The Addicks are giving a run-out to Porto left midfielder Antonio
Fohla, who is currently on a week's trial at Sparrows Lane.
  The 31-year-old has spent most of the past three seasons on loan at
Standard Liege and more recently AEK Athens. He has 26 caps and five
goals to his credit for the national side, the last in November 1996.
  Fohla appeared three times at Euro 96 and has also played for SC
Braga and Gil Vicente in Portugal.

©CAFC.co.uk

>Friendly:

After the progress-hindering debacles at Enfield and Sudbury
recently, Charlton's reserve side would have been looking for a
return to normality at Farnborough's Aimita stadium this evening.
The confident Conference side, who could list a full-strength Leyton
Orient among their pre-season victims, were always going to be the
right kind of opposition to remind Charlton that they do hail from
one of the better leagues in the country, and Glynn Snodin's side
welcomed their professionalism.
  Town's highly physical approach made for a game that wasn't as
aesthetically pleasing as some, but the Charlton's second string's
warm-up schedule had been long overdue a real battle, and this quick,
ultra-competitive clash was exactly what the doctor ordered.
  In fact, had it not been for the presence of three or four senior
professionals, the Addicks may well have been left to muse over
another reverse at the hands of non-League opposition.
  The gulf between Farnborough and Ryman Division One side Great
Wakering Rovers - who Charlton trounced last month - was substantial
to say the least, and even with the likes of Chris Bart-Williams,
Shaun Bartlett and Portuguese international Antonio Fohla in the
side, the visitors came under huge pressure.

-

For the rest of this match report by Mick Collins at CAFC.co.uk, go
to:
>http://www.cafc.co.uk/match_reports_02_03/friendlies/farnborough/repo
rt.shtml

>Independent View From FFC > Charlton:

No luck for Carl Leaburn as he continues to look for another club to
join for the new season.....
  Carl Leaburn, who had been on a two week trial at Torquay Utd, who
Charlton drew 1-1 with on their recent West Country Tour, has been
released by the Gulls according to their web site.
  Carl had come on as a sub in Torquay's 6-1 drubbing of Dorchester
Town on Saturday (3rd), making his entrance as they were 4-1 ahead at
half time.
  Carl has been without a club since he was released by Wimbledon some
six months ago. He had been training with a number of clubs including
QPR and Colchester but he has unable to secure a deal.
  Torquay have decided not to pursue signing the big man but have said
that Carl is free to return to Plainmoor for another trial later on
in the season. Having played in the Dorchester game, it had been
hoped that he would be part of the squad that took on Clyst Rovers in
midweek, but Carl was released before that squad was announced.
Torquay drew the match 4-4 in the end.
  Carl has seen little first team football of late, in fact he has
only played in 4 league games in the last two seasons – he made one
appearance for QPR in their 1-0 loss at Reading last year and in
season 00/01, he appeared just three times for Wimbledon.
  He was at The Valley for some 11 years (87-98) and had a record of
scoring 57 goals in 275 league appearances. That did include a
memorable hat-trick at Portman Road, but it is fair to say that Carl
was loved and loathed in equal measures by fans. I was always in his
corner as his pace, shielding of the ball and aerial threat was
always menacing. But it may be more than co-incidence that Charlton's
rapid rise in recent years only happened when Carl moved to pastures
new.
  He had 9 appearances on loan for Northampton when he failed to score
before moving on to Wimbledon. He spent nearly four years at Selhurst
Park but played in only 36 league games, and had 4 goals to show for
it.
  He made just one subs appearance for QPR when he moved to them in
December 2001, but he was only with them a few days.
  With the transfer window for new players ending shortly, Carl will
have a race against time to find himself a new club. He may be forced
to look at Conference football or even possibly retirement if he is
not succesful.

©Trafficjam [FansFC.com: Charlton]

Thousands of Charlton fans will flock to The Valley on Saturday to
celebrate John Robinson's lengthy service to the club - but sadly one
of the most important people in the winger's life will be missing.
  Robinson's father died suddenly earlier this year after supporting
the former Brighton player throughout his career and the midfielder
said he was expecting Saturday's game to be an emotional occasion.
"I think it's going to be a very enjoyable yet emotional occasion for
me," said the 30-year-old.
"I'm finding that the closer the game comes, the harder it gets."
He was the one person that was a rock throughout my career and I know
he would have been very proud to have been there on such a big day
for me.
He might not have been able to take part in the football match or one
of the golf days that have been arranged, but it would have meant a
lot to him and that's definitely going to be uppermost in my thoughts
on Saturday."
  The rest of Robinson's family will be there to see Charlton take on
Portuguese giants Porto in the Addicks' final match in preparation
for the new Premiership season.
"The main thing for me is that everyone has a good day - although
obviously Curbs will be wanting a bit more than that," admitted John.
"The full Porto squad is coming and anyone who knows anything about
football knows they are a very good side, almost always playing in
European competitions.
I must thank a certain Jorge Costa for helping the whole game to be
arranged. I'm sure most Charlton fans are aware of his, how do I say
it, powers of persuasion, and he certainly convinced his club
president."
  Indeed, the return of 'The Tank' is likely to be one of the most
memorable parts of the day, and Robinson has not yet ruled out the
possibility that the imposing defender may pull on a Charlton jersey
one last time.
"I think Curbs will be taking the match too seriously for any messing
about," laughed Robbo.
"But we'll have to see what happens. I'm sure the fans would like to
see Jorge play for Charlton again, even if it's just for a few
minutes.
I know he would be keen as well. He really enjoyed his time in
England. By the end of his loan period, he was even speaking quite
good English, rather than the one word and mean stare that was
probably enough when he first arrived.
What is guaranteed is that it will be a good, competitive game of
football. Both sides will be preparing for the new season, both sides
will want to win, and there will be too many quality players on the
pitch for it just to be a walk in the park."
  If Saturday's fixture looks like being a big game, than it's nothing
more than Robinson has been used to at Charlton since arriving at SE7
for £75,000 in 1992.
  But if the team's highlights have been the First Division play-off
triumph and First Division championship, both in the latter half of
his decade with the Addicks, it's the more personal landmarks of
which Robinson is most proud.
He said:
"The trophies have been great, but just as significant for me was
winning the fans' player of the year award in 1996 and twice being
chosen in the PFA team of the season.
Ultimately though, when I look back on my career, I think it's the
club's progression during my time here that will be the most
rewarding. We have been a stable Premiership club for the last two
years, and if anyone connected with the club had been offered that
scenario just six years ago perhaps, they would have snapped your
hand off."
  While testimonial fixtures are normally considered to offer an
opportunity for supporters to show their appreciation for a players'
efforts, Robinson argues that the reverse is true as well.
"I have plenty to thank the fans for," John admitted.
"Coming to a new club is always hard, and in my case it was a bit
tougher still because I was presumed to be the replacement for Robert
Lee, who was a great favourite with the crowd.
The truth is I was a different type of player, but although it took
me a while to get going, and I didn't initially have much luck with
injuries, once I got going the fans took to me.
That was great and the great thing about Charlton is that the
supporters deserve everything they get, because the club wouldn't be
here without them. They paid out of their own pockets to get back to
The Valley and I've always been proud to represent them on the pitch."
He said:
"The Porto game is also for me to thank the fans. I've made 368
appearances in ten years, and in that time I think they appreciate
I've always given 100 per cent.
It may not always be fantastic football but I always give everything.
Sometimes it might not be your day, and the tricks may not come off
or so on, but there's never any excuse for not giving 100 per cent
and that's how I approach matches.
He added:
"To be honest, I would do another 368 games if I could. If the legs
were willing and I was able to guarantee my selection every week, I
would love to finish my career here, and I've never been happier at
Charlton than I am now.
We've already got a 26,800 all-seater stadium and if we stay up this
year - which I can't see why not - we have the chance to expand even
further. There's a real feeling that the club is going places and
it's great to have played a part in that, and to have the chance to
keep playing a part."
  Among the other attractions at Robinson's testimonial game against
Porto will be the sight of daredevil parachutists the Red Devils, who
will be making a flamboyant entrance from the skies with the
matchball at around 2.30pm.

©CAFC.co.uk

>Mark Kinsella & Dean Kiely (Ireland) v Jonatan Johansson (Finland):
After a busy summer schedule, Mark Kinsella and Dean Kiely are set to
return to international action in the near future as the Republic of
Ireland face Finland in a friendly in Helsinki on Wednesday, August
21st.
  The club has yet to receive any details of the Finnish squad,
although Jonatan Johansson will also be expecting to be selected for
the game.

>Radostin Kishishev (Bulgaria):
Radostin Kishishev has been selected for the Bulgarian national
side's friendly against Germany in the Vasil Levski stadium on
Wednesday, August 31st.

Great news for Junior Reds - any member of Charlton's young
supporters' club can now gain free access to Crossbars, the new bar
in the north stand.
  The special offer is open to any Junior Red accompanied by a paying
adult, at a cost of £200 for adults and £100 seniors.
  Crossbars is a glass-fronted bar with an exclusive membership of
just 500 people overlooking the pitch. It has pre and post-match bar
facilities, hot and cold snack items and televisions showing results.
  More details are available from the sales and marketing department
on 020-8333 4020.

©CAFC.co.uk

The stars of Charlton's U19 side will get a rare chance to perform on
the Valley turf after the club decided to switch their opening
academy league home fixture against Manchester United from Sparrows
Lane to SE7.
  The likes of Stacy Long will get to perform on the big stage at
7.30pm on Friday, August 30th.
  Their counterparts in the U17s will now play United at Sparrows Lane
with a 3pm start the same day.
  Both matches will be open to the public.

©CAFC.co.uk

Central defender Mark Fish is set to make his first appearance of pre-
season when a Charlton XI travel to play Farnborough Town of the
Nationwide Conference on Wednesday night (7.45pm).
  The South African has not been seen in action since Manchester
United's visit to The Valley last February and missed out on a
possible World Cup recall to international action due to knee trouble.
  His compatriot Shaun Bartlett is set to continue his comeback in
Hampshire after scoring in the 4-1 defeat of a Sudbury Town XI on
Saturday, while Chris Bart-Williams and Ben Roberts are the other
senior men expected on duty.

©CAFC.co.uk

>Independent View From FFC > Charlton:

Addicks may have forgotten about Carl Leaburn but his legend still
lingers. Carl is currently on trial with the Gulls, and played for
them in a friendly on Saturday. FFC Charlton looks back on Carl's
contribution over the years....
  Big Carl Leaburn, Charlton Legend and a man who can change addicks
opinions in an instant, is still on the look out for a new club.
  Carl, is who 33 years old, is currently a week into a two week trial
at Torquay Utd, who Charlton drew 1-1 with on their recent West
Country Tour. Carl came on as a sub in Torquay's 6-1 drubbing of
Dorchester Town on Saturday (3rd), making his entrance as they were 4-
1 ahead at half time.
  Carl has been without a club since he was released by Wimbledon some
six months ago. He had been training with a number of clubs including
QPR but he was unable to secure a deal.
  He's seen little first team football of late, in fact he has only
played in 4 league games in the last two seasons – he made one
appearance for QPR in their 1-0 loss at Reading last year and in
season 00/01, he appeared just three times for Wimbledon.
  He was at The Valley for some 11 years (87-98) and had a record of
scoring 57 goals in 275 league appearances. That did include a
memorable hat-trick at Portman Road, but it is fair to say that Carl
was loved and loathed in equal measures by fans. I was always in his
corner as his pace, shielding of the ball and aerial threat was
always menacing. But it may be more than co-incidence that Charlton's
rapid rise in recent years only happened when Carl moved to pastures
new.
  He had 9 appearances on loan for Northampton when he failed to score
before moving on to Wimbledon. He spent nearly four years at Selhurst
Park but played in only 36 league games, and had 4 goals to show for
it.
  He made just one subs appearance for QPR when he moved to them in
December 2001, but he was only with them a few days.
  It would be nice to see Carl find a niche for himself with Torquay,
otherwise you do feel that Retirement at 33 years of age may not be
that far away.

©Trafficjam [FansFC.com: Charlton]

>It's A Sigh Of Relief From Mathias Svensson After Scoring His First
Goal Of Pre-Season Against Former Club Crystal Palace:

"On Monday night I scored my first goal this pre-season in a 1-1 draw
at Crystal Palace and it's big weight off my shoulders. I've been
playing OK and I've set up a few goals for other people but I haven't
been scoring myself which is obviously what I'm supposed to do as a
striker.
However, I know that as long as the games come along then I'll get my
fair share of chances. It's down to me to take them because then I
have a shout of staying in the team.
Looking back on the game at Palace, their fans gave me a bit of stick
at the start because I used to play for them. I'm sure they were
giving me even more stick when I scored! That's not a problem,
though. They are entitled to their views and it's part and parcel of
football. I had a great year-and-a-half at Palace but it was time for
my career to move on.
I've got to be honest and say I could be happier with my fitness. I
haven't played as much as I would have liked. In fact, I've only
played one full game, but that's one of those things. The manager has
been alternating players and it's always going to be difficult for
him to see everybody.
Before Monday night, much of our pre-season has been about JJ and
Jason Euell finding the net but I hope I've given the manager
something to think about with my goal. I think he's got his front two
in his mind but, to be fair, he's not giving anything away. I just
hope that I'm in!
Maybe I've got an advantage in that I'm a slightly different type of
striker to the others in the squad, I don't know. There are a few
players pushing for places and it's a tough one for Curbs. But it's
his decision and we respect that."

[Mathias Svensson]
©bigfanof.com

Charlton still have tickets available for the opening two home games
of the new season against Chelsea and Spurs.
  Chelsea are due to visit The Valley on Saturday, August 17 and
Tottenham on Tuesday, August 27.
  Tickets are priced at £30 adults, £25 concessions and £20 juniors
and are available to CAPS members with one credit from last season.

©TEAMtalk

Charlton's Jason Euell admits that the Addicks need to improve on
their home form this season if they are to challenge for a top 10
finish.
  Last season's top scorer says that the club cannot afford to drop as
many points as they did last time around at The Valley.
  The Addicks only managed to win five home games in the whole of last
season, and Euell knows that is simply not going to be good enough if
they hoping to better last term's efforts.
He said:
"Things didn't really click for us at home and we have to change
things around. That's the priority.
Last year there were new stands being opened at The Valley and bigger
crowds than ever.
The atmosphere was great and nobody could understand why we found it
hard to produce our best form. Perhaps we tried to hard."

©TEAMtalk

Leyton Orient have snapped up Charlton youngster Jamal Campbell-Ryce
on a loan deal.
  The young striker will hope to prove himself at Orient and force
himself into contention at The Addicks.
  Orient manager Paul Brush was delighted to have sealed the deal.
"I spoke to Alan Curbishley and Jamal a few times and we agreed that
he should come for three months which we're well pleased with," said
Brush.
"He showed against West Ham that he will be an exciting player, a
bright prospect who can play on both sides and run at people.
If he can deliver crosses in as well then he'll fill an option on the
right that we've been looking for.
But he played on the left against West Ham so he's able to play there
as well and his pace will be a big threat to the big ugly defenders
in the third division!
He's still under contract at Charlton and they think big things of
him but it's better for everyone if he's playing in the third
division rather than their reserves."

©PlanetFootball

Charlton boss Alan Curbishley has expressed his concern that Shaun
Bartlett will be away on international duty with South Africa next
term.
  The Addicks frontman has just returned after a five-month spell on
the sidelines with an Achilles tendon injury, but even after such a
long time away from regular football, he is set to be recalled to the
Bafana Bafana squad next month, and on regular occasions throughout
the season.
  Curbishley is furious that he will even consider going after being
injured at the African Nations Cup and he is is likely to push
Bartlett to call it quits on his international career.
He said:
"I don't know what Shaun is going to do. It cost him so much of last
season. The whole season hinged on him going to the African Nations
Cup and he never recovered."

©TEAMtalk

Only 1,663 season tickets remained for sale when the ticket office
opened for business on Monday morning.
  With the mail-out operation still continuing, the club has so far
registered 20,575 season-ticket holders and with a major marketing
exercise planned for this week, with 120,000 forms going out across
Lewisham, Greenwich and Bromley, that figure is expected to climb in
the next ten days or so.
  Meanwhile, more availability to purchase the 1,350-plus match
tickets for the Chelsea (August 17th) and Spurs (27th) home games has
come into operation. These are now on sale to Valley Gold members;
CAPS members with one credit from last season; season-ticket holders
and last year's season-ticket holders on supply of their membership
number.
  Prices are £30 adults, £25 senior/U18s and £20 juniors. Details of
the away season ticket and arrangements for the Bolton away game on
August 24th will be announced very shortly.

©CAFC.co.uk

>Lyngby Cup

Charlton claimed their first trophy of the season on August 3rd as
the U19s returned from Denmark with the Lyngby Cup after a 4-0
victory in the final against the tournament hosts.
  Mark Robson's side eased to a comfortable win against Claus Jensen's
former club, with Lloyd Sam starting the scoring in the 15th minute
with a firm left-footed finish.
  Less than ten minutes later striker Chris Cerroni doubled the
advantage with another left-footed strike and then Barry Fuller's
shot from inside the penalty box made it 3-0 in the second half.
  Despite a 2-1 win against the Addicks in the group stages, Lyngby
had no answer in the final, and Alex Varney sealed the triumph with
15 minutes remaining.
Said Robson:
"We played really well in the final and a win was nothing less than
the lads deserved.
It might have only been a friendly tournament, but they've already
set the standards for the season to follow and I'll be expecting more
of the same."
  The U19s came through a tough game against Swedish side Helsingborgs
the previous day to book their place in the final.
  After going a goal down in the 30th minute to the tournament
favourites, Robson's side came back after five minutes into the
second half courtesy of a great stretching volley from Mark Ricketts,
after some excellent work and cross by Sam on the right wing.
  Helsingborgs hit back to take the lead, but Charlton equalised from
a corner in the 78th minute which was flicked on by Ricketts for
Jamie Martin to add the final touch.
  The winning goal came eight minutes into extra time when another
fine delivery from Sam preceded some great work by Simon Jackson in
the area, which allowed Fuller a free header. Charlton either meet
Danish hosts Lyngby - who beat them at the group stage - in
Saturday's final or Swedish side Landskrona.
  The U19s took on Danish side Helsingor in the first of the group
games on Monday and won 3-1. Simon Jackson started the scoring with
his first goal in an academy shirt, heading in a well-worked corner.
  Karl Beckford followed up with a spot kick and Cerroni tied the
match up with a well-taken strike ten minutes from time, after some
excellent work from Sam.
  The Addicks improved on this the next day when they beat Swedish
side Djurgardens 4-0. A mistake by their opponents' keeper after only
two minutes gifted Charlton a very early lead, with Jamie Martin
going on to score the next and creating two more for Sam and Cerroni
to convert.
  Assistant academy director Robson explained how pleased he had been
with the tournament results so far: "Despite the very hot conditions,
the academy players have performed very well. The main reason for
coming to this tournament was to help with their fitness and at the
moment I am very satisfied with their fitness levels.
"There have been some excellent individual performances and hopefully
this is a sign of things to come for the new season."
Mark continued:
"The team is bonding very well and so far the players have been first
class both on and off the field.
After the first two games we were left to play hosts Lyngby. We could
afford to lose by two goals and still top the league. However, we
knew it was going to be a tough match, as Lyngby are not only a
strong footballing side but they are also physically bigger than us."
  The local team did indeed prove to be too strong for the Charlton
U19s, who suffered their first defeat of the tournament. The Addicks
went 1-0 down after 25 minutes, but with five minutes left of the
first half managed to bring themselves back into the game with a good
finish, yet again by Cerroni.
  However, they fell another goal behind in the second half and,
although Ralph Frempong had a great chance to level the game with a
one-on-one with the Lyngby goalkeeper soon after, he knocked it wide
and the Danish side held on for the win.
  The harsh sending off of midfielder Beckford in the final five
minutes of the game meant that there was no way back for the academy
players.
Mark commented:
"We always knew it would be a hard final group match, but the boys
still played well. I thought Karl's sending-off was a bit unfair. He
had been booked a few minutes earlier for a bad tackle, but the
second booking was not a sending-off offence."

©CAFC.co.uk

>Pre-Season Friendly:

It's a strange feeling, going back to Selhurst Park after all these
years away. A bit like seeing an ex-girlfriend in the street who you
never really liked, and who hasn't aged all that well. The tannoy man
insisted on playing an Oasis record before the kick off, which
implored us to 'stop crying your heart out', when in reality, we did
that the day we stopped being lodgers at the place.
  The travelling Charlton fans, who came perilously close to out
numbering the home supporters, were crammed into one block of the
Arthur Waite stand, in a display of strictly enforced segregation not
seen since the last time Iran played Iraq. As kick off drew near, and
the numbers grew too large for the area, they were grudgingly allowed
across into the block next door. As ever, Palace's hospitality knew
no bounds.

-

For the rest of this match report by Mick Collins at CAFC.co.uk, go
to:
>http://www.cafc.co.uk/match_reports_02_03/friendlies/palace/report.sh
tml
For the match statistics, go to:
>http://www.cafc.co.uk/match_reports_02_03/friendlies/palace/stats.sht
ml

Former Charlton loan defender Jorge Costa has announced his
retirement from international football, a week before his return to
The Valley with Porto in the John Robinson testimonial match on
Saturday.
The Portuguese star said:
"I'm leaving the selecção, because I am aware that my time has come.
It was excellent to play for Portugal, but I reached the 50 game
milestone at the World Cup and feel it's now right to step aside for
younger players.
This decision permits me to dedicate myself to FC Porto and my
family. I've already had a long career and it seemed right to take
this step having thought long and hard about my future.
I will always feel an enormous pride for having represented Portugal.
From the World Youth Cup, my first full international against
Bulgaria, and the participation in Euro 2000 to the 2002 World Cup,
it's been fantastic."

©CAFC.co.uk

Charlton captain Graham Stuart says any achievement this season will
be dedicated to the life of Pierre Bolangi.
  The youngster was just 17 when he drowned during an Army endurance
run and Stuart said:
"Any success we have this season will be dedicated to the lad because
we were all struck by the tragedy of his death.
We all knew him as a bright and talented kid and he could have had
such a good career in football.
It might be business as usual when the season kicks off but we'll
want to achieve something in his name," he told the News of the World.

©FA-Premier.com

Former goalkeeper Andy Petterson is hoping to earn a deal with Second
Division new boys Brighton.
  The 32-year-old has played in Brighton's last three pre-season
friendlies and is reported to have impressed Albion boss Martin
Hinshelwood.

©TEAMtalk

Charlton defender Mark Fish could be fit for the start of the season
despite missing the whole of pre-season.
  Fish has not played since the goalless draw with Manchester United
at The Valley in February after picking up a knee injury.
  The South African international was only supposed to be out of
action for a few weeks, but it turned into months with the knee
injury being a lot more serious than was first thought.
  Charlton boss Alan Curbishley says that he will not rule him out of
the side that starts against Chelsea, but accepts that it will be
tight for Fish to prove his fitness even though he is close to
playing again.
"I'm disappointed that Fish hasn't progressed as much as I would have
liked but he is not that far off now," Curbishley revealed.
  Fish has been a key figure since his arrival from Bolton Wanderers
and Curbishley will be hoping the player comes through.

©TEAMtalk

>Gary Rowett Talks About Pre-Season And His Small Prediction For
Charlton For The Forthcoming Season:

"I'm down in Devon at the moment on a week-long pre-season tour,
which so far, if I'm being completely honest, has turned out to be a
bit boring! The matches are obviously great to play in but in between
games we've got very little to keep us occupied, so we are getting a
bit frustrated.
I've been at Charlton for nearly a month now and as you might expect,
I'm really starting to feel at home. My early impressions of the club
are all positive and I've been nothing but impressed at the way I've
been treated so far. I knew joining Charlton was a good idea and I
haven't been left disappointed one bit.
The lads are not only extremely talented but they also possess a
great deal of dedication and an excellent work ethic. We don't have
any superstars here and it shows, because we all seem to be pulling
together in the right direction.
I have to say that I've been very impressed by the standard of
players here at The Valley. We have at least 24 players capable of
performing well in the Premiership and that is going to be vital the
longer the season goes on.
I also think that there is also a good blend of experience and youth
in the squad. The Under-21 players here have impressed me the most –
I don't want to pick out individuals, but I will say that if they can
reproduce their training ground form on the Premiership stage, then
Charlton have a bright future.
If I was to compare this Charlton squad to the team I was involved
with at Leicester last year, I have to admit that the standard here
at The Valley is miles higher. The quality of the players is far
superior and the lads also work much harder in training. There is a
great deal more sharpness among the players at Charlton too, and I
just hope that we can take that into our opening Premiership games in
August and September.
To be honest, I shouldn't really compare Charlton with last year's
Leicester side because we were a bit of a shambles from August right
through until May, especially when you look back and think that
everyone believed Leicester could sneak into Europe this time last
year! My only saving grace was that I was injured for the vast
majority of the campaign.
I don't like to predict too much but I'm confident that we won't
struggle like Leicester did. You can never say anything for certain
but I'd like to think that our hard work and quality will be enough
to keep Charlton up. In recent years the club has enjoyed a period of
stability and I don't see any reason why we cannot build on that
success this season."

[Gary Rowett]
©Icons.com

Charlton manager Alan Curbishley is among players taking part in the
Charlton Athletic Vets versus Frank Maloney's All Star XI charity
match at Bromley FC on Sunday.
  Heavyweight boxer Julius Francis, former Charlton manager and player
Steve Gritt and Charlton's most capped player Brian Kinsey will also
be playing in the match, with proceeds going to the RPS Rainer 16-
plus charity, which is dedicated to helping young people leaving care.
  Another boxer who will be putting on his football boots for the
match is Ricky 'Hit Man' Hatton and boxing promoter Frank Maloney is
also turning out.
  Among show business personalities taking part are Gary Lucy
(Hollyoaks), Nicholas Bailey (EastEnders), Gary Beadle (EastEnders),
Craig Fairbrass (EastEnders and London's Burning), Dean Giffney
(EastEnders), Patrick Robinson (Casualty), Graham Cole (The Bill) and
Zodiac (Gladiators).
  The gates open at 11.30am, with a coaching session run by the
Charlton Athletic Community Scheme. There will also be a penalty
competition and raffle.
  The match kicks off at 12.45am. Admission is £2.

©icSouthlondon

Charlton boss Alan Curbishley admits that he is hopeful of moving
into the transfer market before the transfer window closes.
  Curbishley has enough in the transfer kitty to bring in one more new
player and he says that he knows the position he wants to strengthen.
  It is now a case of finding the player at the right price but
understandably Curbishley is not revealing any names.
"I know the position I'm after and I know what I have got to do,"
Curbishley said.
"But I have got to make sure that I get the right person for this
football club."
  It is hoped the new mystery player will be on board before the
opening game of the season against Chelsea.

©TEAMtalk

Fans of Charlton's senior academy teams will have to wait until
August 31st for a competitive fixture, but a treat is in store as
both the U19s and U17s are due to entertain Manchester United on that
morning.
With the first team set to visit West Ham at Upton Park in the
afternoon, a record turn-out at Sparrows Lane could be on the cards.
The U17s kick off the campaign at Derby on August 24th and travel to
Arsenal on Wednesday, August 28th, while the U19s are at Huddersfield
on August 24th.

©CAFC.co.uk

With a tip of the hat to the likes of Vicenza, Accra Hearts of Oak
and the Chinese national side, it's safe to say that FC Porto are
comfortably the most distinguished overseas team ever to face the
Addicks at The Valley.
  With European Cup, European Super Cup and World Club Championship
triumphs to their name, not to mention the trifling matter of 18
domestic titles, Porto are unquestionably one of European football's
heavyweights.
  Indeed, since the European Cup was reorganised into the Champions'
League in 1992 Porto have qualified for the new-style tournament on
more occasions than any other club.
  Porto's remarkable success has been a relatively recent phenomenon.
Formed in 1893, the club from the industrial city of Oporto won the
first-ever Portuguese league and cup competitions, in 1935 and 1922
respectively, but spent most of their post-war history in the shadow
of the Lisbon clubs Benfica and Sporting.
  The government of the time, overthrown in the 1974 revolution,
poured money and resources into the sophisticated capital at the
expense of its grimy counterpart to the north, a situation even
reflected in football.
  Indeed, in 1965 Porto almost went out of business altogether and
survived only through the humiliation of having to sell the cream of
their squad to Benfica.
  The combination of a less parochial government and the arrival of
coach Jose Maria Pedroso and current club president Jorge Nuno Pinto
da Costa at the turn of the eighties signalled a sudden and
spectacular improvement in Porto's fortunes.
  The title was won five times between 1978 and 1988, but it was the
90s that truly established the Dragons as giants of the European
game: between 1988 and 1999 Porto were Portuguese champions nine
times in 11 seasons.
  The highlight of that era was undoubtedly the 1986/87 campaign. As
the Addicks adjusted to their new surroundings at a sparsely
populated Selhurst Park, Porto marched to the European Cup Final to
meet mighty Bayern Munich.
  The team, coached by future Portuguese national boss Artur Jorge,
travelled to Vienna to face a star-studded Bayern side that included
such luminaries as Brehme, Matthäus and Rumenigge.
  With 13 minutes left Porto trailed to a first half goal, but a
cheeky backheel from Madjer levelled the scores, and two minutes
later substitute Jaury produced the goal that took the European Cup
to Portugal for the first time since the great Benfica side of the
early 60s had ended Real Madrid's early dominance of the competition.
  Having won European football's greatest prize, Porto went on to beat
Ajax home and away to carry off the European Super Cup, before an
extra-time win over Penarol in a Tokyo blizzard earned the Portuguese
team the World Club Championship.
  While they have never come close to emulating that remarkable
season, Porto have succeeded in silencing critics who disparage the
Portuguese domestic game by performing consistently well in European
competition.
  Most recently, in 2000, they reached the quarter-final stage of the
Champions' League and last season came within a whisker of repeating
that achievement; only failure to defeat Sparta Prague in their final
match in the second group stage deprived the Dragons of a place in
the last eight.
  Last season was a campaign of two halves for the Dragons. It began
under coach Octavio Machado, a man who had led Porto to the title
during a previous spell in charge and who described himself modestly
as a `Porto legend'.
  Machado set about living up to his own billing in controversial
fashion. A well-publicised spat with genuine Porto legend Jorge Costa
led to `The Tank' spending half a season here in SE7 while Machado
failed to match bluster with results. When he was dismissed in
January Porto languished in sixth place – their lowest placing in
recent memory.
  Pinto da Costa sent for Jose Mourinho, one of the most sought after
coaches in Portugal having taken tiny Uniao Leira to the fringes of
the title race the previous season.
  A former protégé of Bobby Robson at Barcelona, Sporting and Porto,
Mourinho immediately set about rescuing the season. A magnificent
second half of the campaign saw Porto rise from to third position,
just seven points behind champions Sporting, mainly thanks to six
wins from their last six matches.
  Although third place means Porto will spend this season in the
relatively reduced circumstances of the UEFA Cup, Mourinho is
directly responsible for a mood of genuine optimism breezing through
the stands at the Estadio Das Antas. A brand new stadium is under
construction a stone's throw away and Mourinho is quietly assembling
a formidable squad well equipped to wrest back the title Porto last
won in 1999.
  In goal the coach can call upon the hugely experienced Vitor Baia.
Although clearly lacking match fitness at the World Cup having missed
most of the last league campaign through injury, the man who,
curiously, wears number 99 will be looking to put the disappointment
of the Far East behind him. One of the fabled `golden generation'
that includes Luis Figo, Nuno Gomes and Joao Pinto, Baia is arguably
the greatest Portuguese goalkeeper of all time. Baia's understudy,
the inappropriately-named Hilario however has been the star of
Porto's pre-season campaign so far.
  In defence, Addicks fans will be familiar with the stocky giant with
the greying forelock, but look out for Jorge Andrade alongside him.
The young defender burst into the limelight last season in Jorge
Costa's absence and earned himself a place at the World Cup, where he
became one of the few Portuguese players to emerge from the
tournament with any credit.
  In midfield Porto boast the mercurial talent of Russian Dmitri
Alenichev, formerly of Roma and Perugia, whose vision and exquisite
passing will be a key feature for Porto this season.
  Also in midfield is arguably the star of the team, the brilliant
Brazilian playmaker Deco. In terms of skill and vision he is without
parallel in the Portuguese league, but as well as creating
opportunities for others Deco has a fairly useful pair of shooting
boots – with 18 goals the diminutive midfielder was Porto's top
scorer last season, many of them spectacular strikes from distance.
Despite rumours linking him with most of Europe's leading clubs, it's
still the das Antas faithful that marvels at the art of Deco.
  Also jostling for places in the midfield are the Paraguayan World
Cup star Carlos Paredes, Slovenia's Miran Pavlin and the hugely
exciting talent Cesar Peixoto, a young midfielder signed from under
the noses of Porto's Lisbon rivals during the summer from Belenenses.
  Up front, Mourinho pulled off another summer transfer coup by
nabbing Lithuanian front man Edgaras Jankauskas from Benfica where he
had scored eight goals in twelve games on loan from Real Sociedad
last season. Jankauskas almost didn't arrive at all – bizarrely, when
travelling from Lithuania to join his new teammates a month ago, the
striker was detained at a Dutch airport and had his papers
confiscated on suspicion of being an international hit man.
  In all, Mourinho has strengthened his squad with eight players at an
outlay of just £6.5million, just the sort of bargain hunting for
which our own Alan Curbishley is renowned.
  Prior to this week's pre-season matches with Atletico Madrid and
Werder Bremen, Porto had played five friendlies on a French tour
without conceding a single goal. 0-0 draws at Bordeaux and Paris St
Germain were fiercely competitive, with Emanuel being sent off for an
elbow in the latter fixture.
  Jorge Costa made his return to the Porto side at Bordeaux, while on
Sunday 40,000 people turned up at the Estadio das Antas to watch an
intra-squad practice match that saw The Tank step onto the Das Antas
turf for the first time in nearly a year.
  The mood was one of joyful optimism – when Porto take on Belenenses
on August 25th, it could well be the start of a championship campaign.

©CAFC.co.uk

>Lyngby Cup

Charlton U19s came through a tough game against Swedish side
Helsingborgs on Friday, August 2nd, to book their place in the final
of Danish youth tournament the Lyngby Cup.
  After going a goal down in the 30th minute to the tournament
favourites, Mark Robson's side came back after five minutes into the
second half courtesy of a great stretching volley from Mark Ricketts,
after some excellent work and cross by Lloyd Sam on the right wing.
  Helsingborgs hit back to take the lead, but Charlton equalised from
a corner in the 78th minute which was flicked on by Ricketts for
Jamie Martin to add the final touch.
  The winning goal came eight minutes into extra time when another
fine delivery from Sam preceded some great work by Simon Jackson in
the area, which allowed Barry Fuller a free header. Charlton either
meet Danish hosts Lyngby - who beat them at the group stage - in
Saturday's final or Swedish side Landskrona.
  The U19s took on Danish side Helsingor in the first of the group
games on Monday and won 3-1. Simon Jackson started the scoring with
his first goal in an academy shirt, heading in a well-worked corner.
  Karl Beckford followed up with a spot kick and Chris Cerroni tied
the match up with a well-taken strike ten minutes from time, after
some excellent work from Sam.
  The Addicks improved on this the next day when they beat Swedish
side Djurgardens 4-0. A mistake by their opponents' keeper after only
two minutes gifted Charlton a very early lead, with Jamie Martin
going on to score the next and creating two more for Sam and Cerroni
to convert.
Assistant academy director Robson explained how pleased he had been
with the tournament results so far:
"Despite the very hot conditions, the academy players have performed
very well. The main reason for coming to this tournament was to help
with their fitness and at the moment I am very satisfied with their
fitness levels.
There have been some excellent individual performances and hopefully
this is a sign of things to come for the new season."
Mark continued:
"The team is bonding very well and so far the players have been first
class both on and off the field.
After the first two games we were left to play hosts Lyngby. We could
afford to lose by two goals and still top the league. However, we
knew it was going to be a tough match, as Lyngby are not only a
strong footballing side but they are also physically bigger than us."
  The local team did indeed prove to be too strong for the Charlton
U19s, who suffered their first defeat of the tournament. The Addicks
went 1-0 down after 25 minutes, but with five minutes left of the
first half managed to bring themselves back into the game with a good
finish, yet again by Cerroni.
  However, they fell another goal behind in the second half and,
although Ralph Frempong had a great chance to level the game with a
one-on-one with the Lyngby goalkeeper soon after, he knocked it wide
and the Danish side held on for the win.
  The harsh sending off of midfielder Beckford in the final five
minutes of the game meant that there was no way back for the academy
players.
Mark commented:
"We always knew it would be a hard final group match, but the boys
still played well. I thought Karl's sending-off was a bit unfair. He
had been booked a few minutes earlier for a bad tackle, but the
second booking was not a sending-off offence."

©CAFC.co.uk

>Pre-Season Friendly:

It was an interesting evening. Having opted to charge the vaguely
extortionate sum of £20 to enter John Madejski's modestly titled
modern monument, one wonders if Reading were entirely surprised when
only 3,054 people bothered to alter their Friday evening plans and
cram into the 25,000 capacity stadium to take in the game. Having
driven past the offices of Worldcom on the way into the ground, at
least the Auto Trader publisher and Reading chairman can console
himself that there's a company on his doorstep that has made a more
poorly judged business decision over the course of the last week.
  Reading keeper Phil Whitehead stood in front of a terrace designed
to seat about 5,000, watched over by a crowd of precisely two. At the
other end, next to a smattering of Charlton fans, a Reading supporter
somehow found a seat for himself from among the two and a half empty
blocks from which he had to choose. There were no disabled fans
immediately evident, but at £18 for a ticket, it wasn't too hard to
work out why.

-

For the rest of this match report by Mick Collins at CAFC.co.uk, go
to:
>http://www.cafc.co.uk/match_reports_02_03/friendlies/reading/report.s
html
For the match statistics, go to:
>http://www.cafc.co.uk/match_reports_02_03/friendlies/reading/stats.sh
tml

Highly-rated Charlton youngster Jamel Campbell-Ryce has started a
three-month loan spell with Third Division Leyton Orient.
  Campbell-Ryce linked up with Orient on Wednesday and played against
Maccabi Tel Aviv, coming on as a second half substitute in the 3-1
defeat against the Israeli side.
  The winger, who Addicks boss Alan Curbishley believes has a big
future in the game, could stay at Brisbane Road for the rest of the
season if he impresses.
  Charlton could also opt to loan out other youngsters throughout next
season to although them to gain valuable first-team experience.
Republic of Ireland youth international Neil McCafferty is another
player who could be sent out.

©TEAMtalk

Former Charlton and Wimbledon striker Carl Leaburn has joined Third
Division Torquay United on trial.
  The beanpole frontman began his career with the Addicks in 1987,
making over 350 league appearances and scoring 53 goals, before
moving to Wimbledon in January 1998 for £300,000.
  The 33-year-old scored only four goals in 58 league games during his
time at Selhurst Park before being released in December 2001.
  Leaburn made his last appearance in the Football League as a
substitute for Queens Park Rangers against Reading in January, his
one and only appearance for the R's.
  Torquay boss Leroy Rosenior is looking for an experienced frontman
to bolster his Plainmoor attack and Leaburn could well be the man.

©TEAMtalk