It has not been the easiest on the eye, but Charlton Athletic have achieved the goal that they set out 12 months ago after being promoted via the League One playoffs.
It ended up being nervy towards the end of the season but a 19th place finish and ending the season six points clear of the dreaded relegation zone is something that Nathan Jones will look back on as a success and a building block that they can go on to keep moving forward under his leadership.
Having been relegated in 2015/16 ending a four year stay in the second tier, Charlton had only had one season back in the Championship which resulted in relegation on the final day of the pandemic impacted 2019/20 season.
Any form of survival in 2025/26 would ensure that the club would be playing in the Championship for consecutive seasons something that they had not done in the past decade and gives them a steady stabalised platform to make further progress that they have not seemed to find since being relegated from the Premier League nearly 20 years ago.
Despite lacking the financial muscle that the two sides that came up with the Addicks in League One last season in Birmingham City and Wrexham, Charlton were ambitious in the transfer market and spent over £10m to supplement their current squad and add depth for the increased quality that the Championship brings.
Jones and chief scout Phil Chapple looked back down to the third tier by snapping up some of the best players from their League One rivals with additions like Rob Apter from Blackpool, Tanto Oloafe from Stockport, Harvey Knibbs from Reading and the League One top scorer Charlie Kelman who was on loan at playoff finalists Leyton Orient was signed permanently from QPR.
Former Luton manager Jones went back to his old club to add more steely experience with the additions of Reece Burke and Amari’i Bell, while Thomas Kaminski was signed to be the new number one in goal.
Having finished the previous season with 19 wins in their last 27 matches which saw them lose just the four times, the Reds had serious momentum and used that to fashion up a fast start.
A last gasp winner by Knibbs on the opening day against Watford was a sign of things to come, in a season where the newly promoted side won ten matches by one goal.
Despite winning just one of their opening five games, Charlton’s performance levels were impressive and they dominated against Leicester City but failed to convert numerous chances before being undone by an Abdul Fatawu ‘worldie’ where he cut in on the right hand side before unleashing a strike into the top left hand corner.
When leading 1-0 at home against local rivals Millwall, Kayne Ramsay was sent off for a second bookable offence with 15 minutes to go and the away side seized the iniaitive and equalised with just minutes left wihch ensured that the Lions didn’t lose their incredible unbeaten record against Charlton stretching back to 1996.
That setback didn’t affect the South East London side however and they were to go on their best run of the season losing just once in their next nine games.
A last gasp victory away to Sheffield United who had just re-appointed Chris Wilder was a huge three points, which was then backed up by a convincing 3-0 success against Blackburn, one of just two occasions over the season where they scored three times in a game.
The second of those was Charlton’s most impressive performance of the season as they dispatched Ipswich Town at Portman Road which would end up being the Tractor Boys only home defeat all season as they ended up being promoted back into the top flight.
Three goals in 12 second half minutes from Sonny Carey, Macauley Gillesphey (who also scored in the win against Blackburn) and Miles Leaburn set them on their way to what had seemed like an unthinkable result let alone by the manner that they did it in.
Two more draws against Hull City and Swansea City was then backed up by a win against West Brom where Carey was to add yet another strike to his growing collection as his 95th minute deflected shot wrong-foot Josh Griffiths and sent the Covered End into raptures.
That goal was to be the peak of their season with that result sending them into the playoff places after 14 matches played and left Addicks fans dreaming of what could be possible after many years in the doldrums.
Nine points in their next 14 games, including five straight defeats put an abrupt end to any harbouring play-off hopes and dreams into staring down the barrel of being in a relegation dogfight.
That poor of run form began with a defeat to Wrexham in a match which was heading for a goalless draw when Onel Hernandez who had been picked up following Josh Edwards suffering a season ending ankle injury inexplicably hand-balled in the area which Josh Windass tucked away.
In a space of week, Charlton conceded eleven goals in their next three fixtures as Southampton’s interim manager Tonda Ecket exposed the defensive frailities which Charlton offered by getting in behind and scoring four goals in the first 22 minutes of the match in their 5-0 win at The Valley.
Another tough test to Stoke City was compounded with another heavy defeat as Sorba Thomas intended crosses ending up floating over Kaminski in the Charlton goal twice in the first half as the Potters ended up comfortable winners.
Facing against Coventry City who were in red-hot form after those two disappointing results was the least ideal fixture that they could have played and despite taking a lead through Knibbs, the hosts ran out comfortable winners in the end.
Even when the Addicks were picking up points during this period the performances were of a concerning nature and didn’t give the fans much belief that they could turn a corner and pick up from where they were back in October.
A victory by the most slender of margins against Oxford United who were so abject that they sacked Gary Rowett after the match which while being a much needed result didn’t offer up much encouragement.
Their other victory in this period against Sheffield United was more of the Blades being architects of their downfall by going down to nine players following reds to Djibril Soumare and Japhet Tangnaga in the first half.
Sonny Carey was that man to get them out of jail but Charlton again lacked that cutting edge and Sheffield United were the side pressing more to get the next goal in the game.
Then came the lowest point of the season, as Millwall demolished them 4-0 at The Den in front of a raucous atmosphere which Charlton couldn’t handle and the difference in levels of quality was increasingly stark.
A multitude of errors at the back with Ramsay being liable for their first and last goals, Reece Burke giving away a penalty and Kaminski in goal saving the penalty but palming it straight out for Millwall to turn home their third.
After such a shambolic performance and result, many fingers were being pointed towards Nathan Jones and it looked like Charlton were going to collapse to another relegation.
Luckily, with the January window still not shut and some inspired performance helped to turn around the clubs fortunes.
The Reds were especially busy in the January transfer window with half a dozen players joining and the sane number heading for the exit door.
Championship experience was required and part of the remit for new recruits and in signing Lyndon Dykes from Brmingham City, Harry Clarke on loan from Ipswich Town and Conor Coady also on loan from Wrexham they fitted the bill perfectly.
Also incoming was Luke Chambers who filled a necessary position at left-wing-back, Jayden Fevrier from Stockport in a swap deal that saw Olaofe return to his former club and Collins Sichenje, a Kenyan international from Serbian club Vojvodina.
Along with Olaofe, fellow summer signing Apter also left as he joined Bolton Wanderers on loan while Karoy Anderson moved to Blackpool and fringe players Ashley Maynard-Brewer and Onel Hernandez also moved on.
With Clarke, Chambers, Coady and Dykes starting together for the first time after their January arrivals they picked up their first away since their win against Ipswich back in October as they turned the tables on Leicester to record what would prove to be a vital win.
Dykes scored his first goal for the club in front of a delighted away end while Coady who’s wages were still being paid by Leicester despite leaving them to join Wrexham last summer doing an admirable job in the middle of the park, a position he had been less acustomed to in recent years.
With those four additions in particular they ensured that the Reds overcame their mini slump that they had suffered during the winter months, with a mini revival ensuring that they lost just two of their next ten games.
During that time they also picked up four wins, keeping a clean sheet in all of those successes.
A four day period that saw Charlton beat Birmingham at The Valley was then followed up by success at promotion chasing Middlesbrough who did everything except score with their 34 shots on goal and were ultimately undone by a Coady header from a Harry Clarke long throw into the box.
The point that they picked up to finish the week with away to Oxford United which at the time seemed like another point on the board, in turn proved to be crucial in a match that was a tale of two penalties with Charlie Kelman converting his spot kick to equalise in the 93rd minute.
With Oxford United finishing the season on 47 points and that equaliser helping the Addicks onto 48, this was the result that rubber stamped safety even though it would not be confirmed till much later leading to more than a hint of apprehension in the Valley faithful who have been through this predicament more than once prior.
To finish the season Charlton ended up picking up just five points from their last eight games and the confirmation of their safety was mathematically assured with just a game left to spare.
A run of four consecutive home defeats which included letting points and results slip out their grasps against mid-table sides who had nothing to fight for in Bristol City and Preston North End, as well as missing numerous missed chances against Norwich City were points that had been left on the table.
It left them looking over their shoulder and worrying about what relegation rivals such as Oxford were getting up to in their matches, when if Charlton had just picked up a win in one of those matches they wouldn’t have had to let it go to their last home match of the season against Hull City.
Even before that fixture, a chance to book their spot in the second tier for 2026/27 could have been sealed when they faced a Sheffield Wednesday side who were still lingering on minus points.
Instead, Nathan Jones’s side put on an insipid performance despite taking the lead in the match through the returning Matty Godden who had proven to be a huge miss over the course of the season after suffering multiple different injuries.
They were dominated, out-work and out-thought with the hosts having 66% possession and come the final whistle were the side who were looking more likely to be taking home the three points.
With a chance to send down The U’s who were playing later on, the Reds took full advantage against the Tigers as they secured all three points.
They ended a barren run of having only scored once in both halves all season up till that point, and also having not scored more than one goal at The Valley since their 2-1 victory against Sheffield Wednesday back in October.
The match was won by two stunning goals sandwiched by a John Egan header for Hull right on the stroke of half time.
Charlie Kelman picked up the ball and after shrugging off advances by Semi Ajayi and then Lewie Coyle before checking back and unleashing a powerful strike right into the top corner for the opener.
Jayden Fevrier won it with his own phenomenal strike after drifting in from the right wing he founded himself on the edge of the penalty area before curling in a strike into the bottom left corner than Ivor Pandur couldn’t reach.
After a difficult season full of plenty of memories but also a number of low points, it allowed the Charlton fans to enjoy a momentous achievement of staying up and not have to worry about their final game of the season at Swansea which ended up in a 3-1 defeat.
Lloyd Jones picked up his second consecutive ‘Player Of The Year’ award, featuring in every single match and helping the Addicks to keep 13 clean sheets in 2025/26.
The 30-year-old now into his third season at the club won a league high for duels, aerial duels won and clearances ahead of Millwall’s Jake Cooper and Birmingham City’s Christoph Klarer in addition to captaining the club on 13 occasions.
Ibrahim Fullah took home the award of ‘Young Player Of The Year’ with the 19-year-old making eleven appearances and impressing in numerous cameos despite starting just once in a 1-0 defeat away to Wrexham.
He also scored twice in the EFL Cup and with the Addicks looking like they could be going through a midfield rebuild in the summer, it wouldn’t be a shock if Fullah features a lot more prominently next season.
Season season syndrome is a thing and Charlton will be doing their upmost to avoid getting dragged into a relegation battle, especially in a season where the table will not be propped up by a side like Sheffield Wednesday who were deducted 18 points.
All eyes will be on progression and moving up from their 19th place finish and pushing closer to the mid table positions if possible.
With a number of big sides or financially powerful underperforming or missing out in the playoffs in 2025/26 such as Wrexham, Birmingham City, Norwich City and Sheffield United as well as the relegated sides looking like they could pose a greater threat than this season this could be a challenge.
The goalkeeping position has been a problem this season despite them keeping 13 clean sheets with Thomas Kaminski and Will Mannion being prone to making numerous errors throughout the season, the club will surely be looking at that position and signing a potential new number one.
With Harry Clarke and Luke Chambers returning back to their parent clubs and Josh Edwards fitness yet to be proven signings will be needed at both wing-back positions, while at centre back they look a lot more settled and may just need the one addition.
Midfield has proven to be an issue with a lack of creativity and control in games being an issue for the Reds.
The lack of speed in that position has seen them overrun in numerous games and a minimum of two players in that position of a much higher quality will likely be on Nathan Jones and the recruitment teams mind.
Despite the club having a plethora of strikers both at the club or out on loan, that position will need to be looked at with Matty Godden and Lyndon Dykes out of contract and Tanto Olaofe, Micah Mbick and Daniel Kanu plying their trade outside The Valley during 2025/26.
The club will likely be looking at more signings from different markets like they did with the Collins Sichenje signing in January, instead of signing some of the League One starts from 2024/25, as well as looking to clear out the deadwood and signings that have been failures in a bid to push the Addicks up the league table.
Overall, this season has been a clear success with the the main goal of staying up being achieved, but with the Championship looking harder than ever in 2026/27, an overhaul will be needed to help keep them away from the relegation mire and ensure that the constant progress under Nathan Jones continues.
