Posted by Terrierdazz on behalf of Owd Jim
Town’s Opponents – Charlton Athletic
The overall record is:
| League | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD |
| Home | 40 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 68 | 40 | 28 |
| Away | 40 | 10 | 7 | 23 | 48 | 72 | -24 |
| Total | 80 | 29 | 17 | 34 | 116 | 112 | 4 |
| FA Cup | | | | | | | |
| Home | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 |
| Away | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| League Cup | | | | | | | |
| Home | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Best and Worst Gates:
| League | Best | Worst | Average |
| Home | 1954-55 = 22,996 | 1973/74 = 3,142 | 13,411 |
| Away | 1948/49 = 38,437 | 1985/86 = 4,143 | 15,989 |
| FA Cup | | | |
| Home | 1957/58 = 20,223 | 2013/14 = 10,120 | 15,172 |
| Away | 1957/58 = 26,637 | 2012/13 = 6,657 | 16,159 |
| Lge Cup | 2013/14= 6,250 | | 6,250 |
Hostilities began in 1936/37 in the League when the Addicks were promoted to Division 1. From then until 1969/70, apart from the War Years the only blank seasons were 1952/53 when the Terriers were in Division 2 and1956/57 when Town had been relegated the previous season.. Charlton fell the following season and the sides met every year until Town was promoted in 1969/70. We met again during the Great Slide when Town stayed in Division 3 for 2 years. The teams met again in Division 3 in 1980/81 and yet again for 3 years beginning in 1983/84 in Division 2. We have met in only 4 seasons since in Division 1 (old Div 2) in 1995/96-1997/98 and finally in 1999/2000.
The first match was actually an FA Cup 3rd Round tie in 1925/26 which Town won 1-0 at The Valley in front of 21,184 fans. Roy Goodall scored from a penalty.
The League start was less satisfactory as the Addicks won the first of 5 “doubles”, winning at Leeds Road 2-1 on 5th December 1936 (Richardson – gate 11,609) and 1-0 on their own turf 10th April 1937 – gate 24,995. The Addicks finished runners up to Manchester City while Town languished in 15th place. The following season was not much better as the games ended 1-1 at home and 0-4 away. Next season saw Town finally win a game; after losing 1-2 at The Valley on15th October 1938 – Price – gate 28,038 revenge was gained at Leeds Road on 18th February 4-0 (Price, Hayes(P), Mills and Barclay – gate 16,163). Immediately after The War, in 1946/47 Town won its first “double” with the best results ever against Athletic. At Leeds Road on 2nd November the score was 5-1 (Rodgers(3), Bateman and Glazzard – gate 16,944), this was the only time Town has scored more than 4 goals at home against these opponents. The return match on 8th March ended 3-0 (Thompson, Bateman and Doherty – gate 27,805); this was the best ever win away from home. After that until Town was relegated at the end of 1951/52 Town won only 2 games at home 2-1 in 1949/50 (my final year at Oakes Elementary) and 1-0 in the relegation season the other 3 games went 0-1-2 2-4. Away only 2 draws were gained, 0-0 in 1947/48 and 2-2 in 1949/50. In Fact the 2-1 win in 1949/50 started Town on its best ever home run against Charlton. The 10 meetings beginning then saw Town win 6 and draw 4. This run came to a crashing halt in 1961/62 with a 0-2 loss, yet the away game season was won 2-0. The next 9 home games ended up with a record for Town of 6-2-1 17-5 with 2 wins 4-1 and one by 4-0. Town actually won its two other “doubles in that sequence, 4-1 and 2-1 in 1966/67 and 4-0 and 2-1 in the Championship winning season of 1969/70. Charlton’s other doubles have come, with Town home games first, in 1948/49 2-1, 3-1, 1974/75 3-1, 1-0, 1985/86 2-0, 3-0 and finally in 1997/98 3-0, 1-0. The 1948/49 match at the Valley was watched by the best gate ever totalling 38,437 on 28th August.
In the 3 year stay back in Division 1 Town won at home 4-1, drew 0-0 in front of the best ever home gate of 26,996 and won 4-0 in the relegation season. The away games were all lost 1-2, 1-2 and 1-4. When the Addicks followed Town down into Division 2 at the end of 1956/57 the next meetings provided an amazing match up. On opening day Bain, Simpson and Taylor scored in a 3-3 draw at Leeds Road. Then on 21st December came the game for the history books. Town led 5-1 at The Valley with only 20 minutes left then the Terriers fell apart and of the 7 (SEVEN) goals scored in the final 20 minutes Athletic claimed 6 of them. Leading 6-5 and finally winning 7-6 they condemned Town to be the only side in League history to score 6 goals and lose! I was amazed when I heard the score on the BBC and horrified when I read the match report in the Examiner. It did not get better in the only other FA Cup meeting, again in the 3rd Round. 20,223 turned up at Leeds Road to see Law and Massie score in a 2-2 draw. The replay four days later ended up 0-1 in front of 26,637. Having missed the 13 goal thriller the TV cameras were at the Valley the next season but they saw only 3 goals in a 2-1 (Massie) win for the Addicks on 27th December. Town had won by a score of 1-0 at home on Christmas Day with Howard scoring.
Since the 1969/70 promotion season Town has not fared too well in the contest. At home the record is only a poor 3-2-5 10-14 and away an even poorer 3-1-6 10-15.
Who will likely forget the last home fixture on 28th December 1999? Town was flying high but came unstuck 1-2 with Stewart scoring in the losing cause. We did not know it at the time but that was effectively the end of Town’s promotion bid and they slid down the table to finish 8th and out of the play-offs. Some sort of revenge was gained at the Valley on 14th April when Town won 1-0 (Wijnhard) but it was too little too late.
The first meeting in this century in 2009/10 did not go well for Town. The lads played quite well but, as usual, defensive slips cost the game. Two silly goals given up with only a Pilkington free kick to show in a 1-2 defeat. The return game was a fairly poor affair. Town had failed to win in 5 home games, had not beaten a top 6 side and the Addicks had failed to beat a top 6 side in their travels. Inevitably it ended up as a 1-1 draw. After Rhodes gave Town the lead they switched off and the Addicks duly equalised.
Early in 2010/11 the Addicks came to the Galpharm where two late first half goals set Town up (Rhodes, McCombe) with a late Roberts goal cancelled out by an injury time score by the Addicks for a professional 3-1 win. The return fixture was a must win for Town to keep second place a possibility, on the day the lads put in a professional performance and a late free kick strike by Gudjonsson saw them through to a 1-0 win.
In 2011/12 Town went to the Valley on a 43 game undefeated run and, unfortunately, as I predicted the run came to a shuddering halt. While having lots of possession and having something like 10-0 in corners Town had a toothless attack, never threatened or looked like scoring and, as usual, gave up a daft free kick from which the Addicks scored their first. Another bit of shocking defensive play led to goal number 2 and the half time score of 0-2 stood at full time. This first defeat in 44 saw Town drop out of the top two places and fall into a tight play-off zone. Town won the return match 1-0 thanks to a Rhodes penalty but still trailed the Addicks by 20 points at the end of the season. Still who cares now both sides earned promotion and set up another series of games but in Division 2 rather than Division 3.
Town went to Charlton on 24th November and Southern was sent off very harshly in the first half. This put Town under the cosh and the Addicks duly took the lead on 60 minutes. Showing great character the lads kept at it and was rewarded with an 88th minute penalty which Clayton duly dispatched to save a priceless point 1-1.
The sides met again on 5th January at the Valley in the FA Cup Round 3. Town played better than of late but did not sparkle in the second half against 10 men for most of it. Fortunately Beckford’s 12th minute goal held up for a 1-0 win in front of a lousy gate of only 6657 (885 from Town). This gave Town the edge in FA Cup wins 2-1-1 4-3. It was Town’s first win in 11 games so it gave the hardy souls who ventured south a pleasant journey home. On 9th March the Addicks came to town and scored after 4 minutes. Town just did not turn up, no attack worth a mention, few ideas and the game ended 0-1 for a deserved win by the visitors.
Next season the teams met for the first in the League Cup, in Round 2 at the MacGalphSmiths Stadium. The first half was rather “After the Mayor’s Show” for Town following the great display the previous Saturday, outplayed by the Addicks the blue and whites were fortunate only to trail 0-1 when Lynch scored a 40th minute equaliser to send the teams in level. After the break Town played better but went behind again. Then in a great final few minutes it all turned out well when Hogg blasted in a shot which was deflected. This was followed by a great winning goal by Hammill and Town hung on relatively easily for the last few minutes.
A few weeks later the Addicks came to town for the league game. An even first half ended on a high note with another Vaughan headed goal. This gave Town confidence and the lads took control after the break. Lynch scored a blinder goal, his second goal both against Charlton, seemed to put the game safe, but as usual, Town gave us a nervy last 15 minutes when the visitors scored a late goal for a final score of 2-1.
The next meeting was yet another FA Cup tie, this time in Round 4, once again at home. It was definitely a case of “after the Mayor’s show” following on from the great, albeit losing effort at Loftus Road, Town just had no punch up front and although well ahead on points at half time the game was scoreless. The Addicks had one chance and it was put away by ex-Town player Simon Church. Town huffed and puffed but never really threatened much and so was knocked out of the Cup with barely a whimper. The weather was awful and the gate matched both game and weather, even though it was only a tenner to get in only 10,120 bothered to make the effort. The return match, rearranged for Wednesday 12th March was played on a wet soggy pitch and produced few clear cut chances for either side. The result, predictably, was 0-0.
So far this season the Addicks are undefeated having drawn 1-1 at newly promoted Brentford and two home wins against Wigan 2-1 and Derby 3-2. Town owe them big time after last season’s FA Cup defeat which would have seen Town avoid Greedy League opposition until the semi-final. After opening day I would have rated this a banker away win. But with Robins quitting and Mark Lillis taking temporary charge things have changed. A great, albeit losing effort at Cardiff and brilliant win at Reading, now, who knows? Add to that a come from behind win in the League Cup at Chesterfield and Town is beginning to look like a real team. Certainly all the fans that went to the three away games came home congratulating the players on their efforts. Hoping that I do not put a hex on the lads I’ll suggest that Town will win 3-1.
