Securing the future

“That has got to be the absolute 100 per cent focus now, no excuses. My future is secure and hopefully I can help secure the club’s future as well.”

After a lunch comprising of a pizza and a couple of beers (perfect hangover remedy) with a fellow Addick, news that skipper Johnnie Jackson has signed a 2-year contract extension broke a smile on our faces for the first time in a week.

The news definitely came out of the blue, and if negotiations had been going on a while, then credit to Katrien in continuing those following Powell’s departure and getting the deal done. Jose must be a very quick judge of character. Terrific news, love Jacko.

I was also pleased to see that many passionate Addicks fans were pulled together before the Huddersfield game and between them issued a statement calling for dialogue between themselves and Duchatelet and Meire. There are some significant individuals on the list at the bottom who have a record of being involved in some key supporter activities in our recent history and I for one are heartened to see this statement issued today:

“A meeting took place on Wednesday evening prior to the match against Huddersfield Town at The Valley bringing together campaigning Charlton supporters from across the generations. It was called by supporters who formed the Valley Party in 1990 to contest the local Greenwich elections in the light of recent events, including the dismissal of Chris Powell, and in response to widespread concern about the identity and future of the club following the latest takeover.

The meeting included people who have previously been directors or senior and long-serving staff of the club, ex-Valley Party candidates and officers of the former Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Club and well-known local journalists who write about the club, as well as current representatives of Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust and fanzine Voice of The Valley.

This group is not intended to be exclusive. An invitation has been extended to Charlton Life, members of the Fans’ Forum and others with an Addicks internet presence and all concerned want to proceed without factionalism or internal politics. Any other supporters’ groups are welcome to participate too. The purpose of the meeting was to try to establish a temporary umbrella group from which to seek a constructive and positive dialogue with the new owner of the club, and if that does not prove possible then to create a basis to recommend and to co-ordinate any appropriate action to respond to events.

In the first instance, the group is seeking an urgent face-to-face meeting with Roland Duchatelet or Katrien Miere in order try to get a better understanding of the owner’s intentions and report back to the wider support. If we are unable to enter into a useful dialogue with the owner or his representative then it is our intention to call a public meeting in early April to take matters forward.

The group recognises that it cannot direct the owner, but we hope to persuade him of the merits of constructive dialogue with Charlton supporters, with particular reference to the achievements that we have all had working together with the club over the last 25 years. In the meantime, we want to let fans know that we are all coming together for the good of the club and that however they are feeling about the current situation there are experienced and committed people working behind the scenes to improve it.”

Issued on behalf of the following:

Jonathan Bangs; Steve Clarke; Peter Cordwell; Steve Dixon; Rick Everitt; Mick Gebbett; Richard Hunt; Corinna Huxley; Glynne Jones; Dominic Matthews; Kevin Nolan; Hazel Nolan; Craig Norris; David Norris; Nigel Pamment; Steve Perfect; Ken Sinyard; Sue Townsend; Ben Tegg; Jeremy Watkins; Matt Wright.