Given the fast-moving and at times scarcely believable events of recent weeks in the life of Charlton Athletic, a few days with no drama suddenly feels eerily quiet. In what looks like an attempt to 'keep the kettle boiling,' Nimer has today released a short statement from the Club's website.
It tells us little and doesn't move us forward. The club is not for sale (apparently), he remains 100% behind the Club, the EFL are considering Florica and Mihail under the Owners and Directors Test and they continue to deal with the paperwork already submitted by Nimer to show "source and sufficiency of funds." It goes on to say that the EFL have "informed us what remains outstanding" and that Nimer is working at "providing the information required by the League as soon as possible." In other words, they aren't yet satisfied and more is required.
In the background, the SLP's Rich Cawley revealed a document purporting to be an invoice to Charlton Athletic from Laurence Bassini as part of £450,000 'consultancy' in relation to the takeover by ESI. Cawley told us that Bassini was planning to sue Southall and CAFC for payment. These costs were not identified as part of Nimer's 'audit' and presumably he would have been screaming blue murder if there was any substance to them. It's also hard to fathom what value Bassini could possibly have added above and beyond the fees already paid to Southall, Heller, Amis and all the other hangers-on.
However, Cawley was quick to follow this up with a story that Bassini was planning to buy Charlton and had submitted proof of funds to Nimer's lawyer (Chris Farrell) of £40m he had to invest in the Club and the freeholds of the Valley and Sparrows Lane. To football fans, this is akin to hearing Robert Maxwell had applied to manage your Pension Fund.
Matt Southall angrily Tweeted "I'm telling you now Nimer, there's no way you're selling the club and flipping it for your personal gain" although he qualified this helpfully making it clear he would need to be settled financially as a part owner. He also told us that Nimer's plan has always been to move the club from the Valley so he could redevelop it by building 1000 flats. How he thinks revealing this sort of thing can somehow make him appear any better in the eyes of Charlton supporters is astonishing but we have quickly seen Southall for what he really is - a greedy opportunist with a conviction for theft who will say whatever he has to in order to try to stay close to the power and the money. At least he has kept away from Twitter since his last outburst.
Laurence Bassini left Watford owing them £1.4m and having been rubbished by the EFL following his disastrous involvement there, it was no surprise that his subsequent attempt to take control at impoverished Bolton did not pass muster. It would be hard to see a situation in which he could be approved to buy Charlton, but as we know to our cost, the fit and proper person's test doesn't yet prevent you buying a club, only from operating at the EFL's pleasure in their League. It's also difficult to see where he could get the money from to support a purchase and fund an operation needed to drive a return downstream, given his inglorious past and his appalling reputation.
Given what we have seen so far from Nimer, it would appear he doesn't have the money to buy the freehold of the club or even run it competitively. It does look like he is planning his exit, whether that be a sudden U-turn blaming the EFL or a dodgy sale that might yet net him a profit and get him out. All of that, of course, could be derailed by the action of the former Directors which could put a legal challenge on Nimer's position and a force a settlement of their debts which could equally spell the end for Nimer. With the case due to be heard this week, it's fingers-crossed we get some protection from the courts or at least a decision that brings some clarity to events and maybe some hope.
It tells us little and doesn't move us forward. The club is not for sale (apparently), he remains 100% behind the Club, the EFL are considering Florica and Mihail under the Owners and Directors Test and they continue to deal with the paperwork already submitted by Nimer to show "source and sufficiency of funds." It goes on to say that the EFL have "informed us what remains outstanding" and that Nimer is working at "providing the information required by the League as soon as possible." In other words, they aren't yet satisfied and more is required.
In the background, the SLP's Rich Cawley revealed a document purporting to be an invoice to Charlton Athletic from Laurence Bassini as part of £450,000 'consultancy' in relation to the takeover by ESI. Cawley told us that Bassini was planning to sue Southall and CAFC for payment. These costs were not identified as part of Nimer's 'audit' and presumably he would have been screaming blue murder if there was any substance to them. It's also hard to fathom what value Bassini could possibly have added above and beyond the fees already paid to Southall, Heller, Amis and all the other hangers-on.
However, Cawley was quick to follow this up with a story that Bassini was planning to buy Charlton and had submitted proof of funds to Nimer's lawyer (Chris Farrell) of £40m he had to invest in the Club and the freeholds of the Valley and Sparrows Lane. To football fans, this is akin to hearing Robert Maxwell had applied to manage your Pension Fund.
Matt Southall angrily Tweeted "I'm telling you now Nimer, there's no way you're selling the club and flipping it for your personal gain" although he qualified this helpfully making it clear he would need to be settled financially as a part owner. He also told us that Nimer's plan has always been to move the club from the Valley so he could redevelop it by building 1000 flats. How he thinks revealing this sort of thing can somehow make him appear any better in the eyes of Charlton supporters is astonishing but we have quickly seen Southall for what he really is - a greedy opportunist with a conviction for theft who will say whatever he has to in order to try to stay close to the power and the money. At least he has kept away from Twitter since his last outburst.
Laurence Bassini left Watford owing them £1.4m and having been rubbished by the EFL following his disastrous involvement there, it was no surprise that his subsequent attempt to take control at impoverished Bolton did not pass muster. It would be hard to see a situation in which he could be approved to buy Charlton, but as we know to our cost, the fit and proper person's test doesn't yet prevent you buying a club, only from operating at the EFL's pleasure in their League. It's also difficult to see where he could get the money from to support a purchase and fund an operation needed to drive a return downstream, given his inglorious past and his appalling reputation.
Given what we have seen so far from Nimer, it would appear he doesn't have the money to buy the freehold of the club or even run it competitively. It does look like he is planning his exit, whether that be a sudden U-turn blaming the EFL or a dodgy sale that might yet net him a profit and get him out. All of that, of course, could be derailed by the action of the former Directors which could put a legal challenge on Nimer's position and a force a settlement of their debts which could equally spell the end for Nimer. With the case due to be heard this week, it's fingers-crossed we get some protection from the courts or at least a decision that brings some clarity to events and maybe some hope.
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