A Close Shave?

Blackburn Rovers 4 Charlton 1




So Charlton host Tottenham at The Valley this evening, as the bookies are offering 25-1 on them going down.

Until the weekend, the situation did not look good after the usual 4 goal thumping up in Blackburn, but there was a little hope. Fulham would lose to Liverpool, and Wigan and West Ham might share the points. But of course in the end this did not happen, and as I say, the bookies usually know what they are doing.

So is there any hope? Probably not, but meanwhile let me take you back to the cold winter of 1963. The weather had been so bad, that instead of the football season ending, and all the ups and downs sorted by the end of April, things went on with rearranged matches until late May, and this meant that for quite some time, Charlton were facing an away fixture at Walsall, which they would have to win for them to stay up, Walsall going down if they did.

They had to wait until 24 May, and then Charlton went up to the Black Country and won 2-1, and the table finalised as you can see above.

But tonight, as once again I will find myself asking questions at the quiz downstairs at the pub, then once again Charlton will be up against it, and this time I fear there is no escape.

But just have a quick look at who figured in the second tier table in 1963; no one, except two or three honourable exceptions, "belongs" anywhere, and as Wyn Grant pointed out, most of us have been used to Charlton being in the second lot in our lives. And here we come again, and sometimes it is more fun; haven't Sunderland fans had a better time this year than last? Well?

And there's always someone worse off than yourself, as I haven't yet dared say to my Leeds United-supporting friends.