Based on what I have heard and read about the Aussie bid, I can't say I'm disappointed if it has come to nothing. I want Roland gone as soon as we can get rid, but not to another inadequate owner. Turning into the new Pompey and lurching from one bad owner to another will be no better for us than sticking with the current lot until someone genuinely better wants to buy us.
I worry Roland is turning potential buyers off by having some stupid clause or kicker or he wants to keep the stadium, or some other low-class crap that he would not be above pulling.
I worry Roland is turning potential buyers off by having some stupid clause or kicker or he wants to keep the stadium, or some other low-class crap that he would not be above pulling.
I suspect the same, mate. Especially if Katrien's nonsense about the Jimmy Seed stand is anything to go by, i.e "it's a safety issue and we will have to do some work on it". Considering it's been confirmed that there's no safety issue, and she was simply lying, I wonder if she's laying the groundwork for some changes there.
Ultimately though, Roland has massively inflated the asking price for the club, and without The Valley we're an even less attractive proposition. Ideally he'd be looking to sell as he'd realise it's both an embarrassment (i.e CARD shenanigans) and a waste of money (i.e monthly losses). If that's the case, and he's genuinely trying to work on his exit strategy, then I'd like to imagine that he's hating every moment he's still involved here.
Not to mention, for the Aussie consortium it surely would've been a deal-breaker. If their eventual aim was to go for IPO, then you would've expected that they'd want the healthiest balance sheet possible - including all the assets they could get their hands on. Arguably our most valuable asset will be our property. (I'm not an accountant, but that's how I see it anyway!)
If you carefully chart our progress by any measure (league position/revenue/attendance etc) since Roland put Ms Nightmeire in charge of the most disastrous sporting gap year in history, then we are ultimately headed for non-League football in front of crowds of a few hundred.
Logically, he has four options:
1. Sell now. 2. Sell later for much less. 3. Replace Ms Nightmeire with someone who has at least a superficial knowledge of how to run a whelk stall. 4. Hang on to the bitter end just for the hell of it, in defiance of all logic.
Tragically only one of those seems to fit the facts. Maybe its time to campaign for Option 3 instead of Option 1 on the basis its better than 4.
It is likely that Duchatelet attempting to hold onto the stadium to claw back the money he inexpertly wasted, and / or an unrealistic sale price is likely to be an issue.
All the rubbish strategy about 'developing' the Jimmy Seed stand & safety is part of the regieme thinking aloud with regard to possiblities if potential owners don't bite at the inflated price / poor condition that Duchatelet is trying to sell for.
Charlton supporters can encourage Duchatelet to consider lowering his terms and making him realise that no good is going to come from him trying to hang onto the club - regarding his finances or reputation in Belgium.
If you carefully chart our progress by any measure (league position/revenue/attendance etc) since Roland put Ms Nightmeire in charge of the most disastrous sporting gap year in history, then we are ultimately headed for non-League football in front of crowds of a few hundred.
Logically, he has four options:
1. Sell now. 2. Sell later for much less. 3. Replace Ms Nightmeire with someone who has at least a superficial knowledge of how to run a whelk stall. 4. Hang on to the bitter end just for the hell of it, in defiance of all logic.
Tragically only one of those seems to fit the facts. Maybe its time to campaign for Option 3 instead of Option 1 on the basis its better than 4.
I have been saying for sometime that we don't know enough about Duchatalet's character. Ok...we know he can be ruthless but (and this is a very significant question), can he also be vindictive? If he is......then we're quite possibly fucked!
So not just the AFC bid where Duchatelet wanted to keep The Valley, but appears to be a condition of any sale. We can't let that happen. Has to be all in. He can't be trusted.
Won't let me on it now, let me straight on from Facebook. Didn't say all that much, main thing was the guy who is advising has links to Bolton but Charlton also mentioned. Said there was still a few clubs being looked at. 'Underachievers' who they could get back to the prem.
So not just the AFC bid where Duchatelet wanted to keep The Valley, but appears to be a condition of any sale. We can't let that happen. Has to be all in. He can't be trusted.
Exactly, I believe if he holds onto the Valley. one way or another we are f'd.
RD's continuing involvement with this club will be the death knell of the club. Happy days as we head off to a summer of rumour, conjecture, vain hope and eventual heartache!
If he wants to retain The Valley as part of any sale then that is maybe why KM seems so sure of staying out. She might be here to manage the ground and whatever else he builds on the site.
He needs to go but not in a way that he can still ruin the club.
He is not holding onto the ground due to happy memories, so one assumes he has plans to develop part of it.
Given the nonsense Daisy is spouting one would guess it involves the south end of the ground. Is there anyway we could find out if the plannind department has a view as to if that would be possible?
HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson is advising an Australian consortium plotting the takeover of a UK soccer club.
The four-time premiership coach has been in talks with Australian Football Consortium Ltd (AFC), which wants to buy an underperforming English team and take it to the Premier League.
The group, led by prominent management consultant Gerard Murphy, is undergoing a “confidential capital raise” with the aim of acquiring $55 million from investors.
Clarkson, who met with AFC directors before the start of the AFL season, has strong links with Bolton Wanderers — now in third-tier League One — and has helped facilitate introductions.
Clarkson’s experience in building a club from the ground up has also enticed him to the soccer project.
Socceroos great Mark Schwarzer and Australian national coach Ange Postecoglou are also part of an advisory group operating pro bono.
The consortium has appointed consultants Deloitte to do feasibility studies on six clubs, with beleaguered Charlton Athletic and Coventry City believed to be among them.
Murphy, who engineered Geelong’s leadership group overhaul in 2007 and has worked for Crystal Palace and the Rugby Football Union in England, said the goal was simple.
“We want to acquire a club and over time elevate it to the Premier League by putting in place best practice,” Murphy said.
“That includes everything from psychology, culture, coaching, analytics, management, match day; the whole thing.
“One of the things that’s really important is that we respect the history and tradition of the club. The supporters are part of the process, they’re key stakeholders and that’s absolutely vital from our perspective.
“We’re doing this to grow the club. We want to build a club and we want to invest heavily in the academy side of it.”
“There’s a whole number of clubs that have a huge amount of potential ... and there’s lots of fans who would be dying for someone to come in and take over and lead the club in the right direction and help the club get promoted through the various leagues and hopefully, ultimately the Premier League.”
The Australian Football Consortium website tells prospective investors that “attractive returns” are expected with promotion to the Premier League.
“The earnings profile of clubs increases dramatically as a result of lucrative media rights arrangements,” it says.
“Upon achieving Australian Football Consortium Ltd’s vision of promoting the club to the Premier League, all investors will share in the value created. It is envisaged that liquidity will be provided through an IPO (Initial Public Offering) at that stage.”
I'm at the point where I'll only believe anything when it's on the official site. Even then, I won't be sure if it's true or not ...
I'm only going to believe it when on @3blokes "Counting the Days 'Til Roland Duchatelet Sells Charlton Athletic" thread he says he "he's gone, thank fuck"
“We want to acquire a club and over time elevate it to the Premier League by putting in place best practice,” Murphy said.
“That includes everything from psychology, culture, coaching, analytics, management, match day; the whole thing.
While there is obviously much to improve at Charlton at the moment, I'd be really surprised if the Aussies had unique insights that none of the other clubs, especially in the Championship, don't already have
Completely missed that, and it's a pretty good assessment of the changes to the Aussie consortium's website.
You could take those changes to be directed at us, especially the part about listening to the fans - as if they were looking towards purchasing Charlton then no doubt they will have seen our reactions.
Interesting that they've removed the fundraising section too..
Edit: I've created an archive link for the AFC website - http://archive.is/mcbVn - which should help for comparisons if subsequent alterations are made. Not sure why I didn't think of that initially, it would've been handy to keep track of the changes to their site.
I just wish the fans could buy The Valley. Crowdfunding exercise? Wouldn't be a bad investment, as well as safeguarding the future of the ground.
The Valley would need to be split from the football operation to protect any contributors to the crowd funding. Possible way forward (just thinking aloud).
- The real estate is valued as a sports stadium, not a plot of land with permission to build apartments and a hotel! - Let's say it is valued at £5m - 1000 shares are offered at £5,000 a share (or 10,000 at £500) - no one person can hold more than x at any time. - CAST hold the Freehold in trust and manage the interface with the club, and the income stream for dividends to investors. - The Valley is leased to CAFC (very long lease with security of tenure and repairable) so as to give a reasonable return on investment but not at the expense of it being unworkable. Headline figures 5% Gross return pa = £250k rental - No charges are allowed to be placed on the freehold to protect the investors (hence me saying keep separate from the club). - CAFC Limited has an option to buy the freehold from the trust at a point in the future at an agreed premium to the intitial purchase price - say 20% - so sold to the club for £6m. This is then redistributed back to the current 'investors'.
As I said just thinking aloud - I'm sure there are many on here that can see what I've missed in my simplistic approach.
Comments
Ultimately though, Roland has massively inflated the asking price for the club, and without The Valley we're an even less attractive proposition. Ideally he'd be looking to sell as he'd realise it's both an embarrassment (i.e CARD shenanigans) and a waste of money (i.e monthly losses). If that's the case, and he's genuinely trying to work on his exit strategy, then I'd like to imagine that he's hating every moment he's still involved here.
Not to mention, for the Aussie consortium it surely would've been a deal-breaker. If their eventual aim was to go for IPO, then you would've expected that they'd want the healthiest balance sheet possible - including all the assets they could get their hands on. Arguably our most valuable asset will be our property. (I'm not an accountant, but that's how I see it anyway!)
Logically, he has four options:
1. Sell now.
2. Sell later for much less.
3. Replace Ms Nightmeire with someone who has at least a superficial knowledge of how to run a whelk stall.
4. Hang on to the bitter end just for the hell of it, in defiance of all logic.
Tragically only one of those seems to fit the facts. Maybe its time to campaign for Option 3 instead of Option 1 on the basis its better than 4.
It is likely that Duchatelet attempting to hold onto the stadium to claw back the money he inexpertly wasted, and / or an unrealistic sale price is likely to be an issue.
All the rubbish strategy about 'developing' the Jimmy Seed stand & safety is part of the regieme thinking aloud with regard to possiblities if potential owners don't bite at the inflated price / poor condition that Duchatelet is trying to sell for.
Charlton supporters can encourage Duchatelet to consider lowering his terms and making him realise that no good is going to come from him trying to hang onto the club - regarding his finances or reputation in Belgium.
Ok...we know he can be ruthless but (and this is a very significant question), can he also be vindictive?
If he is......then we're quite possibly fucked!
Its on Blackheath Addick Blog
https://t.co/zHMCEY1D59
He needs to go but not in a way that he can still ruin the club.
The Aussie consortium didn't sound terribly rich, maybe they couldn't afford the extra £10m (or whatever) RD was asking for?
Given the nonsense Daisy is spouting one would guess it involves the south end of the ground. Is there anyway we could find out if the plannind department has a view as to if that would be possible?
The four-time premiership coach has been in talks with Australian Football Consortium Ltd (AFC), which wants to buy an underperforming English team and take it to the Premier League.
The group, led by prominent management consultant Gerard Murphy, is undergoing a “confidential capital raise” with the aim of acquiring $55 million from investors.
Clarkson, who met with AFC directors before the start of the AFL season, has strong links with Bolton Wanderers — now in third-tier League One — and has helped facilitate introductions.
Clarkson’s experience in building a club from the ground up has also enticed him to the soccer project.
Socceroos great Mark Schwarzer and Australian national coach Ange Postecoglou are also part of an advisory group operating pro bono.
The consortium has appointed consultants Deloitte to do feasibility studies on six clubs, with beleaguered Charlton Athletic and Coventry City believed to be among them.
Murphy, who engineered Geelong’s leadership group overhaul in 2007 and has worked for Crystal Palace and the Rugby Football Union in England, said the goal was simple.
“We want to acquire a club and over time elevate it to the Premier League by putting in place best practice,” Murphy said.
“That includes everything from psychology, culture, coaching, analytics, management, match day; the whole thing.
“One of the things that’s really important is that we respect the history and tradition of the club. The supporters are part of the process, they’re key stakeholders and that’s absolutely vital from our perspective.
“We’re doing this to grow the club. We want to build a club and we want to invest heavily in the academy side of it.”
“There’s a whole number of clubs that have a huge amount of potential ... and there’s lots of fans who would be dying for someone to come in and take over and lead the club in the right direction and help the club get promoted through the various leagues and hopefully, ultimately the Premier League.”
The Australian Football Consortium website tells prospective investors that “attractive returns” are expected with promotion to the Premier League.
“The earnings profile of clubs increases dramatically as a result of lucrative media rights arrangements,” it says.
“Upon achieving Australian Football Consortium Ltd’s vision of promoting the club to the Premier League, all investors will share in the value created. It is envisaged that liquidity will be provided through an IPO (Initial Public Offering) at that stage.”
You could take those changes to be directed at us, especially the part about listening to the fans - as if they were looking towards purchasing Charlton then no doubt they will have seen our reactions.
Interesting that they've removed the fundraising section too..
Edit: I've created an archive link for the AFC website - http://archive.is/mcbVn - which should help for comparisons if subsequent alterations are made. Not sure why I didn't think of that initially, it would've been handy to keep track of the changes to their site.
- The real estate is valued as a sports stadium, not a plot of land with permission to build apartments and a hotel!
- Let's say it is valued at £5m
- 1000 shares are offered at £5,000 a share (or 10,000 at £500) - no one person can hold more than x at any time.
- CAST hold the Freehold in trust and manage the interface with the club, and the income stream for dividends to investors.
- The Valley is leased to CAFC (very long lease with security of tenure and repairable) so as to give a reasonable return on investment but not at the expense of it being unworkable. Headline figures 5% Gross return pa = £250k rental
- No charges are allowed to be placed on the freehold to protect the investors (hence me saying keep separate from the club).
- CAFC Limited has an option to buy the freehold from the trust at a point in the future at an agreed premium to the intitial purchase price - say 20% - so sold to the club for £6m. This is then redistributed back to the current 'investors'.
As I said just thinking aloud - I'm sure there are many on here that can see what I've missed in my simplistic approach.