Charlton turn down Tottenham friendly because of money worries
By John Stanton
CHARLTON have turned down the chance of a pre-season friendly against Tottenham Hotspur because of the high policing costs.
The fixture had been verbally agreed and Spurs manager Harry Redknapp had promised to field a strong side.
The visit of the Champions League qualifiers would have drawn a big crowd to The Valley and was intended to form an important part of the club’s preparations for the League One season.
But Charlton chiefs ultimately decided the profits would not be sufficient to justify the game going ahead - an indictment of the club’s current financial state.
Instead, the Addicks have completed their pre-season line-up, with away games at non-league sides Kettering, Bedford and Bromley added to their schedule.
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Comments
Surely the point was, there would be no profit. if it's a case of the profit not being enough, then that's just crazy and I can't imagine the club would shaft it's fans like that.
anyway even if it was true, we probably had our reasons, proper reasons, reasonable reasons - not just 'high policing costs'
Zzzzzzz......
It's not like we're a small league 1 club who have much much lower match day costs.
As opposed to us going to Bromley and having them lording it over us!
Who gives a toss, friendlies are for 40 year old virgins other than Welling and anything that takes in Amsterdam FACT.
Our matchday costs are much lower than they were in the Premiership, but still substantial. I don't know anything about this story, but if the club felt there was bound to be a profit in staging such a fixture they would be keen. The problem is that you have to be confident revenue will exceed costs and apart from policing I would imagine that Spurs would want a cut of the receipts, if not a guaranteed sum up front.
As in we can't afford a London 'friendly' derby because a high number of officers will be required and it won't make any profit. If it's not going to make profit then this would be the case for any team in the Football League. Lazy journalism to just point at the fact that we have no money and be done with it.
Its not all down to making a profit - sometimes its down to making an effort, showing your TRUE fans that their is more to life than making money and rewarding the loyal fans who supported them through the last few, agonising seasons to seeing a few International Stars (Crouch,Lennon etc) , but more importantly, showing off your new acqusitions to the faithful.
I bet that there are NO league 1 or league 2 clubs without at least ONE home friendly this coming pre-season.
So you'd rather play a friendly than see a member of hard working Charlton staff keep their job for another year?
This is absolute nonsense.
I don't think I can be right or wrong in the absence of any numbers and neither can you. Even if we had the costs, we don't know the revenue. Are you saying that such a match must be staged however much it might lose? That seems a bit strong for a pre-season friendly to me.
Especially in light of the announcement made by the club today, then people would (quite rightly) be moaning at the club for staging premiershit prima donas at the expense of club staff.
Do we have to look at this as a money making exercise.! Surely the context is what are you getting for your money!, not how inexpensive it is!
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Pre -season have always been a bit of an issue, playing a 'Charlton 11' is fine, as a fan you can choose, or not choose to go!.
With me any 'Spurs 11' eleven at the valley I would go to!...... the cost is also a consideration.
also wheres the source?
When a club is teetering on the brink of administration, staging a home friendly to "reward" the fans no matter how much money it may lose, is hardly the right thing to do.
I may be wrong, but last year the only home fixture we held was a testimonial and I think the only home fixture this season is a testimonial. At this level, with yourselves shackled with a big empty stadium, steward costs that are the same rate per hour whether it's a prem or conference game, less merchandise and concession sales, the margins are a lot tighter and games like this, despite the "glamorous" opposition, don't provide the increased revenues one might expect.
To survive you need to cut your cloth accordingly, it seems your finances are in a bit of a pickle and staging a friendly to "reward" fans, but possibly costing a coach a job or not being able to make a free signing, is not worth doing.
not the Spurs game or not but some f**kin Bermondsey Pikey giving it to us about us having no money !!!
sorry Sparrows was going no to say "no offence meant" but it just wouldnt be true.
PS where is ur sister Grocho ? down Surrey docks lookin for Polish sailors again ?