Like many fans, the departure of Scott Parker for Chelsea when we had a chance of European qualification left me with a bad taste in the mouth at the time, but Peter Varney gives a more informed and balanced view in Richard Cawley’s Substack. Just a few excerpts as a taster (Varney also discusses the plot to sabotage The Valley floodlights).
‘Scott was like a lot of players. He wanted to play for
England and in the Champions League. At the time Chelsea were a big club with
Roman Abramovich coming on the scene. It transpired that Richard Murray had
said, at the time when Scott last signed a contract, that he could go if a
top-four club came in for him.
One of the things that fans often say is that, with a chance
of Europe, how could he just walk away? They say that it is all about the money
and whatever else. Of course money plays a part. They offered him significantly
more than he was on at Charlton and a long contract. So it was about that, but
it was also that ambition to play for England, play in the Champions League and
test himself against the best players in the world.
It’s just a shame how it ended because I would say he is one
of the best players to ever play for Charlton. So that legacy is so sad - he
was massive for us in the Premier League, and in getting to the Premier League.
Scott would be absolutely exhausted when he came off after any of our games. He
ran and ran and ran.
He was so instrumental to Charlton and the way we played. He
did the work of two players, effectively, box to box. And he could get goals.
When you get a pattern of play, a shape - we weren’t having many injuries - and
everything is rosey in the camp then there is no doubt if you lose your best
player, him and Claus Jensen dominated the midfield, it has a massive effect.’
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