Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Charlton Athletic Miscellany


How much do you know about your club? A pub quiz question shouldn't cause too much of a quandary for most of us, but just consider if that Icelandic (God rest his soul) legend that was Magnus Magnusson had started but not finished a question asking where the tune for "we can see you sneaking out" came from, or even the dates for when the Addicks scored six goals in two consecutive home games. Phoning a friend (don't take offense lads) wouldn't help in my case.

If you're anything like me you'd need some first class assistance, perhaps in the form of a pocket sized book of club trivia. Good news, now there is one.

Full of answers to just about anything, including Cwm Rhondda (Bread of Heaven) and October 28th 1933 Torquay 6-0, followed two weeks later 6-1 against Newport County for those that were wondering, this book doesn't just churn out the standard facts and statistics available to anyone with a facility to Google. This has much much more, the 'heart and soul' type of indispensable historical sustenance that makes a football club what it is today.

Some call it trivia, some would call it a cornerstone. I mean, you need to know how many players with an 'X' in their name have represented the club, or for that matter the Charlton connection inspiring Linda Neighbour of Eltham to choose a name for her new born son in February 1973.

Written by Charlton season ticket holder Matt Eastley and with a foreward from the wonderful Charlton stalwart Keith Peacock, this little gem is a steal at under a tenner, the perfect stocking filler for every Addick and will certainly be an addition to that book shelf in our bathroom that contains everything you'd ever need for a comfortable ten minutes worth of easy reading.

Published by an independent sports publisher from the South coast Pitch Publishing, who can lay claim to having what can only be described as a bible of footballing romance from a bygone age, Got, Not Got the runner up in the '2012 BSBA football book of the year' in their portfolio, not to mention a rather fantastic and charming encyclopedia of Scottish football which is also well worth a quick perusal. Alongside Charlton Athletic Miscellany, they also publish, from the same author, Charlton Athletic On This Day, an intriguing piece of Addicks nostalgia to brighten your breakfast 365 days of the year.

If you fancy buying this delightful little book for a loved one, or even spending that book voucher that Grandma got you for Christmas, it's available from all retailers worth their salt or failing that you can get it from Amazon here. I guarantee you'll still be reading this long after those socks you received have developed holes and have taken residency in the very darkest corners of the underwear drawer.

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