Charlie Methven: Global Football Partners have no plans to ‘flip’ Charlton Athletic

clive

Charlie Methven has dispelled talk that Charlton Athletic’s new owners are looking to cash in quickly on the League One club.
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlie-methven-global-football-partners-have-no-plans-to-flip-charlton-athletic/

mendonca

It's a decent read. I'm starting to turn neutral on Methven. He/They did bring im Holden after all who has steadied the footballing side.

bobmunro

Decent interview, no real concerns, and said what I would have expected him to say.

Does seem somewhat bizarre though that an article about dispelling rumours of a flip is required a week or so after purchase!

fenlandaddick

Actions not words. Team build going well so far, let us see.

AddicksAddict

To cash in quickly, they would have to get us to the premiership in two seasons. If they cashed in after that, I’d have no problem.

AddicksAddict

clive said:

Charlie Methven has dispelled talk that Charlton Athletic’s new owners are looking to cash in quickly on the League One club.
https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlie-methven-global-football-partners-have-no-plans-to-flip-charlton-athletic/

How close is what he said about Sunderland to what people here think happened?

Cafc43v3r

AddicksAddict said:

To cash in quickly, they would have to get us to the premiership in two seasons. If they cashed in after that, I’d have no problem.

I wouldn't, honestly, have a problem if they took us up this season then sold us.  We weren't going up under Thomas so even that would have been better than what we had.

North Lower Neil

AddicksAddict said:

To cash in quickly, they would have to get us to the premiership in two seasons. If they cashed in after that, I’d have no problem.

Even The Championship tbh.

If their model is get us up, sell at a profit, I hope they are successful!

Gribbo

bobmunro said:

Decent interview, no real concerns, and said what I would have expected him to say.

Does seem somewhat bizarre though that an article about dispelling rumours of a flip is required a week or so after purchase!

Not when you consider the constant speculation regarding the new owners motives, amongst quite a large portion of our fan base.

Scoham

bobmunro said:

Decent interview, no real concerns, and said what I would have expected him to say.

Does seem somewhat bizarre though that an article about dispelling rumours of a flip is required a week or so after purchase!

I might be wrong but I think the quotes have been taken from his BBC interview earlier in the week when he was specifically asked about the suggestion they want to flip the club. There’s a link to listen back somewhere.

StrikerFirmani

Charlie has done his home work on Charlton Life for sure.

 “I’m not saying no chance – because never say never. Who knows? Some guy could come over the horizon who decides his single biggest wish in life is to buy Charlton. It’s rather like owning a nice house. You don’t want to sell it but then somebody comes along and changes your mind.

sillav nitram

He’s one of us, he used a housing analogy! He gets my vote.

AddicksAddict

sillav nitram said:

He’s one of us, he used a housing analogy! He gets my vote.

Only if he comes by train.

Covered End

So far I agree with pretty much everything Methven has said.
He's very far from being a dick head or other such nonsense that some have thrown at him.
In fact he appears to me to be a very shrewd operator.

I couldn't care less what colour trousers he wears, if he can make Charlton relatively successful.
He has appointed football people who know what they are doing and has recruited wealthy investors.

I'm not so naive as to believe everything he says, but you can basically say the same of most owners.

ShootersHillGuru

AddicksAddict said:

To cash in quickly, they would have to get us to the premiership in two seasons. If they cashed in after that, I’d have no problem.

I’d be happy if they got us to the fringes of Championship playoffs, although that would be an odd moment to want out.

SELR_addicks

For someone that is not involved in the day-to-day running of our club, it seems like every single day he's talking to a different news reporter about us. 

ShootersHillGuru

I think by not being involved in day to day running he means not involved in footballing decisions and not involved in commercial or staffing decisions. He’s stated he is the conduit between SMT and owners. I think that’s fair enough. He has a stake after all.

seth plum

Right right now it is all about secure ongoing funding so the club isn’t under threat.
Pay the bills get the points.

bobmunro

ShootersHillGuru said:

I think by not being involved in day to day running he means not involved in footballing decisions and not involved in commercial or staffing decisions. He’s stated he is the conduit between SMT and owners. I think that’s fair enough. He has a stake after all.

Agreed - conduit to the owners and the public face (non-football, that has to be Scott/Holden) of the club.

Chunes

Saying what we want to hear, like every new owner we've had. Not an attack or a moan, I just take it with a big pinch of MSG.

GetYerCoreyOut

SELR_addicks said:

For someone that is not involved in the day-to-day running of our club, it seems like every single day he's talking to a different news reporter about us. 

I understand your point entirely, but the reality of it is he's the face of the takeover and the unofficial "bridge" between the club and ownership. So if you were a reporter he would most likely be your go to man for a story.

SELR_addicks

GetYerCoreyOut said:

SELR_addicks said:

For someone that is not involved in the day-to-day running of our club, it seems like every single day he's talking to a different news reporter about us. 

I understand your point entirely, but the reality of it is he's the face of the takeover and the unofficial "bridge" between the club and ownership. So if you were a reporter he would most likely be your go to man for a story.

We were told point blank that he wouldn't be. Back when they were leaking things to supporters to get us 'on side'. 

MartinCAFC

StrikerFirmani said:

Charlie has done his home work on Charlton Life for sure.

 “I’m not saying no chance – because never say never. Who knows? Some guy could come over the horizon who decides his single biggest wish in life is to buy Charlton. It’s rather like owning a nice house. You don’t want to sell it but then somebody comes along and changes your mind.

All lol's and jokes aside I couldn't help but feel it seems he's been browsing this forum and telling us what we want to hear, I noticed this as well in the interview with the dossier.

AndyG

MartinCAFC said:

StrikerFirmani said:

Charlie has done his home work on Charlton Life for sure.

 “I’m not saying no chance – because never say never. Who knows? Some guy could come over the horizon who decides his single biggest wish in life is to buy Charlton. It’s rather like owning a nice house. You don’t want to sell it but then somebody comes along and changes your mind.

All lol's and jokes aside I couldn't help but feel it seems he's been browsing this forum and telling us what we want to hear, I noticed this as well in the interview with the dossier.

I think you might be right mate but the proof will be evident when he drops a Patel line in somewhere lol

Scoham

SELR_addicks said:

For someone that is not involved in the day-to-day running of our club, it seems like every single day he's talking to a different news reporter about us. 

Like I said I think this is taken from his BBC interview the other night. Cawley has then turned it into multiple articles as it’s too big for a one and generates content for the SLP.

PragueAddick

Scoham said:

SELR_addicks said:

For someone that is not involved in the day-to-day running of our club, it seems like every single day he's talking to a different news reporter about us. 

Like I said I think this is taken from his BBC interview the other night. Cawley has then turned it into multiple articles as it’s too big for a one and generates content for the SLP.

I could be wrong but I think there are quotes in there that I don’t recognise from the BBC London interview. I think also by now Methven has worked out the RC has a line to the fanbase and would want to give him an interview- and equally I think RC would want his own interview.

Anyway for me the most valuable thing there is that he consciously backs away from the idea that wholesale cost-cutting is part of the business strategy (as implied in the infamous Texan pitch) . It’s good to have that on the written record. I am sure @Airman Brown has already carefully filed it.

ShootersHillGuru

SELR_addicks said:

GetYerCoreyOut said:

SELR_addicks said:

For someone that is not involved in the day-to-day running of our club, it seems like every single day he's talking to a different news reporter about us. 

I understand your point entirely, but the reality of it is he's the face of the takeover and the unofficial "bridge" between the club and ownership. So if you were a reporter he would most likely be your go to man for a story.

We were told point blank that he wouldn't be. Back when they were leaking things to supporters to get us 'on side'. 

And us not being onside affected it how ?

Henry Irving

It is a decent read.

He's not pulled the common trick of slagging off the previous owners/staff by saying how awful it is and how much there is to do so as to lessen the pressure on himself and GFP.

He says improvements are needed and performance and return on investment have to improve.  Don't think anyone would disagree.

But he's quite vague as to what those required improvements are or what the targets are. OK, publicly quoted targets can just bring pressure (see Mr T Sandgaard formally of this parish) but it is all very vague, very broad stroke and no detail.

What does success look like?

How will commercial success by measured.

If there is a five year plan where ideally will the club be in July 2028?  Not league position but in staffing, commercial income, spend per visitor,  sponsorship income, etc?

I'm the last person to want wild predictions and much prefer under promise, over deliver but owners to need to articulate some ambition. Otherwise we back at "enjoy the dancing after the game" and "See the premier league stars of the future" territory of the RD

I accept getting the balance between showing ambition and over promising is difficult.

I'm also struggling with the new owners seeing this as a "passion" while it also being an investment.

We haven't seen any demonstration of "passion" from the new owners, most of whom haven't made any public comments IIRC.

I don't believe you have to  be born a fan or watched us get thumped at some godforsaken northern hell hole in 1900 and frozen stiff to be a "real" fan. 

Any one at any age in any location can get the bug but it's a bit early yet to be talking of "passion".

I hope they do "get it" and that inspires them to run the club well but I'm not sure Charlie telling us that that is the case convinces me, especially when he goes on to say how wealthy they are and so this a relatively small investment for them. 

And the proof isn't in the pudding.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating 

Off_it

"What's the exit strategy?"

N01R4M

Off_it said:

"What's the exit strategy?"

Hopefully, it includes an exit strategy for Burger Boy - even if it does take a couple of months. 
In which case it would be a welcome Michaelmas present!

IAgree

Pleased with recruitment thus far, however I’m not entirely convinced (yet) by the ‘bigger the consortium the more stable it is’ line and it’s very clear that there is a concerted attempt afoot to address concerns about stability and the academy.

I’m cautiously optimistic, however I still struggle to see where the value is in the club and think promotion then sale remains a distinct possibility. I take the suggestion that this “is about passion” with a huge pinch of salt. A bunch of rich Americans have brought us for passion??

After the last decade we need to remain optimistic & vigilant beyond a few soothing words and promising signings.

However I do think it’s going to be a positive season.