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Charlton Athletic PR whose job ?

edited May 2011 in General Charlton
With Peter Varney back in the fold I must admit, I expected once again that Charlton would  start to manage and promote its image to the supporters and the press.

In his first spell at The Valley Peter Varney controlled everything that came out of the club to ensure that the club was always presented in a positive light, whatever the results on the park.

It seems to me at the moment that we stagger from one PR disaster to another. ( No doubt someone will correct me) The Chairman's notes in the last programme inferring substantial investment were quickly followed by Chris Powell putting a damper on everything by suggesting the complete opposite is in fact the reality.

So where is Peter and what is his role at the club in this new ownership ?  Does he have a day to day role.

Why did the Chairman write those positive notes to be followed by a downbeat Chris Powell contradicting him.

The National press continue to give us a downbeat write up. It's always hard up Charlton in virtually every match or radio report.

So who controls what image of the club is given to the press.

I appreciate that the Exeter game was a massive PR gain for the club and its supporters, but I think it went under the media radar.

The jist of this is, I think we need a pro active Peter Varney at the club


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Comments

  • My understanding is that Michael Slater is the club spokesman on areas such as player signings and the Clubs long term plans and future.
  • edited May 2011
    Then CP, other directors and players etc should not be allowed to attend supporter Q & A where they can offer a view somewhat different to the party line !!
  • Or is Rick Everitt the club's head of PR ?

    Someone needs to be !!!
  • My job is principally marketing tickets and I do advise the board in that context, but the structure of the club has never allowed for the kind of PR strategy you are talking about. Curbs always and Richard Murray generally did their own thing, although Richard was obviously more focused on business objectives than Curbs.

    I think "stagger from one PR disaster to another" is a bit strong. I don't know the background to what Chris Powell seems to have said at Bromley, but generally the problem is what has happened rather than the way it has been presented.

  • That's an interesting update Airman Brown.  Personally just think that most of the fans on here (and not on here) would like to see a statement from messrs Slater or Varney on 'what's happening'.  Obvious from the "Chris Powell at Bromley" thread that there's quite a bit of confusion on here at the moment and various takes on what 'substantial investment' actually means.  Also a fair bit of pessimism.  Do not expect a statement on exactly what's being lined up and actual numbers as that would be crazy - but a bit of reassurance to the fans that "plans are taking shape", "investment is planned", etc. - just something to keep people feeling that they are being communicated with.  I'm sure I'm not the only one fed up looking at the OS where the latest snippet is that Waissel and Wagner are going to be at the Valley!
  • Is Waissel that German fullback we've been linked to?  ;-)
  • No thats Wagner....
  • I wonder how the signing of Richard Wagner fits in with the "Kick racism out of football" initiative?
  • I am a bit surprised at the lack of information about which of the senior players is being released. 

    Decisive action would help steady the ship and indicate positive management.

    I fear the usual will happen and money will be saved by leaving new signings until the final pre-season week.


  • I cannot belive Mr Slater would send a letter to all season ticket holders stating promised investment on the pitch and then not deliver. Does not seem his style

    Powell is starting to annoy me! " i hope to keep the Semedo but we will let him look around'  This is the same player who a few weeks earlier stated he would sign for life if he had the chance. Just get it sorted Powell! And why tell people there wont be investment when his boss has told us there will be. I would prefer a manager who gets things done rather than project negativity to the fans..

    So with so many conflicting messages coming from the club i am holding off renewing untill i know there will be investment..

     

     

     

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  • All this, and particularly what AIrman said could be construde as Powell hoping to be sacked after being told he isn't getting any substantial funds to spend. Maybe the club hope he'll walk instead then we can get back on with the plan and avoid a payout as well. Maybe a stand off for a few weeks? Maybe i'm talking out of my backside but who knows?
  • 'i hope to keep the Semedo but we will let him look around' 

    Usually means we don't want to offer him a realistic deal, we'll let him sign for another club & then claim that we couldn't match his new clubs wages.

    When Semedo was suspended we had no strength in midfield, at least give him an offer to start the bargaining procedure rather than let him "look around" . These are businessmen & know exactly what they're doing !

     

  • Surely there is an obvious deal we could offer Semedo - basic wage of c £3k per week (instead of current £6k), but with a bonus of £200k if we get promoted at end of season - that way everybody wins...
  • Surely there is an obvious deal we could offer Semedo - basic wage of c £3k per week (instead of current £6k), but with a bonus of £200k if we get promoted at end of season - that way everybody wins...
    Completely agree - but not just for Semedo. Surely several of the players (that we want to keep or bring in) could at least be offered basic pay deals with performance related pay (as happens in most results driven businesses) depending on performance but also the collective, team goal, of getting promoted when individuals will qualify for large bonuses and also a team 'target bonus' that could be a team goal...
  • edited May 2011
    "Surely there is an obvious deal we could offer Semedo - basic wage of c £3k per week (instead of current £6k), but with a bonus of £200k if we get promoted at end of season - that way everybody wins..."  (Quote not working properly).  Or maybe it is!  hence 2 comments!!  Ho hum the pleasure of updating on a site that's a work-in-progress.

    Why not offer something like this to other players and even players being enticed to join!  Performance related pay on top of a reasonable basic is fairly standard in many businesses these days.  Create a team target bonus and add to it every time the team wins so that the bonus grows.... the chairman needs to get a bit creative!
  • Didn't Slater and Jimenez bring in their own PR consultant? I'm sure he spoke at the press conference on behalf of Jimenez...and also does some bits for Nick Cash's investments.
  • We also gave one of our most fluent and entertaining performances at the Valley when Semedo was suspended and then reverted to the clumsy uncohesive stuff the very next game when he replaced Parret. 

  • edited May 2011
    Airman Brown, I appreciate your comment.

    My understanding is, that your background is journalism !           

    My original point is that the club needs to manage its image to both the media and its supporters.

    This Bromley Q & A has been a PR disaster !      I don't think that is too strong a statement.

    Chris Powell has made comments totally contradicting the Chairman's notes in the programme.  Now, I can't believe that Chris Powell did that on purpose but his demeanor suggested that he was not happy with the situation.

    Therefore someone at the club needs to either clarify the situation or issue a revised statement as to the clubs financial situation.

    I'm sure you are aware, that after the last four or so years the majority of Charlton supporters are subdued to say the least and nothing looks likely to change that feeling.

    On another original point, what is Peter Varney's role at the club these days.  An active Peter Varney would I'm sure manage this situation better.

    If he is not involved on a day to day basis then I recommend that Airman Brown should be put to better use and manage the clubs media image.




  • What media? Nobody gives a toss about League One clubs, and CAFC aren't exactly scrutinised by a host of hard-hitting media outlets. I'd rather we spent money on promotion than on slick PR (ours is far better than just about any L1 club, anyway).

    (If there was better press coverage of Charlton, more willing to ask difficult questions, then maybe we might not have even ended up in the mess we ended up in - but that's another story.)
  • The club used to have a media team of about 10 ppl, it's now half that! I agree with Inspector Sands, money is needed elsewhere and I don't think the current press team get the praise they are entitled too.
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  • edited May 2011
    All very interesting !

    However  The club needs to manage what goes out to both the media and the supporters.

    I'm not suggesting the club employs anyone for this role. I was enquiring what Peter Varney does these days ?

    Not sure that we are better than anyone on PR.  The Bromley Q & A suggests we are getting mixed messages !




  • What do you do these days kingston?
  • (If there was better press coverage of Charlton, more willing to ask difficult questions, then maybe we might not have even ended up in the mess we ended up in - but that's another story.)
    Totally agree with that.
  • edited May 2011
    All very interesting !

    However  The club needs to manage what goes out to both the media and the supporters.

    I'm not suggesting the club employs anyone for this role.


    What are you doing tomorrow, Kingston? Rock up at The Valley, then (take a train to Charlton - every 10 minutes from London Bridge - turn right and it's around the corner)  and offer your services, then. I'm sure your undoubted expertise will be welcomed.

    Were you at the Bromley Addicks meeting? Did you think CP came across as a bad ambassador for the club? 

    Or did you not go, but just read a few things on here and decide he should be silenced in the sake of doing "good PR"?
  • If everything coming out of the club was massaged by a PR guru (and they'd need a department of people considerably larger than the committed and overworked group that they currently have, and indeed that any league one club has) before being handed to the public, the same old heads would be whining about that.   I think it's rather good that we don't have a "club line" that allows Powell to air a view on affairs that can be interpreted a bit differently to the Chairmans notes, Kingston, and I think you're talking a lot of shite.  As Inspector says you could always offer your help rather than spurting a bit of nonsense over the netz.
  • edited May 2011
    (If there was better press coverage of Charlton, more willing to ask difficult questions, then maybe we might not have even ended up in the mess we ended up in - but that's another story.)
    Totally agree with that.




    exactly but as soon as anyone diss's (is that a word) charlton, the teardrops you get from the everything is rosey in charltons garden brigade are pathetic

    for example the uproar/tears when mick collins reported the shitty financial state the club were in, problem with our fans is no one likes the truth

     

  • In these days of limited journalism in the media it is the norm to cut and paste press releases straight into a paper or website.

    If the club uses quality to produce such material it will be used.
  • However, the club isn't going to ask difficult questions of itself, which is what is needed.

     

  • However, the club isn't going to ask difficult questions of itself, which is what is needed. Airman Brown......
    Very fair point Airman, and in fairness you have often gone on this site and gone out on a limb to comment about things, as others (Suzi) have done.
    When  I did some PR work with Peter Varney  albeit years ago now, I found the club both responsive and helpful.
    When I was at the BBC I found the club friendly and constructive, and got back to me.
    Matt and his team have a wide role to develop, and although I have wished at times that the club in the past could have spoken to the fans directly, such as appearing on Charlton Live a few seasons back when we came out of the prem/championship. That is water under the bridge now, and like the old CAFC website your views, often became a vehicle for personnal abuse at fans and club officials.
    We do not need  a slick pr, detached responses!, or to have a corporate line on every comment/made ! 
    The club cannot, and in fairness is unable to respond to speculation!.
    Having helped managed an internal website at the bbc, believe me it is not a simple matter of cut and paste!
    It is a question of using your resources to the most effective medium!, not producing a response to ever comment that the manager/chairman discussed in a 'closed' meeting!. I for one am glad that Charlton allow these sessions to take place, and if the message is not consistent enough awkward 'moaners' like myself will comment on boards like this!


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