Thomas buying all the staff a hamper is a great story and I'm sure was appreciated by all, might seem a small thing to some but 300 hampers won't have come cheap!
"TS is the owner and CEO, He's the boss and I report to him. Tony Keohane runs operations which is good as he's a details man, Emma is great in finance and Tom heads up Comms"
"Got lots of long serving staff, nobody seems to leave. When staff got their hampers from TS some of them were in tears. They've not had a present from the boss for a long time. All the staff got them, including academy kids, maybe as many as 300.
"The tears show the respect for TS but also how bad it was for them before, it was tough for them before so have to give them great credit"
Valley Pass upgrade
No me, it was the Comms team which is still only the same three people (Olly, George and Tom) so when they are doing all the TV stuff they still have to do all the normal stuff like interviews and twitter etc etc but all pulling together.
Shop
Still outsourced to Hummel for this season and next and club will honour that contract as right thing to do. Thinks there is too much clothing and too much of the same stuff in the shop but thinks Hummel are good partners (WM spoke a lot about partners, clearly he views sponsors, suppliers etc as partners not just cash cows. Personally I though this was interesting and key to his thinking). WM said that Hummel haven't been given feedback or guidance on the shop from the club previously so left to do their own thing but will now so it can get better.
Kits
Likes Hummel as they are flexible and bespoke. He went to their offices last week and looked at the new kits for next year which were picked by fans. TS liked the same kit as the fans did. Hummel will run the shop, as above, and do the kit next year.
Commercial Aims
In league 1 so not going to be atracting millions and millions but getting lots of people calling him to get involved. Aim is to build the brand. CACT is premier league but CAFC don't talk about it enough. It fits very well with TS's values as TS has his Sandgaard Foundation and CACT and their work is close to his heart. Jason Morgan, CACT CEO, has lots of contacts at high levels. WM did an EDI ( Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) course with CACT last week and was impressed.
Commercially we need to stop going to just the same well (the same local sponsors/firms as we have for ten plus years) Not a criticism of commercial staff but encouraging them to think wider. Want sponsors who we maybe don't have an existing connection with and have a global appeal. CACT and their work will be key to that.
Sponsors name at the Valley
"I'd be strung up from a lamppost by fans if that was the first thing I did was change the name of the Valley" "No, it's not on the radar"
Love this, must be amazing for them after Roland and ESI.
Roland didn't even give the academy kids bottled water!!
TS doesn't speak much to WM about his business but TS not maximised the market in the US as yet and that is the aim. Never said anything to WM about the UK or Europe
Sparrows Lane
There are improvements already such as a cryno-chamber and what looks like a dentist chair to test muscle strains (cost £25 TS said on Tuesday).
Also two big portable offices going up as we speak but obviously don't want to spend on permanent building when we don't own the ground. TS agreed to the rental deal as it needed to happen to prevent club going into admin. Not perfect couldn't hang around. TS will make it the best it can be and may sit down with RD again to see if a deal can be done.
The training ground needs to be the best it can be and the players need better facilities. Aim is Category 1 Academy and Ged Roddy is very comfortable around all of that.
Met with the University of Greenwich (who are next door) this week around using some of their space and equipment which is very good and could be a good link up.
India
Looking at a partnership with a big Indian club with 40m followers. Indian football is on the rise. Not so much about getting players from them although that might come later but things like summer schools using the Uni of Greenwich dorms for language classes, football training and work of CACT.
WM wants to partner (that word again) with people who bring value and yes we might sell some shirts in India too.
It's been a long time since we were in the Premier League and things have changed, especially around social media. China is a huge potential market but we have to get our platforms (social media like instagram, Valley Pass, Wechat, Webo) up to standard so we are ready. IE Zheng Zhi doing a short film about his time at Charlton, which he speaks glowingly about. Still playing and still a big name out there with 8m followers on social media
Streams
We sell about 4K at home 3.5k away, TS wants 27k! Fleetwood sell 350. We see the league table and we'd be 4th or 5th in the Championship. If we want to build internationally (and that was another recurring theme) then the old Valley pass wasn't going to cut it.
“ WM felt that many people in the world may not know that Charlton is in London”
That’s really interesting. I had always assumed everyone knows that Charlton are in London but maybe - particularly in terms of the international market - it’s not so obvious. I have noticed that Palace and West Ham have really increased the use of “London” in their branding over the past few years. I thought it was a kind of fashionable thing (or, in Palace’s case, a poor grasp of geography) but maybe it’s for the same commercial reasons that WM described.
Would have like to have attended but I’m apolitical :-)
Seriously, Thanks very much for the write up, from that it feels very encouraging. Did he come across well?
I think he did, positive but not over promising and not full of marketing bullshit like "sweat the asset".
Plenty of other lifers there who don't take sides : - ) who can maybe say more as I find it more difficult when asking the questions and trying to memorise all the answers for CL.
He was impressive, didn't promise anything and any ideas were not dismissed, very similar to Thomas on the trust call last week.
It came across the same as Thomas in that the club is not them and us, rather that we are one. Like Thomas he said when decisions have to be made that might affect supporters they will be open on communicating this and that's all you can ask of them.
To me it's all just good old fashioned common sense, but this was beyond our previous CEO so maybe it's more than that!
With the talk about India and China sounds like we could see link ups with clubs around the world set up over the next few years.
We did a lot of that in the Prem years, though this feels more commercial - getting people watching Valley Pass, buying shirts etc rather than bringing in promising young players. Big difference is Valley Pass wasn’t around back then, so it’s a new opportunity to make the most of.
TS doesn't speak much to WM about his business but TS not maximised the market in the US as yet and that is the aim. Never said anything to WM about the UK or Europe
Sparrows Lane
There are improvements already such as a cryno-chamber and what looks like a dentist chair to test muscle strains (cost £25 TS said on Tuesday).
Also two big portable offices going up as we speak but obviously don't want to spend on permanent building when we don't own the ground. TS agreed to the rental deal as it needed to happen to prevent club going into admin. Not perfect couldn't hang around. TS will make it the best it can be and may sit down with RD again to see if a deal can be done.
The training ground needs to be the best it can be and the players need better facilities. Aim is Category 1 Academy and Ged Roddy is very comfortable around all of that.
Met with the University of Greenwich (who are next door) this week around using some of their space and equipment which is very good and could be a good link up.
India
Looking at a partnership with a big Indian club with 40m followers. Indian football is on the rise. Not so much about getting players from them although that might come later but things like summer schools using the Uni of Greenwich dorms for language classes, football training and work of CACT.
WM wants to partner (that word again) with people who bring value and yes we might sell some shirts in India too.
It's been a long time since we were in the Premier League and things have changed, especially around social media. China is a huge potential market but we have to get our platforms (social media like instagram, Valley Pass, Wechat, Webo) up to standard so we are ready. IE Zheng Zhi doing a short film about his time at Charlton, which he speaks glowingly about. Still playing and still a big name out there with 8m followers on social media
Streams
We sell about 4K at home 3.5k away, TS wants 27k! Fleetwood sell 350. We see the league table and we'd be 4th or 5th in the Championship. If we want to build internationally (and that was another recurring theme) then the old Valley pass wasn't going to cut it.
England have the test series in India next year. Happy to go over there and wear my Charlton merchandise throughout the series to support the brand.
TS doesn't speak much to WM about his business but TS not maximised the market in the US as yet and that is the aim. Never said anything to WM about the UK or Europe
Sparrows Lane
There are improvements already such as a cryno-chamber and what looks like a dentist chair to test muscle strains (cost £25 TS said on Tuesday).
Also two big portable offices going up as we speak but obviously don't want to spend on permanent building when we don't own the ground. TS agreed to the rental deal as it needed to happen to prevent club going into admin. Not perfect couldn't hang around. TS will make it the best it can be and may sit down with RD again to see if a deal can be done.
The training ground needs to be the best it can be and the players need better facilities. Aim is Category 1 Academy and Ged Roddy is very comfortable around all of that.
Met with the University of Greenwich (who are next door) this week around using some of their space and equipment which is very good and could be a good link up.
India
Looking at a partnership with a big Indian club with 40m followers. Indian football is on the rise. Not so much about getting players from them although that might come later but things like summer schools using the Uni of Greenwich dorms for language classes, football training and work of CACT.
WM wants to partner (that word again) with people who bring value and yes we might sell some shirts in India too.
It's been a long time since we were in the Premier League and things have changed, especially around social media. China is a huge potential market but we have to get our platforms (social media like instagram, Valley Pass, Wechat, Webo) up to standard so we are ready. IE Zheng Zhi doing a short film about his time at Charlton, which he speaks glowingly about. Still playing and still a big name out there with 8m followers on social media
Streams
We sell about 4K at home 3.5k away, TS wants 27k! Fleetwood sell 350. We see the league table and we'd be 4th or 5th in the Championship. If we want to build internationally (and that was another recurring theme) then the old Valley pass wasn't going to cut it.
England have the test series in India next year. Happy to go over there and wear my Charlton merchandise throughout the series to support the brand.
Dam decent offer and I am prepared to join you.
I am also prepared to travel the Caribbean next winter promoting our brand on beaches and bars.
TS doesn't speak much to WM about his business but TS not maximised the market in the US as yet and that is the aim. Never said anything to WM about the UK or Europe
Sparrows Lane
There are improvements already such as a cryno-chamber and what looks like a dentist chair to test muscle strains (cost £25 TS said on Tuesday).
Also two big portable offices going up as we speak but obviously don't want to spend on permanent building when we don't own the ground. TS agreed to the rental deal as it needed to happen to prevent club going into admin. Not perfect couldn't hang around. TS will make it the best it can be and may sit down with RD again to see if a deal can be done.
The training ground needs to be the best it can be and the players need better facilities. Aim is Category 1 Academy and Ged Roddy is very comfortable around all of that.
Met with the University of Greenwich (who are next door) this week around using some of their space and equipment which is very good and could be a good link up.
India
Looking at a partnership with a big Indian club with 40m followers. Indian football is on the rise. Not so much about getting players from them although that might come later but things like summer schools using the Uni of Greenwich dorms for language classes, football training and work of CACT.
WM wants to partner (that word again) with people who bring value and yes we might sell some shirts in India too.
It's been a long time since we were in the Premier League and things have changed, especially around social media. China is a huge potential market but we have to get our platforms (social media like instagram, Valley Pass, Wechat, Webo) up to standard so we are ready. IE Zheng Zhi doing a short film about his time at Charlton, which he speaks glowingly about. Still playing and still a big name out there with 8m followers on social media
Streams
We sell about 4K at home 3.5k away, TS wants 27k! Fleetwood sell 350. We see the league table and we'd be 4th or 5th in the Championship. If we want to build internationally (and that was another recurring theme) then the old Valley pass wasn't going to cut it.
England have the test series in India next year. Happy to go over there and wear my Charlton merchandise throughout the series to support the brand.
Dam decent offer and I am prepared to join you.
I am also prepared to travel the Caribbean next winter promoting our brand on beaches and bars.
The impact that TS and his new team have had in such a short time is extraordinary.
Its not just that the metaphorical punishment beatings of the last too many years have stopped and the club is finally able to escape and into the light. This goes way beyond that.
Lots of hard work going forward but the fans and club reunited around a common purpose again at last.
TS brought me on board as I'd done big
deals. For example one deal with a big (named but I'm not going to repeat
it) EPL club for six mins on their LED display boards was £4m. Why
can't we do that? TS doesn't take 2nd best
TS sees all the heritage, he was fascinated by
the museum (yes, WM said that unprompted) on Monday especially when @killerjerrylee
mentioned that pre and post WW2 Charlton and Arsenal were the two biggest clubs
in London.
It took a while for the staff to realise it (the
new ownership) is real. It's my job to be open and share things. In
the past if the staff asked for something they we're just told "no"
so were still not believing. Now there is some positive energy, not going to be
a club that takes second best.
We do need the fans and their support, to know
that revenue is going in the right place, to get them to come back to games.
I can't do it on my own, which is why I've made
it my job to know Jason Morgan and others, my job is to make sure anyone can
speak to me about a commercial idea. it has to be all of us, I can give my
international experience but it has to be everyone. We need to tell
people we're open for business and ready.
CACT has £35m of social value a year, the
biggest in the UK, that is a huge attraction.
£1.50 ticket charge
Aware of it but there is a deal in place but
will speak to Katy in Ticket office and look at it.
Farnell and Scepticism
Human nature to be sceptical but the £11m (that
TS has put in) is a statement, he's
very serious
TS and his attorney's just brush off Farnell,
etc.
January window
There is a lot going on. Can assure fans
that the conversations are happening and will see proof in January window.
There is the challenge of the wage cap that WM
doesn't think is right. EFL is saying that owners can't be trusted to run their
own budgets
Potential players can see what is happening at
CAFC now, players see Thomas.
Ged Roddy has lots of connections and those
connections and networking are very important. Big cluns want to see that their
players are looked after.
That's all folks, flowers, hampers, promotes all welcome
Next meeting in January with, hopefully, Darren
"Football Genius" Pratley and Ben "Midfield General" Watson
I mean forget TS , WM ,LB , SG etc the most impressive thing at Charlton is Henry Irving's memory and recall powers for all that goes on in these meetings it's a fucking joke . I actually can't remember from one second to the next anything, in fact what am i doing here , our away support is shit
I mean forget TS , WM ,LB , SG etc the most impressive thing at Charlton is Henry Irving's memory and recall powers for all that goes on in these meetings it's a fucking joke . I actually can't remember from one second to the next anything, in fact what am i doing here , our away support is shit
do you remember the £500 you borrowed from me last time you came to the museum?
Comments
Thomas buying all the staff a hamper is a great story and I'm sure was appreciated by all, might seem a small thing to some but 300 hampers won't have come cheap!
Seriously, Thanks very much for the write up, from that it feels very encouraging. Did he come across well?
Roland didn't even give the academy kids bottled water!!
Zynex expanding into Europe
TS doesn't speak much to WM about his business but TS not maximised the market in the US as yet and that is the aim. Never said anything to WM about the UK or Europe
Sparrows Lane
There are improvements already such as a cryno-chamber and what looks like a dentist chair to test muscle strains (cost £25 TS said on Tuesday).
Also two big portable offices going up as we speak but obviously don't want to spend on permanent building when we don't own the ground. TS agreed to the rental deal as it needed to happen to prevent club going into admin. Not perfect couldn't hang around. TS will make it the best it can be and may sit down with RD again to see if a deal can be done.
The training ground needs to be the best it can be and the players need better facilities. Aim is Category 1 Academy and Ged Roddy is very comfortable around all of that.
Met with the University of Greenwich (who are next door) this week around using some of their space and equipment which is very good and could be a good link up.
India
Looking at a partnership with a big Indian club with 40m followers. Indian football is on the rise. Not so much about getting players from them although that might come later but things like summer schools using the Uni of Greenwich dorms for language classes, football training and work of CACT.
WM wants to partner (that word again) with people who bring value and yes we might sell some shirts in India too.
It's been a long time since we were in the Premier League and things have changed, especially around social media. China is a huge potential market but we have to get our platforms (social media like instagram, Valley Pass, Wechat, Webo) up to standard so we are ready. IE Zheng Zhi doing a short film about his time at Charlton, which he speaks glowingly about. Still playing and still a big name out there with 8m followers on social media
Streams
We sell about 4K at home 3.5k away, TS wants 27k! Fleetwood sell 350. We see the league table and we'd be 4th or 5th in the Championship. If we want to build internationally (and that was another recurring theme) then the old Valley pass wasn't going to cut it.
Plenty of other lifers there who don't take sides : - ) who can maybe say more as I find it more difficult when asking the questions and trying to memorise all the answers for CL.
Edit: Thanks for the write up Henry.
It came across the same as Thomas in that the club is not them and us, rather that we are one. Like Thomas he said when decisions have to be made that might affect supporters they will be open on communicating this and that's all you can ask of them.
To me it's all just good old fashioned common sense, but this was beyond our previous CEO so maybe it's more than that!
We did a lot of that in the Prem years, though this feels more commercial - getting people watching Valley Pass, buying shirts etc rather than bringing in promising young players. Big difference is Valley Pass wasn’t around back then, so it’s a new opportunity to make the most of.
I am also prepared to travel the Caribbean next winter promoting our brand on beaches and bars.
Very interesting.
The impact that TS and his new team have had in such a short time is extraordinary.
Its not just that the metaphorical punishment beatings of the last too many years have stopped and the club is finally able to escape and into the light. This goes way beyond that.
Lots of hard work going forward but the fans and club reunited around a common purpose again at last.
Part Six
More commercial stuff
TS brought me on board as I'd done big deals. For example one deal with a big (named but I'm not going to repeat it) EPL club for six mins on their LED display boards was £4m. Why can't we do that? TS doesn't take 2nd best
TS sees all the heritage, he was fascinated by the museum (yes, WM said that unprompted) on Monday especially when @killerjerrylee mentioned that pre and post WW2 Charlton and Arsenal were the two biggest clubs in London.
It took a while for the staff to realise it (the new ownership) is real. It's my job to be open and share things. In the past if the staff asked for something they we're just told "no" so were still not believing. Now there is some positive energy, not going to be a club that takes second best.
We do need the fans and their support, to know that revenue is going in the right place, to get them to come back to games.
I can't do it on my own, which is why I've made it my job to know Jason Morgan and others, my job is to make sure anyone can speak to me about a commercial idea. it has to be all of us, I can give my international experience but it has to be everyone. We need to tell people we're open for business and ready.
CACT has £35m of social value a year, the biggest in the UK, that is a huge attraction.
£1.50 ticket charge
Aware of it but there is a deal in place but will speak to Katy in Ticket office and look at it.
Farnell and Scepticism
Human nature to be sceptical but the £11m (that TS has put in) is a statement, he's very serious
TS and his attorney's just brush off Farnell, etc.
January window
There is a lot going on. Can assure fans that the conversations are happening and will see proof in January window.
There is the challenge of the wage cap that WM doesn't think is right. EFL is saying that owners can't be trusted to run their own budgets
Potential players can see what is happening at CAFC now, players see Thomas.
Ged Roddy has lots of connections and those connections and networking are very important. Big cluns want to see that their players are looked after.
That's all folks, flowers, hampers, promotes all welcome
Next meeting in January with, hopefully, Darren "Football Genius" Pratley and Ben "Midfield General" Watson
If only there was a player who has played for us, but also played in the Indian Super League...
I actually can't remember from one second to the next anything, in fact what am i doing here , our away support is shit
Though I'm sure they'll cover a lot of ground.