I spoke to him when he joined Ebbsfleet and his reply was that he was willing to play on after the restart but he wanted the club to guarantee if he got injured they'd extend his contract the following season. That request was refused.
That's fair enough.
No, it’s not.
You have a contract for a reason, it ensures you and the club know exactly wheee you stand. There is no contractual caveat that says if you get injured the club will give you another year.
If George Dobson, or Albie Morgan, or Sean Clare, or Ryan Inniss does his ACL in February and won't realistically play again before Christmas what do should we do, give him a new contract or "jogging him on" even though he won't play before the following Christmas?
Or does it depend if they are good or not?
If its done "in the line of duty" the club should do the right thing, who ever it is.
I guess finances play a part, can clubs recover much? If a small club lose 2 players in March who are ruled out for let’s say 15 months, the next season they’d potentially have to pay those and their 2 replacements.
If you gave someone a 2k a week contract it would be about 1% if the total running cost. Like I said in an ideal world.
I think people also forget that at the time these conversations were taking place the club was owned by some sort of combination of the ESI mob. Would trust them to look after you?
I spoke to him when he joined Ebbsfleet and his reply was that he was willing to play on after the restart but he wanted the club to guarantee if he got injured they'd extend his contract the following season. That request was refused.
So basically made an unreasonable demand that the club couldn't offer.
The club couldn't accept that kind of liability, but it does mean that Solly didn't flat out refuse to stay on at least.
Sorry I dont see what's unreasonable about something like that?
Isn't that what the club have basically done for Forster-Caskey the last couple of years as well...
Because what does an injury mean?
What stops Solly pulling up during the final game of the season and getting a free year contract of the same terms from us?
The liability of that means the club couldn't possibly accept a clause like that in a legal document.
I spoke to him when he joined Ebbsfleet and his reply was that he was willing to play on after the restart but he wanted the club to guarantee if he got injured they'd extend his contract the following season. That request was refused.
So basically made an unreasonable demand that the club couldn't offer.
The club couldn't accept that kind of liability, but it does mean that Solly didn't flat out refuse to stay on at least.
Sorry I dont see what's unreasonable about something like that?
Isn't that what the club have basically done for Forster-Caskey the last couple of years as well...
Because what does an injury mean?
What stops Solly pulling up during the final game of the season and getting a free year contract of the same terms from us?
The liability of that means the club couldn't possibly accept a clause like that in a legal document.
The fact that you can’t just fake a serious injury? If that’s what you are implying?
I spoke to him when he joined Ebbsfleet and his reply was that he was willing to play on after the restart but he wanted the club to guarantee if he got injured they'd extend his contract the following season. That request was refused.
So basically made an unreasonable demand that the club couldn't offer.
The club couldn't accept that kind of liability, but it does mean that Solly didn't flat out refuse to stay on at least.
Sorry I dont see what's unreasonable about something like that?
Isn't that what the club have basically done for Forster-Caskey the last couple of years as well...
Because what does an injury mean?
What stops Solly pulling up during the final game of the season and getting a free year contract of the same terms from us?
The liability of that means the club couldn't possibly accept a clause like that in a legal document.
The fact that you can’t just fake a serious injury? If that’s what you are implying?
Nothing says 'serious injury'
I'm saying the term 'injury' is subjective. A stubbed toe is an injury, a twisted ankle is an injury. Would that lead to a full year contract being demanded from Solly's team?
The idea of a term like that being on a legal document such as a contract is nonsense.
We don’t know the full details but there’s not been any suggestion that it had to be a full legal clause.
For all we know, Solly might have just been looking to have some informal reassurance. A bit of heart to heart honesty in the circumstances. Anything that could put his mind at ease - and it doesn’t sound like he got that.
The lack of a proper pre-season before returning to continue the season must have lead to concerns regarding injuries.
I’m sure Solly could have handled things differently. At the same time, the club was owned by idiots, with a manager who wasn’t particularly good at man management. An unfortunate situation all round.
I think when it comes down to his status with the club - He's still a legend in my eyes, for his overall service to the club.
Is he a legend in the sense of some of our other names that have represented us over the years... Perhaps not anymore sadly, because he did potentially tarnish his reputation with how he left - But one moment over eleven years of service, and 313 games isn't enough for me to suddenly wipe out everything he did do for us.
I mean I dont know how correct this is, but look at the company he's in, when you sort by appearances
I have no ill feeling towards Solly, only gratitude for a decade of great service he gave the club, which by then had become a complete basket case, run by crooks and the team being run by a little man that modelled himself on Benito Mussolini.
It was like being married for 10 years, before your wife announces that it's over, but asks if before you go, could you help decorate the house to make it look nice for her new fella to move into.
I spoke to him when he joined Ebbsfleet and his reply was that he was willing to play on after the restart but he wanted the club to guarantee if he got injured they'd extend his contract the following season. That request was refused.
If it had been a normal season, and a player, with 9 games to go, said he'd only play the last 9 games if he got a guarantee that if he got injured they'd extend his contract the following season, it would be considered ludicrous, so why would that be an acceptable request just because of the Covid delay?
You'd hope the club would support a player, as indeed we did with JFC, but nothing can be put in writing for such a scenario.
Solly staying, we still go down. Taylor staying, we stay up.
That’s your difference.
That does make it right though? So basically we didn’t care if the crap out players did it but do if they were decent? I think it’s that sort of attitude that leads to players like Taylor being able to excuse what they’ve done.
I’ve not judged Solly too much because I always believed there was more to the story, but in theory he’s definitely no better than Taylor. Fair enough he didn’t wasn’t a key player but what if Matthews and Oshilija had both got injured?
It doesn’t make it right, it makes it different. Solly wouldn’t of played anyway.
Im not talking in theory I’m talking in practical terms, Taylor was our talisman, Solly was an ageing back up right back.
We still only had one other right back and a pretty thin squad. I just think it’s a bit harsh to forgive Solly but not Taylor just because Taylor was a better player. That’s ignoring the decision and purely judging on the consequence of the actions.
I spoke to him when he joined Ebbsfleet and his reply was that he was willing to play on after the restart but he wanted the club to guarantee if he got injured they'd extend his contract the following season. That request was refused.
That's fair enough.
No, it’s not.
You have a contract for a reason, it ensures you and the club know exactly wheee you stand. There is no contractual caveat that says if you get injured the club will give you another year.
If George Dobson, or Albie Morgan, or Sean Clare, or Ryan Inniss does his ACL in February and won't realistically play again before Christmas what do should we do, give him a new contract or "jogging him on" even though he won't play before the following Christmas?
Or does it depend if they are good or not?
If its done "in the line of duty" the club should do the right thing, who ever it is.
I guess finances play a part, can clubs recover much? If a small club lose 2 players in March who are ruled out for let’s say 15 months, the next season they’d potentially have to pay those and their 2 replacements.
If you gave someone a 2k a week contract it would be about 1% if the total running cost. Like I said in an ideal world.
I think people also forget that at the time these conversations were taking place the club was owned by some sort of combination of the ESI mob. Would trust them to look after you?
Ah yeah if it was only part of the wage I completely agree. I guess contractually if creates an issue if a player was out for say half the season.
since i got the lol's I'll respond - even if he wasn't being selected to his liking by Bowyer, he was still being paid. He was never going to pass a fitness test at a football league club, he would have been long gone if he could have (I don't dispute he was a good player) we paid him a wage and he chose to make himself unavailable which is not the conduct of a captain (even a former one - not completely sure how he stood at the time) we managed his time for YEARS - the same as we are doing for chucks and Innis now and how much stick have people given him? If Chucks turned around and refused to play i'd say the same thing. Fuck him.
Also he was an ineffective captain on the pitch for us, only selected as captain for his longevity rather than leadership qualities.
Did solly score at the valley. I remember away goals at Luton and Blackpool and vaguely remember a valley goal but can’t remember it
I don't think so. He scored away at Luton, Blackpool and Orient but not at home. He did however smash a proper captain's penalty home with the first kick of the Play-Off shootout against Doncaster at The Valley so we got to celebrate that
Hope he enjoys his Retirement, he may have ended on bad terms with the fans but he was a great servant for the club too... Its difficult to forget the 2011/12 season, the two POTY awards, the second promotion in 2018/19, all because of what happened in 2020.
Yes I'd have the same feelings towards Taylor too, if he'd given so many years, in Service to the club.
18 years at Charlton. Played and trained through constant knee issues and pain. Tackled like a train By a country mile my favourite Charlton player of recent years, absolute club legend. Gutted it ended with us like it did.
Might have been a bit more sour too had he gone to another Championship or League One club.
Instead dropping to Ebbsfleet in the National League South, made it feel like his career was already over, and his injuries had caught up with him at long last, almost proving in a harsh way it was useless keeping him around - If that had been the Solly from 2011/12, or even just a few years later... I couldn't have seen him making the same decision... Could be wrong though.
Its funny though, because people hate Solly for what he did... But by hating him, Footballers prove that it doesnt matter if they give 1-years service, or 10-years service - They'll unpopular whatever the decision is, that doesnt benefit the club you support. So in some regard, helps Taylor justify his own reasoning... Why be loyal, when you could make one bad decision, and everything else from your career from that club be forgotten - So its better to just chase the money.
Whilst we’ve got the Taylor thread in full swing, I really hope this one doesn’t get derailed with the repetition of the debate about what happened in 2020.
Chris Solly gave 18 years of his life to Charlton and his entire career at EFL/league level was with us. You can’t just discard that. He’s in a very small club of players that can be considered Charlton legends from the past 15 years.
God, what we’d give to have more players like Chris Solly around Charlton nowadays.
There was a time early in his career when I could see him getting picked up by a Premier League club. It’s a real shame his knee condition robbed him of that chance.
Comments
I think people also forget that at the time these conversations were taking place the club was owned by some sort of combination of the ESI mob. Would trust them to look after you?
What stops Solly pulling up during the final game of the season and getting a free year contract of the same terms from us?
The liability of that means the club couldn't possibly accept a clause like that in a legal document.
I'm saying the term 'injury' is subjective. A stubbed toe is an injury, a twisted ankle is an injury. Would that lead to a full year contract being demanded from Solly's team?
The idea of a term like that being on a legal document such as a contract is nonsense.
For all we know, Solly might have just been looking to have some informal reassurance. A bit of heart to heart honesty in the circumstances. Anything that could put his mind at ease - and it doesn’t sound like he got that.
The lack of a proper pre-season before returning to continue the season must have lead to concerns regarding injuries.
I’m sure Solly could have handled things differently. At the same time, the club was owned by idiots, with a manager who wasn’t particularly good at man management. An unfortunate situation all round.
Is he a legend in the sense of some of our other names that have represented us over the years... Perhaps not anymore sadly, because he did potentially tarnish his reputation with how he left - But one moment over eleven years of service, and 313 games isn't enough for me to suddenly wipe out everything he did do for us.
I mean I dont know how correct this is, but look at the company he's in, when you sort by appearances
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Charlton_Athletic_F.C._players
Bowyer - Manipultive.
Solly - Hung out to dry.
It was like being married for 10 years, before your wife announces that it's over, but asks if before you go, could you help decorate the house to make it look nice for her new fella to move into.
I certainly don't blame him for his decision
You'd hope the club would support a player, as indeed we did with JFC, but nothing can be put in writing for such a scenario.
Also he was an ineffective captain on the pitch for us, only selected as captain for his longevity rather than leadership qualities.
If you’ve got your badges, could do with someone like you sorting out our defence, we can’t keep a clean sheet!
Yes I'd have the same feelings towards Taylor too, if he'd given so many years, in Service to the club.
Buuuuuuuuuuuut he didnt!!
Played and trained through constant knee issues and pain.
Tackled like a train
By a country mile my favourite Charlton player of recent years, absolute club legend.
Gutted it ended with us like it did.
Instead dropping to Ebbsfleet in the National League South, made it feel like his career was already over, and his injuries had caught up with him at long last, almost proving in a harsh way it was useless keeping him around - If that had been the Solly from 2011/12, or even just a few years later... I couldn't have seen him making the same decision... Could be wrong though.
Its funny though, because people hate Solly for what he did... But by hating him, Footballers prove that it doesnt matter if they give 1-years service, or 10-years service - They'll unpopular whatever the decision is, that doesnt benefit the club you support. So in some regard, helps Taylor justify his own reasoning... Why be loyal, when you could make one bad decision, and everything else from your career from that club be forgotten - So its better to just chase the money.
Chris Solly gave 18 years of his life to Charlton and his entire career at EFL/league level was with us. You can’t just discard that. He’s in a very small club of players that can be considered Charlton legends from the past 15 years.
God, what we’d give to have more players like Chris Solly around Charlton nowadays.