Members of the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) met last week, and reaffirmed their joint commitment to the removal of the Belgian businessman as owner of Charlton Athletic.
CARD – formed in January 2016 and bringing together representatives of a number of different Addicks groups and organisations, including the Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust - has no early plans to resume disruptive protests during matches. But it remains active and intends to pursue its aim in other ways as the season progresses.
A spokesperson said: “We congratulate manager Karl Robinson on the team’s overall start to the season and on achieving the longest of the eight separate managerial tenures since Duchatelet bought the club three years and eight months ago. We also look forward to the celebrations when Karl reaches a full calendar year in charge.
“While any improvement on the pitch is to be welcomed, CARD’s concern is to ensure that Charlton fans still have a club to support in five, ten and 20 years’ time and we continue to regard Duchatelet as a profound threat to that objective.
“He bought a Championship club and it is entirely down to him and his choice of chief executive, Katrien Meire, that the team is currently in League One for a second season. That is more important to most supporters than any short sequence of results, good or bad, as is the club’s damaged and diminished reputation resulting from their mismanagement. It is reflected in the fact that Charlton have lost 40 per cent of season-ticket holders.
“However, CARD does not believe it would be responsible or sensible to organise protests which could potentially impact on the team’s chances of winning promotion and we believe that is also the majority view among fans as a whole, so we are not currently planning any that affect matches.
“We do wish to acknowledge the supporters who continue to wear black and white scarves and protest shirts to games and encourage them to carry on. They can be assured that we are making other plans behind the scenes.
“In addition, CARD will continue to liaise with and offer support to fans of other clubs in dispute with their ownership, especially in cases where Charlton are due to meet such clubs on the pitch.”
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Comments
Human League.
He must know that, especially as he no longer has the network to fall back on (not to mention the demise of FFP). Hopefully, he will be looking to cut his losses and sell up in the near future.
I am one of the stay aways and I must admit that even I am getting a little bit of nagging from my own family members for continuing to boycott home matches. My younger brother has continued to go each season and he gives me grief every now and then and reckons that CARD has had it's day. Family friends who still go also think the RD is not killing the club and it's the likes of me that will see the club sink even further.
I will continue to boycott and CARD will only cease to be one RD has sold up and gone.
The fight to rid our club of this "meddlesome" owner continues, albeit less visibly than before whilst the decent start to the season has tempted some boycotters to return.
However, the lack of striking options on the pitch continues to be a cause for concern - something we can lay directly at RD's door with his reluctance to go that extra mile in strengthening the squad.
Only time will tell whether this will come back to bite him "where the sun don't shine".....
I, for one, remain ready, willing & able to step up to the plate when the time comes to remind him that we haven't gone away & will continue to be a thorn in his side until he sells our club .
You may wince at the mantra but it remains totally relevant :
Support the team, NOT the regime.
Success......what bloody success....... four seasons to (possibly), simply get back to where we f'ing started and with all the diabolical grief and loss of faith and fans along the way.
Yes, it's good to see the team doing well but we're in a shyte league where we shouldn't be in the first place!!!!!!
Even if we are promoted how can anyone with an ounce of brain honestly call it SUCCESS.....we'll have simply stood still for four, best forgotten, years!
The Valley is sadly toxic and needs decontaminating.
get us into a promotion position.
These people will never see the bigger picture.
virtuouspatient for too long. Time for a change !Frankly, the finances of football are so f&cked that it's virtually impossible for anyone to make any money outside of the PL.