Once More With Feeling

Well, almost time once more, for the Saturday ritual to begin. It will be good to see old friends and new in the Rose of Denmark again, and I do get a buzz from seeing The Valley turf in pristine condition, ready for another season of toil.

Fifteen new signings, most of whom will be hoping to make an impact on Saturday, and I suspect no less than eight will be in the starting lineup, with at least one other on a reduced five man bench. Had Green been available, I would have expected nine starters to have been on the pitch at 3pm on Saturday. A new beginning for the club, most certainly. A new dawn?, possibly, but let's not get carried away just yet. Whilst it is undoubtedly true that Powell has pretty much got the parts, it would be unrealistic to say that he had the finished article in terms of a team.

I occasionally wonder whether the players or management understand how a good or bad result makes, or messes up the rest of the weekend for us fans. Win this one, and I will seek press coverage of the game, and read it avidly. I will also convince my long suffering eldest son that compiling a league table after one game is a meaningful exercise. In a mood of largesse, I will offer to take the DD family out for lunch on Sunday. They will almost certainly refuse this random act of kindness, as they have no desire to be seen with a broadly grinning loon. Lose, and I will probably have to cut the grass. Being a balanced sort of chap, I believe it will be a draw :-)

Good luck to Powell, the squad, and all of us - Come on you Addicks!!

Contract End - Dec 2011

(25) Davisson

Contract End - June 2012

(23) Alonso
(14) Benson
(12) Doherty
(44) Elliot
(19) Francis
(15) Mambo
(18) Pritchard
(10) Wright-Phillips

Contract End - June 2013

(3) Evina
(32) Harriott
(2) Hughes
(33) Osborne
(30) Pope
(20) Solly
(13) Sullivan
(6) Taylor
(11) Wagstaff

Contract End - June 2014

(7) Green
(1) Hamer
(9) Hayes
(22) Hollands
(4) Jackson
(5) Morrison
(8) Stephens
(16) Wiggins

First Professional Contract

(31) Cousins
(29) Gough
(21) Bover-Izquierdo
(26) Popo
(27) Warren

Loan

None