Dobson itching to get back to The Valley

George Dobson is itching to return to The Valley this weekend as Charlton look to resurrect their season under Caretaker Manager Johnnie Jackson.

The combative midfielder was instrumental in the win at Sunderland last time out, with the Addicks now looking to use that performance and results as a springboard for success ahead of the Doncaster Rovers’ clash.

Speaking at a holiday football course hosted by Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT), Dobson said: “Training has been good, it’s been a very, very high tempo. A few challenges flying in, it’s been intense - that’s obviously the way we want to play. The only way you’re going to be able to do it on a Saturday is if you do it in training, so it’s been good and hopefully that continues.

“Obviously we’re buzzing [to be back at home],” added the 23-year-old. “We’ve got to obviously go out and try and prove a point to the fans and to everyone because obviously our home form and our form in general hasn’t been good enough. We want to be better and hopefully that will start this Saturday by firstly putting in a good performance and then getting the result.

“The fans can make a massive difference,” he continued. “You look at the games I’ve played at the start of the season with Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan, especially the Sheffield Wednesday game; the atmosphere was absolutely rocking and we should have really won that game. The fans are brilliant, like they were on Saturday with over a thousand coming up to Sunderland. They obviously do make such a difference, so we obviously want to put a performance in for them and get the right result for them.”

Run by CACT, the holiday football courses allow boys and girls between the ages of four and 15 to participate in various football-based activities, ranging from skills sessions to football tournaments.

“I used to come to soccer schools like these when I was younger all the way growing up, so it does take you back,” admitted Dobson. “Everyone chasing after the ball and just having fun with your mates, it’s good.”

“I’ve just come down to have a little Q&A and meet all of the kids that are at the soccer school,” he explained. “It’s obviously brilliant that the Trust put it on for anyone who obviously during half term needs a place to go during the day. I think there’s 90 people here, so obviously a lot of people take it up and it’s brilliant, really.

“There were actually some really good questions; a couple that I couldn’t really answer which I didn’t see coming! But they were good. They had so many questions to be fair and it’s obviously just nice to come down and say hello. They seem to really enjoy it when a player comes down.”

To book onto one of CACT’s adapted holiday football courses, please click here.

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