I'm sorry but reading about the saga holiday turnout tonite convinced me that the trust just does not appeal to the yoof. I was expecting bingo to break out at any minute. The Trust just churned out the same middle class campainers, the same former bitter and twist d ex employees,regurgitating the same tired crap, plagiarised from soppy Robin Williams films. Fresh faces are needed. Fresh ideas too. Who gives a flying fack about dialogue??!! Talking is for the birds. Is that it then?, the trust want to know what Bovril supplies are on order or they will oust Roland. I bet he will get in his rolls Royce, drive to his mansion, and laugh his nuts off. Meanwhile Bernie and the other mouseketteers will get the 51 bus home. And that ls the rub here, Money. It makes all the decisions. The trust once again are selling the club's fans short. It is abundantly clear the trust is a vehicle for a magic circle few to get their cardigans back on telly. It serves no real purpose and what have they done except stick a 'don't touch, militant fan group lives here' sticker on any for sale sign.
The Trust aren't the enemy. What harm have they done to the fans? Is it the Trust's fault that only 10,000 Charlton fans turned up for our last home game? I garee talking won't work with Roland, because he only listens to yes-men, and that's how I voted, but I don't have a big idea, neither does the Trust, and neither do you!
FHB I'm not speaking for anyone except me. I don't do unions and essentially that is what the trust want to be. Suppose they piss Roly off he sells? Who does he sell too? Nobody touches a club with a bunch of fans that are militant. We are getting a reputation as a bunch of winey, loud ungrates. If it was not Roly, it was Slater..can't you see that nobody will be good enough for the trust? What gives the trust the right to compromise our stability - not unless we have a better alternative. We need his money and that's the bottom line. The trust are whipping the feeble minded into a frenzy with cheap talk and hand wringing with no alternatives. It's the same crap from the same jokers" (many ex employees as well) we need a place on the board" (incidentally, suggested by the same dick who wanted to be on the board)" here we go again it's like 21 years ago.,," said another lived well of cafc for years to a Reporter while licking his hand and patting his hair down Bobby Charlton style. I also understand the trust was pissed off that Katrien won't talk to them as it might be seen as favouritism!!! Ffs! 5%!!! 5% that is all they represent.
Charlton fans militant? Surely not! I think we're amazingly long-suffering. Look at the support we gave to Bob and his virtually unwatchable snail-paced football as the wheels came off. Well, the ones who have stayed with the team that is. How many Charlton fans were there on Saturday, about 10,000 at a guess? And we were expecting to see a side going through the motions again. Plus the fact that there is now zero trust in the CEO has created a wave of apathy, so where do we go from here? No-one has the answer.
Well done to Super & FHB for going last night. I find it staggering that anyone could suggest Richard Murray as a conduit to better dialogue with RD.
I think FHB has captured the mood of a lot of Charlton fans,Apathetic. I didn't go last night, the reason, I couldn't be bothered. In my fifty four years of watching Charlton I have never felt this disinterested before. After watching the VIP video of Meire, I despair at what is happening at our Club. Does anyone think that RD and Meire are going to listen to 400 well meaning Charlton fans? Because I dont. That is not to say that the meeting was wrong, any positive action is good. But it will only be worthwhile if the owner listens to them and acts accordingly.
No one has the answer. It wouid help If I knew what the question was?? Last nite was a valley party nob polishing reunion. The mantra of the trust - to preserve cafc for generations to come. To do that you have to have a second generation - all they want is to watch a game of footy at a reasonable price. They are not interested in politics. And good on them. Look around the boards and see the egos run away. You had Reams no doubt with his pants around his ankles asking 'have I been mentioned yet?' Seriously Red rubbing dandruff with Rick and Steve Dixon, this is just the start I'm told. The start of what? Well done for going to all last nite (but Dick P who wouid crawl naked over broken glass to watch a reserve game in Bradford )did not even bother going is telling - the problem is apathy. I say it is more than that. it is hopelessness, both in the club board and those that elect themselves to be our voice.
Totally agree. CAST achieved their aim judging by the number of numpties now saying they will join as a result of the meeting. Barney will be buried under Bovril stained £5 postal orders when the postman arrives tomorrow. CAST v Duchatelet is a bit like trying to stop an oncoming panzer division with rolled-up newspaper. FFS. What happens when they nicely ask for a meeting, and are told by the sneering Meire to 'do one' again?
I'll put my own question- Why can't Charlton fans be bothered any more? At the VIP meeting we saw one fan trying to convey to Katrien the message he was getting from his fellow fans who don't intend to renew, and I found her aggressive response quite rude. Which is why I voted against the idea of opening a dialogue. There is a huge amount of cynicism which is quite unpleasant, but it is justified, and who wants to feel this way on a Saturday afternoon? Do you?
I left before the end as I thought I'd heard enough (not in a bitchy way I should add). Congratulations to CAST for organising the event - to get a collective of 400 odd fans was a positive feat. I left the evening in two minds. 1) there seemed to be the same old faces proposing the same old ideas. A run in the local elections was a ground breaking idea. 25 years ago. The worlds moved on so much since then that I no longer see that a viable option (it was perhaps a comment in passing, but it stuck in my mind). 2) I just felt like nothing that was coming out of the meeting was going to do anything to make RD sit up. The demand was for correspondence - with the trust. That's all well and fine, but they aren't hitting large demographics of the Charlton fan base. There was a comment highlighting this fact last night. I saw suggestions on Facebook this morning about being a bit more ''aggressive'' around the ground on match days. Banners hanging from some of the local flats that overlook the stadium etc. I'm not sure - this post is a bit of a ramble, but I was intending to have more of a think before I posted. I appreciate that nothing can get sorted after one meeting, but I also felt underwhelmed.
I have to say this is all just an echo of what was coming before. As has been pointed out already, KM gave a good demonstration the night before of what sort of dialogue we can expect. So she is'nt interested, RD would no doubt say any ideas should be channeled through her as CEO, so that's two doors closed for the price of one. So failing that what is the solution. I don't have one. We don't have money, so the well meaning but naive idea of his elling to us is really just daft. And without money, what incentive does he have to listen? In the end, unless we want to wage war with boycotts and stuff, which after much thought seems a bit excessive when he has put money into the Pitch, Watt and Igor and other projects, all we can do is keep pestering his secretary for an interview. I won't knock CAST here. They have tried, and if there's no easy solution, that's not their fault. A solution has to start somewhere, but it is'nt necessarily an easy one.
All this 'have a go' at RD & KM is, frankly, going to look very silly if we should finish mid-table at the end of the season. Any business man cannot be all bad if he is willing to invest £1m in the training facilities and related areas in the summer. Are we seriously going to say 'no thanks' we do not need your money having been very close to going out of business last year. Be careful what you wish for........
I'm so apathetic I've only just got round to properly reading this... On the one hand I'm still as put out as I was two weeks ago when i was doing my best to channel Nicky Wire and come up with a creative manifesto of showing disenfranchisement and raising awareness (like season ticket holders not taking to their seats until 3.07 at the Huddersfield game or all wearing black...) But I cant really rationalise why I feel that why other than gut reaction that what's happening doesn't feel right and isn't the Charlton way... In reality this season we have registered to the club Vetokele (on a permanent contract who has scored 10 and should get 4 or 5 more; he has a Football Manager value of around £2m), Gudmundsson (on a permanent contract with a value of circa £1.5m), Watt (on a permanent deal with a value of around £1.5m), Henderson (permanent deal) and Bikey and Ben Haim. All of whom are considerably better than the dross we had last year On paper we have a very good starting XI when they are played in the right positions and suitably fired; evidenced by the fact that we had an unbelievable start to the season and were in play off contention until Henderson got injured The concern for me is twofold: 1. Roland's Intentions It looked very grim after the sale of Kermorgant and Stephens and the dross he replaced them with last January However the above investment in player recruitment suggests he intends for us to build a squad and stabilise and eventually challenge for the top flight and make his billions. However will he decide to one day swap these on-paper good players and move them to Liege where he can make a quicker buck? Who knows but the smart money is on the former - the Premier League is an amazing goldmine that any sane owner will be eying. The added bonus of Charlton's stature and location is why he is investing in us 2. The Championship It's a ****ing mental league. Remember when Hull first went up to the Prem? They were bottom three at Christmas! Anyone can beat anyone and two or three bad or good results and the whole outlook for a season changes. The best laid plans etc etc. This is why a savvy manager is so so important and fundamental to Roland's intentions. If rumours are to be believed Bob Peeters had some sort of falling out with someone about something and he lost the players. He showed a little bit of managerial naivity and the wheels came off. Whilst Luzon hasn't a ****ing clue. In conclusion to my mind Roland is showing his intent; and on the whole it's positive. It's just his lack of knowledge on British football and the Championship which is upsetting things and is threatening everything. Therefore the challenge is in educating Roland, not removing him. Although how you educate a stubborn billionaire I don know (although thinking about it that might be the plot to Richie Rich...) Also for the record I'm a young one; I'm 24...
