Valley captain determined to go up as champions (From This Is Local London)

Valley captain determined to go up as champions

9:31am Monday 16th April 2012 in Latest Sport By George Jones

CHARLTON skipper Johnnie Jackson hailed Saturday’s promotion at Carlisle as the greatest moment of his career.

Jackson swung in the corner which was tapped home by Bradley Wright-Phillips on 76 minutes to seal his side’s return to the Championship and the Addicks now only need four more points from their remaining three games to go up as champions.

And the captain insists getting a winners' medal would be the icing on the cake.

He said: “It’s probably the best moment of my career, except for at Notts County when I got promotion in my first season, which was my first silverware in the game.

“But that was that was League Two and this is League One and I’m at a club I love, I’m settled at and I’m captaining.

“To lead them to promotion is just like a dream come true.

“If we can go on and win the league and get a winner's medal it would be fantastic.”

Despite the visiting fans coming on to the pitch at the final whistle, Jackson says he and his team-mates did not know whether their promotion was official or not.

The winger also hailed the impact the supporters have had throughout the season, as well those who made the long trip to the far north of England on Saturday.

He added: “The support was brilliant.

“The amount of numbers we brought here today and all over the place this season has been brilliant and the crowd at home has been fantastic, so it’s a reward for them.

“All those hardy souls who made the journey up here, God knows however many miles up north, they deserve it. It’s for them.”

Looking back to earlier in the season Jackson highlighted Charlton’s encounters against both Sheffield clubs in January as the week which gave the Addicks real belief to seal promotion.

Captain fantastic Jackson was the difference in those two matches captain, as his two stunning free-kicks earned the Addicks six vital points.

Jackson said: “At the time when we beat both of them there was a real sense of ‘now we believe’.

“We have believed all along, because our results have been so consistent and we’ve just kept winning, but when you beat the two clubs that are directly around you, that week felt quite significant.

“Looking back we’ve got points and we stopped them getting points.

“You can look back at it now, we’ve beaten Sheffield United twice and we’re six points ahead of them.”

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