2) It's highly debatable that he's being forced out by fan pressure anyway, it's just as likely he has just finally realized his hair brained foray into the world of football only stands to lose him money because his approach simply doesn't work. The pressure from CARD has reduced significantly this season and when it was at its peak there was virtually no sign he was going to sell up so hard to make a clear case that supporter unrest is the main driver for him selling up.
Couldnt disagree with the last bit anymore, for someone who spent 2% of his time on Charlton there was an inordinate amount of that spent on blaming fans for this, bad mouthing fans for that and trying his utmost by spending ridiculous amounts on PR to hide their actions, (which failed, nearly every report today has mentioned fan unrest as opposed to treating it as a shock departure from football), our message got through to the wider media thats for sure.
The first bit is quite right, 'he aint gone yet' but he is on his way and direct supporter action has played a major part in his departure.
True the in stadium protests were non existent this season but that decision was made to back the team 100% whilst acknowledging that many protesters just were not attending.
Anyway each to their own, I think we got him out, you dont but lets just enjoy a positive upturn in our clubs fortunes.
CARD and the various other fans groups have certainly caught the club's attention, and I think have helped to change their approach on certain things - it certainly seems the club was running scared when the idea of Nobby Vinegar being appointed manager head coach was first mooted, and I think it helped stop some of the more crackpot transfers etc. so I don't want to sound like I'm belittling the protests impact or make out like its all been a complete waste of time and effort.
I think it has certainly impacted the way the club has been run because it has been there in the SMT's faces the whole time, but apart from the 2 or 3 trips across the English Channel, it's been easier for Roland to ignore on a day to day basis and the timing of him deciding to sell doesn't fit with the idea that the protesting has forced him out, although I'm sure it is easier for him to justify to himself the idea that he should walk away knowing that he will be far from missed in SE7.
ok @Exiled_Addick thats fair enough, its likely we will never know, I guess I am just glad I tried to do something, embarrassing to some or not. We all love out club and I hope that the Southend debacle was the low point.
Duchatelet's bizarre statement after the boro protest, the desperate attempt by Keohane and Meire to ban the funeral march, Duchatelet trying to get the police to ban the St Truiden march, the frenzied attempts to stop the taxi protest outside the System, Meire losing it completely over the original black and white campaign, the huge amount of money spent on PR consultants and taking journalists to expensive off the record lunches, the cleaning of Google etc etc all prove that the regime absolutely hated the protests and the criticism.
Did it make him sell? Not on their own but it made the whole experience of owning and running OUR club more trouble than it was worth.
Duchatelet's bizarre statement after the boro protest, the desperate attempt by Keohane and Meire to ban the funeral march, Duchatelet trying to get the police to ban the St Truiden march, the frenzied attempts to stop the taxi protest outside the System, Meire losing it completely over the original black and white campaign, the huge amount of money spent on PR consultants and taking journalists to expensive off the record lunches, the cleaning of Google etc etc all prove that the regime absolutely hated the protests and the criticism.
Did it make him sell? Not on their own but it made the whole experience of owning and running OUR club more trouble than it was worth.
The protests worked.
Hard to say. I'm sure he would have sold anyway, since he was so spectacularly shit at running a football cloob with his goons, our value as an asset was going to plummet irrespective of what the fans did. Also, him an Daisy were living breathing examples of the Dunning-Kruger effect, and probably really believed their own stupidity that only of handfull of fans were making a kerfuffle. Anyone with a clue would be affected by what the fans did... whilst we pissed him off, his "has nae a scooby"
What the fans have definitely done however is maintain their dignity in the face of a shower of excrement that does us proud. I love a bit of drama. And, I get to run along the thames wearing a protest shirt bearing a logo I helped protect for the fans! I have so much extra pride for my club, something that waffle muncher and his flappy shoe couldn't even hope to comprehend.
I took part in nearly all the protests including the Belgian trip, but can't say I feel victorious in any way. Roland's mad idea has been a spectacular failure, that's why he's off. If we were sitting second in the Championship we'd be looking at a different scenario. It doesn't lessen my happiness at the day's news.
Oh yeah, if my post above sounds negative, I can assure you I did a knee slide in my living room, causing the rug to displace a stool and upend a tower of play-doh tubs, lovingly arranged by my youngest. Worth it.
Duchatelet's bizarre statement after the boro protest, the desperate attempt by Keohane and Meire to ban the funeral march, Duchatelet trying to get the police to ban the St Truiden march, the frenzied attempts to stop the taxi protest outside the System, Meire losing it completely over the original black and white campaign, the huge amount of money spent on PR consultants and taking journalists to expensive off the record lunches, the cleaning of Google etc etc all prove that the regime absolutely hated the protests and the criticism.
Did it make him sell? Not on their own but it made the whole experience of owning and running OUR club more trouble than it was worth.
The protests worked.
Well done for coming straight out & saying it, Henry.
Without the protests, the media's interest would have barely been sparked.
The fact that interest WAS gained invariably impacted on Roland's over inflated ego & would have made a significant dent in it.
Coupled with the ongoing criticism of his protege, his mantra of not "doing" failure was clearly under threat.
Add in the loss of income as a result of those boycotting/failing to purchase season tickets, and what do you get ?
It DID take longer than we hoped but finally these & other allied components culminated in his decision that enough was enough....
Ever heard of the saying that begins " For want of a nail the shoe was lost...." ?
Duchatelet's bizarre statement after the boro protest, the desperate attempt by Keohane and Meire to ban the funeral march, Duchatelet trying to get the police to ban the St Truiden march, the frenzied attempts to stop the taxi protest outside the System, Meire losing it completely over the original black and white campaign, the huge amount of money spent on PR consultants and taking journalists to expensive off the record lunches, the cleaning of Google etc etc all prove that the regime absolutely hated the protests and the criticism.
Did it make him sell? Not on their own but it made the whole experience of owning and running OUR club more trouble than it was worth.
The protests worked.
Ever heard of the saying that begins " For want of a nail the shoe was lost...." ?
What was the RD experiment? If it was appoint someone useless to run the club, appoint managers/ coaches that were not capable of doing the job, but were on his payroll elsewhere, insist on players playing that were not good enough for the level they were playing and alienating the “customers” then it was a success. If so why?
What was the RD experiment? If it was appoint someone useless to run the club, appoint managers/ coaches that were not capable of doing the job, but were on his payroll elsewhere, insist on players playing that were not good enough for the level they were playing and alienating the “customers” then it was a success. If so why?
It would take a very capable psychoanalyst to sort out just what has been going through his mind these last four years.......his ideas were so bizarre as to be beyond logic. There’s some that think he’s a sociopath, I wouldn’t doubt it.
Regardless of whether the protests had 10% or 99% influence of any decision to sell at least people got up off their arses to do something beyond moaning on social media which is laudable in this day and age. Well done and we are lucky to have so many fans who care enough to do such things.
The timing is clearly Roland's decision, but what are the factors in getting him here?
You could ask, would he have come to this place without the various protests? I would say yes, but nowhere near as soon - and I imagine the damage that would have been done considerably worse.
CARD, B20, WAR and even RoT have all made important contributions in different ways. The B20 kept in his face, whilst CARD delivered a quite stunning campaign that attracted media attention that could easily be valued in the millions. WAR took away his key argument re Meire, and RoT promised no end to the pressure in his backyard. And thousands of fans worked together with these groups to hammer it all home.
But in the end it doesnt matter a jot why he's selling. He is, Meire's gone and hope has returned to the Valley. Here's to the future RD and Meire promised, a well-run and progressive football club with some non-reckless footballing ambition thrown in.
PS. I imagine there will be a clean sweep of the C-levels, but let's not make it a witch hunt re everyone else, loud wives or not.
Comments
managerhead coach was first mooted, and I think it helped stop some of the more crackpot transfers etc. so I don't want to sound like I'm belittling the protests impact or make out like its all been a complete waste of time and effort.I think it has certainly impacted the way the club has been run because it has been there in the SMT's faces the whole time, but apart from the 2 or 3 trips across the English Channel, it's been easier for Roland to ignore on a day to day basis and the timing of him deciding to sell doesn't fit with the idea that the protesting has forced him out, although I'm sure it is easier for him to justify to himself the idea that he should walk away knowing that he will be far from missed in SE7.
Did it make him sell? Not on their own but it made the whole experience of owning and running OUR club more trouble than it was worth.
The protests worked.
What the fans have definitely done however is maintain their dignity in the face of a shower of excrement that does us proud. I love a bit of drama. And, I get to run along the thames wearing a protest shirt bearing a logo I helped protect for the fans! I have so much extra pride for my club, something that waffle muncher and his flappy shoe couldn't even hope to comprehend.
Without the protests, the media's interest would have barely been sparked.
The fact that interest WAS gained invariably impacted on Roland's over inflated ego & would have made a significant dent in it.
Coupled with the ongoing criticism of his protege, his mantra of not "doing" failure was clearly under threat.
Add in the loss of income as a result of those boycotting/failing to purchase season tickets, and what do you get ?
It DID take longer than we hoped but finally these & other allied components culminated in his decision that enough was enough....
Ever heard of the saying that begins " For want of a nail the shoe was lost...." ?
A displace stool can be a little messy.
The signs are very strong that he will sell the club.
I was just trying to be positive within, what I believe is a strong enough basis of reality.
If you feel the need to sh*t on it, up to you.
If it was appoint someone useless to run the club, appoint managers/ coaches that were not capable of doing the job, but were on his payroll elsewhere, insist on players playing that were not good enough for the level they were playing and alienating the “customers” then it was a success.
If so why?
All others fall by the wayside what we need to work out is What ones are we
The protests def worked they have def bought forward the sale but I don’t think they are the sole reason for the sale
RD is a vindictive stubborn bstd that I have no doubt it’s what cards he plays I am more interested in and whom he sells too
Richard Murray wanted to sell to seb sainsbury and very nearly got his way
Roland may well sell to the person with the shallowest pockets and retain some ownership
We don’t know any more than he is actively selling and that Meire is leaving
Hold fire on the part poppers for now
There’s some that think he’s a sociopath, I wouldn’t doubt it.
You could ask, would he have come to this place without the various protests? I would say yes, but nowhere near as soon - and I imagine the damage that would have been done considerably worse.
CARD, B20, WAR and even RoT have all made important contributions in different ways. The B20 kept in his face, whilst CARD delivered a quite stunning campaign that attracted media attention that could easily be valued in the millions. WAR took away his key argument re Meire, and RoT promised no end to the pressure in his backyard. And thousands of fans worked together with these groups to hammer it all home.
But in the end it doesnt matter a jot why he's selling. He is, Meire's gone and hope has returned to the Valley. Here's to the future RD and Meire promised, a well-run and progressive football club with some non-reckless footballing ambition thrown in.
PS. I imagine there will be a clean sweep of the C-levels, but let's not make it a witch hunt re everyone else, loud wives or not.