Charlton Athletic

Paul Sullivan
Fan Writer

Charlton Athletic travel to Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon (15:00 BST), in what promises to be a stern early season test.

Bristol City's opening league win was a statement 4-1 victory over the very team, Sheffield United, that knocked them out of last season's play-off semi-finals with a crushing 6–0 aggregate scoreline.

That emphatic result set the tone, and with a solid EFL Cup victory over MK Dons also under their belt, they have begun with both a league and cup win.

Charlton, freshly promoted, also got off to a promising start, landing a narrow Championship opening day win at home against Watford, quickly followed by a 3‑1 EFL Cup triumph over Stevenage.

This encounter offers a barometer of Charlton's credentials. While Bristol City rotated five players for their cup match, Charlton made 11 changes - prioritising depth, youth and fresh legs.

Ashton Gate is a proper football stadium - I have visited three times - and fans may still feel the sting of injury-time heartbreak in the 2019-20 season.

My own indelible memory is of 6ft 5in Dane Simon Makienok fussing over his long blond hair more than the action during a Boxing Day match in 2015.

My first visit here was part of my 'Doing the 92' quest - a joyful double-header that included ticking Newport County off the list later that evening.

On the pitch, Charlton must avoid gifting cheap free-kicks in Scott Twine territory. The City playmaker has already had a hand in five goals this season (two goals and three assists).

In both of their matches, City have shone in pressing intensity and rapid transitions - hallmarks of head coach Gerhard Struber's style, which is founded on vertical, high-energy football.

Charlton, though, have weapons of their own: Lloyd Jones is a physical menace at set-pieces, Josh Edwards' long throws can wreak havoc, and pacey Rob Apter adds penetrating delivery from the right.

Up front, the forward combinations of Tyreece Campbell, Charlie Kelman, Issac Olaofe or Miles Leaburn could unsettle any defence.

Still, City's Championship nous may just have the edge. Reluctantly, I'm predicting a narrow 2‑1 defeat for the Addicks.

Nathan Jones is focused on maintaining Charlton's good start to the campaign when the Addicks head to Bristol City on Saturday [15:00 BST].

Athletic overcame Watford 1-0 in their first game since promotion from League One last Saturday, which saw Jones' summer acquisition make telling contributions.

He told BBC Radio London: "When people get early goals, when people start well then of course that brings you an element of satisfaction.

"If you get your recruitment right you have got a hell of a chance of getting results. If you get recruitment wrong, you're done."

The Robins avenged their one-sided defeat to Sheffield United in last season's play-off semi-final with a thumping 4-1 win at Bramall Lane on the opening day, and, like the Addicks, enjoyed a two-goal home win against lower league opponents in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

"They'll have their tails up, we know it will be a very difficult game, but this is why we want to be [in the Championship]," Jones added.

"We know we can compete at this level, but this isn't the destination, it's part of the journey.

"We have started the season well but now it's all about maintaining it."

Both Bristol City and Charlton Athletic had much to celebrate after their opening Championship games as they prepare to meet at Ashton Gate on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Robins began their campaign with a stunning 4-1 victory at Sheffield United and will hope to bring the party to their first home game of the season.

Meanwhile, promoted Charlton began life in the Championship with a 1-0 win over Watford.

• Bristol City beat Charlton Athletic 2-1 the last time this exact fixture was played in October 2019 and will be looking for successive victories over the Addicks at Ashton Gate for the first time since October 1975.

• Bristol City have won their opening home game in just two of the last seven league seasons (D3 L2). However, following their 4-1 win at Sheffield United on MD1, they could start a league campaign with back-to-back victories for the first time since 2020-21.

• Following their 1-0 win at Watford on MD1, Charlton will be looking to start consecutive league campaigns with back-to-back wins for the first time since 2009-10 to 2011-12 (all in League One).

• In this match, Charlton will be looking to claim their first away victory in the Championship since a 1-0 success against Hull City in June 2020.

• On MD1, Bristol City's Scott Twine recorded two goals and an assist against Sheffield United; the first time he's recorded three goal contributions in a Championship match and the fourth time in his overall EFL career.

Paul Sullivan
Fan Writer

Ibrahim Fullah was the standout in Charlton Athletic's comfortable 3‑1 victory over League One side Stevenage in the Carabao Cup first round at The Valley on Tuesday.

The 18‑year-old Lewisham-born midfielder made his full professional debut and scored Charlton's second goal in a slick academy-crafted move with Henry Rylah, reinforcing the club's reputation for nurturing talent.

Fullah impressed throughout his 82‑minute outing, displaying maturity beyond his years with assured control and calm decision‑making. He executed his goal brilliantly, steering Rylah's cross firmly into the corner after evading the attentions of ex‑Addick loanee Chem Campbell and Jasper Pattenden.

Keen-eyed Addicks will remember his lively cameo off the bench in the final game of the regular season before the play-offs, when he came on in the 85th minute against Burton Albion.

Speaking afterwards, manager Nathan Jones lauded his energy and confidence, noting his "lack of fear—almost disrespect to the opposition", while stressing how he conducts himself respectfully off the pitch. "He can be a top footballer if he continues to work hard," Jones added.

Stevenage's evening had an inauspicious start even before kick-off when their team bus struggled to navigate the tight entrance to The Valley, forcing manager Alex Revell to lead the players on a short walk to the dressing rooms.

This tie took place on what would have been the 44th birthday of superfan Seb Lewis, who sadly passed away during Covid.

Seb was enshrined as a club hero, with a mural at The Valley, for attending 1,076 consecutive matches, a 22-year run stretching back to February 1998.

Ollie, his brother, recalled one of many anecdotes: when determined not to miss a behind-closed-doors friendly, he once hid from a distance at QPR's training ground near Heathrow!

Always in our hearts.

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones says that midfielder Ibrahim Fullah will make an "impact" during the side's Championship season.

The Addicks academy graduate scored on his full debut for the club during their 3-1 EFL Cup victory over Stevenage to leave an impression on his boss.

Following the side's promotion from League One last season, Jones says the club's young players would probably struggle to command much game time in the Championship - though Fullah may be one of the exceptions.

"Ibrahim [Fullah] is closer than people think," Jones told BBC Radio London after the match.

"We've gone up a level so, for them to keep pace with us and the Championship, their level has to go up, but there are a few in there that will impact us.

"Ibi is one of those."

Listen to the full post-match interview with Jones and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Charlton Athletic have named former striker Danny Hylton as their set-piece and first-team coach.

The 36-year-old takes over from James Brayne, who has left the club to join Premier League Sunderland.

Hylton retired from playing after making six league appearances and scoring one goal for the Addicks last season as they won promotion to the Championship via the play-offs.

The former Oxford United and Luton Town player initially moved to The Valley as a player-coach before becoming a fully integrated member of the playing squad.

"We earmarked Danny Hylton a long time ago as someone we wanted in our coaching environment and someone we wanted to give more responsibility to, and he is the natural successor to James," Charlton head coach Nathan Jones told the club's website, external.

"He's someone we know very well and has the knowledge and ability to thrive in his new role."

Charlton host Stevenage in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday (19:45 BST) before travelling to face Bristol City in the league on Saturday (15:00).

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

After the Lord Mayor's Show on Saturday, Tuesday evening's Carabao Cup clash promises a quieter affair — with stand closures and a more modest crowd — as Charlton Athletic welcome a second Hertfordshire side - Stevenage - to The Valley in the first round.

Stevenage have made a flying start to their League One campaign, winning both of their opening games against Blackpool and Rotherham United respectively.

They have always posed a tricky test for Charlton, as recent results have shown: a defeat at Broadhall Way last season, and two hard-fought draws under former boss Steve Evans in the 2023-24 campaign.

In fairness, we enjoyed a more straightforward contest at The Valley back in February during our League One run, winning 2–0 thanks to goals from Matty Godden and Luke Berry. We also restricted them to no shots on target — a solid display against Alex Revell's side.

Still, both managers are likely to ring the changes, and here's the bugbear I've had for years.

Once upon a time, teams like Liverpool managed all competitions with a 16-man squad. Modern football has long since abandoned that approach, with domestic cup games often becoming the stage for heavy rotation — especially in this competition.

The league takes priority now, and this old dinosaur will just have to get use to it.

But imagine someone bucking the trend - you never know, another Swindon Town or Luton Town-style cup fairytale could happen, as a smaller club plays a full-strength side and is rewarded with silverware.

I get the feeling Nathan Jones wants to do well in this competition and keep the winning momentum going. On paper, there should be enough in our new-look squad to progress — but Stevenage are awkward customers.

Score prediction: Charlton 3–1 Stevenage.

Paul Sullivan provides commentary on Charlton Athletic games for the visually impaired.

Paul Sullivan
Fan Writer

It's amazing to think the last competitive match was at Wembley — and now, here we were at The Valley, ready to embark on our Championship adventure.

Pre-match thoughts naturally turned to whether we could cope in this harsh environment. A new mindset has taken hold - keep clean sheets, score crucial goals - football is a simple game.

The fan zone buzzed with excitement before kick-off. The pitch looked lush under the bright sunshine, and the atmosphere was full of optimism.

Sir Chris Powell received a heartfelt reception from The Valley faithful — a touching tribute to a club legend.

There was a poignant minute's applause for three members of the Charlton family we've sadly lost: Pierre Bolangi, Ethan Ade-Oduwale, and Jorge Costa.

When the team sheets landed an hour before kick-off, Charlton had five debutants in the starting XI; Watford had three.

As it turned out, we acquitted ourselves well — attacking the task head-on, just as Nathan Jones promised. There was no fear.

We took the early initiative with a Lloyd Jones effort that forced a smart save from Watford keeper Egil Selvik.

After our early pressure, Watford began to grow into the game, showing the technical quality in their ranks. Selvik, Ngakia, Louza, and Baah particularly caught the eye on this blue-sky afternoon.

A tasty battle was developing between Charlton's left wing-back Josh Edwards and Watford's explosive winger Kwadwo Baah. On 42 minutes, Baah came off worse in one of their duels, ending up face down near the Alan Curbishley Stand advertising boards.

Half-time assessment: After an excitable Charlton start, Watford regained their composure but they were grateful to Selvik for keeping them level with two fine saves.

At the hour mark, it felt like there was nothing between the sides but you sensed either team could strike at any moment.

When Edwards limped off on 80 minutes after an epic shift, concern set in. His presence will be vital in upcoming games against Bristol City and Leicester.

Six minutes of stoppage time were added and two defining moments were still to come.

Jones later admitted Watford should have had a penalty after Kaminski clashed with debutant Nestory Irankunda.

Then came the wonder moment in the 94th minute. The Valley erupted and once again, Nathan Jones dropped to his knees in thanks.

Conor Coventry swung in a deep corner, Lloyd Jones headed it back across goal, and there was new boy Harvey Knibbs to prod home. What a moment for the lad.

It was a memorable afternoon. After the euphoria of Wembley in May, we've begun life in the Championship with a last-gasp winner against a side who supposedly don't lose on opening day.

Post-match, there were some shenanigans between the two sets of players. Even Nathan Jones got involved in some animated gesturing towards the Watford fans. But when he made his way to the Covered End to celebrate with the Charlton faithful, the passion was clear — every punch in the air reflected the magnitude of the result.

Let's not forget, this is a manager who took us from 19th in League One in February 2024 to this moment of triumph.

Three vital points were secured and when survival is the first aim, it's a fantastic start. But under NJ's leadership, you sense there may be more gears to go through in this division.

While it's early days, there was no fear from this Charlton side just pride, intent, and purpose.

We're the new boys and we should be proud of ourselves.

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones was overjoyed with his side's win on their return to the Championship.

Harvey Knibbs' stoppage-time winner ensured the Addicks took all three points as they beat Watford 1-0.

"I thought we took about 10 minutes to settle, they played a bit of possession football and we didn't get the press right," he told BBC London.

"But once we got to grips with the game I thought we were excellent, we went after it, we created chances.

"Their keeper's made some excellent saves and I thought we were excellent and thoroughly deserved it - more shots, more shots on target.

"Then to score in the manner that we did is a wonderful way to win a game."

"The amount of new managers coming into the league this year, I have never seen anything like it".

Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by special guests Tommy Smith and Alex Bruce to preview the 2025-26 Championship season.

They discuss a range of topics including assessing chances of sides coming down from the Premier League, who the contenders might be for the top six and take a deep dive of each of the sides promoted from League One.

Listen to the full episode of 72+ and more on BBC Sounds.

Just 76 days after beating Leyton Orient at Wembley in the League One Play-off Final, Charlton will play their first Championship game in more than five years as they welcome Watford to The Valley (12:30 BST).

Nathan Jones' side finished fourth in the third tier last year and have lost only twice at home in the league since the Welshman was appointed as Addicks boss in February 2024.

In the opposite dugout, Uruguayan coach Paolo Pezzolano will take charge of his first Hornets game after replacing Tom Cleverley at the helm in May after his side slumped to finish 14th in the Championship standings.

• Charlton Athletic and Watford last faced one another in any competition back in January 2015, a game won 5-0 by the Hornets at Vicarage Road.

• The last time Charlton and Watford met in their opening league match of the season was back in 1926-27 in the Third Division South, a game the Hornets won 1-0.

• This is Charlton's first Championship match since July 2020, when they lost 4-0 to Marcelo Bielsa's title-winning Leeds team at Elland Road. They haven't lost their opening league game in any of their last five seasons as a newly promoted team (W2 D3).

• Watford have won their opening league game of the season in each of the last five seasons, the only side to achieve that feat in the top four tiers of English football since 2020-21.

• Including play-offs, Charlton forward Matty Godden scored 19 League One goals last season, 12 more than any other Addicks player. He has gone 18 Championship appearances without scoring, however, all for Coventry in the 2023-24 campaign, last netting at this level in November 2023 against Millwall.

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Charlton Athletic welcome Watford on Saturday at 12:30 BST for their first Championship fixture after five years in the third-tier wilderness of the English Football League.

The match will be played in front of the biggest opening day crowd at the Valley for 17 years, bolstered by a sold-out away end.

Both teams have so far made nine summer signings and a number of them should be on show for this intriguing curtain-raiser to the new season.

For Charlton, expect to see keeper Thomas Kaminski and defender Amari'i Bell - both signed from Luton Town - added to boss Nathan Jones's already strong defence.

As we move up the pitch, the double signing from Blackpool of Sonny Carey and Rob Apter will be hoping to continue their mutual understanding demonstrated at both Bloomfield Road and in pre-season friendlies with the Addicks.

My preference up top for Saturday would be an initial partnership of Tanto Olaofe (signed from Stockport County) and Miles Leaburn offering a combination of athleticism and muscle. Mind you, Charlton have plenty of attacking options to call on to change it up if needed with the likes of Tyreece Campbell and new signing Charlie Kelman.

As for Watford, they will arrive at the Valley having won their past seven opening day Championship fixtures.

They have a new head coach at the helm (surprise, surprise) in Uruguayan Paulo Pezzolano, who is intent on making Watford his fourth promotion success.

Watford come into the match having played two pre-season games fewer then their hosts, perhaps wanting to spend more time bedding down the new coach's philosophy of high intensity and dominance on the ball at the training ground.

Charlton may be able to exploit a perceived weakness in the Hornets backline with an injury doubt to central defender Mattie Pollock (son of Jamie, ex-Middlesbrough and Manchester City midfielder), perhaps forcing them to draft in ex-Addicks loanee James Abankwah, who struggled in his short time under Michael Appleton at the Valley in the 2023-24 season.

It is a different kettle of fish in their midfield. Versatile Hector Kyprianou has joined from Peterborough United, and he knows how to find the back of the net against Charlton after scoring the winner at London Road two years ago. He joins passer-supreme Imran Louza and, once a £30m signing for Tottenham Hotspur, Moussa Sissoko in a fluid 4-3-3 shape.

Up top, Watford have the options of creativity, pace and strength with Rocco Vata, Kwadwo Baah and new 6ft 4in Danish striker Luca Kjerrumgaard respectively. Kjerrumgaard scored 22 goals in 29 games for Odense last season. Tom Ince is another obvious option.

Both teams will go out with a positive intent to get three points. Jones will be drumming home to the Charlton players to get the basics right and concentrate to the extreme in this new unforgiving environment.

Owner Gino Pozzo will only accept promotion from his new coach, so Watford will want to be at the races from the start.

I am predicting a share of the spoils: 2-2.

Paul Sullivan provides commentary on Charlton Athletic games for the visually impaired.

Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones says his side will take time to adjust to the Championship but "need to be ready" for the challenge.

His play-off winning side welcome Watford to The Valley on Saturday in their first game back in the second tier after five years in League One.

"We won't be the finished article next Saturday but we need to be ready for the first Championship game, and we'll get used to the level and turn into the team that we want to be," Jones told BBC Radio London.

Listen to all the latest Charlton content on BBC Sounds.