Why does the Trust "welcome" the rubbish that was spouted? Sorry but I find this further approach for dialogue as divisive. It splits the fans between those who want new owners and who are getting all the publicity and gains and the Trust who still it appears still want the owners just to adjust things with them as advisors. What if the club answered the questions fully? What difference would it make?
The way I read it was that the Trust is pleased to hear the club speaking out, but feels what was said was inadequate. I don't see what's wrong with that.
Stick a date on it of a fortnight. If ignored or incompetent response then full throttle ahead with protests... good questions but it's wasted efforts in question form as we know what happens from here; ignore or spouted lies. They won't magically start telling the truth, Roland won't let his real plan come out to the media or he'd be shot to pieces, hence why the little lies are here there and everywhere, and he sticks in little sweeteners at convenient times such as Diego resigning.
It's already time to go against them IMO, their latest 'statement' says it all about how they want to communicate with FANS (it was sent out to appease the media or a small section of it)
There's some interesting comments from the Trust in this article from the BBC this morning. Saturday's protest was the largest yet and the Charlton Athletic Supporters' Trust said Murray's statement does not address "the real issues that are prompting the protests".
They added: "The club's soft and pre-prepared answers are clearly designed to influence the media positively, but they are misdirecting readers about the truth of the current situation.
"It's fine that Murray admits the squad isn't good enough and that two years after Duchatelet took over the club is still underestimating the Championship.
"But it's somewhat indefensible - it's the result of the owner's plans and Katrien Meire's execution of them."
Are we really likely to get the answers in public to some of these questions? As much as I would love an answer to all of them they will not publicly answer most of these. But its good to know the Trust is going to ask these, just a shame they will never be answered
•Why is Karel Fraeye still interim head coach? Does the board genuinely believe that Karel Fraeye has the knowledge and experience to get Charlton out of the relegation zone? If not, what is being done to recruit a permanent manager? Are they really going to come out and say they don't believe he as the knowledge but are going to keep him in charge anyway?
For all those knocking the Trust (and I am not part of it), surely at times like this we are best having as many voices hammering at the door as possible? We cannot all behave in the same way. We (the fans) can, and should, protest and chant etc ... that doesn't mean other approaches through other channels are not just as effective.
I agree.
Rodney has summed it up that there can be different approaches.
I'm very pleased the Trust has stepped up and is now asking for specific answers to specific questions and not just for dialogue. It is what a lot of people having been suggesting for sometime.
I still think there should be a cut off point/deadline, whether that is made public or not, where the Trust says "Right, you haven't responded so we move to the next stage of campaigning".
For all those knocking the Trust (and I am not part of it), surely at times like this we are best having as many voices hammering at the door as possible? We cannot all behave in the same way. We (the fans) can, and should, protest and chant etc ... that doesn't mean other approaches through other channels are not just as effective.
This post is very welcome. Please be assured that in private we do have red lines, cut off points and deadlines, but as i think most of us now agree, it is counter productive to set them out in public. Definitely we are not, and have never been , just waiting to see how the window works out. Hopefully we can all do our best to collaborate effectively from here on.
It should be obvious to everyone now that the Trust has a game plan. It serves no useful purpose to advertise that game plan on here or elsewhere, nor to place deadlines on actions and reactions. The situation is fluid, and so must be the tactics.
well played the trust, if they did not know it already they will now we will not just go away and be fooled by there stupid attempts to belittle us and our concerns.
I really cant see them responding because they cant.
Just because the trust welcome the comments is doesn't mean that it endorses them.
If you do not welcome the comments it also plays into there game of the fans being seen to being unreasonable. Charlton fans are better than that and them.
Manners are free to all
I wouldn't disagree with anything you've said. But you can also be polite, professional, respectful and fair at the same time as being firm, honest, critical and representative. Having read it again, I do not have so much of an issue with the content of the Trust's reply, but more of an issue with what isn't included.
The Trust should have set reasonable deadlines for the Club to respond. It should have made clear what action it would take, should the club not respond, the questions didn't need to be so 'frilly' etc.
I don't want to 'bash' the Trust. But at what point does the Trust stop being so polite and subsequently ineffective on this issue and make some decisions as to the 'next step'? If the Trust continues to try and liase with the club and the club continues to ignore the trust, what's the point? And as someone else asked, if the club do respond to the Trust, what then? Even if they came back with a really negative, confrontational response basically telling the Trust to sod off and mind it's own business....what does the Trust do then? Write another polite letter back?
Maybe the trust needs to remind people what it's purpose is and what power/influence it has. Perhaps some of us, me included just don't understand enough about the Trust. There are dark clouds over The Valley right now, and everyone is desperate for them to be lifted, perhaps some of us are just expecting too much from the Trust, but if that's the case, set us straight. Either way, I think this whole scenario does raise questions over the purpose of The Trust and its future. Again, just my opinion.
The messages are converging, even if the actions are different. The closer fans unite, the likelier there will be one message. This will mean the numbers behind the message are undeniable.
From the Trust's perspective, it does help to have member numbers behind us too. Just a gentle reminder of that if you've been thinking of joining - the sooner the better.
And just to confirm that the Trust Chair has emailed the questions directly to RD, RM and KM.
A good move. If, as we all expect, the three wise monkeys ignore the email as they ignore everything else, it will expose Murray's words as being meaningless. If they break cover and reply, then once we have got got over the shock we might get a sniff of a hint of an answer. Either way, there's a follow-up story there to be fed to the media.
Hat's off to The Trust for not only putting that response on their site - but also on getting a counter-article to yesterday's nonsense in to the Evening Standard, and even interjecting in Murray's PR piece on the BBC site.
A very quick and robust response to what was clearly club propaganda.
The messages are converging, even if the actions are different. The closer fans unite, the likelier there will be one message. This will mean the numbers behind the message are undeniable.
From the Trust's perspective, it does help to have member numbers behind us too. Just a gentle reminder of that if you've been thinking of joining - the sooner the better.
I agree wholeheartedly.
I've been very openly critical towards The Trust in light of the protests and the perceived lack of action, but you've hit the nail on the head @rikofold - especially with this bit:
"The messages are converging, even if the actions are different."
We stand the best chance of success if we're all united as one, that was the beauty of the protests - a four figure crowd chanting with one voice.
It's clear we all want the same thing: change. We stand the best chance if we demand it together, even if we ultimately do it in different ways.
It would be difficult to be credible for statements like that to come from an antagonistic background. Supporters need credibility in all channels of action, and to be frank the protest actions already have some excellent people to the fore.
I agree 100% @LuckyReds - we won't all agree on everything, but focusing on the things that unite us is key right now.
But are the Trust and the protestors after the same thing? The protestors see change as new owners, the Trust see change as them at the table advising the owner through dialogue. Chalk and cheese. I will shut up now though as like after the sheff utd game I appear to be a lonish voice for now. NEW OWNERS. MURRAY OUT. DUCHATALET OUT.
As someone else pointed out, we've also got the BBC report updated with the following:
Charlton fans have held protests directed at Duchatelet and Meire at recent home games, both from the stands and outside the boardroom at The Valley.
Saturday's protest was the largest yet and the Charlton Athletic Supporters' Trust said Murray's statement does not address "the real issues that are prompting the protests".
They added: "The club's soft and pre-prepared answers are clearly designed to influence the media positively, but they are misdirecting readers about the truth of the current situation.
"It's fine that Murray admits the squad isn't good enough and that two years after Duchatelet took over the club is still underestimating the Championship.
"But it's somewhat indefensible - it's the result of the owner's plans and Katrien Meire's execution of them."
But are the Trust and the protestors after the same thing? The protestors see change as new owners, the Trust see change as them at the table advising the owner through dialogue. Chalk and cheese. I will shut up now though as like after the sheff utd game I appear to be a lonish voice for now. NEW OWNERS. MURRAY OUT. DUCHATALET OUT.
The West Stand protesters can shout that they want new owners but it's rather more difficult to ask for dialogue on the same basis. The result can be the same, though.
I've been pretty critical of the trust and what they are doing, but there's no doubt about it, on this matter they have done very well to keep the fire burning while the club try and put it out.
I have accused the trust on another thread of sitting on the fence, I am glad to say they have stepped off it. I agree that they have had to be polite in their response to Murray's laughable Q&A and they have done well in bringing the response to the attention of the media. However, like others on this thread I feel that a deadline for reply should have been added, (21st Jan possibly?). Might have missed a trick there. We all need to now stick together more than ever and not take our foot off the gas.
I have accused the trust on another thread of sitting on the fence, I am glad to say they have stepped off it. I agree that they have had to be polite in their response to Murray's laughable Q&A and they have done well in bringing the response to the attention of the media. However, like others on this thread I feel that a deadline for reply should have been added, (21st Jan possibly?). Might have missed a trick there. We all need to now stick together more than ever and not take our foot off the gas.
Nice work. Appreciate it's a difficult job with a multi-member organisation like the trust, but pleased to see the tanker's been turned around and is starting to steam in the right direction, along with the other vessels.
Comments
It's already time to go against them IMO, their latest 'statement' says it all about how they want to communicate with FANS (it was sent out to appease the media or a small section of it)
Saturday's protest was the largest yet and the Charlton Athletic Supporters' Trust said Murray's statement does not address "the real issues that are prompting the protests".
They added: "The club's soft and pre-prepared answers are clearly designed to influence the media positively, but they are misdirecting readers about the truth of the current situation.
"It's fine that Murray admits the squad isn't good enough and that two years after Duchatelet took over the club is still underestimating the Championship.
"But it's somewhat indefensible - it's the result of the owner's plans and Katrien Meire's execution of them."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35253634
•Why is Karel Fraeye still interim head coach? Does the board genuinely believe that Karel Fraeye has the knowledge and experience to get Charlton out of the relegation zone? If not, what is being done to recruit a permanent manager? Are they really going to come out and say they don't believe he as the knowledge but are going to keep him in charge anyway?
I really cant see them responding because they cant.
The Trust should have set reasonable deadlines for the Club to respond. It should have made clear what action it would take, should the club not respond, the questions didn't need to be so 'frilly' etc.
I don't want to 'bash' the Trust. But at what point does the Trust stop being so polite and subsequently ineffective on this issue and make some decisions as to the 'next step'? If the Trust continues to try and liase with the club and the club continues to ignore the trust, what's the point? And as someone else asked, if the club do respond to the Trust, what then? Even if they came back with a really negative, confrontational response basically telling the Trust to sod off and mind it's own business....what does the Trust do then? Write another polite letter back?
Maybe the trust needs to remind people what it's purpose is and what power/influence it has. Perhaps some of us, me included just don't understand enough about the Trust. There are dark clouds over The Valley right now, and everyone is desperate for them to be lifted, perhaps some of us are just expecting too much from the Trust, but if that's the case, set us straight. Either way, I think this whole scenario does raise questions over the purpose of The Trust and its future. Again, just my opinion.
From the Trust's perspective, it does help to have member numbers behind us too. Just a gentle reminder of that if you've been thinking of joining - the sooner the better.
A very quick and robust response to what was clearly club propaganda. I agree wholeheartedly.
I've been very openly critical towards The Trust in light of the protests and the perceived lack of action, but you've hit the nail on the head @rikofold - especially with this bit:
"The messages are converging, even if the actions are different."
We stand the best chance of success if we're all united as one, that was the beauty of the protests - a four figure crowd chanting with one voice.
It's clear we all want the same thing: change. We stand the best chance if we demand it together, even if we ultimately do it in different ways.
I agree 100% @LuckyReds - we won't all agree on everything, but focusing on the things that unite us is key right now.
I will shut up now though as like after the sheff utd game I appear to be a lonish voice for now.
NEW OWNERS. MURRAY OUT. DUCHATALET OUT.
Charlton fans have held protests directed at Duchatelet and Meire at recent home games, both from the stands and outside the boardroom at The Valley.
Saturday's protest was the largest yet and the Charlton Athletic Supporters' Trust said Murray's statement does not address "the real issues that are prompting the protests".
They added: "The club's soft and pre-prepared answers are clearly designed to influence the media positively, but they are misdirecting readers about the truth of the current situation.
"It's fine that Murray admits the squad isn't good enough and that two years after Duchatelet took over the club is still underestimating the Championship.
"But it's somewhat indefensible - it's the result of the owner's plans and Katrien Meire's execution of them."
Well done all
I agree that they have had to be polite in their response to Murray's laughable Q&A and they have done well in bringing the response to the attention of the media.
However, like others on this thread I feel that a deadline for reply should have been added, (21st Jan possibly?). Might have missed a trick there.
We all need to now stick together more than ever and not take our foot off the gas.
However, I agree with others that a deadline would have been appropriate ...end of the transfer window?
I agree that they have had to be polite in their response to Murray's laughable Q&A and they have done well in bringing the response to the attention of the media.
However, like others on this thread I feel that a deadline for reply should have been added, (21st Jan possibly?). Might have missed a trick there.
We all need to now stick together more than ever and not take our foot off the gas.