Supporter representatives from around the globe met with Owner, Thomas Sandgaard, and club staff via Zoom on the International Fans’ Forum last week.
Topics discussed included the upcoming International Supporters’ Day, international shipping of merchandise, purchase of The Valley and international academies.
Supporters can read the full meeting notes here.
https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/6206876ba5323/international-fans-forum-meeting-notes
Comments
AP asked TS about the state of the club’s financial situation and asked what his thoughts on that are. TS said that last season was very expensive especially due to Covid with no fans in the stadium for most of the season, but he expected that when he bought the club. He said that this season he is still investing in the club. Spending on players has been increased a little bit compared to the previous season. He said that the investment is to create a core of players that can be counted on for the long term and are good enough to grow with Charlton. He said investing in long-term contracts puts the club in a better position moving forwards. He said he has also invested in the ladies team and getting the academy to a category one academy, so that long term the club will benefit. He said the academy costs many millions of pounds every year and is expensive to run but does have a big benefit to the club. He said we have the 14 th best academy in the country, ahead of some Premier League teams and some category one academies. He said he is proud of that and wants to make it even stronger. He said the academy has a good foundation and is really well managed
He said there’s more potential to improve revenue (with increased attendance) and that he’s working on that. He said he’s losing about £8m this season but he hopes to get closer to break even next season. He said to get closer to break even will in part be due to increased commercial sales, whether that be tickets, hospitality, streaming, club shop. He said that filling up the stadium is key when it comes to improving revenue. He said that CharltonTV had been an example of where an increase in investment, had improved the product and had generated a large increase in revenue. He said he hopes to make slightly less investments in the future while generating higher revenue based on the investments he is making now.
Repurchase of The Valley
JW asked TS if he still intends to repurchase The Valley. TS said that this is a very complex issue but that his short answer would be absolutely yes. He said he is in regular contact with Roland Duchatelet and Lieven de Turck. He said the sooner the better for agreeing a deal and he is definitely working on it. He said it may take some time but he is trying to find a way.
International supporter representatives from around the world recently joined a virtual meeting with the club for the quarterly International Fans' Forum.
A range of topics were discussed during the meeting, including strengthening the men's first-team in the January transfer window, challenges with the online club shop, the recent International Supporters' Weekend and ownership of The Valley and the training ground.
Charlton Athletic Fans’ Forum – Thursday, November 4th 2022 Chair LB – Lucy Bishop – Fan Adviser Fan representatives PC – Peter Cockle – Charlton Athletic Official UK and International Fan Group, LL – Lars Liljegren – Swedish Addicks, AH – Adrian Howlett – Charlton Fans In Scotland, MS – Marc Stellmacher – International Addicks, AF – Adam Ferris – Dubai Addicks, PV – Peter Vickery – North American Charlton Supporters’ Club, MG – Mathias Gerdes – German Addicks, AP – Ad Poot – Dutch Addicks LC – Lewis Catt – Fan Adviser Club TS – Thomas Sandgaard – Owner, CEO, RM – Dr Raelynn Maloney - Ownership Representative, TR – Tom Rubashow – Head of Communications
Castore
Various supporters at the meeting highlighted the club’s challenges with Castore. LB encouraged supporters to send through specific challenges they have with Castore to fans@cafc.co.uk and fanadviser@cafc.co.uk. PC highlighted that on the Castore US site Charlton isn’t listed under partnerships and that you can buy Rangers and Newcastle clothing but not Charlton’s. RM said the club have been in conversation with Castore on this for many months and it is one of many website items the club are chasing Castore on. RM said that Castore have referenced that they are working on it. RM said the club would continue to update international supporters. LL said the supporters understand the club are chasing on this and want to get it sorted. He said it leaves a sour taste when supporters at the stadium can’t purchase merchandise in the club shop. LB said she is aware there are various people chasing on this and that little by little things are coming through but not as much as people would like. PC asked if people in the club had reached out to other clubs with the same issues. TS said staff within the club have spent many hours over many days, with meetings in person and over zoom with Castore. He said the club have had contact with other Castore clubs too. He said it has been a challenge. He said while it keeps getting a little better, it was also getting a little better three months ago but that was just to get kit for our players for the pre-season tour. He said it has got better but online and the store at the stadium needs to be much better. He said many people at the club have put in an extreme amount of effort to try to get things moving forward. He said unfortunately the lead time to get things done mean it is a slow process. PC asked if the club would look for an alternative supplier. TS said the club considered that and looked at options but decided against it because switching supplier would come with its own challenges and mean further delays, which would potentially impact next season. He said the club are pushing hard to get a good experience for the club’s fans with regards to purchasing merchandise. He said it is getting better but that there is still a long way to go. He apologised and said the club would keep working on it. LB said that the Fan Advisers have been helping and that improvements supporters are starting to see now have taken months to get in place. She said the lag between taking action and seeing results is frustratingly long.
Footballing questions
PV and AH asked about the status of The Valley and training ground. TS said the club made massive investments in the training ground this year which is an indication that he is still as ambitious as he was two years ago when he got in to the club. TS said the question provided a good opportunity to provide context to questions he is getting from supporters about cutting expenses and the impact that will have on getting out of League One. He said the expenses throughout this season will maybe be a little less than in seasons before. He said that is simply because the club is becoming more efficient, he used the example that some travel expenses have been adjusted in the academy. He said that the academy is running at close to the same expenses as last season but now they have their own building after the investment in the training ground during the summer. He said the academy has been so successful because of the catchment area and the fantastic coaches Charlton have. He said he has been very impressed when he has watched the academy coaches. He said the coaching and catchment area, rather than how much money is spent, has determined Charlton’s incredible academy, although Charlton have spent more on their academy than most Category Two academies. He said the club have got a lot better at securing on long-term contracts the players that have real promise, so Charlton doesn’t end up in the situation where they have been previously losing young players for less than they are worth. TS said overall the academy is in a better position than it was a few years ago. TS said in terms of men’s first-team expenses, £100,000 has been saved by being more efficient with travel expenses. He said he is trying to slowly make the club more efficient. He said the club had a good budget on men’s first-team players last year and that it is even bigger this year. He said he gets asked by supporters not to cut expenses on the playing side otherwise the club won’t get out of the division but he said that on the playing side the budget has been increased. He said he has been told that the club can’t get out of League One if trying to break even. He said that break even doesn’t mean cutting expenses. He said generating revenue is also part of that. He said that Charlton is in a great situation with a large fanbase in a good location in London. He said the club can more than double the revenue with similar expenses. He said the club have tripled, nearly quadrupled sponsorship revenue. He said the club can continue to generate revenue from hospitality, tickets and streaming and the focus is on increasing these revenue streams. He said people talking about cutting expenses throughout the club is not what he is talking about when he talks about break even. He said unfortunately it takes time though, like on the footballing side, where he is seeing improvements and a more defined playing style. He said it longer to turn things around on the business side. PC said he is a business owner and no one likes to lose money. He said that TS doesn’t own The Valley or training ground. He said that is a concern. He also asked about Jake ForsterCaskey and why he hasn’t been playing. TS said there is an increase in Jake Forster-Caskey’s contract if he plays but that winning games and getting points is the priority, so the potential increase does not impact selection. He said Ben Garner has no instruction from him on whether or not to play Jake PV, AH Forster-Caskey. He said the fact Forster-Caskey hasn’t been playing has nothing to do with the clause in the contract but instead is based on the manager selecting a team that he feels is best for each specific game. It was referenced that Ben Garner had said the same to the South London Press. TS said in terms of Sparrows Lane and The Valley that the club has a good relationship with Roland Duchatelet, so there is no uncertainty or noise when it comes to the use of the facilities. He said it helps that he takes care of all the maintenance and repairs at both sites. He said he has had several discussions about potentially acquiring the properties and it could well happen one day. He said the quarterly rent is very reasonable which doesn’t make it an urgent matter. He said there is much more urgency to get close to break even and to get the club in the top six. Strengthening the squad in January AH asked what progress had been made on strengthening the squad in January. TS said he, Ben Garner, Martin Sandgaard and Steve Gallen are already talking on how the club can strengthen in January and strengthen better than our competition. He said the club lost out on a lot of players in the summer, which he believes all clubs go through, which is why clubs have to pivot. He said the club has been working on building relationships with agents and sometimes clubs to put Charlton in a good position. He said he was pleased with the players Charlton were able to bring in during the summer. He said Charlton have a stronger squad than last season. He said that additions at centre-back and left-back are high on the list for January and that a striker is too. He said the club have to consider how they balance adding depth with top-level quality. He said the process includes looking at analytics, sending scouts to games and that the process is a lot more than just the four final decision makers. He said while the window is closed, Steve Gallen is still on the phone with clubs and agents etc to get everything prepared. He said you never know for sure which positions/players you’ll have luck with and which ones you’ll miss out on but what we do know is that we will be strengthening the squad, we’ll be trying to do it to the extent that we strengthen better than the other clubs strengthen. Hopefully we’ll have enough depth to put us in a good position this season and to have enough depth to be able to live with any injuries. He said in the worst case it will take another window in the summer. He said he thinks we can see with the playing style and the chances that we are creating and the breadth of different players scoring goals that things are improving and we are getting better at playing out from the back. He said hopefully the last few results are not a fluke and will continue to be more consistent. AH said the MK Dons game probably reflects how it can be as a Charlton fan. PC said if Charlton had performed consistently then they would be higher in the table. He said he hopes the side become more consistent. TS said there is a great atmosphere in the dressing room and looking at a player’s mental strength, to help with consistency, will play a role in recruitment too. AH Structure/decision making LL asked who the main decision makers are at the club in terms of strategy aside from TS and what football experience they have. TS said over the past few years he has tried bringing people in with outside experience, which didn’t work so well but still brought a lot of value and the club was able to learn from it. He said given the level of where the business is at the moment with the current revenue, it is him leading on the strategy. He said long term he can pull back and not be nearly as involved but now, given where the club is at, it is him leading on strategic planning. He said he understands people may not like hearing that but for the moment he is looking after the club’s strategy.
Strengthening the squad in January
AH asked what progress had been made on strengthening the squad in January. TS said he, Ben Garner, Martin Sandgaard and Steve Gallen are already talking on how the club can strengthen in January and strengthen better than our competition. He said the club lost out on a lot of players in the summer, which he believes all clubs go through, which is why clubs have to pivot. He said the club has been working on building relationships with agents and sometimes clubs to put Charlton in a good position. He said he was pleased with the players Charlton were able to bring in during the summer. He said Charlton have a stronger squad than last season. He said that additions at centre-back and left-back are high on the list for January and that a striker is too. He said the club have to consider how they balance adding depth with top-level quality. He said the process includes looking at analytics, sending scouts to games and that the process is a lot more than just the four final decision makers. He said while the window is closed, Steve Gallen is still on the phone with clubs and agents etc to get everything prepared. He said you never know for sure which positions/players you’ll have luck with and which ones you’ll miss out on but what we do know is that we will be strengthening the squad, we’ll be trying to do it to the extent that we strengthen better than the other clubs strengthen. Hopefully we’ll have enough depth to put us in a good position this season and to have enough depth to be able to live with any injuries. He said in the worst case it will take another window in the summer. He said he thinks we can see with the playing style and the chances that we are creating and the breadth of different players scoring goals that things are improving and we are getting better at playing out from the back. He said hopefully the last few results are not a fluke and will continue to be more consistent. AH said the MK Dons game probably reflects how it can be as a Charlton fan. PC said if Charlton had performed consistently then they would be higher in the table. He said he hopes the side become more consistent. TS said there is a great atmosphere in the dressing room and looking at a player’s mental strength, to help with consistency, will play a role in recruitment too.
Structure/decision making
LL asked who the main decision makers are at the club in terms of strategy aside from TS and what football experience they have. TS said over the past few years he has tried bringing people in with outside experience, which didn’t work so well but still brought a lot of value and the club was able to learn from it. He said given the level of where the business is at the moment with the current revenue, it is him leading on the strategy. He said long term he can pull back and not be nearly as involved but now, given where the club is at, it is him leading on strategic planning. He said he understands people may not like hearing that but for the moment he is looking after the club’s strategy.
https://www.charltonafc.com/news/international-fans-forum-january-transfer-window-valley-superstore-and-moreAH asked why there is a premium for booking a ticket the day before the game. He said he did appreciate the recent reduction in matchday prices, the 3-Pack scheme and the £19.92 adult ticket around the 30th anniversary game but wanted to understand the price increase. TS said previously the early-bird price ended two hours before kick-off and the club wanted to extend it to encourage people to buy earlier. He said maybe the club had extended it too much and that it is something the club are looking at it. He said he is aware it gets negativity on social media and in the Fans’ Forum but said he isn’t convinced that the feeling is the same for all the supporters on the matchday. He said the club are reviewing it. PC said every fan thinks they can run the club and he tells people that if you have the money and takeover the club then you can run the club. TS said the club doesn’t get everything right but sometimes things that are set up to help the club run more efficiently are not the most popular things with the fanbase. He said football isn’t like a normal business and he has to remain aware of that when making decisions. AH said he appreciated the challenge and agreed social media can blow things up but asked if the increase was really needed, especially when the club aren’t selling out the stadium. TS said he was working out if it was a social media issue or a purchasing issue. He added that he did feel there was a small group on social media who take messages coming out from the club and spin it in a negative way which can hurt the club. He said it is an interesting phenomenon but part of being in football.
CharltonTV
AH said CharltonTV is excellent and the international fans love it but asked how it performs. TR said there were two topline areas the club look at in terms of performance: - The quality of the show - The number of supporters purchasing He admitted he was biased but felt the club’s live stream offering was the best in the EFL and explained the club have had numerous EFL teams come to Charlton and ask them how CharltonTV is produced. He said in terms of supporters purchasing, during the Covid period, the numbers really increased with the introduction of CharltonTV and the club were one of the leading streamers in the EFL during that period. He said other clubs numbers aren’t shared as freely now so comparison with other clubs is less easy. He said based on anecdotal discussions, the club are one of the leading streamers in League One. He said the international numbers this season have increased compared to last year. He said the club are always looking at ways to improve both the quality of the show and the numbers, so encouraged supporters to continue to push to their international supporter group members.
https://www.charltonafc.com/news/international-fans-forum-january-transfer-window-valley-superstore-and-more
”He highlighted a few individuals who came separately and did not behave in the spirit of the weekend.”
It appears that Thomas is more open & communicative with the International fans [including Scotland] than he is with the Season Ticket holders & people who follow the team around the country.
It annoys me that people don't seem interested until we lose a couple of games.