Young at Hart
Some more transfer rumours today. According to the South London Press we made a £300,000 bid for Bournemouth left back Rhoys Wiggins. Watford are in for him as well. Other names linked are Cody McDonald, scorer of 25 goals for Gilingham last season and League Two top scorer with 29 Clayton Donaldson from Crewe.
One official signing today was rather out of the blue, and that was Paul Hart joining the club as Academy Director. Hart has had a somewhat mixed time as a club manager but his success with youth players has been very impressive as Andy Reid, Michael Dawson, Jermaine Jenas, Harry Kewell, Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and Paul Robinson will attest.
Less of a shock was Jeff Vetere being unveiled officially as Technical Director. Keith Peacock gets a new business card and I’d imagine less hours as Football Advisor. Phil Chapple and Steve Avory remain as the club act to respond to changes the Premier League are making to academies under their Elite Player Performance Plan.
Vetere is an interesting capture. He wouldn’t come cheap and adds fuel to the fire that there is money backing the club. Not billions but money being afforded on things that were recently considered a luxury.
What I like is that these appointments are building foundations for tomorrow, because there is one. For too long the club were operating day to day.
Very positive – and encouraging future wise. Might even bring a bit more patience to the stands…oh never mind 😉
Listening to the shenanagins going on further up, it’s nice to see how we are quietly going about our business, and this early in the close season. It is very positive.
What’s less positive is the fact we have not been granted a centre of excellence licence for next season. Our ladies have won promotion to the Premier League, we won the Kent County Cup and the FA have said no. Our Under 16 side remained unbeaten all season.
“Ten members of the promotion-winning first-team squad came through the club’s centre of excellence, plus nine members of the reserve squad, which also finished third in the league behind the giants of Super League clubs Chelsea and Arsenal.”
Run by the Charlton Community Trust, it is the life which flows through to our Women’s team.
We await the reasons from the FA..