A Valley Hero Departs

Its been a long, long time since Charlton Athletic has owned a player as skilful, passionate and well-loved as Yann Kermorgant. His footballing ability has made him a Valley legend over the course of the past two seasons, but we've seen his final appearance in the red shirt. Inexplicably, he's been sold.

The Charlton career

On a Tuesday night in September back in 2011, Charlton lost a Carling Cup match at home to Preston. Fans were greeted with the announcement on the official website after the game that a player called Yann Kermorgant had been signed on a free transfer. Despite the traditional apathy with which news of this nature is greeted with, it signalled the start of a very special relationship.

Yann made his debut for Charlton coming off the bench against Chesterfield, with the home side 2-1 up in the second half. Its a debut that many might not recall, instead remembering his first goal for the club to equalise late in the game three days later against the MK Dons, but his first intervention was hugely encouraging. The ball was played to him in the air, with his back to goal, where Yann chested the ball, controlled it, and spread it out wide to the right, where a cross was put in to the back post for Bradley Wright-Phillips to score. It was a piece of play that demonstrated Kermorgant's class for the first time, and almost certainly not for the last.

The aforementioned goal to salvage a point in Milton Keynes was a powerful header, and similarly, just a few days later, another header helped the Addicks win away at Sheffield United. After a tricky couple of matches, the team started trouncing their opponents regularly, with Kermorgant notching two goals in a demolition of Carlisle. A header against Huddersfield ended their 43-game unbeaten run, and confirmed to Charlton fans that promotion had become more than just a distant hope.

As the season progressed, Yann kept popping up with vital goals. But he was far more than just a goalscorer. His aerial ability was important in defence, and his strength and skill meant he was instrumental in creating as many goals as he scored.

At Yeovil, and later at home against Rochdale and Wycombe, he demonstrated his phenomenal set-piece skills, scoring three free-kicks. So not only was he a warrior, but a technician capable of fantastic individual brilliance.

His winning goal in the Oldham away game, helping defend with 9 men thanks to Trevor Kettle's card-happy performance, was one of his most heroic, securing a vital three points against the odds. He has a knack of putting in brave performances when the going gets tough.

At the Carlisle game, the joy on his face at promotion was clear for all to see. The whole squad was together as one, and seeing him become an integral part of that squad was wonderful. In the game that sealed the title, he scored an exquisite free-kick, and then he rounded off a perfect first season with an outrageous volleyed goal from the by-line against Hartlepool. Despite strong suggestions that it was a fluke, we weren't having any of it. The technical ability of the man was far greater than any player to have pulled on the red shirt for a number of years.

The happiness of those celebrations after lifting the trophy will stick with us for a long time. It was clear that Kermorgant owed his resurgence to the faith of Chris Powell, who himself had a huge willingness to see Yann succeed. It seemed like the perfect, unbreakable relationship between a player and a manager, and it flourished the following season during the side's first year back in the Championship.

With largely the same squad, and the addition of a couple of new faces including Ricardo Fuller, Charlton came through a tough campaign to finish an incredible 9th position, a testament to the team spirit Chris Powell had created. Kermorgant's initial role was limited due to injury, but that came after one memorable night in SE7 during the game against Leicester.

Kermorgant had been vilified, and cast into the wilderness by Leicester following a chipped penalty that went wrong in a playoff semi-final shoot-out. He unfairly became the scapegoat due to the limited role he'd been given with the side. Two years after that fateful day, following a spell abroad and a glorious renaissance with Charlton, Kermorgant buried the ghosts of the past. Pouncing on a ball into the box, he fired home a powerful shot, and turned to run towards the Leicester fans with his finger on his lips. Most were going to crazy in the crowd to notice, but it was the perfect way to silence all of those doubters.

Kermorgant ended his Charlton career (it still sounds painful saying that) with a perfect record against Leicester. Three 2-1 victories, with Yann scoring in each one. Magnifique. He chipped for a laugh.

He returned to action after injury in late November, sliding in at the back post to poke home and ensure victory over Peterborough. The team suffered a poor run of form, until Yann teamed up with Ricardo Fuller once more to tear Watford to shreds at Vicarage Road. New Year's Day of 2013 was one of the finest I've had as a Charlton fan, and it was largely down to two outstanding performances from Kermorgant and Fuller, who were dominant in the air and technically brilliant on the floor. Yann scored twice, the second of which levelled the game at 3-3 just seconds after Watford had retaken the lead. Johnnie Jackson headed home the winning goal to make it 4-3, and send the travelling Addicks wild. As with so many other games, Yann had proven instrumental in victory, and his celebrations along with the rest of the side showed once again how brilliant Powell's team spirit had become.

Kermorgant continued to endear himself even further with the Charlton faithful, heading home to win the away game at Blackburn a couple of weeks later. He celebrated with such a joyous rage that it was clear for all to see how much it meant to him.

The Birmigham home game was the greatest demonstration of why we all love Yann. With the game locked at 0-0, but with the home side knocking on the door, a ball to the back post was emphatically headed home by Kermorgant, sending the crowd into raptures. The joy of his celebration was contrasted by his despair at the full-time whistle, as the defence had leaked a goal and thus dropped two points. Kermorgant sat on the ground looking devastated. Having almost single-handedly hauled Charlton into a winning position, the win had been taken when it was agonisingly close. His passion for the side was clear. Not winning had hurt him.

Soon after, he was to enjoy another instance of revenge, scoring one and assisting the other in Charlton's second 2-1 victory against Leicester of the season, this time in front of the fans who had blamed him for their sides playoff failure. A thoroughly satisfying result. A tough run of games followed, and with the side 2-0 down at home to Bolton, a relegation battle seemed an unpleasant but real prospect, until Jackson hauled his side back into it. From a free-kick, Kermorgant hit the post, with the rebound slotted home by Dervite. Soon after, the Addicks had a penalty. To the shock of the crowd, it was Yann himself placing the ball on the spot. His first penalty since That Day. The nerves inside the ground were heightened. Up strode Yann, thumping a powerful shot into the bottom corner to put the Addicks ahead. He'd well and truly banished those demons in emphatic style.

A fantastic run of results ensued, a testament to the way Powell had kept the squad together. Yann scored the third in a six goal hammering of Barnsley at Oakwell, a result that shocked every single one of us. Arguably he hadn't scored a 'great goal' all season - he'd said so himself. That was until the final day of the campaign, when he fired a thunderous volley into the roof of the net from the edge of the area, to help round of Charlton's season in emphatic style. It would be churlish to suggest the team's success was entirely down to him, because it wasn't. Powell had built a fantastic team spirit, and the attitude of the players to keep going in adversity helped them to maintain belief and eventually achieve consistent results. You would, however, be foolish to suggest that Yann was not an integral member of the side. He may not have done it all the time, but he had an ability to score important goals, as well as put in brave, heroic performances when the team needed him. Furthermore, it was once again a pleasure to see the happiness of a man who has not always been lucky in life. We were certainly lucky to have both him and Chris Powell at our club.

This season has been more of a struggle, and once again Kermorgant suffered an autumn injury setback, but that has not meant we've not seen any of Yann's magic on the pitch. Far from it, as he's been the club's top scorer. On the opening day of the season at Bournemouth, he adjusted himself well to fire home a scissor-kick volley into the bottom corner, although it proved insufficient and couldn't prevent eventual defeat. He headed home from a corner against Leicester to complete the Triple Crown of victories against his former side, providing those at the Valley with another fantastic reason to sing the Frenchman's name. At Watford, he once again stepped up to take a penalty, showing great composure to fire the ball high into the roof of the net to put the Addicks in front. He received a knock to his leg early in the second half, and despite valiant attempts to continue playing, he was eventually withdrawn. He had to wait over a month until his return at home to Wigan, where he seemed to suffer a recurrence of the injury, further delaying his return. 

He made his return in the 2-0 win against Doncaster, but had to wait until mid-December before scoring again, this time away at Bolton early in the game. Watching from that away end, it was a majestic sight, as Wiggins skipped past two players on the left hand side before delivering a fine ball, which Yann swept home with a lovely side-footed shot. The game would be drawn, but in my view, Kermorgant had been the best player in red that day, thanks to his constant ability to win the ball in the air, control it, and spread the play. This is one aspect of his game that we'll really struggle to replace.

In what will now be regarded as his swansong in effect, Yann had one last magical day at the Valley. Brighton were the visitors on Boxing Day, and took the lead after 20 minutes. Two goals from Lawrie Wilson either side of half-time put the Addicks back in front, but it was Kermorgant stealing the hearts and minds of the crowd. Often he lays the ball for others to run on to, but this time we were greeted to the sight of Yann sprinting with the ball from half-way, only to be scythed down by a defender. Soon after, another free-kick was awarded, this time much closer to the edge of the box. Yann eyed the goal, before curling a perfect strike into the top corner, with the goalkeeper absolutely motionless. I'll never forget the hush felt in the stadium as that ball was sent on its way. Time seemed to slow before it nestled perfectly in the top corner. I've not celebrated a goal that much for a long time. It was a truly special moment.

It was not the last time Yann was to grace the Valley turf in a Charlton shirt, but he had one more goal to offer. He was once again the scorer of a scissor-kick volley, to draw Charlton level in the FA Cup against Oxford United after a nightmare first half. In the subsequent replay, he struck a magnificent free-kick into the top corner with more pace and power than he had done against Brighton. It will remain his final goal for Charlton.

The Departure

The bad team performance at Doncaster left many feeling down, but Yann was to approach the away fans following the full-time whistle in order to wave goodbye. The finality of the gesture was said to have been evident. If I'd been there, I may well have broken down in tears. That night was a horrible one, fearing the departure of an all-time favourite player. 

The situation, as I view it, was thus: following the disastrous final year of the Slater and Jimenez era, a large proportion of first-team players were coming up to the final months of their contracts. With Roland Duchatelet's takeover, there came hope that the situation would be sorted out, but only Rhoys Wiggins has signed an extension. Kermorgant had stated that he wished to know the future of Powell before deciding his own, given the manager's deal expired in the summer as well. These assurances were not given to him. Furthermore, Kermorgant was offered reduced terms, despite not being an expensive player at all by Championship standards. With bids from Bournemouth and Celtic arriving, it was decided by the hierarchy that the best financial decision would be to sell him. This would make perfect "business sense", getting around £400,000 for a 32-year-old striker coming to the end of his contract. But he was Charlton's top goalscorer, and most influential attacking player, in a season where goals had been hard to come by and the team were in the relegation zone. Offloading your best player in January, with relegation threatening, is not a wise move. How can you guarantee that the replacements will settle? Can you even afford to offload a prized striking asset? The situation facing Kermorgant was one where he was being pushed out of the door. He'd wished to stay at Charlton for the rest of his career and his family was nicely settled in the Greenwich area. And yet, he was forced to move on, thanks to the derisory terms offered by Duchatelet forcing his hand. With a limited career, footballers sometimes have to be pragmatic. As much as he wanted to stay, I cannot hold it against him for moving on to more secure terms, especially with the fate of Chris Powell still shrouded in doubt.

Accusations that he deserted us are wide of the mark. He didn't want to leave, but he was forced to. The new owners have brought in replacements unfamiliar with English football, at the expense of a man who was one of our best players, and at a time when we need his fighting spirit on the pitch more than ever. Relegation is likely to be avoided despite his departure. But that does not mean his presence would have negative connotations - far from it. His skill, fighting spirit and close relationship with Chris Powell acted as a key pillar in the tight dressing room dynamic that was built up. His performances, as well as the support he gets from the crowd, would have been hugely useful in difficult times such as these. 

Sadly, we are helpless to intervene. Despite phenomenal support for Yann on twitter, with hordes of Charlton fans begging the club not to sell him, he has moved on. A very sad day, that leaves a lot of people feeling inconsolable. 

The Man Himself

Yann Kermorgant had to beat the odds to even become a professional footballer. At the age of 14, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and told he wouldn't be able to play football in future. Despite that, he came through the disease, and rose tom prominence in France, scoring some wonderful goals in the process. The story of his career seems to have been one in which he's had to overcome obstacles. Charlton seemed like a club at which he'd finally found a home. With a fantastic friend in the form of the manager, who really trusted his abilities and gave him his chance of redemption in England, as well as a fan-base who clearly loved the man to pieces. Many will react differently to the transfer news, but its been a long, long time since there's been such an outpouring of emotion about the loss of a single player.

What made us love him? The flair. The passion. The quality. The desire. He had the lot. A true fighter, rarely ending games with a clean shirt. One of his early games saw him fight on through a head wound and a nosebleed, looking more like an Arab sheikh than a footballer by full-time. That sort of heroism doesn't go unnoticed at clubs like Charlton, where we seem to take to players who have a lot of heart and show passion for the team. Kermorgant had all of those, but above all else, it was his wonderful technique that caught the eye, and resulted in the love for him.

Yann has scored some truly wonderful goals, which will be remembered for years to come. But it wasn't always just those special goals that meant so much. Seeing him roam the pitch for 90 minutes against Birmingham before heading home what we thought was the winning goal was such a satisfying moment. His industry and build-up play won't have been recorded statistically, but won't be forgotten. His aerial strength combined with that technical brilliance on the floor made him a fantastic player to watch. The downside to his strong build-up play was that it meant he wasn't on the end of the eventual cross into the box, because he'd had to create the opportunity for it to be played in the first place.

To me, he formed one of the three key pillars of the Chris Powell era, with the manager himself being one, and Johnnie Jackson the other. The trio have such a passion for the club, and seeing them happy will have filled many Charlton fans with the same feeling. From a personal perspective, and I probably speak for others here, seeing these people doing so well for our club has helped drag me through difficult times. They truly have been inspirational individuals. One of the key pillars of our club has been lost.

The loss of Yann, and the potential departure of Chris Powell and Johnnie Jackson in the summer, means that the Powell era might be coming to a close before it had a chance to fully develop. Yann was a hero to me, and watching him perform every week for the team was joyous. Without him, and potentially the other two, I won't be able to help avoiding the thought that things just aren't quite the same without him. 'Our Charlton' was developing into something special with Powell in charge, before the financial struggles made themselves felt on the pitch this season. Watching this generation of player has been special over the past two and a half years, and hopefully this does not represent the end. That said, it will be very hard to come to terms with losing a genuine Valley legend from the club. We love Yann, and he loves us. That we are now separated will take a long time to accept.

Times change, but they don't have to do so with the urgency and lack of remorse that the board have shown. Far from being past it, we've lost a truly great man who loved this club. The fact that he's said as much himself in an interview with Bournemouth upon signing shows just how heart-broken he must have felt to call time on his Charlton career.

Kermorgant: "I'm a Charlton fan as well. I had a very, very good relationship with the fans and I love them. The club have been taken over by a new owner, and he maybe wants to do something which I'm not involved in."

That interview was incredibly difficult to listen to. This transfer has felt incredibly saddening, given the way its developed and the importance of the player in question. It'll remain hard to stomach for some time.

Kermorgant is comfortably my favourite player ever. We've enjoyed two years of heroic, outstanding performances from a man who'll always be a Charlton legend. Its cruel that we've been denied the years of 'Yann magic' to come.

Super Yann is gone, but not forgotten.

Huddersfield Town 0-1 Charlton: Third Time Lucky

A completely forgettable game of football, but a great result for the Addicks, whose fighting spirit saw them weather the Huddersfield storms and progress to the Fifth Round for the first time since 2006.

Huddersfield away. Third time lucky, surely? A defeat in the Capital One Cup in August, followed by a loss in the league in September, left the Addicks with bitter memories of the John Smith Stadium. A cruel twist of fate saw Charlton drawn to play Huddersfield once again in a cup competition, much to the displeasure of both sets of fans. The FA Cup has an ability to produce exciting ties that capture the imagination. Huddersfield against Charlton is pretty much the antithesis of this.

Despite the mutual apathy about the fixture, I was quite excited. A chance to get to the 5th Round; a chance to see my heroes battle it out; a chance to travel to a distant Northern outpost to watch football. It's the FA Cup - what's not to like?

The sense of anticipation built gradually as the morning progressed, as various trains carried me North.

Arriving in Huddersfield ridiculously early meant there was time to kill - more time than could be spent looking at the fine statue of Harold Wilson. Having sampled the delights of the town centre very briefly, I made my way to the John Smith Stadium.

All sorts of famous faces arrived, with the home players trickling in dressed in sharp suits. FA Chairman Greg Dyke was equally as excited about the fixture as I, so was in attendance. Alan Wiley, ex-referee, also made his way into the club entrance, presumably there to see just how bad a referee Stuart Attwell is.

Just as a huge raincloud approached the ground, the Addicks arrived. They streamed off the team coach in club hoodies, with Chris Powell passing just yards away from me. Ajdarević was rocking a hipster hat, Jackson seemed jovial, but most importantly, Yann was there.

After the Addicks had disappeared, it rained. A lot. The wind whipped around as well, adding to the deserved stereotype that it's grim Up North.

Eventually we found shelter inside the ground. Then the team news arrived. Yann had been rested. Disaster.

An instant feeling of devastation passed through me. All that way to Huddersfield and no Yann!

The starting XI was actually encouraging enough. Ajdarević got his first start for the club in central midfield, alongside Dale Stephens and captain Johnnie Jackson. Harriott was on the left, with Church deployed wide right and Marvin Sordell alone up front. The back four of Wilson, Morrison, Dervite and Evina was not the strongest given the absence of Solly and Wiggins, but it was hoped that they'd do a job.

As the game got underway, it became quickly evident that the absence of three key players was severely impacting on the quality of Charlton's football, particularly going forward. We were suffering from not having the two full backs getting forward and delivering quality crosses. Equally, holding the ball up was proving too difficult without Kermorgant's skill and calm.

A couple of attacks were launched, but the first 15 minutes was more notable for the sense of reality that struck this delirious Addick. For all the build-up, hope and expectation, I'd forgotten that matches between these two sides tend to lack a significant amount of quality. The games are always close, but only because neither side ever seems capable of stitching together a polished 90-minute performance. The magic of the cup couldn't even inspire these two teams to cast aside their inhibitions and frailties in favour of a free-flowing, attacking style.

A quick break down the right flank saw Wilson flash a cross to the near post, but Sordell's stabbed effort went comfortably over the bar. After that early cause for optimism, Charlton struggled, and were lucky not to be behind at the break.

The Terriers threatened regularly, capitalising on Charlton's inability to hold on to possession when past the halfway line. Particularly worrying was Evina's positional play - he was often caught too far infield, unable to close down the wide player when he was fed the ball. A number of crosses flashed across goal, with Alnwick, Morrison and Dervite just about dealing with most of them. When the ball did fall to a Huddersfield player, Norwood headed over. Nervous times.

Vaughan looked to have worked an opportunity on goal, but just as he was about to shoot, Michael Morrison made a crucial intervention, clearing the danger with a well-timed standing tackle.

The defensive frailties continued when Huddersfield broke through the middle. A simple through ball cut Dervite out of the play, whilst Evina struggled to track his man. Clean through on goal, the shot from Danny Ward was superbly stopped by Alnwick, making himself big by diving to his left, and he was quickly up onto his feet to collect the loose ball before a home player could slot it home.

It was a pretty poor showing from Evina. He made a clumsy tackle and appeared to pick up a dead leg after colliding with a Huddersfield player. Inexplicably referee Attwell awarded Charlton a free-kick. It wasn't the only time his decision making favoured the Addicks...

Stephens was fortunate to stay on the pitch

Having failed to tackle one player, Dale Stephens chased the ball determined to make amends. He left his feet and launched an extremely robust challenge on Adam Hammill, following through with his second leg and appearing to clatter the Huddersfield player. He got some of the ball, but it was an ugly tackle, and the home crowd was increased. Huddersfield lobbied Attwell to produce a red following an unsavoury mini-brawl between a few of the more heated players. Fortunately for Charlton, Stephens escaped with a yellow. When he made a similar challenge five minutes later, this one less violent but still a foul, it was clear that Powell either needed to have stern words with him at half-time, or withdraw him from play altogether. Hammill was forced off injured minutes later, clearly showing that the challenge had been a nasty one. Adam Clayton managed to catch Stephens with a tackle of his own, sparking more anger from both sets of players.

Another couple of chances came for the home side, with one shot blazed over the bar and a header flying wide.

Evina was forced off after half an hour, having put in a performance only Djimi Traore would've been proud of. His replacement - making his first-team debut - was young centre-back Harry Lennon. "He's better than John" sang a pocket of vocal away fans. Lennon faced a tough task dealing with Huddersfield's wide threat, especially as he was playing in an unfamiliar position at a level never experienced before. But he acquitted himself very well indeed, performing far better than the man he'd replaced.

The issues Charlton had experienced early in the game continued through to half time. Jackson had done his bit defensively, but he's have been disappointed with the way his side were playing in attack. Harriott and Wilson crossed too deep when forward. Ajdarević skewed a shot so badly that it went out for a throw. The problem was the inability to hold on to possession. Sordell deserved his chance after a couple of cameos, but he didn't help himself by being too soft in possession - he tried to skin past the right-back but ended up running straight into him. The lack of a target for aerial balls was evident, but so was the quality in wide areas that we've become reliant upon when Solly and Wiggins play. Ajdarević looked a little lethargic in possession despite his calm head and clinical passing.

Half-time arrived, the visiting side relieved not to be behind, or indeed down to ten men. Surprisingly, Stephens emerged for the second period with the rest of the side, despite Jordan Cousins warming up at half time.

Charlton were brighter after the restart, able to put together more confident passing moves round the back and into midfield.

From Harriott on the left, the ball was played into Sordell, who passed with his back to goal to Stephens near the halfway line. He fed the ball across to Ajdarević, who moved it on to Wilson on the right flank. Instead of trying to beat his man on the outside, Wilson cut inside and found space. He slotted a straight ball in behind the defence along the right hand line of the six-yard box, where Church ran to meet it. He waited, took the ball closer to goal before slotting the ball past Smithies in the Huddersfield goal. The ball trickled towards the far post, where it nestled in the corner of the net. A goal!

Scenes of jubilation were sparked in the away end, coupled with a lovely feeling of surprise. It was the first shot on target registered by the Addicks. For once, we'd been clinical when the opportunity presented itself.

A jubilant Astrit Ajdarević celebrates with Simon Church

Huddersfield once again showed they could create chances, but they were now up against a Charlton side with something tangible to defend, and they'd redoubled their efforts. Alnwick did well to cling on to a stinging shot from the right hand side soon after the goal.

Mark Robins decided to introduce the lively Sean Scannell, making Lennon's task at left-back even more challenging. The debutant did his best but was twisted and turned, before Scannell teed up Norwood close to the penalty spot. He tried to sidefoot home coolly, but inexplicably aimed wide. He should've levelled the match due to his proximity to goal, even though Wilson had managed to get back inside the post in an attempt to block a shot.

Another glaring opportunity missed came when Stephens lost the ball in midfield, allowing Scannell to break forward again. He beat a defender to give himself a clear sighting of goal, but dragged his shot wide. Alnwick was advancing, but should at least have been forced into making a save.

Despite these occasional moments of panic, Charlton were far more confident and comfortable in defence and on the ball than they had been in the first half. Ajdarević had settled into the pace of the game and made very calm and composed passes, allowing the Addicks to keep hold of possession. Jackson was doing a fantastic job of disrupting the play, whilst making clinical passes and generally being a hero like he always is. Stephens had calmed down and contributed to this passing play. Church had done a fine industrious job once again, and continued to work well down the right hand side.

With 70 minutes gone, Sordell was replaced to cheers from the away fans - a little harsh, but hadn't helped his cause with the poor quality of his play. Green's introduction saw Church moved to the centre, where he was far more successful in winning the ball and feeding it back into midfield. Ajdarević was withdrawn too, replaced by Cousins to help sure up the defence.

A rare Charlton attack down the left saw Harriott find Church, whose mazy run into the area gave him the perfect opportunity to lay the ball off to the edge of the area, but he chose to shoot on his left foot from an angle, scuffing tamely wide.

The weather had closed in, with torrential rain and a strong swirling wind making conditions difficult. Huddersfield were growing increasingly frustrated, with long diagonal balls drifting out of play instead of finding their man. Charlton were weathering the storm.

Its Grim Up North

One final period of Huddersfield pressure resulted in Holmes poking wide with the goal at his mercy. For a corner soon after, Smithies joined his 10 outfield friends in the Charlton penalty area. Alnwick initially punched clear, but Smithies remained as the ball was twice recycled and thrown back into the mixer. Eventually, Charlton cleared. Don't panic.

Four minutes of injury time eventually elapsed after Harriott had irritated the crowd by going down with a soft injury. A clearance by Alnwick allowed Attwell to blow his whistle and end the game, to the delight, joy and relief of the away supporters. 'We've bloody won!'

Not only that, but we'd actually beaten Huddersfield in a cup competition.

A blurred picture, but who cares

There was much happiness in the away end, with the heroic Johnnie Jackson leading the players' celebrations and thanking those fans that had travelled. I bloody love that man, and I'm probably not alone...

Powell gave a very generous and heartfelt tribute of applause before traipsing down the tunnel. The travelling Addicks filtered out of the ground, happy.

The Union tap up their reports

The Bloggers Union walked back to the station, ready to share our views of the day. My comrade was so eager to do so that he ended up talking to Ian Payne on LBC. Only a tweeted response from captain fantastic Johnnie Jackson could top that - and it did. He wants his beloved Arsenal away when tomorrow's draw is made.

Then things actually sunk in. We're in the Fifth Round!

-

In truth, it was a pretty poor game of football between two sides that seem to inspire incompetence from each other. We've played far better than that this season and lost. With a bit of good fortune, and a huge amount of hard work, we'd manufactured a winning performance.

So often we talk of the fighting spirit of this group of players, and once again it shone through. Given our relative lack of quality, we often have to rely on industry, and today was another fine example of that.

One man typifies this fighting spirit more than anyone else, and that's Johnnie Jackson. The people's captain. Today his organisation was sound, and his effort unrelenting. He's not going to win awards for being a technically brilliant player, but he's the perfect man to lead this side. He embodies the fighting spirit we need and want in order to stay up.

Simon Church is another whose industry often goes unnoticed and unrewarded. Today he was asked to play out wide, and he did so without a fuss. When he did find himself with a chance to score, he took it superbly. He struggled in front of goal before losing his place in the side over the Christmas period, so it's great to see him score a tough chance. Hopefully it'll restore some confidence in his finishing ability.

Morrison, Dervite and Alnwick performed superbly as the crucible in defence. In the first half, Morrison especially was to be thanked for keeping the scores level, having made two vital interventions just as it looked like a Huddersfield player might get a shot away. Dervite too was dominant in the air, and even went on the odd foray forward. Alnwick saved well when required, ensuring that it was tough for the Terriers to break down the Charlton side.

Inevitably, attentions will turn back to the league, and more specifically how this performance relates to our attempt to avoid relegation. The signs are once again positive.

This season has been a struggle; a story of what might have been. Rarely have Charlton been outclassed, but key moments, big decisions and ultimately results have gone against us. We've forever been set to turn a corner, without ever quite managing to do so. The takeover, combined with the last two results and the possibility of quality additions to the squad, might finally make that hope a reality.

Without arguably our best three players, we found a way to grind out a victory in difficult circumstances. Huddersfield aren't a top quality side but they are doing well in the Championship, so are hard to beat. Add quality to our industry and results will improve further. More importantly, goals will come.

Today, we learnt a few things:
1) This Chris Powell side is capable of grinding out results.
2) Ajdarević promises to dictate play, and could well form a vital link with Yann Kermorgant.
3) We haven't heard the last of Harry Lennon.
4) Johnnie Jackson remains a Charlton legend and everyday hero.
5) We are actually capable of going on a Cup run.

A great away day which promised a lot of good to come. Doncaster on Tuesday is a huge game, and represents the renewal of our efforts to turn this season around.

Chris Powell once again proved that he is the right man for that task. Give him a contract, sharpish.

And the best thing about being in the Fifth Round draw? We can't be made to play Huddersfield again.

Up The Addicks.

Huddersfield, and the 'Magic' of The FA Cup

The greatest trophy in football.

How often have we heard that the FA Cup is 'magical? This is not to suggest it isn't, merely that it has been seized upon by everyone's favourite media outlets and branded as such a special competition. In a football world dominated by the TV revenue in the top division, the attempt to label the Cup as magical is rather defeated by the selection of games, which end up being regulation Premier League matches. Chelsea can Stoke is being televised this weekend. Thrilling. The media are telling us he Cup is magical, whilst televising run-of-the-mill games involving big clubs. It's no wonder people will start to question the competition.

With regard to this magical nature of the FA Cup, Jonathan Liew in the Daily Telegraph wrote that 'the more you have to keep saying it, the less it is probably true'. It was a light-hearted article suggesting that all it is seen as these days is an obstruction to the Premier League campaign, or a means by which you can kick-start a run of form. But the constant attempts to suggest the Cup is magical contributes to undermining it. What's magical about watching the reserve teams of top clubs play a mid-table opponent? ITV and BT pick these sorts of fixture because they gain access to the large audiences that clubs such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea bring with them. Are these games what the Cup is about? Not for the majority of men on the street.

The FA Cup has always been a competition in which small clubs can randomly be drawn against the titans. The underdog spirit, and the hope of a long Cup run, is what brings fans to games from the early rounds onwards. This is why the Cup is great, but the majority of fans lose sight of this in this age of endless media hype and constant televised action.

So, the Cup is all about those exciting, rare and unlikely match-ups. By definition, then, Huddersfield Town vs Charlton Athletic is the antithesis of an exciting Cup tie. Never has there been a greater example of mutual apathy towards a fixture than in this one. Both fans were tired of the fixture last year, but this season it has reached alarming levels.

There was much relief when the Third Round draw was made, and Charlton were drawn at home to Oxford United - itself an oddity, as the two had met in the Capital One Cup earlier on in the season. However, when it came to the Fourth Round draw, we weren't so lucky...

The first few ties had been drawn, before ball number 29 emerged.

"That's Huddersfield Town."

Come on, number 16. It simply has to be.

"Number 16."

Surely not again...

"Charlton Athletic or Oxford United."

Cue absolute chaos on the internet. Of the three most common words used, one was 'Huddersfield', another was 'off', and the final one was unutterable... Johnnie Jackson only had one word of his own to offer: "Unbelievable." The Charlton media department tweeted their Huddersfield counterparts and said for them not to bother with security passes because their faces would be sufficiently well known. It was carnage, with numerous fans from both clubs simply bemoaning the seeming inability of the two teams not to draw each other in cup competitions.

Charlton made a meal of the first leg, but a 3-0 win at the Kassam set up the Addicks' date with destiny. Huddersfield away, in the cup, again. Magical.

At this point, I am going to make an impossibly irrational statement: There is a romance about this fixture.

If you're still with me, I'll explain.

Two mediocre sides that have absolutely no geographical or historical relation with each other, yet there is such a sense of apathy between them. There is no antipathy or anger from one set if fans towards the other. It is just a fixture that has become unavoidable. Whenever there's a Cup draw, we all say 'I hope it's not Huddersfield', and those sentiments are echoed from our northern counterparts, who'd quite like to try and beat a different opponent for once. Once you reach a point where something is so unlikely, but it keeps happening, it develops a certain charm.

Well I quite enjoy this fateful connection, anyway.

Saturday's game will be the 6th meeting of the two clubs in the past 15 months, and this will be the fourth consecutive match to take place in Huddersfield. With a potential replay to come, and Charlton set to host the Terriers in the league in March, this blossoming friendship could grow even more.

It is a match I'm looking forward to. Yes, I'm mad enough to think this is an enticing away fixture. Even madder when you consider that I've already seen us lose 2-1 in the league at the John Smith's Stadium this season. But, its the FA Cup. A chance for Charlton to play a match which doesn't actually have any bearing on the league. People will suggest it has an influence, but in terms of a direct impact on league positions, it has none at all. The relation to the league is what has dragged the Cup down a few levels, as if it is somehow an unwanted distraction. It isn't. Its the perfect distraction. It just happens that we've ended up playing Huddersfield again.

What would mean more in Wigan Athletic's history? Another season in the Premier League,
or that moment of pure joy upon winning the FA Cup?

The Cup is all about stories. Think of how excited the grandchildren will be when we tell them that we once got knocked out of the early rounds of cup competitions three times in twelve months by Huddersfield. The subplots make it a great tournament. We might be sick of playing each other, but the unpredictable nature of the draw has meant that its happened this way. Whilst neither side can hold completely realistic ambitions for Wembley, it is nice that a game takes place in which the aim is not to grind out another three points to add to the total in the league. The winner might play at home to Manchester City, or away at Kidderminster. That is the joy of the Cup - the unpredictability that comes with every round. 

Sadly, the Cup's excitement has been softened and even obscured by the media's continued focus on what it all means in the Premier League title fight. Hence, you get the rubbish televised matches such as Chelsea vs Stoke, and not something that might show you the true passions expressed lower at clubs lower the league ladder. Furthermore, the Wembley semi-final hasn't helped, as its no longer that ultimate prize for reaching the final. And I'd much rather see games played at Villa Park anyway.

In arguing that the magic of the FA Cup is not dead, I've probably undermined it, and then I've made it even worse by suggesting that the way it insists on making Huddersfield and Charlton play each other is charming.

But as a competition, it is unparalleled in pitting small teams against the big ones. With such ambivalence from those in the Premier League towards it, though, it's no wonder that he Cup gets a bad press. Those people ignore the fact that the competition has lasted for months even before the big teams are allowed in it, so they don't appreciate what it means for the fans who have waited years for their side to make the Third Round.

It would be pushing it to suggest we've been waiting for years for the chance to play Huddersfield in the FA Cup. Instead, its more like we've been waiting for years for the chance to play somebody other than Huddersfield... Still, tomorrow, one of the clubs will reach the Fifth Round, and take with them the hopes and dreams of great days to come. It is a great competition that is in a far healthier state than the media and the top clubs seem to realise. 

Apart the glorious triumph of 1947, Charlton have never really been very good in the FA Cup. I can't say I remember it that well... One day, perhaps, that drought might end. We can only dream... And that's what the Cup is all about. 

Bring on Huddersfield. Again.

"Charlton have won the FA Cup!" Once. 67 years ago. But what a win...