Charlton Athletic review of the week: Nerves jangling in WSL 2 promotion race after derby loss, Jamaican contingent a step closer to World Cup finals and ex-defender reveals gambling issues
Addicks to resume Championship programme against newly-appointed Roy Hodgson's Bristol City
It’s the latest review of the week. All the main Charlton Athletic news in one place.
How the top of the WSL 2 table looks after this weekend’s matches (source FotMob)
CHARLTON WOMEN SET THE NERVES JANGLING AS PROMOTION PUSH DENTED IN DERBY
Charlton Athletic had the chance to seal WSL 2 promotion on Sunday afternoon - but instead their 3-2 loss at Crystal Palace casts some doubt over whether the long-time leaders will get over the line.
Four points from their remaining two fixtures will be enough to guarantee that Karen Hills’ side are playing in the top division next season.
But their final day match is at The Valley against a Birmingham City side who can still finish top of the table.
Third-placed Palace have three games remaining and a flawless finish to their campaign would see them reach a total of 44.
All three of Charlton’s losses this season have come since March 11.
They face an FA Cup quarter-final at home against Liverpool on Sunday (2.30pm) before they focus on the league run-in. More than 1,000 tickets have been sold for the last-eight tie.
Charlton took the lead at Selhurst Park through Amalie Thestrup in the 39th minute but Hayley Ladd equalised before the break.
The home team led for the first time on the afternoon when Kirsty Howat headed a cross home in the 56th minute. Twenty minutes later and the scoreline moved to 3-1 as Abbie Larkin beat Addicks goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse.
Charlton cut the deficit on 80 minutes, Emma Bissell scoring from the spot after Kiera Skeels was fouled.
INTERNATIONAL ROUND UP
Jamaica require one more win to seal their place at this summer’s World Cup after a 1-0 victory in their first play-off match that took place in the early hours of Friday morning.
Tyreece Campbell and Karoy Anderson started for the Reggae Boyz as they defeated New Caledonia. Wrexham striker Bailey Cadamarteri scored the winner.
Amari’i Bell was a late second-half substitute to make it a trio of Charlton players that featured in the knockout tie in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jamaica need to defeat DR Congo in Tuesday’s play-off final - also at the Akron Stadium - to qualify.
Midfielder Anderson was loaned to Blackpool at the end of the winter transfer window and he missed their League One fixture against Burton Albion on Saturday.
Seasiders boss Ian Evatt was left unhappy at the situation, which also deprived them of goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, away with Northern Ireland.
Evatt had called Anderson “an out-of-possession monster” in the previous weekend’s 0-0 draw against Cardiff City.
“It’s harsh when it is a crucial part of the season,” said Evatt. “I understand that these competitions need to be qualified for and those games have to be played at some point. But we are the ones who are paying these players their salaries.
“So when you lose two key members of your team with a crucial game to come, it becomes a little hard to take and a bit lopsided, in my view. There needs to be some special dispensation or awareness from the powers that be to see the effect it will have on us.”
Lyndon Dykes started for Scotland in their 1-0 loss to Japan at Hampden Park on Saturday.
The forward is only the second Addicks player to represent the country.
Conor Coventry did not make the latest Republic of Ireland squad. The Irish lost in a penalty shootout against the Czech Republic to see their World Cup dreams ended.
The 26-year-old made his senior international debut in November.
Lloyd Jones in action against Norwich City/Picture: Keith Gillard
JONES DOMINATION
Lloyd Jones has been very good for Charlton Athletic this season.
It seems highly likely that he will be making it back-to-back Player of the Year awards.
If anyone is in any doubt about that, look at the centre-back’s run when it comes to the Player of the Month awards in the current campaign. He has just claimed the accolade for the fifth successive month.
Jones was voted March’s winner with 49 per cent of the fans’ votes - goalkeeper Will Mannion was second (35 per cent) with Charlie Kelman in third (11 per cent).
Sophie Whitehouse/Picture: Keith Gillard
WHITEHOUSE IS A KEEPER
Sophie Whitehouse has signed a new contract with Charlton Athletic Women running until June 2027.
The 29-year-old, from Enfield, has kept the most clean sheets in WSL 2 this season - eight.
Whitehouse told the club’s official website: “It’s been an incredible season for us. Going unbeaten in the games that we did and going top of the table, and getting to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. It’s all been amazing.”
KELMAN HAD HELP OF CURRENT CHARLTON COACH TO LAND CHANCE IN UK
Charlie Kelman had a chat with Charlotte Richardson for Charlton Athletic’s YouTube channel this week - and talked about how head of individual development Dave Huzzey helped him get a chance in English football.
The striker, signed from QPR in the summer, spent some of his formative years growing up in Dallas.
Kelman signed for Southend United in 2018, when Huzzey was part of the academy set-up at the Roots Hall club.
“I came back when I was 15,” said Kelman. “I got removed from school in America, which is a story for another day. I said to my mum: ‘I want to get into an academy’.
“My uncle phoned Dave Huzzey and said: ‘My nephew is coming back from America - would you mind having a look at him?’
“Dave probably gets 500 calls a day like that. I went with a shadow squad, it was a cold night in Southend, and I played a game there. Dave said: ‘Can you play for the U16 team?’ I got signed the next day.
“Dave has been a big part of my journey.”
HALL OF FAME 2026 VOTING IS IN
The 2026 entrants into Charlton Athletic’s Hall of Fame have been decided.
The names of the three winners, voted on by supporters, will be added to the honours board in the club museum.
The three runners-up go forward to next year’s vote.
Former right-back Chris Solly, now part of the Addicks’ academy staff set-up, claimed 52 per cent of the vote in the 1991 to current date category with Luke Young in second place.
Ex-goalkeeper Bob Bolder took 64 per cent of the vote in the 1956-1990 section as John Humphrey was a runner-up for a third time.
Billy Kiernan collected 54 per cent of the vote to be inducted in the pre-1955 category. George Armitage was a runner-up for the second time.
Alan Curbishley/Picture: Keith Gillard
LENNIE LAWRENCE DINNER
Alan Curbishley and John Humphrey are the latest confirmed additions for the Lennie Lawrence Dinner at The Valley on Sunday, April 26.
Other former Addicks players that played for Lawrence that have also been confirmed for the event are Peter Shirtliff, Steve Gritt, Colin Walsh, Jim Melrose, Mark Reid, Carl Leaburn, Mickey Bennett, Robert Lee and George Shipley.
There is a two-course dinner for guests and a live Charlton-themed auction. Lawrence managed the Addicks between 1982 and 1991.
You can book tickets here.
EX-ADDICKS ON THE MOVE
Callum Harriott has signed for non-league side Braintree.
The 32-year-old came through Charlton Athletic’s academy and made 95 appearances between 2010 and 2016. He was also voted Young Player of the Year in 2011.
Braintree are in relegation danger in the National League.
Harriott had been with Maidenhead and AFC Croydon this season before his latest switch.
Former Charlton loanee Conor McAleny has joined National League North leaders Fylde on loan for the remainder of the season.
Roy Hodgson’s last club job was at Crystal Palace/Picture: Keith Gillard
BRISTOL CITY APPOINTED FORMER ENGLAND BOSS
Bristol City, Charlton Athletic’s next opponents, have used the international break to make a boss change.
Austrian head coach Gerhard Struber was sacked on Friday after a run of one win in nine matches dropped them to 16th in the Championship table.
Former England manager Hodgson, 78, has been placed in charge until the end of the campaign.
His last club posting was at Crystal Palace in 2024. Hodgson had a spell as Bristol City manager in 1982, his second job in management after leaving Halmstad.
Bristol City chief executive Charlie Boss said: “I would like to thank Gerhard and Bernd (Eibler, assistant head coach) for their hard work over the past nine months and we wish them all the best.
“Roy’s appointment is about more than the results of the next seven games.
“Over the remainder of the season, he will help us set the standards and values at the club that we will need to be successful going forwards.
“Roy is a vastly experienced coach who has achieved and won at the highest level. He will support me, our players and our football staff as we build towards achieving our potential.
“We are in the process of appointing a sporting director who will have a direct input into the recruitment of a new permanent head coach.”
Charlton play Bristol City on Friday (3pm).
MICHAEL HECTOR: GAMBLING WAS A PROBLEM FOR ME
Michael Hector sat down with former Charlton team-mate Chuks Aneke for The Second Half Podcast.
The former Fulham, Chelsea and Reading centre-back discussed how much gambling was ingrained in his lifestyle when he was playing and how he tried to steer the Addicks’ younger players away from it.
Hector joined Charlton in January 2023 and made 53 appearances before being released in May 2024.
“Gambling was a big part,” said Hector. “It is the reason when I came back as an older player that the games I brought to Charlton were dice ones, so they didn’t gamble money.
“Back in the day it was a massive part of the bus journey, the train journey, the plane or hotel rooms - poker or other card games - to pass the time. People played FIFA for money. People lost a lot of money.
“I wanted to pass to the younger generation that there are other things you can put your money into. It’s an addiction. It’s a spiral. It can unravel in a bad way. There was a lot of money spent on nights out and restaurants. Later on down the line, are the same people going on nights out with you when you haven’t got that footballer money?
“It’s important you surround yourself with people that you know are real.”
Hector left Fulham in the summer of 2022 but did not sign for Charlton until the following year.
“I was never going to go to Charlton,” he said. “I had a long break after Fulham, which I needed, to spend with my family. I wanted to train, just to keep fit, and Dean Holden sold me the club.
“We had the potential to get promoted but I don’t think they backed Dean as much. They never backed any of the managers as much as they did with Nathan [Jones].
“As a team we weren’t a good team. We had good individual players, some of those moved up the levels, but we weren’t a team and that is part and parcel of football.”
Corey Blackett-Taylor/Picture: Keith Gillard
BLACKETT-TAYLOR INJURY KO - APTER ‘LACKING CONFIDENCE’
Corey Blackett-Taylor’s loan spell with Bolton Wanderers is over - at least in terms of playing - after the ex-Charlton winger picked up a thigh injury.
The 28-year-old, contracted to Derby County, posted on Instagram that his campaign is over.
“Instantly from arriving at the club I felt the passion and support from the fans, club, staff and players,” said Blackett-Taylor.
“I have no doubts about the club achieving its target of promotion. I want to say a huge thank you for making me feel so welcome and comfortable.
“Unfortunately, my season is concluded due to my injury but I’ll be here supporting the team to the very end.”
Blackett-Taylor scored twice in seven appearances for Bolton, who also have Addicks winger Rob Apter on loan.
Blackett-Taylor’s injury absence could boost the Liverpudlian’s hopes of minutes. Apter was subbed off at half-time in the 1-0 loss at Port Vale on March 21. He had started the previous two fixtures on the bench.
Wanderers did not play last weekend.
Rob Apter/Picture: Kyle Andrews
Bolton boss Steven Schumacher told The Bolton News that Apter, a big-money signing from Blackpool in the summer transfer window, is struggling for self-belief.
“He made a good start for us and I think if he’d have scored in one of those early games, his confidence would have been high. He looks like that confidence-type of player.
“I left him out last week for that exact reason but I had a good conversation with him to say that I think he’s a really good footballer, he just has to believe in himself a bit.
“He beats himself up, he is awfully hard on himself, but he didn’t get into the game (at Port Vale) and every time we got him the ball, he gave it away. He didn’t put crosses into the box, which is why we’d put him on that side, as a left-footed player. We knew it wasn’t a pitch where he could play on the right, cut in, dribble and create things.
“But it just didn’t work for him, so we had to take him off at half time.”
Main picture: Keith Gillard