Katrien Meire | Chicago Addick

Apr 19

Joe Gomez

Our 18-year old defensive prodigy lost out to Leeds United’s Lewis Cook in the Football League Championship Apprentice of the Year award tonight. Midfielder Cook missed the game yesterday due to injury but has played twice the games than Gomez has this season. Cook is also a year older. The other nomination for the award was Millwall’s Fred Onyedinma.

Catford-born Gomez, who was playing for Charlton’s U18’s when he was just 13 has been a revelation since breaking in the first team under Bob Peeters early in the season. The best way to describe Gomez is that he plays as if this is his tenth season and not his first and has that ability to simply glide across the pitch. Joe compares very favourably in my mind to Richard Rufus and Paul Elliott and I just hope Charlton fans get to enjoy this great kid for another season or two. Please click for more

Mar 25

8 Comments

Katrien’s charm offensive

An international break to relax before our thoughts turn to Millwall on Good Friday. Addicks’ fans have only been allocated the top tier, which was quickly sold out, but the game will be beamed back to The Valley. I will be in the far more scenic and hospitable setting of Florida Easter weekend and will have to rely on mobile updates.

During this break Guy Luzon has returned to Belgium (not for good, hopefully) whilst Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Tal Ben Haim and Simon Church, who face each other, are away on international duty.

Back at home Katrien Meire is making the most of the upturn in fortunes by getting out in front of the press. I can’t blame her, I am always looking for my boss when I’ve had a good result.
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Feb 21

5 Comments

Friday night’s are alright

Katrien is right, Friday night football is a fantastic idea. How nice it was to wake this morning without a care in the world and 3 points in the back pocket of our pyjamas.

The Addicks sat 12th overnight after winning at Wigan, today Reading and Leeds both moved back above us after they both had very good wins on the road. Reading at Ipswich and Leeds at Middlesbrough to remind us how hard games are to call in The Championship.
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Feb 19

5 Comments

Thoughts post CAST meeting

I heard a lot of good things about last night. The fan’s meeting was expertly arranged by CAST and it sounded constructive and, importantly, respectful, with the overriding agreement from those present that we need much more engagement from the owner.

My hope was that a plan of intention was scoped out by the end, but that was probably asking for too much, and I support the view that we need to be ready for the long game by being organized, smart, rational and lucid. We also need to separate results from fan actions and back Luzon and the team.

I won’t dwell on the meeting because I wasn’t there, but these people were – Dave, Kyle, Blackheath and Ted. Video’s of the opening speeches are on VOTV, including Rick Everitt’s impassioned address to the 400 or so that were at the Woolwich Grand Theatre, a very impressive number that tells it’s own story.
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Feb 18

12 Comments

Don’t appreciate being called a liar

An uncomfortable night at The Valley Tuesday for Katrien Meire, but probably more so for Johnnie Jackson, Steve Avory and Tony Watt, who must have wondered why an earth he got a last minute invite to a heated VIP Q&A and was asked a question about Scottish sexual monsters!

With Guy Luzon ~~bailing~~ deciding to watch Wigan play Reading last minute instead, it seems Katrien pulled rank on a mixture of football staff to take a large part of the heat away from her. It may have worked, it may not have done, it just comes across as another PR gaff.
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Feb 16

5 Comments

Jackson’s vital role

I still have serious reservations about the ability of Guy Luzon, but credit where credit is due. On Saturday he had the foresight to play four defenders, four midfielders and two strikers, all in their right position. He also dropped ‘network’ keeper Dmitrović and returned Stephen Henderson to the side, who again proved why he is the club’s #1 and the Irishman was the foundation for the long awaited victory.

Luzon is right to distance himself from the performances and results leading up to his appointment but he has now had over a month with the players and it is apparent to me that something happened between the Norwich game on Tuesday and Saturday and I am unsure whether this was entirely Luzon’s doing.
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Feb 4

9 Comments

Trust calls for fan’s public meeting

Following the rapidly worsening relationship and the continuing lack of any fan engagement by owner Roland Duchatelet and CEO Katrien Meire, the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust (CAST) have this evening issued the following statement:

“Further to the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust (CAST) statement of 14th January 2015, the CAST wrote to the club’s CEO Katrien Meire to follow up our offer to discuss the growing anxiety of supporters about the direction of the club, and how they might be better involved.

We have received a disappointing response. Whilst Ms Meire has suggested that we meet with a colleague to discuss what the club needs to do to maintain and grow the fanbase, she declined any dialogue on the vital matter of where the club is heading.

Her explanation – that she had nothing more to tell supporters regarding the direction of the club – reminds us of her words in the London Evening Standard, when she insisted that fans would just “need to accept” the owner’s way. We respectfully but strongly disagree with her. We continue to hear daily from supporters of a growing discontent at the inconsistency between the club’s words and actions, and a frustration with a lack of true engagement.
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Feb 2

10 Comments

Drum roll…. Roger Johnson!

No new deadline beating signings down at The Valley, oh no, not even a washed up old network jolly that no one else wants.

Who knows what Roly promised Guy Luzon, except for a job at a future date at Újpest, but Luzon said on Saturday that he was anticipating on bringing in two more players, yet we know he has as much clout as Harvey the mascot.

The club stated in September that they would add to the squad if we were still in the play-off race in January. In fact, because of the paper thin quality of the squad, and poor management decisions, we are now in a relegation battle. Meire and Duchatelet have had at least since New Year’s Day to work on additions and what have we got.
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Jan 19

10 Comments

Bob speaks

Here in his native tongue.

You can spin it through Google Translator, but if you allow me to paraphrase it for you, Peeters says he was “idolised” by fans, and he thought he had a good relationship with Katrien Meire, but they ended up in conflict. The supporters could see we needed better players, but the owner thought he was exaggerating.
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Jan 17

10 Comments

Watford 5 Charlton Athletic 0

What a shambles.

Very few times in my years as a Charlton Athletic fan can I ever predict a result or a performance, because we have always been so unpredictable, save the days of games against Manchester United, or the FA Cup.

However today’s defeat was a dead cert, but despite this 2,024 Addicks spent hard earned money to travel and watch the team they love, and gave the players total backing for the entire game. And this was their reward.
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Jan 16

20 Comments

Farcical

“Charlton are disappointed to announce that Guy Luzon will not be able to take charge of the team at Watford on Saturday due to issues with his UK work permit.” (more)

You couldn’t make it up could you.
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Jan 15

10 Comments

Penny for a Guy

He may well not turn out to be the next Alex Ferguson, but perhaps we have a budding Ronald Koeman on our hands, or Marc Wilmots, or a young Avram Grant. Hey, a young José Riga would satisfy me.

Known by Standard fans and most of the Belgium sports media as a clown, who brought some strange touch-line antics and the long ball to the Belgium’s Jupiler League that had along with the Belgium FA developed some excellent academies and talented young players in less than a decade, we will find out soon enough whether keeping Guy Luzon on the payroll was one of Roland Duchâtelet’s more insightful decisions or one of that of a madman.

The name Guy Luzon first came into our sightline when he was sacked by Standard Liege in October, and I wrote then with an element of surprise that Luzon would remain in the network.
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Jan 14

29 Comments

Press conference awkwardness

Anyone see the press conference this afternoon? It was an embarrassment to the club.

No Roland of course, allergic to talking to supporters, but Katrien was there complete with shovel in her hand. They rolled Richard Murray out to put our minds at rest and then there was Guy Luzon, who I had trouble understanding.
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Jan 14

18 Comments

A load of old waffle

New ~~manager~~ head coach, new sheet of paper, clean slate.

Of course, I’m willing to give anyone a chance, including Guy Luzon, despite his press being worse than a combination of Iain Dowie and Alan Pardew. Read this interview with respected Belgian journalist and Standard Liege fan Douglas de Coninck and weep.

A British born Belgium journalist I have grown to respect John Chapman said this:

“And so it came to pass that Guy Luzon became coach of Charlton Athletic. Only reason is that he’s already on Duchatelet’s payroll. Luzon made no friends at Standard Liege. Had promising start but lost the plot when pressure on. Has no record of club success.

Duchatelet running his network of clubs like he would a multinational company. People ‘transferred’ between countries as vacancies arise. But football ain’t like that. To be successful, all football clubs need a soul. Sadly lacking now at CAFC and Standard.”
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Jan 13

3 Comments

Will it be anyone else other than Luzon?

I was quite expecting no further comment from the club yesterday, until late in the day Katrien Meire did follow up with comments on cafc.co.uk.

Meire said that the decision was only taken after the game on Saturday, which seems both unlikely and a little too impetuous. I don’t believe her, nor does Bob, especially knowing of recent informed reports from the Israeli media about Guy Luzon, and the fact that Karel Faraeye was at the Cardiff game, but after her comments in the programme on Saturday, I expect Roland Duchâtelet allowed her, a lawyer, to choose her own words.

It doesn’t matter now, what does is who is appointed next as the 4th manager/head coach in 10 months.
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Jan 12

5 Comments

Who is to blame?

Football is all about the blame game, whether we like it or not. Personally my only blame laid at the door of Bob Peeters was his tactical naivety, and as time went on I questioned whether he was able to get his points across to the players.

However Peeters was responsible for introducing a momentous change in the way Charlton played the game. Some of our play was truly inspiring and I thank him for giving that to me, albeit for a only a tiny amount of time, but it is something I will remember.

Peeters’ trouble, our trouble, is the squad is made of straw and has more perforations in it than a Belgium waffle.
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Jan 11

6 Comments

Peeters sacked

“Charlton have terminated the contract of Head Coach Bob Peeters with immediate effect, the club can confirm. The contracts of Senior Professional Development Coach Patrick Van Houdt and Performance Analyst Guy Kiala have also been terminated.” (Club statement)

24 hours after CEO Katrien Meire told supporters in the matchday programme that the club can take many positives from the first six months of the season, tonight the club decided that Bob Peeters, given to us by Roland Duchâtelet, wasn’t one of them.
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Dec 27

11 Comments

Halfway house

I don’t quite understand why almost every team in The Championship plays tomorrow afternoon, yet we don’t play until Tuesday night. Possibly it’s the trains, but I did note that Boxing Day’s schedule of games took us to the middle point of the season, 23 games.

Charlton sit in 12th, which represents the lowest place we have occupied all season. The night we beat Derby at home we went 4th, which was our highest point.

Between you and me I still look at the bottom of the table before I peak at the top, but at the halfway point of the season, although there has been frustrations, I can’t help but think that Bob Peeters has done a more than fair job with the squad that was mostly put together for him.
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Nov 26

4 Comments

Bob’s first 6 months

In these days of Alan Pardew 8-year contracts it is refreshing to see head coaches and managers except the harsh reality that if they are a total failure there is no lump sum pay-off. When Bob Peeters signed a one-year contract with Charlton in the summer he said he was happy with the offer and it allowed both parties to mutually see how the relationship worked out.

The upside for Charlton is that the club can budget accordingly and I would expect Roland Duchâtelet gave his new employee some strict but achievable goals. Not for a minute do I believe that Duchâtelet said to Peeters ‘promotion or you’re out.’ I would think it was more likely along the lines of ‘safety, progress and player development.’

Peeters, who celebrates 6 months in charge of Charlton tomorrow and is already the 48th longest serving manager in the English leagues, has impressed the majority of us Addicks so far, including me.
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Oct 25

4 Comments

Friday night football

There were said to be close to 4,000 Addick’s at Craven Cottage last night which will encourage Katrien Meire with her machinations of Friday night football at The Valley.

When I was younger I used to love Friday night games under the lights at The Valley. As a kid it was an excuse to stay up late, and get a basket of chicken and chips in the old Valley Club beforehand.

Then as a young man Friday night games were set up nicely for a few beers after work with mates before going into the ground. The atmosphere always seemed better, as did the results, although I am sure that is just a romantic notion playing tricks with my memory.
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Oct 24

2 Comments

Good flow

“We get good results, there is a good flow around Charlton. People are starting to respect us again and for me that’s the most important thing.”

On Monday night over steak and chips, and no doubt a cold Flemish beer Bob and Roly met to discuss the Addicks season so far and if like me you watched the live You Tube show 1905 yesterday then you would have heard that they are pretty pleased with each other.

Roly as we know is a hands off owner, but came across as reasonably tuned into the happenings at The Valley and in The Championship. We know that Katrien Meire is his eyes and ears and although not the greatest communicator unless there is steak and chips involved, the 1905 interview if hardly ground-breaking was helpful for us Addicks that try to understand his ambitions and persona.

He talked for long lengths about young players and how difficult The Championship is knowing that it can change quickly. Strangely after sacking Guy Luzon on Monday he told us that results are not important. I beg to differ, but I can accept that we are in a long game, which I think to most of us is a more sensible and more satisfying approach.
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Aug 31

4 Comments

La la la la la la la la

Thank the Mexican gods I will be travelling from early tomorrow morning until late-ish tomorrow evening and therefore won’t be drawn into the crazy self-aggrandizing Sky Sports torture chamber of the final day of the summer transfer window.
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Aug 22

My Valley homecoming

My first visit to The Valley on Tuesday night since the redecoration and I was impressed in the old girl, who scrubbed up very nicely. It wasn’t long ago that the club badge behind the Covered End was falling off the wall and Duchâtelet and Meire, who I think should take a lot of credit, have done a lot to make it look a far better stadium.

There is the pitch, the new seats and the paint jobs of course, but it is the little things that impresses me and the large placards of Charlton players and of memories past are simple but effective.
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Aug 6

3 Comments

Network dynamics

The club have announced that Reza has moved on a season-long loan to Al Kuwait, one of the Arab state’s biggest clubs.

That makes good business sense for RD because he keeps the asset as part of the network, but moves an unhappy punter of his payroll. Reza has clearly been unsettled for a while ever since his move to Standard two years ago.

Not unpredictably the Iranian has exploited his success in the World Cup, and I understand Reza wanted a permanent move but Duchâtelet vetoed it. I think it is disappointing that he didn’t want to prove himself in a better league, a little bit easy street if you ask me, with a tax-free lifestyle thrown in for good measure.
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May 29

1 Comment

Katrien’s summer hol’s

“I’m just going to check my work emails luv.”

“Oh, do you have too?”

“I just need to check if anything’s going on at the office, maybe Roly has bought that club in Azerbaijan that he’s been banging on about.”

“Oh, okay then, but can you get me a Stella and a waffle on your way back to the pool, I’m going back in for a swim.”
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May 27

3 Comments

Peeters in

Not much of a surprise nor the unheralded announcement. The official statement also mentions that José Riga and Karel Fraeye have also moved on. Nice.

Damian Matthews will stay though as part of Peeters coaching staff, and two others are expected to join him from Belgium.

No mention of a contract period for Peeters, who will be head coach. I wonder if we are now worthy of a bit of an explanation from Duchâtelet or Katrien Meire?
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May 18

Standard Liege fail to win title

On the final day of the Belgium football season Roland Duchâtelet’s Standard Liege lost out on the Jupiler League title to Anderlecht, the team they finished 10 points clear of at the end of the regular league season. Those 10 months of grind all means nothing as the clubs enter a crackpot Play-Off system, that could only have been thought up by an American.

Standard’s Technical Director Jean-Francois de Sart called the Belgian Play-Off system “stupid, a failure and unique in the football world.” De Sart isn’t always as perceptive as Addicks may remember.
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May 13

2 Comments

Dervite to leave

Dorian Dervite, one of the stand-outs of Jose Riga’s reign looks set to sign for Bolton.

The Frenchman has said previously that he would like to stay on a long term deal, but I have heard nothing of an offer from the club. There was a ‘Dervite to Bolton’ rumour a month or so back, and knowing what Sordell was earning, it is clear that Bolton have a much higher wage bar, this despite the club’s huge debt.

One would think that Riga would like to keep Dervite, but we still know nothing on Duchatelet’s plans for the head coach. However this interview with a Belgium journal makes it pretty obvious that Riga wants to stay and that he has made his wishes clear to Duchatelet.
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May 7

1 Comment

Hollands and Hughes

Players contracts has been a topic of supporter’s conversation all season. Charlton won’t be alone in having a scratch squad left after June 1st, and I am sure there will be a record number of professionals available on free transfers.

With the loan players gone, Charlton have 18 players out of contract plus the coaching team of Alex Dyer, Damian Matthews, Karel Fraeye and Jose Riga all contract-less after June 1st.

Today Andy Hughes officially left the club, this on the back of Danny Green and Danny Hollands also moving on, although these two yet to be confirmed by the club.
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Mar 30

25 Comments

Meire’s statement just drives division and not unity

My two-pennies worth on Katrien Meire’s statement this past week.

Firstly compared to the old lot, it has been quite refreshing to see the new owners attempt to communicate with the supporters. Katrien appears to be happier in front of fans and her plain speaking and openness has impressed those that have met her.
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Mar 14

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:
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Mar 6

10 Comments

“Footballing issues”

Chris Powell has told the SLP that he has agreed the financial terms of a new contract but there still needs to be discussions over “footballing issues.”

Let’s look at the positive first. Duchâtelet has by offering him a fair financial incentive made it clear that he wants Powell to stay at the club. Powell likewise has made it public that financially the owner and he are on the same page, and that money will not be the principal factor.
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Feb 28

Game of poker

It was little over a week ago now since Roland Duchâtelet announced in front of a large audience that he was discussing Chris Powell’s contract “for the coming years.”

That night Powell and Alex Dyer cancelled an appearance at Bromley Addicks, probably to avoid difficult questions from an audience as fans assumed that negotiations were ongoing. That was Thursday.
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Feb 20

Powell in contract talks

Those of you that followed today’s press conference would like me have had an overwhelming postive yet anticlimatic feeling by the end of it. The actual conference itself only lasted a little more than 15 minutes and this was followed by journalists questions that weren’t captured by the Official Site, but some of which were relayed on Twitter by journos in the room.

Duchatelet again spoke about the history of the club and the importance and attraction of the youth set-up as well as making the supporter experience at The Valley better. The Belgian is a big believer in Financial Fair Play and Richard Murray again said that finally the club is on a sound financial footing.

RD said there were no plans to leave The Valley and that the pitch would be replaced at the end of the season. Category One status for the academy is also under consideration.
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Feb 11

1 Comment

Steve Claridge faux pas

Does anyone listen to 5 Live’s Monday Night Club? I am a regular podcast listener and the show accompanies me to and from work in the early part of the week and it is usually a very enjoyable indepth conversation. It’s just that last night, the studio which included regular host Mark Chapman, Ian Dennis and Steve Claridge broke away from banging on about Leeds’ woes for a minute and started talking about the Addicks.

Claridge mentioned that “someone got a text from Chris Powell the other day and said that he and the people that are bringing the players in are not in complete harmony.” Claridge has a big mouth although he patently stops himself from continuing the story. Clearly CP needs to be careful who he texts, then again if he fears for his job, which he must do, what does it really matter?
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Jan 29

8 Comments

Worrying similarities between Standard Liege and Charlton

It is looking increasingly like both Kermorgant and Stephens will be gone by the end of the week. According to witnesses Yann’s forlorn clapping of the travelling support last night at Doncaster told them all they needed to know.

Sky Sports are reporting that a fee has been agreed between Bournemouth and Charlton and Wyn understands it to be £500,000.

Yann is a huge loss to the side and it’s supporters. Alongside Johnnie Jackson, Yann has stood for everything that has been good about Chris Powell’s reign as manager. Google any range of Charlton highlights from the past couple of years and there he will be stood, chest puffed, steely grin, arm raised, our Breton warrior. But not for much longer it would seem.
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Jan 22

3 Comments

Pay to listen interview

Anyone else think that the very first interview with Roland Duchâtelet and Katrien Meire only available on CAFC Player is a little bit out of order? It’s not very inclusive is it? I don’t know how many fans pay the annual fee of £43 a year, but surely the wider audience want to listen to Roland and Katrien’s plans. It’s quite important isn’t it?

It’s not been widely advertised either. Hopefully those that signed up today get their moneys worth, because I personally think it’s not value for money at the best of times, and I’ve been buying it for years!

Richard Murray joins Duchatelet and Meire as well on camera. Kind of funny that when Richard was the majority owner he would happily show up at fan gatherings for the price of a pint, then we had the recluse Kevin Cash and his publicity shy stooges Tony Jimenez and Michael Slater and now the new owners are charging us to listen to them.
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Jan 17

3 Comments

What the papers say

Today both Chris Powell and Michael Slater took to the media to tell their stories. Slater turned again to his pet, the South London Press and like his partner, Tony Jimenez, Michael decided now was a good time to write his own ~~fairytale~~ chronicle of their time at The Valley.

“People may complain about the management style and the staff overhaul. But sometimes, tough decisions have to be made. There is no getting away from it – there is a real need to drag the club, kicking and screaming, into the 21st Century.”

He wouldn’t remember of course what happened at the turn of the century because Slater was busily watching Manchester City brushed aside by a tatty old Charlton as we lifted the Division One trophy aloft.
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Jan 14

2 Comments

Charlton Athletic 2 Oxford United 2

After that 1st half there won’t be many Addicks voting for a mid-season winter break.

I was pretty removed from today, sadly in the camp of league being more important Cup, mostly because the club have failed us so horribly in cup competition for so long.

I was pleased to see that CP put out a strong side, but with Solly and Stephens missing, Sordell injured and Stewart gone, it only underscored our threadbare squad. Both Liege players were not signed in time for the original game and were on the sidelines. I am sure they were impressed.
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Jan 11

3 Comments

Postponed…. again

Welcome to the pleasure dome Ms Meire. Monday should be an interesting day at the office.

I’ll be the first to have a go at the previous regime and their lack of investment, but the statement currently sat on the Official Site beggars belief. Blaming the ground staff and confirming that tickets will still be valid for the rearranged game is pitiful. Oh, and Barnsley fans, don’t call us, sort it out between yourselves.
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Jan 10

Welcome Katrien Meire

Roland Duchâtelet first statement today included a welcome to Katrien Meire, who one assumes will be Roland’s eyes and ears at The Valley.

“Richard (Murray) will act as the spokesperson for the board, just as Chris Powell will represent the first team, and both men are hugely respected by our fans. I would also like to introduce Ms Katrien Meire who has been appointed onto the board and will be working at The Valley from now on.”

Ms Meire is currently the Legal and International Relations Manager at Standard Liège, which roughly translates into business leader with a legal background.
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