Fixture Pile Up Looming

ESPN announced yesterday that they will televise Charlton's game at Luton, with the match now being played on Thursday 9 December. This will almost certainly mean that the Walsall game, scheduled for 11 December will be put back 24 hours until Sunday 12 December. The replay at Kenilworth Road will, however, benefit Christian Dailly, who will now be available for that Walsall game.

The following Tuesday, 14 December, the Addicks travel to Griffin Park for the JPT area semi-final with Brentford. That still leaves the Addicks with league fixtures against Hartlepool, Southampton and Brighton to fulfil before they travel to Colchester on New Year's Day.

Victory at Luton would send Charlton to White Hart Lane on 8 January, meaning the Carlisle game would have to be deferred. An unlikely draw at Tottenham would add another midweek fixture in January, while victory at Brentford would bring a two-legged area final with Bristol Rovers or Exeter early in the New Year. Both games would be played in midweek with further success leading to a Wembley match up with the Northern area winners, with the match at Bournemouth having to be put back.

The Arctic conditions are already threatening Saturday's game at Rochdale. Orient's cup tie at Droylesden last night was played on a less than perfect pitch that visibly froze as the evening progressed.

More snow is forecast and the weather is likely to play decimate the fixtures, particularly those played on the unprotected lower league grounds.

Promotion really could be down to survival of the fittest this season.

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