The 1985-86 season was a great one for the Addicks and Lawrence, they finished the season off in a highly impressive second place, dominating the second division. Their new signing, John Humphrey was outstanding for the club and their great finish earned the club promotion to the top flight. They reached the third round of the FA Cup; however they lost against West ham.
Their first term back in the top flight saw the club in a huge dog fight in the relegation zone, finishing the season off in 19th place. The addicks reached the last sixteen of the league cup, ending their decent run by suffering a defeat against Arsenal, losing the match 2-0.
Charlton made a reasonable improvement the following season, despite only reaching 17th position by the end of the campaign, it was a sound improvement on the previous term and they more than matched many of the teams in the top flight. Charlton could only manage a third round finish in the FA cup and the League Cup, stumbling out of the competitions losing against West Ham and Bradford City respectively. The 87-88 season also saw the arrival of Paul Mortimer and ex Tottenham legend, Garth Crooks. 
The 1988-89 season was a great one for the Charlton fans as they made a considerable improvement in the league, finishing the season off in 14th position, a respectable mid table finish. The addicks reached the last sixteen of the FA cup; however they stumbled out the competition once again losing against West Ham United.
The Valliant’s fortunes took a turn for the worse during the 1989-90 season as they lost touch with the rest of the division; they stumbled in the top flight, finishing off in 19th position, in turn condemning the club to relegation. It was a Charlton football side that featured players like Bob Bolder, Robert Lee, Colin Walsh, Paul Mortimer, Tommy Caton, Andy Peake and Paul Williams. The Valiants were eliminated out of the FA cup in the forth round, losing against West Brom.