after spells at West Ham, Fulham, Southampton and Arsenal. However, despite being an ex-Gunner himself, Nagamura is somewhat unheard of to even the most quizzical of football fans. He is a ball playing, Brazilian sitting midfielder with a wealth of experience and a mean freekick. Fans of the Addicks will be licking their lips at the prospect of seeing these 2 in red this season.

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And so the hard graft of a sweltering summers pre season continues, and the story of the new boy Addicks boss goes on…

Big Kermo!!! Sweet update, formation looks rather intense

Pre-season flew by like the warm summer winds that accompany it, soon the dry browns that are the first sign of autumn appeared, the faint rustling of fallen leaves was sounding on the horizon. The football season, was now imminent...


As far as matches go, the pre season goes past with only one real blip, the squad are in good mood, playing Mr Stedman's own brand of football and the fans are in good voice too.


Mr Stedman finishes off his pre season with the acquisition of yet more experience in the midfield, Julio Arca, fantastically experienced at this level and higher, Stedman knows that he will need calm, wise heads like his during the coming seasons.

The final transfer history of Stedman's first summer in the spotlight of professional football looks like this...

On a shoe-string budget Stedman has to be careful to balance the books, spending small fees and selling before he does so, he approaches the season off the back of a £400k profit, with a much strengthened squad. Keeping both the fans and the Chairman happy.

And so, with the nights beginning to draw in once more as summer comes to an abrupt end, roll on the season...

With the season underway Stedman's boys make a good start to the season, making The Valley their fortress, a formidable place to come for any team.



With the team performing up to scratch in the league Stedman will now be turning his attention to the Capital One Cup, in which they now face Premier League opposition in the shape of Norwich City.

As Stedman had hoped, Yann Kermogrant has taken to his role in the team like a duck to water, with 4 goals in 4 both Kermo himself and his gaffer will be cautiously optimistic that he can continue this rich vein of form.



However, Big Yann would not be able to fire home alone, his ammunition must come from somehwere, step forward new signing and newly made captain, Liverpool and Leeds veteran, Harry Kewell and fellow winger and veteran, Luis Boa Morte.



The team and the gaffer now look forward to welcoming The Canaries to The Valley, the first big game of the season. The first, real test.

After 2 hours of football fail to separate the teams, the tie is to be decided on the lottery of a shootout, The Addicks to go first...




Motson: So, all that stands between The Addicks and a famous victory is 5 spot kicks.
Mowbray: First up to face the long walk, the most dreaded walk in football, is Harry Kewell, leading from the front.
Motson: Yes, and it's good to see that, a new captain but he already seems to have the squad on side and he steps up first like a true leader. To show his troops how it's done.
Mowbray: Kewell begins his run up confidently...fires towards the top right corner, but its saved! Can you believe it?
Motson: Well it's an early miss for Charlton but that's got to be a blow, to see their leader fail?
Mowbray: I agree but no blame attached to Kewell a good penalty but a truly top draw save...So, who's up first for Norwich?
Motson: Number 4...that's...Bradley Johnson, a good record as far as penalties go, he looks confident.
Mowbray: Yes, that's a purposeful walk if ever I've seen one, and it's in, cool as you like.



Mowbray: So, we've reached the make or break point now for Stedman's boys, they trail 3-2 and Danny Haynes must score to keep them in this.
Motson: A truly unenviable task for the lad, but he looks to have a good head on his shoulders.
Mowbray: That he does, you can see the sweat gathering on his chin, wobbling, wobbling, dropping, Haynes begins his run up...
Motson: It's in, never looked in doubt.
Mowbray: A life line for The Addicks, now they're dependent on their keeper.
Motson: It's Hamer versus Bennett, a place in the 3rd round at stake.
Mowbray: Bennett fires low into the corner, but Ben Hamer has guessed the right way...
Motson: The ball finds the net. D'you know I thought he'd saved that for a minute.
Mowbray: So, it's Norwich who advance after a nail biting shootout.
Motson: Indeed, a valiant effort from Charlton but the Championship side just didn't have enough at the end of the day...



So, Stedman and The Addicks fall back to reality with a bump, they must get back on the wagon, to achieve success in the league...

Good start keep going!!!

At the age of 32, most would say that Steve Gohouri is in the twilight of his career, one foot in retirement, but the lad himself certainly does not see it that way. Ever present early in both his and Stedman's tenure, Gohouri has already shown himself to be reliable and effective, becoming the heart of the Charlton defence and picking up the September Player of the Month Award. Stedman now sees the man he signed as a squad player as one of the first names on the team sheet, and with his legs showing no sign of his age, Stedman hopes to see him this way for a few years yet.



However, all does not continue swimmingly, the football managers worst nightmare rears its head: injury. A curse players, managers and fans alike fear, the most unwelcome of guests. Sadly, during a 1-0 loss to Leeds Utd on the 9th of August, 2 of Stedman's key men sustained, serious, injuries.




Kermogrant, having been in the form of his life is a real loss, Mr Stedman can only hope that he can get straight back into the groove when he returns, he'll be needed. However many journalists have touted that Julio Arca, aged 31, may never be the same player again, time is a great healer, and only time will tell.

Nice start! Try increasing the size of your pictures and the quality of them too

Love the formation mate. Exacty what I use. I'm
happy to see a different formation to what everyone else uses :)will be following

Very nice update

At the 15 game mark in the season The Addicks notch up an impressive tally of 7 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses, giving them 25 points and placing them 5th in the table. Higher than anyone could have imagined.



In Kermogrant's absence Danny Haynes steps forward to fill his boots, notching 3 goals in 6 and surely placing himself into real contention for Kermogrant's place in the team. However on his return to fitness and return to action Kermogrant slams home a 25 yard free kick and with it slams away any doubt in Stedman's mind that he is the man for the job, impressively scoring a 2nd later on in the game.



Steve Gohouri's startling form continues as he claims yet another Player of the Month Award, this time for November. Having signed the journeyman centre half on a free transfer Stedman already looks to have signed one of the coups of the season and his eye for a bargain will surely be needed as Charlton face financial troubles ahead.




With the club in financial turmoil Stedman finds himself at a crossroads. He knows that no blame could be attached to him, he has always remained within the budgets he has been set and even made a profit from the summer's transfers, so does he continue to strive for success and risk financial safety? Or does he reign in the wage bill and sell off prized assets?

Success is what a football manager lives on.