Date: Saturday, 3 January 2026Location: Valley Parade
The cold at Valley Parade had teeth that morning—sharp and biting—but inside the stadium, it felt different. Warmer somehow. Buzzing.
First match of the year.First step into the unknown of 2026.
And standing just off the touchline, boots planted firm into the thawing turf, Jake Wilson felt it humming in his ribs—the start of something.
Across the pitch, Charlton's players moved through their warm-ups like ghosts. No energy. No snap. Winless in six. Heads down. Shoulders rounded against the noise rising from the home crowd.
Bradford, in contrast, moved like a machine just starting to purr.
Costa—back after months of surgeries, rehab, lonely hours in silent gyms—stood tall in the center circle during final drills. Watching him move again, powerful, loose, dangerous… it sent a ripple through Jake he didn't bother hiding.
Today wasn't about Charlton.
Today was about the standard.
