It's quite clear that something radical needs to happen at Charlton to prevent the debts dragging the club under. There's lots of different possible solutions being suggested, from administration to selling the Valley, but one that no-one has suggested so far has a lot more going for it than you'd think.
Why doesn't the club go part-time (ie part-time players who have other jobs, rather than full time players)?
A lot of non-league clubs (eg Woking and Ebbsfleet) are considering switching to part-time at the moment. Though the salary savings aren't huge - part-time players purportedly cost 75% of full-time salaries - there are a lot of people who want to play football as well as having another job, a sensible option in today's economic climate, especially given the shortness and sudden (injury-caused) ends of many football careers.
The advantages of Charlton going part-time are:
(a) There will be a hude difference in salaries, 75% of usual non-league wages is probably about a tenth of our current wage bill, a saving that instantly takes us out of the red and into the black in terms of next year's budget (ie the debt won't get any bigger over the season).
(b) Being far and away the 'biggest' part-time team (several divisions above most of the rest) means we would be an attractive proposition and could likely hoover up the best part-time players around.
(c) Being based in London, within commuting distance of around a quarter of the UK workforce, means a big base of players to draw on (bearing in mind they have other jobs). It also makes it more likely that part-time players from elsewhere in the country could relocate and find a similar job.
(d) Part-time players are less likely to have the characteristics and trappings so often associated with full-time pros. They will likely be more grounded individuals (given their simultaneous career away from football) rather than members of the Baby Bentley and bling set.
I'm not suggesting we become "a" part-time team, I'm suggesting we become THE BIGGEST AND BEST PART-TIME TEAM in the country. Would that mean players of a good-enough standard to be competitive in the third tier. I don't know, no-one's ever tried it before, but we can but give it a go...
[The Academy is a separate issue: If it pays for itself, with incoming transfer fees covering all operating costs, it should continue, with players taught a trade alongside football - which might already be the case. Most people who graduate from our Academy end up playing at part-time clubs anyway. If it doesn't pay for itself then perhaps, until our finances improve, it should be shut down. Sad though that is to say. These are severe times that call for severe measures.]
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Now imagine being in a situation where we can attract THE VERY BEST of those part-time players from around the country. Effectively, the England (and other countries) national part-time team playing in Charlton shirts. Yes, part-time players raise their game for the FA Cup, but wouldn't they be doing that every week at the Valley, raising their game to match their full-time opponents with the roars of 15-20,000 fans behind them. An entire team of FA Cup giant killers. Could it work? There's only one way to find out.
In fairness to you I think Henry has got you wrong & you're not a WUM ..................
I'm suggesting a temporary measure to stabilitise the finances until economic recovery and a possible buyer for the club is found. Should the club make the championship there would presumably be funds to have a mix of full- and part-time players (as many clubs do), and in the Premiership it would likely be unfeasible to have any part-time players. It would be a real Roy of the Rovers story if a part-time club could do that though.
I can't name the players as I don't know much about non-league (I'm no Jonathan Ackworth). As it happens, I think there might be people out there who played football to a high level at school/uni before going on to a high powered job, who wouldn't consider playing for a pokey non-league club, but would dust off their boots if the opportunity to play in the Football League (alongside their job at PriceWaterhouseCoooper) presented itself?
An example from another 'sport' is John Bradshaw Layfield, a genuine millionaire stock market investor who also competed as a wrestler in WWE on the side. Can we find good quality footballers lurking in the offices of Canary Wharf? People who'd never dream of chucking their fancy suit-and-tie job, but wouldn't mind playing football on the side? As I say, we won't know until we try...
would have the same outcome at the end of the season but would save 100 % on wages.
I thought the biggest wind up over the last couple of days on this forum was arranging a concert where 10,000 people would pay to watch Lee Ryan and a singer who no one has heard of in Charlton Park or the Valley Car Park, but this is something else.
In my searching I did find this article in the Guardian that seems to agree with my suggestion:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/feb/09/football-league-part-time-regional
Palace fan. There's no need forthat kind of abuse ;0)
You can't name the players because there aren't enough you complete tw*t.
However, I played for my school team so no doubt you'd have me playing up front !
So WUM or imbecile which is it.
Perhaps, they've let you out for the weekend ?
I'm open to that possibility as well : - )
LOL read a book then educate yourself.