If the fans dont unite and accept eachothers point of view with out ridiculing or belittling alternative view points as a sign of I care more than you this will not resolve in any form of favourable manner
Excellent article. Thank you. It is so sad that RD and his cronies picked on our club CAFC to ruin. The CEO is so out of their depth and out of touch with running a football club that it is tragic. One comment is that the atmosphere at the ground was clearly one of resigned apathy. Those that think about it and are worried for the future supported the protest. But an atmosphere of no one really cared about the result. RD and KM have torn the heart from the club. Unfortunately KM has done more damage by pathetic gimmicks, ridiculous appointments and disregard to the fans. I believe we will be relegated, struggle to get back into the championship. I will do the only thing I can, and that's not attend matches. I was first taken in 1961 by my dad to the Valley. I have been going ever since. But if RD and KM are running the club into the ground I will not be going next season. As someone in my 60s I feel KM will be pleased with that outcome.
I agree with nearly all of it. Sat here in Spain, watching my club being dismantled by a brainless millionaire too insulated by his money to see what he is doing, a CEO who is'nt worth a fart in a high wind, and now a manager who's CV should have been enough to mean if he wanted to see football at the Valley, he should pay along with the rest of the punters.
Yours isn't the only response I've heard recently from your age group @rememberbillybonds. So sad to hear after all the years you've had stamped in the Valley passport.
Doctor Davo understands your condition. You are totally, irretrievably, deeply in love with CAFC and "she" is dicking you around. Like she is so many of us. I feel and share your pain.
Great article. My worry is that Duchatelet in particular and Meire are not bothered with losing the majority of the support, particularly if those supporters are not prepared to go along with Charlton Athletic being down graded to a league one club. Somehow they feel that new supporters will miraculously appear to replace the supporters lost. Its a real Project 5,000. All the talk of premiership ambition, project 20,000 is totally laughable its so wide of the mark with actual events taking place at the club.
Excellent article. Thank you. It is so sad that RD and his cronies picked on our club CAFC to ruin. The CEO is so out of their depth and out of touch with running a football club that it is tragic. One comment is that the atmosphere at the ground was clearly one of resigned apathy. Those that think about it and are worried for the future supported the protest. But an atmosphere of no one really cared about the result. RD and KM have torn the heart from the club. Unfortunately KM has done more damage by pathetic gimmicks, ridiculous appointments and disregard to the fans. I believe we will be relegated, struggle to get back into the championship. I will do the only thing I can, and that's not attend matches. I was first taken in 1961 by my dad to the Valley. I have been going ever since. But if RD and KM are running the club into the ground I will not be going next season. As someone in my 60s I feel KM will be pleased with that outcome.
Get out you old bugger, you're not wanted, our CEO is aiming to bring in youngsters to take your place.......... but where are we going to get these kids ? Now comes the clever part, we've been looking in the wrong direction, it's West London that we should have been targeting. Katrien Miere you ain't got a clue !!!!!!!!!
Fantastic read, brilliantly puts into words exactly how I feel about the club. I am so disillusioned with it all, even a heavy defeat doesn't ruin my weekend like it use to. The club is a soulless entity.
Really well written @AFKABartram and captured the mood brilliantly.
For some reason Saturday's result has been the hardest to take out of all our failures this season. It feels like a line has been crossed, the empty seats, general apathy, fans turning on each other, even the return of the bloody sofa. The fact that when the third goal went in I felt no anger or frustration as I was expecting it.
"Hope" has been drained out of the club, and meanwhile there's been no indication that RD or KM believe they've made any mistakes, let alone admit to or address them.
It is sad to see so many fans totally disconnected with the club. It will be interesting to see if Saturday's protest has any impact on KM. I'd imagine progress will only be seen via the Trust and whether she looks to engage further.
Well put and sadly on the money I took the " easier" option of spending time with my kids, although I watched the game on telly with my sons , whose interest soon disappeared and we made an earlier than expected visit to poxy Bluewater I wrote a couple of emails to people yesterday at Charlton explaining the reasons why I'm not gonna be involved in match sponsorship or my sons being mascots further down the season as we had earlier indicated and previously done in the past I cc'd the CEO in on it , will she read it , will she care , who knows but the joke of a club we have become is linked firmly to this regime because even in previous worse footballing times it never felt anywhere near this bad or sad
An excellent article which resonates with most of us and surely must at least resonate in part with everyone.
For me, it's not like a row with the wife that you will both get over in time. It feels more like seeing a loved one in a depressed state, but are helpless to repair. Indeed, what makes it worse is that you feel worse is to come.
I don't get to see Charlton a lot these days but I find it hard to make the effort when I know this bunch will move on and be replaced by another bunch within a year or so. The frustrating thing is that what is wrong seems fairly obvious. If we go down, this relegation will be worse than the last one IMHO.
Well said Dan, it sums up a lot of how I'm feeling, in a kind of perverse way, I'm almost wondering if Roland wants us to go down, so he can play more academy players next season, and cut the wage bill even further.
I deal in logic, & what make sense,the way things are being done at the moment make no sense, and I fear for our club, alienating your customer base is not the way forward.
Great article and also highlights that there are probably many fans like me who hate the regime, hate what the club is turning into but are largely uninterested about doing anything constructive other than turning up as often as possible and trying to support the team.
The days when I used to have the hump all weekend and not buy a Sunday paper if we lost are long gone.
Fair play to AFKA and all the others on here that have made that extra effort. I think I fall into the category of silent protester..
I feel like a point of no return has been crossed by the club. Last year a few incoming players and results picking up puthe an end to the majority of discontent and those who stopen going for the most part returned. It will not be so easily repaired this time round. A few results will not cause this to go away.
Thanks for that Dan - speaks for me, as I find it so hard to articulate what I'm feeling. I walked away from Saturday's game lacking the anger or disappointment of years gone by at a poor defeat. In its place was indifference, and I wondered why I bother with it all.
I've been going to the Valley since the 70s, and I went to Selhurst Park and Upton Park. I was there at the triumphs of the return to the Valley and the Play Off final, and through 3 relegations. I was part of the sub-1000 Full-Members crowds, and watched us lose to a puddle in the final. I've been to Bury to watch a midweek 0-0, I've travelled all round the country to support our red-shirted men (well, a variety of increasingly bizarre coloured shirts) more in hope than expectation for much of it. I watched us grow as a club throughout the 90s and 2000s, and was proud that even on relegation to League One and some awful awful days we could still command a crowd and humour. In recent years I've got more involved in trying to make a difference through the Supporters Trust and Valley Gold.
More in hope than expectation. I think that's what's summed up my time supporting Charlton - it was never about expectation, always about hope. The reason the 90s/2000s were so enjoyable was because we didn't expect those years, but we knew the people running the club cared enough to build it slowly over the long term and crucially to take us with them, to make us part of the journey. It worked.
The hope is a dying ember for me. Our club is in the hands of people who think they know best, without for a second stopping to listen to those who have been the lifeblood of the club over several decades. I do hope that by finally agreeing to take the time to talk to supporters, Katrien intends to listen, to learn, to understand, to change and to influence change. I want to believe it's all been genuine mistakes rather than willful neglect - but many more indifferent walks away from the ground and I fear I'll be past caring.
Great piece as ever Dan, and a really important one I think.
Thanks for that Dan - speaks for me, as I find it so hard to articulate what I'm feeling. I walked away from Saturday's game lacking the anger or disappointment of years gone by at a poor defeat. In its place was indifference, and I wondered why I bother with it all.
I've been going to the Valley since the 70s, and I went to Selhurst Park and Upton Park. I was there at the triumphs of the return to the Valley and the Play Off final, and through 3 relegations. I was part of the sub-1000 Full-Members crowds, and watched us lose to a puddle in the final. I've been to Bury to watch a midweek 0-0, I've travelled all round the country to support our red-shirted men (well, a variety of increasingly bizarre coloured shirts) more in hope than expectation for much of it. I watched us grow as a club throughout the 90s and 2000s, and was proud that even on relegation to League One and some awful awful days we could still command a crowd and humour. In recent years I've got more involved in trying to make a difference through the Supporters Trust and Valley Gold.
More in hope than expectation. I think that's what's summed up my time supporting Charlton - it was never about expectation, always about hope. The reason the 90s/2000s were so enjoyable was because we didn't expect those years, but we knew the people running the club cared enough to build it slowly over the long term and crucially to take us with them, to make us part of the journey. It worked.
The hope is a dying ember for me. Our club is in the hands of people who think they know best, without for a second stopping to listen to those who have been the lifeblood of the club over several decades. I do hope that by finally agreeing to take the time to talk to supporters, Katrien intends to listen, to learn, to understand, to change and to influence change. I want to believe it's all been genuine mistakes rather than willful neglect - but many more indifferent walks away from the ground and I fear I'll be past caring.
Great piece as ever Dan, and a really important one I think.
Blimey, I could have written that. Identical in every way, including Bury away midweek.
Comments
If the fans dont unite and accept eachothers point of view with out ridiculing or belittling alternative view points as a sign of I care more than you this will not resolve in any form of favourable manner
It is so sad that RD and his cronies picked on our club CAFC to ruin. The CEO is so out of their depth and out of touch with running a football club that it is tragic.
One comment is that the atmosphere at the ground was clearly one of resigned apathy. Those that think about it and are worried for the future supported the protest. But an atmosphere of no one really cared about the result.
RD and KM have torn the heart from the club. Unfortunately KM has done more damage by pathetic gimmicks, ridiculous appointments and disregard to the fans.
I believe we will be relegated, struggle to get back into the championship.
I will do the only thing I can, and that's not attend matches. I was first taken in 1961 by my dad to the Valley. I have been going ever since. But if RD and KM are running the club into the ground I will not be going next season. As someone in my 60s I feel KM will be pleased with that outcome.
Doctor Davo understands your condition. You are totally, irretrievably, deeply in love with CAFC and "she" is dicking you around. Like she is so many of us. I feel and share your pain.
Katrien Miere you ain't got a clue !!!!!!!!!
I am so disillusioned with it all, even a heavy defeat doesn't ruin my weekend like it use to.
The club is a soulless entity.
For some reason Saturday's result has been the hardest to take out of all our failures this season. It feels like a line has been crossed, the empty seats, general apathy, fans turning on each other, even the return of the bloody sofa. The fact that when the third goal went in I felt no anger or frustration as I was expecting it.
"Hope" has been drained out of the club, and meanwhile there's been no indication that RD or KM believe they've made any mistakes, let alone admit to or address them.
Like our skipper, you never let us down with your wise words -especially from one so young.....
If only this could be printed on a hand out, we'd definitely be in danger of raising a decent number of those ostrich heads.
I took the " easier" option of spending time with my kids, although I watched the game on telly with my sons , whose interest soon disappeared and we made an earlier than expected visit to poxy Bluewater
I wrote a couple of emails to people yesterday at Charlton explaining the reasons why I'm not gonna be involved in match sponsorship or my sons being mascots further down the season as we had earlier indicated and previously done in the past
I cc'd the CEO in on it , will she read it , will she care , who knows but the joke of a club we have become is linked firmly to this regime because even in previous worse footballing times it never felt anywhere near this bad or sad
Very well written and very sad to read..
For me, it's not like a row with the wife that you will both get over in time. It feels more like seeing a loved one in a depressed state, but are helpless to repair. Indeed, what makes it worse is that you feel worse is to come.
I don't get to see Charlton a lot these days but I find it hard to make the effort when I know this bunch will move on and be replaced by another bunch within a year or so. The frustrating thing is that what is wrong seems fairly obvious. If we go down, this relegation will be worse than the last one IMHO.
I deal in logic, & what make sense,the way things are being done at the moment make no sense, and I fear for our club, alienating your customer base is not the way forward.
The days when I used to have the hump all weekend and not buy a Sunday paper if we lost are long gone.
Fair play to AFKA and all the others on here that have made that extra effort. I think I fall into the category of silent protester..
I've been going to the Valley since the 70s, and I went to Selhurst Park and Upton Park. I was there at the triumphs of the return to the Valley and the Play Off final, and through 3 relegations. I was part of the sub-1000 Full-Members crowds, and watched us lose to a puddle in the final. I've been to Bury to watch a midweek 0-0, I've travelled all round the country to support our red-shirted men (well, a variety of increasingly bizarre coloured shirts) more in hope than expectation for much of it. I watched us grow as a club throughout the 90s and 2000s, and was proud that even on relegation to League One and some awful awful days we could still command a crowd and humour. In recent years I've got more involved in trying to make a difference through the Supporters Trust and Valley Gold.
More in hope than expectation. I think that's what's summed up my time supporting Charlton - it was never about expectation, always about hope. The reason the 90s/2000s were so enjoyable was because we didn't expect those years, but we knew the people running the club cared enough to build it slowly over the long term and crucially to take us with them, to make us part of the journey. It worked.
The hope is a dying ember for me. Our club is in the hands of people who think they know best, without for a second stopping to listen to those who have been the lifeblood of the club over several decades. I do hope that by finally agreeing to take the time to talk to supporters, Katrien intends to listen, to learn, to understand, to change and to influence change. I want to believe it's all been genuine mistakes rather than willful neglect - but many more indifferent walks away from the ground and I fear I'll be past caring.
Great piece as ever Dan, and a really important one I think.