Can now confirm that Kris Stewart, a Director of Supporters Direct and the former Chairman of AFC Wimbledon, will be one of the guests at the open public meeting to decide on the setting up of a Charlton Athletic Supporters' Trust.
Meeting is 15th September at the Conservative Club in Charlton Church Lane.
All Charlton fans are invited.
Please pass on to friends and other sites.
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Comments
I know we are most of us on a high at the moment and that might get even higher if the takeover happens but don't let that cloud the underlying reasons for having a Trust and potentially a greater influence on how the club is run.
This is about Charlton and our trust so we don't have to take what he says as gospel but he, and there will be other people there as well, has been through the process so we can find out more.
Picture this: a football club desperately short of cash is forced (in part because of local government restricions on its ground) to move home and share with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. This story then plays out in either of two versions.
In version one, the club's fans rally round, amalgamate, campaign, work hard and, over a period of several years, help the club get back on its feet and back playing games at its traditional ground.
In version two, the club's fans give up, the club is forced to move again and, instead of campaigning to get them "home", they take their ball home, set up a new team and go and support them instead.
I think therein lies the fundamental issue between Charlton and the fans of Wimbledon/AFC Wimbledon. One set of fans rolled their sleeves up and worked hard for their own club, the other set gave up.
If other Trusts made mistakes then we can learn from that.
Please don't take this as a call to boycot what will probably be an interesting, useful and enlightning meeting.
He's a director of Supporters' Direct and was invited as such.
As I said and Chizz very very much better this is about Charlton, it's future and the role that fans can play in that future.
""I am all for Charlton fans finding out more about a Supporters Trust and using a vehicle like that to engage with the club and work through opportunities. And I would encourage anyone with Charlton's interests at heart to attend, find out more and ask questions. It's a brilliant, positive idea and could provide some of the stability and grounded-thinking that might be missing at the moment."
That is what matters here.
If some one else wants to come along and push they will have my blessing. Just now I could do without the whole bloody thing to be honest.
I arranged and publicised, with others, the first meeting and I'm doing the same for the second. With luck the second meeting will agree to proceed with the Trust idea and enough people come forward to form an interim board and other committees to make that happen. That will be the end of my involvement beyond being a member.
What I said from the first was that I didn't want to have an on going involvement with a Trust. I don't want to be and won't be on the board if and when that is set up. I've done my stint and rightly or wrongly some people will see my involvement as a negative and use it as an excuse not to get involved themselves. So I'd rather just walk away and do the stuff I do for Bromley Addicks.
Chizz, good suggestion. C'mon Floyd, I'll back you up and make sure you get to ask the question. For the same reason though Chizz, you should come as well : - ) Both of you come up and say hello on the night.
JAT but "maybe" AFC being in a position to purchanse the lease to Kingsmeadow, and groundshare, prevented the landowner from selling it for development and in turn prevent Kingstonian from leaving ? the ground itself is still very much decorated in Kingstonian red & white and AFC will one day be able to return to SW19 ?