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CARD Statement: 22nd July
CARD
Posts: 140
Charlton fans protesting against the relegated club’s owner Roland Duchatelet and chief executive Katrien Meire have pledged not to disrupt the team’s opening matches in League One this season, but vowed to continue their campaign against the regime.
The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) staged a series of interventions in the closing months of last season, interrupting play on multiple occasions by throwing beach balls and other soft items onto the pitch.
It also organised a series of protests outside the stadium, involving thousands of Charlton supporters angry at the way the club has been run since the current owner took control in early 2014.
Russell Slade became Duchatelet’s sixth managerial appointment over the summer, while the club continues to see a huge turnover of players. Duchatelet himself has not attended a home match since October 2014. And around half of last year’s season-ticket holders have so far failed to renew, leaving the club with its lowest season-ticket sales for two decades.
A CARD spokesperson said: “While we welcome Russell Slade’s appointment, we have seen a number of false dawns under Duchatelet already and can have no confidence that Slade or any other manager will be allowed to succeed while Katrien Meire remains as chief executive, in particular. We also see failings on the pitch as a symptom of a much deeper problem, and therefore our campaign will continue regardless.
“However, we do recognise that there is a risk that disrupting games to protest at the very start of Slade’s tenure and of a new season without seeing how things unfold could be seen to be destructive of itself. As fans, we all want the team to succeed and that will always inform our actions. Unlike the club we have also listened to the views of Charlton supporters generally, and there is a quite reasonable desire to give Slade a fair wind. Therefore we are making it clear at this stage that we do not plan to disrupt any of the club’s League One or League Cup matches in August.
“This should not give the administration any comfort. We have shown what we can do and this does not mean there will be no protests of any kind, simply that we will not seek to interfere with the matches themselves. We can and will embarrass the regime time and again this season. We will review the overall position and our tactics again in September, part of which process will involve listening to the views of our hundreds of volunteers and activists on the best way forward."
CARD has also declared its intention to oppose the imposition of extra charges to use the club’s ticket office, with a new £2.50 fee for buying in person and a £3 increase in adult and senior concession prices on a matchday.
The club already turns away personal callers wanting to buy tickets on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The spokesperson added: “We are not aware of any other professional football club in the country that will not serve supporters at its ground during normal business hours and the £2.50 punishment charge at the window also appears to be unique - and indeed weird.
“These charges are symptomatic of the incompetent approach of the club’s administration and coupled with its confusing and inadequate online booking facility are only likely to damage Charlton further.”
CARD does not support any protests that involve xenophobia or misogyny and does not encourage or endorse the throwing of flares and smoke bombs in any context. It will continue to liaise closely with the Metropolitan Police this season in the interests of public safety.
The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) staged a series of interventions in the closing months of last season, interrupting play on multiple occasions by throwing beach balls and other soft items onto the pitch.
It also organised a series of protests outside the stadium, involving thousands of Charlton supporters angry at the way the club has been run since the current owner took control in early 2014.
Russell Slade became Duchatelet’s sixth managerial appointment over the summer, while the club continues to see a huge turnover of players. Duchatelet himself has not attended a home match since October 2014. And around half of last year’s season-ticket holders have so far failed to renew, leaving the club with its lowest season-ticket sales for two decades.
A CARD spokesperson said: “While we welcome Russell Slade’s appointment, we have seen a number of false dawns under Duchatelet already and can have no confidence that Slade or any other manager will be allowed to succeed while Katrien Meire remains as chief executive, in particular. We also see failings on the pitch as a symptom of a much deeper problem, and therefore our campaign will continue regardless.
“However, we do recognise that there is a risk that disrupting games to protest at the very start of Slade’s tenure and of a new season without seeing how things unfold could be seen to be destructive of itself. As fans, we all want the team to succeed and that will always inform our actions. Unlike the club we have also listened to the views of Charlton supporters generally, and there is a quite reasonable desire to give Slade a fair wind. Therefore we are making it clear at this stage that we do not plan to disrupt any of the club’s League One or League Cup matches in August.
“This should not give the administration any comfort. We have shown what we can do and this does not mean there will be no protests of any kind, simply that we will not seek to interfere with the matches themselves. We can and will embarrass the regime time and again this season. We will review the overall position and our tactics again in September, part of which process will involve listening to the views of our hundreds of volunteers and activists on the best way forward."
CARD has also declared its intention to oppose the imposition of extra charges to use the club’s ticket office, with a new £2.50 fee for buying in person and a £3 increase in adult and senior concession prices on a matchday.
The club already turns away personal callers wanting to buy tickets on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The spokesperson added: “We are not aware of any other professional football club in the country that will not serve supporters at its ground during normal business hours and the £2.50 punishment charge at the window also appears to be unique - and indeed weird.
“These charges are symptomatic of the incompetent approach of the club’s administration and coupled with its confusing and inadequate online booking facility are only likely to damage Charlton further.”
CARD does not support any protests that involve xenophobia or misogyny and does not encourage or endorse the throwing of flares and smoke bombs in any context. It will continue to liaise closely with the Metropolitan Police this season in the interests of public safety.
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Comments
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I like CARD.
Always a reasoned measured approach.
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We can and will embarrass the regime time and again this season. Although, to be fair, we won't do it as well as they do it themselves.25
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That's Katriens jobChizz said:We can and will embarrass the regime time and again this season. Although, to be fair, we won't do it as well as they do it themselves.
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Well if there's not going to be any match interruptions, then I'm definitely not renewing.
That was the only bit of excitement a lot of us had at Charlton home games last season.27 -
disappointed personally, I was going to post the other day that from the first match we need to show them that we have not gone away and that we still mean business. Oh well.3
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Classy CARD, as always..0
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Your absence will have a greater impact.LargeAddick said:disappointed personally, I was going to post the other day that from the first match we need to show them that we have not gone away and that we still mean business. Oh well.
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Very, very disappointing. We need to heap the pressure on, not ease off3
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During the game only. Pre and post match protests to continue I expect.AdamCAFC said:Very, very disappointing. We need to heap the pressure on, not ease off
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We need to get promoted, not relegatedAdamCAFC said:Very, very disappointing. We need to heap the pressure on, not ease off
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CARD hitting Fanny's spot as always.21
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we need KM and RD to feck off, end of. I'd take relegation if it meant seeing the back of those two.letthegoodtimesroll said:
We need to get promoted, not relegatedAdamCAFC said:Very, very disappointing. We need to heap the pressure on, not ease off
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A very good idea, given that
1) The club have appointed a manager with British experience
2) The window doesn't close until the end of August.
3) There is a risk of "protest fatigue"
I do not believe anything has changed with this regime, but I think that protesting during the first match(es) of the season could backfire from a PR standpoint. The club would have every right to come out and say "we did what you asked, we hired a British manager, and there is still time in the window." And they would technically be right on both counts (and the fact that the window doesn't close until a month into the season is a silliness that is not their doing).
It is far easier to pick up the protests in September once we've seen the final squad for the first few months of the season assembled and, shock surprise, JJ and Crofts are our first choice central midfield pairing. But you can't "undo" protests so to speak.
This is a PR battle, and I am always impressed and proud of how CARD handle PR. This is a very measured approach, and one that ensures there is no risk of long-term backlash. For the public narrative to change, CARD only has to be wrong once, unfortunately, whereas the regime by nature of being in situ in the club have a seemingly unlimited number of "lives." It's excellent that CARD leadership recognizes this, and takes their time over such decisions, clearly measuring things from a strategic perspective, rather than just an emotional one. It would be easy to let emotions get in the way, one only needs to read the posts about those torn on renewing season tickets to see just how straining this is on everyone, but this is a marathon not a sprint.
Though I may not agree with them on all of their public-facing stances (namely that a British manager is an improvement), I am incredibly proud to have CARD represent me as a Charlton supporter.27 -
Good statement, as tempting as it is to carry straight on if CARD did this they would lose support from some parts of the fan base.
If come end of the transfer window it looks like the rat has again not provide the manager with a squad that can lats and compete a whole season then match disruption can be bought back in.4 -
And I'd give them another chance if we get promotion.LargeAddick said:
we need KM and RD to feck off, end of. I'd take relegation if it meant seeing the back of those two.letthegoodtimesroll said:
We need to get promoted, not relegatedAdamCAFC said:Very, very disappointing. We need to heap the pressure on, not ease off
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I suspect set piece events, at least initially, are no longer a good strategy. I also believe the media 'war' is largely won in terms of the credibility of the regime. I imagine we are entering an attritional stage where a drip drip approach will be the form of the protests.11
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Any promotion would be despite them, not because of the regime.letthegoodtimesroll said:
And I'd give them another chance if we get promotion.LargeAddick said:
we need KM and RD to feck off, end of. I'd take relegation if it meant seeing the back of those two.letthegoodtimesroll said:
We need to get promoted, not relegatedAdamCAFC said:Very, very disappointing. We need to heap the pressure on, not ease off
We need the current "leadership" out, and a new ownership that has an idea what football ownership is about.13 -
What a sad comment.LargeAddick said:
we need KM and RD to feck off, end of. I'd take relegation if it meant seeing the back of those two.letthegoodtimesroll said:
We need to get promoted, not relegatedAdamCAFC said:Very, very disappointing. We need to heap the pressure on, not ease off
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Completely agree. Being in the third tier really moves us out of the "public spotlight." Just look at Blackpool and the contrast in coverage between last year and two years ago.seth plum said:I suspect set piece events, at least initially, are no longer a good strategy. I also believe the media 'war' is largely won in terms of the credibility of the regime. I imagine we are entering an attritional stage where a drip drip approach will be the form of the protests.
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Excellent statement.1
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Fair play to CARD, they still have my full support and my season ticket hiatus continues unabated ...3
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Spot On.
No good disrupting games from the start as many of the players out there are new & need to find their feet - wont help if the first few games it all starts going off arounf them.
However, if by sept things haven't improved on & off the pitch AND it can cleanly be seen that money hasn't been invested into the team & more asset stripping has happened then full steam ahead with more protests etc etc5 -
I'm torn on this.
On the one hand I want to see every competitive game disrupted, so much so that we become untenable as a football club thereby forcing Roland to sell as every game would end up being played behind closed doors.
On the other hand I realise that idea goes against the fact that I'm a Charlton fan and despite hating the regime want the team to win promotion and return to the Championship at the earliest opportunity.
On balance then, CARD appear to have got it spot on... although I look forward to September and the recommencement of disruptions after the transfer window shuts and we have a sqaud of 8 senior pros and twenty kids while 12 points adrift at the bottom of the table.
EDIT: except I don't "look forward" to that at all as I hope that we're top of the league by then and beginning our charge to promotion. I said I was conflicted on this!
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Initially disapponted as I read the statement but after ten minutes' reflection it's the grown up thing to do. Sadly, I fear that come September it will be a resumption of hostilities.1
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In CARD we trust !!2
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Right approach if you ask me. I do hope there is something before/after one of the early games. I have missed shouting very angrily at someone.5
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Yikes - this kind of implies CARD's main objective is to support the Interim CEO...BowieAddick said:
That's Katriens jobChizz said:We can and will embarrass the regime time and again this season. Although, to be fair, we won't do it as well as they do it themselves.
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Correction.letthegoodtimesroll said:
And I'd give them another chance if we get promotion.LargeAddick said:
we need KM and RD to feck off, end of. I'd take relegation if it meant seeing the back of those two.letthegoodtimesroll said:
We need to get promoted, not relegatedAdamCAFC said:Very, very disappointing. We need to heap the pressure on, not ease off
You'd give them another chance if we go down again.0 -
Disrupting games is soooooo last season4
