Meet the opposition | Charlton Athletic
As Swansea City get set to face Charlton Athletic at The Valley, we take a look at the history, the off season and the key figures for The Addicks.
What's their story?
Charlton Athletic were established in 1905 and have spent four separate periods in the top-flight of English football, most recently between 2000 and 2007.
During that period, under the tutelage of Alan Curbishley, they enjoyed a league high finish of seventh. They have also enjoyed FA Cup success on one occasion, lifting the trophy in 1947.
Recent times have seen them flit between League One and the Championship, and they are back in the second tier this term having secured promotion courtesy of victory over Leyton Orient at Wembley in the play-offs.
How's their form?
The Addicks have made a strong start to the season and enter the weekend sitting in the play-off places.
They have lost just one of their last eight Championship games, and have lost just once on home soil - to Leicester - in the league so far this season.
Who’s the gaffer?
Welshman Nathan Jones took charge at The Valley in February 2024 with Charlton at risk of relegation from League One, but just over a year later had them back in the Championship.
Jones is best known for his two spells in charge at Luton. After a successful first spell between 2016 and 2019, during which he oversaw back-to-back promotions, Jones departed for Stoke but endured a difficult spell in the Potteries.
He returned to Luton in 2020, guiding them to Championship safety, and then helping them flourish in the second tier and winning the EFL Championship manager of the year award in 2022 before departing for Premier League Southampton.
His spell with Saints was shortlived, but he has revived Charlton's fortunes since arriving in south-east London.
As a player Cardiff-born Jones played most of his career in the lower leagues for Brighton & Hove Albion and Yeovil Town, amassing over 150 appearances for each. In total Jones had a career spanning 488 appearances and 12 goals over a 17-year period.
Who’s the captain?
Experienced midfielder Greg Docherty has been Charlton's skipper since joining the club in the summer of 2024.
A former Scotland Under-21 international, Docherty first emerged at Hamilton Academical having joined the club at the age of nine and worked his way through the ranks to become an important first-team regular.
A move to boyhood club Rangers followed in 2018, but found game time hard to come by at Ibrox, although he enjoyed successful loan spells with Shrewsbury Town and Hibernian.
He joined Hull in 2020 and helped them to win League One and return to the Championship in his first season with the Tigers.
He made nigh on 150 appearances for them before being released when his contract expired, whereupon he made the move to the Addicks.
Who are the key men?
Sonny Carey has enjoyed an excellent start to the season, scoring four goals for his new club following his summer arrival from Blackpool.
The attacking midfielder began his career in the youth ranks at Norwich, but was let go by the Canaries and had spells in non-league with Norwich United, Wroxham and King's Lynn before Blackpool signed him in 2021.
He made the most of his second chance in the EFL ranks, making 11 Championship appearances in his first season before becoming a regular over the following campaigns as the Seasiders dropped into League One.
His ability to drive forward with the ball and directly commit defenders has been one of the hallmarks of Charlton's strong start to the campaign.
James Bree is working with Nathan Jones for a third time, having also been with the Welshman at Luton Town and Southampton prior to joining Charlton.
Possessing an excellent set-piece delivery, Bree already has two goals and three assists to his name this season.
Born in Wakefield, Bree joined Barnsley from Ossett Town and went on to graduate to the senior ranks with the Tykes, helping them win the 2016 EFL Trophy.
A move to Aston Villa followed in January 2017 but regular football did not come his way and he had loan spells with Ipswich Town and Luton Town.
He joined Luton after they reached the Championship and he helped establish them in the second tier with a consistent string of strong performances.
Bree followed Jones to Southampton as the club fell towards an eventual relegation from the Premier League, but helped them return to the top-flight under Russell Martin a season later.
He is on loan at The Valley until January.
Defender Lloyd Jones has been an accomplished performer as Charlton have impressed during the early stages of the season, and has found a home at The Valley after something of a nomadic career.
A Plymouth and Liverpool academy product, 30-year-old Jones had loan spells with Cheltenham Town, Accrington Stanley, Blackpool and Swindon while with the Anfield club before making a permanent switch to Luton under Jones.
He rarely featured across three seasons and was loaned to Plymouth and Northampton, before the latter made the move permanent.
Jones was a regular for Cambridge United between 2021 and 2023, and has been a regular for the Addicks since arriving in the summer of 2023, helping them to promotion via the play-offs last term.