Dear All, I have made my feelings known some time ago and I am a confirmed boycotter. It's such an emotive subject that it deserves to incite impassioned debate amongst supporters because fundamentally this is about the survival of our football club. My tuppence worth is as follows -
1. I have become totally alienated by the current owners. Prior to this, and for the previous 30 years I felt part of 'Team Charlton' which boasted a unique bond between owners, directors, community scheme, share options, VIP Membership, players and fans alike. I remember the battle to recover the Valley, the Valley Party and 'those posters', volunteer work, Target 10,000 and a wonderful sense of participation in a football club that I felt proud to support. I started supporting the club in 1965 but was a fan not a stakeholder until our departure from the Valley.
2. My support has never been 'results' driven. FFS I can't believe anyone from my vintage would ever suggest such a thing but our current owners seem convinced that if we mount a promotion challenge that CARD will suddenly collapse. Their complete ignorance simply disturbs me further. At this moment I would rather we were relegated if meant that the present owners relinquish control.
3. Some may find this statement upsetting but I remember the Mark Hulyer era when we went into receivership and it looked as though our existence might be threatened. Sunley were the knights in shining armour who 'saved' the Club and then drew up plans for South London United, moving us to Selhurst Park, as second class Tenants.
4. In all honesty I would be content (not happy) if such hardship were repeated. I would never wish this on our Club but at the same time, if I'd supported Wimbledon I'd now be an AFC supporter rather than an MKD fan.
5. I know that our present owners are incredibly stubborn and apparently indifferent to supporter opinions. The silence from Belgium is a stark contrast to the continuous babble from their mouthpiece in London.
6. As many have identified KT is completely out of her depth. In all honestly I cannot see how she is trusted to run our Club. I can only assume that the financial value of the investment is dwarfed by other companies within RD's empire and hence is of little interest to him. She continues to aggravate fans on a regular basis. I'm not sure what she tells RD and I don't care but he is obviously aware of conflict with the fans, maybe she's misinforming him of our reasons, maybe he doesn't care or understand them or maybe she's economic with the truth. If he is such a successful businessman then he will be aware that on present performance the Club is economically unviable.
7. She and TC obviously think that a run of results and their soundbite admissions of 'mistakes' will be enough to placate fans and restore the business. Maybe she has convinced RD that this is the reason fro the failing fortunes? I don't know but I think she is dumb and totally ignorant of the empathy between English football teams and their supporters.
8. We have tried the protest thing and have been imaginative in attracting media attention, well done to all involved, a fantastic effort.
9. As some people have already remarked we will soon run out of inspired protests - nothing to do with imagination or commitment simply an acknowledgement of the fact that there are only so many ways to skin a cat.
10. I would like to propose something different, more controversial but hopefully just as effective? I would like to urge CARD to boycott ALL games except for selected fixtures which we can identify as 'Amnesty' matches.
11. Under this scenario we could take our protests to another level. Lets pick a fixture and urge all to boycott. We could all meet at an agreed venue (Charlton Park?) on matchday and arrange for a stage with the live match stream from Twitter and CL featured on speakers or a screen (or none of the above) and we could sing away to our hearts content supporting the team. Outcome - good press coverage, very poor attendance at the Valley but hopefully a good result that we can say we contributed to (tenuous I know but that never stopped KM!)
12. At a future home fixture we can declare a CARD 'Amnesty'. We can ask all supporters to attend (I believe this is the intent for Sheffield Utd.) We can have 'postboxes' where fans can post comments to the Regime and surrender any surplus pigs, stress balls or Pinocchio noses! During this match we turn the volume up to maximum and really support the team. The following match we boycott. And so it goes with numerous and subtle variations.
13. I would suggest an Addendum to this. We should initiate an online petition. The petition could be something like "We the undersigned, as former season ticket holders at Charlton Athletic do hearby vow to again subscribe to a new season ticket in the event that Katrien Meire is sacked or that (better still) RD disposes of his financial interests in Charlton Athletic Football Club.' Although RD may well be a machiavelian manipulator KM must depart before I will even begin to consider returning to the Valley on a regular basis.
14. I've been a 'good' not great supporter over the past 50 years in total. I'm certainly aware of others, some older others much younger who have been exemplary, home and away, season after season. Even so I did have the same three seats (sometimes up to five seats) in the same row in the East Stand since it opened and I haven't renewed this year.
15. This isn't because we were relegated! When I hear KM cite such nonsense I get very angry. The reason I haven't renewed this year is because I despise her and our owners. I tolerated the previous ones but I hate the current ones and won't be returning at any point soon unless we adopt an 'Amnesty' type of option where I can feel officially exonerated by CARD for reluctantly contributing to the coffers of our despicable owners.
16. In summary I won't be back anytime soon. I despise our present owner and his clown of a CEO. Our owners and their minnions are misguided and stubborn and will never be successful because of their fundamental ignorance of what it means to be a supporter and our critical interrelationship with the Club. They will not listen and need to be subject to 'tough love'. We need to take extreme measures to rid ourselves of this cancer. Take courage and BOYCOTT NOW !!!!
Personally don't think the boycotts will touch him - a ground full of protestors seems to be more effective. I fear a lot of our support will never return even with a change of ownership.
If the incoming owner(s) play their cards right , work with supporters as in the good old days, revamp KM's infamous "matchday experience" AND get the team playing positive & increasingly successful football, then , as Kevin Costner said " they will come" (back).
The kind of incentives that the earlier incumbents offered with the expertise of Rick & Wendy would be re-employed , no doubt with further additions/refinements to tempt the waverers into returning home, and with them hooked, a new generation of young 'uns - the future lifeblood of our club.
A well run football club with respect on both sides of the table, some much needed investment in players & coaches suitable for the task in hand and a cunning plan/achievable goal season on season would inevitably turn the tide.
I'm not suggesting this would happen overnight - even my rose tinted contact lenses don't foresee miracles- but surely ANY owner worth his/her salt would realise the potential of a club such as ours at the time of purchase & due diligence , hence be prepared to do whatever it takes to rebuild the shell of a once famous club.
But this time, with love.
Exactly. The blueprint to make this club successful is so obvious, because we have seen it here before. It's when it's a good idea to care about the history of a club, so you build on what you have already in place and don't bring it all tumbling down by reckless and unnecessary mistakes...
I share lots of sensai sentiments. I would agree to break my boycott for one match only. Based on everybody else agreeing to do so. Sheffield united would be ideal or wait for a £5 game so the club get less income. If we have 4K boycotters and they bring a guest we could crank up the protest. Fill the lower west and make Kate and Tony squirm.
We went to see Jersey Boys tonight to celebrate Mr F's 70th tomorrow & thoroughly enjoyed it.
In the bar before kick off, there were 2 couples discussing their football clubs & their woes with another couple.
The first were talking about Wolves and the other about Rotherham.
As we left to take our seats in the theatre, I commented that both might consider the plight of us, Charlton fans & be grateful for what they have .
One of the wives responded by saying " Oh, that's the Belgians isn't it !" & said she'd been reading about the protests recently even though she's not a football fan.
It made me realise that the protests inside The Valley , together with marches etc outside beforehand , are the best possible methods of gaining support from the watching public at large via the media. It's as though they are waiting with bated breath for the next installment .
And a half empty stadium would NOT have the same effect IMHO.
I spoke yesterday at work to a chap who lives in the Midlands and supports Arsenal. He knew all about our situation and loved hearing about the pink pigs and the Coventry joint protest.
We both agreed that it was hard to understand why an overseas owner would buy a club and then run it into the ground racking up big losses. I live in Hampshire and have had quite a few similar conversations over the last few months, which tells me that more and more football fans are aware of our situation.
I don't think that the argument that those who are staying away should regularly return has any traction. Better to target a particular match and concentrate the protest 'resources'. I'd certainly come back for a protest match and would bring my grand-daughter again.
However, we wouldn't sit in the Lower West, didn't enjoy the (lack of) atmosphere at all and found it depressing.
I share lots of sensai sentiments. I would agree to break my boycott for one match only. Based on everybody else agreeing to do so. Sheffield united would be ideal or wait for a £5 game so the club get less income. If we have 4K boycotters and they bring a guest we could crank up the protest. Fill the lower west and make Kate and Tony squirm.
If seeking to create the greatest possible disruption for one game, would the best plan not be to get as many of those coming to a one off protest match as possible to look to purchase their tickets at the ground on the day? I know it would be extra money for each ticket, but it would create additional difficulties for the club, including crowding, and isn't that the sort of thing that gets the authorities to delay kick off.
The one sure thing is that there is no easy answer. Like many others I have been a supporter for many years, my dad once told me I saw Stanley Matthews play at the Valley, but I have never known an atmosphere quite like now, not the Gliksten years or days ground sharing. I don't go as often now, not particularly as a direct protest but more about the atmosphere around the club. I share Cabbies dads worries / thoughts:
A - we would go under if it weren't for RD's money - how many of us were positive when he first came in B - we could get sold to an even bigger bunch of twats - a real worry with all that is happening in football now. The only thing I would feel confident in is we surely would not have as many `second rate' managers imposed on us C - he just wants to watch the game and support the team - like many of us
There have been some positives in the pitch, ground and hopefully, training area. I am probably also one of the very few that did not mind the sofa as the kids picked that sat there loved it which can not be all bad.
My last game was away at Gillingham and the football was bad enough but the actions and attitude of a fair number of our supporters towards stewards (who I thought were trying to be helpful and friendly) was embarrassing. I really felt for the two elderly ladies we were sat next to.
I am not sure what my next game will be, or how the sorry saga can possibly end in a result that gives us back a united club and support
A - It could be argued we are in a worse position now than when he took over. Whilst we were losing money and were in need of a backer, the money put in by Duchatelet has been loaded on to the club as debt. The regime constantly talk about how much they've put in, but there has been no benefit on the pitch and there are now a lot more negatives on the balance sheet.
B - Yes we could. But equally we could get someone who wants to make something of the club. The protests are a clear warning for any future owner that fans are not going to tolerate poor management of the club.
C - It's hard to argue against that point, but there is always a fear that there will not be a club to support at all if things keep going south.
I share lots of sensai sentiments. I would agree to break my boycott for one match only. Based on everybody else agreeing to do so. Sheffield united would be ideal or wait for a £5 game so the club get less income. If we have 4K boycotters and they bring a guest we could crank up the protest. Fill the lower west and make Kate and Tony squirm.
If seeking to create the greatest possible disruption for one game, would the best plan not be to get as many of those coming to a one off protest match as possible to look to purchase their tickets at the ground on the day? I know it would be extra money for each ticket, but it would create additional difficulties for the club, including crowding, and isn't that the sort of thing that gets the authorities to delay kick off.
I share lots of sensai sentiments. I would agree to break my boycott for one match only. Based on everybody else agreeing to do so. Sheffield united would be ideal or wait for a £5 game so the club get less income. If we have 4K boycotters and they bring a guest we could crank up the protest. Fill the lower west and make Kate and Tony squirm.
Good idea. I would break my boycott for this (£5 game would be best) but otherwise I will continue with my fishing and and a new hobby,Airsoft.
1. you don't actually care that much, or 2. that the 'fight' is just not worth the hassle involved.
It's clear from the widespread drop in attendances that a lot of these are people in 1 that are not Charlton social media active. They have just stopped going to games because they either no longer enjoy the games or don't like what Charlton has become but with no 'online impact' of them stopping going.
2. Is the challenge to those that have been engaged to varying degrees with protests, whether it be from taking part in a Twitter storm to organising marches.
My cutover point was about a year ago when I got involved with the 2% leaflet protest following the famous filmed Q+A meeting, because I genuinely believed enough was enough and they were virtually taking the piss out of Charlton and more importantly, Charlton supporters. Nothing has changed my mind since, in fact certain things have hardened my view and I can't for the life of me understand how others don't see that.
But then I think at times, what's the point? All I've missed is the drink up / banter with my pals but on the plus side I've saved a few quid and spent more quality time with my kids. People do find other things to do. The impact of football saturation over the last 15-20 years is also having a wider impact on increasing number of people just not enjoying the underlying game so much.
This club just isn't the one I've loved for nearly 30 years. Alongside that, football at a wider level just doesn't wet my juices to the extent it used to.
If the club / game is losing people like me, they will be losing at a much more increased level those that didn't love the club / the game as much in the first place.
I genuinely believed enough was enough and they were virtually taking the piss out of Charlton and more importantly, Charlton supporters. Nothing has changed my mind since, in fact certain things have hardened my view and I can't for the life of me understand how others don't see that.
I genuinely believed enough was enough and they were virtually taking the piss out of Charlton and more importantly, Charlton supporters. Nothing has changed my mind since, in fact certain things have hardened my view and I can't for the life of me understand how others don't see that.
This 100%.
They don't want supporters just football tourists. Anyone with an emotional attachment to the club is seen as a pain in the arse to be got rid off. Bit like constructive dismissal,make life hard and they will jack it in.
Hi, I think that one of the prime benefits of boycotting followed by an 'Amnesty' is that it highlights to Roland and others that the fanbase is still intact and this will surely encourage potential takeovers. It also has the benefit of isolating the reason for the supporter's unrest rather than allowing CM or TK to allude to match results and relegation as being the prime reasons for the fall in attendances. This might then be viewed differently by RD as he's probably fed loads of shite by our SMT. We should really look at this and boycott all games up to Sheff Utd, even if you hold a season ticket. Let's really show them that we reason we aren't attending is because we want them out, not results. We can sing 'We're only here cause we hate you, here cause we hate you, we're only here cause we hate you" Anything less than this will simply allow them to deny responsibility and attribute poor attendances to poor results and fickle law breaking supporters. BOYCOTT NOW then AMNESTY !!!!
You will never get a proper boycott off the ground as many have said the hard core of fans that attend go for reasons other than the actual game. A drink with mates, watch the game with dad etc.
A vast majority of posters on here will not boycott and attend all the games.
Boycotting is a personal option, it is not something that can be arranged en mass.
If only Duchatelet would get rid of Meire and Driesen he'd have a better chance of winning at least some of the fans over.
He must have instructed the SMT to appoint a suitable manager, he must have instructed them to stop using network players, so some the wrongs have already been righted.
If he appointed a proper CEO and let Driesen go, and then allowed Slade to invest in the January transfer window, what then? Wouldn't he then be seen as a more acceptable owner by some?
Unfortunately I'm fairly sure this won't happen, as he doesn't seem interested in running the club in a conventional way. Getting rid of Meire and Driesen would be an admission of failure. Or might he see it as a way out of he current predicament?
Driesen may be lurking somewhere in the background, but the summer signings do seem to be largely Slade's work, and contain a number of experienced "journeyman" pros, like Pearce, Crofts, Foley and Novak who aren't likely to generate a transfer profit (unlike the failed gambles which we've previously taken on young "potential")
I've not attended since the trip to Sheffield Utd in the cup, my only connection to Charlton now days is this place. I used to travel up from Devon 7/8 times a season, I've since moved near hitchin and I still have no enthusiasm to travel 2 hours and partake in the tripe we see now
I don't usually like talking about boycotts, because there are so many shades of grey in people's attitude and motivations in attending/not attending matches, and so many will simply turn up anyway.
But I'd get fully behind a boycott of the MK Dons cup match.
I don't think I'd go anyway, even if we were owned by a generous philanthropist, because the Franchise get a share of gate money, but I do wonder quite how anyone who cares about football clubs and their communities would happily hand over money to both Roland Duchatelet and Pete Winkleman in one transaction.
From what I've heard most of the profits in Jimmy's day (big gates and lowly paid players) went straight to Glicksten Towers. We can all dream of rich benefactors 'putting something back into the community', but that's unlikely to be the reality for the foreseeable future. But I guess we can always dream.
Comments
I have made my feelings known some time ago and I am a confirmed boycotter. It's such an emotive subject that it deserves to incite impassioned debate amongst supporters because fundamentally this is about the survival of our football club. My tuppence worth is as follows -
1. I have become totally alienated by the current owners. Prior to this, and for the previous 30 years I felt part of 'Team Charlton' which boasted a unique bond between owners, directors, community scheme, share options, VIP Membership, players and fans alike. I remember the battle to recover the Valley, the Valley Party and 'those posters', volunteer work, Target 10,000 and a wonderful sense of participation in a football club that I felt proud to support. I started supporting the club in 1965 but was a fan not a stakeholder until our departure from the Valley.
2. My support has never been 'results' driven. FFS I can't believe anyone from my vintage would ever suggest such a thing but our current owners seem convinced that if we mount a promotion challenge that CARD will suddenly collapse. Their complete ignorance simply disturbs me further. At this moment I would rather we were relegated if meant that the present owners relinquish control.
3. Some may find this statement upsetting but I remember the Mark Hulyer era when we went into receivership and it looked as though our existence might be threatened. Sunley were the knights in shining armour who 'saved' the Club and then drew up plans for South London United, moving us to Selhurst Park, as second class Tenants.
4. In all honesty I would be content (not happy) if such hardship were repeated. I would never wish this on our Club but at the same time, if I'd supported Wimbledon I'd now be an AFC supporter rather than an MKD fan.
5. I know that our present owners are incredibly stubborn and apparently indifferent to supporter opinions. The silence from Belgium is a stark contrast to the continuous babble from their mouthpiece in London.
6. As many have identified KT is completely out of her depth. In all honestly I cannot see how she is trusted to run our Club. I can only assume that the financial value of the investment is dwarfed by other companies within RD's empire and hence is of little interest to him. She continues to aggravate fans on a regular basis. I'm not sure what she tells RD and I don't care but he is obviously aware of conflict with the fans, maybe she's misinforming him of our reasons, maybe he doesn't care or understand them or maybe she's economic with the truth. If he is such a successful businessman then he will be aware that on present performance the Club is economically unviable.
7. She and TC obviously think that a run of results and their soundbite admissions of 'mistakes' will be enough to placate fans and restore the business. Maybe she has convinced RD that this is the reason fro the failing fortunes? I don't know but I think she is dumb and totally ignorant of the empathy between English football teams and their supporters.
8. We have tried the protest thing and have been imaginative in attracting media attention, well done to all involved, a fantastic effort.
9. As some people have already remarked we will soon run out of inspired protests - nothing to do with imagination or commitment simply an acknowledgement of the fact that there are only so many ways to skin a cat.
10. I would like to propose something different, more controversial but hopefully just as effective? I would like to urge CARD to boycott ALL games except for selected fixtures which we can identify as 'Amnesty' matches.
11. Under this scenario we could take our protests to another level. Lets pick a fixture and urge all to boycott. We could all meet at an agreed venue (Charlton Park?) on matchday and arrange for a stage with the live match stream from Twitter and CL featured on speakers or a screen (or none of the above) and we could sing away to our hearts content supporting the team. Outcome - good press coverage, very poor attendance at the Valley but hopefully a good result that we can say we contributed to (tenuous I know but that never stopped KM!)
12. At a future home fixture we can declare a CARD 'Amnesty'. We can ask all supporters to attend (I believe this is the intent for Sheffield Utd.) We can have 'postboxes' where fans can post comments to the Regime and surrender any surplus pigs, stress balls or Pinocchio noses! During this match we turn the volume up to maximum and really support the team. The following match we boycott. And so it goes with numerous and subtle variations.
13. I would suggest an Addendum to this. We should initiate an online petition. The petition could be something like "We the undersigned, as former season ticket holders at Charlton Athletic do hearby vow to again subscribe to a new season ticket in the event that Katrien Meire is sacked or that (better still) RD disposes of his financial interests in Charlton Athletic Football Club.' Although RD may well be a machiavelian manipulator KM must depart before I will even begin to consider returning to the Valley on a regular basis.
14. I've been a 'good' not great supporter over the past 50 years in total. I'm certainly aware of others, some older others much younger who have been exemplary, home and away, season after season. Even so I did have the same three seats (sometimes up to five seats) in the same row in the East Stand since it opened and I haven't renewed this year.
15. This isn't because we were relegated! When I hear KM cite such nonsense I get very angry. The reason I haven't renewed this year is because I despise her and our owners. I tolerated the previous ones but I hate the current ones and won't be returning at any point soon unless we adopt an 'Amnesty' type of option where I can feel officially exonerated by CARD for reluctantly contributing to the coffers of our despicable owners.
16. In summary I won't be back anytime soon. I despise our present owner and his clown of a CEO. Our owners and their minnions are misguided and stubborn and will never be successful because of their fundamental ignorance of what it means to be a supporter and our critical interrelationship with the Club. They will not listen and need to be subject to 'tough love'. We need to take extreme measures to rid ourselves of this cancer. Take courage and BOYCOTT NOW !!!!
Sorry for the rant.
It's when it's a good idea to care about the history of a club, so you build on what you have already in place and don't bring it all tumbling down by reckless and unnecessary mistakes...
In the bar before kick off, there were 2 couples discussing their football clubs & their woes with another couple.
The first were talking about Wolves and the other about Rotherham.
As we left to take our seats in the theatre, I commented that both might consider the plight of us, Charlton fans & be grateful for what they have .
One of the wives responded by saying " Oh, that's the Belgians isn't it !" & said she'd been reading about the protests recently even though she's not a football fan.
It made me realise that the protests inside The Valley , together with marches etc outside beforehand , are the best possible methods of gaining support from the watching public at large via the media. It's as though they are waiting with bated breath for the next installment .
And a half empty stadium would NOT have the same effect IMHO.
And anyway, something more pressing... happy birthday Mr F!
We both agreed that it was hard to understand why an overseas owner would buy a club and then run it into the ground racking up big losses. I live in Hampshire and have had quite a few similar conversations over the last few months, which tells me that more and more football fans are aware of our situation.
I don't think that the argument that those who are staying away should regularly return has any traction. Better to target a particular match and concentrate the protest 'resources'. I'd certainly come back for a protest match and would bring my grand-daughter again.
However, we wouldn't sit in the Lower West, didn't enjoy the (lack of) atmosphere at all and found it depressing.
B - Yes we could. But equally we could get someone who wants to make something of the club. The protests are a clear warning for any future owner that fans are not going to tolerate poor management of the club.
C - It's hard to argue against that point, but there is always a fear that there will not be a club to support at all if things keep going south.
1. you don't actually care that much, or
2. that the 'fight' is just not worth the hassle involved.
It's clear from the widespread drop in attendances that a lot of these are people in 1 that are not Charlton social media active. They have just stopped going to games because they either no longer enjoy the games or don't like what Charlton has become but with no 'online impact' of them stopping going.
2. Is the challenge to those that have been engaged to varying degrees with protests, whether it be from taking part in a Twitter storm to organising marches.
My cutover point was about a year ago when I got involved with the 2% leaflet protest following the famous filmed Q+A meeting, because I genuinely believed enough was enough and they were virtually taking the piss out of Charlton and more importantly, Charlton supporters. Nothing has changed my mind since, in fact certain things have hardened my view and I can't for the life of me understand how others don't see that.
But then I think at times, what's the point? All I've missed is the drink up / banter with my pals but on the plus side I've saved a few quid and spent more quality time with my kids. People do find other things to do. The impact of football saturation over the last 15-20 years is also having a wider impact on increasing number of people just not enjoying the underlying game so much.
This club just isn't the one I've loved for nearly 30 years. Alongside that, football at a wider level just doesn't wet my juices to the extent it used to.
If the club / game is losing people like me, they will be losing at a much more increased level those that didn't love the club / the game as much in the first place.
Lucky not to have seen him play although there's no doubting his mentality at the wicket.
He has a memorable accent.
A total Geoffrey seems like a mainly unpleasant proposition.
I think that one of the prime benefits of boycotting followed by an 'Amnesty' is that it highlights to Roland and others that the fanbase is still intact and this will surely encourage potential takeovers.
It also has the benefit of isolating the reason for the supporter's unrest rather than allowing CM or TK to allude to match results and relegation as being the prime reasons for the fall in attendances. This might then be viewed differently by RD as he's probably fed loads of shite by our SMT.
We should really look at this and boycott all games up to Sheff Utd, even if you hold a season ticket. Let's really show them that we reason we aren't attending is because we want them out, not results. We can sing 'We're only here cause we hate you, here cause we hate you, we're only here cause we hate you"
Anything less than this will simply allow them to deny responsibility and attribute poor attendances to poor results and fickle law breaking supporters.
BOYCOTT NOW then AMNESTY !!!!
A vast majority of posters on here will not boycott and attend all the games.
Boycotting is a personal option, it is not something that can be arranged en mass.
He must have instructed the SMT to appoint a suitable manager, he must have instructed them to stop using network players, so some the wrongs have already been righted.
If he appointed a proper CEO and let Driesen go, and then allowed Slade to invest in the January transfer window, what then? Wouldn't he then be seen as a more acceptable owner by some?
Unfortunately I'm fairly sure this won't happen, as he doesn't seem interested in running the club in a conventional way. Getting rid of Meire and Driesen would be an admission of failure. Or might he see it as a way out of he current predicament?
But I'd get fully behind a boycott of the MK Dons cup match.
I don't think I'd go anyway, even if we were owned by a generous philanthropist, because the Franchise get a share of gate money, but I do wonder quite how anyone who cares about football clubs and their communities would happily hand over money to both Roland Duchatelet and Pete Winkleman in one transaction.
We can all dream of rich benefactors 'putting something back into the community', but that's unlikely to be the reality for the foreseeable future.
But I guess we can always dream.