by Mick Collins (Author)
All fans think their team is different. Everyone who goes to watch football knows deep down in their soul that there's something about their side that sets them apart from everyone else, something that makes them special. Some have better claims to this than others. Charlton Athletic fans might just have the best claim of all. THE RISE AND RISE OF CHARLTON ATHLETIC:FROM PORTACABINS TO PORTO CAPTAINS tells the tale of a decade many believed Charlton were never going to see. Having grabbed a late equaliser and scraped a draw with the official receiver, the 'Addicks' spent most of the late 1980s reeling from a string of financial body blows. Their recovery provides an almost unique story in modern football, describing how the club clawed its way back from the edge of the precipice to a position of safety and prosperity. As dozens of other clubs face the prospect of bankruptcy, Charlton act as a blueprint for clubs struggling to survive on and off the pitch. Mick Collins talked to those who participated, those who just came along and watched and a few who managed both, in order to tell an extraordinary story, which is in equal parts funny, moving and inspirational. From the boot room to the boardroom, he looks back on the last ten years and examines just what it is about this unprepossessing club that has allowed them to succeed where so many others have failed.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
Edition: Revised, Updated
Publisher: Mainstream Publishing
Published: 23 Oct 2003
ISBN 10: 1840187654
ISBN 13: 9781840187656
Book Overview: 'That's the great thing about this football club - we don't forget. If we start forgetting, maybe we'll end up just life any other football club. While we mustn't forget where we came from though, we've got to remember to keep looking to see where we can go next.' - Alan Curbishley, Team Manager.