Red flair at The Valley and manager-less Dons win as the Cup tie moves closer

On Saturday Charlton Athletic and MK Dons played their final league matches in advance of their FA Cup meeting at the Valley next Saturday. These are turbulent times for the Addicks as the protests against the owner continue and a new manager takes over. Meanwhile the manager-less Dons from Milton Keynes actually won a game of football.

My twitter friend, and fellow Road-to-Wembley-er, Andy Phillips (@APCAFC) told me some time ago that most Charlton fans are currently in one of two camps - the boycotters and the protesters. The boycotters are staying away from the Valley until there is a change of ownership. The protesters are continuing to attend the matches but are protesting against the arrogant Belgian owner Roland Duchatelet. The protesters are firmly behind the ‘Taxi for Roland’ campaign and on Saturday hundreds of miniature foam taxis were hurled onto the pitch and the game was halted while the players removed the novelty toys

Foaming heck! Miniature taxis removed from the pitch by the players

Also at the game a red flare was thrown on to the pitch by the protesters causing further disruption.

A different kind of 'red flair' at The Valley

As a complete outsider who has never been to The Valley (yet) I am not sure what to make of it all. Having been signposted to CARD (The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet) by Andy Phillips I have read enough to conclude that Roland Duchatelet is not conducting himself in a way that is in the best interests of the club or the fans. He has appointed 6 different managers in the last 30 months - most had no experience of English football and were doomed to fail .. and they did fail spectacularly. Charlton now find themselves in League One and with their ground, fan base and history they should not be in that division. Duchatelet’s appointment of a Chief Exec, Katrien Meire, who clearly knows nothing about football has further angered the fans. Meire talks down to the supporters and compares going to a match to going to the restaurant or the cinema and has described the fans as customers. Oh dear!

Despite all the turbulence Charlton have been performing well on the field recently and on Saturday they drew 1-1 with high flying Sheffield United. This result means that the Addicks have taken 7 points out of the last available 9. The new manager in waiting, Karl Robinson, was watching from the stands and he is now ready to formally take over the reins later today. The Charlton equaliser was scored in stoppage time by Patrick Bauer who added his own ‘red flair’ to the occasion. The Charlton fans who were in attendance at The Valley celebrated in style. In fact on social media I have noticed a third camp of Addicks fans – those who want to put aside the machinations in the boardroom and support the team in an unconditional way. This third camp are urging their fellow fans who are understandably disgruntled to ‘get behind the team’. Some of them, it is reported, actually booed the protests on Saturday. In short, it is a mess. I feel for the Addicks fans in all three camps. Charlton Athletic are their football club. They were no doubt there long before Duchatelet arrived and they will be there long after he has gone. The modern phenomenom of the narcissist owner treating the club he has acquired as a play thing is truly abhorrent. My beloved Hearts suffered in a similar way during the Validimr Romanov era but things at Tynecastle are great now. The successful local businesswoman and season ticket holder Anne ‘The Queen of Hearts’ Budge took over control of the club from Romanov in the summer of 2014 and is moving it towards full fan ownership. A vision of the future for Charlton Athletic perhaps? I hope so.

Meanwhile at the weekend they were singing and dancing in the roundabouts of Milton Keynes. The Dons won away from home at Coventry 2-1 courtesy of a brace from Ed Upson. This was their first win for almost two months and has seen The Dons move out of the relegation places. Scots centre back Jack Hendry was rested for this game, maybe to keep him fresh for the big cup tie on Saturday. On  the MK Dons facebook page loyal Dons fan Nick Hedges commented: “Easy journey up , easy parking , very steep at £10 , £2.50 for a cup of tea or coffee, very expensive , hot dogs £4.50 , expensive. The game itself was pretty grim, far too many errors from both sides! But I'll take the 3 points !” You gotta love the dedicated football fan. Ripped off for parking and catering subjected to a crap game but when your team wins …. Happy Daze!

Singing and Dancing: Goalscorer Upson celebrates with his Dons teammates 

I note that astonishingly 5 weeks after parting company with Karl Robinson that MK Dons have still not appointed a replacement manager. The stoic Dons fans on facebook are looking on this with a combination of frustration and amusement. Franco Volpe on facebook commented yesterday: “Day 35 in the Big Dither House ...we can't remember much about day 34 …” Maybe an appointment early this week? Then again maybe not.

What sort of protest will be planned by Charlton fans for the FA Cup tie this Saturday? Will the Dons have a manager by the weekend? It is going to be a fascinating stop on The Road to Wembley from Scotland … keep reading.