I have been a loyal supporter since the 1968 season. I have had two season tickets since the days at Upton Park, and I renewed these tickets for the coming season back in March.
However this morning I feel extremely depressed about the situation at Charlton.
Over the years I have become used to our promising youngsters being sold and us becoming a feeder club for the big clubs, but selling Joe Gomez for a reported £3.5 million with add ons feels like a real kick in the teeth. In 1996 we sold Lee Bowyer to Leeds for £2.7 million which at the time was a record for a teenager. The fee we got for Lee Boywer in todays money would be somewhere in the region of £9-10 million. For Charlton to sell Joe for roughly the same price that we sold Lee Bowyer for 19 years ago is outrageous.
After losing Diego Poyet last season and Joe Gomez this season, I am now questioning my life long love affair with Charlton.
With no new arrivals and rumours about other players leaving, the coming season is starting to look bleak. At the moment we seem to be looking like a club that is going to be fighting a relegation battle.
I can honestly say that if I hadn't renewed my two season tickets I very much doubt if I would now bother to renew.
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What I would urge people to do is focus on players like Solly, Fox and Cousins. I normally hate players gesturing or kissing the badge but when Cousins did it this season it meant something to me because I think it meant something to him. It clinched him my vote as POTY if I’m honest. For the disappointment about the size of the Gomez deal, if we get Cousins on a nice new contract I will be overall positive about it all. As the fans sing – he is one of our own. We really do need a good number of young players coming through and actually contributing significantly to the club though, and if every exciting talent we produce leaves after just a season or at the age of 18 or 19 it won’t be good in the long run.
I don’t want any young player to be held back by staying here. But I’ll tell you one thing – Cousins will have a better career than Poyet and will benefit from at least another season with us. I think Gomez would too – he may still get that – but he will go on to great things whatever.
The next few weeks will get worst as the clubs interested in JBG increases and will
i imagine leave for a ambitious club in the championship or a newly promoted club or even Sunderland which is nearer to home ! and he knows the manager.
So it will get worst before it get better, this is what we brought into when we become CAFC fans.
From Billy Bonds to Joe Gomez.(at least Billy played 100 games for CAFC)
From George Green(sold to Spanish club in 1930's) to JonJo Shelvey.
Other examples are available, Mike Bailey,Paul Walsh, ETC
I understand your feelings Dickie, but unless we get a young richer version of Richard Murray to buy the club, any real talent will be sold on before you can say 30 games.
As has already been said, if a player wants to go, then get the best price you can for him. At least he did the decent thing by signing a contract thus enabling us to command a fee.
I first saw Joe as an 15 year old playing for the u18's against Arsenal. He was fantastic and I stated then he would play for England one day and I still stand by that. It's a shame that we didn't have the chance to see more of him, but I will be following his career very closely, the very best of luck Joe.
Oh, and I would like to remind everyone that we are still losing around £8 million per year (not sure if that figure came down last year!). RD didn't make his millions by losing money!
Lets see the team we put out against QPR before we start panicking!
Three English women and their nine children leave the country to join a Jihadist state in Syria.
The Eurozone on the brink of a damaging, Greek debt crisis.
Anti-austerity protesters marching on the nation's capital tomorrow.
Plane stowaways dropping out of the sky over West London.
Charlton trouser three and a half million quid for a teenager.
Yep, I can see why you're upset.
Football has evolved since the 90s. Completely different game now. Not for the better in terms of what I as a fan like, but little you can do about it.
You either embrace it, you walk away, or like me you are stuck somewhere in the middle. The level of change at our club (and many others) these days is huge. I don't feel as close allied to it as I have in the past (I'd be surprised if anyone does), and not getting to see much action out of youngsters with any real quality is sadly one of the downsides you just have to accept.
Or is the clue in the name Charlton Life ?
Do we want to be passionate about our football club or not.
We all know there's a big bad world out there, i thought that's why we came on here.
If we're getting down about CAFC at least that proves the rest of our lives are ticking over nicely. (pipe dream i know)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3129956/Amanda-Holden-looks-chic-cream-trousers-blue-shirt-pulls-range-silly-expressions-Morning.html
I've not seen him at the Valley yet, and he'd be the only young player sold and gone on to better things that I haven't in 20 odd years. So I hope he doesn't go, but I don't think Palace have sold a young defender for millions in years. Clyne was out of contract. Bar Bale I can't think of a young defender going from champ to Prem for millions. I'd like to see him at the Valley but that's all.
Dickie has his view and is entitled to it.
I can see how the lack of a clear vision or plan for fans to buy into could make fans feel a disconnect. I can see how selling our better will piss people off.
I'm not in the all is doom and gloom camp or the all is for the best, Roland can do no wrong camp either.
I don't think the plan was to sell Gomez this summer but events have forced that on the club. That happens.
Now the challenge is to react quickly both in terms of telling fans how things are going to be improved ON THE PITCH and backing that up with solid signings. I fear more hit and miss signings from a lap top in Belgium but let's wait and see who arrives and not slate them from the start.
It was always going to be a bumpy ride with Roland. You have been told that often enough : - )
But since RD arrived I can't really get the same emotional reaction. No tie with any players except perhaps JJ and Solly.
New players will again come in and results won't suffer, but you know what, I don't care any more.