EFL boss confronted by 6ft4in ex-Premier League star after X-rated message to away fans

Charlton boss Nathan Jones was confronted by Stoke coach Ryan Shawcross in the midst of his post-match celebrations on Tuesday.

Jones, who spent ten months as Stoke manager in 2019, was goaded by the away support during the Addicks’ 1-0 win at the Valley.

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And that prompted Jones to shout back at Stoke fans after the final whistle with his side having claimed a crucial three points in their battle to avoid relegation.

Tense exchange

However, Jones’ former captain Shawcross appeared to take exception to his sweary outburst and was seen confronting the Charlton boss.

Jones opted not to cause a scene with the former Stoke captain, instead choosing to join his players in applauding the home support.

Reflecting on a rollercoaster night at The Valley, Jones said: “It was a bit of an emotional night for me. I wanted to get off the pitch as soon as I possibly could.

“Stoke fans gave me stick when I was there so I expect that. I wouldn’t read too much into that, it’s part and parcel of it.

“They give me a little bit and I give them a little bit. They’ll realise that’s banter, especially when you’ve won the game.”

No thanks

Asked if he had crossed words with Shawcross, Jones replied: “No, not really. I’ve got a lot of respect for Shawcross.

“We had a discussion but I’m not going to argue with Ryan Shawcross, he’s 6ft 4in. I’m very brave but not that brave!

“I have a lot of respect for him. He was my captain when I was there and I had to deal with various facets when I was at Stoke but he certainly wasn’t one of them.”

The win moved Charlton up to 18th in the Championship table with 39 points from 31 games.

The Addicks sit seven points above the relegation zone but are just eight points adrift of the playoff places.

“I’m really delighted that we’ve had that win,” Jones told CharltonTV.

“I thought the performance merited it as well. We’ve had more clear-cut chances, we should have been ahead at half-time.

“You do feel like that you might not get the goal, it will peter out, or they might nick one because the Championship is brutal like that.

“I felt we defended superbly well tonight for the clean sheet. I felt we created enough chances to win the game and I’m delighted in the manner that we did.

“It took a game changer in TC [Tyreece Campbell] to win us the game.

Rex

“These (Stoke) are a good side. We’re coming up against good sides week in, week out.

“What I’m really happy and proud of is that we kept at it and kept that belief. When we did make positive changes, they were to try and win the game and invariably we did.”