I think the only way to show how angry we are concerning the Belgian buffoons is to boycott the games. A flag, wearing black and white or any other protest will not work. The only way to hit them is if 5000 and above fans boycott the games. The gates have been falling for a couple of seasons and we need to accelerate the process. It gives me no pleasure to do this but I will only go to see the U 18s and U21s for the foreseeable future.
As it stands - I'm done. I didn't miss it on Saturday in all truth, and the money can certainly go on better things than lining RD's pocket. Should there be a protest, I'll return to the valley for that.
I like the idea of everyone going in 10 minutes into the game. Not attending matches is an individual decision, but something like a late entry, at least for starters, could be something we could all do together.
That sounds like a good idea. I feel so impotent at what is happening at Charlton, I feel something needs to be done.
Your form is beyond my wildest dreams. The first division has got some cracking grounds for you to visit next Season Dicky, enjoy.
Sorry for not posting on here since Friday. I am done too. Paid for 3 STs but we won't be going back. Fraeye was the final straw. Insulting and humiliating gimme appointment. I will be going to the West Stand protest at 2.30 before the Sheff Wed game, but my next Charlton game will be Brighton away. What has happened at our Club is borderline obscene. We are right down there now with Blackpool and Leeds as Joke Clubs.
I can't quite see what this would achieve? Somebody did it at one of the Champions League games didn't they? Emm??? So what, they arrived 10 minutes late... playing in front of an empty stadium will have far more effect and far faster.
The stadium will empty over the coming weeks without an organised boycott. But I reckon that having an almost completely empty stadium for 10 minutes is an achievable objective. It would get a modicum of publicity and indicate to Roland what is about to happen, if he cares to pay any attention. It would only happen once. In the long run fans will vote with their feet in increasing numbers, in the same way as they are now leaving before the end in increasing numbers. The spin today is going to be horrendous.
It needs to be properly organised IMO, which means fans with social media persuading fans without it to boycott. We need to start getting attendances below 5000 to get the media listening - what is noticeable on social media is how aware the fans of other clubs are about our plight. Appointing Fraeye is simply sticking Two Fingers up at the remaining fans, we would be crazy to go back. Bully them out financially.
I can cope with watching First Division football TC as I have been there done that a number of times in my Fifty five years of watching Charlton. What I can't put up with is watching Roland and his lapdog draining the lifeblood out of the Club. Appointing Fraeye a bloke who is managing a Belgian third division Club was the last straw. There are good Managers out there in Pearson, O Driscoll etc.
it does need to be properly organised. only trouble is that you wont be allowed to inside the ground. we would need a person or two at each passage to the seats to remind people. without this, people will just walk on up out of habit
It could start today at the Karel Fraye press conference, if local journos like Rich Cawley and Louis Mendez (no comment on Olly Groome...) front up and tell Meire that a mass boycott is planned. Even if we get the Sheff Wed attendance down to 8,000 it is an achievement. The Ipswich game is on Sky and then is when the pressure really needs to be stepped up.
I doubt the media will notice to be honest. Blackpool crowds are around 2,000 yet the official crowds read almost 10,000. Our crowds will always be 11,000 at least officially because of the amount of season tickets.
It's up to us to gauge the media's interest. I've emailed a colleague to ask for his thoughts and if it might be of some interest to his team. Channel 5 have been the first to ask the question of what's going on, and they would be a good place to start. There is a follow up story from what they reported on Saturday, and it would be good if we can keep their interest via twitter (this seems to be their preferred method of fan interaction). The SLP and the Newsshopper have both failed the fans I think. Articles in both papers recently have been defensive of the regime, with wee Jack Bacon telling us last Monday there is ''no chance of relegation''. Then the obvious one is the Sky cameras. They will be there 4 hours prior to KO, and that's when we should look to get there. Start protesting as they're setting up so as soon as they go live they will have a story with visuals ready. It will detract the guys in the studio from focusing on mundane pre-match predictions/talk. It also costs us nothing. If we're lucky, they might even get to KM before the game then to really have a story on their hands.
I think the media consideration in a boycott is secondary. Meire said in a recent interview that she is "under pressure from RD to show results". Fewer people going through our turnstiles = a dramatic loss in my match day revenue. It brought it home to me again on Saturday when they trained the camera on the 'crowd' looking for the next Fans Sofa mug.....thousands and thousands of empty read seats in between the odd cluster of fans.
to be honest, the amount made from turnstyle and selling pies is inconsequential to that earned by tv revenue. if we sold 2000 on the door for £20 a pop, that's only £40k. RD isnt going to even squint about losing that sort of money. he probably makes that back in interest on his ISA. cutting back on ST's and demonstrations is what this is going to need to hurt him
I recall the club saying that match day revenue was £250K .... perhaps half coming from away fans so I guess £100,000+ from home fans? I think the figure was 5,000 match day tickets sold per Championship game.
How does the catering contract work though - it's outsourced to a separate company isn't it? So money would have already probably been exchanged?
