A tale of two Robbies: Neilson heads for MK in time for the cup tie v Charlton as Muirhead KO's Rangers

The unique feature of the Road to Wembley from Scotland is that for each match along the ‘Road’ I look for a connection between the match and Bonny Scotland. The next match is only two days away when Charlton Athletic host MK Dons in round 2 of the FA Cup. Both teams have a rich Scots heritage and many of their former players hail from Bella Caledonia. However, with the exception of loanee centre back Jack Hendry at MK Dons, it was looking as if this upcoming fixture would be light on current Scottish involvement and influence. Then on Monday afternoon – BOOM ! Manager-less MK Dons made an approach for the Head Coach of my beloved Hearts Robbie Neilson and as I write the appointment is all but a done-deal. The bookmakers have suspended betting on who will be the next manager and ‘Sky Sports sources’ have reported that Robbie will assume full control at Stadium MK later today. Hence I have my link with Scotland but not a link I was hoping for.

Social media on both sides of the border has been in meltdown. So many questions: (i) is he a good coach? (ii) why does he want to leave Hearts? (iii) why do some Hearts fans not like him (iv) will he be a good fit for MK Dons and (v) what sort of a legacy does he leave at Tynecastle? OK, let’s take them one by one.

Yes! Robbie Neilson is a very good Head Coach. Everybody keeps saying that football is a results driven business so let us have a look at his record. Hearts is his first job as a Head Coach and in his first season he won the Championship division by a country mile. Hearts were crowned Champions with 7 games to go leaving a re-emerging Rangers and a fairly strong Hibs team in their wake. That season was truly magical for me. So many goals and so many big victories, so much good football to watch and so many truly memorable experiences. Robbie put his stamp on proceedings and his watermark was pass pass pass then score! He inherited a talented group of young players but so many of them he improved and they became better players under his tutelage. In Hearts first season back in the Premier Division Hearts finished 3^rd and qualified for Europe. Not many promoted teams finish so high after coming up and this too was a truly remarkable achievement. This is his third season in the job and what a way to end his time in Gorgie. Last night Hearts beat Rangers 2-0 in front of a sell out crowd at Tynecastle. The scoreline does not do Hearts justice and Hearts should have scored more goals – Rangers were lucky to get nil! Defeating either of the ‘Ugly Sisters’ is always sweet but to hammer them with an energy, skill level and relentless determination was beautiful to watch. In the results driven environment Robbie ticks every box.

My view on why Robbie wants to leave Hearts is connected to the fact that there is a perception up here in chilly Jocko land that all the footballing streets in England are paved with gold. I was in the Merchiston Hearts Supporters Club last night (aka The Merky) and standing in the queue for the bar idly glancing at the pre match coverage on the big screen TV. Robbie Neilson’s coupon appeared on the screen. The sound was off but you could see him smiling as he answered questions – this is very unusual for the normally dour Neilson. “Aye yer smiling now because yer thinking of yer first pay packet from Milton Keynes ya cunt” commented the guy in front of me at the bar.

Robbie Neilson last night: He smiles once a year but needs an anesthetic first

Despite the fact that MK Dons are in the third tier of English football and Hearts sit proudly in second position in Scottish Premier Division it seems very likely that his wage at MK Dons will be significantly higher than his salary at Tynecastle. I don’t think this is the full story though. I think the ambitious Robbie wants to test himself in another environment. Call it self actualisation if you like. MK Dons have a magnificent 30000 all seater stadium and the town has a population of 230000. The potential is there. I have only been to Stadium MK once but it is an environment that would not look out of place in the Premier League. Robbie must be thinking ‘now if I could get this club going..’

As you will have guessed by now I am a big fan of Robbie Neilson. A great young coach and a decent man and when he was younger he gave great service to my beloved Hearts as a player, notably scoring the pivotal penalty in the shoot-out in the 206 Scottish Cup Final (see my blog post dated July 3^rd). However I have to concede that he is not universally popular with all of the Hearts fans. The guy at the bar at The Merky was not completely off message with the whole of the Hearts fan base. A couple of things don’t work in Robbie’s favour. One is his dour demeanour and secondly his role as ‘Head Coach’ rather than ‘Manager’ encourages some of the Hearts fans to think of him as ‘Leveins puppet’ (or poodle as some of the more cruel fans will have it). I don’t have a problem with ‘dour’. I would rather my team boss was serious and business like than animated and flippant. The relationship with Levein is interesting . Unusually for Scottish football Hearts have a ‘Director of Football’ and ‘Head Coach’ arrangement rather than the God Almighty figure-head ‘the buck stops with me’ Manager set up. Ex Scotland manager Levein is The Director of Football and does have influence but Robbie takes the training and Robbie picks the team. The relationship between the two in my opinion is often misunderstood. I firmly believe that the current success of the Hearts team on the pitch is attributable to Neilson. Also, some fans are very difficult to please and have very short memories. Prior to the back-to-back wins at Tynecastle over the last four days Hearts had been on a short win-less run that included a loss to Kilmarnock and a draw at Hamilton. Hardly the end of the world in my opinion but enough to have some of the mad dogs within the Hearts support foaming at the mouth (and yes, I do mean you Roy Robertson!). So, on balance there are a few vocal and social media-savvy dissenters but the majority of the Hearts fans were behind Robbie and it was great to hear the chorus of “there’s only one Robbie Neilson” ringing out at Tynecastle during the last five minutes of the match last night.

I think Robbie will be a great fit for MK Dons. The one occasion I saw them in action I got the impression that this was a team that wanted to pass pass pass. They seemed to have a team full of players who looked comfortable on the ball and Robbie will build on that. He has a commitment to develop young players and I imagine this too will go down well at Stadium MK. In Chairman Pete Winkelman the Dons have a figure head who has a reputation for giving young managers time and space to progress the club. This could be a match made in heaven. It is reported that Robbie will take his trusty assistant Steve Crawford with him and I am confident that it won’t be long before the two of them are celebrating success at Stadium MK

Neilson and Crawford last night: Not long before they will be celebrating at Stadium MK

Robbie leaves Tynecastle with the Hearts beating strong. Last night was just such a great night to be at Tynecastle. Seeing one half of the bigot brothers getting humped by a commanding young well coached Hearts side was a joy. In the current Hearts squad Scottish International Calum Paterson, Jamie Walker and Sam Nicholson have all progressed from the Academy to become first team regulars under the watchful eye of the fastidious Neilson. Hearts have also gone into the transfer market and picked up young players from elsewhere in Scotland and then turned them into better players. Ex Dundee United fringe players John Souttar (20) and Robbie Muirhead (20) both starred last night. Robbie’s legacy is that he leaves behind a young side full of flair and aggression that should claim a place in Europe at the end of this season and are poised to challenge for domestic honours.

It is a quirky coincidence that on the night Robbie Neilson said goodbye to Tynecastle another Robbie (young Muirhead) announced himself as a Hearts star of the future. Signed in the summer he has been gently introduced to the first team action and has started very few games appearing mostly as a late substitute. Last night he was given the left side midfield berth and scored two great opportunist goals. His first two goals for the Jambos.

Robbie Muirhead celebrates scoring his first ever goal for Hearts

... and then kneels before the Hearts fans ... oh what a feeling !

That other Robbie puts Hearts 2-0 up against the team formerly known as Rangers

Robbie Muirhead seemed to enjoy scoring for Hearts and I certainly enjoyed seeing him do it.

Last night I watched as Robbie Nielson directed operations from the dug out in Tynecastle. On Saturday I will sit with the MK Dons fans at The Valley and watch as Robbie Neilson directs operations for the MK Dons side. Funny how things work out.

Who will win? Will I be following Robbie from Charlton to Milton Keynes in round 3. Will The Addicks turn it on and knock the Dons out of the Cup. Will the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet stage a protest at the game on Saturday. It is going to be fascinating stop on The Road to Wembley from Scotland. Keep reading to see how it all pans out.

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.

Ex MK Dons boss Karl Robinson takes over at Charlton Athletic in advance of the two clubs meeting in the Cup!

The ex MK Dons manager Karl Robinson is set to be named as Charlton boss later today in a quirky twist on the Road to Wembley from Scotland.  On Tuesday night another good result for the Addicks and another disastrous result for the Dons as the two teams gear up for the big match.

Karl Robinson was regarded as one of England’s brightest young managers in his early days at Stadium MK. He guided the Dons to promotion to the Championship and most football fans outside of Milton Keynes reckoned that the Dons were probably punching above their weight. When relegation back down to League One followed it was no great surprise. The Dons have started their first campaign back in League One badly and in mid October Karl paid the price of a run of poor results and left the club he had bossed so successfully for 6 years ‘by mutual consent’. To this outsider it did seem as if the trigger had been pulled too soon. One month later the talented Robinson is back in football and is certain to be named as Charlton Athletic manager later today. The bookies have closed the book and this is a sure sign that the appointment is imminent. Charlton Athletic have moved fairly quickly to replace the sacked Russell Slade.

Karl Robinson: The new boss at The Valley - Charlton going up ?

Trawling through the Charlton Athletic fans facebook pages and twitter feeds the appointment of Karl Robinson seems to have been met with general approval. However the Campaign Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) advise fans to continue to protest against the owner. Further protests are planned for Saturday when the Addicks play host to high flyers Sheffield United. Young Karl is indeed assuming the ‘hot seat’ moving into this turbulent environment and the controversial Belgian Charlton owner Roland Duchatalet has now appointed 6 different managers in the last 30 months. I wish Robinson well.

Taxi for Roland: The Campaign Against Roland Duchatelet takes to the road

Meanwhile in Milton Keynes the search for a manager goes on and is rivalling Coronation Street for longevity of a soap opera. It is now over a month since Karl Robinson left. At various times Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard and Steve Evans have been prominent in the betting. Steve Cotterrill has always been a short price and is now quoted at 1/4 and seems very likely to be given the job – but when? The Dons hierarchy are certainly taking their time in making an appointment. While the saga goes on the results on the pitch are getting worse and earlier this week things hit a new low.

At Stadium MK on Tuesday night the visitors for the League One fixture were bottom of the table Chesterfield. Before the match Chesterfield had never won an away league match this season. They got rid of that unwanted record when they left Milton Keynes with all three points having defeated The Dons 3-2. The MK Dons have still to win at home in the league this season and they desperately need a new boss in place to help turn things around. At this rate they are hurtling towards two successive relegations. On the same night the Addicks won 5-1 away at Bristol Rovers and are moving smoothly up the table in advance of Karl Robinson’s arrival.

How will the two protagonists play on Saturday as they complete their preparations for the Cup tie in South London on the 3^rd December? Will MK Dons finally appoint a new manager? What sort of reception will Karl Robinson get when he takes his seat in the dug-out at The Valley? Come back on Sunday for the answers to these questions … and much more. Keep reading.

Addicks and Dons both without managers but both get good results as the build up to the FA Cup tie continues

The next stop on the Road to Wembley from Scotland is Charlton Athletic v MK Dons at The Valley in South London in a fortnight. By a strange co-incidence both clubs are currently operating without a manager and yesterday the boss-less pair were both in League 1 action and both recorded good results.

Charlton Athletic do not have their troubles to seek at the moment. Not only have they no manager currently in place but they also have an owner who is hated by many of their fans. Millionaire Belgian businessman Roland Duchatalet owns the club but his key management decisions seem to indicate a lack of commitment to the club and the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) feel that his regime threaten the very existence and soul of Charlton Athletic. See http://charltoncard.tumblr.com/post/139650202571/everything-you-need-to-know-about-cards-protest for more details. I watched a 60 minute documentary on Youtube on Friday (sent to me by very concerned Addicks fans I have ‘met’ on twitter) detailing his over-seeing of relegation last season and apparent lack of interest in the progress of the club. He seems more interested in selling on promising young players than developing the team. The whole thing is reminiscent of the Vladimir Romanov era / project at my beloved Hearts. A project that almost put Hearts out of business. I feel for the Charlton fans and having watched the documentary I can understand their angst and frustration. The rumbling dispute with the owners is having an adverse affect on attendances as many fans are choosing to boycott home matches. Yesterday the attendance at The Valley was less than 9,000. This is a very low figure for a club that is traditionally very well supported. My Addicks friend on twitter Andy Phillips (@APCAFC) reckons that the FA Cup tie in a fortnight is likely to attract only about 5000 fans. Worrying times indeed. Despite all of this, the Addicks secured three vital league points yesterday when they beat Port Vale 2-0 at The Valley. The goals were scored by Josh McGennis and Nicky Ajose.

Mind the gap! Ajose puts the ball between the keeper's legs to score for the Addicks

Scot watch: No Scots in the Charlton team at the moment unfortunately but the first Addicks goal yesterday was scored by an Ulsterman with a strong affinity with Bella Caledonia. Josh McGennis spent 6 seasons in Scotland starring for Aberdeen and Kilmarnock before signing for The Addicks in the summer. No doubt the man who represented the Scottish Dons with great distinction will be hoping to score against The Dons from MK on the 3^rd December.

The appointment of a new manager at The Valley does not seem to be imminent but it is interesting to note that the odds on favourite to take the job is Karl Robinson – the man who was relieved of his duties my MK Dons last month. It would indeed be a strange twist of fate if Robinson was in the Charlton dug-out for the visit of the MK Dons in the FA Cup in a fortnight.

Manager-less MK Dons also secured a good result yesterday. They drew 0-0 away at high flying Bristol Rovers - a commendable effort but not quite good enough to lift them out of the relegation zone.

Scot watch: Starring for the Dons at the moment is the elegant young Scots centre back Jack Hendry who after making his breakthrough as a professional at Partick Thistle signed for Wigan Athletic. The 20 year old defender is currently on loan from the Lattics at Stadium MK and is making a name for himself with a series of cultured performances. Yesterday he was part of a back four who kept an important clean sheet. Young Jack is becoming very popular with the Dons supporters and today Colin Butler, MK Dons fan on facebook noted: “Jack Hendry gets flattened in our box, goes down, wins a free kick, the stretcher comes on, then gets up and does this to the Rovers fans who were hurling abuse at him. Top stuff Jack !!”

A Scottish greeting from Jack Hendry to the Bristol Rovers fans (Photo copyright Paul Knight/JMP 2016)

It is now a whole month since Karl Robinson stood down as manager. It would appear that the MK Dons are no closer to appointing a replacement. Wild rumours were circulating earlier this weekend that Steven Gerrard would be the next boss. It would seem that he was offered the job but reports say that he has turned it down. The current favourite is now Steve Cotterill but there are a number of Scots candidates in the betting also. Maybe the Dons will have a Scotsman in charge when they take on Charlton Athletic in South London early next month as the next stop on the Road to Wembley from Scotland.

Come back here in midweek when I will update with the latest from the Valley and Stadium MK. Keep reading!

Walsh wowed em when they returned to The Valley. Charlton Athletic have a rich Scots heritage

As regular readers know for every game on the Road to Wembely from Scotland I am on the lookout for Scots links. My next stop on ‘The Road’ is the Valley on Saturday the 3^rd December and for a team based in London , Charlton Athletic have a very rich Scots heritage. I have already reported on how a Scot won the FA Cup for Charlton in 1947. In the current Charlton squad the only Scot is Tony Watt who is on a season long loan at Hearts but the current youth team coach at The Valley is Scotsman Sergei Baltacha Junior. Other Scots who have served the Addicks with distinction in recent years include Mark Reid, Jim Melrose, Ralph Milne, Stuart Balmer and Colin Walsh.

Now, I know what you are thinking. The name Sergie Baltacha does not sound very Scottish. However Sergie (Jnr) is as Scottish as a fish supper after closing time on a Saturday night in Sauchiehall Street. His dad (Sergei Snr) is from the Ukraine and in the days before the dissolution of the Soviet Union represented USSR on 45 occasions between 1980 and 1988. In the twilight of his career he signed for Ipswich Town in a move that heralded him as ‘the man who has torn down English football’s iron curtain’. He played for Ipswich Town for two seasons before moving to St Johnstone in 1990. The Baltacha family loved it in Scotland and settled there. Sergie Jnr and his sister Elena (the former British number one tennis player who tragically passed away at the age of 30) were brought up in God’s chosen land. Sergie Snr moved on from St Johnstone to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 1993.

Sergie Snr arrives at Ipswich with wife Olga and kids Sergie Jnr and Elena

Sergie Snr finished his playing career at ICT and then went on to manage the club. Meanwhile Sergie Jnr was starting to make his own way in the football world. He signed for St Mirren in 1999 and played left back for the Buddies for four seasons.

Scotsman Sergie Baltacha Jnr in his playing days at St Mirren

Proud to call himself Scottish and proud to represent his country Sergei won 3 caps for the Scotland Under 21 team in season 1999-2000. In 2003 Sergie Jnr was transferred to Millwall and later settled in London. He is currently the youth team coach for Charlton Athletic and is proud to be developing some good young talent at The Valley. No doubt he will be making sure the Scottish traits of hard work, team work and flair are ingrained in the Addicks youngsters.

Mark Reid also played for the Scotland U-21 team but played some 20 years earlier than young Sergei. Mark was a precocious talent in the early eighties and made 124 appearances for Celtic at left back in his formative years. In 1985 he was transferred to Charlton Athletic and spent six seasons at The Valley.

Mark made 211 appearances for the Addicks scoring 15 goals. At the age of 30 he headed back over the border and finished his career at St Mirren.

Jim Melrose is another Scot who spent some time at The Valley. A striker who made his name at Partick Thistle Jim was a man of many clubs – including Charlton Athletic

During two seasons at The Valley in the mid eighties Melrose played 48 times and scored an impressive 19 goals. Jim’s other teams included Leicester, Coventry, Celtic and Man City and he scored goals wherever he went.

Ralph Milne was a legend at Dundee United but according to my new twitter friends from Charlton he was a nightmare at The Valley.

Ralph Milne: Brilliant at Tannadice - not so good at The Valley

Milne had all of his best years at Tannadice where he played for ‘The Terrors’ for 12 seasons between 1976 and 1987. The attacking midfielder weighed in with 45 goals for Dundee United and played for the Tayside club in a European Cup semi final and a UEFA Cup final. His time at The Valley was short and in season 87-88 he made 22 appearances for the Addicks and despite being prolific for Dundee United did not score a single goal for Charlton Athletic. He later played for Man United under Sir Alex where he was sparingly used as an effective impact substitute. Ralph hung up his boots in 1992 and sadly died of liver disease in his home town of Dundee only last year.

Stuart ‘Sweaty’ Balmer was a Jock who was popular with the Addicks fans. After failing to make the grade as a youngster at Celtic, Falkirk boy Stuart signed for Charlton at 1990. The reliable centre back spent 8 years at The Valley making 227 appearances for Charlton.

No sweat: The elegant Stuart Balmer in action for Boston United

His nickname ‘Sweaty’ is not because he perspired so freely but because he was recognised in South London, as rhyming slang will have it, a ‘sweaty sock’. Stuart also played for Boston United late in his career and I recall seeing him marshalling the Pilgrims defence with Caledonian candour on many occasions at York Street. Stuart has his name quirkily written in the Charlton Athletic history books as he is the only outfield player to have worn number one on his back. When squad numbers were introduced in the 90s the powers that be at The Valley had a great idea (not) to have the squad numbers in alphabetical order!

Last but not least in this mini (and certainly not comprehensive) round up of those Scots who have worn the famous red shirt is Colin Walsh. Colin is regarded as a legend at The Valley and indeed his name will forever be linked to the famous home ground of the Addicks. For a number of years, because of the closure of the ‘old’ Valley, Charlton had been playing their home games at Selhurst Park. After 7 years in exile the Addicks returned to The Valley in December 1992 and on an emotional afternoon Charlton won 1-0 against Portsmouth with a goal scored by Colin Walsh

Colin Walsh scorer of the first ever goal at the 'new' Valley: A legend

After signing from Nottingham Forest in 1986 the midfielder from Lanarkshire played 291 times for the Addicks and spent ten years at the club scoring 30 goals. His emotional ties with the Addicks are strong and he remains a popular figure with the fans. He retired in 1996 and has since been inducted into the Charlton Athletic Hall of Fame. Colin has had a massively positive effect on the development of the Addicks as a club.

There are no doubt many more Scots who have made a contribution at The Valley. I would be interested in hearing of others from Charlton Athletic fans and I look forward to seeing the current Addicks team (albeit currently jock-less) on my next stop on The Road to Wembley from Scotland when they take on MK Dons at The Valley on the 3^rd December.

A reconnaissance mission - Wembley in November. Also Charlton and MK Dons in League One action.

I am supposed to complete this project at Wembley on Saturday the 27^th May 2017 but on Friday night I arrived there 6 months early! My old mucker Anne Donkin and I managed to get tickets relatively late on for the World Cup qualifier between England and Scotland so on Friday morning the man who is writing ‘The Road to Wembley from Scotland’ set off for Wembley from Scotland!

Wembley on Friday night: A great view of the action from every seat

I have been to the ‘new’ Wembley once before to see Stockport County beat Rochdale in the 2008 League Two play off final. Prior to that I had been to the ‘old’ Wembley once. My brother Stephen and I went to see York City win on penalties against Crewe Alexandra in the 1993 Third Division play off final. God, how I love those big games at Wembley! In 2008 me and a pal, Roy Thorley, arrived at the famous stadium relatively close to the kick off and headed home soon after the game so the stadium’s iconic status did not really register with me. On Friday night it did.

Wembley Stadium is a very impressive football ground making even a football watching veteran of many decades wide eyed with amazement. Accommodating 90,000 fans it is of course vast. The problem with the old Wembley was the two semi-circles behind the goals meant that if you had a ticket for these areas then you needed binoculars to see the action. When the old ground was knocked down to be rebuilt the architects removed this blemish and every one of the 90000 seats has a great view of the action. The Wembley Arch is a fantastic addition. It can be seen from miles away and being lit up with different colours makes it look spectacular.

Arriving at Wembely mid afternoon - ready for some heavy pre match drinking

There is loads to do if you are early for the match. There are bars, food outlets and bookies everywhere and most preferences are catered for. If you want something better than the gassy pish that they usually serve at the big grounds you can go to the real ale bar. If you want something to eat you can choose between hot dogs, burgers, pizzas and pies or indeed something slightly more exotic. The only downside was the pricing. With the stadium generating so much income through ticket sales I did think that the pricing of the food and drink was way over the top. I paid £5.20 for a pint but despite my love of a match day pie I just could not bring myself to pay £4.70 for a steak and ale pie. Also £7.00 for a ‘pulled pork dog’ was outrageous. Who is pulling all this pork anyway and is it not about time they were arrested for that? Before the match Anne and I bumped in to the Penicuik Tartan Army and they were kind enough to lend us their flag for a photo opportunity. We may well enlist!

Me and my old mucker: Ready for National Service Cuiky style

An hour before the kick off of any match most football supporters feel confident no matter how improbable success for their team is. We were feeling good. Scotland were going to do this! Two things dampened our spirits. We found out that Scotland would be playing in pink. Jeez! I am in touch with my feminine side but for fucks sake – going in to battle with the Auld Enemy in a crucial World Cup qualifier at Wembley wearing pink! The other bit of news that filtered through was that Callum Paterson of Hearts would not be in the starting line up. My old mucker and I are both season ticket holders at Tynecastle. Jambo Callum is Anne’s favourite player mostly because he has no visible tattoos but also because he is Hearts best player by some distance. Scotland only had one right back in their 23 man squad and it was young Paterson. Despite being a defender he scores goals too and is Hearts top scorer this season. He had to be picked, maybe he would score the winning goal for Scotland at Wembley. He was not picked. Strachan selected Anya of Watford who is a winger to play at right back in this most vital of fixtures. Hmm, I still can’t work that one out yet.

Callum Paterson: No visible tattoos and no place in the starting line up

The singing during the first half was interesting - before the Scots went quiet when the match was lost. In the seventies I went to a couple of Scotland v England matches at Hampden (see my post dated the 24th June) and the atmosphere was vitriolic and hatred was in the air. The chanting in the seventies featured such classics as 'we hate Jimmy Hill, he's a poof, he's a poof' to the tune of the British Airways advert song 'we will take more care of you fly the flag fly the flag' and 'Bobby Moore Superstar he walks like a woman and he wears a bra' to the tune of Jesus Chris Superstar. Some forty years later the sons and grandsons of the seventies chanters sang 'he is one of your own, he is one of your own, Jimmy Savile he is one of your own' to the tune of the chorus of Sloop John B and 'Big Sam's a liar, Scotland's gaunnae  qualify' to the tune of the club anthem 'Freed by Desire'. The England supporters responded with 'Cheer up Gordon Strachan oh what can it mean to a sad Scottish bastard and a shit football team' to the tune of Daydream Believer. The difference between the seventies and now is that this was almost self parody of the past. It was more pantomime than hatred. The whole evening was very lightly policed and we saw no sign of trouble. The Scots and English fans headed for the same pubs in Wembley after the match. The English fans were happy but not gloating and the Scots fans were philosophical. Times have changed.

The match itself was disappointing from a Scotland point of view. Many pundits have said that Scotland played ok and competed well. The bald fact is that Scotland lost 3-0. England may have been matched by the Scots in most departments but they scored three goals and Scotland scored none. England were clinical in front of goal and deserved their win. Despite the result I enjoyed the Wembley experience and I look forward to going back there in April for the FA Cup semi finals and of course returning in late May for the culmination of this project.

Meanwhile back in League One yesterday the two protagonists in the next match on the Road to Wembley from Scotland were in League action. Charlton Athletic were away at Swindon in a lunchtime kick off and lost 3-0. Things are not right at The Valley and whilst the fans displeasure with how the club is being run should not affect the team there is no doubt that results have been poor and are showing no signs of improving. They are now only 3 points off the relegation zone. The real problem may be, with Tony Watt being on loan at Hearts, that they don’t have a single Scotsman in their playing squad. The MK Dons were playing at home but have not won a league match at Stadium MK all season. Trailing Walsall 1-0 as the game headed in to stoppage time Dean Bowditch scored an important equaliser. The point gained may prove to be vital come the end of the season. Dons fans on facebook have heralded this late strike as a possible turning point in the season. We shall see. The Dons man of the match yesterday in this Remembrance fixture was the young Scotsman Jack Hendry who fittingly received his award from a World War II veteran. Glaswegian Jack is clearly enjoying life on loan from Wigan in Milton Keynes and has now established himself as the lynchpin of the Dons back four.

Man of the Match Scot Jack Hendry receives his award from WWII veteran Arnold Hargreaves 

The MK Dons are still operating without a permanent manager and it is now three weeks since Karl Robinson left. From this distance it looks like an upturn in fortunes could be triggered by the appointment of a new boss. You obviously don’t want to rush these things but three weeks guys – come on.

No midweek matches for the two gladiators this week but come back here on Thursday to see if MK Dons have finally found a new boss and also to read of the links between Charlton Athletic and Scotland. Keep reading. 

Addicks and Dons both give youth a chance in midweek as the build up to the FA Cup tie begins

Charlton Athletic and The MK Dons are now in focus as the second round of the FA Cup on The Road to Wembley from Scotland gets closer. On Tuesday both teams were in action in the much maligned Checkatrade Trophy. Both teams lost but in truth both games were meaningless.

The Checkatrade Trophy is the latest incarnation of The Football League Trophy. Previous sponsors have included LV Vans, Auto Windscreens and Johnstones Paints. The Trophy offers a chance for League One and League Two teams to play in a straight knock out competition with a chance to reach a Wembley final. So, what is not to like about that? Nothing. So why change the format? This season two innovations have been introduced and they have been to invite Academy (U-21) teams from the big clubs and also to play the early rounds as all-play-all groups of 4 teams rather than straight knock-out.

The introduction of the Academy sides has back fired massively as the big guns (e.g. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United) have in most cases turned down the invitation. This in turn means that to make up the numbers not-so-big teams currently playing in The Championship (e.g. Reading, Blackburn Rovers, Derby County) were invited to enter their Academy teams thus devaluing the competition further. Also the re-introduction of a group stage has led to a number of fixtures being totally meaningless ‘dead rubbers’.

On Tuesday Charlton Athletic travelled to play Colchester United in a match that meant SFA (and I don’t mean the Scottish Football Association). Both teams had already been eliminated from the competition before the match started due to their previous group stage results. The match finished 1-1 with Ajose on target for the Addicks. The rules of the competition state that if a game (even a meaningless game) finishes level then there must be a penalty kick competition to decide the outcome. Saints preserve us! For the record the home team won on penalties. The Addicks manager, Russell Slade, was clearly looking for positives to take out of this fiasco when he declared himself pleased to be able to blood some of his young players. The Charlton team that lost on Tuesday night will bear little resemblance to the team that represents the club on Saturday.

Over in Norfolk on the same night the MK Dons were playing against Norwich City under 21s. They were thumped 4-1 by the young canaries but who actually gave a damn about the result? Not the Caretaker Manager of MK Dons apparently as he took the opportunity to field a virtual Dons youth team. Ironically the Norwich U-21s featured a number of over-age players and it was clear that the ‘Academy’ innovation had proven to be a complete farce. I am pretty sure that the average age of the ‘full’ MK Dons side was less than the average age of the ‘U-21’ Norwich City side. Norwich City’s average attendance this season seems to be about 26,000 and on Tuesday night only 1042 hardy souls turned up. The last I heard on twitter on Monday is that the Dons had sold 24 tickets to their fans for this match. Well done to those 24 – now that is what I call dedication even if therein madness lies.

Norwich U-21s v MK Dons on Tuesday: Spot the Spectator 

The draw for the second round of the Checkatrade Trophy has been made and MK Dons travel to play Yeovil Town in December. Hopefully from this point on the competition will be a bit more credible and interesting for the teams still in.

Hence, as I looked for a form guide from Charlton and MK in advance of the big FA Cup tie in early December I learned nothing – except that the Checkatrade Trophy is pants. On Saturday The Addicks travel to Swindon and the MK Dons play host to Walsall in important League One fixtures. These matches will give a much better indication of what form the two protagonists are in ahead of the big game. I will be reporting on these games in a post on Sunday.

Other midweek news concerns the continuing search for a new manager for MK Dons with The Chairman now saying it might be another week before a decision is announced. The odds keep changing and the bookies now think it is a two horse race with Paul Mitchell and Steve Cotterill both short odds. Thankfully controversial Scotsman Steve Evans has drifted in the betting to 25/1 and it now seems very unlikely that he will land the job. Good news for MK Dons fans because, believe me, you don’t want him at the helm.

The next post will be on Sunday as I am taking a couple of days off – for a good reason. The man who is writing the ‘Road to Wembley from Scotland’ is going to Wembley from Scotland!

Anne Donkin proud member of the Tartan Army: Wembley here we come

Tomorrow night me and my old mucker Anne Donkin will be at the famous stadium in North London to see England v Scotland in a World Cup qualifier. The match against the ‘Auld Enemy’ is the oldest international football fixture in the world. The first ever meeting was in 1872 at Hamilton Crescent Glasgow. Tomorrow night will be the 113^th meeting of the great rivals. Cannae wait ..

Will Scotland beat England? Will the Addicks and the Dons win on Saturday? Will the MK Dons finally appoint a manager to replace Karl Robinson? Come back here on Sunday to find out the answers to these questions and much more!