Unbelievable scenes tonight
Just when you think it safe to go out.. For me tonight, I had a client dinner – probably the last for a while as COVID-19 almost entirely shuts down travel between Europe and North America and Bermuda – but I noticed my phone flashing texts and messages as the situation developed tonight at The Valley.
The first red flag was a message from the Charlton Live team cancelling their show tonight. What then followed was truly remarkable, even on the scale of Charlton histories of remarkedness.
In chaotic scenes it appeared Nimer had given license to remove Southall. Jonathan Heller (which team this bloke bats for, who the hells knows), and Shaun McHugh. Mick Everett and his security team were present as well in the offices overlooking the west stand car park.
Then, as the police were called by McHugh, there was a power struggle with Southall firing safety officer Everett, player liaison officer Tracey Leaburn and press officer Olly Groome – lifelong Addicks all.
Matt Southall having a Donald trump moment, but without the power, money or syrup. The biggest fraud ever demanding police remove those that he had fired, but then seeing the police officers turn on him and his grifters.
A long stand off followed. I mean, this is absolute golden Netflix material, and there were witnesses including Ben Hayes and video.
Eventually police removed Southall, Heller and McHugh and in scenes of artistic perfection we see Southall, gob shut, climb into his 100 grand Range Rover and awkwardly leave The Valley car park:
What happens tomorrow is anyone’s guess. I don’t trust Tahnoon Nimer either. If only Everett, Leaburn and Groome can win the euro lottery, but we fight on, and nothing changes. Now our situation is precarious without a doubt, but I don’t fancy anyone’s chances against us. COYA
Chicago Addick 
pretty amazing and wish I was a fly on the wall!!
What a week. There is no club quite like Charlton. Credit due to all those staff who glue the club together through every bizarre twist.
Yes, who knows who is telling the more lies and just to point out Louise Mendez and the in house media teams (well some of them) and external media claiming to represent CAFC Charlton live/ Pass teams condone live & vicious personal attacks live on broadcast & allowed to get away with it. Just saying and not one sincere apology but block proper CAFC supporters for many generations!!!
Hopefully Southall and friends have finally departed the Valley for good….
Now to the point..
Mick, Ollie & Tracey can get back to their work….Chris Parkes can have a cuppa….ALL the staff can relax a little and Lee Bowyer just needs to pin up a picture of Southall on the flip-chart in the dressing room at Hull on Saturday and that will fire up the squad….every tackle made will be on Southall !!!!
Now is the moment for Nimer to undo the wallet and help Lee and the club out before its too late. !!!!
If Southall has been fired and Nimer still refuses to provide funding, with no working capital to run day to day affairs, then the club is only going in one direction.
Careful with that motor Matt, it’s gotta go back in the morning.
Still not sure about Nimer…does he or doesn’t he have the financial backing ? Where’s the proof? Show us the money..
Ignoring CAST’s approaches aren’t doing him any favours.
An utter mess…but there is slowly some clarity emerging. Matt Southall is all but gone, there are a few hoops to go through but we will soon have heard the last of him. The fly in the ointment is that he owns/controls 35% of the club via ESI and persuading him to part with that is going to be the real issue. It will take some negotiation, no doubt Southall will want serious cash for a company that has one asset – a club leaking cash that he bought for £1, so it’s likely he’ll walk away with some profit, legal fees will take most of it though. I doubt that Nimer or any other investor will put any money into the club until the ownership sitation is settled – well I wouldn’t, but this being football who knows….
Then we need to see the colour of Nimer’s cash – he’s skirted around a few polite but probing requests to demonstrate that he has the necessary cash and that makes me nervous. Apparently as per the website he oversees 60 plus companies on behalf of the Sheikh. But is he getting involved via ADBD (ie repping the Sheikh) or is this on his personal account? Secondly, I question his business acumen in getting involved with Matt Southall in the first place. Have a look at Southall’s age, experience and CV, he has never owned a business remotely close to a company the size of Charlton and seems to have owned low scale internet ventures, some may have earnt him a few bob, prolly enough to live on and buy nice coats but not the sort of money he needs to buy and run a club like Charlton. A while back Southall was getting involved in and failing with a bid to buy Bury, who were/are a lot cheaper to buy and run than our club. He clearly doesn’t have any money behind him and yet Nimer jumps into bed with him. That he did minimal to zero due diligence is clear and again that worries me in an apparently experienced business person. My fear is that for all Nimer’s bullishness, promises and rhetoric is that he’ll walk away blaming the bad publicity, coronavirus or whatever. Then the club gets handed back to Roland or simply goes into receivership, who knows…