This, for me, is the key question. Who is he writing to and what does he expect to achieve by it?
It starts out like he's trying to hold an olive branch out to the fans, "Our win at Wembley was fantastic and, as I mentioned, a credit to all involved". But it soon turns out more like a kick in the nuts, "I have continued to pay everything at the club, despite the way some of our staff members, their family, my friends, my family and myself have been treated by individuals who claim they act in the best interest of the club".
Perhaps then, he thinks he's using the message to attract new interest in buying: "...with the summer transfer window opening, is the right time to acquire a club". 'The right time' is a bit of hyperbole that could bite him on the bum in a couple of months time when the window closes, but I think we can probably assume that by then most people will have forgotten the details of this message. The real damage is done further down. He may be right about Championship finances, but surely when you're trying to sell making statements like this one are never going to help, "The main reason is that nearly all Championship club owners face huge yearly losses. It is unclear how long this can continue, with clubs losing tens of millions of pounds each year. It has become unaffordable for nearly anyone to own a football club in the Championship meaning it is not easy to find a suitable buyer". To use a house buying analogy, its like an estate agent showing you a property and saying, "this is a very nice property, by the way have you seen that Tom Hanks film, The Money Pit"?
Finally, what's this about contract triggers? Lee Bowyer and the team worked wonders to get us promoted and to instil a sense of harmony at the club not seen in four years. Two Shat's response to this, "There is a trigger in his contract for a contract extension, which we exercised in May, and he needs to agree to this for his contract to be extended as per the current agreement". Trigger!?!?!?!? This is a man who's done a sterling job, you should feel pleased and proud to meet him at the earliest opportunity, not do it solely out of some cold obligation written into a contract. You stupid, arrogant man.
Garbled, ill thought-out ramblings as ever.
Yes Stig, a manager who inspired the fans sufficiently to see a bonus of 25 000 turn up for the semi and 38,000 for the final. This must have netted Duchatelet a million quid and if he could capitalise by signing Bowyer on a deal he is happy with and agree an appropriate budget, he could expect to cash in on season tickets. But he just doesn't care, so expect the worst. Even if Bowyer does sign he's pissed on our chips by revealing his attempt to extend on the cheap and making it clear we will be run as a League One club next season. At least we will be prepared for our return to the third tier which he has made our new level.
This, for me, is the key question. Who is he writing to and what does he expect to achieve by it?
It starts out like he's trying to hold an olive branch out to the fans, "Our win at Wembley was fantastic and, as I mentioned, a credit to all involved". But it soon turns out more like a kick in the nuts, "I have continued to pay everything at the club, despite the way some of our staff members, their family, my friends, my family and myself have been treated by individuals who claim they act in the best interest of the club".
Perhaps then, he thinks he's using the message to attract new interest in buying: "...with the summer transfer window opening, is the right time to acquire a club". 'The right time' is a bit of hyperbole that could bite him on the bum in a couple of months time when the window closes, but I think we can probably assume that by then most people will have forgotten the details of this message. The real damage is done further down. He may be right about Championship finances, but surely when you're trying to sell making statements like this one are never going to help, "The main reason is that nearly all Championship club owners face huge yearly losses. It is unclear how long this can continue, with clubs losing tens of millions of pounds each year. It has become unaffordable for nearly anyone to own a football club in the Championship meaning it is not easy to find a suitable buyer". To use a house buying analogy, its like an estate agent showing you a property and saying, "this is a very nice property, by the way have you seen that Tom Hanks film, The Money Pit"?
Finally, what's this about contract triggers? Lee Bowyer and the team worked wonders to get us promoted and to instil a sense of harmony at the club not seen in four years. Two Shat's response to this, "There is a trigger in his contract for a contract extension, which we exercised in May, and he needs to agree to this for his contract to be extended as per the current agreement". Trigger!?!?!?!? This is a man who's done a sterling job, you should feel pleased and proud to meet him at the earliest opportunity, not do it solely out of some cold obligation written into a contract. You stupid, arrogant man.
Are people saying there is some merit in this latest statement? I can't see any. Can anybody winkle out any positives?
The only positive things I can see is that he is not planning to separate the club and the Valley.
Also that there are talks to improve Lee Bowyer's contract (not that RD will be guaranteed to improve terms for the only manager at Charlton under his ownership that has managed and succeeded with the constraints that Duchatelet sets - and the only manager that may help Charlton avoid relegation given the low budget).
Running a club in the
Championship is expensive but going on about it negatively on the club OS is hardly like
to encourage sale.
Talking down the asset he is trying to sell whilst trying to get back the maximum amount of money he has loaned to the club. Its madness. Then deflecting blame onto ex directors small loans and not his sale price as a reason for not selling the club.
Some of the other stuff, what is he putting in his tea ?
I changed my mind. I agree with what the others are saying. The connection with Ebbsfleet was way off the mark. As for low budget and thinking we can stay up on a very low budget and play youth players he is on a different universe to anyone else. We need a huge injection of decent players with at least £5 million. So gut wrenching he is a billionaire but won't sell at a reasonable price and be done with us and won't give us the tools to stay up. We don't care about going up next season we just need new owners and a team that will stay up and stabilise in future. Neither of these things will happen whilst this idiot ruins this club.
Fixed that for you (I would put a smiley but it just isn't funny)
Just on this point about different ex directors accepting different % of their loans back - it may be technically possible as Airman says but it is also highly unlikely given the practicalities of paying the same loan note holders different %’s For example, if you were Richard M or Maurice Hatter and you agreed 30p in the £ You would want the assurance that Derek Chappell or Bob Whitehand wasn’t getting a higher return - hence my earlier point that in practice it’s not going to happen
Just on this point about different ex directors accepting different % of their loans back - it may be technically possible as Airman says but it is also highly unlikely given the practicalities of paying the same loan note holders different %’s For example, if you were Richard M or Maurice Hatter and you agreed 30p in the £ You would want the assurance that Derek Chappell or Bob Whitehand wasn’t getting a higher return - hence my earlier point that in practice it’s not going to happen
My guess is Murray will want to trade his loan for a shareholding anyway.
Just on this point about different ex directors accepting different % of their loans back - it may be technically possible as Airman says but it is also highly unlikely given the practicalities of paying the same loan note holders different %’s For example, if you were Richard M or Maurice Hatter and you agreed 30p in the £ You would want the assurance that Derek Chappell or Bob Whitehand wasn’t getting a higher return - hence my earlier point that in practice it’s not going to happen
My guess is Murray will want to trade his loan for a shareholding anyway.
Just on this point about different ex directors accepting different % of their loans back - it may be technically possible as Airman says but it is also highly unlikely given the practicalities of paying the same loan note holders different %’s For example, if you were Richard M or Maurice Hatter and you agreed 30p in the £ You would want the assurance that Derek Chappell or Bob Whitehand wasn’t getting a higher return - hence my earlier point that in practice it’s not going to happen
My guess is Murray will want to trade his loan for a shareholding anyway.
100% IMO
Probably batting away buyers who won't include Murray in a takeover.
Is Murray still entertaining visitors around The Valley or is that now in the hands of LDT?
Logical really. Logic of a business man. Buys a football club with under valued fixed assets. All he now wants is to sell those assets at their upbto date valuation. He realises can only do that by selling football club with it. So all for sale but will hold out for the proper valuation, cutting costs to reduce losses biting in to his profit.
But who's valuation? His own over-inflated valuation that nobody is prepared to match after two years?
I was wondering whether an arbitrary panel could set a value if what the club is worth. Was going to suggest the EFL, but seeing as they like to simply sit by & watch then maybe not.
I admit I was wrong after my initial reading of the sratement, especially after @Airman Brown's update.
By god if LB walks before the start of the season & no money is spent then I'm all for ramping up the protests. As said before, more direct action would be needed. Have to get the EFL to act - and the only way is postponement of games......especially televised ones. Imagine the situation if Sky couldn't show a live game because the players & officials couldn't get into the ground.
Logical really. Logic of a business man. Buys a football club with under valued fixed assets. All he now wants is to sell those assets at their upbto date valuation. He realises can only do that by selling football club with it. So all for sale but will hold out for the proper valuation, cutting costs to reduce losses biting in to his profit.
But who's valuation? His own over-inflated valuation that nobody is prepared to match after two years?
I was wondering whether an arbitrary panel could set a value if what the club is worth. Was going to suggest the EFL, but seeing as they like to simply sit by & watch then maybe not.
I admit I was wrong after my initial reading of the sratement, especially after @Airman Brown's update.
By god if LB walks before the start of the season & no money is spent then I'm all for ramping up the protests. As said before, more direct action would be needed. Have to get the EFL to act - and the only way is postponement of games......especially televised ones. Imagine the situation if Sky couldn't show a live game because the players & officials couldn't get into the ground.
Logical really. Logic of a business man. Buys a football club with under valued fixed assets. All he now wants is to sell those assets at their upbto date valuation. He realises can only do that by selling football club with it. So all for sale but will hold out for the proper valuation, cutting costs to reduce losses biting in to his profit.
But who's valuation? His own over-inflated valuation that nobody is prepared to match after two years?
I was wondering whether an arbitrary panel could set a value if what the club is worth. Was going to suggest the EFL, but seeing as they like to simply sit by & watch then maybe not.
I admit I was wrong after my initial reading of the sratement, especially after @Airman Brown's update.
By god if LB walks before the start of the season & no money is spent then I'm all for ramping up the protests. As said before, more direct action would be needed. Have to get the EFL to act - and the only way is postponement of games......especially televised ones. Imagine the situation if Sky couldn't show a live game because the players & officials couldn't get into the ground.
The protests over here finished a long time ago.
I disagree that the protests over here are finished. Call me naive, but didn't we get full houses for the play-off semi-finals and Wembley? Surely all those fans are not so superficial as not to want to save the club in the face of this latest threat? If only some of them realised that RD will happily let us decline in the Championship and be relegated, rather than sell up and pay the directors what they are owed, would they not be prepared to act? These people (Directors) saved the club years ago. If LB, JJ, SG are not signed up, the euphoria of Wembley will turn to anger and hopefully action by more people. Not all CAFC fans read the wonderful CL and keep up with RD's slow poisoning of the club, so like CAST and CARD have been doing, this wider set of fans need engaging somehow, as well as the hardy few.
Golfie, would you allow an arbitrary panel to set the value of your house or car?
It's a private business, I don't see how anyone can force RD to sell for a price he doesn't agree with, assuming he continues to not break the law.
This, this and 100% this.
I was just going to comment elsewhere I really don't like the idea of owners of private companies being forced to sell, at a price they aren't happy with. The argument that football clubs shouldn't be "normal" private companies is very valid, but we can only deal with reality.
Obviously where there is clear criminal activity, Blackpool, its a completely different circumstance.
Golfie, would you allow an arbitrary panel to set the value of your house or car?
It's a private business, I don't see how anyone can force RD to sell for a price he doesn't agree with, assuming he continues to not break the law.
This, this and 100% this.
I was just going to comment elsewhere I really don't like the idea of owners of private companies being forced to sell, at a price they aren't happy with. The argument that football clubs shouldn't be "normal" private companies is very valid, but we can only deal with reality.
Obviously where there is clear criminal activity, Blackpool, its a completely different circumstance.
The B side is logically, if the arbiters set the price high, would a purchaser be compelled to buy it. No, they would walk away.
If circumstances mean further protests, then those protesting need to learn from the climate change protestors, including accepting arrest. If protests mean arrests, then getting games abandoned is the very minimum reason to get arrested for. There is also a role for creative, shadowy, effective 'Ninja' style protests aimed at getting matches abandoned. None of this is appropriate with Bowyer in charge, but would loyalty to a Fraeye/Driesen style management, with a side led by Anil Koc demand we support the team not the regime?
Golfie, would you allow an arbitrary panel to set the value of your house or car?
It's a private business, I don't see how anyone can force RD to sell for a price he doesn't agree with, assuming he continues to not break the law.
Isn't that what an estate agent does?
I know what i did (and i assume others do too) is to get 3-4 valuations and then sell at the highest price i'm happy with that is realistically going to get me a buyer.
If an independent panel decide a club is worth around 30-35m, then although you might get lucky and find someone willing to pay 40-45m for it, but it stands to reason you probably won't sell it for 55-60m.
Seth if you have ever been nicked then you know it's not the grief on you but it's the grief your family and loved ones go through----- the possible loosing of your job--- name in the press etc.
It's only 18 months ago two of us had to go through the court process twice because of this club ,it's shi t so called senior management and their spin doctor s, before the utter bollox got thrown out. Hated the grief that gave to my wife and I know NLA felt the same.
Don't underestimate RD and his minions viciousness or their tame plod and spin doctors
Milk shakes or buckets of piss heading towards Duchatelet ?
The clock is ticking and by the end of June we will know if the worse case scenario has occurred, Bowyer departs because of the bizarre draft contract.
The roller coaster is heading south again at a rate of knots after the orgasmic scenes at Wembley.
Seth if you have ever been nicked then you know it's not the grief on you but it's the grief your family and loved ones go through----- the possible loosing of your job--- name in the press etc.
It's only 18 months ago two of us had to go through the court process twice because of this club ,it's shi t so called senior management and their spin doctor s, before the utter bollox got thrown out. Hated the grief that gave to my wife and I know NLA felt the same.
Don't underestimate RD and his minions viciousness or their tame plod and spin doctors
The vindictive regime damaged you all and eventually there will be a reckoning. For me I feel have nothing to lose in terms of a job/family dynamic. I am absolutely not suggesting any violent action (actually I'm not suggesting anything at the moment) but there are plenty of examples of non violent protests that have an impact.
Seth if you have ever been nicked then you know it's not the grief on you but it's the grief your family and loved ones go through----- the possible loosing of your job--- name in the press etc.
It's only 18 months ago two of us had to go through the court process twice because of this club ,it's shi t so called senior management and their spin doctor s, before the utter bollox got thrown out. Hated the grief that gave to my wife and I know NLA felt the same.
Don't underestimate RD and his minions viciousness or their tame plod and spin doctors
The vindictive regime damaged you all and eventually there will be a reckoning. For me I feel have nothing to lose in terms of a job/family dynamic. I am absolutely not suggesting any violent action (actually I'm not suggesting anything at the moment) but there are plenty of examples of non violent protests that have an impact.
What impact did the extension rebellion have, other than to piss off ordinary Londoners?
It stopped traffic. It might be possible to stop matches, certainly in the past it has been possible to delay matches. Club preparation for possible disruption costs more than hoovering up crisp crumbs near office desks.
Gandhi called for non-violent civil disobedience. Did it work for him? No. As Trigger said of Gandhi 'He made one great film and you never saw him again.'
Non-violent, intelligent, media friendly activity rescued the club and brought it home to the Valley, at a time when everyone assumed we were a bunch of brain dead hooligans...
Golfie, would you allow an arbitrary panel to set the value of your house or car?
It's a private business, I don't see how anyone can force RD to sell for a price he doesn't agree with, assuming he continues to not break the law.
Isn't that what an estate agent does?
I know what i did (and i assume others do too) is to get 3-4 valuations and then sell at the highest price i'm happy with that is realistically going to get me a buyer.
If an independent panel decide a club is worth around 30-35m, then although you might get lucky and find someone willing to pay 40-45m for it, but it stands to reason you probably won't sell it for 55-60m.
Yeah, but just because a estate agent says your house is worth X... doesnt mean you have to listen to them. Although, I'm not sure many people list a house for 500k which is only worth 200k and expect it to sell.
Non-violent, intelligent, media friendly activity rescued the club and brought it home to the Valley, at a time when everyone assumed we were a bunch of brain dead hooligans...
The media friendly bit is key here. I have already seen Blackpool and Coventry fans questioning the attendances at the semi and play off final, implying that is more about results than anything else.
We haven't had any match day protests since Lee Bowyer has been manager, when we have won plenty more games than we have lost. If however they resumed if Lee walks or say we loose our 1st 3 or 4 games next season we need to make it very clear of the reason for any protest. Else we risk looking like entitled, petulant children who throw our plastic pigs out the pram when we loose. That hasn't happened so far but after a 2 year absence it would be easy to make that conclusion.
Comments
Also that there are talks to improve Lee Bowyer's contract (not that RD will be guaranteed to improve terms for the only manager at Charlton under his ownership that has managed and succeeded with the constraints that Duchatelet sets - and the only manager that may help Charlton avoid relegation given the low budget).
Running a club in the Championship is expensive but going on about it negatively on the club OS is hardly like to encourage sale.
Talking down the asset he is trying to sell whilst trying to get back the maximum amount of money he has loaned to the club. Its madness. Then deflecting blame onto ex directors small loans and not his sale price as a reason for not selling the club.
Some of the other stuff, what is he putting in his tea ?
Imagine negotiating with this man!
For example, if you were Richard M or Maurice Hatter and you agreed 30p in the £
You would want the assurance that Derek Chappell or Bob Whitehand wasn’t getting a higher return - hence my earlier point that in practice it’s not going to happen
Probably batting away buyers who won't include Murray in a takeover.
Is Murray still entertaining visitors around The Valley or is that now in the hands of LDT?
I admit I was wrong after my initial reading of the sratement, especially after @Airman Brown's update.
By god if LB walks before the start of the season & no money is spent then I'm all for ramping up the protests. As said before, more direct action would be needed. Have to get the EFL to act - and the only way is postponement of games......especially televised ones. Imagine the situation if Sky couldn't show a live game because the players & officials couldn't get into the ground.
It's a private business, I don't see how anyone can force RD to sell for a price he doesn't agree with, assuming he continues to not break the law.
I was just going to comment elsewhere I really don't like the idea of owners of private companies being forced to sell, at a price they aren't happy with. The argument that football clubs shouldn't be "normal" private companies is very valid, but we can only deal with reality.
Obviously where there is clear criminal activity, Blackpool, its a completely different circumstance.
If protests mean arrests, then getting games abandoned is the very minimum reason to get arrested for.
There is also a role for creative, shadowy, effective 'Ninja' style protests aimed at getting matches abandoned.
None of this is appropriate with Bowyer in charge, but would loyalty to a Fraeye/Driesen style management, with a side led by Anil Koc demand we support the team not the regime?
I know what i did (and i assume others do too) is to get 3-4 valuations and then sell at the highest price i'm happy with that is realistically going to get me a buyer.
If an independent panel decide a club is worth around 30-35m, then although you might get lucky and find someone willing to pay 40-45m for it, but it stands to reason you probably won't sell it for 55-60m.
It's only 18 months ago two of us had to go through the court process twice because of this club ,it's shi t so called senior management and their spin doctor s, before the utter bollox got thrown out. Hated the grief that gave to my wife and I know NLA felt the same.
Don't underestimate RD and his minions viciousness or their tame plod and spin doctors
The clock is ticking and by the end of June we will know if the worse case scenario has occurred, Bowyer departs because of the bizarre draft contract.
The roller coaster is heading south again at a rate of knots after the orgasmic scenes at Wembley.
For me I feel have nothing to lose in terms of a job/family dynamic.
I am absolutely not suggesting any violent action (actually I'm not suggesting anything at the moment) but there are plenty of examples of non violent protests that have an impact.
Nothing has changed.
It might be possible to stop matches, certainly in the past it has been possible to delay matches.
Club preparation for possible disruption costs more than hoovering up crisp crumbs near office desks.
We haven't had any match day protests since Lee Bowyer has been manager, when we have won plenty more games than we have lost. If however they resumed if Lee walks or say we loose our 1st 3 or 4 games next season we need to make it very clear of the reason for any protest. Else we risk looking like entitled, petulant children who throw our plastic pigs out the pram when we loose. That hasn't happened so far but after a 2 year absence it would be easy to make that conclusion.