Modern malaise hits the day of history

The Valley's family atmosphere receives a jolt as the police step in to quell trouble

Followers of Charlton need no reminding that it has been a while since their team won the FA Cup, but the club decided to jog any faulty memories by replaying the highlights of the 1947 1-0 victory over Burnley at half-time yesterday. How ironic that massed in front of the giant screen alongside the Jimmy Seed Stand were yellow-bibbed police and security stewards in orange jackets.

The scene, as colourful as it was unpleasant at a "family" club like this, was the consequence of trouble among the 5,500 Brentford supporters at that end of The Valley. When instigators were identified and pulled out, possibilities loomed of a riot as others swarmed to join in, only to be headed off by the police posse and some rugby-tackling stewards.

Perhaps it was frustration at having gone behind after only three minutes; possibly they were goaded by the touchline caperings of their chatterbox manager, Martin Allen; certainly they were deflated, though not silenced, or the minority rendered less of a menace by Charlton's second goal right on half-time.

So, then, it is Charlton into the last eight of the grand old competition for the third time since that day 59 years ago when Chris Duffy clocked the late winner. And Newcastle fans think they are hard done by in the matter of silverware shortage.

"Would Charlton make it?" trilled the man from Movietone News. We knew, of course, that Charlton would make it in 1947. But will they make it this season? Certainly the Valley punters think so. Bryan Hughes sliding in the third score with just over an hour gone ignited a chorus of "Que sera, sera, We're going to Wemberlee". Well, perhaps not Wembley, but the Millennium Stadium would be perfectly acceptable. Certainly Alan Curbishley would like to think so, since he is always being reminded about The Boys of '47.

"A Cup run is something I have never managed in the 15 years I have been here," he mourned. "I would like to do a Southampton, finish mid-table and get to a Cup final. For clubs our size, the Cup is a route to success. It would be nice to progress a bit further so we can keep this season going."

The unquenchable Allen went further. "We were three games from Wembley. Probably three games from Europe. That ain't bullshit. Fact. It was achievable. My players are tired and quiet and sad, but there is no one more disappointed than me. I thought we were going to win."

Perhaps, in view of their abysmal track record, Charlton will not make it past the last eight, but they will give much better teams than Brentford a hard time with the committed and intelligent fashion they went about winning yesterday.

It started with Curbishley picking a few no-nonsense players like Jay Bothroyd and Chris Perry in his starting line-up, more than capable of taking care of themselves against opponents who, while not as unpleasant as some of their supporters, are not great believers in taking prisoners.

Clad, appropriately, in all black, Brentford set about showing just how they sent Sunderland packing in the last round while Charlton were struggling to see off Leyton Orient. In the end, however, class, such as it was on a freezing afternoon, told, while Isaiah Rankin's late goal had Brentford's supporters raving about "the best team the world has ever seen". They merited the consolation. As Allen reminded us, they kept going in bleak circumstances.

Perhaps this is the year when Charlton will keep going too. Surely Chris Duffy would have liked to think so.