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Even I feel sorry for Charlton fans-Simon Jordan in todays Sun

HERE’S a sentence I thought I’d never write: I feel sorry for Charlton fans.

Fourteen years ago during my time as Crystal Palace owner, I famously served a writ on my former manager Iain Dowie for fraudulent misrepresentation during his press conference unveiling as Charlton’s new boss.



Simon Jordan feels sorry for Charlton fans and boss Lee Bowyer, despite his tumultuous history with the club

I was smarting at the lack of loyalty of a manager professing to want to go back to the north.

We released him from his compensation clause before he went precisely six miles up the road to our rivals, who gloated over their wonderful coup. Thankfully, I was successful in the courts.

Charlton were once touted as the blueprint of how clubs should be run and for many years punched above their financial weight in the Premier League with manager Alan Curbishley in place for over 14 years.

The vitriol between the clubs was very real. In 2005, my Palace team were relegated at The Valley to prompt a joyous conga from  home fans.

Paraphrasing an infamous quote I made about my feelings towards certain owners, their chairman Richard Murray told me: “Enjoy the Championship, t****r.”

My clash with Iain Dowie 14 years ago saw the intensity between Crystal Palace and Charlton soar.

I referred to the Charlton fans as ‘morons’ and was lambasted by the chair of the fans group who demanded an apology.

Indeed,  I corrected my sentiments to them being imbeciles for their lack of respect towards a club that in their hour of greatest need gave them a home in the 1980s.

The encounters that ensued in further years were rather spicy and dangerous for me.

Enforced police escorts were required with groups of Charlton fans attempting to attack me with knives and bottles.

Recalling all this heightens my sense of incredulity at the real empathy I have for their current plight.

After all is said and done, Charlton are a great London club, steeped in history.


Greedy players like Lyle Taylor are leaving Charlton in a perilous position as they seek Championship survival.

Yes, their fans were awful that day in 2005 and their then-chairman behaved like an odious weasel. But, over recent years these fans have deserved better.

They’ve been in administration (yes, I know, so were my Palace), relegated from the Premier League and then the Championship.

They have had the most ludicrous of owners in Roland Duchatelet who, upon realising he didn’t much like English football, asked the EFL to buy the club from him and blamed them for allowing him to have it in the first place.

The most recent lurch saw an ownership consortium in an awful bun fight — a race to the bottom over who can put the least amount of money in or who can take the most out.

They still achieved promotion back to the Championship,  but are now in a relegation battle.



Next weekend they resume the battle under an outstanding younger manager in Lee Bowyer.

He is on his own with no support and guidance, with a selection of players —  including talismanic top scorer Lyle Taylor — refusing to play  despite being under contract until June 30.

This is pretty much reflective of the attitude exhibited by the bulk of players during the coronavirus crisis.

It is encapsulated by their union, which screams, ‘All for one and some more for me.’

Taylor has a big move in the offing and as a 30-year-old who hasn’t hit the financial heights he’s entitled to it.

Understandable? He refuses to extend, even for a month, to help his club — which is his right — but refusing to play any games up to June 30 most certainly isn’t.

A player purposely runs down his contract, goes on a free transfer with all the benefits and leaves the club who gave him the opportunity to shine with nothing.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/11822799/charlton-lyle-taylor-lee-bowyer-simon-jordan-sympathy/



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Comments

  • We have never been in administration so he’s wrong on that point, why wouldn’t us fans celebrate relegating them, ground share was a mutual benefit, apart from that he at least tells it as it is on TalkShite and one of very few on tat hat station I would turn the radio on to listen to.
  • Knives and bottles?
  • Tosser.
  • I really dont get why he had issue with the fans group demanding an apology after being called morons

    Its not the most offensive of comments but its not exactly professional

    Was he still the owner when a bunch of Crystal Palace fans stormed a train and beat up a bunch of young / elderly fans on the way to Selhurst Park one year?

    I'll never forget ITV initially blaming our fans and having to apologise, did Simon Jordan do the same if he was owner?
  • We have never been in administration so he’s wrong on that point, why wouldn’t us fans celebrate relegating them, ground share was a mutual benefit, apart from that he at least tells it as it is on TalkShite and one of very few on tat hat station I would turn the radio on to listen to.
    Wiki always seems to say we were in Administration too.
  • E_cafc said:
    Knives and bottles?
    A rolled up train timetable surely?
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  • Nooooooooooooo! Please, please understand what you are saying.
    He may well have said things against our shambolic ownership (not that it appears to have helped sort it out in any way) but we are talking about the loathsome Simon Jordan.
    He is the last person I, as a Charlton Athletic fan, would want to feel sorry for me.
  • E_cafc said:
    Knives and bottles?
    Exactly. Didn't happen. If it did we would've known about it by now.
  • bobmunro said:
    Nooooooooooooo! Please, please understand what you are saying.
    He may well have said things against our shambolic ownership (not that it appears to have helped sort it out in any way) but we are talking about the loathsome Simon Jordan.
    He is the last person I, as a Charlton Athletic fan, would want to feel sorry for me.
    Exactly. This is evidence of just how low our ownership has caused us to sink...
  • He talks a lot of sense at times but he has completely re written history there.
    Always will be a stripy prick to me.
    Even a broken cock is right twice a day  ;)
  • His summing up of Murray is spot on “odious weasel”
  • He 'll get no criticism from me 
  • End of the day...he is a palace fan.

    He owned the club for 10 years.

    He's always going to stick up for his club and maybe say one or two incorrect things. It was a written version of a slight jab in the face.

    He's not a Charlton fan at all. He's the opposite.

    He's a palace fan but he has still at least stuck up for Charlton when he has the outspoken access to do so.

    If I was in his shoes, I would not be sticking up for palace.

    I don't like what he says at the start, but still, it's ok overall and credit to him for at least helping and doing something about this ridiculous mess.
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  • The vast majority of journalists (tabloids and broadsheets alike) and commentators have been saying the same thing - disgraceful ownership, feel sorry for the fans, reporting positively on CARD and its activities, Southall is a scumbag and so on.
    None is Simon Jordan, so why is he being lauded by some as a top bloke - our saviour (I exaggerate). Talkshite as the vehicle as well.
    I just don't get it.
  • I recorded the covered end singing 
    Simon Jordan is a wanker is a wanker is a wanker .
    Still my favourite ringtone. 
  • bobmunro said:
    The vast majority of journalists (tabloids and broadsheets alike) and commentators have been saying the same thing - disgraceful ownership, feel sorry for the fans, reporting positively on CARD and its activities, Southall is a scumbag and so on.
    None is Simon Jordan, so why is he being lauded by some as a top bloke - our saviour (I exaggerate). Talkshite as the vehicle as well.
    I just don't get it.
    Bob, I like your posts generally. But I really can't see why you don't think Jordan deserves some praise for carrying the flag for us?

    What other journalists/tabloids have carried such supportive articles on a consistent basis? I recall a couple from Martin Samuel in the Mail and then I'm struggling to think of anyone else who has done it on a consistent basis. (Yes, most papers have had the odd article but mostly on a one-off basis). When has Radio 5 Live carried reports on our predicament? Again, the occasional report but few in number.

    I remember when we relegated Palace, Jordan was up there in my top 3 hate figures. He's never going to be someone I look up to. But as I've said above, he's one of the few who talks sense on Talkshite (honorable mention to Danny Kelly for being another) and he is out there flagging up our problems to the wider world. I don't see too many outside our club doing similar.  


    I just can't see it through any eyes other than a deep loathing for the man. Maybe that's my problem and I accept what you say.

    Thanks, Simon (how's that?)

    Sorry, must dash as I feel a bilious attack coming on!
  • Bully for Jordan for sticking up for us, he didn't have to so fair play.
    Glad he's grown up a bit.
    I'd happily educate him on our history if he has time, particularly the bit about "giving us a home when we were bankrupt (sic)".
    Doesn't make him my new best friend.
    Shalalalalalalala

  • Bully for Jordan for sticking up for us, he didn't have to so fair play.
    Glad he's grown up a bit.
    I'd happily educate him on our history if he has time, particularly the bit about "giving us a home when we were bankrupt (sic)".
    Doesn't make him my new best friend.
    Shalalalalalalala

    Well put Sir.

    Of course they gave us a home for free didn’t they...........


  •  Indeed,  I corrected my sentiments to them being imbeciles for their lack of respect towards a club that in their hour of greatest need gave them a home in the 1980s.”

    Once a snide prick, always a snide prick
  • Was really young during the selhurst years so dont really know the politics of it all.

    What was the animosity about, was it them charging us too much and/ or more to it all?
  • Was really young during the selhurst years so dont really know the politics of it all.

    What was the animosity about, was it them charging us too much and/ or more to it all?
    they are palaaarse ...what more do you need to know  ;)
  • The big question on my mind is; did he enjoy the Championship?
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