Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

NEW ARTICLE: Embrace the Change

‘…The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress…’ Charles Kettering

Or in the case of Charlton Athletic, a split supporter base! If we look back over time, our most successful periods have been when we’ve gone through significant periods of change. I’ve been following Charlton since 1965 and in my lifetime I’ve seen managers come and go, relegations, financial disasters but Charlton have always been in my heart. There may have been ups and downs but we’ve come through them.

When we were going through our darkest hours back in the 80’s and on the brink of extinction, we didn’t have a pot to pee in. Nobody was interested in us despite our history and, according to Martin Samuel, the eighth highest attendance recorded in English football. In fact, the headline on the back of the Evening Standard as we were about to enter court was ‘let them die’. But we didn’t die and we lived to fight another day. Our saviour on the footballing side was ‘Lennie Who?’ Of course it was Lennie Lawrence who nobody had ever heard of. I knew him as a teacher at Malory school and he used to run the district football team. But look at masterstroke that turned out to be even if it was more by luck than judgement.

Lennie passes on the baton to Curbishley (and Gritt) and the rest is history. We have one of the most productive periods that I think I’ll ever see in my lifetime. All of this against a backdrop of adversity, uncertainty and change – Financial problems, battles with the Council and getting back to the Valley. When Curbs decides he’s had enough, I believe the biggest problem was that Richard Murray didn’t review his footballing strategy. Instead, he blindly went and appointed Dowie just to pee off Simon Jordan. Murray needed to change and he didn’t and we just lurched from one crisis to another until we’re on the point of meltdown.

So, along come TJ and Slater on their white chargers… They put some money into the club and it’s all change - A new manager and a new team – Everyone’s happy. We get our Charlton back if only for two seasons. But things turn sour. Rumours of an investor pulling the plug surface and we’re faced with lack of investment in the team and lack of investment in the club. We’re back to square one…

So along comes Roland on his trusty steed and yet again, it’s all change. The only difference is that he’s got a vision. His vision, by and large, is that a number of football clubs in different countries can work together to achieve synergy, create value and efficiencies in order to meet financial fair play rules (I made that bit up but it’s largely correct, IMO). However, he needs the Charlton management team to buy into his vision. Judging by what’s been said on the OS, Chris Powell, rightly or wrongly, didn’t buy into the vision and that's the reason he’s gone. Roland has appointed Jose Riga because clearly he’s Roland’s man to drive the vision forward. We move on…The king is dead, long live the king.

So I say to my fellow Charlton supporters, change is neither sought nor welcomed. It is disruptive and obtrusive and upsets the balance. But in order for us to move forward as a football club we need to embrace this change and see where it takes us. I personally don’t see us being a feeder club for Standard Liege. I see them providing us with the best of its players from its youth set up once we’re back in the Premier League. They can have our squad players.

It’s a new dawn and a new day. We have an uphill struggle to stay in this league BUT WE CAN DO IT. Just believe. Our season starts tonight so you know what you’ve got to do YOU’VE GOT TO MAKE SOME NOISE AND GET BEHIND THE BOYS…C’MON YOU REDS

As someone posted on the Sheffield United song list thread…

You fill up my senses
Like a magnum of Champagne
Like a box of Havana’s
Like a steak meal well done
Like a night up the West End
Like the night bus to Plumstead
Like CHARLTON ATHLETIC
Come fill me again
«1

Comments

  • Staying up in this league is no longer a priority. Saving the future of our club before we dwindle into nothingness under this new ownership, IS.

    'I see them providing us with the best of its players from its youth set up once we’re back in the Premier League. They can have our squad players.' LOL!!! We won't be getting into the Premier League, we are being weakened as we go on. We are a selling club and Roland has stated it, he will sell the best players and back we drop.

    It's a nice attempt to stick a positive spin on things but most fans cannot agree, we support OUR club but it's not OUR club any more... we will be paying to watch an alien club play football at The Valley.
  • loving that song
  • edited March 2014
    Would love that song to catch on at The Valley.
  • good article mate
  • Brilliant article - hits the spot exactly.

    100% support.
  • Great piece.
  • Good article.
    and if we beat Millwall....
  • Until another investor comes up with an amount of money that RD is willing to sell for, it is RD's world that we are in. So we have two options, support the TEAM, or go and support someone else. Charlton till I die (with a sneaky love for Arsenal).
  • edited March 2014
    I think a lot remains to be seen with RD and his vision but I agree with the title and theme. What's happened, has happened and we all know that just because we moan or boycott games Powell isn't coming back. The best we can do right now is get behind the team and support the new manager. There's nothing to gain from making his job harder from the outset other than being able to tell everyone a sour "I told you so" if we go down and things get worse. But that won't get any of us anywhere other than a slight masochistic pleasure.

    Support the team. Cheer for the team. Accept the change then you may be glad that you can say "i told you so" to all those who gave up if this comes good.
  • Great piece, great song. As I understand it we have tried to bring in some quality players, Max Gradel, Leon Best and a couple of others but they have refused to come. It's difficult attracting good players when you are at the bottom. But at least it shows that we will not be confined to signing only SL reserves and that he is prepared to splash out some money on us.
  • Sponsored links:


  • Staying up in this league is no longer a priority. Saving the future of our club before we dwindle into nothingness under this new ownership, IS.

    'I see them providing us with the best of its players from its youth set up once we’re back in the Premier League. They can have our squad players.' LOL!!! We won't be getting into the Premier League, we are being weakened as we go on. We are a selling club and Roland has stated it, he will sell the best players and back we drop.

    It's a nice attempt to stick a positive spin on things but most fans cannot agree, we support OUR club but it's not OUR club any more... we will be paying to watch an alien club play football at The Valley.

    The problem is is that you cannot say for certain (and I mean absolutely certain) that these are his intentions and that this is the future for our club. Just as you cannot say that your POV of view is shared by "most fans".

    The future may well be bright for us, it may well not be so bright.

    The point that @Valley McMoist is trying to make is that we're just starting on a new chapter, on a new journey under new stewardship just as we have done every time the management or owner has changed.

    It's not always panned out, but to stick with the approach we've previously followed is not an option. It's not been working for a long time and perhaps, just perhaps, RD does have the answer. However if it was down to you and the other naysayers we'd never find out and we'd likely end up yo-yoing between the Champ and L1 ad infinitum.

    I'm not happy to stick with the devil we know if that's the future it offers.
  • I'm really disheartened with what's gone on and not at all happy, but I love Charlton and will support them 100%. However if Hamer, Morrison and Jackson don't feature that might tip me over the edge!
  • I appreciate the positive outlook and I would like stand alongside you and share it. This network approach might work. Lets face it the current alternative for clubs outside of the PL currently is for someone with bags of cash to spend money that clubs cannot afford lining the pockets of players in the hope or reaching 'the promised land'. Football in this country is financially suicidal for the most part and if someone thinks they can bring that back into line with a new approach then I, with a degree of concern, welcome it.

    I think our like/love for Powell skews things somewhat at the moment. I am sure he deserved better, but ultimately so did we and the football we played under Powell (and I am including the League 1 title season) was for the most part pretty dull. If he was not so universally popular with fans (not just of Charlton) I doubt he would have been here as long as he has this season.

    We shall see how things develop over the next season or three and be they for good or ill they will inevitably be interesting. I think it is currently too early to talk of protest or boycott, but I will man the barricades with you if things go badly. I think the summer and our players movements will show the clear direction the club is moving regardless of what happens this season.
  • Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
  • There is no change. We remain a rich mans plaything, and this generations experiment is all about being Standard Liege Reserves.
  • Valley McMoist, be careful with the intelligent summary. The silly mob will be busily working out how to spell the abusive words.
  • It's always helpful for people to remain positive. As Kigelia said, love for Chrissy is skewing things for many at the moment, and I feel a need to be allowed to grieve as well as look forward. I am fearful of the feeder club scenario and I too will adopt a wait and see approach. But I was singing and clapping the lads last night and will continue to do so. For the moment, my enthusiasm has taken a hefty knock but a bit of decent football will go a long way to rekindling it.
  • For me the support is split into two main camps. Those that think results, avoiding relegation and filling their time with visits to the Valley are the most important things for the club they love and them, and those that fear the worst and think some action should be taken to protect the club they love for all supporters ie the short term thinkers, who choose to be blinkered for their own peace of mind and those who fear for the long term future and the independence of the club, who hope the short termists are right but like many throughout history in many walks of life get abused for thinking, and get accused of scaremongering but are often proved right.

    To both though dont wait too long to assess or to act. And dont attack each other and let RM and RD divide and rule
  • Sponsored links:


  • seth plum said:

    There is no change. We remain a rich mans plaything, and this generations experiment is all about being Standard Liege Reserves.

    @sethplum - Have you ever heard of transactional egos? In short, it's all about how individuals communicate with each other. Everyone has a transactional ego which is either an adult, parent or child. The childish ego is split into playful ( having a laugh) or spoilt (throw your toys out of the pram). Now, you've been around Charlton for a long time. I can remember you from the old Valley and through the nomadic days. You're an intelligent bloke and passionate enough to be involved with the CAST. Yet when it comes to the new regime you act like a child who cannot get his own way. I just don't get it.... Sorry. We go to the games to enjoy the football and get behind the team and not to be miserable just because there's something we don't like. This isn't a rant, just an opinion / observation.
  • Unable to embrace it just yet....
  • Very good article, and some very good responses. @UtopianAddick has also nailed the key questions for me. Certainly the Trust - and not just the Trust have been doing their damnedest, and will do their damnedest to help us all understand the key things in VmcM's article: Is what VmcM has written, actually RD's vision? And if so how does he plan to make it work in practice? and when we know that, can we assess how likely it is to work in practice? What risks to our club exist in this experiment? The experiment after all is not all about CAFC. However it remains possible that CAFC and its interests are a key part, because of the revenues available if we get to the FAPL. That TV money is the fastest route available in Europe to increasing revenue.

    The key thing now is for RD to be encouraged to communicate more his vision and executional plan, and I think we may see some development in that area soon.
  • Just because RD has not spent any money YET, does not mean he won't. He has already committed to replacing the pitch and repairing the drainage system that caused all the problems - that will cost him upwards of £850,000 to do the entire thing from scratch according to one of the groundsmen. Lest we forget, he inherited a club that was not merely skint, it was on the verge of total financial collapse - rumours of local businesses and so forth not being paid were abundant since about August, and there was even talk that players/staff had not been paid either. RD seems pretty pragmatic (perhaps to a fault, we shall wait and see), and I imagine he will want a total review of the club's finances and potential cash flow before he starts throwing serious money around, if at all.

    (I am of course aware he might not ever spend any money at all henceforth, but it is far too early to know just yet.)
  • seth plum said:

    There is no change. We remain a rich mans plaything, and this generations experiment is all about being Standard Liege Reserves.

    @sethplum - Have you ever heard of transactional egos? In short, it's all about how individuals communicate with each other. Everyone has a transactional ego which is either an adult, parent or child. The childish ego is split into playful ( having a laugh) or spoilt (throw your toys out of the pram). Now, you've been around Charlton for a long time. I can remember you from the old Valley and through the nomadic days. You're an intelligent bloke and passionate enough to be involved with the CAST. Yet when it comes to the new regime you act like a child who cannot get his own way. I just don't get it.... Sorry. We go to the games to enjoy the football and get behind the team and not to be miserable just because there's something we don't like. This isn't a rant, just an opinion / observation.
    Thanks for that.

    Hashtagpatronised.

  • seth plum said:

    seth plum said:

    There is no change. We remain a rich mans plaything, and this generations experiment is all about being Standard Liege Reserves.

    @sethplum - Have you ever heard of transactional egos? In short, it's all about how individuals communicate with each other. Everyone has a transactional ego which is either an adult, parent or child. The childish ego is split into playful ( having a laugh) or spoilt (throw your toys out of the pram). Now, you've been around Charlton for a long time. I can remember you from the old Valley and through the nomadic days. You're an intelligent bloke and passionate enough to be involved with the CAST. Yet when it comes to the new regime you act like a child who cannot get his own way. I just don't get it.... Sorry. We go to the games to enjoy the football and get behind the team and not to be miserable just because there's something we don't like. This isn't a rant, just an opinion / observation.
    Thanks for that.

    Hashtagpatronised.

    If it came across as patronising, I apologise but I just want the old @sethplum, and other doubters, back who are passionate and want to get behind the team. In fighting doesn't get us anywhere
  • Losing a leg is change but few would embrace it. Since RD has a footballing strategy of such strength that it cost a record-breaking manager his job, I think it's time to share it so we can all buy into it with him. This is what's missing and, to quote the proverb, for the lack of vision the people perish.
  • seth plum said:

    seth plum said:

    There is no change. We remain a rich mans plaything, and this generations experiment is all about being Standard Liege Reserves.

    @sethplum - Have you ever heard of transactional egos? In short, it's all about how individuals communicate with each other. Everyone has a transactional ego which is either an adult, parent or child. The childish ego is split into playful ( having a laugh) or spoilt (throw your toys out of the pram). Now, you've been around Charlton for a long time. I can remember you from the old Valley and through the nomadic days. You're an intelligent bloke and passionate enough to be involved with the CAST. Yet when it comes to the new regime you act like a child who cannot get his own way. I just don't get it.... Sorry. We go to the games to enjoy the football and get behind the team and not to be miserable just because there's something we don't like. This isn't a rant, just an opinion / observation.
    Thanks for that.

    Hashtagpatronised.

    If it came across as patronising, I apologise but I just want the old @sethplum, and other doubters, back who are passionate and want to get behind the team. In fighting doesn't get us anywhere
    VM, genuinely, no real need to apologise, no hard feeling at all from me.

    We all occupy slightly different positions on the Charlton loving spectrum, and those positions are subject to change according to events. My views may seem childish to many, but I am sincere about them, and to that end I don't want to dig out fellow Charlton supporters equally sincere but are in a different space to me right now.

  • Good article and spot on transactional analysis from VM.

    As I said in a previous article (the China Syndrome) change is both opportunity and risk.

    Leaving the Valley was change as was going back. Appointing Powell was change and so is sacking him.

    We still don't have RDs own version of his vision.

    One day maybe he will set it out clearly and without vague allusions but until then we have to guess.

    Personally I don't agree that we are a feeder club but then it isn't clear what we are or what Roland wants.

    Meanwhile the Club remains and it will stand just as long as we fans stand. Old young, new, born or adopted, we are the Club.
  • Good article and spot on transactional analysis from VM.

    As I said in a previous article (the China Syndrome) change is both opportunity and risk.

    Leaving the Valley was change as was going back. Appointing Powell was change and so is sacking him.

    We still don't have RDs own version of his vision.

    One day maybe he will set it out clearly and without vague allusions but until then we have to guess.

    Personally I don't agree that we are a feeder club but then it isn't clear what we are or what Roland wants.

    Meanwhile the Club remains and it will stand just as long as we fans stand. Old young, new, born or adopted, we are the Club.

    I agree, though with the caveat that RD is under no obligation to lay out his grand vision in minute detail - as much as we'd like him to, and as much as if he can demonstrate his logic it may win a few round, there is no pressing reason why he must. Despite what some would have us think, not once has he outright explicitly said that his plan is for Charlton to become a feeder club/Standard Liege B team. BUT he has not come forward to deny such theories either, leaving both possibilities open.

    I think he does have a plan, and I am interested to see what it is... but a bit more openness would not go amiss at all. (And that does not mean KM or Richard Murray spouting platitudes, that means facts, and it means evidence.)
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!