RD & KM (ed. insightful interview with Katrien, page 5)
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Assumes this goes for CEO's too?MountsfieldPark said:"The problem is that we’re very close to the centre of London. Top staff want to work there, because salaries are modest out here."
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She's not a mile away in her attitude from the newish landlord of The Star in plumstead. Fuck the old customers out and bring in all these new rich and young ones. Problem is that the new people in Charltons area tend to be PL fans who's first choice won't be the Addicks.MuttleyCAFC said:Yes, bring all these new fans in first before you dump us oldies. If you are good business people, surely this makes sense rather than the other way round!!!
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The ground looks great, we're in the Championship which is a good league and we have some international players.
That's a lot better than being in Div.1 or in the Championship with financial problems under the previous regime.
Yes, we need some experienced players to strengthen the squad but if it wasn't for injuries and playing young and not fully fit players things would be looking better. I mean, playing 2 kids up front against Palace to avoid injury to your only fit striker - what manager is not going to struggle with that.1 -
There have been some positive developments, but whilst this lot can't be worse than the the previous lot, we would have been better off if Duchetelet hadn't bought us and we waited for somebody else. Somebody who hasn't lost their marbles and wouldn't treat us as a guinea pig for some stupid theory that ultimately won't work like his stupid political party. Had he not bought us, there might be a coherent plan in place.9
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Bankruptcy is a coherent plan.0
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I wonder where these monied fans who don't mind apparently mediocre food, awful football and a bleak prospect of success are to come from?!!
RD & KM; IT'S THE FOOTBALL STUPID(S)!2 -
Go on it shouldn't take long ;-)Covered End said:Well I agree with the below. Although of course, she should have added, that she's still not ready.
Barely 2 months later, he sent her off to the arena of Charlton Athletic.
“I wasn’t ready. I didn’t have any experience in football club management, I’d never even spoken to a player’s agent"
If I could be bothered, I'd put together, an article of what she's really achieved, but I can't be arsed.2 -
As one of the new regime's staunchest supporters I am dismayed by this latest "third-party" public exposure, not least because it may well serve as the self-fulfilling exacerbation of a simmering mutual distrust.
Fortress Valley should signify the on-pitch reception awaiting our opponents, not a siege mentality fostered by the club's administration towards its own fans.
I have been an Addick for 60 years, and my pride in OUR special club is undiminished. I could never support Anybody Else FC. Slowly-advancing Parkinson's has compelled me to make the most of this season - VG, season ticket, Player and Paddy Bauer's home kit sponsorship, but many other fans are more generous still, not just financially but in many other ways as well.
CAFC may well have needed re-booting - we must be up to Charlton 10.0 by now. However, Mr D not only took on a bunch of professional sportsmen and their coaches, a substantial club administration, some nice real estate in SE7 and SE9, and association with a world-class Community Trust, but also in Jan 2014 108 years of history.
If the true significance of this is hard to understand then so be it, but surely it's not impossible to show some respect and not for the first time Ms Meire's words appear ill-judged and somewhat insensitive - a great pity and wholly avoidable.
Without doubt our dear Katrien has better days ahead, and all will wish Mr D every success with his unique philosophy and his impressive investment. For now could they please just remember - we are MANY, we are ONE.
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Last season I treated myself to a Millenium Lounge season ticket & in previous seasons tea & coffee was free before the match and at half time. Last season there were no before the match complimentary coffee/tea, so I guess that's what she was referring to.Henry Irving said:Yet again it seems that KM will speak to anyone other than our own official site. Why tell all this to a Belgian journo but not to your own media team?
Don't get the tea and coffee thing? The catering is outsourced. Who got free tea and coffee other than the board room and how much has that saved/generated
I have not bought a Lounge pass for this season, it didn't seem worth the money.5 -
So she's took away the 'free' tea and coffee that people have paid good money to have access to? Right-o... the little touches that save you pennies can cost you a lot more in the long run.
Far from criminal, and pretty nonsensical in essence, but it seems they are trying so hard to get new fans that all the current ones are losing interest, you lose the current base of fans and the new ones won't want to attend an empty Valley. RD & KM had a great base to work with, in terms of fans that were over the moon as we had some investment and some fresh legs on the pitch was great - but as time is telling and as I predicted the experiment will worsen, it's not a safe experiment for our Football Club.
We pay money into this club, we pour passion, love and a lot of time also. They don't talk to US, they talk to Belgian reporters. They hide the money they invest into the first team and boast constantly about the money they are pouring into the club and the training ground, of which 99.9% of our fans won't/don't visit. KM dismisses all negativity and turns it around in the form of a 'positive' comment, despite it being not directly related, a bit like having a complaint in a restaurant about the service and being responded to with a comment regarding the quality of the food. In their eyes, they can do no wrong because they are investing money into a club that previously had no money invested, not a nice attitude .. "You don't like this fact, but we invested x amount into y this season so you can't complain"
If Katrien did truly love football, and more importantly THIS Football Club as she claims, she would not dismiss the letters she receives from the fans of the Football Club she is running, she would respond, if not individually then as a whole.. but instead she avoids such simplicity and the only public speaking/interviews seem to be somewhat self-revolved and to the wrong audience (Belgian football fans, not to the fans of the Club she owns), its sad.
Onwards and upwards, and I'll always support the team but I'm running towards the side of apathy in terms of the Club as a whole at the moment. COYR25 - Sponsored links:
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I want to believe that the interview's tone has been lost in translation and that KM respects her customer base despite the fact that we're older than she wants us to be. I want to believe that turning up for matches in a half empty stadium is only temporary and not really the soul crushing experience it currently is. I want to believe that the current team is just going through a transition period and not zooming towards League 1. I want to believe that GL is a good manager and not an egotistical loon. I want to believe that the long term strategy will pay off to give us a competitive Prem League team, not just provide the odd gem for a big six bench. I want to believe May 1998 wasn't the high point and that I be planning an expensive football trip to some non descript East European town.
But I can't.14 -
There is no substitute for proper communication - and this sort of half-arsed interview certainly isn't it.
Is this an example of naivety or is KM taking the opportunity to metaphorically wave two fingers at what she sees as elements of the 'old guard' in our support ? Maybe a bit of both, together with sloppy tabloid journalism. Why expose herself to that when she could put something on the club's own website ?
There are a multitude of reasons to try and avoid disaffecting elements of your support, not the least of which is the fact that our ground is half empty. Another is that long-standing supporters are important marketers for the club, both in terms of indoctrinating offspring (i.e. the next generation of support) and encouraging friends down to the Valley.
I don't suppose that people will take this sort of article too seriously but it is unhelpful to KM vis-a-vis Charlton supporters. I felt that she had made some progress over the last six months but this is a step back for her at a time when results have taken a turn for the worse.11 -
Been a huge Charlton fan for 26 years. Not been to a home game since Boxing Day, and I live ten mins from The Valley. Maybe I am on here, but can't be the only one with a similar tale. Work colleagues and mates can't believe it.
Would never have believed this if a couple of years ago someone had told me I'd be writing this.
What's the point of supporting a footbsll club that isn't bothered about winning anything? The situation is so f****d up, why did they pick US after all these years of disappointment (Bar league 1 title season)?
Actually, the reason's fairly obvious.
Gutted.9 -
It makes us a laughing stock. My friend's attended the Rotherham game and couldn't believe their eyes. Cheesy gimmickOakster said:Oh but we have a pitch side sofa - it seems the previous regime was intent on asset stripping us financially. This lot are asset stripping our identity.
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We haven't changed at all in RD's time, were becoming a stagnant Championship club and a boring side to watch, we haven't got a quick player who is exciting and thrills the crowd
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Lack of respect for heritage equates to arrogance in my book.
If you want to change things you take time to research so that proposed changes complement tradition and heritage rather than ride roughshod over it.
However we HAVE TO understand that the owner does things his own way.
Sorry but bollocks! I don't HAVE TO understand anything. If I choose to stay on the Belgian merry go round I will but I do not HAVE TO and I may decide after more than 50 years that enough is enough. I am certainly getting the impression that my demographic of supporter is no longer welcome or encouraged but regarded as a necessary evil as presently we are the ones putting money over the counter.16 -
I don't visit the Valley much these days as it is a lot of money to travel from up here but after Ms Meire's latest views on OUR club I reckon that is it for me, I'll continue going to away matches to support my team but I'm not putting anymore money into RD's coffers and am considering leaving Valley Gold as it seems that RD wants to finance everything at SL then let him.0
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?lancashire lad said:I don't visit the Valley much these days as it is a lot of money to travel from up here but after Ms Meire's latest views on OUR club I reckon that is it for me, I'll continue going to away matches to support my team but I'm not putting anymore money into RD's coffers and am considering leaving Valley Gold as it seems that RD wants to finance everything at SL then let him.
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Sparrows LaneGreenie said:
?lancashire lad said:I don't visit the Valley much these days as it is a lot of money to travel from up here but after Ms Meire's latest views on OUR club I reckon that is it for me, I'll continue going to away matches to support my team but I'm not putting anymore money into RD's coffers and am considering leaving Valley Gold as it seems that RD wants to finance everything at SL then let him.
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I have been contemplating leaving valley gold - as the reasons for being part of it - doing ones bit for the club you love don't seem to be respected or cared for. Not reached that decision yet but am close but I know it doesn't matter and won't matter to RD if we all left the scheme.3
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It could be argued that support for a specific club means very little without the 'heritage' aspect.LenGlover said:Lack of respect for heritage equates to arrogance in my book.
If you want to change things you take time to research so that proposed changes complement tradition and heritage rather than ride roughshod over it.
However we HAVE TO understand that the owner does things his own way.
Sorry but bollocks! I don't HAVE TO understand anything. If I choose to stay on the Belgian merry go round I will but I do not HAVE TO and I may decide after more than 50 years that enough is enough. I am certainly getting the impression that my demographic of supporter is no longer welcome or encouraged but regarded as a necessary evil as presently we are the ones putting money over the counter.
Heritage and setiment are entwined and a big part of football support. If sentimental value is removed, you might as well stay at home with a sky package, or become a 'football tourist'.
Starprix probably don't have an algorithm to account for sentimental value. Hopefully some laptop - toting genius can come up with one9 -
Hysteria levels reach new high......3
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Yes, but you'll feel much better, go for it.MuttleyCAFC said:I have been contemplating leaving valley gold - as the reasons for being part of it - doing ones bit for the club you love don't seem to be respected or cared for. Not reached that decision yet but am close but I know it doesn't matter and won't matter to RD if we all left the scheme.
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What summed up for me the complete disregard for "old-timer" supporters was the decision earlier this year to raise the concession age for a senior season ticket from 60 to 65 (or 66 - can't remember).
The amount of money this must raise in the bigger scheme of things must be minimal. But the loss of good will must be huge.
Next year, I would have qualified for a concession ticket under the old system. Now I won't. Well, **** 'em - if the season carries on as now I shan't be bothering to renew and their "clever" little wheeze will not raise a few extra bob but actually cost them.3 -
If accurate pretty much shows a complete lack of understanding about football clubs, football fans and the special nature of Charlton Athletic and its fans. If it didn't fit all the actions previously so closely I'd be less inclined to believe it.3
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can't believe the comments based on an article translated using Google. I have to use it sometimes for work and believe me some things don't translate well. I believe a lot has been lost in translation. Plus, how do we know that the journo has reported what she said accurately? How do we know it was even an interview as opposed to what he's remembered of a private conversation. Frankly, it hasn't bothered me in the slightest.1
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Huge majority of my work is entirely based upon using different translators for stuff posted online. You are never going to get a clean translation but you get the jist of things, the fact of the matter is, if it's one or two 'risky' comments then these may be comments not translating as to how they were said at the time - but this has a whole host of 'debatable' things from the start to finish. And a lot of the things mentioned were 'facts' that aren't liked, the sacking of employees etc.. we all know these as facts, not bad translations. You can't dismiss an entire article for not knowing as a fact in what manner she said things/how it's not translated perfectly.LargeAddick said:can't believe the comments based on an article translated using Google. I have to use it sometimes for work and believe me some things don't translate well. I believe a lot has been lost in translation. Plus, how do we know that the journo has reported what she said accurately? How do we know it was even an interview as opposed to what he's remembered of a private conversation. Frankly, it hasn't bothered me in the slightest.
If it was a private conversation from someone who then posted up a well published piece online then KM needs to sharpen up and be careful who she's speaking to, I'm pretty certain she will have known it was in some form of social interview discussing matters.
It's not bothered you but it has others, people have differing opinions, I respect yours for not letting this affect you but the whole bigger picture is almost summarised in this piece, and it's not the prettiest picture however it is painted, IMO.3 -
That's a ridiculous idea.LargeAddick said:can't believe the comments based on an article translated using Google. I have to use it sometimes for work and believe me some things don't translate well. I believe a lot has been lost in translation. Plus, how do we know that the journo has reported what she said accurately? How do we know it was even an interview as opposed to what he's remembered of a private conversation. Frankly, it hasn't bothered me in the slightest.
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I think they are trying to turn the football club into a hockey franchise. It makes sense now.0
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the pattern seems to be similar to last season. We made a good start but quickly after a couple of setbacks the confidence drained and the manager went quickly. I believe some of the acquisitions have been an improvement on last season and I also believe that the manager is doing a decent job, he is not afraid to change things when necessary.
However I agree that we have no leadership, Diarra should be the captain, he has the experience and I believe the desire.I also believe that the team should be built around Cousins which means that he starts in central midfield. Finally the club management have to recognise that there was a serious error in not strengthening before the transfer window, the squad is too thin, we have no back up full backs, we need another centre half and more up front and so we need some good quality loans between now and January.
Finally Roland needs to realise by now that this is a tough league and needs strong and decisive management which means a new and experienced chief executive or Director of football who can go out and get the right players, not an inexperienced former commercial lawyer, she constantly makes the wrong calls, on and off the pitch and has no idea how to relate to supporters. She needs to go now.3
