'Crystal Balls'

This is the heading on a story in the January issue of 4-4-2 about the sacking of Charlton pitch announcer Brian Cole. Following a complaint from a member of the Crystal Palace board, he was fired the next day via the club website. I had the impression that he had been given the tin tack when an emissary of Charlton supremo Peter Varney had appeared in the stands to tell him not to come back on the pitch at half time. In fact, he had nothing to do at half time and therefore never had any need to go pitchside. However, at this stage he apparently believed it would all be forgiven if he apologised the next morning, but instead he learnt the news of his dismissal on the web site, followed up by a stern lecture on the subject by Varney in the programme for the 'Boro game.

For Brian's account of the sequence of events go to: Brian Cole

Horse and cart

As Cole points out in 4-4-2, it was hardly a hanging offence. Indeed, on the opposite page Cardiff City PA announcer Ali Yassin is reported to have made the following announcement before the game against the Irons: 'Will the owner of a horse attached to a rag and bone cart in the visitors' car park please return to his vehicle?' He also played Steptoe and Son, whereas requests to play 'Living Next Door to Alice' at Charlton were turned down. Yassin apparently remains in his job.

Brian Cole believes that his remarks were no more inflammatory than those made by his Palace counterpart. 'They announced that there was a caravan causing an obstruction outside the stadium with a Charlton sticker and the registration P1KEY. We laughed - like their fans did when I said "Palarse". The difference is that no one got sacked.'

The article is given an extra edge by the description of Brian as being 'from Croydon'. He was born in Lewisham and now lives on Portsea Island, among a dense concentration of Pompey fans who have 'passion' as their middle name (indeed, one has changed his name to that of the club). However, he was brought up in the suburban wasteland that is known as Croydon. It happens to the best of us. My wife grew up in Thornton Heath and her father was a Palace supporter, but she started work in Woolwich and soon saw the light.

No passion please - we're Charlton

4-4-2 quote one incensed fan who said 'Maybe next time Palace visit the Valley we won't be allowed to sing anything, just in case it hurts their feelings.' My understanding is that there were some people behind the scenes at The Valley who thought that Cole's style and body image did not 'fit in' with the 'family' corporate image that Charlton wanted to promote, i.e., bland and passionless. Indeed, judging by the way the crowd behaves at The Valley, they have got what they wanted.

I have no idea what Peter Varney's stand is on this. I had thought of him as someone who was accessible to the fans and understood their concerns. Now his main interest seems to be delivering magisterial lectures to them in the programme. Indeed, being in the Premiership seems to have gone to our Reg's head, as he is always dropping the names of people at 'big clubs' that he has talked to (it was David Gill at Manchester United in the Chelsea programme).

The programme itself is a monument to the blandness of the club. When the Rickster was staying up all night to produce it, it did have a bit more of a fan friendly feel. I have E mailed our almost invisible supporters' director on the subject of the programme and it will be interesting to see if she replies and what she says.