I don't doubt that Vol for a second, but we are better off now than then. Historically, this club has always struggled and in a way that is its attraction, we are blue cross week, the dented tin, the Lidl of the footballing world and I want it that way. I don't want an Russian Arms dealer, or some Arab running this club and calling us the Charlton Chiefs, or something equally crass. I want a spiv, a huckster, running us ,taking no rubbish from the old school fans who seem to think they have a divine right to sit on the board. I like Jimi I really do.
Interesting, you could argue that we now have the Marie Antoinette of football club owners ('let them eat cake'...). Before that we had Basil Brush. What about the gimmick that was the Fans Director The only time I ever found myself in agreement with Alan Pardew was when he voiced cynicism at this err...cynical gimmick. And wasn't it just classic Charlton that we ended up with a Fans Director who didn't pass on any negative criticism to the bloke (RM) who's idea it was.
" I want a spiv, a huckster, running us".Really Typical. Is that what you want for us, someone who is racking up the debt, shown to be a liar in court and outside court. Can't be trusted, ask Kevin Keegan, is that what you really want for the Club you love. Personally I would choose someone who is honest, trustworthy and has the good intentions of Charlton at heart. But I suppose i am funny that way.
If only we could choose our owners. I remember being in a "Gliksten Out" demo, and we ended up with Mark Hulyer, who observed that owning a football club was like standing over a drain with your wallet upside-down. Jack Walker didn't mind doing that because he was a lifelong Blackburn fan, but we're not going to find a local Jack Walker. So I'm assuming We'll bump along with the same owners, we'll be in a relegation battle which could go either way, then whichever division we're in possibly a new manager and a major squad rebuilding job. For Carl Jenkinson see Jordan Cousins.
You see Dicky, I live in the real world, "A Millionaire that is honest, trustworthy and has good intentions....." really.
I don't want a Spiv/Huckster, but while so many people want the man to move on, there is'nt exactly a queue forming to take over and carry on. Remember the man is paying out of his pocket to keep us afloat. By all means bring in someone better if you know any millionaire addicks, but in the meantime.......schtum.
It is a nonsense to say that there isn't a millionaire that is honest and trustworthy. Just because you have made a lot of money does not mean,necessarily, that you have lied and cheated your way there. JK Rowling comes to mind and there are a number of others.
@ typical I am totally at one with you in your view that a cabal of unrepresentative fans have had an unhealthy stranglehold over the Club for years, clogging up committees, setting targets around diversity, and stuffing their corpulent selves in the boardroom on match days. On an unrelated note, I was surprised to read on another Charlton website today that our one and only Fans Director was elected to his role in 2006 by garnering a mere 464 votes. I assumed this must be a mis print, and that a zero had been left off ? To be elevated to such an important position, deciphering all those letters from mere fans written in green ink demanding "Murray ahrt"....and then the effort demanded in managing not to pass a single one on to the Great Muzza himself. Surely this warrants a referral to the Electoral Commission for further investigation?
Some villains are smashing blokes, really. They do lots of work for charidee as well. The problem with Jimi is that he doesn't seem to bother about communication. Whatever you think of The Doctor's ability as a manager, he does come across as an excellent communicator, so if he doesn't know what is going on at the club, which appears to be the case, the reason lies in poor communication from on high. Whether the contract situation is part of Jimi's plan to stabilise the finances, we can only guess. Of course he is under no obligation to say anything to anybody, but if there aren't going to be any contract talks at all, I can't see this helping our fight against relegation.
@ Vol I have kind of lost touch with the comings and goings of the Fans Elected Director but my recollection was that it was similar to the way they elected Generals I mean presidents in Rwanda. The pitiful numbers do not surprise me at all. Former elected chair persons I believe were some that had (then) jobs at CAFC (at least two) and Head of the Bromley supporters club and other members of Charlton life. I recall the fans forum electing one year, someone I had never seen at CAFC in and thinking who are you? I actually do recall the voting process not only to be undemocratic but a breach of corperate law and the process had to be changed and I recall that being a total balls up to. I think they were worried that a guy out of B Mob would apply and win. I do recall something at the time which prevented him from standing (like having no official club cardigan, or testicles outside his body)
@ typical I have to confess that my own views of our Elected Representative were coloured by my own, brief dealings with him. It was around the time that we had a certain Mr Les Reed at least notionally in charge of managing our team. We had just lost 5-1 at Spurs, and I suggested to our very own version of the Rwandan General that in his official capacity he should summon the full moral force behind his 464 votes, and suggest to Dicky Muzza that Uncle Les wasn't cutting the mustard. I might have put it a little stronger than that. Mr 464 replied that he would not be bowing to my democratic request, as Charlton fans were "moaners" . This struck me as akin to Harriet Harman (majority at least 30,000) refusing to advocate Lezzy Rights on behalf of a constituent wearing a pair of dungarees and sporting a handlebar moustache.
