In fairness I think the food and service in the hospitality areas was pretty good....my major gripe when I was on the FF was the poor standard of food and staffing on the concourse (and a lack of imagination and funding). Paul said that they struggled to employ suitable people through whatever agency they used for the match day staffing. In isolation if you think about getting a gig for one day every fortnight for 9 months, youd intially think that was acceptable, however agency staff usually have multiple gigs on various days at varying venues, and my answer was to try a different agency or consider outsourcing the stall's to professional caterers like those you see at things like the Kent County show (not multi nationals). My biggest arguement with people within the club was how poor the match day experience was outside of the football....compared with many other parts of the world and closer to home look at how well Norwich fans are catered for inside (Delia's influence) and outside the ground. Ive mentioned before what was suggested so wont go over old ground, but I will say that there was always a reluctance to change anything or try out new ideas as those in power always knew better.
The meals are usually pretty good in the Hospitality areas and the staff are great - some we have got to know so well that I think of them as friends.
I do think that the prices now being charged are excessive though. Last weekend in the Keith Peacock Suite the meal was soup, roast beef or roast ham with roast potatoes and veggies and apple crumble, tea or coffee. Tea or coffee with pastries at half time and then tea or coffee at full time, You do get a programme as well and a seat in the West stand, but I believe the current price is £85 plus VAT. If you take off the costs of the seat, that still is a very hefty charge for what is not much more than a carvery meal.
Personally, I'd guess that "package" was worth £75 at most.
Perhaps Paul was suspended on the accusation of leaking info to the press/VOTV.
Let's be honest, it's a bit like Cluedo & there ain't many suspects left.
The Mysterons have done away wiv 'em all :-(
I feel a bit like that with what Clem snides said about his wife's firm. I assume Clem said what be did knowing she wouldn't get sacked for confidentiality I hope.
Perhaps Paul was suspended on the accusation of leaking info to the press/VOTV.
From what I've heard (yes its third hand, yes surprise surprise people talk, no I'm not.naming names) the basis of it is as pathetic as you could possibly imagine.
The way this club is run is as bizarre as you could possibly imagine
My take on the situation is the somebody has made the decision that Charlton fans should not be involved in the day to day running of the club as they make emotive decisions instead of business ones . Whoever came up with this knows nothing about football clubs or how they work because as all real football fans know , fans will sweat blood for the club you love. Whoever is making the decisions are not only risking the finances of the club bit the whole moral fibre of it.
The people who have left the club , I have no doubt , will be back at some stage but as long as the person / people in charge at the moment who making these decisions , are driving the soul of the club away , the only way we will go is downward and any current investment in the club might as well be flushed down the toilet .
I suspect the culprit of of these ridiculous decisions is at the the very top.
The one thing I am sure of us the supporters of Charlton Athletic are much , much more influential than the current regime think.
Chris Powell is a Spurs fan FFS! If you are doing a good professional job you don't let personal feelings get in the way.
My take on the situation is the somebody has made the decision that Charlton fans should not be involved in the day to day running of the club as they make emotive decisions instead of business ones . Whoever came up with this knows nothing about football clubs or how they work because as all real football fans know , fans will sweat blood for the club you love. Whoever is making the decisions are not only risking the finances of the club bit the whole moral fibre of it.
The people who have left the club , I have no doubt , will be back at some stage but as long as the person / people in charge at the moment who making these decisions , are driving the soul of the club away , the only way we will go is downward and any current investment in the club might as well be flushed down the toilet .
I suspect the culprit of of these ridiculous decisions is at the the very top.
The one thing I am sure of us the supporters of Charlton Athletic are much , much more influential than the current regime think.
Chris Powell is a Spurs fan FFS! If you are doing a good professional job you don't let personal feelings get in the way.
I know , which is exactly my point. The board dont seem to think that way.
I know it is a slight digression, but the West Stand Upper catering 'experiment' was ridiculous last game. The 'Beer Only' counter seemed worth a trial but the queues at the food and beer were ridiculous as a result. Behind the counter in the 'Beer Only' bit looked like a war zone with empty shelves where the other drinks and food normally are. It looked so shabby like a closing down sale. The young assistant didn't know what a shandy is and tried charging me £14. 60 for two halves of shandy. Before I get pelted, the shandy was for two women! Seriously, it looked very neglected and lacking in leadership behind the counters. Anyone else experience this?
i wouldn't disagree that the standard of catering left a lot to be desired. Let us assume ( as we don't know the details) that he was suspended for poor catering standards. Hospitals had the same problems but after the Jamie Oliver stunt, much real work went on and food standards have shown improvement. They didn't need to sack or suspend staff, instead they were helped to make improvements. Why couldn't the Valley have done this? One simple idea would have been to travel to Norwich for a day and eat in 'Yellows'. It was my best ever football meal ever, the dreaded Delia knows how to do food and her restaurants would have provided lots of ideas. Instead we've lost experience, further alienated other staff and we'll still get poor food but at a higher price. Bonkers.
I know it is a slight digression, but the West Stand Upper catering 'experiment' was ridiculous last game. The 'Beer Only' counter seemed worth a trial but the queues at the food and beer were ridiculous as a result. Behind the counter in the 'Beer Only' bit looked like a war zone with empty shelves where the other drinks and food normally are. It looked so shabby like a closing down sale. The young assistant didn't know what a shandy is and tried charging me £14. 60 for two halves of shandy. Before I get pelted, the shandy was for two women! Seriously, it looked very neglected and lacking in leadership behind the counters. Anyone else experience this?
Agreed. Wanted a hotdog at half time for my daughter. Did not realise one booth was now beer only. The beer only booth only had 3 people waiting (and quickly went to zero) whilst the other booth had about 30/40. The service was so slow I was about to give up. Many people would have missed the second half start or just given up. Don't think the experiment worked. I would also have to reluctantly agree that the counters look terrible - looks like a last minute change to have beer only so empty shelves and tills/serving counters that look past their useful life. The staff I have to admit looked inexperienced and so so slow.
I know it is a slight digression, but the West Stand Upper catering 'experiment' was ridiculous last game. The 'Beer Only' counter seemed worth a trial but the queues at the food and beer were ridiculous as a result. Behind the counter in the 'Beer Only' bit looked like a war zone with empty shelves where the other drinks and food normally are. It looked so shabby like a closing down sale. The young assistant didn't know what a shandy is and tried charging me £14. 60 for two halves of shandy. Before I get pelted, the shandy was for two women! Seriously, it looked very neglected and lacking in leadership behind the counters. Anyone else experience this?
At half time behind the east the queues were very short, i thought to myself either; There is a mass diet going on, The reported 10,000 season ticket sales was a typo with an extra "0" Or the beer only queues were an instant success. Just before the second half kicked off I looked along the concourse and there was hardly any rubbish at all. At least if the cleaners are on zero hour contracts we'd have only paid fo about a quarter of an hour.
I know it is a slight digression, but the West Stand Upper catering 'experiment' was ridiculous last game. The 'Beer Only' counter seemed worth a trial but the queues at the food and beer were ridiculous as a result. Behind the counter in the 'Beer Only' bit looked like a war zone with empty shelves where the other drinks and food normally are. It looked so shabby like a closing down sale. The young assistant didn't know what a shandy is and tried charging me £14. 60 for two halves of shandy. Before I get pelted, the shandy was for two women! Seriously, it looked very neglected and lacking in leadership behind the counters. Anyone else experience this?
At half time behind the east the queues were very short, i thought to myself either; There is a mass diet going on, The reported 10,000 season ticket sales was a typo with an extra "0" Or the beer only queues were an instant success. Just before the second half kicked off I looked along the concourse and there was hardly any rubbish at all. At least if the cleaners are on zero hour contracts we'd have only paid fo about a quarter of an hour.
Come on lets not run away with ourselves. Attendence is always low in August as many people who have bought season tickets are still away on holiday. I imagine PE is suspended because the board are continuing with their plans of removing most (all) of the old regime and there is always an associated cost to that. It happens, it doesn't make them the worst employers in the world, even if it doesn't make them the best.
So I'll go back to sticking my head in the sand, and you lot all stick to predicting the apocalypse and the board will continue doing what ever it is they are doing. Which of us is better off?
just a pure coincidence like all the others, that long serving members of staff have all of a sudden been spotted that they are shit at their jobs......... perleeeeeeease
what we are lacking is a chairman who knows his football has the best interests of the club at heart , has a business brain and the experience of running their own company , that may have been involved in a football club before
then these two at the top could just be led by this person and allow things to move on
“One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship.” ― George Orwell, 1984
This whole saga is beginning to make CAFC sound like the Khymer Rouge or some other nutty third world dictatorship where if you question the supreme leader you risk being dragged out of your home by your ankles at dawn and shot in front of your kids.
Comments
Let's be honest, it's a bit like Cluedo & there ain't many suspects left.
The Mysterons have done away wiv 'em all :-(
I feel a bit like that with what Clem snides said about his wife's firm. I assume Clem said what be did knowing she wouldn't get sacked for confidentiality
I hope.
The way this club is run is as bizarre as you could possibly imagine
Sounds like the Kremlin
Seriously, it looked very neglected and lacking in leadership behind the counters. Anyone else experience this?
There is a mass diet going on,
The reported 10,000 season ticket sales was a typo with an extra "0"
Or the beer only queues were an instant success.
Just before the second half kicked off I looked along the concourse and there was hardly any rubbish at all. At least if the cleaners are on zero hour contracts we'd have only paid fo about a quarter of an hour.
I imagine PE is suspended because the board are continuing with their plans of removing most (all) of the old regime and there is always an associated cost to that. It happens, it doesn't make them the worst employers in the world, even if it doesn't make them the best.
So I'll go back to sticking my head in the sand, and you lot all stick to predicting the apocalypse and the board will continue doing what ever it is they are doing. Which of us is better off?
the whole higher mgmt of the club is in a tailspin of paranoia,
then these two at the top could just be led by this person and allow things to move on
any takers ???
― George Orwell, 1984
This whole saga is beginning to make CAFC sound like the Khymer Rouge or some other nutty third world dictatorship where if you question the supreme leader you risk being dragged out of your home by your ankles at dawn and shot in front of your kids.
This is supposed to be a football club.