Thursday 11 January 2024
Disappointing that the FA Youth Cup game in Bristol was postponed so late due to a frozen pitch. The two sides are scheduled to play at Sparrows Lane on Saturday in a league game.
The ‘Online Fan meeting’ on Charlton TV & U-Tube last night was interesting, as were a lot of the comments on our own WhatsApp Group from those who were watching, and a few who couldn’t make it but are interested in what was said. I’m sure there will a mixture of views on a lot of what was said and for most fans it will not be as important as what happens on the pitch this Saturday and in subsequent weeks. Good to see Heather Alderson (one of our own) and Lucy Bishop asking some pertinent questions.
One point I did pick up on was that the international broadcasting rights are still out to tender for next season. That could still mean games will be available to watch when outside the UK, but presumably it will be through the provider who wins the tender and not Charlton TV. What does that mean for the likes of Scott, Brownie, Curbs, Terry and Greg? The production team and camera operators will all be affected too?
Maybe it will be back to an audio service only?
This afternoon I’ll be heading to Aberdeen where, over the course of Friday to Sunday, my wife Marianne will be running an anthropometry course for sports scientists and coaches working (mostly) for Aberdeen Football Club. On Friday and Saturday, after helping Marianne set up for the course, I will be relaxing at our AirBnB accommodation, doing yoga, including a class at David Lloyd Club in Aberdeen, writing my blog and following the Charlton game on my iPad. Sunday I will be employing my spreadsheet skills and ‘keeping the scores on the doors’ as the participants on the course practice what they have been taught on three test subjects. They have to complete body composition measures within given tolerances of Marianne’s results (measuring the same subjects) in order to pass the exam. The qualification they obtain in passing is ISAK (International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry) accreditation, which is internationally recognised across sport, health and academia. Sports Science is now a very important part of the back room support at professional football clubs. This can be prioritised towards the first team at many clubs. Anthropometry is, however, of greater value in the academies as young players, who are still growing into their bodies, can be assessed and supported more effectively in their training and development after a better understanding of where they may be physically when they are fully grown adults.
My son Corin played a lot of football from a very young age into his early twenties. He found a good deal of success playing for his primary school in national tournaments (in a team of other boys and Caroline Weir of Scotland and Real Madrid fame). He played for Dunfermline Athletic youth for several years before moving to Alloa Athletic, a year with Hillfield Swifts in the Edinburgh League (winning several cup competitions) and then for East Stirlingshire youths and three substitute appearances for the first team (who were still in Scottish League 2 at the time). As a centre back Corin had footballing ability aplenty and height, but had not bulked out quickly enough, which I always felt was one factor in why he was moved on from Dunfermline and Alloa. More on Corin in a later blog.
Charlton announced yesterday a new partnership with the ‘leading Jamaican football academy’, Mount Pleasant. If that means the club can get first call on any prospects developed at the academy and provide them with a gateway into the game over here then that has to be positive, and it works well with us having two Jamaican internationals in the first team just now.
No new striker for the men’s first team yesterday but Melisa Filis, 21 year old midfielder, signed on loan from West Ham for the women.