Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

RD speaks

edited June 2019 in General Charlton
https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5cfa7874d812c/charlton-owner-roland-duchatelet-updates-on-takeover-and-201920-season

The following message is from Charlton Athletic owner Roland Duchatelet.

Our win at Wembley was fantastic and, as I mentioned, a credit to all involved.

Following the win, I was filled with hope as one of the parties interested in buying the club wanted to move forward quickly to complete the purchase of the club. They want to solve the issue of the ex-directors loans first, which I can understand but may take time. In this respect I would like to thank Richard Murray, Sir Maurice Hatter, David White and David Hughes for their cooperation during this process. 

The delay is frustrating, because the fact Charlton are now back in the Championship should increase our chances of being sold and now, with the summer transfer window opening, is the right time to acquire a club.

The past few years, I have continued to pay everything at the club, despite the way some of our staff members, their family, my friends, my family and myself have been treated by individuals who claim they act in the best interest of the club.

I do not intend to do otherwise until the club has been sold. However, I want to bring the yearly losses to a more reasonable level. Operating on a small budget will limit our chances of promotion to the Premier League, which are already obstructed by the large, unsustainable, overspending by some other clubs in the division. Does it mean we have no chance? No.

Does it mean we will be relegated? Not at all. We have good players, good staff and the fans seem to be united behind the team again.

Nevertheless, it is unlikely we will win as many games as we did in League One, where we had one of the largest wage budgets and we will need everyone behind the team as you were this season.

Once again there have been some brilliant players to come through our academy this season and we will continue to bring players through next year. Our staff have already begun preparations for additions to our squad for next season and we have some good players at the club already as we look to build on last season.

The club first spoke to Lee Bowyer about a contract extension earlier in the season. There is a trigger in his contract for a contract extension, which we exercised in May, and he needs to agree to this for his contract to be extended as per the current agreement. He has done a fantastic job and therefore talks about improving Lee’s contract are scheduled for next week. Both the club and Lee want him to be the Charlton Athletic manager next season.

Stability is essential, even if the club gets sold soon.

I have been trying to sell the club for nearly two years now. Many English football clubs are for sale and many of those have been for a long time. The main reason is that nearly all Championship club owners face huge yearly losses. It is unclear how long this can continue, with clubs losing tens of millions of pounds each year. It has become unaffordable for nearly anyone to own a football club in the Championship meaning it is not easy to find a suitable buyer. 

For example, it is debatable whether the first candidate for buying the club, who was pushed, with the very best intentions, by ex-CEO Peter Varney, ex-director Derek Chappell and Rick Everitt (VOV from 29 12 15), the current owner of Ebbsfleet football club, would have been the right fit for Charlton.

A specific issue in relation to the sale of Charlton is that while a club in London is very attractive, the value of land and buildings is high because the stadium and the training ground are located in London. This wouldn’t be a problem for rich enough acquirors but we have had quite a few interested parties who wanted to buy the club while renting the stadium and the training ground.

Being back in the Championship will be of help to a takeover because it is one step less to the ultimate goal: getting into the Premier League. In the meantime owner and fans are stuck together. Please make the best of it. Let’s try to win games and enjoy those moments at The Valley.

«13456712

Comments

  • Aye. Speaks bollocks. 
  • The guy is a fucking bellend.
  • edited June 2019
    We’re up the creek I think 
  • I hate to admit it but that update actually made me smile inside. What an absolute circus of a club we are! 
  • The following message is from Charlton Athletic owner Roland Duchatelet.

    Our win at Wembley was fantastic and, as I mentioned, a credit to all involved.

    Following the win, I was filled with hope as one of the parties interested in buying the club wanted to move forward quickly to complete the purchase of the club. They want to solve the issue of the ex-directors loans first, which I can understand but may take time. In this respect I would like to thank Richard Murray, Sir Maurice Hatter, David White and David Hughes for their cooperation during this process. 

    The delay is frustrating, because the fact Charlton are now back in the Championship should increase our chances of being sold and now, with the summer transfer window opening, is the right time to acquire a club.

    The past few years, I have continued to pay everything at the club, despite the way some of our staff members, their family, my friends, my family and myself have been treated by individuals who claim they act in the best interest of the club.

    I do not intend to do otherwise until the club has been sold. However, I want to bring the yearly losses to a more reasonable level. Operating on a small budget will limit our chances of promotion to the Premier League, which are already obstructed by the large, unsustainable, overspending by some other clubs in the division. Does it mean we have no chance? No.

    Does it mean we will be relegated? Not at all. We have good players, good staff and the fans seem to be united behind the team again.

    Nevertheless, it is unlikely we will win as many games as we did in League One, where we had one of the largest wage budgets and we will need everyone behind the team as you were this season.

    Once again there have been some brilliant players to come through our academy this season and we will continue to bring players through next year. Our staff have already begun preparations for additions to our squad for next season and we have some good players at the club already as we look to build on last season.

    The club first spoke to Lee Bowyer about a contract extension earlier in the season. There is a trigger in his contract for a contract extension, which we exercised in May, and he needs to agree to this for his contract to be extended as per the current agreement. He has done a fantastic job and therefore talks about improving Lee’s contract are scheduled for next week. Both the club and Lee want him to be the Charlton Athletic manager next season.

    Stability is essential, even if the club gets sold soon.

    I have been trying to sell the club for nearly two years now. Many English football clubs are for sale and many of those have been for a long time. The main reason is that nearly all Championship club owners face huge yearly losses. It is unclear how long this can continue, with club’s losing tens of millions of pounds each year. It has become unaffordable for nearly anyone to own a football club in the Championship meaning it is not easy to find a suitable buyer. 

    For example, it is debatable whether the first candidate for buying the club, who was pushed, with the very best intentions, by ex-CEO Peter Varney, ex-director Derek Chappell and Rick Everitt (VOV from 29 12 15), the current owner of Ebbsfleet football club, would have been the right fit for Charlton.

    A specific issue in relation to the sale of Charlton is that while a club in London is very attractive, the value of land and buildings is high because the stadium and the training ground are located in London. This wouldn’t be a problem for rich enough acquirors but we have had quite a few interested parties who wanted to buy the club while renting the stadium and the training ground.

    Being back in the Championship will be of help to a takeover because it is one step less to the ultimate goal: getting into the Premier League. In the meantime owner and fans are stuck together. Please make the best of it. Let’s try to win games and enjoy those moments at The Valley.

    https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/5cfa7874d812c/charlton-owner-roland-duchatelet-updates-on-takeover-and-201920-season

  • He is mental. 
  • edited June 2019
    clive said:

    I do not intend to do otherwise until the club has been sold. However, I want to bring the yearly losses to a more reasonable level. Operating on a small budget will limit our chances of promotion to the Premier League, which are already obstructed by the large, unsustainable, overspending by some other clubs in the division. Does it mean we have no chance? No.

    Haha, I call BS.
  • Sponsored links:


  • Why is it that after reading anything he says I’m left completely confused?

    Clear as mud that. 
  • We won't be taken over.
    We won't be spending money.
    Through gritted teeth he might offer Bowyer a contract.
    Otherwise it will be someone like Slade or Fraeye.
    Without Bowyer the majority of the current squad will spend the future thinking about their next club.
  • He is like a dementor.

    Continually sapping life and momentum out of the club.

    Relegation seems a certainty reading that.
  • Sponsored links:


  • edited June 2019
    Can someone interpret that for me. I’ve read this three times and I still don’t quite understand what he’s trying to say. I think he’s saying that the interested parties want to move quickly but the director loans are still a problem. He thanks some of the former directors but not others. Are they blocking the deal? Also, Peter Barney brought his old boss to the takeover table but Roland doesn’t think he’s right for us? If we’re not sold, we’ll have a budget that’s good enough for keeping us in the league. And finally, he’s exercising a contract extension in LB’s existing contract? I just wish he’d stop using Google Translate and get one of the Comms Team to write things for him 
  • OMG...................... I really don't know what to say. If I repeated every thought at present, it would get me banned from this wonderful forum for life.
  • As of today I’m reasonably confident that Bowyer will sign a new contract. Can’t see us getting rid of Roly anytime soon though. Just excuse after excuse as to why the deal hasn’t gone through yet.
  • Are people saying there is some merit in this latest statement?
    I can't see any.
    Can anybody winkle out any positives?
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!