A day of long-awaited drama for Charlton fans. We have finally got shot of the Jiminez Cabal and have a fresh start. Alleluia!
The bare facts of the Jiminez regime don't make altogether bad reading and he has been quick to get his retaliation in today by posting "why I sold Charlton" on the Huffington Post. My good friend Chicago Addick has already ably covered that here. It's what Jiminez doesn't say that many close Charlton fans will remember more than the promotion from League One. The fact that they gave up communicating with the customer base after May 2012 when they had their financial rug pulled from under their feet (the reason why he sold Charlton). The fact that they presided over the removal of the most long-serving and loyal members of staff who actually run the club, a number of whom who have had their cases settled out-of-court and others who were yet to or who were unable to for whatever reason. The fact that they have run the club down to the bone with most of the key playing staff out-of-contract in less than six months. The fact that they failed to maintain investment in the pitch last Summer which has seen our once proud playing surface reduced to a humiliating mud-patch. They have also failed with their Five Year Plan and have bailed out early. At least they avoided Administration and/or relegation on their watch but that was the minimum of expectations when they took over.
On a much more positive note, we welcome Roland Duchatelet and must acknowledge his first decision to appoint Richard Murray non-exec Chairman. We shouldn't underestimate the significance of that decision. It nails Roland's colours to the masts and tells us he will be looking for advice and listening to the person best qualified to give it. It also opens the prospect of a possible return of Peter Varney. Duchatelet is clearly a very busy senior citizen and we can't expect him to be particularly hands on given his business interests and the other clubs he needs to commit to, not to mention Belgian politics or his large family. He will need a CEO to take on the day-to-day running of the club unless he is going to rely on the old regime's largely anonymous Steve Bradshaw.
There are doubts too over M. Duchatelet which I covered in an earlier post today but now is the time to accentuate the positive and that's what I will do going forward. Let's look at the new playing arrivals before we judge and just be grateful we are getting someone. Astrit Ajdarevic has already arrived in SE9 and a couple of others are rumoured to be joining. It would be good to see us secure a proven Championship striker additionally and we have to hope that no-one will be sold. If we do get made an offer that's too good to resist for the likes of Solly, then we should acknowledge that, that was always likely to happen at some point and hope we get an able replacement with money in the pot for next season.
Finally, I was prepared to miss tomorrow's cup match in protest at the sides we have put out in recent years in undervaluing it, but I have decided I will show M. Duchatelet my support by attending the replayed match, whenever it eventually gets played.
The bare facts of the Jiminez regime don't make altogether bad reading and he has been quick to get his retaliation in today by posting "why I sold Charlton" on the Huffington Post. My good friend Chicago Addick has already ably covered that here. It's what Jiminez doesn't say that many close Charlton fans will remember more than the promotion from League One. The fact that they gave up communicating with the customer base after May 2012 when they had their financial rug pulled from under their feet (the reason why he sold Charlton). The fact that they presided over the removal of the most long-serving and loyal members of staff who actually run the club, a number of whom who have had their cases settled out-of-court and others who were yet to or who were unable to for whatever reason. The fact that they have run the club down to the bone with most of the key playing staff out-of-contract in less than six months. The fact that they failed to maintain investment in the pitch last Summer which has seen our once proud playing surface reduced to a humiliating mud-patch. They have also failed with their Five Year Plan and have bailed out early. At least they avoided Administration and/or relegation on their watch but that was the minimum of expectations when they took over.
On a much more positive note, we welcome Roland Duchatelet and must acknowledge his first decision to appoint Richard Murray non-exec Chairman. We shouldn't underestimate the significance of that decision. It nails Roland's colours to the masts and tells us he will be looking for advice and listening to the person best qualified to give it. It also opens the prospect of a possible return of Peter Varney. Duchatelet is clearly a very busy senior citizen and we can't expect him to be particularly hands on given his business interests and the other clubs he needs to commit to, not to mention Belgian politics or his large family. He will need a CEO to take on the day-to-day running of the club unless he is going to rely on the old regime's largely anonymous Steve Bradshaw.
There are doubts too over M. Duchatelet which I covered in an earlier post today but now is the time to accentuate the positive and that's what I will do going forward. Let's look at the new playing arrivals before we judge and just be grateful we are getting someone. Astrit Ajdarevic has already arrived in SE9 and a couple of others are rumoured to be joining. It would be good to see us secure a proven Championship striker additionally and we have to hope that no-one will be sold. If we do get made an offer that's too good to resist for the likes of Solly, then we should acknowledge that, that was always likely to happen at some point and hope we get an able replacement with money in the pot for next season.
Finally, I was prepared to miss tomorrow's cup match in protest at the sides we have put out in recent years in undervaluing it, but I have decided I will show M. Duchatelet my support by attending the replayed match, whenever it eventually gets played.
The joyous text came through on a wild day of battle with Greater Anglia - "congestion" on a single track line! - and South Eastern - two trains cancelled and no explanation, so it wasn't till what would have been Saturday game time that I scoured the blogs.
ReplyDeleteI expressed mild ecstasy two weeks ago at the mere public announcement of "constructive discussions" so you can imagine that I am essentially an Camp A-er from your preceding posting's admirably concise bull points. There comes a time when change has to happen without the luxury of assessing all the possible pitfalls of the succession. We are well rid of a man who can't bring himself to mention Valley Gold in the context of our Academy in his badly-composed self-glorification.
Dreke 373, on Charlton Life, gives pause for thought, particularly on the subject of management change and development of property. The ACV gives at least the assurance of consultation on the latter. The former will be a worry if managers disappear and pop up at the frequency of several other foreign owners. We just have to cross fingers and hope Richard M's good-guy advice is taken.
I am less worried about the player carousel. Without extensive research I've identified 14 Belgian internationals currently playing in the Prem. If a 19y-o version of Hazard, Kompany, Lukaku turns up, should we worry if he only spends half a season with us? Watford were the subject of derision last season for their foreign loans, but being in the play-off final is a wee bit better than being top of the rele-league. Surely we can live with it?
Let's give the man a chance to prove whether he's a serious football man or a carpet-bagger. I reckon if he attends to the P's - pitch, Sir CP and players, the Queues will follow.