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***CARD Statement: 27th Jan - Post Blackburn and future protests***

A meeting of the Coalition Against Roland Duchâtelet (CARD) has taken place to review the success of Saturday’s protest and plan further action for forthcoming home matches against Bristol City and Cardiff City on February 6th and 13th, respectively.

CARD is grateful for the strong support and warm encouragement it received from Charlton supporters at the Blackburn Rovers game, with around 80 per cent of fans taking leaflets and Roland Out stickers and up to 3,000 people at the post-match demonstration.

We believe spending at the game was down by well over half. Although fans had not been asked to boycott Jackpot ticket sales, only catering, merchandise and programmes, CARD noted that the Jackpot prize money was reduced to £225, which is easily the lowest of the season and around half the average for a Saturday match.

There was extensive media exposure for the campaign with pictures of the enormous post-match protest broadcast by both Sky Sports and Channel Five, following a lunchtime feature on Sky’s Soccer Saturday including an interview with Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust chair Steve Clarke.

There was extensive coverage in the Guardian last Friday, the Times on Saturday and the Observer on Sunday, as well as the Sun, the Daily Telegraph and the Football League Paper earlier last week. CARD supporters have also appeared on BBC London and talkSPORT.

An independent media analyst has valued the coverage generated over the last fortnight to be worth in excess of £100,000 if bought by a commercial company.

Meanwhile, the six-day-old CARD petition at www.ourcharlton.org.uk to get owner Roland Duchâtelet to sell up is nearing 5,000 signatures.

During the post-match protest on Saturday, one person threw a bottle at the west stand building. CARD regards such behaviour as unacceptable because it is dangerous, and also unhelpful to the campaign because it alienates other fans. However, the conduct of those taking part in the protest remains overwhelmingly excellent and a credit to our supporters and to the club as a whole.

The latest meeting has formulated a series of further protest initiatives, with a particular focus on the next two home games. Most details of these will be announced at midday on the matchdays themselves. We are confident that these initiatives will command very widespread support and participation. However, in order to keep the club guessing, they will not be trailed in advance.

In the meantime, because of the overwhelming backing for the black and white initiative - based on Charlton’s 1947 FA Cup final colours - CARD is to purchase a further 500 scarves for distribution at the Bristol City game. Details of how these will be handed out will be announced shortly.

We would like to thank all protesting Charlton fans for their support and assure them that there is much more to come from CARD over the next few weeks.

For more information, follow us on Twitter @charltonCARD or at www.facebook.com/CharltonCARD/
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Comments

  • Links now working
  • edited January 2016



    In the meantime, because of the overwhelming backing for the black and white initiative - based on Charlton’s 1947 FA Cup final colours - CARD is to purchase a further 500 scarves for distribution at the Bristol City game. Details of how these will be handed out will be announced shortly.

    http://forum.charltonlife.com/discussion/71310/another-429-black-white-scarves-being-given-out-before-bristol-city-free-but-donations-welcome#latest
  • You missed out coverage on the Guardian Football Weekly Podcast, which I believe is the most widely listened to podcast (in this country at least).
  • se9addick said:

    You missed out coverage on the Guardian Football Weekly Podcast, which I believe is the most widely listened to podcast (in this country at least).

    We were mentioned on this two episodes on the bounce.
  • 80 per cent of fans taking leaflets and Roland Out stickers and up to 3,000 people at the post-match demonstration. Shame that a lot of supporters wearing black and white scarves and Roland out stickers walked past the entrance to the West stand car park and went home/pub/chip shop. Surely half an hour at the protest wouldn't have messed up their Saturday evening too much.
  • Yeah, saw it too, disappointing.

    80 per cent of fans taking leaflets and Roland Out stickers and up to 3,000 people at the post-match demonstration. Shame that a lot of supporters wearing black and white scarves and Roland out stickers walked past the entrance to the West stand car park and went home/pub/chip shop. Surely half an hour at the protest wouldn't have messed up their Saturday evening too much.

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  • AKFA, great news but if you are only making announcements at midday how is everyone going to have enough time to prepare banners for 'everyone get ejected for waiving a banner day'?
  • Love the new banner.
  • Petition signed.
  • Next protest should be a sit in after the final whistle. Would cause much more disruption as they'll be used to the car park by now
  • The £100k figure is astonishing.
    What a brilliant set of fans we have.

    That's the bit that jumped out at me, an absolutely brilliant figure.

    I'm wondering what the subsequent costs to try and counter that coverage would be? That's without factoring in additional policing costs, staff overtime, renting of barriers, reduced merchandise sales and so on..
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  • I think the protest needs a bit more structure and leadership in the form of person with tannoy, someone to lead the singing, drum, platform for any speakers, someone to shout out a regular list of things we are protesting about; it needs a bit more for people to follow else they will leave early. The protest needs to be something people look forward to rather than do reluctantly. Any attempt at moving towards this will get better results.
  • I think the protest needs a bit more structure and leadership in the form of person with tannoy, someone to lead the singing, drum, platform for any speakers, someone to shout out a regular list of things we are protesting about; it needs a bit more for people to follow else they will leave early. The protest needs to be something people look forward to rather than do reluctantly. Any attempt at moving towards this will get better results.

    Jim Davidson could be given a platform and tell jokes about the regime. :-)
  • Dansk_Red said:

    The Valley Express coaches wait for no man or woman. That could be an acceptable excuse.

    Yeah you could be right,but I thought the Valley Express coaches left from the Woolwich Rd. these people were walking up towards Church Lane. Not having a go at anyone, just a bit disapointed to see people walking away when their presence would have been a welcome addition to the after match protest
  • 80 per cent of fans taking leaflets and Roland Out stickers and up to 3,000 people at the post-match demonstration. Shame that a lot of supporters wearing black and white scarves and Roland out stickers walked past the entrance to the West stand car park and went home/pub/chip shop. Surely half an hour at the protest wouldn't have messed up their Saturday evening too much.

    I was there at 1.30 handing stuff out but had things on in the evening and a young family I had already spent most of the day away from. I am sure there are plenty similar, I wouldn't judge people who don't make every protest.
    Fair play. You along with the other volunteers gave up your time earlier in the day when you could have been either at home or having a few pre match beers. Without your efforts the protests would struggle. But I find it hard to believe that all of these supporters were in the same position as you. We need to encourage these people to give a bit of their time to add numbers to after match protests otherwise I can see our beloved C.E.O. saying that we are still in a minority. We know different.
  • I think the protest needs a bit more structure and leadership in the form of person with tannoy, someone to lead the singing, drum, platform for any speakers, someone to shout out a regular list of things we are protesting about; it needs a bit more for people to follow else they will leave early. The protest needs to be something people look forward to rather than do reluctantly. Any attempt at moving towards this will get better results.

    Jim Davidson could be given a platform and tell jokes about the regime. :-)
    I remember he hosted a back to the valley dinner people said he was entertaining and funny.
  • Dansk_Red said:

    The Valley Express coaches wait for no man or woman. That could be an acceptable excuse.

    The coaches leave 20 mins after the final whistle If we attended the protest ( as we would like) we would be stranded

  • I think the protest needs a bit more structure and leadership in the form of person with tannoy, someone to lead the singing, drum, platform for any speakers, someone to shout out a regular list of things we are protesting about; it needs a bit more for people to follow else they will leave early. The protest needs to be something people look forward to rather than do reluctantly. Any attempt at moving towards this will get better results.

    CARD agrees . . .
    We can all sing Kumbaya.

    "The song was originally a simple appeal to God to come and help those in need."
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Roland Out Forever!