OK so what we need to do now is publish on Charlton Life the replies people receive to their emails... I bet -like Southeastern - they will have stock of excuses/answers up there their sleeve!
I decided to utilise the new communications forum and sent the following email:
To: fans@cafc.co.uk; Wed 16/03/2016 10:31
"Good morning.
I am really pleased that you have put into place this new email address, to support your recent statement of engaging with your customers. A good start!
May I therefore use this outlet to explain why myself, together with Daniel Felce (my stepson) and his friend (Dion Newman) will not be renewing our season tickets next season. In fact it is worse that that, in that we have no interest in Charlton Athletic PLC and I cant see these feelings changing until there is a change of ownership. Another sad fact is that my stepson was a Manchester United supporter before I was on the marital scene and it took me some time to encourage a change of allegiance; no mean feat! Likewise Dion was a floating supporter with no allegiance to Charlton, yet without influence from me, he became a firm and regular supporter. All three of us have invested much hard-earned revenue into the club over many years; no longer will this be the case.
So why are we so disillusioned? You might say it is solely due to our poor league position; however we are used to a level of football that hardly breeds success, so the reasons must be more deep-rooted. In a nut shell, you give the impression that you do not understand the dynamics of running a football team in the UK. To put more meat on my impressions, let me continue:
1. Total lack of understanding of the need to engage and work with supporters. It is a fact that the general football public change their wives more frequently than they change club allegiance, such is the importance of the football relationship.
2. Your experiment of running a group of European clubs from a centralised base in Belgium is a total failure. Such an approach has led to a regular flow of inexperienced managers, the recruiting of players who not have the skills-base to play in the Championship, and therefore seemingly an inadequate group of scouting staff to identify the right players. Our current league position, despite your previous statement of a huge hike in the playing budget, is testament to the failure of this strategy.
3. What company, in their right mind, would recruit a CEO with no experience of this industry and who has demonstrated on many occasions, that she is totally inadequate and out of her depth for the important role of running the day-to-day business of a football club. She has demonstrated that her understanding of the important role of "customers" is naive. Her PR gaffs, such as yesterday's statement, smacks of a complete lack of understanding of the current issues which are dogging our once great club.
I would never have believed until recently, that the Charlton "fire" in my belly, which had been burning bright for so many years, would have extinguished in such a short time, to an extent that I no longer have any will to follow them; so sad.
I have taken a lot of time and effort to put together the content of this email. I should be grateful therefore if you would do me the courtesy of responding to each of the specific points that I have made above. This is your opportunity to convince me that I am wrong to pursue a different "Saturday Path". I look forward to your response.
Don't expect replies too soon. I imagine the entire office is busy trying to reassure Squirrel Face that her decision to issue a statement to fans wasn't as bad an idea as everyone outside the club seems to think.
I thought I had better write and let you know that it appears that the official site has been hacked with a bizarre and rambling anonymous statement. It clearly can’t be an official statement by the club, as even if we ignore the terrible grammar, formatting and inaccuracies, it’s obviously an attempt to get poor Ms.Meire’s misinterpreted Dublin comments back in the press.
I am extremely concerned that if the website has been hacked then it’s possible that my personal details that are stored on club servers may also have been made vulnerable. Please could you confirm with some urgency whether this is a hack or was actually posted officially by the club?
For security’s sake I hope that it’s an official statement, although surely no-one in their right mind would post such a thing?
It is all interesting. The mismanagement on the field, poor players, pathetic coaches/ managers was obvious to us all. Result likely relegation. But the rambling rant issued by the club takes the whole shambles to a new level. This is a multi million pound business being run as a joke.
I thought I had better write and let you know that it appears that the official site has been hacked with a bizarre and rambling anonymous statement. It clearly can’t be an official statement by the club, as even if we ignore the terrible grammar, formatting and inaccuracies, it’s obviously an attempt to get poor Ms.Meire’s misinterpreted Dublin comments back in the press.
I am extremely concerned that if the website has been hacked then it’s possible that my personal details that are stored on club servers may also have been made vulnerable. Please could you confirm with some urgency whether this is a hack or was actually posted officially by the club?
For security’s sake I hope that it’s an official statement, although surely no-one in their right mind would post such a thing?
I feel so sorry for the new comms person. Taking a look at her Linkedin she is only 6 or so years out of Uni. No way is she equipped to deal with something like this - problem is a senior expert from a leading PR or sponsorship agency (such as my company) would demand a six figure salary which the club wouldnt pay. And lets be honest, nobody would leave a board director level role at said agency for The Valley.
If I was her I would want to delete it from my CV and get back to agency world (we are after a Senior Acc Manager if you are looking....). She hasnt updated her profile and it still says Saatchi's so maybe that is the plan.
As I say - no blame on her. Think she needs some help from experts in the PR / brand comms market who are also fans of the club (hi there.....). I tried messaging a couple of folks at the club via Linkedin a while back offering some voluntary assistance in sponsorship help, brand reappraisal, content marketing (off the back of the pitch sex car crash). But heard nothing back.
I sent a message this morning re the 'Statement', received the auto-response. Will ANYone be first to get a real reply to a fans@ email?
I would guess since opening it up yesterday they've already had 500+ emails, add to that the press will be all over them today following 'the statement' don't expect any formal replies anytime soon.
Hi Thanks for the opportunity to post comments that will be responded to.
Last night’s “Statement” came as rather a shock. The unattributed Statement suggests that fans would like to see the club fail.
I fully support the protests, and it is not because I want Charlton to fail. I want the management to fail simply because I do not see any possibility of actions or communication which can recover the trust of fans. The latest Statement is testimony to the fact that they do not want to recognise why the fans are protesting and need to invent fictitious reasons like “wanting to see the club fail”. The club is reinforcing the idea that it lies, blames fans for not acting as expected, and can’t admit to it’s own failings as the root cause.
We have clearly conveyed to the team that we support them, there will always be criticism of individuals, but we have been clear in showing our anger is directed towards the management, not players. If the protests had been affecting the team, please explain how we beat Middlesborough on Sunday.
When were relegated from the Premier League and then from the Championship there was no organised protest towards the management. Decisions were made that had to be made, dictated by circumstances and lack of funds, not because of a “weird” strategy that the fans didn't understand or buy into.
I only want a few answers:- 1. Why does the club not publicly acknowledge the real reasons for the protests as given by the protesters instead of making up reasons intended to deflect from their failings 3. Can you confirm that you understand the difference between the “club” failing and the “management” failing. 4. Will you issue an apology that recognises that the fans want to save the club and the protesters believe that is only possible with a change of owner and CEO. 5. Will you then ensure that any further statement which seeks to challenges the protests begins by challenging the reasons articulated by protesters instead of untruthful reasons made up by management.
Hi Thanks for the opportunity to post comments that will be responded to.
Last night’s “Statement” came as rather a shock. The unattributed Statement suggests that fans would like to see the club fail.
I fully support the protests, and it is not because I want Charlton to fail. I want the management to fail simply because I do not see any possibility of actions or communication which can recover the trust of fans. The latest Statement is testimony to the fact that they do not want to recognise why the fans are protesting and need to invent fictitious reasons like “wanting to see the club fail”. The club is reinforcing the idea that it lies, blames fans for not acting as expected, and can’t admit to it’s own failings as the root cause.
We have clearly conveyed to the team that we support them, there will always be criticism of individuals, but we have been clear in showing our anger is directed towards the management, not players. If the protests had been affecting the team, please explain how we beat Middlesborough on Sunday.
When were relegated from the Premier League and then from the Championship there was no organised protest towards the management. Decisions were made that had to be made, dictated by circumstances and lack of funds, not because of a “weird” strategy that the fans didn't understand or buy into.
I only want a few answers:- 1. Why does the club not publicly acknowledge the real reasons for the protests as given by the protesters instead of making up reasons intended to deflect from their failings 3. Can you confirm that you understand the difference between the “club” failing and the “management” failing. 4. Will you issue an apology that recognises that the fans want to save the club and the protesters believe that is only possible with a change of owner and CEO. 5. Will you then ensure that any further statement which seeks to challenges the protests begins by challenging the reasons articulated by protesters instead of untruthful reasons made up by management.
My first memories where at the Valley v Sunderland in the late 1970s ... my greatest game was against them too at Wembley and my last game was against Forest in October 2013. My heart beats VFR !
I will be in the UK between June and October 2016 and would like to take my wife to a few games and buy merchandise for our famalies back in Australia. Last time I spent in the region of 500GBP.
Unfortunately I will not be spending a penny at the club until the current ownership sells the club and end their disgraceful stewardship that continues to alienate its fans.
I hope the football side of the club retains its Championship status and I realise the damage was done well before today. The structure of the football management needs strenghtening and quality and experience of the players again needs improvement. Sacking managers is not a strategic plan ... it's a recipe for disaster.
The academy will suffer if the first team is seen as a dysfunctional team and club. In turn this impacts on your philosophy of selling young talent. If we don't have the talent; you won't get the revenue.
Engagement is the key ... you have failed at this please listen to the protesters, so make a statement that you have decided in the best interest of the club to sell it to a football minded owner who will to invest, engage and welcome fans interactions.
The fans are a dedicated, passionate and innovative group with a vast array of skills, experience and knowledge that you clearly do not get. We have a soul, a past, a present and a future that your control is destroying.
I see your Head of Comms has resigned ... don't you realise now that you and your CEO can't put a foot right a bit like the team at present!
You moan nobody responds so they give a better method of communication and you slate that.
Mel knows she has a tough task on her hands but at least give her a chance to try something to improve communication.
Out of interest how long should I wait, before realising it's all a crock of shit. We already had an email address from which nobody got a response, so they start a new one with an auto response and think they have solved it.
No but I got an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was 'No you wont' and got an automatic reply which was an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was 'No you wont' and got an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was 'No you wont' and got an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was 'No you wont' and got an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was automatic reply saying someone would........
They said they would endeavour to reply within 10 days, I think. So better be patient for another week...
OK, and if I wait for another week the point of my original e-mail (complaint about the statement and requesting explanation) will be meaningless although I suppose KM waited about four months before she tried to wriggle out of the use of the word 'weird' but even this came minus an apology and as part of what Steptoe thought was the way to deal with a crisis by blaming others.
Hi Thanks for the opportunity to post comments that will be responded to.
Last night’s “Statement” came as rather a shock. The unattributed Statement suggests that fans would like to see the club fail.
I fully support the protests, and it is not because I want Charlton to fail. I want the management to fail simply because I do not see any possibility of actions or communication which can recover the trust of fans. The latest Statement is testimony to the fact that they do not want to recognise why the fans are protesting and need to invent fictitious reasons like “wanting to see the club fail”. The club is reinforcing the idea that it lies, blames fans for not acting as expected, and can’t admit to it’s own failings as the root cause.
We have clearly conveyed to the team that we support them, there will always be criticism of individuals, but we have been clear in showing our anger is directed towards the management, not players. If the protests had been affecting the team, please explain how we beat Middlesborough on Sunday.
When were relegated from the Premier League and then from the Championship there was no organised protest towards the management. Decisions were made that had to be made, dictated by circumstances and lack of funds, not because of a “weird” strategy that the fans didn't understand or buy into.
I only want a few answers:- 1. Why does the club not publicly acknowledge the real reasons for the protests as given by the protesters instead of making up reasons intended to deflect from their failings 3. Can you confirm that you understand the difference between the “club” failing and the “management” failing. 4. Will you issue an apology that recognises that the fans want to save the club and the protesters believe that is only possible with a change of owner and CEO. 5. Will you then ensure that any further statement which seeks to challenges the protests begins by challenging the reasons articulated by protesters instead of untruthful reasons made up by management.
Thank you
6. What happened to 2?
I think it might have resigned. After a lengthy interview process, Dippy will be appointing an Interim Deux.
They said they would endeavour to reply within 10 days, I think. So better be patient for another week...
OK, and if I wait for another week the point of my original e-mail (complaint about the statement and requesting explanation) will be meaningless although I suppose KM waited about four months before she tried to wriggle out of the use of the word 'weird' but even this came minus an apology and as part of what Steptoe thought was the way to deal with a crisis by blaming others.
Right, I have now received a 'holding' e-mail from a real person stating that they are going through a large number of e-mails and will get back to me today.
I don't want to make a thing of it as I've said to others than IMO the main targets remain Meire and Dohland - no real desire to upset people that may well be trying to do their best in an impossible situation.
That the Club have not appointed a top PR person (someone earlier has made this point) to firefight the debacle is surprising in the extreme. Meire is now totally exposed as an incompetent grinning idiot incapable of any meaningful response to the situation and clearly needs help which Dohland cocked up massively with his literally cheap intervention.
PS Apologies for the Steptoe reference earlier - anyone under 45 may have to google it. Just that the image of Dohland on the CARD T-shirts reminds be of the elder Steptoe character.
You moan nobody responds so they give a better method of communication and you slate that.
Mel knows she has a tough task on her hands but at least give her a chance to try something to improve communication.
Out of interest how long should I wait, before realising it's all a crock of shit. We already had an email address from which nobody got a response, so they start a new one with an auto response and think they have solved it.
Come on wake up and smell the coffee.
There will have been an absolute deluge in the first few days and, given Mel Baroni's departure, I'd say a couplemore days - but I suspect there are bigger fish to fry now after Roland's drunken rant.
Just received a reply to my email that I sent three days ago to this new address. Polite and informative reply. Congratulations to the Comms team. Some of the cynicism on this thread has proved unfounded in my case.
Comments
theretheir sleeve!To:
fans@cafc.co.uk; Wed 16/03/2016 10:31
"Good morning.
I am really pleased that you have put into place this new email address, to support your recent statement of engaging with your customers. A good start!
May I therefore use this outlet to explain why myself, together with Daniel Felce (my stepson) and his friend (Dion Newman) will not be renewing our season tickets next season. In fact it is worse that that, in that we have no interest in Charlton Athletic PLC and I cant see these feelings changing until there is a change of ownership. Another sad fact is that my stepson was a Manchester United supporter before I was on the marital scene and it took me some time to encourage a change of allegiance; no mean feat! Likewise Dion was a floating supporter with no allegiance to Charlton, yet without influence from me, he became a firm and regular supporter. All three of us have invested much hard-earned revenue into the club over many years; no longer will this be the case.
So why are we so disillusioned? You might say it is solely due to our poor league position; however we are used to a level of football that hardly breeds success, so the reasons must be more deep-rooted. In a nut shell, you give the impression that you do not understand the dynamics of running a football team in the UK. To put more meat on my impressions, let me continue:
1. Total lack of understanding of the need to engage and work with supporters. It is a fact that the general football public change their wives more frequently than they change club allegiance, such is the importance of the football relationship.
2. Your experiment of running a group of European clubs from a centralised base in Belgium is a total failure. Such an approach has led to a regular flow of inexperienced managers, the recruiting of players who not have the skills-base to play in the Championship, and therefore seemingly an inadequate group of scouting staff to identify the right players. Our current league position, despite your previous statement of a huge hike in the playing budget, is testament to the failure of this strategy.
3. What company, in their right mind, would recruit a CEO with no experience of this industry and who has demonstrated on many occasions, that she is totally inadequate and out of her depth for the important role of running the day-to-day business of a football club. She has demonstrated that her understanding of the important role of "customers" is naive. Her PR gaffs, such as yesterday's statement, smacks of a complete lack of understanding of the current issues which are dogging our once great club.
I would never have believed until recently, that the Charlton "fire" in my belly, which had been burning bright for so many years, would have extinguished in such a short time, to an extent that I no longer have any will to follow them; so sad.
I have taken a lot of time and effort to put together the content of this email. I should be grateful therefore if you would do me the courtesy of responding to each of the specific points that I have made above. This is your opportunity to convince me that I am wrong to pursue a different "Saturday Path". I look forward to your response.
Regards
Peter Gage"
Hello
I thought I had better write and let you know that it appears that the official site has been hacked with a bizarre and rambling anonymous statement. It clearly can’t be an official statement by the club, as even if we ignore the terrible grammar, formatting and inaccuracies, it’s obviously an attempt to get poor Ms.Meire’s misinterpreted Dublin comments back in the press.
I am extremely concerned that if the website has been hacked then it’s possible that my personal details that are stored on club servers may also have been made vulnerable. Please could you confirm with some urgency whether this is a hack or was actually posted officially by the club?
For security’s sake I hope that it’s an official statement, although surely no-one in their right mind would post such a thing?
I await your speedy response.
Nick
But the rambling rant issued by the club takes the whole shambles to a new level.
This is a multi million pound business being run as a joke.
If I was her I would want to delete it from my CV and get back to agency world (we are after a Senior Acc Manager if you are looking....). She hasnt updated her profile and it still says Saatchi's so maybe that is the plan.
As I say - no blame on her. Think she needs some help from experts in the PR / brand comms market who are also fans of the club (hi there.....). I tried messaging a couple of folks at the club via Linkedin a while back offering some voluntary assistance in sponsorship help, brand reappraisal, content marketing (off the back of the pitch sex car crash). But heard nothing back.
Hi
Thanks for the opportunity to post comments that will be responded to.
Last night’s “Statement” came as rather a shock. The unattributed Statement suggests that fans would like to see the club fail.
I fully support the protests, and it is not because I want Charlton to fail. I want the management to fail simply because I do not see any possibility of actions or communication which can recover the trust of fans. The latest Statement is testimony to the fact that they do not want to recognise why the fans are protesting and need to invent fictitious reasons like “wanting to see the club fail”. The club is reinforcing the idea that it lies, blames fans for not acting as expected, and can’t admit to it’s own failings as the root cause.
We have clearly conveyed to the team that we support them, there will always be criticism of individuals, but we have been clear in showing our anger is directed towards the management, not players. If the protests had been affecting the team, please explain how we beat Middlesborough on Sunday.
When were relegated from the Premier League and then from the Championship there was no organised protest towards the management. Decisions were made that had to be made, dictated by circumstances and lack of funds, not because of a “weird” strategy that the fans didn't understand or buy into.
I only want a few answers:-
1. Why does the club not publicly acknowledge the real reasons for the protests as given by the protesters instead of making up reasons intended to deflect from their failings
3. Can you confirm that you understand the difference between the “club” failing and the “management” failing.
4. Will you issue an apology that recognises that the fans want to save the club and the protesters believe that is only possible with a change of owner and CEO.
5. Will you then ensure that any further statement which seeks to challenges the protests begins by challenging the reasons articulated by protesters instead of untruthful reasons made up by management.
Thank you
(You may have to be above a certain age to get that one)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8oTs6Oz-OW8
My first memories where at the Valley v Sunderland in the late 1970s ... my greatest game was against them too at Wembley and my last game was against Forest in October 2013. My heart beats VFR !
I will be in the UK between June and October 2016 and would like to take my wife to a few games and buy merchandise for our famalies back in Australia. Last time I spent in the region of 500GBP.
Unfortunately I will not be spending a penny at the club until the current ownership sells the club and end their disgraceful stewardship that continues to alienate its fans.
I hope the football side of the club retains its Championship status and I realise the damage was done well before today. The structure of the football management needs strenghtening and quality and experience of the players again needs improvement. Sacking managers is not a strategic plan ... it's a recipe for disaster.
The academy will suffer if the first team is seen as a dysfunctional team and club. In turn this impacts on your philosophy of selling young talent. If we don't have the talent; you won't get the revenue.
Engagement is the key ... you have failed at this please listen to the protesters, so make a statement that you have decided in the best interest of the club to sell it to a football minded owner who will to invest, engage and welcome fans interactions.
The fans are a dedicated, passionate and innovative group with a vast array of skills, experience and knowledge that you clearly do not get. We have a soul, a past, a present and a future that your control is destroying.
I see your Head of Comms has resigned ... don't you realise now that you and your CEO can't put a foot right a bit like the team at present!
Come on wake up and smell the coffee.
but I got an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was 'No you wont' and got an automatic reply which was an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was 'No you wont' and got an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was 'No you wont' and got an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was 'No you wont' and got an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was an automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was automatic reply saying someone would respond to my to my response to their automatic reply which was automatic reply saying someone would........
No, ok I admit it - I lost it - I give up
I don't want to make a thing of it as I've said to others than IMO the main targets remain Meire and Dohland - no real desire to upset people that may well be trying to do their best in an impossible situation.
That the Club have not appointed a top PR person (someone earlier has made this point) to firefight the debacle is surprising in the extreme. Meire is now totally exposed as an incompetent grinning idiot incapable of any meaningful response to the situation and clearly needs help which Dohland cocked up massively with his literally cheap intervention.
PS Apologies for the Steptoe reference earlier - anyone under 45 may have to google it. Just that the image of Dohland on the CARD T-shirts reminds be of the elder Steptoe character.