Aug 22
More than 500 Addicks took the The Valley today in continued protests at owners East Street Investments (ESI) demanding that in whatever guises they have, they get out of our club.
Charlton fans broke into the ground to create their own Valley open day sitting in the stands, wandering around pitch side taking photos and sharing videos online. They long occupied the club’s boardroom insisting on owners to come and meet them, but strangely enough no one came.
CAST, CARD and Fans4Fans are calling for all Addicks that are able to get themselves down to The Valley this Saturday at 12.00 midday for one hour.
A CAST statement said: “Unnecessary relegation, transfer embargoes, even the failure to meet the extremely low bar of EFL approval – it is fair to say no-one has come out of this insulting sham of ownership with any credit.
“One pound may not go far for most of us, yet ESI’s £1 investment in ‘our club’ has stretched the realms of audacity and credibility.“
The absolute senselessness continues in SE7 today. Firstly the absolute nonsense of a statement from Matt Southall, who guess what, has given his full support to.. Matt Southall.
“The Club wish to make it clear that Matt Southall has their full support in his role as Executive Chairman and are looking forward to working with him into the future towards a positive end to this current season and beyond.”
That Executive Chairman crap has always stuck in my craw. It’s so crass and conceited. But what staggering bollocks. Roland-esque in fact. Matt mate, we have been paying attention you know. You are a fraud.
On countless occasions I have been proud to stand amongst Addicks but I am in awe of the tireless and selfless work of those at CARD, as well as other groups that led the fight against Roland Duchatelet’s dictatorship.
ROT, WAR and particularly the B20, who really got under Duchatelet’s skin in his own back yard, have all downed weapons and declared peace.
Add to that the many benevolent supporters who backed the efforts either financially or with their time, it was incredible to see Addicks again mobilized into action to protect our little piece of heritage in London SE7.
There were many incredible Addicks involved with the various anti-Duchatelet protest groups, which were connected under the umbrella of CARD. I knew a fair few of the volunteers, some better than others, and many can tell some fantastic, funny and enlightening stories of kinship and fortitude.
It wasn’t only a steely determination that struck me about these Addicks, but it was also their creativity and boundless enthusiasm to find time to help in any small way they could to bring the club back from where Roland Duchatelet and his various hangers on were taking it.
There was a Fans Forum meeting last week. Lievan de Turck (LdT) was again in SE7 full of apologies and shrugs.
This time though Ben Hayes from Bromley Addicks led a much stronger range of questioning of Duchatelet’s puppet and there was some interesting ripostes. CL notes from here and CAFC here.
Oct 31
Huh.
Roland Duchatelet’s interview today with Jim White on talkSPORT started rather sedentary, but by the end of it will have had the vast majority of Charlton fan’s blood boiling.
The man is an out and liar and a grade one delusional fool. If you haven’t listened then click the link but make sure the cat is outside and you are close to a strong drink.
The Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust (CAST) had what they said was a productive meeting with the EFL on Wednesday night. CEO of the EFL Shaun Harvey (photo) plus John Nagle, who has the title Head of Policy and PR head Mark Rowan met the Trust board, and the key points are here.
Harvey admitted that he had met with Roland Duchatelet in Brussels, and plans to meet CAFC staff, who have spoken out about not getting paid their bonuses and with CARD.
Charlton and our friends from Blackpool joined forces today to protest against not just our irresponsible owners, but the many others, outside the EFL offices in west London today. Meanwhile northern based Addicks and a large contingent of Blackpool fans gathered outside the EFL HQ in Preston and loudly made their presence known.
The protests were heavily picked up by the national media as well as Sky Sports and a large crowd made their feelings loud and clear. Two Addicks got to meet EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey, and after, one of them Alan Davis, said that Harvey confirmed the delay in the ‘Australian takeover’ is not as a result of any lack of process of documentation at the EFL. This the reason that Duchatelet, de Turck and Murray have all publicly stated as the reason any takeover has not yet happened.
Dear Tom, I am sure you are a bright fellow. Ambitious, resourceful and proud. But tomorrow morning take a long good look at yourself in the mirror.
Tuesday, and Lievan de Turck, a Roland apologist with no affiliation or official connection to Charlton whatsoever, rocks up to SE7 with a scrappy piece of paper handwritten in Flemish. Ollie Groome makes a quick back exit for the Valley Cafe. Tom does what he is told. Mel Baroni doesn’t even show Charlton on her resume, take a note Tom, and not one of these {…}.
Read it. What an earth does it say? It’s an embarrassment.
I know some people don’t get the protests and there is still a small camp that think CARD are purely trouble makers and throwing things on the pitch is a childish waste of time. However the latest crisps stunt last Saturday reached an extraordinary amount of press and media outlets here and in Belgium, and gave our adversity a huge audience. Yes, throwing a crisp packet, or a pig, or a taxi onto a pitch will not singularly see the club sold, but it raises awareness, and will rattle that old bastard like nothing else.
Heck even the EFL woke from it’s slumber. “Following a number of discussions dating back a number of weeks, the EFL plans to meet with both Charlton Athletic and the Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust to gain a full understanding of the current situation that surrounds the club.”
Vitally, this media antagonism of Duchatelet knocks him sideways. It’s the only thing that brings him out of his bunker and he hates it. The Belgian press have also jumped on the bandwagon this week after the crisp protest and Trump-like (come on there is a likeness) he took a swipe at the “unscrupulous media” and of course neither his employees nor us customers have a clue about what happens at the club. This from a man who last watched a Charlton game in 2014.
A desperately dull affair only lifted by a crisp packet invasion which stopped the game after the first minute, and incidentally one of our better chances.
It sounded a game bereft of goal scoring chances, and just about everything else played in a funereal atmosphere with (likely) less than 6,000 in the stadium, not helped by one of the lowest away followings seen since our return to The Valley.
Roland Duchatelet’s arrogance took on an even more evil turn today. Yesterday it came to light that the clubs’ administrative staff had been told that they would not be getting their promised “incentivised bonuses.” They were due 3 weeks ago and were told nothing of what had happened to them until they were informed by the HR department that they would not be forthcoming. Some poor sod in the HR department doing Duchatelet’s dirty work this time.
The club refused to comment until after employees received this email from Duchatelet this morning. Written or at least re-drafted by PR puppet Tom Rubashow, confirming that Duchatelet will renege on his bonus promises.
If only CAFC would have given us this interview with Lee this morning, could have saved a lot of frantic refreshing and roaming charges. You are not the only one on cut backs you know Charlton.
By the way did you see CARD’s latest stunt was to deliver 100 bottles of water to the academy team at Sparrows Lane this morning. Brilliant, and it really caught the imagination of the nation’s media.
Chicago Addick 
