Is it healthy that we seem to know so much about what is going on at Charlton?

killerandflash

This last week, we've all been on tenterhooks with our club's finances, inside information revealing backers pulling out, new money going in, then not enough, so we're doomed, then we bring in 2 players etc

It's almost like ball by ball commentary or a fly on the wall documentary.

In the old days, pre internet, a small number of people within the club knew what was going on, and that was that unless they told their mates down the club. Thus clubs could go through genuine crises without anyone knowing what had happened. When you think back to the turbulent times between 1990 and 1992 before we went back, when we were losing a fortune at Selhurst and especially at Upton Park, directors were going broke, contractors were pulling out etc The club could easily have folded, but managed to keep going though cash injections, the VIP scheme and sudden player sales like that of Robert Lee. I'm sure this process was made easier BECAUSE we the fans weren't 100% in the loop and discussing every development 24 hours a day. It's hard enough firefighting without having to explain every action to the public, or watch what you say in case it gets leaked.

The events of the last week haven't been comfortable and we might still be in the brown stuff, but I suspect we've been in this situation many times before, but the club were able to resolve the problems in private...

AFKABartram

No different to any other football club, we just don't follow those clubs in such detail.

Loco

Only as long as you eat your five portions of fruit and veg a day plus three portions of fish a week. A little exercise too wont come a miss, but dont over do it.

PL54

Do we actually know ?

gilbertfilbert

No.

PL54

There we go - await facts

gilbertfilbert

Agreed.

ShootersHillGuru

In answer to the original question. Yes. It's very concerning to me that I don't know who owns the club. I don't know if they have their own or the clubs best interests at heart and I don't know what they will do if things don't go well. I'm certainly prepared to give them every benefit of the doubt but I want to find out as much as I can about all of them.

boogica

In answer to the original question. Yes. It's very concerning to me that I don't know who owns the club. I don't know if they have their own or the clubs best interests at heart and I don't know what they will do if things don't go well. I'm certainly prepared to give them every benefit of the doubt but I want to find out as much as I can about all of them.

totally agree been saying it for ages who really owns our club.

dizzee

I do

johnny73

I'm not sure anyone outside the boardroom really knows what's going on. I trust a couple of the sources but even information they have passed on may have become dated very quickly. What is clear is that the internet and this forum have shown both the positive and negative of instant (partial) information. On the negative side, conspiracy theories have gone wild and because we don't know the truth any single comment where individual board members are slighted could impact on the future of the club. On the plus side it is much easier to engage in a call to action for fans to start a campaign. We've also had a split in fans on here from believers to non-believers and those inbetweeners like myself who don't know what to believe and are letting things play out a little more.

ken from bexley

But the point is do we know what is going on at Charlton.......
Lots of opinion and speculation, assumption and debate, which on a football website is what you sign up for, is it not.
I am unsure as to who actually are the owners, what is our exact financial position, in regard that can we operate at this level and break even.
Besides Slaters statement, the club have not commented.
Shall we say that some of us are concerned about the future of CAFC, that it is not sold on to the highest bidder, and that the 'fans 'do not have a say in all of this, except stop going.......
I tend to agree that we do not really know what is going on, and as the last poster states probably only the boardroom does, although recent events may or may not support that idea over recent months if you choose to believe the rumours.
Is there really any harm in asking questions.......wether the club chooses to answer them is another question.

kimbo

Personally have no idea what is going on if anything, not panicking and looking forward to a new season

stilladdicted

With PV and RM at the helm, I came to expect that things weren't going well, there were cock ups and we were likely to end up in difficulties. But I knew who they were and I trusted them as individuals. This time around it's very different and I don't have that trust. It's been a bit like having 24 hour news where instant sexy results are needed and studied reflection and research get overlooked in the pursuit of the hyped up here and now. But that should never stop people asking the questions or seeking out the truth.

'If a thousand old beliefs were ruined in our march to truth we must still march on.' ~Stopford Brooke

Powell Is Pleasant

Personally have no idea what is going on if anything, not panicking and looking forward to a new season

Thank you, I thought I was the only one. I'm looking forward to the football club I support playing football matches.

cafctom

Not sure if there's much I can add on top of what has already been said.

I don't think it is healthy personally. People treat the club like a family member and seemingly worry more when they know EVERYTHING that's happening (or at least think they do).

ShootersHillGuru

Not sure if there's much I can add on top of what has already been said.

I don't think it is healthy personally. People treat the club like a family member and seemingly worry more when they know EVERYTHING that's happening (or at least think they do).

It's a very valid view but one I personally can't subscribe to. I know some fans are happy just to turn up week in week out and give their wholehearted support to the team and have a view that the club itself is something that they have no influence over and is as remote as any other corporate entity they use, be it Asda or Vodaphone. To me Charlton Athletic is a football club and that's the key word - club. I feel I have real affinity even love of all things regarding my club. I want it to thrive and I feel a bond with other club "members" I think of Charlton at least as many times a day as anything else in my life and I know that there are others even more entwined with the club than I. I feel passionately that the custodians of my club should be Worthy of my trust in keeping it safe and when I hear that things are not well I worry. Nothing wrong in feeling the need to know who these custodians are so that I feel secure my club is in good hands and be able to apply pressure if I feel I need to. None of this makes me any better a supporter than anyone else because at the end day we all want what's best for our club but I'm glad there are people who felt like me in our recent history because without those people I doubt I would be writing this.

SoundAsa£

I'm a 'somewhere in betweener'.
But I do think there's some almighty brinkmanship, bluffing and counter bluffing going on in the boardroom at present and someone sooner or later is going to be on their way out....exactly who where and when is another matter.
When that happens (hopefully ASAP), I have an inkling that money worries will significantly improve.

jdsd42

they say a little lknowledge is a dangerous thing .........

Lets win the championship and discuss at the end of the season.

Curb_It

Perhaps people are more ready to open their mouths when things are going awry with the current owners as they feel no loyalty to them? People seemed to be much more tight lipped on what was going on with the old guard when there were numerous boardroom splits (Derek Chappell etc) over the the last few years. We found out about them afterwards.

killerandflash

Perhaps people are more ready to open their mouths when things are going awry with the current owners as they feel no loyalty to them? People seemed to be much more tight lipped on what was going on with the old guard when there were numerous boardroom splits (Derek Chappell etc) over the the last few years. We found out about them afterwards.

But then people had less knowledge of what was going on back then. If internet pages were full of stories of cash crises, splits between Murray and Alwen, Varney falling out with Curbishley over transfer policy etc would we have thought differently about those who ran the club?

As someone has said, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

francis4england

Do you think as fans we should have the rite to know what is going on behind the scenes? I feel that without the supporters the club is nothing and we should be told who is backing the club finacially and what is going on because at the end of the day its us who really care about the club and its future. I would like the club to come out with a statement but I dont see it happening to be honest.

Rob62

When it's in the interests of the club they will let us know, when it's not they won't.

Curb_It

Perhaps people are more ready to open their mouths when things are going awry with the current owners as they feel no loyalty to them? People seemed to be much more tight lipped on what was going on with the old guard when there were numerous boardroom splits (Derek Chappell etc) over the the last few years. We found out about them afterwards.

But then people had less knowledge of what was going on back then. If internet pages were full of stories of cash crises, splits between Murray and Alwen, Varney falling out with Curbishley over transfer policy etc would we have thought differently about those who ran the club?

As someone has said, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

I'm not talking as far back as even that tho? Just pre takeover.

ShootersHillGuru

Going back to my point on my earlier post. Is Charlton Athletic a business or a club ? Of course the former and to make it work it needs to be run just like any other business but there are significant differences. Asda for example might be able to attract new customers from Sainsburys with clever advertising and keep them by good pricing policy and customer service to promote brand loyalty but this cannot be compared to the brand loyalty in football. Nomatter what Charlton do it's virtually impossible to attract followers of say Millwall to switch allegiance. Clever advertising and smart promotions might be able to attract new or floating football fans but fundamentally Charlton Athletic is the fans. We are the most important commodity it has and it's only us fans that really care. Do you seriously think TJ or MS would feel as devastated as you or I if this venture went tits up ? Fans should take an active interest and ask as many questions as possible.

Blucher

There are pros and cons, although it certainly wouldn't help the board if they were trying to resolve issues in the glare of publicity. The same applies if we have to make a forced sale - self-evidently, we don't want to be doing that from a position of acknowledged weakness. The old, revered regime of Richard Murray, Peter Varney et al kept things very tight and that was a smart and effective way of running the club.

A different situation now, of course, and we know the current owners ( whoever they are ) and Jiminez want out within 2 years. That leaves me feeling a little uncomfortable but we were not spoilt for choice in terms of potential purchasers, were we ? Not surprising, given the recession and the basket case economics of football.