Charlton Athletic

Joshua Adu-Donkor
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Shutterstock

A total of 49 days was the amount of time that Charlton striker Charlie Kelman was out due to injury.

It took him only 17 minutes to get himself on the scoresheet after coming off the bench. It's now two goals in two appearances for the American striker.

A timely reminder ahead of a busy festive period of the quality the striker can add to the Charlton attack to move them up the Championship table.

Kelman made the move in the summer from east to south London after getting 28 goals and assists for Leyton Orient in the last campaign.

He has struggled to light up The Valley so far but this substitute performance against Oxford United is just what the doctor ordered, or maybe it was Santa?!

Image source, Rex Features

Nathan Jones called Charlie Kelman's cameo a "perfect return" after the striker came off the bench to score the winner in Charlton Athletic's 1-0 win against Oxford United today.

Former USA youth international Kelman had missed the last eight games for the Addicks due to injury but came on to replace Tanto Olaofe on the 61st minute and netted the winner 17 minutes later to end Charlton's six-match winless run.

"We didn't demonstrate the clinical killer instinct we needed, but when we needed it, we did, and then we were able to see it again," Nathan Jones told BBC Radio London after the match.

"It is a perfect return [for Charlie Kelman], but that's what we've been saying. We brought a load of quality in and now we want to see it because Charlie was playing through injury.

"It was a tendon injury that wasn't picked up, so he was not firing on all cylinders. That's healed now, and he's looked a different animal the last two or three weeks in training.

"I knew that, given the opportunity today, he's the one—well, we have a few at the club, [Luke] Berry, [Matty] Godden, and him—that you give them that type of opportunity and they finish, and it was a wonderful finish."

Charlton Athletic will seek an end to a difficult spell when they host bottom three side Oxford United on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Addicks suffered a five-match loss streak before their draw to Birmingham City on the weekend but still remain without a win in six to drop them down from the upper half of the table to just 17th.

Oxford's trip to the Valley will offer up a good opportunity though, with Gary Rowett's side without a win on the road since a 2-1 at Hillsborough in October.

• After winning seven consecutive league games against Oxford between 1993 and 1998, Charlton have won just one of their last 14 against the Us since 2016 (D5 L8).

• Oxford have won four of their last seven away league games against Charlton (D2 L1), having been winless in their first 15 visits between 1968 and 1997 (D7 L8).

• Charlton have lost five of their last six Championship matches (D1). Since the first game in this run on 8th November, no side have picked up fewer points than the Addicks in the competition (1 – level with Sheffield Wednesday).

• Oxford have won just one of their last nine Championship matches (D4 L4), with that one victory coming at home (2-1 v Ipswich). Since the start of November, only Sheffield Wednesday (0) have won fewer matches than them (1) in the competition.

• Brian De Keersmaecker leads all Oxford players for assists (4) and chances created (31) in the Championship this season. 19 of his chances created have come from set plays, with only Coventry's Matt Grimes (28) registering more in the division.

Charlton Athletic forward Tanto Olaofe hopes the draw at Birmingham City will prove to be a turning point in their season.

The Addicks came from a goal behind to rescue a point and end a run of five straight league defeats on Saturday.

Olaofe excellently nutmegged Blues defender Cristoph Klarer before providing the cross which led to Tyreece Campbell's equaliser.

"To go 1-0 down, it's not an easy place to come to react and get a point," Olaofe told BBC Radio London after Charlton became the first team since Hull City on 18 October to take points off Birmingham at St Andrew's.

"I thought we dug deep to the very end. Playing away from home, it's always a good point.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game. Every game in the Championship is a tough game and we knew we needed a reaction as well.

"A point was the bare minimum that we needed. Hopefully this will be the turning point and our next game is at The Valley and we can pick up three points."

Charlton are the joint-third lowest scorers (20) in the Championship alongside Blackburn but Olaofe says he's not concerned by their low output so far.

"I just see it as an attacker that I've always got opportunities," Olaofe added.

"I had an opportunity against Coventry where I should have scored, Ipswich I should have scored.

"But I know if I'm getting these chances, they're just going to keep coming. The minutes I've got have been quite limited so in terms of the opportunities I've got, I'm quite happy with how I've turned them over.

"Once you start starting games, you can build momentum and momentum is key for me.

"I'll become more robust and the team, the fans will be able to see what I can truly offer. This [Birmingham] was a glimpse of that."

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

In the current circumstances for Charlton Athletic, Saturday's point away at Birmingham City was massive.

It has been a torrid time of late for the Addicks - the passing of one of our great fans, Norman Barker, a wretched run of five straight defeats, and a growing list of injuries we have had to endure.

At last, a result and a performance to lift the mood as we embark on a run of games against sides around us in fixtures that could define our season.

You could see it written all over Nathan Jones' face in the post-match interviews - the sheer relief this away point brought.

Given our recent form, the constant shuffling of the pack, and Birmingham's formidable home record, you could forgive our players for wanting to stay tucked under their hotel duvets when they woke up in the West Midlands on the morning of the game.

Birmingham's home form has been phenomenal - just one defeat in their previous 34 league matches, with 27 wins and six draws. They've also been scoring for fun, as Norwich, Millwall and Portsmouth can recently testify.

More reasons to be cheerful…

It was exciting to see Karoy Anderson step into midfield and show real bite and tenacity.

After my rallying call in the Middlesbrough write-up, I was absolutely delighted to see Tyreece Campbell get off the mark with our equalising goal.

And with Tanto Olaofe terrorising defences once more - playing a big part in Charlton's equaliser - there's genuine optimism for what's ahead.

If Miles Leaburn can catch fire too, this team, with players returning and perhaps a few fresh faces in the January window, could yet bring us Addicks fans real joy in the second half of the season.

Leaburn did spurn a glorious chance in the first half - the great Dennis Bergkamp might have advised him to stay ice-cold in the moment of execution. Middlesbrough's Riley McGree and Morgan Whittaker showed just how it's done in our last home game.

Now comes a full week to prepare before Oxford United visit SE7 - a game where nothing less than three points will do. It's an opportunity to pull further clear of the sides hovering around those League One trapdoor places.

Perish the thought...

Image source, Rex Features

Charlton Athletic manager Nathan Jones praised goalscorer Tyreece Campbell after the 1-1 draw with Birmingham City. He told BBC Radio London:

"He's a young kid in his first year in the Championship. He does everything we ask of him.

"He's predominantly a left winger. We've converted him to a front man, we've converted him to a number 10 in how we play, then he's had to play at left wing-back because of all the injuries we've had down the left-hand side.

"We've had to put him at left wing-back and say: 'Can you do 12k up and down with 1000m high-speed running?' And he does it.

"He's been the main presser and he does it. This kid is grafting for this football club.

"He's a south-east London kid. I'm proud of him, really proud."

Birmingham City welcome Charlton Athletic for a meeting between two sides promoted from League One last season on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Blues have suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since September but are still only three points off the play-off places in 11th.

The Addicks started the season well but have now lost five on the bounce, conceding 15 goals and scoring just three in the process, to slip to 19th - six points above the relegation zone.

• Birmingham are looking to register consecutive league wins over Charlton for the first time since February 1980.

• The home team won both league meetings between Birmingham and Charlton last season, as many as there'd been in the previous 11 games in this fixture (W2 D5 L4).

• Birmingham City have lost just one of their previous 34 home league games (W27 D6) and have won their past four in a row since the 3-2 defeat to Hull in October.

• Charlton have lost their past three away league games, last having a longer away losing streak in February/March 2022 in League One (four).

• Birmingham have won 17 home league games in 2025 so far – a win in this game would equal their most wins at home in a calendar year, winning 18 games in the year 2000.

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Charlton Athletic

The club provided a fitting, heartfelt tribute to 'Headphones Norm' who was a familiar face for all of us who have followed Charlton up and down the country.

Every away coach I have ever taken, he was there.

He was our Rudyard Kipling - meeting triumph and disaster and treating those two impostors just the same. While others ranted after a defeat, Norm would simply shrug and say it was "just a bad day at the office".

He never wavered. He was one of our true diehards, the sort who would turn up on a freezing Tuesday night in Walsall with only a couple of hundred of us for company.

He was a regular at the club's Reminiscence Group on Thursday afternoons at The Valley, conversing about "the good old days". He had even been at the Christmas dinner just last week chatting to my brother Peter. It is heartbreaking to think he is now gone.

As for the match on Tuesday, I went in with few expectations.

Middlesbrough have been flying, even amid managerial change, and their 4–1 win at Hull had me worried.

Our injury list has not helped, but neither did gifting them chances. Sonny Carey was dispossessed leading to the opener and Tyreece Campbell's half-hearted challenge for a 50/50 ball that led to the second goal summed up our own undoing.

Campbell needs to rediscover belief. Opposition fans see his potential, now he must too. The ability that shone in League One can flourish here if he brings more confidence to his game.

The second half was an improvement, driven by intensity and substitutions.

I loved Karoy Anderson's determination, but Boro were too streetwise. They schooled us in the first half, then managed the game expertly in the second to snuff out any hope of a comeback.

It is the games with Oxford United, Norwich and Portsmouth that will truly shape our season but the growing list of injuries remains a real worry for Addicks fans.

Image source, Getty Images

Charlton manager Nathan Jones was left disappointed by his side in possession during their 2-1 defeat to Middlesbrough.

The Addicks were beaten after goals from Riley McGree and Morgan Whittaker in the first half.

George Edundson's own goal wasn't enough for Charlton and Jones said they couldn't recover.

"I'm really disappointed with elements of the first half, we kept giving the ball away," Jones told BBC Radio London.

"These are a good side, we were aggressive against them, we knew it would be tough, especially with what we have missing.

"Overall, when we are us and we keep the ball better, we can compete with anyone in this league. Second half, I thought we were really good."

Jones believes Charlton can compete against the best but were undone by Whittaker's strike.

"They had to change to curtail us; we scored, we had other opportunities, we should have had a penalty first half. We are in a tough moment, but we need to come through it.

"The second goal was the killer. If it is only a one goal lead and we equalise, I fancy us to go on and win the game. As it was they made changes and saw it out, we probably didn't show enough quality in the final third to punish them."

Image source, Getty Images

The FA Cup third round draw was made on Monday evening, with all 24 Championship clubs entering at this stage of the competition.

Ties will take place between Thursday, 8 January and Monday, 12 January.

These are the ties involving Championship clubs:

• Cambridge United v Birmingham City

• Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

• Bristol City v Watford

• Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

• Stoke City v Coventry

• Derby County v Leeds United

• Ipswich Town v Blackpool

• Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

• Fulham v Middlesbrough

• Burnley v Millwall

• Norwich City v Walsall

• MK Dons v Oxford United

• Portsmouth v Arsenal

• Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

• West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

• Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

• Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

• Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

• Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

• Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

You can see the full draw here.

Image source, Opta

Middlesbrough will seek to close the seven-point gap to leaders Coventry when they visit Charlton on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Kim Hellberg's side lie second, two points ahead of third-placed Millwall, following their 4-1 romp at Hull City on Friday night.

The Addicks have slipped to 17th, just six points clear of the relegation zone, off the back of four straight Championship defeats while Saturday's game against Portsmouth at The Valley was abandoned after just 12 minutes after a medical emergency in the crowd.

It later emerged the club's Supporter of the Year, Norman Barker, had sadly passed away after being taken ill, with tributes to 'Headphones Norm' expected to be made before the Boro game.

• Charlton have won just one of their past 12 league games against Middlesbrough (D2 L9), beating them 2-0 at the Valley in March 2016.

• Middlesbrough have won four of their past six away league games against Charlton (D1 L1), including a 1-0 win on their most recent visit in March 2020.

• Middlesbrough have won just one of their past eight away league games against promoted sides (D3 L4), beating Oxford United 6-2 in November 2024.

• Charlton have won their past five midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home league games, including a 1-0 win over West Brom in their only such Championship game this season.

• Middlesbrough have won just one of their past five midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) Championship games (D2 L2), beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in October.

These two sides meet in the Championship (12:30 GMT) for the first time in 25 years with both looking to end poor runs.

Charlton have lost their past four league games while Pompey arrive in South London with back-to-back losses without scoring a goal on either of those outings.

• Charlton have lost just one of their past 11 league games against Portsmouth (W7 D3) and are unbeaten in six since a 3-1 home loss in February 2021.

• Portsmouth have lost just two of their past seven away league games against Charlton (W3 D2), though they've failed to score on either of their past two visits to The Valley.

• Each of the last 20 league meetings between Charlton and Portsmouth have been in either League One (12) or the Premier League (8). This is the first second-tier meeting between the sides since a 1-1 draw at The Valley in April 2000.

• Charlton have lost each of their past four league games, having lost just three of their first 14 this season. The Addicks haven't lost five in a row since February 2022 in League One.

• Portsmouth won 1-0 at Oxford on the opening weekend this season, but are since winless in seven away league games (D3 L4), losing each of the last three in a row.

Image source, Getty Images

Charlton Athletic's return to the Championship has been "a baptism of fire" but is going as they expected, according to director of football Jim Rodwell.

The Addicks are 17th in the table having won promotion back to the second tier at the end of last season after five years in League One.

"It's gone pretty much as we hoped and expected," Rodwell told BBC Radio London.

"We knew it was going to be a baptism of fire, we knew it was going to be tough. We got off to a great start and we've encountered a few difficult games of late but that was only to be expected."

After a five-match unbeaten run, including three wins, Charlton have lost their past four league games while conceding 12 goals.

It leaves them six points clear of the relegation zone heading into Saturday's game at home to struggling Portsmouth (12:30 GMT).

"Nobody internally was getting excited when we won a few games at the start of the season," said Rodwell.

"We set high standards for ourselves - the cliche is the race for 50 points and then see where you get to and that hasn't changed.

"We had a strategy and plan in the close season and that hasn't changed - results will dip, we'll get injuries, things will happen positively and negatively but the job of myself, Nathan (Jones - head coach) and the coaching staff is we just don't panic."

You can hear the full Jim Rodwell interview and more Charlton Athletic coverage on BBC Sounds.

Freya Sweet
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Legendary defender, Marvin Hinton - who won the FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup with Chelsea - has died at the age of 85.

Hinton started his football career at Charlton Athletic, playing over 150 games for the club before a move to Stanford Bridge.

He made 344 appearances for Chelsea in the 1960s and 70s and was also apart of the initial 1966 40-man England squad.

"It is with tremendous sadness that Chelsea Football Club announces the passing yesterday of Marvin Hinton, a cultured defender and trophy-winner for the club in the 1960s and 1970s," the club said.

The Blues said "'Suave Marv' was a progressive player ahead of his time" and send their deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Paul Sullivan
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

Coventry City condemned Charlton Athletic to a fourth straight Championship defeat, running out 3-1 winners in a result that only deepens the Addicks' growing sense of crisis.

A month removed from play-off dreams, Nathan Jones' side now find themselves glancing nervously over their shoulders at the drop zone.

There was cautious hope pre-match with news of Jerome Roussillon's arrival, the experienced Guadeloupe international adding much-needed depth on the left.

The return of Amari'i Bell gave Charlton a rare sense of balance at the back and, buoyed by a sold-out away end, the Addicks started on the front foot.

Their pressing was precise, the intensity refreshing, and Harvey Knibbs made the early pressure count with a poacher's finish to put the visitors ahead.

Yet the optimism faded all too quickly. Bell's injury on the half-hour was a hammer blow, forcing Jones into a reshuffle that destabilised Charlton's makeshift backline.

Coventry seized their chance mercilessly, scoring twice in rapid succession before the break to flip the contest. Familiar defensive lapses and a lack of composure again cost the Addicks dear.

As the half-time whistle blew, the away end's boisterous mood had transformed into rueful unease.

Charlton rallied briefly after the interval, with flashes of resilience evident and Sonny Carey spurning a chance.

However, a third goal from Coventry made the points safe for the hosts, and the closing stages had the grim feel of a training drill.

As results elsewhere filtered through, the Charlton contingent began to contemplate an unwelcome relegation battle that is no longer just the stuff of nightmares.

This defeat, played on the first anniversary of revered Charlton reporter Kevin Nolan's passing, had an added poignancy.

Nolan chronicled the club's triumphs and traumas for nearly 40 years in the Mercury and beyond, often capturing the hopes and heartbreaks of afternoons just like this one - with honesty, wit, and a fan's unwavering eye for the truth.

On days such as these, his words and wisdom are missed more than ever.

Image source, Opta

Runaway leaders Coventry will seek to increase their advantage in the promotion race as they welcome wobbling Charlton on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The free-scoring Sky Blues go into the weekend with a 10-point lead after Tuesday's 4-2 win at Middlesbrough, remain unbeaten at home and have won 10 of their past 11 Championship games.

Though they remain just four points behind the play-off places, the Addicks have slipped to 16th off the back of three straight defeats in which they have scored only once and allowed nine goals at the other end - the most recent a 3-0 reverse at Stoke on Tuesday night.

• Coventry have lost just one of their past 15 home league games against Charlton Athletic (W9 D5), with this their first meeting with the Addicks since a 2-1 victory on Boxing Day 2018.

• Charlton Athletic lost both league meetings with Coventry City when they last met in 2018/19 – they've never lost three in a row against the Sky Blues before.

• Coventry have won 10 of their past 11 league games (L1), while at home they've won each of their past five; it's their longest since a run of seven in October 2021.

• Charlton have lost each of their past three league games, conceding more goals in that time (9) than in their prior 10 games combined (7).

• Coventry's Ellis Simms has scored more goals in his past two games (3) than in his previous 25 Championship appearances (2).