"The club provided a fitting, heartfelt tribute to 'Headphones Norm' who was a familiar face for all of us who have followed Charlton up and down the country. Every away coach I have ever taken, he was there. He was our Rudyard Kipling - meeting triumph and disaster and treating those two impostors just the same. While others ranted after a defeat, Norm would simply shrug and say it was "just a bad day at the office"."
"He never wavered. He was one of our true diehards, the sort who would turn up on a freezing Tuesday night in Walsall with only a couple of hundred of us for company. He was a regular at the club's Reminiscence Group on Thursday afternoons at The Valley, conversing about "the good old days". He had even been at the Christmas dinner just last week chatting to my brother Peter. It is heartbreaking to think he is now gone."
"As for the match on Tuesday, I went in with few expectations. Middlesbrough have been flying, even amid managerial change, and their 41 win at Hull had me worried. Our injury list has not helped, but neither did gifting them chances. Sonny Carey was dispossessed leading to the opener and Tyreece Campbell's half-hearted challenge for a 50/50 ball that led to the second goal summed up our own undoing. Campbell needs to rediscover belief."
A fitting tribute honored 'Headphones Norm', a steadfast Charlton supporter who attended many away trips, Reminiscence Group meetings and recent club events. He remained composed after defeats, often shrugging that it was "just a bad day at the office", and his sudden passing is heartbreaking. Expectations were low for the Tuesday match against Middlesbrough, who had been performing strongly. Early mistakes and a growing injury list contributed to a poor first half, with Sonny Carey dispossessed for the opener and Tyreece Campbell's half-hearted challenge leading to the second. The second half showed more intensity and strong substitutions, notably Karoy Anderson's determination, but Middlesbrough managed the game expertly to prevent a comeback. Upcoming fixtures against Oxford United, Norwich and Portsmouth will shape the season while mounting injuries remain a serious concern.
Read at www.bbc.com
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