Welcome to a new feature here on Vital Charlton, where I take a look through the archives of Valley Pass and choose five games from the past between the Addicks and their upcoming opponents.
Tomorrow Lee Bowyer’s men face Birmingham City in their first Championship game since the international break and they’ll be looking to continue their unbeaten run in the league.
Charlton have taken on the Blues 64 times, winning 24 of those games, drawing 20 and losing 20. Here are five of those 24 victories against Birmingham.
19th August 1995: Charlton 3-1 Birmingham
The first game on our list came in the old Division One in the 1995/96 season and it was the away side that struck first in a second half filled with goals. Jonathan Hunt’s pass was curled in beautifully by Jason Bowen on the edge of the area to give the Blues the lead, but the Addicks responded from a free-kick where Kim Grant’s header hit the post, only for Garry Nelson to bundle over the equalizer. Minutes later Charlton took the lead. Nelson turned provider, with his cross being put away by current Addicks boss Lee Bowyer, who grabbed the first of his eight goals scored in a red shirt. Grant sealed the deal with seconds to go, giving Charlton their first win of the campaign.
14th January 1996: Birmingham 3-4 Charlton
Later on that season, these two played out an absolute cracker of a game at St Andrews. The hosts took the lead through Jonathan Hunt’s penalty, but Charlton equalized in the 18th minute when a free kick was met by Carl Leaburn, whose header struck the post before bouncing off Andy Edwards’ face into the net. The Addicks made it 2-1 through Kim Grant who slotted home Leaburn’s flick-on and made it three when Lee Bowyer was put through and sent in a stinging cross to an unmarked John Robinson, who drilled in a fabulous goal.
Charlton didn’t take their foot off the gas in the second half, as Paul Mortimer’s cross was nodded in by Leaburn for 4-1. However Birmingham were not completely dead and buried and they managed to claw their way back to 4-3. The second goal came from Edwards who redeemed himself after his own goal and the third was smashed home by Richard Forsyth from outside the box, but the visitors held on to their lead, taking maximum points away from Birmingham in 1995/96.
3rd November 2003: Birmingham 1-2 Charlton
In Charlton’s successful 2003/04 Premier League campaign, the Addicks went into the break 1-0 up courtesy of Matt Holland. Claus Jensen’s corner picked out the Irishman for his first Charlton goal, heading home past Mike Taylor.
Alan Curbishley’s side made it 2-0 from another Claus Jensen corner and another goal from Matt Holland. The delivery was headed into the path of Graham Stuart, who sent a deadly shot towards goal. Christophe Dugarry blocked it off the line, only for it to bounce straight off Holland into the goal. Steve Bruce’s men got one back from a corner of their own, with Dugarry’s header being only a consolation as Charlton went back to SE7 with three points.
14th January 2006: Charlton 2-0 Birmingham
Charlton’s last Premier League match against the Blues was a 2-0 win for the Addicks. Graham Hughes gave the home side the lead by nodding home a powerful header from Dennis Rommedahl’s corner.
Charlton sealed the deal in the second half, when Hughes’ clearance put through Darren Bent who calmly slotted past the keeper for his 14th goal of the season and the Addicks’ ninth win of the 2005/06 campaign
2nd April 2016: Charlton 2-1 Birmingham
The last meeting between the two sides was a crucial game for Charlton’s survival hopes in the Championship, all in front of a hostile, protesting home crowd. It was the away side that took the advantage through Jon Toral, who tapped home Paul Caddis’ deflected cross. But Charlton responded through Johann Berg Gudmundsson, whose long-range effort flew into the bottom corner for 1-1.
After the interval, Charlton pressed and continuously knocked on the door searching for a winner. They eventually got it in the 94th minute of the game, where Ademola Lookman’s corner was met by Jorge Teixeira at the back post, giving the Addicks a massive, but ultimately bittersweet three points in the Championship.
We’ve had some good victories against Birmingham over the years, hopefully we can have another one tomorrow!