Thursday 28 December 2017

Puppet Departs, What Of The Puppet-Master?

Right to the bitter end she couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth. “I believe I need a new challenge”. We believe you Katrien, nothing to do with the prospective sale. The news that Ms Meire “has decided to stand down” and will leave our club at the end of the month is of course going to be welcomed by the vast majority of Addicks. Indeed, assuming that the end of the month means 23.59 on Sunday, the entire country will join us in counting down her final moments of involvement with Charlton, Big Ben may chime, followed by howls of joy and fireworks to mark the moment of her formal departure. Quite a send off.

It is perhaps a pity that her departure is not to be put back by a day, to give a Valley crowd the opportunity to say goodbye, even a formal presentation. I thought that the burnt embers of a sofa would have been appropriate. No matter. No doubt there will be some sentiments expressed in any event, maybe even the opportunity for some tribute photos in the programme to mark her time with us, involving some people wearing masks and a certain bedsheet being moved along the West Stand into position. And perhaps it is better to wait for the real celebration, when there is confirmation that we have new owners, when the puppet-master departs rather than just the puppet.

Let’s get one thing straight though. There is absolutely nothing personal in any of this. I’ve never met her, she may be absolutely charming, kind, considerate etc. She is clearly intelligent and, as long as she cuts the apron strings, will presumably go on to have a rewarding career. It is that she had no experience or understanding of what it would take to succeed as a CEO of a football club (and made no attempt to learn), and that her incompetence would have resulted in any sensible owner replacing her before long such that her stubborn retention only served to strengthen the view that the best interests of our club were not what motivated Duchatelet. A trustworthy sycophant was the requirement of the job and she made that bargain. And any periodic sympathy for her plight went out of the window as she either oversaw another gaffe or insulted fans with her statements.

Meire’s departure is good in itself for the club but obviously the fact she is not being replaced can I think be seen as a fair indication of how advanced the takeover talks have become. If the stumbling block is as indicated elsewhere the asking price, I just hope that for once business sense will win out. The fact that Duchatelet paid well over the odds for us when he did is no-one’s fault but his own. If he is trying to secure a price that enables him to claim he has not lost out, why bother? We will never know the full terms of any deal. Claim you made a small fortune, just please don’t let it get in the way of a sale. Meire’s time is up – and should have been a long time ago. Same applies to you.

For me personally the window of opportunity, to be able to return to The Valley 
in the near future at least, has closed. For reasons that have nothing to do with 
football, on Monday I have a train to Lyon and no return ticket. The plan is for 
three months but what happens after that is unclear: return to London, stay in 
Lyon, or try to split the time. We shall see. So my intention was in any event to 
mark the end of the year with a hearty Bonne Année to all Addicks 
everywhere. That stands. And who knows? Perhaps I won’t be the only one 
claiming a love of Charlton taking the Brussels Eurostar on Monday. Now that 
would be funny. 
 


Monday 4 December 2017

Celebrations Still On Ice

Into December and no confirmation of a sale. I suspect I’m not the only Addick who was hoping that a deal would be struck, at least in principle (and announced), before the Back to The Valley anniversary. That would have enabled all of us to celebrate a wonderful day in the history of our club (and enable many of us to drone on endlessly about what a day it was) and to look ahead to a bright future under new owners (of course there are one or two assumptions here, given that we can be sure that Duchatelet is not going to be bothered who he sells to if the price is right for him). That is not to be. No matter, it is only a question of time.

That does leave the question of whether to mark the anniversary by attending the Portsmouth game; indeed, whether there is a sufficient case for shelving non-attendance. I did note a recent piece on Doctor Kish attributed to The Godalming Gourmet. I kept a part of it: “Why wouldn’t true, but presently absent, Charlton supporters, want to be part of all that when it could lead to us playing at a higher level next season? Forget for the time being any existing animosity one might have to our owner – he’s still bankrolling the club and does not ... appear to be interfering in Robinson’s plans, more encouraging them I would say. Come back and see and feel again, the atmosphere of a packed Saturday afternoon at The Valley, or a Tuesday night under the floodlights. These are exciting times at Charlton – be part of it!”

I don’t know the source but it’s a reasoned appeal and one that deserves consideration by all of us who are staying away, one that should not be influenced in any way by a subsequent dip in results/performances. Personally I did give it a lot of thought. No question we all want to see us promoted, little doubt the chances of that are improved if The Valley is regularly packed and behind the team. And it would be churlish to suggest that nothing has changed vis-a-vis the regime. Meire is keeping her mouth shut and we have a manager who at least for now seems able to maintain good relations with the regime while keeping it at arm’s length as far as matters on the pitch are concerned. I suspect there are a number of reasons for that, including the line that Duchatelet has sold himself: that he is far too busy to devote the time to making a success of us, time to leave it to others. It’s nonsense of course, self-delusion, but if that means he is prepared to leave things to people who have some idea of what needs doing (a group which does not include Meire), so much the better.

To the mix has to be added the credible rumours of a sale, encouraged by the most recent garbled comments from our owner. There’s no point in repeating them here, but the tone of the remarks can I think be taken as confirmation that the club is up for sale. In my experience once you start to consider seriously a sale you have already crossed the Rubicon and it’s down to the details. I’ve no idea whether anything will be confirmed shortly (and as ever have no inside information), or whether the current interested parties will walk away over price or terms. But I’d be surprised if Duchatelet was still our owner at the end of the season and before year-end – to allow new owners the January window – would be a deadline of a sort. Duchatelet bought us in early January 2014 and three/four years seems to be his maximum tenure when it comes to football, the sort of timespan for him to try his brilliant ideas, see them fail, for animosity towards him to have the draining effect, and for him to come up with a silly line of argument which he can use to justify to himself a sale.

That in turn leads back to: if we’re confident that Duchatelet is about to exit left why not end boycotts now, in light of the above (ie the promotion imperative)? I have to admit the argument is not, for me, that far short of sufficient – and I have no truck with anyone who finds it compelling (or indeed with others who have already returned). After all, stubbornness is not a good reason to continue if the campaign has already been won (and if Duchatelet sells nobody can realistically say that CARD was not instrumental and successful).

Nevertheless, for me it’s still a ‘no’. Some time back (I think at the start of last season) among others I outlined what would persuade me to return: the departure of Meire (basically nobody who has the best interests of our club at heart could retain her) and an apology to the fans for the series of unacceptable and unwarranted insults (never mind the damage to our club’s standing under his tenure), at a time when daddy was unhappy at the naughty behaviour of one of his children. Alternatively, a clear declaration of an intent to sell the club. Arguably we’re close to the latter but there’s no sign of the former.

So I’ll be foregoing the coming anniversary celebrations, or rather keeping them on ice. It might sound a bit French Revolution, but one way for me to square the circle is to consider that the Charlton calendar stopped when Duchatelet bought the club, it is frozen at 3/1/14. When he sells the clock starts ticking again, which means that a little less than four years after that day we can properly celebrate our return to The Valley.


I shall nevertheless raise a glass tomorrow in memory of the day and hopefully on Saturday meet up with other Addicks before the game to talk about that great day. In fact one of them over the weekend circulated a video of us on the march from Woolwich, arriving at the ground, having a glass before the game etc. I was struck by how little I’d changed in the intervening years (although this does not seem to be the consensus view) and kept wondering why I was doing some sort of Harpo Marx impression: I kept appearing but saying and doing nothing (in contrast to my compatriots). I think I spent the entire day – aside from howling inside the ground – in a kind of blissful fug with a daft grin on my face. What a day indeed. 

Friday 20 October 2017

Roland, Be Gone

It is of course much too soon to be breaking out the bubbly – and please don’t look here for any inside information, I have none. No chance of any comment from the regime and there’s been no change of wording on the Australian Football Consortium site. Suffice to say that if the Voice of the Valley scoop proves to be correct and we have new owners in the near future, no-one will be happier than me. And as for many others, there will be a pledge to fulfil as regards attendance at our beloved Valley.

I don’t want to speculate at this stage how it might feel to be back to us all focusing on the team, complaining now and then about the manager and urging a sane owner to pour every penny he or she has into providing us with what we want. Or not having to look at nonsense written about who is and who is not a true Addick (the more the merrier). Just too soon to be contemplating a return to life as normal.

It is perhaps worth reiterating that when Duchatelet bought our club he was welcomed (don’t take my word for it, check the posts at the time). There was initial cause for concern, given reports from Belgium about his character. But he kicked off by making it clear that there were no plans to move away from The Valley and that he considered Sir Chris to be a good coach (he should have said manager but let’s not split hairs). That goodwill went out of the window before too long, for good reason, not because supporters suddenly changed but because of the decisions taken by the regime. Hopefully soon we can think about this period (which if it ends soon will be roughly the same length of time that he owned Standard Liege) in purely historical terms, perhaps with a lengthy debate over whether Duchatelet is the worst owner we have ever had, whether perhaps Mark Hulyer edges him out (at least his heart was in the right place).

Also, if we are indeed bought by the Aussies there are bound to be some concerns, on issues which any sensible owner would quickly provide reassurance. First and foremost would be The Valley, just confirmation that new owners’ plans do not include any new stadium. There is after all no need for a new stadium and we do have a fine pitch (I actually hope they rename it the ‘Roland Turf’, to serve as a permanent reminder for us of the only decent thing he ever did for our club). Also, given the team’s start to the season there surely wouldn’t be anything to gain – and potentially a fair bit to lose - from a change of manager and his staff. Hopefully there won’t be any impact on the team from the uncertainty that potential change inevitably brings. But you’d have to say if a deal happens small price to pay.

Rather than the immediate uncertainty I’d focus on the very real prospect of a boost to crowds and a strengthened drive to get us promoted. And although we can have no confidence in Duchatelet wanting to sell the club to a fit and proper new owner, there has to be comfort taken from the fact that no outfit buying our club can be ignorant of the events of the past few years (and of course the Back to the Valley campaign). Buying Charlton on the basis of taking an underperforming club back up is hardly compatible with moves that would alienate the fans from the off.

I really don’t care if Duchatelet comes out of it all with a profit, or what he might say to try to justify a sale (to himself and those around him). We will know the truth, that he proved himself to be an unfit custodian of our club.


Wednesday 11 October 2017

Luzon Is Utterly Deluded

It’s always difficult to post something after a long break. There’s an understandably desire to say something original, insightful, or at least funny. But perhaps it’s best just to dive back in and take things from there. So we have to start with thoughts on the season so far.

There’s no denying that the last result, before the international break, was a setback regarding hopes and expectations for the full season. But it’s still early in the campaign and far too soon to see it as anything more than that. Far too soon to be writing off any thoughts of promotion or to turn against the manager. There’s the opportunity of a home game up next to get things back on track. And for all we know Rodez may end up running away with the league - although the norm for this division seems to be for things to stay tight all the way through.

That certainly seemed the case a few games into the season. As was the case last season, a strong start saw Lyon Duchere top the league (National, France’s third division) as they rattled off wins in the first two rounds. They then stuttered a little with a draw and a defeat in the next two, only to arrest the decline with a 3-2 win away at Concarneau. Two 1-1 draws were to follow, then in round eight Duchere came through 1-0 winners at home to lowly Avranches. Along with other results, that set up a situation of five or six teams tied at the top, two being Duchere and their next opponents Rodez. With their game put back to Saturday (most games take place on a Friday evening) and none of the others at the top managing to win, both teams knew that a victory would send them a couple of points clear at the top. That proved to be Rodez (2-0), with Duchere left in sixth place on 15 points (from nine games), only one less than the teams in second and third (Laval and Beziers).

Now I say that Duchere have a home game coming up next. Strictly speaking that’s true, but it is listed to be against a team called Exempt. Before turning to Wikopedia to try to find which corner of France has a town called Exempt it was worth taking a look at their season so far: played nine, won none, drawn none, lost nine. But a goal difference of zero. So I’m inclined to assume that for some reason this season only 17 of the 18 teams in the division made it to the start line and that rather than promote someone else there is a blank space, with each team scheduled to play the missing one given the points (and lowly Avranches would be in an even worse position had they not been given three of their four points). So unless I’m very much mistaken Duchere will register a ‘win’ on Friday and sit back to see whether that proves sufficient to take them back to the top.

My next Lyon trip will be some time in November, but I’m going to struggle to take in a game. Duchere are at home to Grenoble (something close enough to a local derby) on 4 November, but I can’t be in two places at once and my partner Suzanne is scheduled to be in London then. There’s another blank weekend after that (internationals again I suppose) before on 17 November Duchere nearly come to the UK with an away game at Dunkerque. Might have to give that a miss. So unless my trip happens a good deal later than I expect it will be stocking up at wine fairs for me rather than braving the elements at Stade de Balmont.

And what about Charlton you may ask (if you’ve got this far)? For me, plus ca change. I think CARD has taken a sensible decision to hold off from any protests inside the ground for the time being. Balancing ‘support the team, not the regime’ has to involve a bit of ebb and flow so as not to alienate supporters and we all want to get out of our own third division asap (in the right direction of course). Yes, we’ve been here before but the yardstick is surely that in my lifetime we’ve never spent more than three seasons in the third flight. Roland apparently likes to think that he breaks the mould, but if he sets a record for seasons outside the top two divisions we will find ourselves in a truly desperate state, however many ‘stars of the future’ we have been able to catch a glimpse of in the meantime.

Nothing fundamental has changed, but of course some things have improved. Basically Duchatelet, having persuaded himself that he just doesn’t have the time to divert his genius in our direction, is at least staying out of the way. Meire seems to be gagged, which is to be welcomed. But they are both there. Duchatelet has not apologised for his insulting of the fans and for the failures under his ownership, most apparent in the retention of a CEO who should never have been appointed. Have they really learnt anything material? If they had one would be working somewhere else and the other would be actively finding a buyer at a realistic price.

The most important change, which is to his credit, is that Robinson is so far proving adept at keeping Duchatelet at arm’s length and at least getting in players he wants to have (albeit not enough of them). He may sound daft but these are achievements that have been beyond his predecessors. It remains to be seen whether results will deteriorate and he will end up like the others, whether he himself will run out of patience with our owner’s seemingly endless desire to pursue incompatible goals (breaking even and getting promoted). But for now he seems to have assembled a group of players which with a fair wind could be in the mix for promotion, while the elevation of Jackson has further sidelined the regime and its cohorts and seems to have strengthened team spirit.

Any rational person might, based on the evidence, draw the obvious conclusions regarding the reasons behind the improvement in our situation. But I doubt that Duchatelet is capable. If we go on to win promotion the praise will be rightly go to Robinson and the players, while there might be a grudging acknowledgement that for the first time the regime hasn’t managed to screw things up. If we don’t, the clock really will be ticking as we look ahead to that fateful third season and draw our own conclusions.


And here probably lies the real motivation for the post. Luzon always had a slightly crazed look about him and his suggestion in the News Shopper piece that Addicks will be won over and start to love Duchatelet if we are promoted puts him in the ranks of the absolute barking. Is he angling for another network job? Or did the regime’s PR team use him to test the waters now that protests have been put on ice? Suffice to say that there is more chance of Brexit, if it happens, having some positive results, or me having a drink is a Weatherspoon’s pub. 

Sunday 21 May 2017

There's Always Next Season

Comes a time every season when you have to acknowledge that the fat lady has indeed sung, that the orchestra is across the road in the pub, and that all we are left with is either the elation of success, the disappointment of failure, or something in between, a sense of ‘fair enough, let’s go again in August’. For us it is failure, on and off the pitch as Duchatelet is still in situ. For our near neighbours it is something more than success. Palace somehow remain in a division well above their status, Millwall inconceivably will find themselves in the second flight. The world is indeed upside down. It will right itself sooner or later. But for those looking for an inspiring miracle from across the Channel. I’m sorry to say that Lyon Duchere didn’t quite manage to secure promotion to France’s second division.

Going into the final round, Duchere needed five results to go their way in order to move up from seventh to third and go into a play-off against the team finishing third-bottom in Ligue 2. One of the five was not surprisingly them winning their final game, away at Epinal. That didn’t happen, Duchere going down 1-2 against a team which needed to win to have a chance of avoiding relegation. Seems it was goalless at half-time, when the Duchere players perhaps saw how other games were going and accepted the inevitable. Epinal scored first, Duchere equalised, but Epinal scored another to secure the three points. It did them no good. With Pau winning 3-0 away at Concarneau – a team which earlier in the season looked like running away with the league only to fall apart – Epinal managed to get above Bastia but still ended fourth-bottom and drop into a regional fourth division. I hope the Duchere and Epinal players shared a glass or two in mutual commiseration.

With their victories in the previous round of games, Chateauroux and Quevilly Rouen had already guaranteed that they would take the top two places and automatic promotion. Seems they hadn’t stopped celebrating as the former only scraped a 1-1 home draw with lowly Les Herbiers to end the season while Rouen got turned over 4-0 away at Chambly, who like Duchere went into the final round with a chance of that third spot and promotion. As a result of their home point Chateauroux – who had defeated Duchere in the penultimate round – take the title of champions, but you get the impression that neither they nor Rouen could give a toss about that – and may still be celebrating.

So Chambly did what they needed to do. So did Marseilles Consolat, who beat Bastia 3-2 to consign them to relegation. And so did Paris FC, with what looks like a comfortable 2-0 home win against Creteil (which for the record meant that so far of the five games that Duchere needed to go their way four had not). The team that really blew it was Dunkerque. A victory at home to Boulogne would have ensured third place for them. But in what looks like the game of the round they went 0-2 down in the first 30 mins. They got back on level terms by the 72nd minute only for Boulogne to score again in the 79th minute. Dunkerque drew level again six minutes later, but couldn’t find the winner that would have lifted them from sixth to third. Consequently it will be Paris FC who go into the play-off for the chance to get up into the second division alongside Chateauroux and Rouen, despite managing only 30 goals in the 34 games (they conceded just 18).

In the play-off Paris FC will face Orleans, who went down 1-4 away at Le Havre in the final round but still finished above Red Star, who went down 0-1 at Auxerre (who could themselves have dropped into the play-off spot if they had lost and Orleans won). But the media not surprisingly focused on the top of the table, which truly went to the wire. Six teams going for two automatic promotion places and a play-off spot, with little between them. The stats will show that all six of them won their games. But even the BBC picked up on what happened, as Amiens scored a 96th-minute winner to move back up from sixth to second place. They go up with Strasbourg, leaving Troyes in the play-off place.


So La Duche have to content themselves with a first season in France’s third division which they surely would have taken when the season started. In terms of attendances and resources they are punching some way above their weight, over-achieving. They were top of the league early on and always in with a shout of promotion. At half-time against Dunkerque they were sitting second, with three-and-a-half games to go. But they just fell short, lost their last three games (and actually lost five of their last eight, winning only two). No matter, it was a fine campaign. They can consider themselves as a club on the rise. What I wouldn’t give to be able to say the same about us this time next year. 

Tuesday 16 May 2017

Duchere: It Ain't Done Yet

To those of you looking for solace in the wake of confirmation that thanks to Hull’s capitulation the English football world will remain upside down next season, first the good news. Going into the final round of games for National, France’s third division, Lyon Duchere still have a chance of promotion. But I’m sorry to say that’s about as far as it goes. If you get to the bookies ahead of Friday’s matches you would get pretty decent odds.

Having in the previous round slid on the banana skin that was away at Chambly, Duchere last Friday went down 0-2 at home to Chateauroux. It was always going to be a tough ask, with their opponents occupying one of the two automatic promotion spots. I don’t have first-hand details of what happened, but they’ve managed to get highlights of the game up on the official Duchere site rather sooner than usual, so the pain can be witnessed. Looked like a tight first half with little in the way of chances in a game which Duchere really had to win. Then on 50 minutes a decent cross from the right was met with a deft glancing header from a Chateauroux forward, with the ball going in off the far post. That probably knocked the stuffing out of La Duche and nine minutes later the game was effectively over as a bit of trickery down the left side sucked in defenders and when the cross went to the far post their guy was unmarked and headed in. Looks like after that Duchere could have conceded more before a couple of late opportunities from low crosses went begging.

As a result Duchere have fallen back to seventh. With the other top-four clash seeing Quevilly Rouen beat Dunkerque 2-0, Rouen and Chateauroux are now sure of the top two places and automatic promotion, both on 58 points, with Rouen first on goal difference. With Duchere and Dunkerque both losing, the way was clear for Paris FC, the form team, to come through. But they lost 0-1 away at relegation-threatened Bastia, while Marseille Consolat were beaten 3-2 at bottom-placed Belfort. Now those results have some significance for Duchere as a win for either of those two and the fat lady would indeed have sung. As it is, it’s stretching a point to say that there’s still all to play for in the final round, but it ain’t done yet.

It is still possible for Duchere to get back up to third and take the play-off spot (against the team finishing third-bottom in Ligue 2, currently Orleans). All that needs to happen is first, that Duchere win away at Epinal, who themselves need to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation (they sit second-bottom). That would take Duchere up to 53 points. Second, that Dunkerque do not win at home to Boulogne (OK, it probably requires them to lose as a draw would put Dunkerque also on 53 points and at present they have a goal difference of +14 against Duchere’s +4, so we’d need a sizeable swing). Third, that Paris FC, currently on 51 points, do not win at home to Creteil (who are safe from relegation and may already be on their holidays); a draw would be good enough for Duchere to be able to overtake them. And fourth, that Marseille Consolat, also on 51 points, do not win at home to Bastia (who need to win to be sure of avoiding relegation). Oh, and fifth, that Chambly, now a place above Duchere on 51 points, do not win their final game, at home to Rouen (who do still have the incentive of the title of champions to go for).

A long shot? You could say that. I am trying to persuade my partner Suzannne that it is still possible. But being French she thinks it’s all done if you’re 0-1 down with 20 minutes to go. It talk to her (at length) about a game that ended 7-6, one at Wembley when a team was behind three times and emerged winners, one when on a dark night in Birmingham a team scored twice in the final seven minutes of extra time to come from behind. Blimey, I even stretched to being 0-3 down at home to Barnsley and coming out 5-3 winners with Steve Dowman scoring twice; but by then even I was aware it was all getting a bit esoteric. Suffice to say that come the end of this week I expect to be telling the tale of how Duchere somehow made it into the play-off and after that how they saw off Orleans to take their place in France’s second division.


Saturday 6 May 2017

Mon Pauvre Duchere

You may infer from the headline that this is not going to be a tale of glorious success for my adopted French team, Lyon Duchere. Going into last night’s round of games they were in third place in National, France’s third division, with three games to go, with the top two getting automatic promotion and the third-placed team going into a play-off with the third-bottom team from the second division. And effectively there were five teams competing for the places. All five had what looked on paper like winnable games; three of them were to achieve victory and two were defeated. Regrettably Duchere were one of the two.

I’ve no details on the game but Duchere went down 1-2 away at Chambly. The other losers were league-leaders Quevilly Rouen, 1-2 away at Beziers. Before the previous round they were six points clear at the top with four to play but have now lost successive games. Of the others involved, second-placed Chateauroux beat lowly Pau 1-0 at home, Dunkerque – who Duchere had beaten 4-1 in the previous round of games and had as a result slipped to fourth – won 2-1 at home to Les Herbiers, and Paris FC – who had been coming up on the rails – secured a 1-0 home win against bottom-placed Belfort. As a result Rouen are now only top on goal difference from Chateauroux, both on 55 points with two games to play. Dunkerque have moved back up to third, on 52 points, Paris are up to fourth on 51, while Duchere have dropped to fifth on 50 points.

It isn’t yet game over for Duchere. But now it would appear they have to win their final two games and hope for some other results to go their way if they are to get back into the top three. Those who have been following avidly news of La Duche will be aware that in the next round they will host Chateauroux, while Rouen are at home to Dunkerque. Now well and truly in the mix, Paris will be away to relegation-threatened Bastia. Basically Duchere have to beat their promotion rivals and hope that Rouen beat Dunkerque and that Paris do not win their game.

That combination of results – not an impossible one but something of a best-case scenario – would see Rouen promoted with a game to spare on 58 points, Chateauroux second on 55, Duchere up to third on 53, with Dunkerque and Paris below them. In that event Duchere would know that a victory in their final match, away to Epinal (currently in a relegation spot), would put them into the play-off (as things stand against Orleans, who have moved above Red Star in the second division), with a remote chance of securing second, which requires Chateauroux failing to win at home to Les Herbiers (if it came down to goal difference Duchere would be above them).

At least for Duchere it is clear: anything other than glorious victory next Friday evening and it’s almost certainly done (you can come up with some very unlikely combinations if it’s a draw, even a defeat). Whatever happens it’s been a splendid first season in the third flight for Duchere; but we’re not ready to call time on it yet.


Saturday 29 April 2017

Duchere v Dunkerque

There was a much better than usual crowd in the stand at Stade de Balmont when we arrived for the match between Lyon Duchere, my adopted French team, and Dunkerque. Actually, that’s not true. There was absolutely nobody in the stand when we arrived. But that was before we discovered that some idiot, who relies on an English-time site for such information, had made a mistake over the kick-off time. When we arrived for the match the second time there was indeed a decent crowd, we couldn’t even get the posh padded seats in the central area, There was music playing, cheerleaders for the emergence of the two teams onto the pitch, and an atmosphere that reflected the importance of the game for both sides.

Just in case anyone didn’t read the preview, or could somehow be unaware how things stand in France’s third division, Duchere went into the game in fourth place, two points behind Dunkerque in second (and Chateauroux in third, with Quevilly Rouen six points clear at the top). Four games left, top two automatically promoted, third place goes into a play-off with the team finishing third-bottom in Ligue 2. Given the situation, it seemed fairly apparent that Duchere would need to win to keep alive their hopes of promotion, in their first season at this level, while Dunkerque could be reasonably content with a point.

As the teams lined up for the start it was evident that Dunkerque enjoyed a height (and weight) advantage over Duchere, especially as there was no sign of the big centre-forward I remember from a match earlier in the season (things are improving but there are no programmes yet and I don’t know the names of any of the players). No matter, I’d imagine that Duchere are used to that.

The opening minutes were not surprisingly rather cagy as the two teams tested each other out. But it wasn’t long before Dunkerque gained the upper hand. A couple of crosses into the box had Duchere’s normally composed defence rather flustered, while it was soon apparent that in their small but ridiculously fast left-winger Dunkerque had a dangerous weapon, a touch of the Rommadahl about him. He got clear once and was tugged back, the referee producing the first yellow card inside the opening 10 minutes. You worried for the Duchere full-back for the rest of the game, knowing that the guy could do him for pace at will (to be fair he would have done the same to anyone else on the pitch) and that a similar offence would see him dismissed. The resulting free kick from the edge of the area caused fresh mayhem as a Dunkerque forward was first to it only to head over.

Duchere had weapons of their own, including an effective right-sided midfielder, who seemed to have licence to roam and who manged to link the play well. From what I’ve seen this season Duchere don’t tend to dominate teams, don’t look especially good from set-pieces, and struggle to break down massed defences. But from breakdowns in open play they counter-attack quickly and with numbers. And it was from such a situation that after 12 minutes completely against the run of play they opened the scoring. Dunkerque were moving forward in Duchere’s half when the midfielder managed to intercept a pass and as Dunkerque’s defenders were moving forward it broke beautifully for a Duchere forward just onside going in the opposite direction. Suddenly he was in the clear, a one-on-one but with plenty of distance to travel and time to think about it. The pressure didn’t get to him. As the keeper came out to the edge of his area the forward drilled it past him into the net. By its standards, the Stade de Balmont went crazy.

That goal stung Dunkerque and for the next 15 or so minutes they truly pummelled La Duche. Balls came into the box from both sides. One sitter was missed, another couple of headers went close, the Duchere keeper pulled off a couple of decent saves, there were some desperate blocks, the referee gave Dunkerque some questionable free kicks outside the box but denied them what looked to me a nailed-on penalty as a forward was bundled over, the defender getting nowhere near the ball, and one low cross already going past the keeper into the net was turned in by a Dunkerque forward in an offside position. In addition Duchere had to reorganise as an injury led to a substitution, with the rangy centre-forward I remembered entering the fray.

However, the game, as they say, is about putting the white, round thing into the stringy cage thing and Dunkerque didn’t manage that. Duchere rode out the storm, their defence seemed to get a better grip, and in the final stages of the first half they managed to create one or two moments of their own, including a decent shout for a penalty as their guy was about to shoot only for the defender to take him and the ball. Just which came first was hard to tell.

At the break Duchere were undoubtedly fortunate to be ahead. You felt that they’d need to score again if they were to win the game. And they seemed to tempt fate a little during the break by announcing that as things stood Duchere had moved into second place in the league, with Chateauroux not winning in their game away at lowly Epinal. I couldn’t help thinking about us at Old Trafford singing ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ at half-time after Peter Schmeichel had been sent off; they didn’t then – and they didn’t this time around.

Dunkerque kicked off, moved the ball forward down the left, their pacy winger cut inside and passed into the box, their forward shot on the turn, and with a deflection from a defender it looped over a wrong-footed keeper. Caught cold indeed.

In one moment it was a different game. But if Duchere – and the crowd – were subdued, Dunkerque really failed to take advantage of the situation. In truth the Duchere substitution was now working to their advantage as the centre-forward was working hard, held the ball up well, and generally provided an out ball than they had before. Perhaps Dunkerque were too happy with a point, perhaps they were confident of nicking another before the game ended.

The next 30 minutes saw both teams create half-chances but nothing decisive, with neither side dominating. The Dunkerque keeper did pull off a blinding save to turn a fierce drive over the bar, while Duchere were just about managing to keep the speedy winger under control; he did once pick up the ball with space all around, just inside the Duchere half, and looked set to push it past the back four and run onto it, only to be alerted to a Duchere player on the ground injured. The manner in which he sportingly kicked the ball into touch reflected how he felt about having to pass up the opportunity.

Duchere were getting some joy down the flanks and with 15 minutes left on the clock they broke the deadlock. A cross from the left went over defenders and attackers around the penalty spot but found the Duchere right-sided midfielder just inside the area. He brought it down and then hit it low and true beyond a diving keeper into the far corner. The stand erupted again and this time all the bench were out to celebrate.

Now the question was whether Duchere would get a nose-bleed, with Dunkerque having no option but to go for it (and a double-substitution made plain the intent). Perhaps the game’s decisive moment came not long after as a Dunkerque shot across a crowded area was headed for inside the far post, only for the Duchere keeper to get down superbly and turn it around the post. Because with about 10 minutes left thoughts of a nervous final period were greatly eased as Duchere extended their lead. Of course Dunkerque pressing forward left spaces and a break saw three Duchere players bear down on goal. They kept their cool, exchanged passes and eventually delivered another well-placed shot that gave the keeper no chance. The enormous sense of relief sparked huge celebrations on and off the pitch, surely the game was won.

All that was left to do was run down the clock, which Duchere managed successfully. Indeed, into three minutes of stoppage time, with most of the Dunkerque team in the Duchere half, a long ball out found the centre-forward with a long run-in on goal and a defender on his heels. It was like watching Leaburn in action, never did the ball seem really under control. But he kept going, the defender obligingly slipped over and he rounded the keeper and put the ball into an empty net. Cue pandemonium. By the time all had settled there was only time for the kick-off before the ref brought proceedings to a close. 4-1 to Duchere and a deserved standing ovation.

The scoreline for sure flattered Duchere. But they’d taken their chances very well and, while riding their luck at the other end, had managed to limit Dunkerque’s chances after the very trying period in the first half. They were worthy winners.

There was no post-match announcement of Duchere’s standing in the league, which told its own story. Unfortunately Chateauroux scored twice in the second half without reply, so Duchere moved up to third, not second, still two behind Chateauroux. It probably doesn’t matter for Duchere but there was a surprise result today as top-of-the-table Quevilly Rouen lost 0-2 at home to Marseille Consolat, which means that they are now only three points clear of Chateauroux (and five of Duchere).

Three games to go – and there are many permutations, especially as the round after next will see Duchere host Chateauroux and the same day Quevilly Rouen at home to Dunkerque. If Duchere win their final three games, they will be automatically promoted. But if Chateauroux avoid defeat at Duchere and win their other two, they will at least get second place; Duchere may just have to win all their remaining games if they are not to miss out even for the play-off position. Quevilly Rouen will get one of the two top spots if they can take at least five points from their final three games, but again one of these is against Dunkerque, who aren’t out of it yet. And you can’t ignore Paris FC, currently fifth, two points behind Duchere, four behind Chateauroux, but on a strong run of form and three final games against teams around the bottom of the league (they must be the most boring team in the league to watch, having scored 27 goals in 31 games and conceded just 17).

So it’s still a daunting task for Duchere to secure promotion to France’s second division at the first time of asking. But last night they gave themselves a chance, and it’s arguably in their own hands. If they can win away at mid-table Chambly in the next round, that home game against Chateauroux is going to be a corker.


Friday 28 April 2017

French Presidential Election

There seems to be a fair amount of interest, for good reason, in the outcome of the French presidential election. As I’m sitting here in the midst of it, doing my bit by pulling down a poster or two, getting a reasonable feed from the local media (helpfully converted into Franglais by my partner Suzanne), and as this sort of stuff is my background, thought I’d add my sixpenethworth. Please forgive the indulgence. There’s nothing Charlton-related (no doubt there is a link if you look hard enough), other than the fact that it's written by an Addick. And while impartiality is always the objective, it is written by someone who would recoil in horror should Marine Le Pen win.

For supporters of the EU (I’m one of those too, but that’s another story) and those who view the Front National as racist and well and truly beyond the pale, the first round on Sunday went as well as could realistically have been expected. It was always too much to hope for that Le Pen would not make it into the second round but there was no late increase in support for her and her actual share of the vote, 21.3%, will have been at the lower end of her expectations. Although French TV’s first post-polls reports said they were neck-and-neck, centrist Emmanuel Macron came through, taking 24.0%. That was important as all the headlines were all about him, rather than ‘Le Pen wins first round …’

I happen to be a big fan of the French electoral system. Nothing is perfect, but the basic principle is that until someone secures over 50% of a vote they are not elected – and if they do, they are, no need for a second round. As most of the contests do go to a second round, it allows people to vote in the first round for who they really support. Then in the run-off, if their preferred choice hasn’t made it through, they vote for who they dislike least. Why not just have a transferable vote? A run-off after a couple of weeks allows people to make a fresh choice between the two remaining candidates, for those candidates to make their case. I find the system – in direct contrast with our own – inclusive and fair (which is not to say that the French don’t whine about it, having to go out to vote twice etc). A turnout of 77.8% perhaps speaks for itself.

The two other main contenders in the first round – the candidate of the right, Francois Fillon and hard-left Jean-Luc Melenchon – came close to Le Pen, with 20.0% and 19.6% respectively. The official Socialist Party candidate, Benoit Hamon, was squeezed out almost totally, winning just 6.4% (basically everything was against him: President Francois Hollande’s unpopularity, the fact that no-one had heard of him before he won the PS primary, plus many traditional PS voters switching to former PS government minister Macron or Melenchon, who came across well in the campaign). For them it was a case of what might have been: Fillon, despite his misdemeanours, might still have made it through were it not for Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, founder of and candidate for Arise France, which sort of sits between the Republicans and the FN, winning 4.7%; Le Pen might feel that without him she would have come first.

For the second round, forget the idea that Le Pen has 21.3% and cannot win. This is completely different from 2002, when her father came second in the first round with 16.9% of the vote and only managed to increase that percentage to 17.8% in the second, when he was trounced by Jacques Chirac, who took 19.9% of the vote in round one but then 82.2% in the second. Le Pen making it through then was an accident, a mistake by the PS and its supporters. There was little enthusiasm for its candidate, Lionel Jospin, and many PS voters didn’t bother to turn out, assuming that it would be a second-round contest between Chirac and Jospin. They were aghast when Jospin, with 16.2%, was eliminated, and the national shame of Le Pen making it through translated into just about every non-FN supporter voting for Chirac.

Le Pen senior – an unabashed extremist - could never win, the system ensured that. His daughter – more amenable to doing and saying what might be necessary to woo voters, on the left as well as the right – can. She probably won’t, but she might. And unlike her father she is virtually certain to take a substantially higher share of the vote in round two than in round one.

The polls before and after the first round have tended to put Macron above 60% (up to perhaps 63.5%) and Le Pen below 40%. Again unlike in 2002 this is not a case of totting up the non-FN vote. Perhaps rather quaintly it does still seem to count here how a defeated candidate advises his/her supporters to vote in round two. Macron has been endorsed by Fillon and Hamon (as well as Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy and others), but there is more talk of at least some Fillon voters opting for Le Pen, while Melenchon – who in contrast with the charm of his campaign delivered what was a nasty, bitter post-election speech – has singularly not backed him. It’s perhaps not surprising, given that Melenchon’s manifesto arguably had more in common with that of Le Pen. And although he has not yet backed Le Pen, Dupont-Aignan may well do so.

So unlike in 2002 there is no outright anti-FN coalition, voters of the left being prepared to hold their nose and back Chirac. The FN now has deeper roots in France, it has contested and won some elections, it has mayors, and more people who (rightly or wrongly) would not describe themselves as racist are prepared to at least consider voting for Le Pen. She is making every effort to appear ‘presidential’, standing down from the leadership of the FN, and has begun the second-round race better than Macron. His post-election speech was far too complacent, sounding like an acceptance of the presidency. Bottom line is Le Pen is a seasoned campaigner, Macron is something of a novice. Just how he shapes up in the week ahead will be crucial. Just like Remain and Hilary Clinton, he cannot (rather should not) assume that victory is going to fall into his lap.

Of course there are parallels with the UK referendum and the US presidential election. Garnering the votes of the disgruntled, those who feel neglected (whether for good or bad reasons), those who want to register a protest, when added to a core support base, can produce a majority ‘coalition’. When on the streets campaigning for Remain (yes, I am a proud Remoaner and regard staying in the EU as in the UK’s national interest) I was told by some that they would vote Leave because the EU is a ‘failed socialist experiment’ and by others because it is a weapon for capitalism. So much easier to vote against something, especially something which can never be exactly what you want it to be.

And of course there are differences. Being anti-EU cost Le Pen votes in the run-up to the first round vote (the outright candidate for ‘Frexit’ was Francois Asselineau, who won 0.9% of the vote). Although some UK newspapers may tell a different story, Macron would be happy if the second round were to be all about whether or not France remains in the EU. Le Pen wants it to be about terrorism and immigration. And Macron is himself an ‘outsider’, so many feel they are registering a protest by backing him rather than the traditional and selected candidates of the left and the right.

It is normal in a two-horse race for the gap between the contestants to narrow during a campaign. I could be wrong (and hope to be) but would not be surprised if coming polls show Macron slipping below 60% and Le Pen moving above 40%. In that event you would get more speculation that Le Pen can after all win, which can encourage momentum, especially if the 3 May TV debate goes in her favour (and no doubt the rabid sections of the UK press will be interpreting everything in an anti-EU fashion, as they have for decades). Of course that can work both ways. At present one of the dangers for Macron is an assumption of an easy win and, with the second round taking place around a French holiday (when many will be away), a low turnout. And we know who that would favour.

You’d be crazy to take an even bet on Le Pen winning, but if someone gave me 5-1 – which seems to be the bookies’ offer at present - I’d take it, if only to be able to pay for the cognac I would need if she did win. If you want a punt, my advice is to do it now as you probably won’t get better odds. I’d be very (pleasantly) surprised if Macron ends up polling over 60%. If it turns out at say 55-45 you’d have the conclusion that France has one presidential term to turn things around or, other factors being equal, Le Pen waits for next time in confident mood, especially if Macron gets a difficult National Assembly to work with.

How the outcome is seen in the UK will depend on whether you are for or against Brexit: the former will highlight Le Pen’s increased share of the vote (and turn their attention to Italy, Greece and all and every problem that the EU confronts), the latter that just as the Dutch put Geert Wilders back in his box so the French have rejected extremism, including anti-EU extremism (as will the Germans), leaving the UK as the isolated case rather than the vanguard of some ‘unstoppable trend’.


Thursday 27 April 2017

AFC Site Changed Again

Apologies if someone else has picked up on this already and I’ve not seen it. But as things have gone very quiet on the mooted Australian Football Consortium bid I thought I’d have a fresh check on their website (www.australianfc.com.au). And it’s changed again. 

When we were first alerted to AFC the site – which has always amounted to a one-page tempter to encourage potential investors to get in touch – stated that the company “is in final negotiations with the current owner of the club”. Not long after that wording was dropped, which was not unreasonably taken to suggest either that any such ‘final negotiations’ had run aground, that they had never begun and AFC was getting ahead of itself, or that an actual deal was awaiting confirmation that AFC had the necessary funds.

The AFC site now outlines the same basic plan – to acquire an underperforming English football club, introduce their superior sporting know-how and invest funds, and to get that club promoted “back to the Premier League”. Do think it’s worth highlighting that the wording refers to a return to the top flight for the club acquired, which at face value would seem to rule out any club that hasn’t already been there (so we still fit the bill). But the statement now concludes with a rather ambiguous “we remain hopeful of being able to conclude a deal in due course but we will not be making any statements or comments until a deal is completed”. Does regularly changing the wording amount to a fresh statement? There is no longer any mention on the AFC site of a target for fund-raising, just two email addresses for further information. But perhaps significant for us is what has been added.

First, “a critical component of AFC’s strategy will be to invest heavily into the training facility so that the club can attract and develop local talent and provide them with the opportunity to represent their club at a senior level”. If they’d said ‘… with the opportunity to flog them on at the first available opportunity’ it might have been a statement from the regime. At least it suggests that their target club is prioritising youth development and even the completion of an as yet uncompleted training ground scheme. We tick the boxes again.

Second, “it is also important to note that AFC is keenly aware and understands the importance of the fans in English football. We are committed to our responsibility to honour and respect the history and tradition of the club and ensure that the fans are respected as key stakeholders in the process”. Now that couldn’t have come from the regime with a straight face, but would seem to reflect the issues raised in the letter sent to AFC by the Trust. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to infer from the addition of this wording that Charlton is and remains AFC’s club of choice and that it still hopes to buy us.

I’d guess that the changes overall underline that no deal is imminent but that one remains on the table, ie that any actual talks have not broken down irretrievably, and that the reports were not just kite-flying. Whether AFC has some period of exclusivity to get its finances together I have no idea. So basically we don’t hold our breath, we take a little reassurance from the AFC comments regarding the importance of fans as stakeholders (not customers), and focus on/fully support the protests on Sunday.


Tuesday 25 April 2017

Allez La Duche!

I was in a rush last time around and having come up with a bad Shakespearean pun to end the post didn’t take the time to look at the potential importance of a Lyon Duchere v Dunkerque fixture in the French third division (National). And as I know fellow Addicks will be without any meaningful football this weekend (if Walsall send down Port Vale tonight we lose any chance of the dizzy heights of 13th place, leaving us to finish either 14th or 15th), having just some praiseworthy protesting to occupy themselves, I thought I’d do a (hopefully) short preview from Douce France.

I had taken my eye off the Duchere ball as results of late had been poor. Things were going well until late March, but then they suffered a 0-1 home defeat to lowly Sedan. No matter, perhaps a blip, these things can happen. After all, we all remember 1999/2000 when we were storming to the Championship title and had won 12 in a row, with Swindon – who were in financial difficulties and were to finish the season bottom of the league - up next.  Predictably we pummelled them but for once couldn’t score, while Deano managed to spill a nothing cross into our net (leaving us to suffer the indignity of having to listen to Willie Carson thanking us for the points). But then the lost by the same score away to Paris FC and next up could only muster a 1-1 draw at home against Marseilles Consolat.

As a result, with five games left, Duchere had slipped to eighth place in the 18-team division, with the top two automatically promoted and (as I am reliably informed from a previous comment) the third-placed team going into a play-off against the one finishing third from bottom in Ligue 2 (for the record that place is currently occupied by the splendidly named – not least as the name is not a translation - Red Star). So be it, I thought, it’s been a splendid effort for a first season in the third flight, a national league, with Duchere punching well above their weight in terms of crowds. (On that front, I had been a little surprised and disappointed that despite plying their trade at a higher level I’d seen no material rise in attendances; it seems that some people in Duchere feel that they shouldn’t have to pay to get in – it costs EUR5 – and instead go to watch the Duchere youth team for nothing.)

However, on Friday evening Lyon Duchere came away from mid-table Beziers with a 3-2 victory, one which has lifted them back up to fourth, just two points behind both Dunkerque and Chateauroux (although things can change quickly in this tight league it would seem that Quevily Rouen have sewn up the title, being six points clear). So suddenly it’s game on again.

This coming Friday Duchere will be at home to Dunkerque while Chateauroux travel to Epinal, who need points if they are to avoid relegation (they are currently fourth from bottom with four going down). If Duchere can beat Dunkerque – who haven’t won for four games, perhaps feeling the pressure - they would at worst be third with three to play, possibly second. (Of course lose and it probably is all over, but we can’t think like that, can we?)

In round 32 the three contenders all have winnable games: Duchere will play away at Chambly, who are mid-table with nothing to play for; Dunkerque will be at home to Les Herbiers (much the same); and Chateauroux are at home to Pau (who by then could be all but down). Then in round 33 it gets really interesting: Lyon Duchere v Chateauroux and Quevily Rouen v Dunkerque, ie the current top four play each other (fourth at home to third, first t home to second). The final set of games, on 19 May, will see Duchere travel to Epinal (who by then could be down, safe, or desperately needing the win to stay up), Dunkerque at home to Bologne (who by then will probably be on their hols), and Chateauroux are at home to Les Herbiers (ditto).

Things can change quickly in this tight league; it wasn’t so long ago that Concarneau seemed to be running away with it only to fall away and of late only Quevily Rouen have been delivering the sorts of results you’d expect from a team at the top of the league. Duchere can of course only take it a game at a time. You get the impression they really have to beat Dunkerque to get into the mix (there are others just below Duchere who could yet get into the top three); but if they can do this the tension is really going to mount for the final three games. There will be a Londoner in Stade de Balmont on Friday night cheering them on all the way.


Thursday 20 April 2017

'Once More Onto The Beach ...'

And so it came to pass that victory over Gillingham and Bury’s failure to win at Bolton meant that the Addicks survived in the third flight with two games to spare. This much we now know. The rest, the important stuff (personally I don’t care whether or not we set a new post-War/lifetime low for the final placing; what matters a great deal more is that in my time we’ve never spent more than three consecutive seasons in this division), has to remain speculation as the chances of any Australian purchase in the near future at least have clearly diminished. Until there is more on when and to whom Duchatelet is going to sell, on what basis, and whether Karl Robinson and all the squad will form part of a new owner’s plans we are back to guessing. At least it keeps up the Mail’s record of never having printed anything true.

The regime’s expensive PR team either failed to prevent another gaffe or fell into line with Duchateletworld with the ‘anonymous club spokesman’ apparently stating that “the rumours and speculation regarding the sale of Charlton Athletic are unhelpful”. You just put your head in your hands and laugh. Surely it doesn’t need to be said that if they are unhelpful and not true, they could have been – and should have been – ended, which was easily done; if they are unhelpful but true, well tough. The Australian Football Consortium Investment Opportunity statement at the time said that the company is in “final negotiations with the current owner of the club”. Either we are/were that club or we are not. A club which cared at least a little about a major stakeholder, the fans, might want to clear that up. Now that our league status for next season is assured, there can no longer be anything ‘unhelpful’ about not giving supporters/stakeholders more information. But of course there will be silence. They will keep on treating supporters with contempt to the bitter end while claiming to want dialogue.

We’ve all seen that the AFC statement has now been altered to remove the wording about being in ‘final negotiations’. Presumably either AFC and its advisors were being misleading about how far down the line they were, or they were in final negotiations and these talks either broke down or are on ice while AFC raises the money it is looking for (whether or not the sum they are raising, AUD55m, would be the total in AFC coffers remains to be seen). For now at least, AFC falls into the category of potentially interested parties rather than owners-in-waiting (of the club if not The Valley).

I had written something along the lines of there being plenty that supporters can do to protect the best interests of our club while we wait for concrete developments. But the Trust quite rightly stepped in and rattled off a letter to AFC which pretty much fitted the bill. No matter, I’ve tried to update the thoughts.

Just why any company would want to pay £20m for the club - a loss-making outfit which needs further investment to get promoted and would then require a higher operating loss to compete in the higher division as a platform for any further investment to try for the Premiership – is beyond me. No matter. You can see the rationale – for a purchaser and for Duchatelet – of separating out The Valley, by making acquiring an English football team more affordable for the former and by allowing the latter to retain an asset which can presumably generate an annual profit while ridding himself of the ongoing losses of running the football club. But it is clear that the other party in any transaction, the fans, have legitimate concerns, especially as the interests and intentions of our deluded owner need to be watched; he needs to be muzzled and for supporters to ensure that the muzzle remains firmly in place.

It is quite possible that the obstacles to developing The Valley involving the sale of private property will ensure no desecration of our spiritual home, whatever Duchatelet has in mind. If he does really just want to improve The Valley, with the promise of increased revenues for him, fair enough. We just need safeguards. The first I’d assume would come in the length of a lease for the football club to use the stadium. A 50-99-year lease would be reassuring; anything less than 20 and you would question why. And to be acceptable to supporters I’d suggest the lease would need to include guarantees of no reduction in crowd capacity.

Any material unwanted development of The Valley would of course require planning permission and it shouldn’t be beyond the wit of the Trust and other groups to get the message across that anyone on Greenwich council voting in favour of development opposed by the supporters can expect to be ousted at the ballot box at the first available opportunity. Shouldn’t need a history book to remind them what happened last time around.

Also, a full AFC document for potential investors would have to outline both the means to achieve returns for investors (which have been outlined in brief: basically get the club acquired into the Premiership and then take the dosh) and the risk factors involved. The latter would have to include the possibility that under AFC’s ownership Charlton don’t get into the Premiership within the envisaged time period (that they could even get relegated from where we are), that more funds will need to be raised to achieve objectives than currently planned for (which would involve at least dilution of the eventual return), and other issues. And here’s where we come in.

If I was a potential investor in AFC I would want to know why the target club has been underperforming. Answer: it was bought by a deluded, rude and arrogant old man who had some strategies which anyone with an understanding of football could have said would not work – and they haven’t – and who managed to further alienate the fan base by installing incompetent staff whose mistakes and lies compounded problems, while all the way through regularly insulting said supporters. OK, fair enough, sweep him away and AFC should succeed with a modicum of common sense and especially with their superior Australian approach to sport.

However, I’d also want to know, as a potential AFC investor, how will the fans respond if this crazed owner retains ownership of the stadium and messes with it? Is it a potential risk factor that the fans, instead of getting fully behind the new set-up and helping it to outperform, will feel obliged to oppose ‘development’ of The Valley in ways which would seriously reduce the chances of AFC achieving its goals and returns for investors? Well of course it is. Any sensible investor would be considering the possibility and would want any deal involving Duchatelet retaining ownership of the stadium to involve material constraints on what he may do with the stadium, up to and including no development being able to proceed if the supporters oppose it. This is after all just an investor protecting his or her interests; not to do so would be irresponsible.

Finally I do have to thank our hub Forever Charlton, for all the good work in general and for giving me a laugh this morning. There is a headline link to a piece entitled ‘EFL teams of the year revealed’. What on earth is the relevance for Charlton? We already have our well-deserved gong, for having English football’s worst owner (although Orient, Coventry and Blackpool surely ran us close). Ideally if there is a supporters-run Player of the Year dinner Roland would be invited along to receive his award. If by then he is no longer the owner of our club, so much the better.

Barring actual takeover news that could be it for the season for me. I’m off to Lyon ahead of the weekend and, having not done my homework, expect to be back too late to help with CARD-organised protests for the final game. I will be there in spirit. I do hope to take in a Lyon Duchere game while away. Some disappointing home results of late have seen them slip down the table, to eighth. But they are still only two points off third with five games to go; and I think the top three are automatically promoted (for sure the first two are, the third spot is a different colour in the site I use but Wikipedia says three go up). So all still to play for with Duchere away at mid-table Beziers on Friday evening. Just checked for the following round and the game I should get to see. I kid you not, Duchere will be at home to Dunkerque. Seems rather apt for a citizen of a country planning to try to run away from the rest of Europe (assuming of course that France doesn’t do something equally stupid with a vote of its own). So perhaps for me, rather than flying pigs it will be a case of 'once more onto the beach, dear friends ...’


Wednesday 12 April 2017

Dancing Shoes At The Ready

First off if such confirmation were needed I have no inside information regarding the report in the Daily Fail that Duchatelet is selling us to Australian Football Consortium. Ordinarily I wouldn’t believe anything printed in that vile rag, but on this occasion and at this stage we have to take it at face value, especially as the only rebuttal so far has come from a “club spokesperson”, which sounded as convincing as Karl Robinson’s recent comment that he’d been assured that the club is not for sale. It is reasonable to suppose at least that negotiations are ongoing and have reached an advanced stage. The AFC’s published ‘investment opportunity’ states that the company “is in final negotiations with the current owner of the club” and as AFC’s stated target is “an underperforming English football team” we do fit the bill.

So it’s a bit too soon for celebrations; we’re not getting out the dancing shoes just yet, but they are ready and waiting. Inevitably there are questions and concerns: will a deal simply collapse over money (the price to be paid and AFC’s ability to pay it)? Will AFC prove to be a stalking horse if it is clear we are for sale? And are we jumping (or being pushed) out of the frying pan into the fire if the talk of us becoming an Australian feeder club comes to pass?

The reported sum for the club seems to be around £20m. The figure is almost meaningless until it is clear what would happen to the £54m owed to Staprix (and presumably the debt to Richard Murray). It would appear that AFC doesn’t yet have the funds necessary to complete any deal; its Investment Opportunity document outlined a “confidential capital raise” of a total of AUD55m (which if my quick calculation is correct is around £33m). Not necessarily a problem if investors are close to committing and waiting for more details over the club to be bought. But has to be a worry that AFC is an investment vehicle raising a set amount, one which if the purchase price is £20m doesn’t leave a lot left over for investment in the club and the covering of ongoing losses. Of course AFC could go back to ask investors for more further down the line.

I’d suggest that finances would be a concern in the event of an actual sale to AFC, but no more than that. I find it strange that people say that we are financially secure under Duchatelet. He only has to wake up and decide that he doesn’t want to spend another penny on us and won’t sell unless the debt is repaid for us to be bankrupt. Sure, there’s no reason to suppose that he would treat a saleable asset in such a fashion, but we are nevertheless at the mercy of an old man’s whim. Not exactly stability in my eyes, so the fact that AFC wouldn’t come with unlimited finances needn’t be a powerful negative.

Of more concern to all Addicks will be the suggestion that we might become an Australian feeder club. Personally I hated the network scheme from the start, when it was clear that the best interests of Charlton Athletic were not paramount. Something akin to that, to help foster the development of football in Australia and perhaps even the Australian national team, would be equally unwelcome. However, subject to further information from AFC about their plans if they buy us, I’d only point out that it is only the Mail that has used the word ‘feeder’ and that may be just supposition; the report says that AFC “have their sights on making Charlton the breeding ground for talent from Down Under”. But there is nothing in the AFC investment proposal to that effect.

What the AFC proposal to investors does outline is the potential for “attractive returns on investment” through taking said underperforming club and, as a result of a five-point strategy, get it promoted to the Premier League. Here too in the published AFC document there is no time period specified but the Mail suggests a five-year plan. Have to go back to the finances here as raising £33m and spending £20m buying the club does not leave enough for five years of losses including two planned promotions. After achieving the stated objective, an IPO would follow to provide investors with their return (or presumably the club would be sold).

There’s been no shorted of daft or worthy but failed five-year plans in football. I seem to recall that Icelandic owners of West Ham had such a plan. So we’d be right to be concerned. However, it is at least a plan, one which if it fails to achieve its objective might still very well leave us in a much better place than we are now, to be sold on again. Also, I find it hard to square AFC’s stated objectives and the means by which it envisages rewarding investors with turning Charlton into a feeder club – unless that is seen as a short-cut to rapid promotion. Don’t forget Duchatelet’s network was supposedly a means to outperform once financial fair play rules kicked in (ie never). I think there is a difference. AFC’s investors will only be happy if Charlton are moving towards the Premiership – and on that front there would be clear unity of purpose with the supporters.

And when all’s said and done, we have to embrace any change of ownership – barring of course asset strippers. Our club cannot turn around under Duchatelet, for reasons that don’t need to be stated yet again. It is almost inconceivable that AFC or any new owner would go out of their way to insult and alienate the support base. From what we read it seems that the AFC people are experienced in sport, if not the demands of the English third division. If so, they will understand that outperformance – and achieving success – is not possible without the necessary role played by supporters. It gives me confidence that if a sale does go through there will be common purpose once more, or at least more likelihood of such than can ever be possible under Duchatelet. For that reason alone, if a deal goes through get those dancing shoes out for a new chapter begins, one that we can help make sure results in our club succeeding.