Review of the week: Charlton Athletic U18s are national champions, chairman Gavin Carter discusses summer transfer window and Charlotte Newsham suffers injury setback

Play-off final looms for Isaac Olaofe - and plenty of former Addicks also set to be part of Wembley promotion deciders this weekend

May 18, 2026

It’s the latest review of the week. Plenty of news in this one including Charlton Athletic’s U18s winning their national final and chairman Gavin Carter talking about future transfer plans.

Campeones, Campeones, Olé, Olé, Olé!

Well done to Charlton Athletic’s U18s for winning the Professional Development League national final on Friday night.

It is the fourth time that the Addicks youngsters have claimed the trophy, the last time they got their hands on that silverware was in 2018.

Charlton won 3-0 against Wigan Athletic at The Valley. Ellis McMillan put the home team into a 25th minute lead with Raynon Richman adding two more in the closing stages of the match.

Ellis McMillan celebrates his goal right in front of photographer Keith Gillard with Raynon Richman enjoying his first strike of the evening

U18 manager Jason Pearce told the club’s X account: “It’s fantastic. We worked hard all season and we wanted to win something. The players have been magnificent this year - winning the southern league. To win the nationals tops it right off.

“Since I’ve come into the building we had got to the final twice and lost. Third time lucky this year and we absolutely deserved it. The boys were very, very good - the future is bright for the football club.

“We know we will score goals with the attacking quality we have on the pitch. We changed shape from the semi-final to today, the boys have shown good versatility.

“I actually had a little bit of a pop at the players at half-time. I know the levels they can play at and they didn’t show that, whether that was the occasion [that affected them]. It’s a great learning experience for them, playing in front of fans and at The Valley. In the second half we dominated the game a lot better, made more forward passes and punished them.

Jason Pearce makes his point/Picture: Keith Gillard

“Myself and Kev (Lock), we push the players very hard. We demand a lot from them. In the past if players can’t put up with that then they come out of the team. That is just the way I will always run the team, because I believe you have to outwork the opposition. In possession, we want to play the ball on the floor. If teams are pressing high then we’ll go in behind. We try to teach the players loads of variety and to make the right decisions.

“There is always talent at this football club. It is just about getting them through and giving them the opportunity. Nathan (Jones) is aware and has given players the opportunity, hopefully that can continue.

“The fans who came to the game or watched it on TV should be excited about the future. We have just got to keep them grounded and working hard - hopefully we’ll see more coming through.”

Gavin Carter: Ideally we want some outgoing moves before incomings in summer transfer window

Charlton Athletic chairman Gavin Carter has agreed with Nathan Jones’ assertion that the club needs to make some big calls when it comes to reshaping their squad in the summer transfer window.

The Addicks are gearing up for their third trading period as a Championship club.

Carter was a guest on Charlton TV’s monthly show, which aired on Friday night.

He said that the aim for Charlton in their second season in the Championship is to continue building.

Gavin Carter, right, in the directors’s box at Norwich City - along with Nathan Jones, Jim Rodwell and Paul Elliott/Picture: Kyle Andrews

Carter said: “We have got a lot of work to do. As you’ve seen from the player released list, there are not many players that are out of contract. We have got to look at the squad. If we’re going to bring players in then we’ve got to move some players on, which isn’t easy.

“Sequencing this is difficult. Ideally you would get players out - you get the cash in and then you spend the cash - but we don’t live in a perfect world.

“We are going to do stuff in a fiscally sustainable way. I’ve said many times that I’m not going to risk the future of the football club. You see teams do it all the time and owners do come and go. I’m not going to put us in a position where we have made too many commitments that we then can’t fund in the future. But we are going to make progress.”

Charlton TV host Scott Minto referenced Jones’ comments after the final day loss at Swansea, with the Welshman spelling out that “ruthless decisions” and “excellent recruitment” were key to the club kicking on.

Minto asked Carter how ruthless he felt the south-east Londoners needed to be in the summer window.

“I think you’ve got to be pretty ruthless,” responded Carter. “This is tough. Nathan talks about it - this is a great group of players that have got us this far and there are a lot of youngsters in there as well, who have been with us for a long time. But I think you’ve got to make tough decisions. It is not just Nathan’s choice. There is a team there which is making the choice about what the squad needs to be.

“Players are under contract - which is great. When Global Football Partners came in, the squad was in a terrible state…just in terms of contracts. Players weren’t under contract - so assets were leaving without being monetised. People didn’t want to play here, either. Now they want to play here, so it is tough to say: ‘Maybe you have got to go and play somewhere else’. But we believe we have got some assets there. We know where we need to strengthen. And we will be ruthless.”

Carter was also quizzed on which areas of the squad needed reinforcements.

“There are some obvious positions where we had loan players come in for the second half of the season,” he said. “You have got right wing-back (James Bree and Harry Clarke had loans from Southampton and Ipswich). We hope Josh (Edwards) is going to come back stronger on the left wing-back side, but we need more there.

“We need more up front. We didn’t score enough goals this year and that’s painfully obvious. In the middle of the park we don’t want to rely just on Sonny (Carey). We need to make sure we’re carrying the ball and we’re what Nathan wants us to be - fluid and aggressive.

“I don’t think there is one area of the pitch where we can’t improve. That has got to be the mentality. But there were clearly some areas of the squad, where there were loan players, that we would like to bring in squad players for next season.”

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Charlotte Newsham was injured in this challenge during the WSL 2 final day fixture at The Valley/Picture: Paul Edwards

Cruel blow for Charlton defender

Charlton Athletic Women have confirmed that Charlotte Newsham suffered a ruptured ACL in their WSL 2 defeat to Birmingham City earlier this month.

“The 25-year-old’s diagnosis also confirmed that she has suffered damage to her lateral collateral ligament (LCL), posterolateral corner and hamstring tendon,” said the Addicks in a statement on their official website.

“Newsham will now undergo a rehabilitation process. The club will support Charlotte through her recovery and wish her all the best.”

Gillian Kenney has been nominated for the WSL 2 Rising Star award. The winner will be announced today at the WSL Football Awards ceremony.

Kenney has scored six goals and also collected one assist in her first season playing in professional football. She signed from Providence College in July.

Charlton play their play-off against Leicester City at The Valley on Saturday (12.30pm) with the winner clinching WSL 1 football next season. Tickets can be bought here.

Play-off final for Olaofe and Hull City trio of ex-Addicks

Isaac Olaofe has to make the sign off of his loan at Stockport a promotion party.

The striker, who made the return to Edgeley Park at the end of the winter transfer window after a lack of regular game time at Charlton, came on in the 46th minute of County’s 2-0 victory over Stevenage on Wednesday night.

Stockport won 3-0 on aggregate and set up a League One play-off final showdown with Bolton Wanderers at Wembley on Sunday.

Rob Apter, another of the Addicks’ transfers not long after winning promotion at the end of May, is on loan with Bolton but did not make their matchday squad for either of their play-off legs against Bradford City.

There are Charlton connections in the Championship play-off final, which is due to take place on Saturday, although there have been rumblings it could be pushed back after Southampton were charged by the EFL with spying on Middlesbrough.

Semi Ajayi played the full 90 minutes, and performed very well, as Hull City won 2-0 at Millwall on Monday to win the play-off semi-final second leg.

The Tigers, who drew 0-0 in the first tie, have ex-Charlton boss Dean Holden as assistant head coach. Liam Millar, who spent time on loan with the Addicks, also started at The Den with Dillon Phillips and Akin Famewo both unused substitutes.

James Bree played the entirety of Southampton’s 1-0 victory over Boro as they edged into the final. Jeremy Sarmiento and Alex Gilbert were not called off the bench for the losers.

Karl Robinson’s Salford City have reached the League Two play-off final after defeating Grimsby Town.

They face Notts County on Monday.

“When Graham (Alexander) got the club from the National League into the English Football League it was monumental - because that’s the hardest promotion to get and we’re in the footsteps of that,” said former Charlton boss Robinson.

“There’s been so many managers who have come here over the past five or six years and every single person has played their part in that.”

Patrick Casey/Picture: Keith Gillard

Casey offered fresh terms

Patrick Casey is weighing up whether to commit to a new deal at Charlton Athletic.

The 20-year-old scored seven goals in 11 appearances on loan at National League South side Dorking Wanderers in the second half of the 2025-26 season.

Charlton confirmed the offer made to Casey in their academy retained list update. They took up options to extend Ethan Brown, Ty Ewens-Findlay and Jacob Safa.

Reuben Amissah, Toby Bower, Ollie Hobden, Mason Hunter, Max Kuczynski, Paris Lock, Lennon MacLorg and Tommy Reid have been released.

Jojo Wollacott made 20 appearances for Charlton after joining from Swindon Town in the 2022-23 League One season/Picture: Keith Gillard

More news on former Addicks

Crawley Town are in contract talks with goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott, who is set to become a free agent on July 1.

Colchester United have exercised an option to extend Jack Payne’s deal by a further 12 months.

Conor McAleny has been released by Harrogate Town.

Bromley’s X post showing Deji Elerewe with the League Two trophy

Elerewe medals despite Bromley exit

Deji Elerewe popped into Hayes Lane on Thursday to collect his League Two winners’ medal.

The former Charlton defender, 22, featured 19 times for Bromley in the first half of the campaign. He was sold to Lincoln City at the end of January.

Elerewe made 64 appearances in total for Bromley. He joined from the Addicks for an undisclosed fee in February 2024.

Bromley finished a point clear of MK Dons at the top of the League Two table. They are managed by Andy Woodman, who had a spell as goalkeeping coach in SE7 when Alan Pardew was the boss.

Ex-Charlton youngster Carl Jenkinson was one of the players released by Bromley this week. The 34-year-old played just 204 minutes of league football in the 2025-26 season.

Exeter tinker with Taylor again

Matt Taylor has been appointed as Exeter City’s permanent manager for a second time.

The former Charlton centre-back came back on an interim basis in March after Gary Caldwell left for Wigan Athletic.

Taylor won League Two promotion with the Grecians in 2022 before opting to leave for Rotherham United. He left that position in November 2023 and the 44-year-old then had 58 matches as boss of Bristol Rovers.

Taylor said: “Coming back to Exeter reminded me just how special this club is. There’s work to do, on and off the pitch, as the whole club goes through something of a reset and I’m excited to be part of this.”

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