Katrien Meire | Chicago Addick

Nov 24

Robinson has brought the team back but not our club

Happy anniversary to Karl Robinson. After the disappointing draw at home to MK Dons he talked about how far we have come as a team since last time we played Franchise in April. I would rather look at how far we have come in the past year.

In fact just over a year ago I was at, what turned out to be Russell Slade’s last game, Swindon. It was truly demoralizing, and the road down and down under Duchatelet appeared to have no turning points or crossroads. The incompetence of Meire and the vindictiveness of Duchatelet apparently knew no bounds.

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Nov 17

4 Comments

Are we close?

According to sources of respected Belgian journalist John Chapman Roland Duchatelet appeared tired and is looking to concentrate his 71-year old mind on other things. This came after he sold his remaining shares in Belgian side Sint-Truiden (STVV), always considered to be his favourite ‘child.’

Duchatelet and his partner Marieke Höfte have been involved with Sint-Truiden on and off, but mostly on since 2003. He only bought back the club last year after selling up in 2011 but this week he sold STVV to DMM, a diversfied Japanese electronics and online shopping company. I don’t know, but I suspect the amount of the sale was ‘undisclosed.’

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Nov 10

2 Comments

The Tangerines are smiling

Whereas Roland Duchatelet can be found guilty of mass incompetence, utterly poor management and sheer stubbornness he has, as far as I know, has never illegitimately asset stripped the club. The Oyston family are a different matter though and after Monday’s high court ruling that ordered Owen and Karl Oyston to pay £31m to the minority shareholder, Valeri Belokon.

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Oct 14

Charlton Athletic 1 Doncaster Rovers 0

Why is it that our game is always the last to finish..

Well today the ref got run over by Josh Magennis, but for all the other times, it is one of lives little mysteries.

By ways of modern technology I was able to follow the game today 30,000 feet up in the air as I flew to Los Angeles. At times we flowed, at times we huffed, but there was always raw effort and a spirit that pleased The Valley crowd.

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Aug 24

4 Comments

Falling short in the window again

Like a broken record, with 7 days left until deadline day, judging by Karl Robinson’s comments this morning it is looking more and more likely that the owner will leave his manager with another unbalanced and incomplete squad. Not for the first time, the first eleven looks very competitive and Robinson to his credit has created a playing system and a spirit which could take this team a long way towards the goal of promotion, except beyond the first team and three or four others it falls off a cliff.

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Mar 31

5 Comments

Meire’s incompetence part 457

If Dave’s list of Katrien Meire’s ‘accomplishments’ was not enough, yesterday the club announced that the CEO has now presided over another loss making year for the football club.

Charlton reported a £13.5m loss for the 2015-16 season, up by £9.5m on the 12 months previous. The club claimed that there were increased costs of nearly £4m, which largely went on January transfers and salaries. Charlton Athletic’s total debt now stands at £65.2m and total staff costs were £14.06m, which was scarily 116% of turnover.
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Mar 22

1 Comment

Thank Vale

“Yesterday I felt the first pangs of a new season. Pearce’s signing bringing me out of a sweaty summer stupor, helped or hindered, I can’t work out which, by the fact that I finally added the fixtures to my calendar.” – me the day before the season started in August.

Fast forward 7 months and on a cold chilly night in Bermuda there I am searching for the Port Vale score and punching the air to celebrate a Vale defeat. Mark Robins’ Coventry, who are all but relegated, were 2-0 up at half-time. Kyel Reid scored a stunning opener and won their first game in seven. Relegation would mean Coventry playing in the 4th tier for the first time in 58 years.
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Mar 17

10 Comments

Better times around the corner?

As a mysterious for sale sign in Dutch appeared on a wall outside The Valley, the VOTV has disclosed that a secure data room was created within The Valley 2 weeks ago and has since been in use by an unknown female lawyer. Not Pinocchio.

Of course this is what one would expect at the outset of a due-diligence process or an external audit. Any potential and qualified buyer who has agreed to sign an NDA would need to have ready access to a whole range of financial data, and that is what I assume this lawyer is putting together. Word is also that a price has been agreed in principle.

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Mar 12

6 Comments

Duchatelet close to selling?

The Duchatelet to sell rumour mill has been amped up around SE7 the last few days and at yesterday’s game it was a topic that appeared to carry a lot more water than just plain wishful thinking amongst Addicks. Katrien Meire was also absent yesterday but that is thought to be a coincidence.

Post match both Rick Everitt and Rich Cawley tweeted that there is strong takeover talk, wth Chinese money thought to be in the mix and on that note I want to direct you to Wyn’s Blog for some really good insight into Chinese football ownership.

First things first before we get over excited. The game is littered with bad owners it should be a football league condition that any sale passes a detailed due diligence test and any prospective owner is thoroughly scrutinized.

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Mar 6

Historic weekend

On my way back to Bermuda now and having time to reflect on a historic weekend in Charlton’s history.

Roland Duchatelet would not have liked the fact that 300 ordinary men, women and children, not louts and irate ex-employees demonstrated against him alongside STVV fans on Saturday in the sleepy town of Sint Truiden, where the 70-year old has always felt he had some kind of power over the people of the town and it’s football club.

Stories and tales from those that made the trip out to Belgium are both heartwarming and of legend and memories made will last a lifetime, especially once we rid ourselves of Duchatelet and Pinocchio. There has been much media coverage both at home and in Belgium and the whole thing was beautifully organized, and perfectly executed and makes me proud to be an Addick. And the lazy and misguided PR men at the club should be embarrased.

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Dec 31

12 Comments

Happy New Year

As I sit here in my pyjamas with a beer with far too long to wait until midnight I feel content that I don’t have to go out and pretend tonight will be the best night of my life. Movies are downloading, my daughter sits at my feet and we have a fridge full of snacks. Good enough for me.

I turned 50 this year and we spent a couple of memorable weeks in Rio at the Olympics to celebrate it, although I’ll be honest I’ve struggled moving into the next decade of my life. Not physically, I feel good and I think I look alright but it has made me very introspective and I question myself a lot, especially when I wake in the middle of the night, which happens more and more. Must be old age and my eyes are going and my ears are getting bigger as well….

My 2016 had its challenges. Personally and professionally. Questions without answers. Vacillant sometimes, headstrong other times.

Charlton are no longer an escape for me or sadly for the majority of us. I never ever thought my love for them would wane, but incredibly it has and it breaks my heart.
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Dec 29

5 Comments

A social function

Wyn Grant found these quotes this morning and thanks to some good work by one of Charlton Life’s finest the whole interview with Duchatelet and his partner Mareike Höfte, who is the president and the front person of STVV, can be found here in two parts. Click part 1 and part 2.

I have paid close attention to Duchatelet and his family since they bought ‘my’ football club almost to the day 3 years ago, and I am convinced that they, more so him, are completely cuckoo.

He really has no concept of sporting integrity or ambition and the ultimate dream of any human being that has ever pulled on a pair of football boots or walked into a professional football club’s stadium for the first time.
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Dec 9

6 Comments

Getting to Know The Network

I’m a bit late with this but it is most definitely worth a plug and over 10,000 people have already listened to them I believe but as the pro-Duchatelet brigade get louder and the splits amongst the fan base get a little wider I implore all Charlton fans to listen to the recently released Getting to Know The Network. Whatever your view of how Duchatelet and Meire are running the club these two initial podcasts of an eventual set of four are required listening.
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Dec 8

6 Comments

More Comms people than players

It now all makes sense. A top 6 budget does not necessarily mean on midfielders or goalscorers, it means on specialised marketing and communication staff.

After Mel Baroni walked out 46 days into her new job following Roly’s {…} rant in March, Meire attempted to steady the sinking ship by hiring specialist sport and entertainment PR firm Pitch at I expect great ongoing expense.

If that wasn’t enough Meire has now hired full time, Tom Rubashow from Pitch PR as Head of Communications. This story had already been broken by Matt Wright in the last VOTV. Tom is so communicative that after word got out of his impending move to Charlton, he made his Twitter account private.
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Nov 24

30 Comments

Marmite Robinson appointed

“Following a thorough appointment process.” Cut and paste and repeat.

Well welcome Karl and I sincerely hope that you don’t sell your Buckingshire home and buy that one in Greenwich that your missus has fallen in love with. Rent mate, rent.

I’ve always been a bit marmite on Karl Robinson. As a young coach he impressed at MK Dons with a limited budget and caught the eye of chairmen of bigger clubs but to his credit stayed loyal. They had a pleasing attacking style and Robinson has worked well with many young players, either homegrown or on loan. His record, although marred by nearly’s, does have a promotion on it, and despite a 20-year age gap is much better than Russell Slade’s.

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