Can’t
help thinking there is a material missing element to the campaign to get our
owner to sell. I may have missed something, but as things stand I’m not aware
of any Charlton legend coming out publicly in support of CARD. It has reached
the stage whereby silence amounts to acquiescence and there are important
figures who could have a significant impact, not least on Addicks still
reluctant to back the campaign.
Any
hopes that Richard Murray might have revised his thinking on the potential merits
of Duchatelet as a long-term owner have gone out of the window. Curbs’ media
pundit comments recently about it being time for the fans to shelve protests
until the summer may have been ill-considered and at the least need updating,
but unless and until he says more they have to stand. It’s not pleasant to name
names, especially as individuals may have good reasons of their own to remain
silent. But there are Charlton heroes who presumably continue to act as hosts
on matchdays who could publicly walk away for the duration (and be welcomed
back when we have new owners, assuming they are not even worse), plus others
not involved with the club but whose opinion would carry weight and get media
coverage. Also, wouldn’t it be great if Sir Maurice Hatter announced that he
was suspending his position as honorary life president of the club (which he
took on well before Duchatelet arrived on the scene) until such time as we have
back a club worthy of being honorary life president of?
CARD
has the tacit or active approval of most (but not all) fans and I do think it
could use such additional backing. These aren’t easy decisions to take. Does
anyone think I was happy (or indifferent) when it came to not renewing my
season ticket and not attending games, or that anyone actually wants to walk
out during a game, or even hang around in the cold and wet after one rather
than sloping off for a glass? Any Charlton figure coming out in support of the campaign
would not be turning their back on the club they love; like many/most supporters
they would be taking action to defend and preserve that club.
Let’s
end a short (for me) post with a joke. “It is the board’s strategy to continue
to reduce these levels of losses over time and move towards a breakeven
position whilst remaining highly competitive in the Championship”. It truly
beggars belief and is a worthy comedy classic follow-up to Duchatelet’s recent
interviews for our consumption. Some time back Murray said in response to a
question that Roland had two objectives for us: to break even and to get promoted
to the Premiership. It didn’t need pointing out then that the objectives were
incompatible, financial fair play or not, and the same applies now as regards Meire’s
statement (which rather curiously has not – yet at least – appeared on the club
site). I want to win the euromillions lottery without having to spend money on
a ticket. It’s just not fair. Of course, given that our club is now in debt to
Baton 2010 Ltd to the tune of £40.1m (and rising each day) you can say they are
spending money on that ticket. Equally true is that they have failed so far to achieve
or even move materially towards breakeven (the loss for the year to June 2016
will presumably depend on whether Lookman, Berg Gudmundsson and others are sold
in time) and are failing miserably with regard to on the pitch objectives.
Rob Lee immediatley springs to mind. I believe on two occasions this season(most noticeably the Fulham 2-2 draw), he has been a pundit on Sky Sports and openly questionned the odd decision making of the owner.
ReplyDeleteWhy should they back exenophobic protests n their ilk, wot will yourn be chantin tomorrah more of the same Belgians ahrt drivel. Good for Curbs in wot e said n all, ow does negative protests elp the team win games, it aint, More of a worry is the violent types who shout ahrt personal, sexist n racist abuse.
ReplyDeleteThere the people legends should be speakin ahrt against n standin up to like wot I do, not Katrien n the board who are gettin on with the job. When wallmart went dahn to L 1 lass season none of theirn were protestin against their owners or chantin yanks ahrt. I'm glad the police are arrestin the ones who throw flares but I'd get them all ahrt meself we don't need them dahn our gaff.
It would be lovely to think that a2c is " dahn our gaff " on his own tomorrow as he hasn't realised the game has been moved to Sunday. He'd probably blame those pesky protesters !
ReplyDeleteHe really is a stuck record and the worse the situation gets the more he comes up with the xenophobic and sexist stuff.
On the flip side perhaps he come find a legend who supports Roly and Co !
Thanks guys. I suspect that wherever he/she goes he/she is stuck in a world of isolation. It's quite amusing now. There was a time not so long ago when I'd get a fair amount of varied flak for posts critical of our owner. We're now down to the last Duchatelet apologist standing and the blanket approval of all things regime just comes across as absurd. Living proof that the best thing you can do is not muzzle people, just let them expose themselves.
ReplyDeleteIf Rob Lee is on board, terrific. Like to hear from more.
Has a2c ever made clear what he thinks is going so well?
ReplyDeleteHe/She/It obviously doesn't agree with the protests but surely even if that is the case, you'd realise the criteria KM set the season up with are failing miserably.
If the aim was to run down the club, saddle it with debt in the form of loans and alienate all but the primary school age fans then all is fantastic.
Is this what a2c want at the Valley?
I should really rise to the bait but is anyone else confused as the actual origin of a2c?
ReplyDeleteLets ponder...
"...exenophobic protests n their ilk" - Has anyone in the 21st Century actually used the work "ilk" as much as a2c. I am sensing Yorkshire or a Jane Austen work.
"...ahrt drivel". Hmm, AHRT? I see religion entering the fray. Thou art ex-enophobic (USE SPELLCEHECKER - It's the unwritten 11th commitment!)
"speakin ahrt against". Ok, maybe not religion just a strange desire to use four letters when three would do. Scrabble fanatic?
"...wallmart went dahn". Wrong again. From memory "ow" scores more points than "ah". Especially if on a treble word.
"...dahn our gaff". I sense delusions of grandeur. A bit like the artist formerly known as Prince who went on to become a symbol. Certain personalities need a mantra or a motto or a motif. a2c clearly has his / hers / its.
If only a2c spent as much time learning to read, write and communicate as writing crap on here.
I for one think we should add a2c to those whom protests (peaceful) are aimed against ;)
Finally, I cannot be there to protest for family reasons on Sunday. It would have been my first game since Leeds (despite a season ticket) I am sad to be missing out on the protest (as opposed to the game).
Keep up the good work and hopefully we can rid the cancer from our club... and silence a2c.
Splendid stuff.But let's be careful. The more you try to delve into the darkest recesses of a deranged mind the greater the risk that you end up being unable to return to the real world. Clearly our owner crossed the Rubicon some time ago.
ReplyDeleteIs a2c really rolly's secret love child ? or maybe holds duel uk be
ReplyDeleteThanks should go to to BA for his timely reminder of that quote from Meire (and to Wyn Grant who also flags it up on his blog). As CAFC slides ever closer to relegation there are good reasons for looking carefully at that statement. The goals outlined are laudable, no doubt a difficult balancing act but most CAFC supporters would have seen the sense in the thinking around the marriage of financial prudence and a competitive Championship team. The problem is that nobody on the board at CAFC had then or has now the expertise and experience required to devise and execute a plan designed to achieve those goals and most importantly from the supporters' point of view ensure that those goals operate in acceptable balance and in such a way that reflects the true potential of the club. For Meire (let's not forget that she is a trained lawyer) to talk as if there was a strategy in place is totally misleading. There is further deceit in the attempt to claim a goal of 'remaining' competitive in the Championship. To 'remain' somewhere implies that you are already there but the fact is that under this owner CAFC has not for one moment ever been in any sense 'competitive' in the Championship. The statement is simply a shameful badge of failure and deceit.
ReplyDeleteTerry, thanks for that and you absolutely spot-on.
ReplyDelete