This is my first post on Charlton Life although I have been reading posts on and off for many years. I have supported Charlton since being a boy and have held a season ticket since 1987, with the exception of a few years while studying. I have watched how things have developed over the last two years and particularly as this season has unfolded with an ever growing concern. I have tried to remain positive and objective and not to be overly swayed in my opinion by knee jerk reactions to specific results.
Until this last week I have not been able to subscribe to the 'Roland Out' campaign as I have had some reservations about its feasibility and ultimate benefit to the club. Principal among those concerns was who if anyone was willing to buy the club and put in the necessary funds to either bankroll losses or better still make the necessary (and risky) investment to take the club to the next level where it has been proven to be able to operate at a profit.
I do believe that when Roland purchased the club he had a plan based on operating within the financial fair play model and benefitting from the network of clubs to achieve this with small squads that could share players through the loan system, to provide a greater depth of cover. However since then FFP seems to have died a death in any real terms and Monsieur Duchatalet has seen fit to sell the only other club in the network that competes at a similar level. So this season we started with a good team, but a weak squad, which was not strengthened in the first transfer window and without a partner club to help us out when an injury crises struck. As a result we now are just one place off the bottom and deep in a relegation fight, without a head coach of any experience or a chief scout with knowledge of the English game. It seems quite clear to me that plan A has failed, but much more worryingly that plan B is inept.
Add to this the fact that we have a CEO that seems to continue to make very ill advised comments that both patronise and disenfranchise fans either through naivety or a complete lack of respect. I am now firmly of the opinion that we as supporters either need to force them out or to make them do a complete u turn and comprehensively address what has being going on. I did attend the protests on Saturday and for the first time got the feeling that the majority of supporters are now behind such drastic change, as seen by the numbers both during and after the game.
Now I do have a suggestion for how we can up the anti in a forceful but legal way. I think we should protest again after the next home game as before, but hopefully with even greater numbers. But also I think we as the fans should issue the owner and CEO with a signed ultimatum stating that they either put the club up for sale or immediately take steps to address the problem (conditions to be agreed with fans) or we will target their operation ruthlessly.
Although as a fan base we only represent 33% of their income (who pointed this out?) another significant chunk comes from sponsors and advertisers, who pay money to the club based on us supporters recognising and purchasing their products. We could make clear to the board that we will contact these companies stating that we as fans will boycott their products and services if they do not withdraw their support for the club when their contracts end. We could also further encourage companies with existing deals to use their adverts already paid for with the club to show their support for our cause. If we could get as many supporters as possible both regular attendees and those more removed to sign (how about target 20k as a number) I think that we could seriously put some pressure on the owner.
We could personally deliver the ultimatum to the main reception at the start of the next protest. Please note this is just a very embryonic idea and I would welcome your thoughts about its validity and implementation. But if people think it could be of benefit to the cause then I would be happy to start the ball rolling with getting it in motion.
So sorry for such a long first post and thanks for taking the time to read it, you must either really love the club or have too much time on your hands ;-)
An excellent post sumarising what I and many others have been saying for more than 18 months.
I agree with what you say, although as the club read this board, I think they are more than aware of what is coming.
This is my first post on Charlton Life although I have been reading posts on and off for many years. I have supported Charlton since being a boy and have held a season ticket since 1987, with the exception of a few years while studying. I have watched how things have developed over the last two years and particularly as this season has unfolded with an ever growing concern. I have tried to remain positive and objective and not to be overly swayed in my opinion by knee jerk reactions to specific results.
Until this last week I have not been able to subscribe to the 'Roland Out' campaign as I have had some reservations about its feasibility and ultimate benefit to the club. Principal among those concerns was who if anyone was willing to buy the club and put in the necessary funds to either bankroll losses or better still make the necessary (and risky) investment to take the club to the next level where it has been proven to be able to operate at a profit.
I do believe that when Roland purchased the club he had a plan based on operating within the financial fair play model and benefitting from the network of clubs to achieve this with small squads that could share players through the loan system, to provide a greater depth of cover. However since then FFP seems to have died a death in any real terms and Monsieur Duchatalet has seen fit to sell the only other club in the network that competes at a similar level. So this season we started with a good team, but a weak squad, which was not strengthened in the first transfer window and without a partner club to help us out when an injury crises struck. As a result we now are just one place off the bottom and deep in a relegation fight, without a head coach of any experience or a chief scout with knowledge of the English game. It seems quite clear to me that plan A has failed, but much more worryingly that plan B is inept.
Add to this the fact that we have a CEO that seems to continue to make very ill advised comments that both patronise and disenfranchise fans either through naivety or a complete lack of respect. I am now firmly of the opinion that we as supporters either need to force them out or to make them do a complete u turn and comprehensively address what has being going on. I did attend the protests on Saturday and for the first time got the feeling that the majority of supporters are now behind such drastic change, as seen by the numbers both during and after the game.
Now I do have a suggestion for how we can up the anti in a forceful but legal way. I think we should protest again after the next home game as before, but hopefully with even greater numbers. But also I think we as the fans should issue the owner and CEO with a signed ultimatum stating that they either put the club up for sale or immediately take steps to address the problem (conditions to be agreed with fans) or we will target their operation ruthlessly.
Although as a fan base we only represent 33% of their income (who pointed this out?) another significant chunk comes from sponsors and advertisers, who pay money to the club based on us supporters recognising and purchasing their products. We could make clear to the board that we will contact these companies stating that we as fans will boycott their products and services if they do not withdraw their support for the club when their contracts end. We could also further encourage companies with existing deals to use their adverts already paid for with the club to show their support for our cause. If we could get as many supporters as possible both regular attendees and those more removed to sign (how about target 20k as a number) I think that we could seriously put some pressure on the owner.
We could personally deliver the ultimatum to the main reception at the start of the next protest. Please note this is just a very embryonic idea and I would welcome your thoughts about its validity and implementation. But if people think it could be of benefit to the cause then I would be happy to start the ball rolling with getting it in motion.
So sorry for such a long first post and thanks for taking the time to read it, you must either really love the club or have too much time on your hands ;-
Great post from Gary Poole reflects perfectly what we are all feeling.
We have to keep the protests up. At Colchester we have more scope to unveil banners etc and embarrass Meire away from The Valley and show her we are not going anywhere. The real test is Blackburn where the momentum has to be maintained regardless of results in the interim.
Andrews Heat for Hire or whatever are Charlton fans. Does anyone know any of them, know how they feel about the situation? If they are disillusioned and are not going to renew their Sponsorship when it's up could they not inform the Club that and insist that their name be removed from the playing squad's shirts with immediate effect? That way we'd have to play without a sponsor, until the contract ends, and that would send out a strong visual image.
Yeah and the university. Who spends their advertising money because those individuals should be aware how it is not currently a positive advertisement for them...anyone know?
Andrews Heat for Hire or whatever are Charlton fans. Does anyone know any of them, know how they feel about the situation? If they are disillusioned and are not going to renew their Sponsorship when it's up could they not inform the Club that and insist that their name be removed from the playing squad's shirts with immediate effect? That way we'd have to play without a sponsor, until the contract ends, and that would send out a strong visual image.
Someone did post on another thread that we will still need these sponsors under any new regime, so care needs to be taken here.
Comments
I agree with what you say, although as the club read this board, I think they are more than aware of what is coming.
It may just be the end of the beginning, and not the beginning of the End, BUT;
The silent majority are speaking.
You should've listened Katrien Meire (on Behalf of Duchatelet)
We gave you 2 years, but the wise words fell on deaf ears.
Trainspotters and Anoraks; Not this time.
The Irish video and VarneyGate were the tipping point.
Your Position and that of your Boss are untenable.
You are the laughing stock in the media not Charlton Folk.
We take the piss out of ourselves, we don't need any help from Owners.
And for that reason you are out.
Goodbye.
@ soapboxsam, I agree this feels like the end of the beginning and the start of the war.