From the Lancashire Telegraph:
"I think my view is that the popular players get tempted by agents and other clubs and have more power than the board," he explained.
"If they want to go, it's almost like they are going on strike because they won't give you the productivity you want.
"They attempt, I think, in a genuine way to hold you to ransom, and I think that's almost where it got with Andy.
"The defining moment for me was when Andy's dad (and agent) rang me several times on Thursday.
"If he'd stayed we would have had a very unhappy player on our hands, plus I think (Charlton) would have continued to work away at him.
"That would have jeopardised any value we got in Andy Gray.
"It's sad, but that's how the popular players operate these days. They're very streetwise."
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(That said any Charlton players in the reverse situation, a la Scott Parker, are greedy scumbags).
Our club has been on the receiving end of this kind of player antics and no doubt from that, we've learnt how to do this with players we are after.
One things for certain, it will never be anything different now.