The difficult part is sifting through everything to find the truth
I stand by what I said before the season started as I trust the person who told me
It was rightly scoffed by those that have a different view and I respect their view
I also agree that those who came in did so with the intent to make us a more viable prospect for a decent return on their money I don't see a problem with that as a business plan and it rightly saved jobs and admin at that stage
However if things have changed and people have gone where is the money to plug a deficit that could be bigger than it was 12 months ago
But I agree I am waiting to see now and see what facts come out
What did you say before the start of the season..?
If this means we get the VOTV back then hey lets look onwards - used to love reading it. Rick i don t know you but u r definitely one of us! Enough said mate. I sincerely wish you all the best.
I am not going to go into the details of the allegations at this time, but I am absolutely confident that when they emerge - together with the truth about the termination of Peter Varney and Steve Kavanagh's positions at the club - it will be apparent to all of you that I have never compromised my loyalty and commitment to the club or its supporters. All these matters will shine a powerful light into what is going on behind the scenes and the people involved.
To me, this is the key statement in Rick's message. Surely even for VG this must ring some alarm bells!!
Worrying times and I wonder why Richard Murray has remained so low profile. He's trusted by the supporters and a few words from him would be welcome. There is a storm brewing I fear.
The length of time that the club took to eventually get rid of him suggests that it wasn't a black-and-white thing either; I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say it was rather messy. I wish the best to Rick.
This is a sad day for our club and I am very worried. I don't know you, Rick, but good luck and thanks for what you have done for CAFC - I've got a feeling that you will end up doing even more for us in the future.
Facebook group has a massive following, don't underestimate its value and why it is normally strictly controlled.
I would also like to know what the softly softly approach persons on this thread and CL generally have done re their preferred method, joined the Trust perhaps? Thought not.
Another post i noticed on twitter amazingly tried to bring in the football supporters federation to endorse cafc, do they know about our fans forum which appears to have been suspended indefintely?
Just seen this, good luck to you Rick what has happened and the way it has been done is a disgrace. Prothero is a coward and needs to look at why he is there.
What I don't get is Richard Murray, his silence in all this can only be interpreted as he support such actions on Varney, Kav and Rick. If not why is he sitting by and letting this happen, is he now so weak he can't /won't say or do anything, he must see by stepping down and being brave he may just save the Club.
If they've sacked Rick, is there any constraints on what he can now say? If they'd made him redundant maybe they'd have more control? But presumably there's no 'package' at stake? Just thinking out loud.
I think it's almost a must. It's the only way as fans that we can express our dismay at what is happening to our great club. Will it do any good? Almost certainly not, but without the likes of Rick and other proper Charlton people behind the scenes we wouldn't be sitting in our wonderful stadium having that chance to make our feelings known in the first place.
I'm sure there would be a lot of people looking around asking what are they singing/doing?! This can only help to highlight the situation. At worst we've got to give it a bloody good go I think.
Posting messages on facebook is pointless. We need to get behind Sir Chris and the team and go to the games -not just the £5 ones and make the club as attractive a prospect for new investors as possible. Anybody coming in with a clean slate must be made to understand that they won't find better than Rick - which honestly should be an easy task given his tremendous record over the years. The better the team is doing, the more likely this all gets sorted out for the best as soon as possible.
Making stands and claiming brownie points to antagonise will achieve nothing.
Remind me not to stand in the trenches with you Muttley
Your First World War analogy is an interesting one, because currently I feel like I'm being asked to sign up for a war when I don't really understand what or why I'm fighting.
Something is clearly going on, but neither the board or its detractors have given me much info with which to assess whose side I'm on.
I'm not calling everybody hot heads - the hot heads are the ones who react emotionally not strategically. The ones who might want to turn Saturday's game into some sort of protest. I am unhappy Rick has been sacked. I think it serves the club no benefit at all, but I think this is a dangerous and important time. I ask myself what can I do? I might not like the answer, but it is an important question for everybody to ask themselves. We can create a hostile atmosphere on the terraces and let the board know we are unhappy - will that get Rick his job back? - my view is that it won't- could it have an adverse effect on the team? - my view is that it could. The more divided the club, the more likely we go into freefall and there won't be queues of people looking to buy us.
The way I see it - the only way you are going to sort this out is when the board get a decent offer. The fans don't seem to me to be in a position to make that offer - points I have been trying to make and getting stick from Prague and others over. What is the scenario where we complain enough that they walk away? I can't see it. Do we want them to walk away in those circumstances anyway -will that help us? - no, we want them to find a buyer a.s.a.p. How is that best achieved? We need to ask ourselves that question too. I'm not the enemy - I love the club I have supported since I was a boy. I just disagree with what might be best for it at this time. Maybe when emotions are high, you put yourself in a position to be shot at when you try to be pragmatic but even if you disagree with my points, you surely have understand the rationale behind them. Even if you think it is a misguided one.
Sheesh. I have only just now logged on to all of this, my OP was on September 14th, but as things have been quiet of late I kind of hoped against hope...
Rick is the last person in the world to be comfortable with any fawning and gushing, but his contribution to the Charlton Athletic cause in one form or another is there for anybody with eyes to see, and I believe Rick looks on those contributions with a cool satisfaction, knowing job after job has been done well. The recognition from all supporters here is well deserved, well deserved in spades, but not sought; I believe Rick has always been motivated by trying to do the greater good. It is that attribute that does Rick great credit.
And yes Rick is not Mr Charlton, not a one man band, but a skilled and effective collaborator. It is because of his ability to marshall the ideas and energy of others, and show initiative leadership and support, that Charlton Athletic is not an insular club, a lot of happy energy has been spent by many expanding the club, often spurred on by Rick's example.
This is a sad and empty day in so many ways.
So what next? Prague is calling it right on this pivotal day. If the owners are acting in the best interests of Charlton Athletic, then start by finding somebody to continue the development (by this I mainly mean attendances) of the club, as well or better than Rick has done. Go on owners, demonstrate you have a management plan that goes beyond the slash and burn tactics of the last six months.
I suppose we should assume that Martin Protheroe is on top of it, because the buck stops with him, he's in charge right? So Mr Protheroe I am looking forward to your column in the programme on Saturday which tells us something, anything actually, about your progress in your wonderful plan for continued development of our great club. I am in awe that at the moment you are doing the work previously undertaken by Mr Varney, Mr Kavanagh, and Mr Everitt.
Richard doesn't need to read this - Does anybody think he doesn't know what is going on. He can only do what he can do. We know he is one of us - a rich one of us but somebody who cares for the club - but I'd rather him on the inside than out at this time.
The club won't suffer from Rick's loss this season - it is in seasons to come.
When I and others have tried to put the case for a Trust, which ultimately would aim to make us less dependent on directors who do bad things, you slagged that off too.
Richard Murray is key to the future yet again, we know he will read this. Please Richard stand up for Rick and be counted.
You know, Richard Murray has only 10% now. He sold the rest to them. With the best will in the world, it greatly limits his power to influence issues like this. And he had a stroke, too don't forget. Last time I saw him he looked fit as a fiddle, and maybe he will try to use his influence. But I don't think we can or should count on it.
I merely stated that I couldn't see how it would work without the money which didn't seem to be high enough on the list of priorities to me. If I thought we could raise the funds needed and set out to do this from the off- I would be for the trust because all the answers to this mess conme down to money from where I'm standing . If anybody thinks that TJ gives a jot what a trust would think - well you have more faith in the man than me.
Comments
Rick i don t know you but u r definitely one of us!
Enough said mate.
I sincerely wish you all the best.
The length of time that the club took to eventually get rid of him suggests that it wasn't a black-and-white thing either; I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say it was rather messy. I wish the best to Rick.
I would also like to know what the softly softly approach persons on this thread and CL generally have done re their preferred method, joined the Trust perhaps? Thought not.
Another post i noticed on twitter amazingly tried to bring in the football supporters federation to endorse cafc, do they know about our fans forum which appears to have been suspended indefintely?
What I don't get is Richard Murray, his silence in all this can only be interpreted as he support such actions on Varney, Kav and Rick. If not why is he sitting by and letting this happen, is he now so weak he can't /won't say or do anything, he must see by stepping down and being brave he may just save the Club.
Believe Rick once said he was foremost a Charlton supporter & secondly a Charlton employee...
I'd just like to say that he excelled at both .
And when the long awaited book is published, it could well outsell those nawty " 50 Shades " !
I'm sure there would be a lot of people looking around asking what are they singing/doing?! This can only help to highlight the situation. At worst we've got to give it a bloody good go I think.
Something is clearly going on, but neither the board or its detractors have given me much info with which to assess whose side I'm on.
The way I see it - the only way you are going to sort this out is when the board get a decent offer. The fans don't seem to me to be in a position to make that offer - points I have been trying to make and getting stick from Prague and others over. What is the scenario where we complain enough that they walk away? I can't see it. Do we want them to walk away in those circumstances anyway -will that help us? - no, we want them to find a buyer a.s.a.p. How is that best achieved? We need to ask ourselves that question too. I'm not the enemy - I love the club I have supported since I was a boy. I just disagree with what might be best for it at this time. Maybe when emotions are high, you put yourself in a position to be shot at when you try to be pragmatic but even if you disagree with my points, you surely have understand the rationale behind them. Even if you think it is a misguided one.
Rick is the last person in the world to be comfortable with any fawning and gushing, but his contribution to the Charlton Athletic cause in one form or another is there for anybody with eyes to see, and I believe Rick looks on those contributions with a cool satisfaction, knowing job after job has been done well. The recognition from all supporters here is well deserved, well deserved in spades, but not sought; I believe Rick has always been motivated by trying to do the greater good. It is that attribute that does Rick great credit.
And yes Rick is not Mr Charlton, not a one man band, but a skilled and effective collaborator. It is because of his ability to marshall the ideas and energy of others, and show initiative leadership and support, that Charlton Athletic is not an insular club, a lot of happy energy has been spent by many expanding the club, often spurred on by Rick's example.
This is a sad and empty day in so many ways.
So what next?
Prague is calling it right on this pivotal day. If the owners are acting in the best interests of Charlton Athletic, then start by finding somebody to continue the development (by this I mainly mean attendances) of the club, as well or better than Rick has done. Go on owners, demonstrate you have a management plan that goes beyond the slash and burn tactics of the last six months.
I suppose we should assume that Martin Protheroe is on top of it, because the buck stops with him, he's in charge right? So Mr Protheroe I am looking forward to your column in the programme on Saturday which tells us something, anything actually, about your progress in your wonderful plan for continued development of our great club. I am in awe that at the moment you are doing the work previously undertaken by Mr Varney, Mr Kavanagh, and Mr Everitt.
Then there were indeed three.
The club won't suffer from Rick's loss this season - it is in seasons to come.
Come off it Muttley.
When I and others have tried to put the case for a Trust, which ultimately would aim to make us less dependent on directors who do bad things, you slagged that off too.