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Charlton Athletic FC were formed in 1905, when a number of youth groups in south-east London combined, including East Street Mission and Blundell Street Mission.  This area is near to where the Thames Barrier is today.  The nearby presence of Woolwich Arsenal FC kept Charlton Athletic from expanding their base, so when that club moved to north London, and became Arsenal FC (in 1913), Charlton Athletic began to attract more supporters.  The club turned professional after World War I, in 1919, and joined the Kent League.  In 1921, the were voted into the English Football League, joining the Third Division (South).

In 1923, Charlton almost merged with Catford Southend.  They played their games in Lewisham (just south and west of the Valley) for the 1923-’24 season.  They played in the light blue and dark blue-gray vertically striped jerseys of Catford (this uniform has been revived for Charlton’s 2007-’08 away kit).  But the hoped-for expansion in fan base did not occur, and Charlton abandoned the plans for the merger, and moved back to the Valley the next season. 

Charlton spent 8 seasons (1921-’29) in the 3rd Level, before gaining promotion to the Second Division, in 1929.  But four years later (1933), they were relegated back.  The club appointed Jimmy Seed {see this} manager, and two seasons later (1935), the club returned to the Second Division.  They achieved back-to-back promotions the following year.  So in the spring of 1936, 3 seasons into Jimmy Seed’s tenure , Charlton Athletic had risen two levels, and had finally reached the First Division.

Charlton continued their fine form, finishing in 2nd place in their first season in the top flight (1936-’37).  Finishes of 4th place (’38), and 3rd place (’39) followed, and Charlton’s future seemed bright.  World War II interrupted play, from 1940 to 1946.  In the 1946-’47 season, the club’s League form plummeted (to 19th place), but their FA Cup run took them all the way to the Final, where they lost to Derby County, 1-4, after (incredibly) extra-time.  Charlton returned to the FA Cup Final the following year, and this time they won it, beating Burnley 1-0, on a spectacular volley by Chris Duffy in the 114th minute. 

During this post-War era, Charlton were also very successful at the turnstile,  with a peak average attendance of 40,216 in the 1948-’49 season. 

But the board refused to give Seed the money to invest in new signings, and the club’s league form took a nosedive.  In the 1949-’50 season, they finished in 20th place.  The club improved, and were 5th place finishers in 1953.  However, Charlton began another slide, and a disasterous start to the 1956-’57 season prompted the board to ask for Seed’s resignation.  He left, and Charlton were relegated in the spring of ’57.

Charlton remained out of the First Division for 29 seasons (1957 to 1986), spending 25 seasons in the Second Division, and 4 seasons in the Third Division.  Their low point on the field was in in 1974, when they finished in 14th place, in the Third Division.  Their low point financially was in 1984, when the club went bankrupt.  Charlton Athletic was put into administration, and reformed as Charlton Athletic (1984) Ltd.  But their troubles continued, as the League declared the club’s ground, the Valley, unsafe.  Charlton was forced to become tenants at Crystal Palace FC’s Selhurst Park.

Ironically, it was within this homeless context that Charlton finally returned to the top flight.  Under manager Lennie Lawrence, the club were promoted in 1986, as runners up of Division Two.  They stayed in the top tier for 4 seasons, pretty much battling relegation the whole time.  Lawrence departed for Middlesbrough after Charlton was sent down, in 1990.  He was replaced by joint-managers Steve Gitt, and a 34-year old Alan Curbishley.  The pair had initial success, but cash constraints forced the club to sell off players.  Curbishley was appointed sole manager in June, 1995.

Meanwhile, in 1992, Charlton returned to the refurbished Valley.  At this point, the club’s fan base had shrunk dramatically from it’s glory days of the late 1940′s.  Charlton were averaging just 6,780 in 1991-’92, their last season in exile, at Selhurst Park.   But by the end of the decade (1999), the club was drawing an average crowd of  19,825 to the Valley.

Alan Curbishley got Charlton back to the top flight (now called the Premiership) within 3 years of taking charge (in 1998), following a thrilling 4-4 match versus Sunderland, that Charlton won 7-6 on penalties.  It was widely hailed as one of the finest games ever seen at Wembley.  **{See this article, from the BBC website (ca. 1998).  {also, see this follow-up article, which tells you how much more lucrative a trip to the Premier League is these days (the jackpot has more than quadrupled, from ~7 million Pounds, in 1998, to ~30 million Pounds in 2007.  Anyways, if you don’t feel like reading them, the two articles have good photos.} 

But Charlton went right back down in 1999.  Undeterred, Curbishley guided them back up the following season.  In the next 6 seasons, Charlton Athletic began to look like Premier League mainstays.  They even flirted with a Champions League spot during the 2003-’04 season, but finished in 7th place, after a late slump (and late slumps became this cash-strapped club’s trademark).   It was the club’s best finish in 31 years.  

Ultimately, though, Alan Curbishley left, in the spring of 2006, with the position that he had taken the club as far as he could.  Charlton were relegated the following season (2006-’07).

Now under former Reading and West Ham manager Alan Pardew {see this}, Charlton are aiming to buck the odds, and return to the Premier League on the first try.  Mainstay Matt Holland (a former Ireland international), has stuck with the club.  Ex-Colchester striker Chris Iwulemo {see this} leads with 10 league goals.  Chinese international Zheng Zhi {see this} has 7 league goals (9 overall);  midfielder Darren Ambrose (who also has stayed on from last season) has 6 league goals (8 overall);  and striker Luke Varney, a recent purchase from Crewe, also has 7 league goals.

Last Saturday, Charlton went to Yorkshire, and beat Sheffield United 0-2, with goals by Chris Iwulemo and Sam Sodje.  They currently are in the playoff places, at 5th place,  in the League Championship.  The club has been in the playoff places pretty much the whole season. 

**Charlton FAQ: Why are Charlton Athletic called “the Addicks” ?

Note: in 1963, a contest was established to find a crest for Charlton Athletic.  The winning entry was the upraised arm with sword motif that is still in use today, but with the accompanying new nickname of “the Valiants”  (this emblem can be seen on the far left-hand side of the chart).   The Valiants name never stuck, and CAFC are only referred to these days as the Addicks. 

For the League Championship Table,  click here.   On Tuesday, March 4,  Charlton Athletic hosts Bristol City (5th place versus 1st place).
Thanks to (historicalkits[dot]co[dot]uk): the 6 older kits on the chart are copyright Historical Football Kits, and reproduced by permission; (colours-of-football[dot]com);  (stadiumguide[dot]com);  (footballgroundguide[dot]co[dot]uk);  BBC.

Argyle Football Club was formed in Plymouth, Devon, in 1886, but went out of existence in 1894.  The club was reformed 3 years later, in 1897, and merged with the nearby Argyle Athletic Club (a general sporting club) in 1898.   Plymouth Argyle chose to wear dark green, with black trim, the colors of the Borough of Plymouth.

In 1900, the club won it’s first trophy, winning the Devon Senior League; and the club purchased it’s lease on Home Park, their ground to this day.  The club became fully professional in 1903, joining the Southern League, and changing it’s name to Plymouth Argyle FC.  Their first pro match was on September 1, 1903, versus West Ham United.

Plymouth Argyle was invited to join the English Football League in 1920, when the League expanded to three levels.  PAFC became a founding member of the Football League Third Division.   Argyle just missed promotion for six straight seasons (1922 through 1927).  The club finally reached the Second Division in 1930, by winning the Third Division (South) in 1929-30.  Their stay in the second tier lasted 20 seasons, from 1930 to 1950.  Plymouth won promotion back to the 2nd Level two years later (1952), but this spell there lasted just 4 seasons (until 1956). 

Overall, Plymouth Argyle have had 8 promotions, and 7 relegations, spending 37 seasons in the 2nd Level, 38 seasons in the 3rd Level, and 5 seasons in the 4th Level.  Their highest finish was at 4th place, in the Second Division, which they acheived twice, in 1932, and in 1953.  Plymouth’s best FA Cup run was in 1984, when they made it all the way to the Semi-Finals, losing to Watford. 

The club’s lowest placement occurred rather recently, in 1999, when they finished 13th place, in the old Division Three (which is the 4th Level).   Attendance was poor too, with the club only drawing 5,5oo for two seasons (1997-’99).
 

Home Park was was almost entirely refurbished between 2001 and 2002, and the three new stands have (along with good recent form) helped swell gates to the 13,000-level (admittedly low, for the 2nd Level, and a city of Plymouth’s size of around 250,000).  The new Devonport Stand now dominates the ground, and the stand structure runs along 3 sides.  The Mayflower Stand remains from the past configuration, and the terraced part of the stand is kept empty for safety, while the club is unable to refurbish this remaining area (for lack of funds).

To see more photos of Home Park’s renovation, click here: (http://www.greensonscreen.co.uk/stadiumhome.asp)

Paul Sturrock {see here} was appointed manager in November, 2000, when Argyle were fourth from bottom, in the 4th Level, two spots away from relegation out of the League.  The Scotsman led the club to a 12th place finish that season, and to promotion the following season (2001-’02), by winning Division Three.  Two years later, in March, 2004,  Sturrock had Plymouth en route to their second promotion in 3 years, when he was enticed to take the managerial reins of the Premier League club Southampton.  A few weeks later, under new manager Bobby Williamson, Plymouth Argyle won promotion to League One (the 2nd Level,  now called the League Championship). 

Williamson’s tenure lasted 18 months.  He was sacked after the club began the 2005-’06 season with 6 straight defeats.  His successor, (current league-leading) Stoke City manager Tony Pulis, also did not mesh with squad, fans and the board.  Pulis left at the end of the ’06 season.  West-country born Ian Holloway took over, and Argyle had a good season , and a good FA Cup run, in 2006-’07.  PAFC made it to the Quarter-Finals of the FA Cup, and finished in 11th place in the 2nd Level, their best finish in two decades.  Actually, in spite of the high manger-turnover (4 different managers in 3 years), Plymouth Argyle have improved their League standing every year for the last 6 seasons.

However, manager instability continues to plague Argyle, as Ian Holloway left Plymouth for Leicester City, in November, 2007.  In stepped the prodigal son, Paul Sturrock, to return to the club he raised out of the fourth and third tiers.  From Holloway, Sturrock has inherited a scrappy side that features no real standout.  In fact, Plymouth just sold their leading scorer, Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, to Wolves, in January, for 1.5 million pounds.  Their current leading scorer is Hungarian international Peter Halmosi  {see this}, with 7 league goals (8 overall).  The squad is captained by Frenchman Lillian Nalis. 

Last Saturday, Argyle beat Burnley 3-1, to vault into the playoff places, at 5th place.**{See this short feature about Peter Halmosi making the Team of the Week.)

Plymouth Argyle has never been in the first division.  It is the furthest west and south club in the Football League.  PAFC,  Exeter City, and Torquay United are the only sizable clubs in Devon, further west is Cornwall, which has no clubs in the League (the highest 4 leagues), or the Conference (the 5th level).  The club, like Carlisle (up in the far northwest of England), suffers for it’s geographical remoteness.  Travel to fixtures is significantly further than other clubs, plus it is hard to attract players to this remote footballing outpost. 

** Click here, for a pretty nice article I stumbled upon, about the peculiar aspects of PAFC. 

**Click here, for an article about the January, 1932 4th Round FA Cup match in London, versus Arsenal.  

Thanks to (historical kits[dot]co[dot]uk):  the 5 older kits on the bottom, right-hand side of the chart are copyright Historical Football Kits, and are reproduced by permission.   Thanks to (colours-of-football[do]com) for the newer kits.   Thanks to (footballgroundguide[dot]co[dot]uk);   (stadiumguide[dot]co[dot]uk).  Thanks to Greens On Screen website, for the great photos of the Home Park renovation.

Early attempts to establish a football club in Hull were hampered by the city’s stronger rugby scene, which has featured two nationally prominent teams: Hull FC, and Hull Kingston Rovers.   Finally, in 1904, Hull City Association Football Club was founded.  In 1905, they joined the Football League, in Division Two.  Their first 21 seasons (1905 to 1929) were spent here. They just missed promotion in 1910, finishing in third, but with a goal average of just 0.29 lower than promoted Oldham. 

Right before the onset of WW I,  Hull made it to the quarterfinals of the 1914-’15 FA Cup.  Their best FA Cup campaign was in 1929-’30, when they made it all the way to the semi finals, losing in the the replay to Arsenal 0-1, at Villa Park.  But that same spring (1930), they were relegated to Division Three (North). 

In total, Hull City have had 7 relegations, and 8 promotions.  They have been in the 2nd Level 53 seasons, the 3rd Level 29 seasons, and the 4th Level 10 seasons.  The club has bounced back from their low point, which was the 8 years they recently spent in the old Division Three (the 4th Level), from 1996 to 2004. 

Crowds had dwindled to below 4,ooo for two years (’96-’97).  In December, 2002,  Hull began playing in the 24,500-seat Kingston Communications Stadium (the KC Stadium), sharing it with the rugby team Hull FC.  The new stadium, and burgeoning crowds, helped to energize the club.  In their first full season in their impressive new home, Hull finished 2nd, and were promoted to Division Two.  The next season (2004-’05), they were promoted again, with another second place finish.  Perhaps most important, though, is the recent enlargement of Hull City AFC’s fan base, as average attendances have rose around 12,000 per game- from 6,518, in 1990 (when they were in the 2nd Level), to 18,758, last season (when they were also in the 2nd Level). 

But Hull have struggled to stay in the League Championship the past two years.  After former England Under-21 manager Peter Taylor {see this} had guided the club to their back-to-back promotions, he left to manage Crystal Palace, in June, 2006.  His successor, Phil Parkinson was unable to keep Hull out of the relegation zone the next season, and was sacked in December, 2006.  Phil Brown {see this} was hired as caretaker, and did a good job getting the club out of trouble, as Hull finished in 21st,  just above the drop.  Brown had gotten veteran striker Dean Windass {see this} (on loan from Bradford City) to return to his hometown club, and his 8 goals helped the Tigers to safety.

This season, the much-travelled 38-year old ex-construction laborer Windass, now signed to a two-year deal, continues to score for the club he began with as a teenager.  His 12 goals (10 league) lead the club.  Frazier Campbell, on loan from Manchester United, has 8 league goals.  The squad is bolstered by standout American-born English goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.

Hull City are in 9th place in the League Championship, 4 points from the playoff places, with a game in hand.  This is the closest to promotion Hull have been in over 20 years.  Hull is the largest city in all of Europe to have never hosted first division football.

Click here, for a recent article about Hull’s surprise promotion push.

Below is a programme from 1966.  It shows the club’s old home, Boothferry Park, as well as the club’s old 3 crowns crest (a motif which both of Hull’s rugby clubs still use in their crests).

Thanks to (historicalkits[dot]co[dot]uk)- the 5 older kits at the bottom of the chart are copyright Historical Football Kits, and are reproduced by permission.   Thanks to (colours-of-football[dot]com).   Thanks to (fusion group[dot]uk[dot]com);  (blackpooltoday[dot]co[dot]uk);  footballstadiumart[dot]co[dot]uk).