The CAS Trust welcomes the Q&A with Richard Murray published today on the Club website and covered in the Evening Standard. However, we are disappointed that many key concerns and frustrations of supporters have not been addressed. The Trust has been committed to meaningful dialogue and would therefore welcome a response from the Club’s directors to the following questions raised by our members:
•Why are the same mistakes still being made in player recruitment and underestimating the Championship two years on?
•We are informed that the wages budget has increased by 40%, yet the league position is worse and the squad seems weaker. What has gone wrong and how will the club address this?
•Why is Karel Fraeye still interim head coach? Does the board genuinely believe that Karel Fraeye has the knowledge and experience to get Charlton out of the relegation zone? If not, what is being done to recruit a permanent manager?
•The stated strategy is to be a financially stable club, who can be competitive in the Championship, but has Premier League ambitions. In our view this is a goal, not a strategy. Katrien Meire described her proposition as being uniquely focused on being able to watch young footballers in the shop window before they’re sold to Premier League clubs and become stars. Is this consistent with Premier League ambition for Charlton?
•What does the club understand to be the reasons that fans are protesting in large and growing numbers?
•Why does the Club, contrary to the commitments of the Club’s Charter, repeatedly fail to respond to correspondence from fans politely expressing their concerns?
•What does the club intend to do to rebuild the relationship with fans?
•Why was the recent approach from Peter Varney ignored?
Read more
here.
Comments
Has it been emailed to the Big 3?
2) because Roland is tight so our scouting network is pants
3) because Roland is tight and doesn't want to pay for a proper manager
4) no - because Roland is tight and chasing $$$ from selling players while imcompetent club officials (because Roland is tight and won't pay a proper CEO) are trying to tell us what they think we want to hear
5) because Roland is tight and doesn't want to pay for a proper back room structure
6) because, bizarrely, Roland still thinks he can make money out of our club
However, no timescales as to a response has been given. A polite request to respond to the Trust questions need to include time speak and if an agreed deadline is not met, then a clear explanation as to how the Trust will act and react if the set timetable is not met.
Otherwise we will just continue to get the platitudes we received earlier today.
Personally I don't think it matters about not having a deadline, the Trust can "impose" one at a time of their choosing if the Directors don't respond. The Trust can choose a time which best suits the cause.
As a member I'm glad to see the Trust leading a fans response in this matter.
For those who aren't members and who have been saying they'd like to see the Trust a wee bit more aggressive (sorry, aggressive is the wrong word really but it's getting late and it's the best I've got
And give them to the evening standard to ask
But as said without a time scale for a response or a consequence if they don't respond they can and most likely will be ignored by the club.
They should, if picked up by the media, go some way to countering yesterday's attempted whitewash of the problems.
If there is no consequence for the club they don't act.
We have seen that with the protests.
Within days of the protests and subsequent media attention they responded with yesterday's press release.
They won't respond to the questions until they feel have to.
What happens if they don't respond ?
What happens if they do respond and we don't like what they say ?
When should they respond by ?
1: Put at time limit on a reply from CAFC, suggest 21 Jan just before Blackburn game.
2: Just leave it on your web site
3: Send it to the KM, RM, RD and put a time limit on the reply
4: Make it into a press release to all local and major media outlets
5: If no reply make a leaflet out of it and hand out at next home match
They saw fit to respond when they did, we've come back in less than 24 hours to point out some key areas where their communication is remiss.
The priority the club places on its response will tell us much more than their adherence to an arbitrary deadline. And indeed about their true intentions for what they put out there yesterday.
If not the latter, then it should, otherwise it's just another website piece.
If there is no deadline the club can ignore the questions, it is time for the Trust to take off the gloves and join the fight.
The most important thing that should now be obvious to RM and KM is that there is no difference between the Trust and the other active fan groups about what the key issues which are vexing all reasonable fans of Charlton Athletic.
Yes we will make sure this is seen not just by the Club Board, but also the media.
Just a thought but do we need to add something about the need to replace the incompetent CEO whose position has become untenable as she has ostracised and insulted the fanbase, and who is clearly out of her depth?
Let me remind you of one of the objectives in your constitution:
4.2 achieving the greatest possible supporter and community influence in the running and ownership of the Club;
with your current action you are not fulfilling that objective.