From 'The Athletic' Website Charlton Athletic have cut ties with a prominent sponsor after he appeared to endorse Tommy Robinson on his social media profile. Darren New is a life-long Charlton fan whose companies have sponsored the club in various ways as well as Charlton Athletic Community Trust events. Charlton officials had spoken of him last year as “part of the Charlton family”. (actual 'X' posts edited out) These posts led to discussions at Charlton on Wednesday and now the club and trust have cut ties with New. Charlton, who won EFL Community Club of the Year in April, will no longer be taking any of New’s support. “We Are Brandnew are not a sponsor of Charlton Athletic Football Club,” a spokesperson for Charlton Athletic told The Athletic. “Any partnership that Charlton Athletic Community Trust had with We Are Brandnew has now ceased.” New himself also deleted his @dneventslogist1 Twitter/X account on Wednesday. “I have taken down the Twitter account out of my respect to Charlton and to the trust for the good work they do,” New told The Athletic in a message on LinkedIn, “and that we have assisted with helping many deprived and socially vulnerable men women and children of all ages. I have not posted a single racial slur or advocated for something violent or any action towards anyone or group or religion.” The club are now likely to conduct a review of future sponsorship arrangements and have considered introducing a code of conduct for sponsors. Last season, ‘Wearebrandnew’, which New founded, was the sleeve sponsor for Charlton’s home shirts. New was quoted at length on the Charlton website while interim commercial manager Steve Sutherland said: “Wearebrandnew’s ownership has a history with this club and we’re delighted to have them as part of the Charlton family.”
Nobody should be happy with this to be honest. Whatever his political views are, should be of no convern to CAFC.
100% this. It’s grassing at its worst and an abuse of the right to free speech. Darren’s statement makes his position very clear. I can understand why he’s taking legal advice.
I disagree. Some people are playing a very dangerous game at the moment - whether it's online or through other media outlets. Closing threads that all CL posters have every right to express their points of view on is another form of censorship. Delete the offensive posts by all means, but let people have adult converstions please - that's the only way these issues are going to get sorted!!
No no no I know you don’t like to take a view on the controversial stuff, but this really is the thin end of the wedge - where one holier than thou fan gets to determine who supports /sponsors the club based on their perception of the other persons political views (which he’s guessed at ) It’s plain wrong Solidarity with Darren.,
@Dick Plumb1 Can you post Darren’s statement on here pls. This intolerant action speaks really badly about the management of the club.
I can’t find it. I don’t know if he has taken it down. https://x.com/theathleticfc/status/1821865159406575734?s=46
I would respectfully disagree, given the current circumstances. I don't think the board of any football Club is going to place the principle of freedom of speech above something specific that one of its sponsors says or does, if the board considers those words or actions to be potentially damaging to the image or mission of the Club. One of the principle missions of CAFC in the Community is equality of opportunity and equality of respect for everyone, regardless of anybody's background. There seems an obvious conflict between that, and what has apparently happened here. Unless this story, as it has been reported and as we understand it so far, is not factually correct.
Where I lived for 21 years you could go into most pubs and everyone talked to everyone else (I don't know if it's still the same), and it worked because you didn't mention politics or religion, especially the latter. There is a time and place for these discussion.
My last thought on this is just a reminder, that the CAFC board is looking to gain favour with what it regards as the next potential generation of Charlton fans such as the Students of Greenwich University. How those people see the World will matter more to the Club than how many of us - regarded by the board as the previous generation of fans - might see matters. That would seem a simple (or maybe simplistic) explanation for the action they have taken. It isn't only the 11 men on the pitch who have an audience they must play for.
But what Charlton have done instead, is made him a scapegoat and made the WHOLE of your fanbase aware of his social media activity. A more prudent action would have been to have a quiet word with him, but instead, they have made a villain out of a lifelong fan and club sponsor.
