Bring back the Yellow Jersey Award

I have been reading Keith Peacock's autobiography No Substitute and a very good read it is too (available from a club shop near you). Keith has a very interesting football story to tell and, as one would expect, it has been well crafted by Rick Everitt who has a way with words (although one does 'defuse' rather than 'diffuse' a situation, p.59, but, hey, everyone makes a proof reading mistake).

In the triumphant days after 1998 when we were relegated after our Wembley victory but fought our way back to the Premiership, Charlton players and the management team had something called the Yellow Jersey Award which was given to the person who had dropped the biggest clanger the previous week. Even Curbs had to wear it once and it seemed to be a great morale builder. Keith notes, 'It is a pity that as we developed as a Premiership club this particular ritual came to an end, but until 2000 it helped maintain team spirit and humility among the whole squad.'

Although I don't accept the view that the current Charlton team lacks effort or commitment to playing well (professionals in any walk of life all have off days when they are below par), something of the old Charlton spirit does seem to have disappeared. Jests like that with the yellow jersey helped to build solidarity in the squad and it is a shame that they are seen as incompatible with a professional Premiership image.

Needless to say, Keith is very interesting on his early days at Charlton. He notes, 'whenever the club had a good side they never followed up with the crucial next step.'

Village idiots

Keith Peacock's account of the managerial reign of Andy Nelson borders on the hilarious. More recent fans may not know that he once denounced his critics among the supporters as 'village idiots'. Apparently, one of Nelson's idiosyncracies was to address all players as 'sir'. He also insisted that they play to a rigid plan from which there was to be no variation, even if their innovations won the game. When Colin Powell scored a good goal from the wing at Palace, Nelson rebuked him: 'You don't shoot from there, sir. If you do it again, you'll be off.'

When Charlton won 4-1 at The Valley against Spurs with a Flanagan hat-track, Nelson bawled him out afterwards. With Flanagan clutching the match ball, Nelson declared, 'You won't score goals if you carry on like that, sir! You were shooting when you should have passed.' When Peacock was dropped from the team, Nelson told him with his usual subtletly, 'Your little legs have gone, sir.'

Baggies

I am looking forward to the Baggies tomorrow in the hope that the Addicks will not suffer from altitude sickness at England's highest ground and will start to string a little run together. There are rumours that Jeffers may start which would certainly enliven proceedings. It looks as if JJ will be out for about a month after the injury he picked up at Palace and Kevin Lisbie is also injured. So there is every hope of a Bartlett/Jeffers combination up front.