While the majority of fans have welcomed the takeover and new owner for CAFC it's perhaps a sign of the low regard the JH/MS/KC regime that the response has been so positive.
While "actions will speak louder than words" I do have some reservations about the new ownership. Time will tell how good an owner Roland will be but let's not be too optimistic yet ...
From what has been written here and from other sources on the web it seems clear to me that our new owner is not "a football man" but simply an invested looking to make a "turn" on his investment (muck like the previous owners). He is unlikely to have the long-term interest of the club as his priority - rather how he can monetise his investments in football. You can argue he sees football clubs in general (not just Charlton but his host of clubs in his stable) as assets that he can extract greater value from than they currently return - otherwise why invest millions of euros in these ventures? He can't play the card that as a kid he used to follow the Addicks with his old man standing on the east terrace and now after a successful business career wants to put something back!
As one example just look at the first club in Belgium he owned: it has been widely reported that while nominally having relinquished control he still pulls the strings and his girlfriend now owns the ground and the club pays her a reported annual rent of several hundred thousand euros. I hope this is wrong but as I understand it they have gone from a club with no debt and owning their own ground to one with debts, a proxy ownership and paying an inflated rent to play on their own pitch.
From what I can see or read he's not universally loved by Standard liege fans either.
I hope it doesn't happen but a similar scenario could play out at the Valley. Roland sells the ground to another company he owns and charges the club an annual rent to play there - while CAFC still pick up all the costs of running the facility. This way he can extract a seven figure from the club .... And I am sure there are other clever financial engineering that could be deployed. Cleverer people than me I'm sure will have a hat full of ideas on what could be done.
Of course the best hope is that the footballing interest of the club will be aligned with a best financial return for our new owner: invest substantially in the football side, boost revenues by getting promoted and join the Premier league gravy train ..... But does he have the financial resources to really mAke that happen?
The first big test will be the transfer window. Does he give SCP the resources he wants? Or does he palm off on the club the payers he wants (rather than what SCP needs?). Signs are not promising but I do appreciate this is very early days.
Anyway let's all hope that this scenario is not played out and that I am just being a Jonna but I am still to be convinced this is a fairly tale ending we all want to see. It may be just more of the same ... Let's hope I am wrong!
Well Sevenoaks, whilst most of us hoped that Roland was here to take us somewhere near the Promised Land (or another PL anyway) you win the award for being the voice of reason at the time of the takeover.
While the majority of fans have welcomed the takeover and new owner for CAFC it's perhaps a sign of the low regard the JH/MS/KC regime that the response has been so positive.
While "actions will speak louder than words" I do have some reservations about the new ownership. Time will tell how good an owner Roland will be but let's not be too optimistic yet ...
From what has been written here and from other sources on the web it seems clear to me that our new owner is not "a football man" but simply an invested looking to make a "turn" on his investment (muck like the previous owners). He is unlikely to have the long-term interest of the club as his priority - rather how he can monetise his investments in football. You can argue he sees football clubs in general (not just Charlton but his host of clubs in his stable) as assets that he can extract greater value from than they currently return - otherwise why invest millions of euros in these ventures? He can't play the card that as a kid he used to follow the Addicks with his old man standing on the east terrace and now after a successful business career wants to put something back!
As one example just look at the first club in Belgium he owned: it has been widely reported that while nominally having relinquished control he still pulls the strings and his girlfriend now owns the ground and the club pays her a reported annual rent of several hundred thousand euros. I hope this is wrong but as I understand it they have gone from a club with no debt and owning their own ground to one with debts, a proxy ownership and paying an inflated rent to play on their own pitch.
From what I can see or read he's not universally loved by Standard liege fans either.
I hope it doesn't happen but a similar scenario could play out at the Valley. Roland sells the ground to another company he owns and charges the club an annual rent to play there - while CAFC still pick up all the costs of running the facility. This way he can extract a seven figure from the club .... And I am sure there are other clever financial engineering that could be deployed. Cleverer people than me I'm sure will have a hat full of ideas on what could be done.
Of course the best hope is that the footballing interest of the club will be aligned with a best financial return for our new owner: invest substantially in the football side, boost revenues by getting promoted and join the Premier league gravy train ..... But does he have the financial resources to really mAke that happen?
The first big test will be the transfer window. Does he give SCP the resources he wants? Or does he palm off on the club the payers he wants (rather than what SCP needs?). Signs are not promising but I do appreciate this is very early days.
Anyway let's all hope that this scenario is not played out and that I am just being a Jonna but I am still to be convinced this is a fairly tale ending we all want to see. It may be just more of the same ... Let's hope I am wrong!
Well Sevenoaks, whilst most of us hoped that Roland was here to take us somewhere near the Promised Land (or another PL anyway) you win the award for being the voice of reason at the time of the takeover.
It pains me to say - you weren't wrong!
That post is uncannily correct in its reservations and warnings.
Does PV post on 'ere? Doesn't he live in Sevenoaks?
I'm sure there's one or two on here who could confirm whether or not it is one and the same but who might not want to breach that confidentiality.
Strange that the person in question offers such an insight and then doesn't then log in again - though clearly may well be reading everything that is said on here.
I refer you all back to the observations made by the Belgian geezer - none of which seemed particularly like this guy was good news. If I were you lot, I'd reserve judgement for at least a few months to see how the land lies. I'm not convinced that this takeover is in the best interests of Charlton Athletic.
Blimey, I did't think this would turn out well for you lot, but I didn't expect it to be this bad
Comments
Am I warm, Airman ?
Just has visions of Eileen D rubbing her rosemary beads over Sollys groin strain!
Simple things annoy me, Kick-off at chelsea today, Saggers says "over to Stamford Bridge where Ian Darke is your commentator." No. It's Dants.
As I say....apologies....just get your own radio station right please.
[Edit: I put Talksport into the search and this thread is what came up].
millwall.vitalfootball.co.uk/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=109623&start=1
Feeder club my arse.
It pains me to say - you weren't wrong!
Strange that the person in question offers such an insight and then doesn't then log in again - though clearly may well be reading everything that is said on here.