FWIW I am just as skeptical as anyone when it comes to new owners, and recognise the fact that we're onc.... fourth bitten, fifth shy. But I think the constant stream of negativity from some on here, and forgive me for pointing out that Airman was at the forefront of that, was completely unnecessary and had ulterior motives to it, which I didn't like.
Varney was undoubtedly the best thing that happened to this club, but to completely gloss over what went wrong under him is folly. And to suggest that he can waltz in and change everything and be just as successful again, is also folly. The world as a whole, and also the world of football, has changed almost beyond all recognition from the late 90's to now.
In 1998 the most expensive player in the world was Denilson, signed for 21.5m, today that gets you Granit Xhaka.
1997 the new EPL TV deal was £670m, the next TV deal is projected to break £10b.
My umbrage with what Airman and others are saying is that apparently it's all too easy to come in and make a success of it, but at the same time only to those who have done it before, which makes no sense to me.
Why can't the new guys make a success of it?
Other than "because we don't like them", because as I've found out many times you don't have to like someone to admire and acknowledge what they can accomplish, and to claim they'll fail, just because ESI did (who were a bunch of chancers and grifters who never had the money to begin with) and because TS did (who was and is an egotistical maniac with a complex and a mean streak not seen in the public eye) is complete nonsense.
I'm sorry if people feel like I've somehow hounded him out, that was not my intention, my intention is to dig in and find out why people are so against the new guys, other than the fact Methven made a tit of himself on Sunderland Til I Die, and the rest aren't all vehement Charlton fans, that seem reluctant to step into the limelight.
Anyway, I'm glad it all seems to be done and dusted, and obviously we'll wait and see what the future holds, but I am going to be at The Valley watching on regardless.
Up The Addicks
Well, if, like myself, Rick and many others, who (no internet) in 1984 you had to sit on the sidelines and watch the football club you love possibly disappear, and narrowly miss that awful result, then you would have the same reticence as many do - much like in my job, you younger people who think you know it all, well actually those with grey hair are not irrelevant, they do actually know ‘stuff’ and their views should be valued, and not ignored
But do I expect anything to change - nope - such is life, because you have all the answers don’t you ……
AFKA, I bet you are sorry you opened this thread now, just close it and open a new one when the new owners declare all the information we are waiting for, before anymore unnecessary comments to other Charlton fans 😁
And where have I ignored his view? I haven't ignored it in the slightest, I'm asking for clarification on it because all I see is dismissive comments about the new regime with no context. I want to understand what exactly is so bad about them in particular and who, if anyone, would actually be better for the job of steering us back to the promised land, here and now.
I have literally no answers, are you reading what I'm saying?
I'm 32 and already have many a grey hair thanks, so that's an irrelevant comment.
Anyway, for the benefit of seemingly everyone on here I'm having a surgery at 7am (on a bum knee, see not so young sounding now am I?!) and won't be posting for a day or so.
Once again, Up The Addicks, regardless of what you think about the past, present and future running of the club
FWIW I am just as skeptical as anyone when it comes to new owners, and recognise the fact that we're onc.... fourth bitten, fifth shy. But I think the constant stream of negativity from some on here, and forgive me for pointing out that Airman was at the forefront of that, was completely unnecessary and had ulterior motives to it, which I didn't like.
Varney was undoubtedly the best thing that happened to this club, but to completely gloss over what went wrong under him is folly. And to suggest that he can waltz in and change everything and be just as successful again, is also folly. The world as a whole, and also the world of football, has changed almost beyond all recognition from the late 90's to now.
In 1998 the most expensive player in the world was Denilson, signed for 21.5m, today that gets you Granit Xhaka.
1997 the new EPL TV deal was £670m, the next TV deal is projected to break £10b.
My umbrage with what Airman and others are saying is that apparently it's all too easy to come in and make a success of it, but at the same time only to those who have done it before, which makes no sense to me.
Why can't the new guys make a success of it?
Other than "because we don't like them", because as I've found out many times you don't have to like someone to admire and acknowledge what they can accomplish, and to claim they'll fail, just because ESI did (who were a bunch of chancers and grifters who never had the money to begin with) and because TS did (who was and is an egotistical maniac with a complex and a mean streak not seen in the public eye) is complete nonsense.
I'm sorry if people feel like I've somehow hounded him out, that was not my intention, my intention is to dig in and find out why people are so against the new guys, other than the fact Methven made a tit of himself on Sunderland Til I Die, and the rest aren't all vehement Charlton fans, that seem reluctant to step into the limelight.
Anyway, I'm glad it all seems to be done and dusted, and obviously we'll wait and see what the future holds, but I am going to be at The Valley watching on regardless.
Up The Addicks
You touched a nerve with me as you came across as rude and disrespectful. I’m older now also but i hate it if anyone doesn’t have the same opinion why their age has to be brought in to it.
eg: you sound like an angry old man.
Eg: I paint you as an angry old man clouded by the mists of the past.
AFKA, I bet you are sorry you opened this thread now, just close it and open a new one when the new owners declare all the information we are waiting for, before anymore unnecessary comments to other Charlton fans 😁
This..... Should have been closed already...takeover is done after all
Inevitably the interview and the motivations behind it are already being slagged off in certain quarters in the usual style, so I'm posting as a reminder the original intro article which explains that this was all CM's own initiative, The link to the main article is at the bottom of that one. When you get to it, you'll see the banner image is a mess, bear with us, I may need techie help with that.
I think the main benefit is an insight into how the structure will work (assuming he is still able to speak for all significant consortium members). There's more than will be possible to put into a club PR statement even if they wanted to. But there were interesting things he asked to keep off the record, and other things we had no time for, such as the future of the real estate. As you will see, he really wanted to talk about him at Sunderland which I managed to avoid until we got to the end of the designated running time, and Zoom terminated that abruptly
Looking forward to see what people make of it
Thanks Prague - interesting.
I guess my more emotional reaction is one of mild disappointment although I'm not sure what else I was expecting. Maybe it's because a lot of this has leaked already and I was hoping for something extra. Maybe I was hoping for a clearer statement of ambitious intent but, again, that is probably an unrealistic expectation. The rest of this transfer window and the next will tell us more.
My head has some concerns:
- I'm worried that there will be no one Head of Charlton - we'll have Rodwell, Scott and Warwick all having seemingly equal status but potentially different visions, missions, objectives - whatever you want to call it - with great potential for core disagreements - who pulls the whole thing together? CM paints a picture of himself as some sort of Walsingham type character whispering in the investor's ears which, again, has the potential for major disruption going forward
- Would like to know a LOT more about Global Football Partners Ltd. Is this just a CAFC vehicle or does it have a wider remit and where does CAFC fit into it?
- CM himself says that GB & JF's investments are relatively small beer for them so that would make it very easy for these individuals to walk away yet I guess we are hugely/solely reliant on them to fund short/medium term losses.
So, my jury is still out, partly driven by our painful experiences in recent years. I'm not in the Airman camp of saying it will fail but I would want to understand a lot more before I adorn my bedroom with Gabriel Brener/Josh Friedman duvets and pillows.
It would be helpful to understand what people think “success” looks like.
I think for the vast majority of us success would be building a squad capable of a minimum top 6 finish this year, with the aim to get promoted next year if we don't win the play offs this season. Once promoted, steady and intelligent investment to establish us as a Championship team with an outside shot at the playoffs over the few years after that.
If we can do the above whilst attaining category one status for the academy I think that is a very successful 4-5 years of ownership without needing gamble astronomical sums.
I know it sounds easy written down and no doubt there will be big challenges along the way to achieve it, but having at the right senior management team in place and astute investment in the playing side should make it a real possibility.
Sounds fine but will probably require, shall we say, £100m net investment?
Blimey o Reilly!
To get promoted and Bob along in the championship for a bit? I very much doubt that.
Luton stuck it in a credit card didn't they?!
Can you be my accountant! ;-)
How much do you think it costs a year to keep us “bobbing along” in League One?
I honestly think a sizeable proportion of our fan base have no clue what a money pit this club is.
I've just read the last few pages and can't quite believe what I've been reading; several pages of bickering and backbiting.
Everyone is entitled to have an opinion and, let's be honest, many of us have looked with a mix of positivity and negativity at the last few owners and I'm afraid, in every case, the skeptical ones have been correct, so who can blame Airman and others for expressing a negative opinion?
I don't always agree with Rick's views but that doesn't stop me reading them and certainly doesn't prompt me to get into a slanging match. What no one can argue with is that he is knowledgeable and articulate and it's people like Rick that make this site a cut above most football forums, Charlton-related or not.
As for me, I'm hopeful, I'd even go as far as optimistic regarding the new owners but at the back of my mind half-expecting everything to go tits-up again.
We deserve decent owners and let's hope we've got them. It's tough owning a League One club, as Sandgaard found out. The club needs investment and support. Will we get it? We'll find out soon...I hope.
Ok but why is Varney better than the new lot @Airman Brown you still haven't answered that.
Is it because he is a lifelong CAFC fan, like his Dad? Or because as CEO 1997-2008 he grew turnover from £4m to £42m? Launched Valley Express, Target 10,000, Kid for a Quid, Valley Gold, developed and expanded the Valley repeatedly, selling out at every step until we had a full house 27,000 Premiership Stadium? Did I mention over-seeing set-up and development of CACT? Oh, and he returned as Exec Vice Chairman in 2011, recruited Chris Powell and got backing for him to win promotion with 101 points?
Ok but why is Varney better than the new lot @Airman Brown you still haven't answered that.
Is it because he is a lifelong CAFC fan, like his Dad? Or because as CEO 1997-2008 he grew turnover from £4m to £42m? Launched Valley Express, Target 10,000, Kid for a Quid, Valley Gold, developed and expanded the Valley repeatedly, selling out at every step until we had a full house 27,000 Premiership Stadium? Did I mention over-seeing set-up and development of CACT? Oh, and he returned as Exec Vice Chairman in 2011, recruited Chris Powell and got backing for him to win promotion with 101 points?
I want to try and not be excited, because every other takeover I've got excited about has ended in shambles. But I can't help being excited by the thought that this could be the one that's finally good because eventually one of them has to work out and not be some mad experiment or a group that actually has no funds and charges the club for haircuts and Range Rovers.
Now I do have some red flags and qualms - Gabriel Breners running of the Houston Dynamo doesn't seem to have been very popular and I wait to see who the other investors actually are and how it's all set up - it would be a nice start if they were completely transparent from the get go in terms of the make up of the consortium but I doubt that somewhat beyond who's going to be on the board.
Just hope Holden gets the proper backing to put together a proper tilt at promotion, this feels like the best year to do it with a few sides recovering from points deductions.
Time to stick a fork in this thread. This should be a good day for the club - the news we wanted that the EFL/FA have nodded through the purchase means we just have the legal technicalities to navigate yet all day we've had a continuous argument about what will happen.
Let's see what the new owners bring to the table and not jump to conclusions. For sure we've had some bad owners over the last decade - some of them (Slater/Jimenez and ESI) didn't have any money of their own, others (RD) had money but didn't want to spend it while TS spent his money unwisely. To quote Henry Ford though, history is bunk. Just because we've had spivs, Walter Mitty types and well meaning people who've suffered a reality check as owners doesn't necessarily mean that the new set of owners are going to be just as bad. Sometimes new owners are good owners. I doubt you'll find any Wrexham fans unhappy at their owners.
At least SE7 Partners seem to have access to their own money and the players we've brought in look to be an improvement on what we had and that suggests they understand the importance of spending money to attract the right player.
We've still got three weeks to the season kicking off and a further three weeks to the transfer window shutting. We'll have a few clues by then whether these guys know what they are doing or are going to bluff, bluster and bullshit us.
Let's keep an open mind until then, what else can we do?
In some ways sad to see Sandgaard sell up as (at first) he meant well & was nice to see an owner taking an interest for once. But 2nd season syndrome struck & he thought he knew best. And then there was that goddamn song.......
Far too early to judge the new owners & having read some of Methven's interview (sorry Richard, too busy to read it all today) we can only watch & wait. Good to read that there will be some experienced members of the SMT & hopefully they can make some decisions without having to have a zoom meeting with half of the USA.
All I do ask is that they realise success comes at a price & to get promoted (usually) means spending money to bring in quality players. Good start with May & Camara but a few more will be needed rather than trying to rely on the yoof too much.
Still wont be buying a ST but will be there against the Orient and then see how the season pans out.
FWIW I am just as skeptical as anyone when it comes to new owners, and recognise the fact that we're onc.... fourth bitten, fifth shy. But I think the constant stream of negativity from some on here, and forgive me for pointing out that Airman was at the forefront of that, was completely unnecessary and had ulterior motives to it, which I didn't like.
Varney was undoubtedly the best thing that happened to this club, but to completely gloss over what went wrong under him is folly. And to suggest that he can waltz in and change everything and be just as successful again, is also folly. The world as a whole, and also the world of football, has changed almost beyond all recognition from the late 90's to now.
In 1998 the most expensive player in the world was Denilson, signed for 21.5m, today that gets you Granit Xhaka.
1997 the new EPL TV deal was £670m, the next TV deal is projected to break £10b.
My umbrage with what Airman and others are saying is that apparently it's all too easy to come in and make a success of it, but at the same time only to those who have done it before, which makes no sense to me.
Why can't the new guys make a success of it?
Other than "because we don't like them", because as I've found out many times you don't have to like someone to admire and acknowledge what they can accomplish, and to claim they'll fail, just because ESI did (who were a bunch of chancers and grifters who never had the money to begin with) and because TS did (who was and is an egotistical maniac with a complex and a mean streak not seen in the public eye) is complete nonsense.
I'm sorry if people feel like I've somehow hounded him out, that was not my intention, my intention is to dig in and find out why people are so against the new guys, other than the fact Methven made a tit of himself on Sunderland Til I Die, and the rest aren't all vehement Charlton fans, that seem reluctant to step into the limelight.
Anyway, I'm glad it all seems to be done and dusted, and obviously we'll wait and see what the future holds, but I am going to be at The Valley watching on regardless.
Up The Addicks
I don’t think you really understand what happened in 2006/07 if you think Varney was the issue - in any event everything that happened to Charlton pre January 2008, when he quit, good and bad, had a lot to do with Richard Murray and many others. In those long-off days we had a functioning board of directors - which we haven’t had since 2011/12 at the latest.
That set-up from the mid 1990s was exceptional. I don’t think we will ever replicate it.
I don't know if it's just me not looking in the right places but I saw it mentioned in the Dossier interview with Methven that Joshua Friedman had previous football ownership experience but I can't find anything to back this up? Was he a minority owner of the Houston Dynamo with Brener or something?
Have you seen the fans forum ? There was a link posted on here recently but I don't have the time (& can't be bothered) to look for it & on the previous takeover thread there was a fuller version. Brener is absolutely hated by the fans of Houston Dynamo, hopefully somebody can post a link.
All gone a bit tetchy on here today. Since everyone else has had their say...
I'm moderately positive about the takeover, as at least it will be an improvement over stagnation and possible decline under an owner (TS) who clearly wants out. Is it the takeover I would have dreamed about, no. Could it have been worse, yes.
My attitude towards new owners has always been moderate enthusiasm and indeed moderate scepticism, but will only judge them on their actions, rather than what they say they will do, or indeed what others think they will do. On AND off the pitch.
Just back from M&S checking out their salmon trousers to join in with Charlie boy's gang. Is this the right shade?. There might be discount for volume 😉
There is a massive issue with this site when it comes to someone being skeptical about a certain subject, which then produces a massive unnecessary pile on from those people who don’t agree with a different point of view. Sort yourself out lads, it’s embarrassing.
Comments
But do I expect anything to change - nope - such is life, because you have all the answers don’t you ……
I have literally no answers, are you reading what I'm saying?
I'm 32 and already have many a grey hair thanks, so that's an irrelevant comment.
Anyway, for the benefit of seemingly everyone on here I'm having a surgery at 7am (on a bum knee, see not so young sounding now am I?!) and won't be posting for a day or so.
Once again, Up The Addicks, regardless of what you think about the past, present and future running of the club
eg: you sound like an angry old man.
Ageist prick.
Should have been closed already...takeover is done after all
I honestly think a sizeable proportion of our fan base have no clue what a money pit this club is.
Everyone is entitled to have an opinion and, let's be honest, many of us have looked with a mix of positivity and negativity at the last few owners and I'm afraid, in every case, the skeptical ones have been correct, so who can blame Airman and others for expressing a negative opinion?
I don't always agree with Rick's views but that doesn't stop me reading them and certainly doesn't prompt me to get into a slanging match. What no one can argue with is that he is knowledgeable and articulate and it's people like Rick that make this site a cut above most football forums, Charlton-related or not.
As for me, I'm hopeful, I'd even go as far as optimistic regarding the new owners but at the back of my mind half-expecting everything to go tits-up again.
We deserve decent owners and let's hope we've got them. It's tough owning a League One club, as Sandgaard found out. The club needs investment and support. Will we get it? We'll find out soon...I hope.
A little light relief...😉
Now I do have some red flags and qualms - Gabriel Breners running of the Houston Dynamo doesn't seem to have been very popular and I wait to see who the other investors actually are and how it's all set up - it would be a nice start if they were completely transparent from the get go in terms of the make up of the consortium but I doubt that somewhat beyond who's going to be on the board.
Just hope Holden gets the proper backing to put together a proper tilt at promotion, this feels like the best year to do it with a few sides recovering from points deductions.
Let's see what the new owners bring to the table and not jump to conclusions. For sure we've had some bad owners over the last decade - some of them (Slater/Jimenez and ESI) didn't have any money of their own, others (RD) had money but didn't want to spend it while TS spent his money unwisely. To quote Henry Ford though, history is bunk. Just because we've had spivs, Walter Mitty types and well meaning people who've suffered a reality check as owners doesn't necessarily mean that the new set of owners are going to be just as bad. Sometimes new owners are good owners. I doubt you'll find any Wrexham fans unhappy at their owners.
At least SE7 Partners seem to have access to their own money and the players we've brought in look to be an improvement on what we had and that suggests they understand the importance of spending money to attract the right player.
We've still got three weeks to the season kicking off and a further three weeks to the transfer window shutting. We'll have a few clues by then whether these guys know what they are doing or are going to bluff, bluster and bullshit us.
Let's keep an open mind until then, what else can we do?
That set-up from the mid 1990s was exceptional. I don’t think we will ever replicate it.
I'm moderately positive about the takeover, as at least it will be an improvement over stagnation and possible decline under an owner (TS) who clearly wants out. Is it the takeover I would have dreamed about, no. Could it have been worse, yes.
My attitude towards new owners has always been moderate enthusiasm and indeed moderate scepticism, but will only judge them on their actions, rather than what they say they will do, or indeed what others think they will do. On AND off the pitch.
It's weird ...{meaning unique}... The reaction to both airman's post and the relatively tiny delay to conclude legal procedures.
It all looks set to settle and we'll see what happens. It's got to be better than the last 13 years