Following the success of Charlton supporters highlighting their issues concerning governance of the Club to a potential commercial partner a fortnight ago (which resulted in
coco5 withdrawing their commercial plans), CARD are calling on Charlton supporters to again highlight their concerns to the Club’s current shirt sponsors –
The University of Greenwich.
Charlton supporters were wholeheartedly delighted when the University of Greenwich announced their partnership agreement with the Club in June 2014, and fans have been proud to adorn the University’s name as a respected local institution on our shirts for the last two seasons.
However, at a time when the University will no doubt be planning their future budgets, we are keen for supporters to bring to their attention the level of disenchantment currently aimed at the Club’s governing regime throughout the community that the University of Greenwich seek such positive involvement.
Page 22 of the University’s 2015 Annual report states:"community is about a common sense of pride and a sense of belonging. It’s about recognition for the university as a great place to work, study and do business. That means everyone being heard, valued, empowered and listened to, involving our communities of staff, students and alumni as well as neighbours, partners, suppliers and other stakeholders.”
Charlton supporters feel this is the
exact opposite of the way the regime governing Charlton have worked; lifelong supporters are ignored and not responded to, whilst our community values and pride continue to regress rapidly as supporters become further and further alienated from their Club.
This regime continues to attract negative headlines both in the national press and from respected people in the world of football for the way in which the club has been governed and the way the supporters have been treated. Local Greenwich MPs have also requested meetings with the Club to express the concerns that are impacting on the local community.
By supporting this regime, the University of Greenwich (via their shirt sponsorship) are being emblazoned in negative headlines reporting what supporters and football experts see as the potential destruction of a football club that for over a 100 years has been at the heart of this community.
We are not seeking for the University of Greenwich to break their commercial deal with the Club, but we do wish for supporters to bring to their attention the negative impact of association with the Club in its current state. We also wish to highlight how proud Charlton supporters would be for the University of Greenwich to continue to work in partnership with, and potentially extend their support, for the
Charlton Athletic Community Trust.
The multi award-winning Trust is a pillar of the local community, and something all supporters are proud to be associated in the name of Charlton Athletic.
The CEO of
coco5 stated recently how impressed and influenced he was by the universally polite and heartfelt approaches his company received from Charlton supporters. We encourage all supporters to please act in the same way and express their concerns to:
Professor David Maguire at: vice-chancellor@gre.ac.ukAnd via the University’s social media vehicles.
https://www.facebook.com/www.gre.ac.ukhttps://twitter.com/UniofGreenwichRegards
CARD
#WeWantOurCharltonBack
Comments
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Dear Professor Maguire
I understand you may shortly be reconsidering your sponsorship of Charlton Athletic and am writing, with heavy heart, to urge that you do not renew.
Charlton supporters were delighted when the University of Greenwich announced their partnership agreement with the Club in June 2014, and fans have been proud to have the University’s name as a respected local institution on our shirts for the last two seasons. However, times have changed quickly, and for the much worse.There is a very large and growing level of disenchantment, incredulity and anger with the Club’s governing regime throughout the local community and the footballing world in general.
Why does this affect the University? In your own words (Page 22 of the University’s 2015 Annual report):
"community is about a common sense of pride and a sense of belonging. It’s about recognition for the university as a great place to work, study and do business. That means everyone being heard, valued, empowered and listened to, involving our communities of staff, students and alumni as well as neighbours, partners, suppliers and other stakeholders.”
We couldn’t agree more, but Charlton supporters feel this is the exact opposite of the way the regime governing Charlton have worked; lifelong supporters are ignored and not responded to, whilst our community values and pride continue to regress rapidly as supporters become further and further alienated from their Club. This regime continues to attract negative headlines both in the national press and from respected people in the world of football for the way in which the club has been governed and the way the supporters have been treated. Local Greenwich MPs have also requested meetings with the Club to express the concerns that are impacting on the local community.
By sponsoring the shirts, and thus supporting this regime, the University of Greenwich are being emblazoned in negative headlines reporting what supporters and football experts see as the potential destruction of a football club that for over a 100 years has been at the heart of this community.
We are not seeking for the University of Greenwich to break their commercial deal with the Club, but your association with the Club in its current state is very damaging to your own brand. Alternatively, Charlton supporters would be delighted for the University of Greenwich to continue to work in partnership with, and potentially extend their support, for the Charlton Athletic Community Trust. The multi award-winning Trust is a pillar of the local community, and something all supporters are proud to be associated with.
Thank you for taking the time to read my message.
Kind regards
Alan
@UniofGreenwich Please don't Sponsor @CAFCofficial They don't care about us the WONT care about you!
@UniofGreenwich Please don't Sponsor @CAFCofficial They Tarnished our Great name! don't let them do that to you!
@UniofGreenwich. You aspire to excellence and strong community. #cafc settle for mediocrity and alienation. Don't tarnish your brand.
Tweaked @Davo55 template and sent to: vice-chancellor@gre.ac.uk
Also mentioned that they were granted university status in 1992, the same year we returned home.
But they may be able to put more pressure on the university, they'd have contacts etc.
I write as a former student (during the days when the University was known as Thames Polytechnic) and supporter of Charlton Athletic FC since 1963.
I was delighted that two precious institutions of significance in my life had come together when I first heard that the University of Greenwich was to sponsor the Charlton Athletic shirts.
However since then it has become increasingly apparent that the policies and actions of the present Club ownership are wilfully destroying Charlton Athletic as a competitive football club for its own purposes. I do not make such an assertion lightly. Charlton's results on the field have been indifferent for the majority of the 53 years I have supported the Club so I am inured to failure on the pitch. The fundamental difference is that previous ownerships genuinely tried but failed to progress the playing side of the Club. This ownership simply does not care and wants to utilise the Club, at whatever level, to showcase young players for future resale and has no ambition to progress the Club itself on the field of play.
I appreciate that the University must discharge the present obligations to Charlton that it has signed up to but would implore you, or whoever decides these matters, not to sign the University up to any future sponsorship deals with this present ownership for the reasons given.
It would be very sad for me personally to see a SE London institution I love and was once part of financially assist in the destruction of another SE London institution I love.
Thank you for your time.
Yours sincerely
Len
*Sent by email