Well, here we go again. “Another year over and deeper in debt.” We are about to start a fifth year with CAFC still dancing to the arrhythmic tune of disengaged owner Roland Duchâtelet. But at least Katrien has gone and a quickstep exit by Roland may be in view!
From the start of the season we’ve had a typically unbalanced Duchâtelet squad. The team has been decimated by injuries. Who now has any confidence that this window will bring the investment required for us to be in the play-offs at the season’s end if Roland still holds the purse-strings? Having now decided to sell, Roland is more likely to asset-strip than to invest in the team. We desperately need a new owner with sporting ambition, long arms and deep pockets, and preferably well before the January window closes. If that proves impossible, then we need to press Roland for a sale by the end of the season.
What New Year’s Resolutions have you made to try to speed the Regime’s departure? Since the summer WAR, like other groups, has refrained from protest actions at The Valley, there being rumours that mystery potential buyers were showing serious interest and signs that Roland is ready to sell (but possibly at an unrealistically inflated price). But many fans’ patience is wearing thin. Even if the SOLD sign goes up tomorrow (PLEEEEASE!) there is little time left to strengthen the team and give us a fighting chance of promotion this season.
If Duchâtelet does not sell soon, WAR believes the taste for mass protest will return, on the assumption that the sticking point was probably Roland’s valuation. Although WAR is currently “standing easy” it won’t take long for us to get back on the WARpath.
Ideas for small scale protests – such as last year’s Valentine small-ad and video – are always of interest, so if you have a brainwave for a protest, but need WAR’s assistance to put it into action, please share your thoughts.
If you have female friends who are unaware of WAR and might be interested in supporting us, please encourage them to contact WAR via twitter. The more, the merrier!
https://twitter.com/cafcwarRealistically, WAR is too small to do much by way of media-attracting matchday protests on its own, but we hope you are still ready to add your weight to actions instigated by others such as CARD, like the excellent turn out for the Swindon match at the end of last season.
Many agree that the most effective place to apply pressure to Roland is in his home town. So, another possibility is to lend your support to the new group ROT, the Roland Out Today political party, who plan to use the October 2018 municipal elections in Sint-Truiden as a vehicle for criticising Roland.
If Roland remains the owner of any part of Charlton, by spring ROT will certainly need helpers to distribute their first batch of leaflets. As we have seen with the Taxi For Roland and the Unity March, the visible involvement of women is also good PR. After all, half of the Sint-Truiden electorate is female! Some of us are already helping ROT on an individual basis. You can find out more on ROT’s website
http://www.rolandouttoday.eu/ , where you can also contact ROT to register interest and join their mailing list, and via their twitter account on
https://twitter.com/RolandOutToday.
Comments
Got to be ready for any scenario.
But let's hope it's not needed & we'll be celebrating soon!
What is it good for ?
Absolutely EVERYTHING ! "
However it does no harm to remind those who monitor this forum on behalf of the regime that the protesters have not capitulated; they are just awaiting developments.
Roland Out!