Lennie Lawrence said he is "very flattered" that the Charlton Athletic Ex-Players' Association have chosen to host a dinner in his honour.
The Addicks legend managed the club between 1982 and 1991, guiding Charlton to promotion to the top-flight despite their move away from The Valley.
"I went to Charlton in 1982 to manage the reserves and then stayed there for nine years after that," explained Lawrence.
"Charlton is unique. We went through all sorts. The almost liquidation, the moving away from The Valley and then the bounce-back from that. With the new owners in 1984, eventually, I got some money in the summer of 1985 to sign some players and put a team together, I signed four or five. Then the nucleus of the players, I already had at Charlton."
The 1985/86 season proved to be a defining one for the Addicks' history books, marked by both highs and lows.
"It was a strange one really, because that was the same year that we left The Valley. We signed all those players, we started at The Valley for about the first eight or 10 games, and then we left to go to Selhurst Park. We carried on there and eventually got promoted on the second to last day of the season. It was a great performance really, and then, only one other club had ever been promoted on someone else’s ground to the topflight," Lawrence said.
"The following year [1986/87 season] we were at Selhurst Park, where we stayed for the four years that we managed to stay in the First Division."
The 1986/87 campaign will always be remembered for its dramatic conclusion as Charlton took part in the first incarnation of the newly-introduced play-off system.
The Addicks finished fourth from bottom, meaning they would fight for their top-flight status against Second Division side Ipswich Town in a two legged semi-final before coming up against Leeds United in the final.
"It was a two-legged semi-final, and a two-legged final. We played Leeds in the final, beat them 1-0 at Selhurst Park and lost 1-0 at Leeds. The Football League were stumped then! It should have been penalties I suppose, but they hadn’t written anything in! They were scratching around for a venue to host a third game and eventually we went to Birmingham City, where we managed to beat Leeds in extra-time to stay in the top-flight."
"We stayed in the First Division until 1990, but then we had to sell too many players really in the end - the last year or so - to help fund the move back to The Valley. It was the right thing for the club to do and its fans obviously, but it was difficult to stay in the top-flight on that basis.
"As a manager, in the end, I couldn’t do much more. The club was committed to that move back to The Valley. After I left, they spent another year or so then at West Ham.
"It took them until 1992 to get back to The Valley, but they did, they got back there, and the rest is history!"
The Lennie Lawrence Dinner is being hosted by the Ex-Players' Association in recognition of his achievements with the club. The former manager was pleased that such an event was being held in his honour.
"It's very nice that the club are hosting such an event. I thought that everyone had forgotten about me! After 40 years as well! It makes you feel old. It's very flattering and thoughtful - it's much appreciated.
"The younger Charlton fans under the age of 40 have probably never heard of us all! But it's great and the irony is, it was all done, and the story took place, at Selhurst Park, not at The Valley.
"They were different times then, it's not so much the success we achieved, which was obviously very good. But the circumstances of what we achieved things in made it even more special.
"People say to me, a packed-out Valley must bring you such fond memories. But the answer to that is no, because when we left The Valley, it was virtually dilapidated. We were getting very small crowds in that time; all the work was done at Selhurst really.
"But it all worked out, Charlton went back to their spiritual home and they are back in the Championship, which is, at the very least, where they should be."
All proceeds will be going to the Charlton Athletic Ex-Players' Association to continue their work.
Click here to purchase your tickets for the Lennie Lawrence Dinner.
