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Launch of the Addicks' Charter

At the fans' meeting on December 12th a draft "Addicks' Charter" was presented for discussion. The draft below is based on support from the open meeting, and has been updated and finessed to take on board comments during and after the meeting. We are launching it now for further consultation with Charlton fans - email secretary@castrust.org with any comments / suggestions / additions.
The essence of the charter will be put to Thomas Sandgaard at the Fans’ Forum today. If he can’t commit to this, we can’t commit to him.

The Addicks' Charter

 In recognition of the fact that a football club is far more than a commercial asset, Charlton fans will work in partnership with the owners of our club to ensure the following:

Charlton’s community and family values are at the heart of the club

All are welcome and respected

It is affordable for fans to watch and attend matches

The club is run from The Valley by a competent and experienced CEO with a board of directors which follows legal and best practice governance principles

Engagement with the community, partners, sponsors and businesses enables all to thrive

Fan engagement is integral – involving, listening, learning, feeding back

Our core traditions – red & white home colours, playing at The Valley, running out to The Red, Red, Robin – are upheld and require definitive consent of fans to change

Men’s & women’s team managers are given freedom to build squads and play to win without day-to-day ownership interference in on-the-field matters

The Academy is supported and developed as part of our DNA

There is a clear, considered and costed plan to reunite ownership of The Valley & training ground with the football club

Addicks are proud to say they support Charlton Athletic



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Comments

  • Resonates with me. Simple and plain language and gets at the heart of what I'd like to see without being combative.
  • Are you listening Sandgaard? 👂🏻👂🏻
  • All sounds good to me (in a perfect world) but will keep fingers etc crossed. tx :)
  • Very good that.Thought it was going to be dull but encapsulates pretty precisely the relationship I hope for with my club and seeing it like this makes that more tangible. Would be interested in others views.
  • Agree with the DNA point. A buzzword that may not last the test of time.
  • Yeah, I am not sure about DNA.
  • Not sure why this has triggered so many objections on Twitter - they may not be a trust member (I’m not either) but all of the above is basic requirements surely? 
  • Not sure why this has triggered so many objections on Twitter - they may not be a trust member (I’m not either) but all of the above is basic requirements surely? 
    The Twitterati seems to want nothing other than to storm into any meeting with TS and forcibly eject him from the club and to protest his ownership.

    All seem to want confrontation and ‘my dads bigger than yours’ type arguments with a man who can remove his funding any point.
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  • J BLOCK said:
    Nice idea, but I can't see how this will have any effect. TS will say yes no problem and there's no real tangible way you can track this. 
    My thoughts exactly. Just feels like a waste of time attempting this with TS in charge.
  • All common sense.

    I'd quibble 'community and family values' myself - 'family values' has become politicised in recent years. I'd stick with 'community values'. Not that I'm biased ;)
  • Happy Holidays everyone!
  • There's a group on facebook, which the inimitable Mr Acworth has just joined. Interesting mix on there between sammy391's description (mainly Acworth, to be fair), and cap-doffers who believe anyone with cash should be able to behave any way they wish.  
  • There's a group on facebook, which the inimitable Mr Acworth has just joined. Interesting mix on there between sammy391's description (mainly Acworth, to be fair), and cap-doffers who believe anyone with cash should be able to behave any way they wish.  
    I’ve just left it.
    He’s just taken over it with his usual rants & bad spelling/grammar.

    I was a bit unsure of this to start (agree with the DNA removal) but the more I think of it, the more I believe it’s a stick to beat him with if he either completely ignores it or doesn’t adhere to it.
    Then the Trust can say they’ve tried to be reasonable before moving onto something more, if necessary, in future.
  • Good luck to the Trust tonight.  I’ve no doubt he’ll try and spin some bollocks, so will wait to see what feedback he gives.  
  • Regarding having a competent CEO and a board of directors I'd keep hammering him over this.
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  • I think there should be mention of the club being run with the ambition and intention of improving its status in the football pyramid. Nothing in the current draft alludes to this. Whats to stop us being run at break even in League 1 or 2 in perpetuity?
    (apart from the fact it's impossible)

  • I'd take away the last clause as it's too subjective. How can we ask an owner to make us feel something? If he / she satisfies the other clauses and we don't already feel proud then just what then is supposed to be done?
  • edited December 2022
    IdleHans said:
    I think there should be mention of the club being run with the ambition and intention of improving its status in the football pyramid. Nothing in the current draft alludes to this. Whats to stop us being run at break even in League 1 or 2 in perpetuity?
    (apart from the fact it's impossible)

    I thought 'play to win' covers that off. If not then some booing and general disgruntlement in the usual fashion? I don't expect this charter can address performance issues. It's more the relationship and quality of that between fans and owner isn't it?
  • So what are the consequences if the owner breaches the charter?


  • .
    I agree with
    Can we drop the ‘DNA’ reference? I just find that to be a typical corporate and actually meaningless term. It’s like using the word ‘passionate’. Over used and not really in context. 
    and
    IdleHans said:
    I think there should be mention of the club being run with the ambition and intention of improving its status in the football pyramid. Nothing in the current draft alludes to this. Whats to stop us being run at break even in League 1 or 2 in perpetuity?
    and I wonder whether the two could be combined?  Something along the lines of:

    The Academy continues to be supported and developed, because its presence is integral to the ethos of the club, and it also makes a valued contribution towards our ambition and intention of improving the club's position within the football pyramid.


  • https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63987627

    Charlton Athletic: Fans' group give owner Thomas Sandgaard club charter ultimatum

    Last updated on1 hour ago1 hour ago.From the sectionCharlton

    Charlton finished seventh in League One in Thomas Sandgaards first season as owner but ended last term 13th
    Charlton finished seventh in League One in Thomas Sandgaard's first season as owner but ended last term 13th

    A Charlton Athletic fans' group says it will petition owner Thomas Sandgaard to sell the Addicks if he does not agree to abide by a new club charter.

    Charlton Athletic Supporters' Trust will present the Addicks' Charter to Sandgaard at Thursday's fans' forum.

    The Addicks, 18th in League One, are at their "lowest ebb in living memory", CAST said last week.

    "It is beyond frustrating that we find ourselves in this position once more," said trust chair Heather McKinlay.

    Subjects addressed in the charter include pledges on ticket affordability, fan engagement, core traditions including shirt colours and songs, and assurances of "no ownership interference in on-field matters".

    It also demands a "clear, considered and costed plan to reunite ownership of The Valley and training ground with the football club".

    Danish-American businessman Sandgaard bought Charlton in September 2020 but the club's stadium and training ground were not part of the purchase and are leased from former owner Roland Duchatelet.

    The Addicks are four points above the relegation zone and searching for a fifth manager in two years after the sacking of Ben Garner, with CAST claiming the club is "in disarray" and accusing Sandgaard of failing "to live up to initial promises".

    CAST said that the wording of the charter had been approved by 85% of more than 600 supporters who attended an online open evening on Monday.

    "Our fanbase simply seeks to work in partnership with the ownership, recognising that a football club is far more than a commercial asset," added McKinlay.

    "If Sandgaard cannot commit to running our football club along the lines expressed in the charter, then we cannot commit to him and we will campaign for him to sell the club."


  • If Sandgaard doesn't show then it means he is selling. 
    Why bother to turn up if you are off.
    Hopefully he won't show. 
  • seth plum said:
    Along with the unsung @razil of this parish, along with a small hardy band of others like @PopIcon and those I apologise for not mentioning, we had the first meetings of the trust, in places like the Beehive public house, or the Oak.
    Must be around ten years ago now.
    It is absolutely not a money making group seeking validation by hanging around the movers and shakers of the club, but a very decent collective self assembled then elected, entirely with the best hopes for Charlton Athletic at it’s heart.
    For £5 a year it is the best Charlton Athletic bargain any serious supporter could get.
    Please join- only £5- not a lot (even in hard times)
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