Richard Murray

Some familiar names here...Strange how some of the regular posters had very little to say at the time.
http://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/comment/763675#Comment_763675

 

Murray secured forum and VOTV support by appointing “opinion formers” to jobs or creating bogus titles (Fans Director ) or just dispensing the vol au vents on match days. Vol Au Vent Addick was created at about this time, after I spotted Ben Hayes demolish a plate of crustaceans in record time. These same fans visibly relished in being “ITK” in CL....I can’t tell you that, etc.
Our pompous friend from Prague being a prime offender.

My total scepticism about the motives of the leadership of CARD stems from this.

 

You are sceptical about the motives of CARD? News to me.

 

We are Comrades In Arms Don

 

Just how has he been royaly screwing the club for the last 12 years.......please supply evidence?
Not his greatest fan nowadays I have to say, but if you are going to attack him in this way I for one would appreciate evidence of what you mean exactly.
If you mean financially then you really need to follow that up with evidence IMHO.
At the last count I believe he was owed some £3,000,000 wasn’t he, so I’m having trouble with understanding your “screwing the club” quote?

 

"Royally screwing" as in an unbelievable succession of bad decisions. Had he made even a % of these as a CEO as opposed to an owner, director, he would have had to walk.

- Simon Jordan - what was it? "enjoy the Championship, sucker" . How his fan cronies laughed at the time.
- Dowie - and letting him rip with the chequebook
- Reed - laughable
- Pardew - see Dowie
- Parkinson - misled fans over his appointment
- presiding over a double relegation
- making decisions which reduced Charlton fan's small shareholdings to zero overnight
- not connecting the undersoil heating pipes to a boiler FFS when we had PL money [source - your mate]
- falling out with Varney & entire ex Board
- working with, supporting and defending the Spivs
- arselicking, defending and publicly supporting the Belgians for 4 years

And theres plenty more.

As I say, I know you were previously an ardent supporter of Murray on Charlton Life, as is your right. Like many you now have a touch of buyer's remorse where "Muzza" is concerned, and I am sure you wish you could turn the clock back 12 years to when all the evidence suggest Alan Curbishley was propping this old Ham up.

"Model Premier League chairman" my arse.
"Doing things the Charlton way" - my arse.

The bloke is a jonah. Had he carried on like this at Millwall, the fans would have drummed him out in 2007. But you carry on feeling your wistful remorse old boy

#MurraysWeakFans

 

Why does the Club owe Muzza £3m ?

He invested his money because he would have lost even more with Administration (while he was majority owner) .... he sold to the Chuckle Brothers for £1 when they thought they could make £80m by selling the Valley.... they ran out of money and were forced to sell .... Muzza was lucky that RD was advised by his girlfriend who seemed to know nothing about contract law and Muzza's debt ran over to RD.

If I were buying the Club I would say to RD that Muzza's debt is his problem and it would not be run over to new owners.

 

It's a pity CASTrust didn't ask about the figure of £50mish being bandied around as Roland's asking price. I've read it so many times that I find myself believing it, but really we just don't know, do we?

 

Well said AHL - Would people have sympathy for an out of his depth gambler, who done his money in a poker game that was too big for him.?
Murray had a chance to do what was best for Charlton in 2004 when the Club (4th in the PL) really was an attractive proposition for prospective buyers, but he preferred to let his ego run way with him instead.

The rest is history...

 

I took it that you were implying he was screwing the club financially.....there is no evidence of that.
The criticism of him is your right of course (though somewhat OTT I think), but there is no evidence of him financially screwing the club.....quite the opposite in fact, which you seem to agree with.

 

Some interesting snippets, but no real substance to either the questions or the answers given. Slightly disappointed to be honest.

Murray certainly should have been put to the sword with some more robust and challenging questions - particularly about the sale price and why the change of mind from RD who we were told had no intention of selling the Club. Also surprised there was no questioning on the departure of KM. and

Very vague on the two completed DD bidders. FFS he's dealt with them personally, or course he knows who they are, how advanced their proposed purchase is which would provide the best long term prospects for the Club. They cannot buy the Club without his involvement as he and his fellow ex directors have a first charge on the assets.

Mentioned by others, but I'm aware of one of the other Directors/debenture holders who hasn't spoken to RM for almost two years, so how on earth would he know his views on whether he would be prepared to roll over the debt? I also believe Sir Maurice Hatter's charge has been handed over to his son, who doesn't have the same affection for the Club his father does.

If I was buying the Club and saw the January window closing, I'd hold off on the purchase until the Summer unless I got a substantial discount on the agreed sale price. Why would you bother funding the Club for the next six months, when it be left on the present incumbent? Regardless of the possibility of promotion. You can still work in the background with your new management team, identify transfer targets and ensure funding is in place for everything that is required to push to Club on in 2018/19.

Looks like we should be prepared for some more direct action against the owner from 1st Feb.

 

If the sale price is anywhere near the one being muted.....£50,000,000 then realistically the club is not for sale!

 

What we need is a fan with ready access to Murray, who can ask the obvious follow up question.

If Duchatelet paid £18.6m in the Championship, how is it now worth £45-55m in League One?

Are you taking the p1ss?

Ivor would be the obvious man to ask on the fan’s behalf.

 

If the sale price is anywhere near the one being muted I.e. then realistically

LOL......that’s a great idea!

 

Duchatelet will not want to fund next seasons losses. There is a limit to the players he can sell. There will be even less people in the Stadium. Will he want to put in another 6 to 8 Million? I don't think so. He has to take a haircut.

 

His hair is fine how it is.

 

If he really wants £45-55M that would suggest he's prepared to. Unfortunately unlike previous owners he's rich enough to sit on it.
He could still make a deal whereby he still has his claw in us somehow...Sadly I just don't see him walking away with a financial loss...

Hope I'm wrong.

 

The only fly-in-the-ointment will be if Charlton somehow fluke promotion via the Play Offs. A long shot, but it would put Duchatelet one step from the Premier League money pot, which is what he always craved.

 

he hasnt though? he's only said a championship club with premier ambitions as lip service, whilst actually only ever taking the club over a barrel by the back door. his only aim is to make a profit. he never really wanted to get to the prem, otherwise he wouldnt have sent us bongo the clown, polish pete and katrien, and flogged yann and stephens for 50p.

 

True, he has never backed up the ambition of reaching the PL with investment in players. Added to an incompetent piece of arm candy as CEO and 7 managers, we ended up looking down not up.
All I am saying is don’t forget who is in his ear every day - Walter Mitty-Murray, who craves being called a model PL Chairman again. It’s not totally unconceivable that he could take the club off the market if we are not sold and then get promoted in May.