'charlton deserve to be a premier league club'

By Rob Virtue on October 16, 2007 12:00 AM |

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WHETHER it's for his explosive goals or running rings around Millwall in the snow, Paul Mortimer is fondly remembered at Charlton.
But the love affair goes both ways and now the former midfielder, who spent two spells at the club in the 80s and 90s, is back heading up the coaching staff at the Charlton women's team.
As well as enjoying his new role, he said it is great to be surrounded by his old teammates like Mark Kinsella, Mark Robson, Danny Mills, Phil Chapple, Alan Pardew and Steve Gritt.

Mortimer, who has had coaching spells at Chelsea, Arsenal, Brentford and the Sierra Leone national team, is loving his long-awaited return.
"There's so many faces from the 90s and even the 80s here," he said. "It's hard to explain why we have all come back. It's just a one-off club. I've been to a few clubs in my time but that feeling has only ever been found here.
"It deserves to be a Premier League club and I'm sure we will go back up this year."
Although overjoyed to be back, he has had a tough start with a women's side made up of youngsters and Sunday league players, losing their first two games 6-0 and 7-0.
The troubles began when Charlton disbanded the squad in the close-season, only to reform it after most of the team had left. The players had no pre-season and have started the league six games behind everyone else.
But Mortimer is optimistic for the season ahead.
"We need to inject a bit of realism here," he said. "We had only one player left after all the upheavals in the summer.
"My target is to try and stay in the division. Once we've gained a bit more experience, I think we can do it."
Mortimer said he is full of admiration for the girls, who juggle full-time jobs and two nights of training each week at the Charlton training ground at New Eltham.
It's a far cry from the lives of professionals, even in the 39-year-old's day. Back then he scored 32 goals in his Charlton career, with nearly every strike a memorable one. However, most die-hard Addicks remember him for a game at The New Den against Millwall on a snowy December evening in 1995.
In Charlton's 2-0 win, Mortimer spent most of the night running rings around the Lions' defence.
"Everyone was falling over, it was great fun," he laughed.
"I think I proved that night that black players can play in the cold. I loved playing at Millwall, the atmosphere was always cracking.
"It was a big south London derby. Along with Crystal Palace, we all wanted to be the big south London club, and I don't care what Palace say - we were always the top team.
"They were fun times. It's great to be back here at the club."
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