Zabeel's On The Bus

I remember a feeling of deep unease when Charlton were first promoted to the Premier League after THAT game at Wembley. I voiced my disquiet to other Charlton supporting friends and was regarded by them as mad. So why was I concerned? Well, I felt I was losing my football club, that's why! The impersonal nature, and superficial money fuelled values of England's top flight left me with a bitter taste, as I watched them make my beloved club become more distant to me.

And yet, when we were promoted again, I didn't have the same feelings or concerns, why? Perhaps I had become used to dining at football's top table. Maybe, I knew that for Charlton to thrive rather than just survive, we had to be at the trough with the rest of the chosen few. And it is probably for the same reasons, that on balance, I would welcome Zabeel Investments as the new owners of South London's finest.

So while Waggsy has been removed to Saprrows Lane, and the money men occupy his office for due diligence purposes, I wonder what this turn of events is going to do for Alan Pardew? The unreal expectation about Charlton returning to the Prem, which was starting to damp down, as more and more fans realised that we were going to be an adequate Champ side for the forseeable future, is about to go into orbit once more. The January transfer window is about to get a little bit more interesting, but I do wonder whether it will be Pardew doing the spending, despite the statutory vote of confidence from the prospective new owners.

Meanwhile, over here in Nigel land, Simon Jordan must be orange with envy.