Karl Robinson explains why Charlton legends will train with first-team today

The match, which takes place next Saturday, marks 25 years since the Addicks returned to the Valley to beat Pompey 1-0 thanks to an early Colin Walsh goal.

And boss Karl Robinson hopes Jonathan Fortune, Kevin Lisbie, Matt Holland, Bob Bolder, Keith Peacock and Carl Leaburn can teach his players about the enormity of the game.

Leaburn and Bolder played against Portsmouth in December 1992, while Fortune, Lisbie and Holland starred for Charlton in successful Premier League teams.

Robinson told News Shopper: “I felt it would be nice to invite some of the ex-players down, there are a few who can’t make it like Colin Walsh and Alan Curbishley - they are both working.

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“We only decided to do it last-minute with everything going on. I think it’s important the players understand what it meant to Bob and Carl when the return happened.

“You have Kevin Lisbie who scored the hat-trick against Liverpool, Matt Holland captained the club in probably its best days.

“We didn't hand-pick anyone, we just asked people from different eras with different stories to come down.

“They’ll join in the team meeting, the warm-up, passing drills, we’ll play some games and we’ll have a little five-a-side competition with an ex-player captaining each team.

“And then we’ll have dinner with them, speaking about what the club meant to so many different people over the last 25 years.

Karl Robinson | Picture: Benjamin Peters Photography 

“It was something I wanted to do. There’s so many things that people might forget, but we’re also forgetting about the players who are playing next Saturday.

“I really want them to understand the enormity of the game, I want them to understand the history a little bit more.

“Along with that we've got Lee Bowyer, Johnnie Jackson and Chris Solly. It will be nice to get as many different people from over those 25 years in one place.”