Duchatelet recants

An "Updated History of Charlton Athletic" will devote several chapters to the last four years of Roland Duchatelet's ownership. Ultimately, it will not be kind to the absent owner and it will tell of an engaging and dramatic struggle between his executive management team and the clubs' supporters (through the supporter group's coalition, CARD). 

It will detail a long sequence of events which show the 'regime' in charge (Meire, Keohane & Co) being accused by CARD of failing the supporters, making ill-informed decisions or telling blatant porkies in the course of spectacular mismanagement and an historic decline. The story-lines are all similar and have the Regime strongly denying what they are accused of, only for time and events to prove them wrong and/or expose their lies.

The current classic is "the club is not for sale" and "Roland is here for the long haul." This has been trotted out over the last twelve months following the intervention of Pitch PR/Tom Rubbashaw when they tried to wipe the slate clean with the "we have made mistakes and we have learnt from them" mantra.

For much of 2017 rumours have been rife, despite intense secrecy, that the Australian Football Consortium (AFC) were attempting to buy the club and that other subsequent bids have been made, notably by what is believed to be a revised Aussie consortium. The club attempted to deny any sale or that Roland's long-term commitment was in doubt, famously telling us that speculation wasn't "helpful." 

So, the Times article yesterday in which Duchatelet is quoted saying "actually, I wanted to leave football after the sale of Standard Liege" makes clear his intentions to sell. He also says in relation to his remaining clubs "I haven't decided anything, I am open to possible offers,"which leaves us wondering whether this is all just paving the way for an announcement of a sale or if it's a last-ditch pitch for alternative interest?

Either way, we appear to be firmly in the end-game and we can only hope and pray for a swift conclusion to this disastrous Regime which is already a full year past it's sell-by-date.  New ownership will bring it's own challenges and risks but it will also bring a fresh start and the optimism of once again having owners whose primary ambition is to develop and grow the club we all love, but which Roland Duchatelet has only seen play once or twice in four years of ownership.