Welcome to Charlton !
If you speak English, we are keen to learn more about our new owner Roland Duchatelet, and the likely direction our club is to go.
There is a good chance we will see some Belgium league arrive at The Valley in the coming months, any opinions you have are greatly appreciated.
Similarly, if you are interested in making a trip to Charlton for a game, the members on this forum will be happy to help you with questions.
Dank uwel!
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Comments
Remember the Exeter pitch invader a few years ago?
Belgian.
The scout movement in Belgium is very different to the one over here. One of the last times I was there they were out on the lash dressed in paper suits and ended up crashing a car into a house.
Ding dang don't
I'm a fan of one of Roland Duchatelet's teams: K Sint-Truidense VV.
STVV is a club that played for years in the Belgian top flight. In search for extra money (let's say 10 years ago) our Commercial Manager wrote a letter to the top-100 richest Belgians. That's how RD got involved in our club in a sponsordeal. As years went by RD became the president of our club. He managed to buy the football ground and the grounds around it. A few years ago he built a new stand with shops, offices, a hotel etc. The year of the construction we were relegated but got promoted after one year in the second division. Our goalkeeper that year was Simon Mignolet. Yep, now at Liverpool FC.
He took over Ujpest in Hungaria. His son Roderick is president over there.
When Standard Liège was for sale, he jumped on that wagon. Since you can not own two teams in one flight, he "gave" STVV to his wife Marieke Hofte. We got relegated due to a lack of investment and now still play in the second division. A new stand is being built at the moment. Google on "Stayen".
He took over another second division team (Tubize) and a few weeks ago Jena as you all know.
To round up. He owns (or is involved in):
- Standard de Liège
- Sint-Truiden VV
- Tubize AFC
- Carl Zeiss Jena
- Ujpest FC
That is a brief (and incomplete) round up of his history in football.
What I think you all should know:
- He bought the grounds around Staaien for peanuts from the city council. He's transforming the ground into something multifunctional. The benefits go straight into his pockets. No bennefit for the club.
- After huge protest against him in Liège, he announced he would put the club up for sale. Nothing happened since. Of course the results of Standard (first in the league) helps him with that.
- Between Sint-Truiden, Tubize and Standard players switch very often. It's no exception when there are 4 to 5 five players on loan from Standard at Sint-Truiden. None are of real added value.
- The president of STVV is a close friend and businesspartner of Duchatelet.
What I want to warn you for:
- Charlton will be just one link in his football club imperium.
- Duchatelet is often seen as an idiot in football matters. But no one can deny he is a genious in businesses.
- At first, we were delighted to see him arrive at our club. 10 years later, he is the worst thing that could have happened to us. We don't own our own ground any more (it's like a bird locked up in a golden cage), we got relegated to second devision thanks to his policy and now he still has his shadow hanging over us. I honestly believe he wants us to stay there because that's better for him.
- He got me that far that I am doubting to buy a season ticket in the future. I'm disgusted by him and his accomplices who don't fear lieing straight in the fans' faces at supporters meetings.
What I would like to know from you:
- Are there any plans for a new ground at Charlton? Because that's what is importent for him in Sint-Truiden and Liège. I can not speak for Ujpest, Zena and Tubize.
A fiew last remarks:
- I have the feeling that the bigger part of the Sint-Truiden fans have the same view as me. Altough I'm not sure. But there are also people who believe he has saved our club.
- This is only a very brief round up. It is far more complicated than this. So if you have questions, just ask them. I'll try to visit your forum on a regular basis.
- Maybe he brings you back to the Premier League, maybe he destroys you completely. No one knows. Maybe we will see Charlton players in Sint-Truiden, Zena, Liège and Tubize. Or the other way around. No one knows.
- With this post, I only want to prevent you guys from (potentially) misplaced euforia.
- I did my best to express myself in English. That's what we do. :-) Please don't botter on general remarks about Belgians like the ones in a post in this treath. They are short-sighted.
Not heard of any suggestion of a new stadium for Charlton but could be wrong ;0)
Our fan base will approve of the new hospitaliy areas!
I dont mean I hope he dies by the way, more that hopefully somebody else will have bought us by that time to push us even further (depending on where RD takes us)
- Now the stand on the right is being rebuilt. Nearly finished by now. It has the same looks as the one at the bottom.
- The thing you see in the middle of the pitch is not a grass mower. He fancied it would be better for us (and especially for him) to play on plastic grass...
Also, what type of players does he like to loan between clubs? Young players, veterans, or does it depend who is loaning to who? I absolutely hate the thought of Solly, Kermorgant or someone being sent packing to Belgium.
So we'd only have an issue here if he suddenly decided he wanted another english club. Due to the money involved in english football, i can't see him wanting to take us over, then run us into the ground.
After completing the job and when she returned to the office our RAF (Cpl) supervisor said to her "was he a Walloon Susan?" to which she replied "I don't know if he was well hung Mick!"
Still cracks me up to this day thinking about it; some 27 years later! :-)