Good piece in the SLP this morning (Paul Mortimer Speaks Out)

Valley11

http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/article.cfm?id=4246&headline=Charlton favourite

Henry Irving

Another "ex-employee" so his views don't count.

PassItToLeaburn

He's also a part of our history which we all know counts for nothing.

AFKABartram

"What is going on? Why it is happening to a club that during my time there was built on stability and continuity. That’s what made it successful. I don’t know what it is now. I feel sorry for the fans. It’s not a rollercoaster ride - it’s a downward spiral that needs addressing quickly.

“It needs a manager who understands the club and the league. They are bringing in a succession of managers who don’t understand the league very well - that is a huge problem.
“They have brought in this guy from the third division of Belgium football and I’m stunned. It is a concern where the club goes from here".


Strong stuff from Morts

Curb_It

Excellent stuff from Morts and well done The SLP for running it.

carly burn

More magic from Morts.

charlton_carl

Morts was on Twitter at the weekend airing his views. Gary Nelson was also doing the same

3blokes

That piece says it all. Charlton is in a complete shambles whatever the owners try to tell us.

Off_it

QPR fan? Seriously Paul, why mention that. Proper upset me that has.
:-(

PeteF

3blokes said:

That piece says it all. Charlton is in a complete shambles whatever the owners try to tell us.

Total shambles, run by a clueless regime with no care for anything other than a balance sheet, this will get a lot worse I fear.

floydroadfaithfull

That article sums up perfectly what every fan feels right now
What I can't believe is that rd can't see the need for a real leader with knowledge and experience in the championship
That would at least get the fans onside again
He may be tucked away in Belgium but his puppet is not
Is she to scared to speak her mind??
Or is she totally brainwashed by him on his bullshit ways to run our once great club

Addickforlife

PeteF said:

3blokes said:

That piece says it all. Charlton is in a complete shambles whatever the owners try to tell us.

Total shambles, run by a clueless regime with no care for anything other than a balance sheet, this will get a lot worse I fear.

This is the bit that continues to confuse me about the whole situation.

They care about the balance sheet so badly, yet seem perfectly happy for attendances to fall, supporters to be unhappy etc so seem happy to lose the easy money.

Give the supporters something to get behind, make them feel valued and they instantly increase ticket revenue and then as a knock on effect secondary spend at The Valley. Just so confusing.

PeteF

Addickforlife said:

PeteF said:

3blokes said:

That piece says it all. Charlton is in a complete shambles whatever the owners try to tell us.

Total shambles, run by a clueless regime with no care for anything other than a balance sheet, this will get a lot worse I fear.

This is the bit that continues to confuse me about the whole situation.

They care about the balance sheet so badly, yet seem perfectly happy for attendances to fall, supporters to be unhappy etc so seem happy to lose the easy money.

Give the supporters something to get behind, make them feel valued and they instantly increase ticket revenue and then as a knock on effect secondary spend at The Valley. Just so confusing.

Totally agree, it's bizarre.

soapy_jones

It is stubboness. Nothing more or less. If anyone has ever bothered to read any of the online stuff about RD and his rise to prominence then that is clear.

I am afraid this Belgian is not for turning...

ForeverAddickted

Is he no longer the Coach for the Women's side?

IAgree

I am stunned by the Trusts reference to not protesting for the sake of it but making sure it is " well crafted" ! So they are going to give Katrien a jolly good, no holds barred serious talking to, presumably over Bovril and pie! As we have seen this sought of approach has worked wonders in last two years.

Since when has the average Charlton fan protested for the sake of it?! The trust should be leading this protest but clearly are not going to.

Swisdom

soapy_jones said:

It is stubboness. Nothing more or less. If anyone has ever bothered to read any of the online stuff about RD and his rise to prominence then that is clear.

I am afraid this Belgian is not for turning...

It's true. He has the skin of a rhino.

The only way out is for a dramatic upturn in results with a manager than galvanises the players and fans. If that's Fraeye then so be it - but time is running out to get it right or we'll be in the 3rd tier.

The fact is he is unlikely to just sell up quickly as nobody will want to buy a club in the current state and he'll make a loss.

PeteF

He spent a good few years ignoring pretty volatile protests from Liege fans. Will take something extraordinary to shift him I suspect.

Pico

IAgree said:

I am stunned by the Trusts reference to not protesting for the sake of it but making sure it is " well crafted" ! So they are going to give Katrien a jolly good, no holds barred serious talking to, presumably over Bovril and pie! As we have seen this sought of approach has worked wonders in last two years.

Since when has the average Charlton fan protested for the sake of it?! The trust should be leading this protest but clearly are not going to.

Are you a Trust member ? Are you going to the AGM ?

AFKABartram

i've started another thread for the Trust angle in the article.

IAgree

Pico said:

IAgree said:

I am stunned by the Trusts reference to not protesting for the sake of it but making sure it is " well crafted" ! So they are going to give Katrien a jolly good, no holds barred serious talking to, presumably over Bovril and pie! As we have seen this sought of approach has worked wonders in last two years.

Since when has the average Charlton fan protested for the sake of it?! The trust should be leading this protest but clearly are not going to.

Are you a Trust member ? Are you going to the AGM ?

No and no but I am a Charlton fan and season ticket holder who is very concerned about our club. What are you saying? If I'm not a member and don't go to the AGM my opinion is not valid?! Sounds a bit elitiist to me!

However that is irrelevant. If the trust proports to represent Charlton fans then it should be responsive to them, member or not. I totally agree that there needs to be a considered and staged approach to our current situation and this needs to have clear aims. That's said what was expressed in this article sounds like the main aim currently is diffuse disquiet and pursue the same strategy which has failed for the last two years. RD and KM must be quaking in their boots at such a response!

If the trust shows some leadership, identifies some clear aims and develops a comprehensive strategy which we can get behind I would join like a shot and take part in every activity.

AddickFC81

Remember Andy Hughes on talksport about a year ago talking about RD and Hughesy said he "hoped he knew what RD was doing" but there was a lot of doubt in Hughesy's voice.

Southbank

Addickforlife said:

PeteF said:

3blokes said:

That piece says it all. Charlton is in a complete shambles whatever the owners try to tell us.

Total shambles, run by a clueless regime with no care for anything other than a balance sheet, this will get a lot worse I fear.

This is the bit that continues to confuse me about the whole situation.

They care about the balance sheet so badly, yet seem perfectly happy for attendances to fall, supporters to be unhappy etc so seem happy to lose the easy money.

Give the supporters something to get behind, make them feel valued and they instantly increase ticket revenue and then as a knock on effect secondary spend at The Valley. Just so confusing.

If your main thing is balancing the books, rather than investing in the team or being interested in getting promotion, , then getting relegated to League One would help that to happen. Gates would fall that is true, but the costs of players would fall much faster, making it easier to balance the books. Then you only need to sell one or two players and you can show that you have been successful.

The extra revenue from a few thousand fans and their pies would come nowhere close to financing a promotion push in the Championship unfortunately.

Airman Brown

Southbank said:

Addickforlife said:

PeteF said:

3blokes said:

That piece says it all. Charlton is in a complete shambles whatever the owners try to tell us.

Total shambles, run by a clueless regime with no care for anythng other than a balance sheet, this will get a lot worse I fear.

This is the bit that continues to confuse me about the whole situation.

They care about the balance sheet so badly, yet seem perfectly happy for attendances to fall, supporters to be unhappy etc so seem happy to lose the easy money.

Give the supporters something to get behind, make them feel valued and they instantly increase ticket revenue and then as a knock on effect secondary spend at The Valley. Just so confusing.

If your main thing is balancing the books, rather than investing in the team or being interested in getting promotion, , then getting relegated to League One would help that to happen. Gates would fall that is true, but the costs of players would fall much faster, making it easier to balance the books. Then you only need to sell one or two players and you can show that you have been successful.

The extra revenue from a few thousand fans and their pies would come nowhere close to financing a promotion push in the Championship unfortunately.

You would lose about £4m net in TV revenue and solidarity payments with no cost saving. The fixed costs of running the stadium are hard to reduce. Players, some of whom cannot command the same wages elsewhere and cannot be sold as a consequence, would still have to be paid. Any transfer fees are a one-off, the operating loss recurs.

It would be much more difficult to balance the books in League One in consequence.

Mortimerwasgod

I need to change my name to the present tense! Good, strong words from a legend.

Covered End

Henry Irving said:

Another "ex-employee" so his views don't count.

Yes, that's what Meire told me.

DiscoCAFC

Mortimerwasgod said:

I need to change my name to the present tense! Good, strong words from a legend.

Can I buy your username?

My family sponsored him for a couple of seasons and he was such a lovely guy.

LoOkOuT

Brilliant read, well done Mr. Morts. Absolutely nailed it.

AFKABartram

LoOkOuT said:

Brilliant read, well done Mr. Morts. Absolutely nailed it.

He really has. He is only saying what supporters are saying, but it is so reassuring when someone who knows the club, knows the game says the same.

Makes it more 'real' imo

queensland_addick

Morts, the legend or the pitch is almost as good in the media. I can only conclude that this isn't down to money, in fact such is his wealth that losing a few million here and there would have little to no impact to a man like RD, he probably writes it off against his tax liability. He hasn't skimped on the training ground or the Valley Pitch and has thrown good money at some decent signings. I suspect that he just has it in his head that he can run a network of clubs in a certain way and is determined to make it work. He is Frankenstien and we are his monster.

uie2

Well.done Morts you tell them!!! A legend