Is the fact that the CAST is having its first AGM and has still to reach 1,000 members a sign that - 1) Addick supporters are middle class and do not like pressure groups? 2) There is still some mistrust towards the CAST? 3) Addick supporters are rather lazy and just can't be bothered to join? 4) Addicks are reasonably happy with how the Club is being run and do not want to cause waves? 5) Less than 1,000 is good for their first year recruitment. I would be interested with views...... for me it is 2 with a sprinkling of 4 added in. They have done some good things like setting up the website for Valley Gold BUT I would far prefer it if they changed their name to something like 'Friends of the Addicks' and concentrated on trying to help the Club rather than worry about this Asset of the Community thing. AllHell
People usually join pressure groups out of self interest or belief in the greater good. It would seem that the majority of us don't see CAST as being in our self interest and possibly cynically see it as being in the interest of others. The greater good of the club is seen by the majority as being success on the pitch, at this present moment in time, rather than preventing a supposed sale of physical assets being touted around by the membership of the group as something we should immediately be worried about. If the club had announced they were selling the Valley for housing then undoubtedly there would be support for a movement to prevent it otherwise the majority will continue to see this as the Chicken(licken) Anti Sky Tumbling group. ( I had thought of "Razil without a cause" but decided the initials were better)
Good article. Maybe its a generational thing ? I am part of the age group that saw active service against Sunley & Greenwich Council in the mid 80s. I was at the Valley Club on the night Mike Norris came to try to talk to fans. The atmosphere was every bit as feisty as you would find at Millwall. There is a generation of Charlton fans that has fire in their bellies. The newer fans probably joined on (nothing wrong with that after we came back in 92, followed by the good years under Curbs and Premier League football. Many gave up when we were relegated. Personally I am not interested in the Trust because given the way football has gone, its like using a pea shooter to control an elephant.
I'm just indifferent to them. They are irrelevant. Well-meaning but irrelevant. I don't have anything else to say on the subject.
I was very pro the Supporters Trust when it came out. But I feel with only about 1000 members they are completely toothless. For the ST to grow we need something to happen at the Club that will galvanise people to join the Trust. I can't see this happening in the near future. Razil and the other members of the Committee started the Trust with the best intentions and have done a great deal of work to try and make it work. They have my respect and thanks for that. The Club were very clever in getting the Trust onside and I feel the Trust is now a mouthpiece for the Club. That's maybe a bit harsh but it is how I feel.
Hi Thanks for the kinds words I think you will find a network of 4000 (admittedly with some duplications) and membership of 800 in less than a year, and with no burning building in evidence is a minor miracle in trust world given how hard we have had to work.. reads quite differently that way doesn't it? Many I expect don't see the reason for the fiver, but it sure helps I can tell you as we can get our publicity out. A huge part of this is building a network, I think Football has changed and without us being mobilised we are even more helpless, pea shooter maybe, but if you look at Swansea and now Portsmouth and indeed Charlton, trusts and fans have played a pivotal role in rescuing their clubs and contributing to their success It is an interesting question nonetheless, I am genuinely interested in your views, trust must be earnt and never taken for granted. I can assure you however we are no mouthpiece of the club, nor are we onside, I would like to see some evidence of that. The role of the trust as we see it is as Critical Friend, achieving that balance isn't easy however, but anyone doubting our purpose should go and read our constitution - particularly if you were expecting a lynch mob. There is a bit of a chicken and egg situation we don't have enough members yet to be strong enough to be the trust some want us to be. What is interesting is that we are still growing and the more fans we manage to engage with particularly in person, the more join. Some may never agree why/that we need it and I totally respect that.
Agree with AHLL on 2) and 4) I think having a supporters trust is an essential part of modern football. A legal entity which can rescue a club when it is in a desperate situation. To the majority of Charlton fans, the club isn't in a desperate situation, which is why people don't feel the need to join.
I think ACV is a great example of what a trust can do, also to be fair we have targeted 1000 members for a reason, essentially as a respectable target for a 'peace time' trust in a club of our size and in the circumstances.
At least your trust is well meaning. Ours is run by an oaf who is only interest is in raising his own profile. He never let's the facts get in the way of self publicity. You seem a good club which on the whole is well run. It is the pl £££££s that took football away from its customers, the fans. Really looking forward to coming down next week.
Off the pitch, you will be made most welcome on the pitch, I hope it will be a different reception entirely from Chris's lads
I mistrust anybody who asks me to sign a petition "To save the Valley" just as I mistrust the VOTV seller who tells me "Read what's really going on at the club." I don't like emotive language as a substitute for honesty. It feels to me like people are trading on the politics of the 80s. I don't like my club having a faceless owner but I'm grateful that they seem to have stopped the rot. It seems to me if we want this lot to be bought out we shouldn't make ourself look too militant.
Fair point. The Trust were signing people up outside the Covered End by calling out "Sign here if you don't want houses built on the Valley" I thought that was a bit naughty, to be honest.
it was 'naughty' and the person got 'told off' our volunteers are not robots and one got carried away a little. At the same time it could conceivably prevent that happening and even 'save the Valley' but not in all circumstances, so I accept the point. To also be fair to us, ACV is just one campaign of many initiatives. We are also very clear of the benefits of ACV on all our material.
