Not renewing early after last season when they offered earlybird reduction then scrapped the deadline. I'll see what the squad is like then make a late decision.
As people know Kent, I stopped mine (in protest) when the Club held us back after the Millwall game two seasons ago but I still attended games on a match by match basis (not based on who we were playing but whether it was convenient to me) but the difference this season is that I have only been to the Valley for the U18 game against Cardiff and none of the first team games. I could accept the sacking of Sir Chris (based on results) but what I could not accept was the replacement of proven JR with a Belgian thug with no success in Management and strong links with Millwall. Once the owners start making Charlton decisions based on the best interests of Charlton rather than 'Network Douche' I will re-consider my exile from the Valley. Sorry for long winded reply there Kent but I have been supporting (rather than just a fan of) Charlton since 1970's so being forced into exile is rather painful even if it does save me rather a lot of money . lol !!!!!!
My point was simply that when we're losing there are a lot of grumblers saying they won't renew and singing 'you don't what you're doing' , but they change their mind when we're winning. Suddenly it's Guy Luzon's red and white army. Fair enough. We've the best squad we've had all season, the signing policy has come good with the right balance between network players (Ben Haim, Watt, Bulot), non-network overseas (Vetokele, JBG) and experienced English pros (Henderson, Johnson, Eagles) and there is no reason why we shouldn't finish in the top half of the table. That would represent a great advance on last season and will result in most supporters renewing in anticipation of further progress next season.
Up until the last 2 games we've been playing dire football. Do you not agree? Or were you happy with what was happening on the pitch, Kent? I don't remember you saying so, so where does all this triumphalism come from?
It's not a clear cut decision like it used to be. Will decide come the summer, but imagine in the lead up the the start of the season the excitement will get to me and I'll jump back on.
I'm a bit put off by what Roland did at Standard Liege, selling all their best players. Also the way they offered discounts last season for early purchases, then scrapped the deadline. One of the complaints last season was that you could buy a ST for £150 in the east stand, and sit next to a VIP who had paid £450 for an identical seat, not only that they'd made a 5-year commitment to it when the club was desperate for cash. So I'd say it would be wise to wait and see whether Roland's regime can be trusted. If I don't renew it doesn't mean I won't go, after all I was a fan for years without buying a ST.
You're reading too much into what I said, Billy. It was an observation. Nothing more and nothing less. A losing run and people want to slit their wrists (or perhaps Duchatalet's and Luzon's wrists). A couple of good wins and the same people want to shake hands and pose for a selfie. My personal view is that there was a massive over-reaction to a poor run. Not winning was blamed directly on issues of governance and I never felt it was clear cut that the losing run and the way the club is being governed were as closely related as some claimed.
I think I may have said this before, but what I support is CAFC, not RD, nor KM or RM. Not individual managers or individual players although CP, AC, DH, RR and others continue to have a warm place in my memory. My support for CAFC is demonstrated by my attendance at matches which, over an extended period of time, has either been rewarded with unbelievably good memories or, as with the first half against Norwich, the Nightmare on Floyd Road. I fail to see how a boycott of my season ticket or a refusal to attend matches can possibly make me a better supporter of CAFC. Such an action by definition makes me a former supporter or at best a supporter in absentia. I do not mean this as a dig at anyone, expecially AllHell who attends the matches at Sparrows Lane to show his continued support, something I am based to far away to undertake on a weekday. Nor do I take away from those who for distance reasons cannot make matches or for cost reasons have to choose between a roof over their head and attending a football match. However it sums up my feelings as to whether failing to attend matches just makes those who could do so but do not show support for the club as genuine as those Manure supporters from leafy Buckinhamshire who once saw old Trafford from the train. Yes they support the concept of Manu but do not participate. Buying a ticket and in particular a season ticket forms a bond of commitment between you and the club that states - "my club". There were a lot of supporters who suddenly did not appear after relegation from the Premiership - many who remember cold rainy days in the old third division would feel that they were maybe plastics? It matters not that the money sometimes provides for dross on the pitch or excellence, or allowing a megalomaniac Belgian IT entrepreneur to play a computer game for real. There is something beyond all of that which makes me a Charlton support and which will make me buy my season ticket again for next season.
I am very surprised how some see the return of a little bit of form as more than just being grateful that we look safe from relegation now. This is great, compared to how it looked recently. It doesn't at all change how dire the club looks in terms of decisions and future prospects, who is in control has showed their hand, very much so. We see no sign of wanting to improve Charlton, with it clear that any good prospects are to be sold and 'chaff' brought in mostly. I think the coming seasons will all be like this if RD stays in charge. I look forward to Charlton every weekend, want us to win... but as for advancing, that seems on the shelf for now.
A lot of people who I speakto are under no illusions - but I guess the happiness is mixed with relief that we've not won once, but twice in the space of 7 days. I'm still not confident for the future, nor overly optimistic for the rest of the season (though I think these 6 points are massive, and 3 more wins should see us safe IMO)
Two great wins back to back. I can't honestly remember the last time we managed that, though I imagine it would have been in the tail end of the first season back in the championship under CP, when we made a late surge and almost reached the play-offs. We all remember what the next season was like. I'm still glowing after friday, but the last few months have been dire, and recent quotes from those who rule our club make it clear that RD is not planning to splurge money to reach the Premier, just 'build a competetive championship side'. Sounds a bit like stagnation to me, and another summer where most of our signings are other clubs discards. We may have turned a corner, and I hope so, but you can't wipe away the memories of Blackpool and Norwich at home just like that.
Turning the corner has coincided with the removal of Bob as manager. OK and the return of Henderson, but if Bob was still with us we'd still have Cousins on the left and Bulot on the bench, and the horrible slow build-up followed by a hoof from the back. Watt has made a difference and Igor has got his mojo back. The penny seems to finally have dropped with Rolo that his stat-based computer geeks can't scout, so I don't expect to see him splash the cash, just don't want him to sell Igor, Watt or JBG.
We must have won back to back under Riga? Seem to remember blackpool following a victory. But otherwise, very few and far between!!
This is where we will have to differ. Since the January transfer window, we have brought in Watt, Johnson, Lepoint, Dimitrovic, Velkjovic and Eagles - that's six players, representing a mix of network and experienced English championship players. We've brought in a new head coach who seems to have succeeded in banishing the goaless malaise under his predecessor. This has all been done without breaking the bank and in pursuit of building a competitive championship side with a sound and sensible financial footing. You can call that a recipe for stagnation. I'd say its prudent and sensible and when we are an established and competitive championship side we can then push for promtion to the promised land of the prem. Like many I have reservations about some aspects of the governance of our club. But I cannot accept that nothing is being done to improve the side on the pitch and the set-up off the pitch. Why would anyone buy the club in order to allow it to stagnate? It defies all logic.
Kent, it was Katerin herself who said they were'nt aiming to go up in the near future, just be competetive where we are. That's probably better than where we were recently, but not exactly ambitious for a multi millionaire. What it does snack of (at least for me) is that long period of Gliksten stagnation inthe 50's and 60's where no investment meant no retur to the top flight and the attendances dwindled to the point where, when I started going, we were getting between 5000 and 8000 at home (and we still had'nt hit the bottom). It's been rightly said on here that, nice though it is to have new seats and a decent pitch (thank ee my lordship), what brings the punters, especially the floating ones, through the turnstiles, is a good team playing good football, and WINNING!!! Maintaining us in the championship with an owner and CEO who don't want to associate with the fans may be an improvement on the Slater Jiminez years, but in football as with much of life, you are either going up or down, and trying to maintain us in the championship will not bring the punters (and their pounds) through the turnstiles. Sorry to be longwinded!
Let's learn to walk before we try to run. A season or two of consolidation before fancying we're Prem class makes a lot of sense to me...
