CARD: report back from meeting with the EFL 16/1/19

CARD

CARD representatives have today met EFL officials in London at the league’s invitation as part of its ongoing review into the situation at Charlton Athletic. An amicable and wide-ranging discussion took place and the tone was positive.

EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey confirmed that he is still in contact with club owner Roland Duchatelet, including over the sale of the club.

The EFL is clear that Duchatelet wants to sell the club. Harvey said that a deal had been at an advanced stage in 2018 but the buyers - known as “the Australians” - had then been unable to provide additional information requested by the EFL (in line with its regulations) to allow the transaction to proceed. That information is still outstanding. Once it is provided, the league would look to progress matters. This can be done quickly.

The EFL confirmed that their review would include issues raised publicly by Duchatelet as well as their own lines of enquiry and that their findings would be shared with all participants in the review, including CARD, and hence come into the public domain. Harvey recognises the need to expedite the process but may also seek to meet the local press for their perspective before finalising it.

CARD pressed the EFL on the issue of the outstanding staff bonuses and expressed concern at the delay in resolving the situation. We were reassured to hear that the EFL’s involvement in it is ongoing and that Harvey plans to put a proposal to Duchatelet to resolve it in advance of the general review being concluded.

We spent some time discussing the EFL’s club charter and expressed concern that it did not cover the relationship between clubs and supporters.

We questioned the current governance of the club and the lack of day-to-day executive oversight. The EFL said that the club was meeting the requirements of its regulations but recognised the extent to which the football administration and crowd safety arrangements in particular are currently dependent on a small number of dedicated long-serving employees.

The EFL has asked us to record that it recognises that the fact no matchday protests are currently taking place does not mean that Charlton supporters are happy with the present situation.

The meeting was attended by Heather Alderson, Alan Davis and Rick Everitt for CARD and Shaun Harvey, John Nagle (head of policy) and Mark Rowan (communications director) for the EFL.

Taxi_Lad

Sounds like LDV was right. The Aussies may have some explaining to do when this is all over

Henry Irving

Thanks for that.

Chizz

Thank you to Heather, Alan and Rick.

SoundAsa£

Everyone keeps saying it’s clear he wants to sell the club........but does he? There’s no indication whatsoever that he is going to sell any time soon or that he truthfully wants to......I think he’s just fucking everyone around, we might as well wait until hell freezes over.....there’s so so many unanswered questions.
Unless I’m very much mistaken, at first glance, nothing of note seems to have come from this meeting.......as per usual we are none the wiser.
Not that I am deriding CARD for their attempts to seek some answers.

killerandflash

Harvey said that a deal had been at an advanced stage in 2018 but the buyers - known as “the Australians” - had then been unable to provide additional information requested by the EFL (in line with its regulations) to allow the transaction to proceed. That information is still outstanding.

Thanks. This is the most interesting information to come out

Braziliance

So the Australians have the wonga, have proven so to RD by the looks of things but won't submit documents to the EFL. Sounds very bizarre

Uboat

So now we know who CARD are. Busted.

Charltonparklane

killerandflash said:

Harvey said that a deal had been at an advanced stage in 2018 but the buyers - known as “the Australians” - had then been unable to provide additional information requested by the EFL (in line with its regulations) to allow the transaction to proceed. That information is still outstanding.

Thanks. This is the most interesting information to come out

Additional Information EFL Request - 'wheres your fkin money Bruce'?

We should all be thanking Roland he didnt sell to them.







Joke

PragueAddick

Good work, CARD. We are absolutely clear. Only ONE party has got so far as to submit to the ODT test, that party is the Australians, and they still have not completed it, for some reason.

There will be no takeover this window :-(

I don't think we could have expected any more from these discussions than the EFL have willingly provided, both to CARD and CAST. I especially appreciate the final sentence of the report (not the one about the attendees, I mean).Due respect to the EFL.

Good work. Not very good news.

Davo55

One very important point to come out of this meeting was Shaun Harvey's agreement to our request to "fast track" the EFL's findings and proposed solution to the issue of staff bonuses, rather than wait and have this wrapped up in the broader review. These people are owed money now, and they should get it now - certainly before Duchatelet can walk away and leave the debt in the hands of new owners.

vff

What additional information does EFL want ?

The Red Robin

So, the Aussies can't prove they have the money and the mystery British bid doesn't exist. Shock.

killerandflash

Davo55 said:

One very important point to come out of this meeting was Shaun Harvey's agreement to our request to "fast track" the EFL's findings and proposed solution to the issue of staff bonuses, rather than wait and have this wrapped up in the broader review. These people are owed money now, and they should get it now - certainly before Duchatelet can walk away and leave the debt in the hands of new owners.

True though the sums will be peanuts in comparison to the cost of buying the club. Indeed lawyer fees are probably more

Davo55

killerandflash said:

Davo55 said:

One very important point to come out of this meeting was Shaun Harvey's agreement to our request to "fast track" the EFL's findings and proposed solution to the issue of staff bonuses, rather than wait and have this wrapped up in the broader review. These people are owed money now, and they should get it now - certainly before Duchatelet can walk away and leave the debt in the hands of new owners.

True though the sums will be peanuts in comparison to the cost of buying the club. Indeed lawyer fees are probably more

Sure. But it would be a matter of principle for me, and I suspect also for RD, albeit our views are no doubt diametrically opposed.

Redrobo

Thank you CARD representatives for giving up your valuable time and posting an update so quickly.

Much appreciated.

killerandflash

Davo55 said:

killerandflash said:

Davo55 said:

One very important point to come out of this meeting was Shaun Harvey's agreement to our request to "fast track" the EFL's findings and proposed solution to the issue of staff bonuses, rather than wait and have this wrapped up in the broader review. These people are owed money now, and they should get it now - certainly before Duchatelet can walk away and leave the debt in the hands of new owners.

True though the sums will be peanuts in comparison to the cost of buying the club. Indeed lawyer fees are probably more

Sure. But it would be a matter of principle for me, and I suspect also for RD, albeit our views are no doubt diametrically opposed.

If RD doesn't pay them, then it would be the perfect way for the new owners to get instant goodwill with the employees and fans.

CheshireAddick

Airmen - are you planning to send a copy of the statement to JW and ask him how / who gave him the statement that we were days away this dosnt stack up. I think he needs to go back to his contact get an explanation and put it out on his show for all to hear.

Weegie Addick

Thanks you, CARD people. We're as far away as ever by the sound of it.

AveryAddick

Lost complete confidence in this Australian consortium. If they can’t get some paperwork together to give rhe EFL how on earth can they be trusted to run our Club

Airman Brown

CheshireAddick said:

Airmen - are you planning to send a copy of the statement to JW and ask him how / who gave him the statement that we were days away this dosnt stack up. I think he needs to go back to his contact get an explanation and put it out on his show for all to hear.

It does stack up. As the EFL themselves said, if the information is provided and is satisfactory things can move very quickly.

Apart from JW’s source, there was an expectation on the part of the club that it was about to happen at the turn of the year. The fact it didn’t get as far as the EFL doesn’t change the fact that other people - with every reason to know - thought it was about to happen

BR7_addick

Cheers CARD.
Awkward truths and detail > Exciting Soundbites (Jim white)

Stig

Thank you Davo, Weegie and Airman. Your efforts are much appreciated.

AFKABartram

Stig said:

Thank you Davo, Weegie and Airman. Your efforts are much appreciated.

Not Weegie

RedChaser

AFKABartram said:

Stig said:

Thank you Davo, Weegie and Airman. Your efforts are much appreciated.

Not Weegie

More Heather than on the golf thread .

AFKABartram

Neither of them are proving particularly Lucky in this saga...

LargeAddick

Thanks for the update those who attended, much appreciated.

charltonaddickedmatt

Thanks to those who attended, the wait carries on it seems

Hartleypete

Appears to me that Aussie had money to complete purchase, hence club saying they have seen proof of funds, but possibly haven't got proof of funds to run the club (which I believe is an EFL requirement).

Therefore possibly they have been trying to either get extra funding or restructure the deal, hence Americans entering the arena.

Only my opinion, but the whole scenario continues to be a shit shambles, what will happen first brexit or Rexit!

golfaddick

vff said:

What additional information does EFL want ?

Copy of their passports & lineage. We all know Aussies are cut-throats & murderers.

Seriously.......could be as @Hartleypete says. They have enough money to buy the club so satisfies RD but not enough to run it as a going concern for the required period set down by the EFL (3 years ???).

Or that they want to know who exactly is backing the money. Muir might not want to be named (like Cash 5 years ago) but after checking the EFL smell something fishy.

I wonder if GM has anything to say about the matter.....nah doubt it !!

JamesSeed

golfaddick said:

vff said:

What additional information does EFL want ?

Copy of their passports & lineage. We all know Aussies are cut-throats & murderers.

Seriously.......could be as @Hartleypete says. They have enough money to buy the club so satisfies RD but not enough to run it as a going concern for the required period set down by the EFL (3 years ???).

Or that they want to know who exactly is backing the money. Muir might not want to be named (like Cash 5 years ago) but after checking the EFL smell something fishy.

I wonder if GM has anything to say about the matter.....nah doubt it !!

I am sure he does, but he won’t/can’t. Frustrating.

I don’t think they’ve only got the money to buy the club, but no more. Their whole plan was predicated in funding the famous ‘five year plan’. Anything else would be completely pointless. I’m guessing the paperwork might be linked to the new US investors. But who flippin’ knows.