BACKGROUND

Last year Charlton supporters flooded the phone lines to help the Community Trust's CHARLTON UPBEATS initiative win a national competition to receive funding.

CHARLTON UPBEATS is a weekly multi-activity programme organised by the Trust, which helps provide activities for local children with Down's Syndrome.

WSS looks ahead to Saturday's trip to Devon

*****

Although my predictions of new signings before the Huddersfield game proved incorrect, we are likely to see at least one of Parky's hat-trick of signings in some capacity when we venture down to Oggy Land.

Exeter are yet to win this season in the league although they are still undefeated at home with a couple of draws against Bristol Rovers and Colchester so it's not going to be an easy game.

RodneyCharltonTrotta looks in greater detail at why its more difficult nowadays following your club away from home.

.......

"Your support is f****** s**t", "Your ground's too big for you" and even the introspective "Where were you when we were s**t?" are some of the familiar songs belted out at grounds up and down the country every weekend without any sense of irony or self awareness.

Ahead of our home game with Oldham a fortnight ago, Latics fan Dave Butterworth gave us the lowdown on the Latics.

Dave, two out of two and a top of the table clash. Has the strong start to the season come as a surprise to Oldham fans ?

Before the start of pre-season the answer would have been a definite ‘yes', given that we haven't changed the squad that failed miserably last season.

New regular feature for 10/11, every week we'll be chatting with an opposing fan to try and get a greater insight into their club. Starting the season is Cherries fan Mark Shergold. Our thanks to Mark for his time...

Q. Mark, its been an amazing rollercoaster for AFCB since going into administration in Feb 2008.

On 9 June 1905, a group of boys held a meeting in South East London and proudly agreed to form a football club.

We know this, because we were there.

We stood there, in August 1921, proudly watching that club play its first ever Football League fixture. We were there for every subsequent relegation and promotion.

And so we start another season in League One on Saturday. Of course it's not where any of us want to be, but strangely it seems there is a lot more optimism around the 2010/11 season than there was last year.

The loss of Bailey, Burton, Richardson and Sam from the starting XI is of course a blow and combined with the departures of Shelvey, Mooney and Randolph leaves our squad desperately threadbare.

The soap opera that is Charlton Athletic threw up another episode this week to rival all the joy of an Eastenders' Christmas Special, with the decision taken to cut short the season of our most talented youngster, Jonjo Shelvey, in favour of an immediate cash injection.

Not for the first time in recent years, the decision leaves supporters asking more questions than it provides answers, particular on whether it was a decision enforced from the boardroom, or created by the indifference of the manager.

Well, it didn't grip the nation in an X-Factor style frenzy, but it certainly got a few of you thinking.

We asked Lennie Lawrence who, with hindsight, would be the first three names he would put on his teamsheet from his time as Charlton manager, and asked you to try and match it.

Of the 51 entries, two of you failed to match any, 19 matched one player, 26 of you matched two players and just four of you matched all three.

Lennie Lawrence has been working in football for over 30 years, but it was his nine turbulent years in charge of Charlton, whilst dealing with the fall-out of the move from The Valley amid limited resources that 'Houdini' will ultimately be remembered.

Lennie has now penned the story of his rise from school teacher to football manager, recounting the many tales along the way.

With a plethora of football books about to hit the shops ahead of the Christmas season, Scotty Kingsley reviews the offerings of the man they called 'Houdini'.

****

Many years ago Lennie Lawrence threatened to write a book about his time a Charlton. There was certainly enough packed into his nine year spell at the club, including winding up orders, high court visits, numerous Chairmen, promotion, play-offs, relegation and of course ground sharing and the Valley Party to warrant one if not more volumes.

In X-Factor terminology, the long-running Charlton potential takeover saga has been on ‘an amazing journey' all summer. What at first prompted fervoured supporter interest, careered at one stage into hilarity at the range of nationalities linked, before finally slumping into chronic indifference at the lack of resolution.

The following article has been submitted by forum member Henry Irving.

Six weeks ago when the idea of a Supporters' Trust was floated it was greeted with generally positive response. Even those who were sceptical mostly took a "let's wait and see" stance. The organisation that oversees the 140 trusts across the UK was amazed that 50 people would turn up for an initial meeting such was the response.

There is something hugely entertaining about Transfer Deadline Day.

After nearly four months to assemble their squad, clubs scramble around like a panicking teenager on the day before a new term, desperately trying to source uniform, books and a geometry set at short notice, whilst starting the homework they have had six weeks to complete.

A great man (Alan Curbishley) once said "don't let the highs be too high, or the lows too low", but it would take a hard man not to forgive Charlton fans for wearing a cautious, toothy grin at present.

Following a treacherous three seasons, a 100% record at this stage was not on even the most optimistic Addick's radar.