I'm only directing this at fans that specifically don't want to go to the valley and attend games because they don't want to fill the owners pockets....otherwise, if it wasn't for that, they would be attending. Any other reason for not attending is absolutely none of my business and nothing I can possibly question.
I feel cheeky saying the following in this post as....Im in Canada and I probably snuck out the country just at the right time in relation to football matters.
I had a rough week in my personal life. No need to explain. The fact that I've just stated I had a personal problem on ere is embarrassing enough. I've over came stuff and I'm absolutely over the moon. To the point where I actually go back to a quote from curbs "never get too happy or too down about anything". What he said was obviously about charltons results!
Roland isn't doing this for money. He's got enough. He doesn't even make good use of his money...on anything normal-ish people can relate to anyway.
If Roland comes out and says "look at this Rolex and all this bling....I specifically used the money to get this from stupid Charlton fans wasting dosh on home games".
"That 3rd of revenue for me equals sex drugs and rock n roll"
If any scenario like that does apply...as he's most likely invested in another shed for another batch of duck tape. He could publicly brag about that but then, rightly so, a white van will soon be parked outside his house.
What I've learnt recently is that you can't fight hate with hate or repression....or running away! It would be simpler if it was a boxing match, but it's not.
I think a ground full of "Roland Out" banners ...."we love our charlton more"
There are plenty of ways to make it clear that you still think the regime are the pathetic bunch they are.
It can be overcome.
Otherwise a bunch of morons...and the football hating moron king, Mr Roland Duchatelet, has influenced your behaviour. Don't let that be.
News flash. He doesn't give a flying monkeys whether Charlton win or lose or whether or not you turn up to the games.
He's a 70 year old tosspot that still knows nothing about football.
Don't let people that are beneath many things, like silly sausage Katrien Meire, wind you up to the point
Where it stops you from doing the thing you wanted to do.
I know it's hard and this probably doesn't make sense and I fear if I was back in Engand, I would be a hypocrite because I really would maybe not fancy going.
Really no point in worrying whether or not some bloke from Belgium "is winning".
You can go to the game, have an amazing fry up beforehand then go to a decent pub....then take the piss
Out of the regime during the match.
"I knew they'd come crawling back" is something Roland will never think or
Never say, because he doesn't give a sh*t about the club in any format. He probably wants to strip the assets but for now, will make sure people are just still guessing, via hiring a British manager along with a few relevant signings.
The smokescreen of 2016.
The club needs to be off this blokes hands because it's all just so toxic. I've changed my mind as I'm writing this post.
But maybe think about it
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Comments
Charlton supporters should retain hope that continued smart opposition will strongly encourage Duchatelet to sell up. If the regime were not bothered by the supporters attendance, then why falsify / distort the first home games attendance with freebies and comps ? Thats not just a futile attempt to gain new supporters to replace all the ones that Duchatelet & Meire have aggravated from the club. Why the constant Meire's foot in mouth attempts to try and sell the Duchatelet stategy to the general media ?
I appreciate the direction you are speaking from @Dave21 but it is good for opposition to continue. I don't intend to renew my season ticket or purchase anything from the club until they sell up. There's lots of different. positive & entertaining ways to show opposition. The Duchatelet overall project is failing badly and one home victory against Shrewsbury doesn't change that.
Duchatelet is just an arrogant, inept idiot who thinks that he can load Charlton with debt, charged at 3% interest for a succession of badly executed decisions and an inept, flawed strategy. If by some miracle the strategy works then Staprix profits and if everything as likely goes pear shaped then they still profit at 3% (in the short term). A reward for failure. Then Duchatelet has the audacity to try and sell the club at an inflated price from what was purchased and expect someone else to pick up the tab for loss of value, & appallingly executed inept strategy.
It is offensive & appalling in its arrogance and idiocy. It is one of the things that I really hate about Duchatelet and Meire at Charlton.
Would Duchatelet do that ? I really don't know why, he would expect anyone else too. Jimensz had to sell because they run out of money. Duchatelet's project is losing money and will continue to do so. Add in Brexit and protests with no easy way to make money off the real estate without very significant opposition and delay that Charlton supporters would cause in that process. Duchatelet hates losing money and the visionary, although stubborn will see that the only end game is to sell. It is not a question of if but when. Hopefully sooner rather than later but Charlton supporters have to keep up the creative & astute opposition.
Remember, RD and KM are not just attempting to change the business operation of Charlton they have, by wilful design or sheer ignorance, disengaged with the fan base and have lost sight, if they ever had it, of the heart and soul of the club.
You are missing the whole MO of multi-millionaires. Everything they do is for money or about money - his stated aim to break even is about money, even if it might not be about making money, it is centred around filthy lucre...
You are right about what they (and he in particular) do with it. It is not about what it can get you, merely the acquisition of more of it.
Boycott some games, all turn up and protest at others.
Looking around the covered end last saturday afternoon and Tuesday night and it was full of people that are there for the social side of the game, the hope of seeing a good match and if they are lucky a win and if they are really lucky a good season. The signs are they are going to get all of these. Boycotting makes no sense because if the team does well then others will go to the valley (a la premiership years) buy the tickets and sit in those vacant seats.
Belgians out !
But I'm not being "hurt" by boycotting, not relatively. The thought of giving that ****another penny makes me feel sick and that would really hurt.
So I'm choosing not to go, for the sake of my own sanity and well being.
Meire's line that somehow all the committed, loyal supporters will be replaced by uncommitted ones, turning up for the social side of the game without much concern for quality on the pitch or worry much about the results. Meire's mythical Tottenham taxi driver.
It is an idea that springs from people who are not true football supporters or understand how football supporter work. This is a fundamental flaw in the business planning in misunderstanding what football supporters are about. Meire in particular does not understand this or she would not have come up with that ridiculous restaurant analogy. It is the 'customer' loyalty the want so badly but don't understand where that loyalty springs from. It is also misunderstands that supporters won't easily let go and will hold out against a clueless and badly executed strategy.
Football support is also about perserverance, faith and belief and a love of the game. Success does not come from luck but from hard work, striving for and continuing to do the right thing.
Duchatelet & Meire really should listen to the American football league counterpart at the infamous Dublin conference, who really understood how football supporters tick. If there is not a coherent plan for success on the pitch and striving to be the best on and off the pitch, that it is not going to be sold to anyone. If the midfield is not addressed in short term then Charlton will struggle to compete against the better teams in the league, you won't get sufficient uncommitted supporters paying good money to see that.
I will continue to provide not a penny more but don't feel like I am hurting myself.
Edit I will attend the games where in stadium protests are announced.
Football is not like a T20 cricket (with all due respect to true cricket supporters) where there is a whole lot of gimmicky window dressing as there is a lack of confidence in the core product. I went to a Surrey T20 cricket match about a month ago and the game was almost incidental to the majority of the people attending. It was tolerable to have a beer in the sunshine for something, people didn't seem bothered about. The cricket was a backdrop.
Football is not like that and there is much focus and intensity in watching the game. If you are on the phone or not engaged in the game, it is not a very good game. A great football game will take all your attention and there is much more theatre. It also much more challenging and effort to watch a winter mid week evening game on a freezing night or very cold bleak Saturday afternoon.
The Duchatelet football vision as articulated by Meire is based on an utterly flawed perception and consequently doomed to failure. Reality will dawn on Duchatelet in the money he is frittering away. IMO Duchatelet will sell.
This season is going to be like a diet for me. Short term pain for long term gain.
I'll go to very few home games, but plenty of away games to get my fix and support the team.
I'll be back when our arrogant owner and his impotent stooge have gone.
I didn't go Tuesday night despite being off work but I did miss it and followed the game from my iPad. I probably go to some matches this season but it will depend on how I feel on the day, how the team are playing, who we are playing, what the weather is doing and if there is still a pub open.
Once out of a habit it gets easier to find excuses reasons to do something else. I probably be there next game but Charlton can no longer count on my support week in week out.
Roland might want to rewrite football finances, (I think he's on a loser there), he's actually saving me bundles.
In reality, the people who boycotted Selhurst were vastly outnumbered by others who would have watched top flight football at The Valley but said no, not there, not in these circumstances - we can't be bothered.
That's what Meire and Duchatelet are achieving with their "unique offer" to watch the future stars of other clubs.
No need to argue about that - Meire was very clear that's what they want the club to be. It's only "unique" in the sense of being foolish as an objective and many absent fans are simply saying no, not now, not with you in charge - we can't bothered.
They can only fail.