The profit of doom

While Newcastle United were spectacularly restoring their interest in the Premiership title by rattling in seven goals against Spurs last weekend, Charlton Athletic, their opponents today at the Valley in the third round of the FA Cup, were modestly tapping out a goalless draw with Wolves. In a way it was even worse than the story of Charlton's season so far. They usually get a goal, albeit not often enough the one that wins the match. Confidence is not exactly swirling through the Valley.

Is there anything that can stop Newcastle continuing their recent run? "They could all do down with flu" Alan Curbishley suggested. "We really haven't thought much about it - too many other games over Christmas. But you just never know with cup ties. We're certainly not going to be making any special plans. We've got our own problems. We've lost 12 games and deserved to win at least three of them, but Sunday's different. Newcastle's away record is not that special and we've got the experience of playing a lot of top clubs over the past two seasons".

Their highlight so far this season was to astound Liverpool at Anfield in a Coca-Cola Cup tie, when Shaun Newton drove in a spectacular shot after Charlton had conceded two early goals. They still lost 4-1 and obviously much the same result is expected today. "Our trouble this season," Curbishley tried to explain, "is that we have dominated ever so many matches but either not taken our chances or given them away because of individual errors." While defenders have conceded a lot of silly goals, most of the mistakes are committed before the ball arrives in their penalty area. Meanwhile even more errors have been made by strikers who fail to strike.

Mike Salmon's last conspicuous error in goal before injury put him out of the team came just before Christmas when Charlton lost to their permanent local rivals Crystal Palace, who had beaten them in last season's play- offs. It emphasised that this has been an uncomfortable period for Charlton, whose return to the Valley was such a nostalgic and optimistic occasion. Still far from buoyant financially, they embraced warmly the attractive draw against Newcastle which they know may well bring embarrassment on the icy pitch but will secure at least pounds 120,000 as a result of the match being taken on by Sky television.

That welcome news came in the same week that one of their young players, Jay Notley, had to face an FA Commission after being tested positive for drugs. He was the third Charlton player to have been charged with drugs offences in two years, and a former Charlton player, Craig Sloan, also admitted that he had taken cocaine. Although the club was obviously under the shadow of suspicion, the commission deferred its sentence on Notley because they took into account what Curbishley says are Charlton's "second to none" attempts to guide youngsters away from drugs. He is not inclined to believe that professional football as a sport has a drugs problem but that social drug-taking among teenagers, of whom Charlton have an above average proportion, is so widespread that, almost inevitably, young footballers get involved. Charlton do their own drugs testing and have organised drugs awareness courses.

This afternoon Charlton and Newcastle represent football in Britain in 1997. One club often needing to sell players just to make ends meet, the other rich enough to buy ones who may not even make the first team. The Charlton side in last season's play-offs had an average age of 23 and the majority were home produced. Now they are in the middle of a something that in manager-speak is called "consolidation", which means that they have already given up hope of promotion but want the fans to believe that avoiding relegation is an achievement.

Injuries have denied them the best part of half a team and the re-appearance at the Valley of Robert Lee in the Newcastle side will be a reminder of those occasions when they have had to sell to survive. When they sold Lee to Newcastle four years ago the fee of pounds 700,000 formed the foundation of the return to Charlton's real home. Not that Lee will be expecting many of the home fans to give him much credit for the Valley being saved from the property developers.