Jan 27
Released on Charlton Life by permission from ESI. Link to drawings and plans here.
These plans originated in the Duchatelet era but despite plenty of promising words feet were dragged, plans were changed and an infamous trench were dug, but the Sparrows Lane redevelopment became mothballed.
Matt Southall had already shown more compassion and humility in a few weeks than Roland Duchatelet did in 6 years. He was clearly humbled by the welcome he got when he first walked into fans at the Sheffield Wednesday game.
Southall has done his Addicks research, but he is soon finding out that he has only scratched the surface of what a power house of joint forces of boardroom, coaching staff, players and fans can make.
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.
Good riddance to old fruit loop rubbish. 6 years to the day that Roland Duchatelet added Charlton to his football club collection, we are rid of the old scroat after the EFL finally ratified East Street Investments purchase for a sum guessed to be in the £50m range.
After the narcissist ownership of Tony Jimenez and Michael Slater backed by the secretive and shall we say complicated assets of Kevin Cash, we were very glad then to see a new owner with fresh ideas take the club on in January 2014. Especially after Cash cut Jimenez’s credit card up and for the longest time the club survived on a shoestring.
It’s hard to even fathom that 20 years ago today we were at work unsure as to whether the computers would even come back on after we came back from the new Millennia celebration. Millennials can look up that near calamity here.
2019 has flown by, work has been the busiest I have known it since I’ve been in Bermuda, the results have been bloody good though, but absolutely exhausting and it didn’t surprise me to just be told I have almost 4 weeks holiday left for the year.
My predilection for travelling has thus taken a backward seat this year, for which I’m very disappointed with myself. Good news though is that after years of attempting to renovate a house in Sarasota, Florida, which has veered from the tortuous to the exorbitant, it may finally become liveable so that is an exciting development and will be a home from home.
The first half of the season ticked off then, well plus one. How nice it is being back in The Championship, and when I look at the struggle to get up that Pompey and Sunderland are having this season, it makes me even more thankful for Patrick Bauer’s 94th minute goal.
Relegation favourites, our budget the lowest. We started the season on fire, unknown to everybody, scared of no one, surprising all and sundry including ourselves, and we quickly added points to the board. Then we lost a whole team to injury, naturally teams countered our style, defensive errors cost us points, and we lost some confidence, but significantly we have stayed in games, and vitally won on Boxing Day as we began the second half of the season.
Rich Cawley was full of joys of the season this morning as he announced that both Jonny Williams and Sam Field have suffered setbacks in their returns from injury.
Both were expected to be on the bench on Saturday at Loftus Road, but Williams has tweaked his hamstring and Field likewise his knee during a full training session at West Brom, his last one before he was to drive back down to SE7. Happy bloody Christmas.
It looks as if the lying, the incompetence, and sheer spitefulness has finally caught up with Katrien Meire.
Our ex-CEO left a similar role at Sheffield Wednesday in February, and is now back in Belgium as COO at Club Brugge, but her past is catching up with her and yesterday she was charged with misconduct by the EFL alongside Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri and CFO John Redgate.
Still necking the espresso’s.
After what seems like a lifetime we have our Charlton back. Roland Duchatelet’s ownership has sucked the life of Addicks fans, had burdened us with debt, made us a footballing laughing stock, and has ridiculed men, women and children who have our little football club in their blood.
I’m on my 4th expresso, but I’m still rubbing my eyes at the statement on the club website.
“We are proud and delighted to announce East Street Investments have agreed the purchase of Charlton Athletic Football Club.”
Let’s premise this that it’s The Sun, not always a purveyor of the truth. Although writer Alan Nixon does appear to be well connected. Nixon tells a story today that Duchatelet is now asking £60m for the club. (SIXTY MILLION POUNDS).
That’s an increase from £40m a year ago, and £34m the year before. Once in an online rant the old bugger said he’d sell it for a quid, now that price appears to be £59,999,999 more! We maybe a division nearer the promised land, but the assets other than the unchanged stadium and training ground consist of a management team on short term contracts, loan players, youngsters and only nine players with contracts that extend beyond this season.
According to local Eltham based community magazine SEnine, Charlton have submitted new proposals for Sparrows Lane training ground improvements. Scaled down from those previously submitted, which literally lay in the dirt, the new plans still include a purpose-built indoor facility and a two storey pavilion to house state-of-the-art training equipment and accommodation.
There’s been many people associated with Charlton Athletic over the years that I’ve admired and had many reasons to be thankful for, whether they are players, managers, coaches, owners or fans. Steve Gallen is the latest.
The 45-minute interview with Steve on Valley Pass is insightful and absorbing as he talks about a whole range of subjects from his childhood through to being appointed a Director of the club recently.
Oh look. A new pronouncement from our leader.
The old bugger escaped from his ward again this afternoon and managed to crank open the charge nurse’s typewriter.
No…. not a well done message to Lee Bowyer for our very encouraging start, or to the noisy Addicks in the big crowd on Saturday. Or to explain how he supported the manager in the transfer window, even though it meant selling another Premier League star of the future. Not even a pat on his own back by telling the story of turning down Brentford’s seven offers for Lyle Taylor.
The 5th and final loan happened way after the 5 o’clock deadline tonight when Brighton’s experienced Israeli international Beram Kayal signed up for the season.
Kayal is thought off very fondly down on the south coast, and it was pleasing to see so many good wishes from Seagulls fans towards both the player and us.
The Israeli moved from Celtic to Brighton in 2015 and made 122 appearances, including 37 in the Premier League during the last two seasons. He brings ability and much needed experience, and he sounds every bit a Bowyer player.
Chicago Addick 