Charlton Athletic’s twin strike force were a formidable team until an on-pitch difference of opinion split them. Derek Hales and Mike Flanagan were sent off for brawling during an FA Cup third-round tie against lower-league side Maidstone at The Valley in 1979. The problem came with five minutes to go and the game level at 1-1, over a ball played through to Hales by Flanagan. Hales was ruled offside and furiously told Flanagan in no uncertain terms that he had wanted the ball played a lot earlier. The riposte by Flanagan, who had scored Charlton’s equaliser minutes earlier, which got tempers flaring was that he had been doing that all season but Hales had been too slow to take advantage.
