Charlton were just four points away from qualifying for a spot in Europe during the 2003/04 season, but the deparuture of Scott Parker midway through the season derailed the Addicks’ hopes of an adventure on the continent.
Prior to his move to Chelsea in January 2004 for £10m, Parker had started 20 of Charlton’s 21 matches in the Premier League, helping them climb as high as fourth in the table with 37 points.
Following Parker’s departure, that form didn’t continue in their final 17 games, with Charlton picking up just 16 points as they ended the season in seventh, on 53 points. They finished three points behind both Newcastle in fifth and Aston Villa in sixth, both of whom also had superior goal differences. Liverpool, meanwhile, had 60 in fourth.
Charlton suffered a big dip in form after Parker left
Newcastle qualified for the UEFA Cup as a result, while Middlesbrough’s League Cup victory also earned them a spot in Europe’s second-tier competitions the next season.
For Jason Euell, an important player for Charlton that season thanks to his 10 Premier League goals, losing Parker ultimately proved a key turning points in their European hopes.
“The sale of Scott Parker to Chelsea made the difference,” Euell tells FourFourTwo. “We had a good balance, especially in midfield, where Scott and I combined well. With me dropping back, Claus Jensen and Matt Holland were on the right and left, and we could all score goals.
“It was a big thing when Scott left. Curbs [Curbishley] didn’t want him to go; there was a bit of a disagreement. But we had our chance to qualify and let ourselves down after he departed.”
Euell himself only lasted two more seasons at The Valley, with the Jamaica international moving north to join Middlesbrough for the 2006/07 season, despite his Charlton side having finished higher the campaign before.
‘I hadn’t played much the season before, and was close to joining Birmingham in January,” Euell says. “Then Curbs left and Iain Dowie came in. Dowie said I wasn’t in his plans and wanted me to go to Wigan.
“I wasn’t involved in the first couple of games and knew I’d be moving on. Dowie told me to play in a reserve game, but I didn’t want to risk injury so asked to be excused. He fined me a week’s wages. He was trying to show power over me, which I thought was wrong, and a week later I was off to sign for Middlesbrough.”
