Below is the email I sent Charlton on behalf of my friend who would like his banner back after the game on Saturday. I sent it to the 'info@cafc.co.uk' address. How long do the club usually take to respond to correspondence? Should I be expecting a reply within 24 hours?
Hello Charlton
A banner was put on display during the second half of the Coventry game on Saturday politely (and humourously?) asking our owner to leave the club. If there had been enough space the request would have added "ideally selling to someone who knows what they are doing and also taking the SMT with you" but the curtain was only 6ft long apparently.
Anyway, the person responsible for the banner didn't hang around waiting to be assaulted by the thuggish, bullying blue vested stewards currently being employed on a match day. The banner was taken down within a couple of minutes once they realised there were bigger Addicks to fry than a handful of people blowing up balloons.
What with the unsavoury events after the game, the person who spent 6 hours making the banner was understandably reluctant to approach said bullying, thuggish stewards to ask for the banner back and left the ground thankful to be in one piece.
However, after giving it some thought, he considered the considerable sacrifice of six hours hard work, the purchase of pens and paint and the fact that the missus will probably kill him when she realises what he has done to one of the curtains! With that in mind, he has asked me if I could ask you to let him have the banner back please? He was also wondering if you could return the two cute toy pigs he had in his possession but somehow misplaced, as his kids really want them to play with having seen them on the extensive media coverage during and after the game?
My friend did ask if the items could be posted, possibly fearing the blue top bullies would be lurking nearby if he came to the Valley to retrieve them. I told him posting the items may not be such a good idea as I believe the club has had problems with Royal Mail misplacing correspondence in the past, so, as I am not intimidated by intimidating types, I am volunteering to collect the banner and pigs. When would be a good time for me to pop over?
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Comments
Dear Mr Newell,
Thank you for your e-mail to Charlton Athletic Football Club.
We are more than happy to return the item in question to the owner themselves, if an appointment is made to collect it from The Valley.
We need to be sure that we are returning it to its rightful owner, and cannot return property to third parties – therefore, if the owner of the banner could contact us and arrange a mutually convenient time to collect it, that would be appreciated.
Kind regards
Supporter Relations Team
Ok. I am the rightful owner. Can I come in to collect it on Friday please?
Presumably upon collection, I shall be permitted an attempt to half choke my interviewee, before throwing him against a brick wall ?
Best
Good Luck
Let's hope Dippenhall's assessment of the situation is wrong or I might next be seen on a CAFC Official video chained to the fans sofa in full club kit, two blue top bullies standing behind me menacingly as I extoll the virtues of the SMT and slag off CARD, all the while sharing a platter of vol-au-vents with Sue Perks!
Dear Mr Newell,
Sorry for the delay in replying to you. Yes, coming in to collect the banner tomorrow is fine - let me know what time you're planning to come to The Valley and I'll ensure it's ready for you.
If you make your way to main reception and let them know you're here to collect your banner, someone will come down to return it to you.
Thanks.
I will probably be with you between 1-2pm, depending on when I can take my break at work. Just in case you have a whole pile of confiscated banners, mine is the one with the first line "A message to you RD".
Cheers
Mark