Predictable Duchatelet falls for CARD trick

A few weeks ago a delegation from the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) managed to get a meeting at the Belgian embassy in London with official, Alain Leroy. The meeting was ostensibly to complain about the mismanagement of CAFC by Roland Duchatelet. The CARD statement following the meeting was innocuous enough given that there were very low expectations that the Embassy officials could or would seek to do anything as a consequence. 

In particular, CARD made the point that M. Leroy was relatively well informed about events at Charlton (more so than Duchatelet) concerning the reneging on bonus payments to lowly paid staff and the ridiculously notion proposed by Duchatelet that the EFL should purchase the club from him. The CARD statement went on to say that M. Leroy said he would make officials (local and regional government as well as the police) in Belgium aware of the meeting but was clear that they would not interfere in what was essentially a private matter between Duchatelet and the clubs' supporters. That was very clear and, I think, recognised by Charlton supporters who wouldn't have expected any more.

Roll forward to yesterday and the latest club website rant from Duchatelet. Bemused is probably the best word to describe's Duchatelet's piece entitled "information regarding a meeting with the Belgian Embassy." In another very weird statement from The President, he appears to tell us nothing more than we already knew and actually includes the CARD statement which explains what the meeting was about and the outcome. It begs the question, what was Duchatelet trying to achieve here in the week the club focuses on the most important game since he took over?

I wish I could give an obvious answer but I can't. His statement adds nothing to what's already happened and offers no conclusion other than the Embassy haven't taken any action against him (which CARD acknowledged they wouldn't). I am left with the odd notion that Duchatelet was, once again, piqued by CARD's audacity and a little embarrassed that the story broke in Belgium and felt that he needed to respond or be seen to have been out-manoeuvred again by CARD. Sending his Belgian Gofor to the Embassy to determine what had already been openly reported was a little desperate. It's just that having nothing more to add exposes Duchatelet's childish need to try and score points, even when he cannot and his response simply makes him look evermore the idiot we know he is. De Truck may have met someone more senior than Alain Leroy, which will have given Duchatelet some sort of satisfaction, but it doesn't change the story.

Meanwhile, Lee Bowyer and his side will battle to win a lucrative Wembley play-off this week that will help Duchatelet cut his operating losses this season (by £1-2m?)and maybe restore the club to the division we were in when he bought us. What are the odds the child-pensioner is planning to take the credit for Bowyer's success? Perhaps he will be able to turn his refusal to replace Kim Grant in January into a positive? By then he might also be reflecting that he has lost the man responsible for the success by failing to extend his contract in good time. If Bowyer does end ups signing, I really hope he leverages his position hard...