FAMILIAR opening-day foes Charlton will arrive in Dorset buoyed by two new recruits after their quiet summer sparked to life ahead of their trip to Dean Court.
Cherries will face many teams boasting serious financial power this term but on the evidence of their close-season business, the Addicks will not one of them.
Manager Chris Powell has not been granted use of the Valley chequebook and will keep faith with many of the squad which helped his team finish ninth last season.
But while the former England defender has not splashed any cash on fees, he did secure a double striker boost yesterday. Yann Kermorgant is expected to lead the line against Cherries but Powell’s options have also been enhanced by the arrivals of Marvin Sordell and Simon Church.
Sordell, 22, was secured on a season-long loan from Bolton Wanderers, with ex-Reading man Church joining as a free agent after impressing during a trial spell.
Together with the addition of experienced midfielder Mark Gower from Swansea City, all the new faces could feature when Cherries take their Championship bow.
And there will also be some old ones back at Dean Court as Rhoys Wiggins and Danny Hollands return to their former club.
Left-back Wiggins could come in for a hot reception as the manner of his exit still angers some sections of the Cherries faithful.
But should Hollands feature in central midfield, the ex-Cherries captain will be afforded a warm welcome following his five-year service on the south coast.
Charlton should provide a good measure for Cherries after they earned a fine ninth-placed finish in the Championship last term following promotion.
Powell’s men were just three points adrift of a play-off spot in their first season back in the second tier after running away with the League One title in 2011-12.
Recent history will be against Cherries in their attempts to enjoy a winning start to life in the Championship. Cherries’ last home league win over the Addicks came with a 1-0 success on November 14, 1973, while a 3-2 victory was also registered at The Valley during the 1974-75 season.
However, Charlton will fancy their chances after emerging victorious in curtain-raisers in the capital in 2010 and 2011, while also bagging a win and a draw at Dean Court during those seasons.
Man to watch: Cultured midfielder Johnnie Jackson was schooled at Tottenham Hotspur and is the linch-pin of the Charlton engine room. The talented left-footer has consistently produced double-figure goal returns in the past three seasons.
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