DEPARTING Charlton chief executive Peter Varney has revealed he previously rejected job offers from Celtic and Aston Villa during his time at the club - but has no idea if he will stay in football when he quits The Valley.
The 54-year-old last week announced his intention to leave SE7 on June 30 after more than 10 years at the club,but he will remain in an advisory role until the end of the year to ensure a smooth handover to his successor.
But Varney could have left The Valley a number of times during his decade with the South Londoners, with some of the biggest clubs in Britain casting covetous glances in his direction.
"There were two approaches - one from Celtic and one from Aston Villa,"Varney told the South London Press. "I turned them down because I still had a job to do at Charlton and I wanted to finish it.
"Having said that, I don't feel like I have achieved everything I set out to do because I wanted to redevelop the East Stand. If we had a wrap-around from the East to the South Stands it would transform The Valley. If it had been developed in my time I would have been able to die a happy man.
"However,I am pleased with what I have helped to do here.I would say that my proudest achievement is attracting significant levels of new investment in the club through a range of share issues. If we hadn't done them, Alan Curbishley would not have had the money to develop the team, and the stadium wouldn't be what it is today.
"I also have to pay a huge tribute to the fantastic support for these issues from chairman Richard Murray and his fellow directors.
"Our community programme is something I am very proud of, too. To sketch down an idea on some memo paper and then see it grow into a scheme which employs 29 full-time staff, 250 coaches and deals with 11,000 kids a month is great.
"It also means we are seen as a progressive community club, which is what I always wanted it to be. That's a nice legacy to have."
Varney says the time is right to leave his post as chief executive, both for him and the club.
"Running a Premier League or a Championship club is definitely a seven-days-a-week job," he said.
"In the last 12 months we have had a major court case involving Iain Dowie and Crystal Palace, we had to let 42 people leave the club due to £16million worth of cuts, and we were relegated too.
"It has been a difficult period and it is already quite a tough job at the best of times anyway.
"At football clubs, the people who are under the most pressure these days are the manager and the chief executive.You won't see chief executives doing long stints anymore.
"When you get to a certain age you re-appraise your values.My dad died the day before he was due to retire and I don't want that to happen to me. I also have a granddaughter and I've reached the point where I want a break.
"I have always given 100 per cent in every job I have had but at the age of 54, it's time to take a break. It is also a good time for the club and the business to make a change. There will be a lot of opportunities in the region in the coming years, due to the Olympics and the Thames Gateway.
"There will be a lot of new people moving into the area, so there is a big chance to harness their support and secure further investment. The club needs someone to take over for seven days a week and take advantage of those opportunities.
"I have only had two days off between January 2007 and January 2008. I then went on holiday for 10 days and thought things over. When I came back I started the conversations which led to the point of announcing my departure last week.
"It's been incredibly amicable.I want the handover to my successor to be meticulous.If things don't carry on as they are now, or improve, then I will take it as a reflection on me. I'll be accessible to explain or to advise for six months after I leave. I don't want to under-mine whoever replaces me, I hope I can be an asset.
"The success we have had here is down to a whole collection of people. We have a fantastic board of directors who have ploughed millions into the club and Richard Murray has supported me in everything I have done - he took a big gamble in appointing me. We've also got fantastic staff - the commitment they show is wonderful.
"When I first came to Charlton we had poor facilities and the fans seemed to have quite a low opinion of what the club could achieve.
"Whatever disappointment there is about recent results, it pales in comparison to before,when we had a poor stadium and a small season ticket holder base.
"Hopefully we are now regarded as a real club, with a superb stadium, and with real ambitions."
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Comments
I defy anyone to say anything but positives about Peter Varney and his involvement with CAFC - ever. A really decent man and a superb CEO, whatever he says about his successor being as good as him, the club will be just a little poorer without him.
Good luck Peter!
I just hope that people will shut up now about the "personal reasons" being something sinister or that "the fans aren't being told the real reasons"
Nolly, I'll bet you a pint that the Valley capacity will go up. Don't know when but I think it will.
Alternativily someone is going to take us over and move us next to the Dome !! or Kent which is a no no for me.
Alternativily someone is going to take us over and move us next to the Dome !! or Kent which is a no no for me.[/quote]
I'd be up for that (a VIP scheme) but with under 15k adult ST holders and needing to raise £15m that would be a grand each. That's a lot of money to most people including me.
So Pete is it just Kent that is a no no or the dome as well? Have you heard about these moves on www.conspiracythe truthisoutthere.com
Dont be like that Henry Kent would be easy for me to get to as im in Essex but the club should be firmly in greenwich. i only want us to be the best so a bigger better architecrally glourious stadium next to the Dome would do very nicely thank you.
Dont be like that Henry Kent would be easy for me to get to as im in Essex but the club should be firmly in greenwich. i only want us to be the best so a bigger better architecrally glourious stadium next to the Dome would do very nicely thank you.[/quote]
Sorry Pete, was only pulling your leg.
I agree on the stadium. I would be prepared to leave the Valley but only for something significantly better and in Greenwich.
As long as they lay on buses from the AEG Arena to the Liberal club i'll be happy : - )
How about if we go up this year (OK, OK, I know I was at Burnley FFS but if) people had the option to put the cost of their ST to a East Stand fund. Would they cough up?
Hopefully we are now regarded as a real club, with a superb stadium , and with real ambitions'
exactly right mr varney, years back this season would've been a result but now times have changed and I expect better things from Charlton .... we have moved on