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Ed Warrick Departs
Comments
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& no CLUEChris_from_Sidcup said:So does this mean we currently have no CEO, no CFO and no COO?3 -
And no CLU4
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Not quite, we have an interim CFOChris_from_Sidcup said:So does this mean we currently have no CEO, no CFO and no COO?0 -
Your comment about the owners giving the budget and setting expectations early was very apt. That Wigan CEO was widely praised while he was there, but then the owner pulled the plug and left him facing the flak for what they’d previously spent. Hard to win when an owner does that.Henry Irving said:
Who was that CEO at Wigan who grew up in Plumstead?TelMc32 said:
Absolutely agree and I think the more prominent role that Ed took after Charlie left was welcoming and he really seemed to come across well. I’m not convinced CFO was the right role for him, but certainly wish him well.Henry Irving said:
My understanding was that Ed and Charlie were not on the best of terms when Charlie left.TelMc32 said:Ed was never a CFO before joining Charlton, so it was always a strange role for him to take/be put into. He does seem to have been far more active since Methven left and seems to have taken genuine pleasure in the positives that have been happening around the club. But…he was very much on the finance side of the “Gang of Four” with Methven and there’s a reason those two have been moved on since the owner’s have put Gavin into a more active role. Scott was quickly shown as disastrous and wasn’t missed.
The only surviving member is Rodwell and, with Jones, he’s seen as achieving/exceeding his targets, so he’s the exception at the moment.Have heard good things about the interim CFO. It’s a role he’s very qualified for and these owners want someone with a handle on finances, rather than the BS they were served up by Charlie.
Charlie, and Barry Higson the commercial manager, made a lot of big promises he couldn't keep and spent money unwisely which made things difficult for the Finance Officer.
Terry Brown definately has an impressive CV but, as I've already said, he's only interim and we have no CEO.
Not an ideal management structure IMHO.
Does that mean the club will collapse, probably not.
Does it mean we're getting completely new owners? I doubt it. Carter has already said they are open to additional investment.
Is it something to dismiss out of hand as people change jobs all the time? No, the senior management team is an important part of any successful organisation so change within ours is worthy of discussion.We’ve taken far too long to sort out the CEO role, even with the Dane Murphy mess, and I’m sure Gavin can’t keep trying to cover all bases when he has his own business to run. Someone needs to be brought in to pull this all together and sort out the mess, particularly in finance, very quickly. We’d be mad to ignore the issues this can cause for us.
Heard from an unreliable source that he was a good guy😁
Had a beer with him last week when he was down for meetings…not with us (I asked 😉).1 -
From LinkedIn...
On the 23rd July 2023, I was standing in The Valley when the call from the lawyer came through confirming the purchase of Charlton Athletic Football Club by Global Football Partners. The first thing I did was go up to the Boardroom and take down a picture of the previous owner which was visible from outside the stadium — I wanted to make sure the change felt real.
In the middle of the day-to-day of running an organisation as intense as a football club, you sometimes miss how seismic some of the longer-term changes can be. When I compare the club now against the one we bought three years ago, the breadth of those changes really sinks in. Nearly every facet of the club has been improved — investment in The Valley including a new pitch, floodlights, safe standing, LEDs and a comprehensive repaint; similar upgrades at the Sparrows Lane training ground; non-broadcast revenues which have more than doubled in two years; attendances at a twenty-year high (and the highest-attended FA Cup match in half a century); and of course promotion for both the men's team to the Championship, and the magnificent Charlton Athletic Women's Football Club team to the WSL — bringing top-flight football back to The Valley.
None of this is possible without an enormous number of people and organisations committing their energy and resources to making things better every day — staff, players, commercial partners, ownership, supporters, suppliers, stakeholders. It's a long list and I'm grateful to each and every one of them.
As I leave The Valley for the last time, I'd simply like to say one thing:
Thank you.29 -
It’s a view but why don’t they just put the club on the market ?jose said:Maybe a finance person will come in with the remit that the club breaks even, which might mean successive relegations but the survival of Charlton Athletic.
It is possible that our dozen or so billionaires don’t want to subsidise our interest any longer.0 -
Successive relegation will do nothing to reduce our losses, quite the opposite in fact.jose said:Maybe a finance person will come in with the remit that the club breaks even, which might mean successive relegations but the survival of Charlton Athletic.
It is possible that our dozen or so billionaires don’t want to subsidise our interest any longer.
So I can't see that being part of the plan.6 -
CEO, CFO, COO...Chris_from_Sidcup said:So does this mean we currently have no CEO, no CFO and no COO?
wasn't that a hit for Alvin Stardust?4 -
Do we need to rely on the super rich forever?blackpool72 said:
Successive relegation will do nothing to reduce our losses, quite the opposite in fact.jose said:Maybe a finance person will come in with the remit that the club breaks even, which might mean successive relegations but the survival of Charlton Athletic.
It is possible that our dozen or so billionaires don’t want to subsidise our interest any longer.
So I can't see that being part of the plan.0 -
Heard from a reliable source he’s like a Guinness.Henry Irving said:
Who was that CEO at Wigan who grew up in Plumstead?TelMc32 said:
Absolutely agree and I think the more prominent role that Ed took after Charlie left was welcoming and he really seemed to come across well. I’m not convinced CFO was the right role for him, but certainly wish him well.Henry Irving said:
My understanding was that Ed and Charlie were not on the best of terms when Charlie left.TelMc32 said:Ed was never a CFO before joining Charlton, so it was always a strange role for him to take/be put into. He does seem to have been far more active since Methven left and seems to have taken genuine pleasure in the positives that have been happening around the club. But…he was very much on the finance side of the “Gang of Four” with Methven and there’s a reason those two have been moved on since the owner’s have put Gavin into a more active role. Scott was quickly shown as disastrous and wasn’t missed.
The only surviving member is Rodwell and, with Jones, he’s seen as achieving/exceeding his targets, so he’s the exception at the moment.Have heard good things about the interim CFO. It’s a role he’s very qualified for and these owners want someone with a handle on finances, rather than the BS they were served up by Charlie.
Charlie, and Barry Higson the commercial manager, made a lot of big promises he couldn't keep and spent money unwisely which made things difficult for the Finance Officer.
Terry Brown definately has an impressive CV but, as I've already said, he's only interim and we have no CEO.
Not an ideal management structure IMHO.
Does that mean the club will collapse, probably not.
Does it mean we're getting completely new owners? I doubt it. Carter has already said they are open to additional investment.
Is it something to dismiss out of hand as people change jobs all the time? No, the senior management team is an important part of any successful organisation so change within ours is worthy of discussion.We’ve taken far too long to sort out the CEO role, even with the Dane Murphy mess, and I’m sure Gavin can’t keep trying to cover all bases when he has his own business to run. Someone needs to be brought in to pull this all together and sort out the mess, particularly in finance, very quickly. We’d be mad to ignore the issues this can cause for us.
Heard from an unreliable source that he was a good guy😁4 -
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I believe we now have competence and experience at the “Heads of” level ie Communications, Commercial and Marketing. Tony Brown arrives with positive reviews from Pompey and elsewhere. It’s possible he’s described as “interim” while EFL / regulator clearance is secured but that’s supposition on my part.What we really need - and there’s nothing very obvious to suggest Tony Brown is the full answer here - is a leader / CEO who can ensure those “Heads of” are focussed and clear on their priorities and given the space to deliver. If everything is a priority, nothing actually is. And too much rests day to day on Gavin. Let’s hope there’s something in the pipeline.
Best wishes to Ed for the future.2 -
And you can see that very same picture outside the gents toilets in the museum.Chizz said:From LinkedIn...
On the 23rd July 2023, I was standing in The Valley when the call from the lawyer came through confirming the purchase of Charlton Athletic Football Club by Global Football Partners. The first thing I did was go up to the Boardroom and take down a picture of the previous owner which was visible from outside the stadium — I wanted to make sure the change felt real.
In the middle of the day-to-day of running an organisation as intense as a football club, you sometimes miss how seismic some of the longer-term changes can be. When I compare the club now against the one we bought three years ago, the breadth of those changes really sinks in. Nearly every facet of the club has been improved — investment in The Valley including a new pitch, floodlights, safe standing, LEDs and a comprehensive repaint; similar upgrades at the Sparrows Lane training ground; non-broadcast revenues which have more than doubled in two years; attendances at a twenty-year high (and the highest-attended FA Cup match in half a century); and of course promotion for both the men's team to the Championship, and the magnificent Charlton Athletic Women's Football Club team to the WSL — bringing top-flight football back to The Valley.
None of this is possible without an enormous number of people and organisations committing their energy and resources to making things better every day — staff, players, commercial partners, ownership, supporters, suppliers, stakeholders. It's a long list and I'm grateful to each and every one of them.
As I leave The Valley for the last time, I'd simply like to say one thing:
Thank you.4 -
alburyaddick said:I never understood how we could have a CFO who had no accountancy qualifications
From the sound of the comments on here Ed was a really nice guy but wasn't really qualified to do the job
That used to be the case but not today. Accountants tend to look at historical data, reporting and compliance - a CFO is far more about future direction, strategy and leadership. Yes a CFO needs a good grasp of financial data but the bean counting responsibility can be dealt with by a qualified Finance Manager/Controller.7 -
I can confirm as fact that he does indeed like a Guinness, although not that he’s like one! 😉guinnessaddick said:
Heard from a reliable source he’s like a Guinness.Henry Irving said:
Who was that CEO at Wigan who grew up in Plumstead?TelMc32 said:
Absolutely agree and I think the more prominent role that Ed took after Charlie left was welcoming and he really seemed to come across well. I’m not convinced CFO was the right role for him, but certainly wish him well.Henry Irving said:
My understanding was that Ed and Charlie were not on the best of terms when Charlie left.TelMc32 said:Ed was never a CFO before joining Charlton, so it was always a strange role for him to take/be put into. He does seem to have been far more active since Methven left and seems to have taken genuine pleasure in the positives that have been happening around the club. But…he was very much on the finance side of the “Gang of Four” with Methven and there’s a reason those two have been moved on since the owner’s have put Gavin into a more active role. Scott was quickly shown as disastrous and wasn’t missed.
The only surviving member is Rodwell and, with Jones, he’s seen as achieving/exceeding his targets, so he’s the exception at the moment.Have heard good things about the interim CFO. It’s a role he’s very qualified for and these owners want someone with a handle on finances, rather than the BS they were served up by Charlie.
Charlie, and Barry Higson the commercial manager, made a lot of big promises he couldn't keep and spent money unwisely which made things difficult for the Finance Officer.
Terry Brown definately has an impressive CV but, as I've already said, he's only interim and we have no CEO.
Not an ideal management structure IMHO.
Does that mean the club will collapse, probably not.
Does it mean we're getting completely new owners? I doubt it. Carter has already said they are open to additional investment.
Is it something to dismiss out of hand as people change jobs all the time? No, the senior management team is an important part of any successful organisation so change within ours is worthy of discussion.We’ve taken far too long to sort out the CEO role, even with the Dane Murphy mess, and I’m sure Gavin can’t keep trying to cover all bases when he has his own business to run. Someone needs to be brought in to pull this all together and sort out the mess, particularly in finance, very quickly. We’d be mad to ignore the issues this can cause for us.
Heard from an unreliable source that he was a good guy😁2 -
1
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Unfortunately the days when a local millionaire could buy the club he supports are long gone.jose said:
Do we need to rely on the super rich forever?blackpool72 said:
Successive relegation will do nothing to reduce our losses, quite the opposite in fact.jose said:Maybe a finance person will come in with the remit that the club breaks even, which might mean successive relegations but the survival of Charlton Athletic.
It is possible that our dozen or so billionaires don’t want to subsidise our interest any longer.
So I can't see that being part of the plan.
Nowadays it's only the super rich that can buy a club and try to fund it in the hope of reaching the Premier League.
I don't like it anymore than you do but it's a fact of life.9 -
As it stands, yes. We do. Or at least we do if we have any hope of success at a meaningful level.jose said:
Do we need to rely on the super rich forever?blackpool72 said:
Successive relegation will do nothing to reduce our losses, quite the opposite in fact.jose said:Maybe a finance person will come in with the remit that the club breaks even, which might mean successive relegations but the survival of Charlton Athletic.
It is possible that our dozen or so billionaires don’t want to subsidise our interest any longer.
So I can't see that being part of the plan.2 -
If you want to succeed in football then yes. There aren't many clubs about who are good and aren't owned by billionaires.jose said:
Do we need to rely on the super rich forever?blackpool72 said:
Successive relegation will do nothing to reduce our losses, quite the opposite in fact.jose said:Maybe a finance person will come in with the remit that the club breaks even, which might mean successive relegations but the survival of Charlton Athletic.
It is possible that our dozen or so billionaires don’t want to subsidise our interest any longer.
So I can't see that being part of the plan.
Of the clubs who've been in the PL for a couple of years or more, i think only Brentford's owner isn't a billionaire.1 -
This was what I mention few weeks back, about a change at the top.. does feel a strange one.. not sure if this is a Gavin move or owners.. GC now has a lot of work to do, for someone who only come in with a small part to play.2
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Bobbobmunro said:alburyaddick said:I never understood how we could have a CFO who had no accountancy qualifications
From the sound of the comments on here Ed was a really nice guy but wasn't really qualified to do the job
That used to be the case but not today. Accountants tend to look at historical data, reporting and compliance - a CFO is far more about future direction, strategy and leadership. Yes a CFO needs a good grasp of financial data but the bean counting responsibility can be dealt with by a qualified Finance Manager/Controller.
I'm still working as a Chairman for Private Equity ( hopefully nearly retired now !). I've probably worked with 20 companies over the past decade and all of them had a qualified accountants as a CFO, whether ACA, CMA or CIMA. I agree that companies also use qualified Finance Controllers to do most of the grunt work.
Whilst Charlton is a relatively small business, it has a fair amount of financial and regulatory complexity.
If I was Chairman or a NED or an investor, I would insist on a qualified accountant as the CFO.6 -
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Classy linkedin post and not one I think he'd be making if he was forced out unceremoniously2
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He's hardly gonna say I've been booted out cos they consider me to be shit but fuck them they are clueless I didn't say spunk money on half those carthorses they signed up , he has to make it look smooth and just the natural order of progress as he looks to move forward in his own careerCroydon said:Classy linkedin post and not one I think he'd be making if he was forced out unceremoniously15 -
alburyaddick said:
Bobbobmunro said:alburyaddick said:I never understood how we could have a CFO who had no accountancy qualifications
From the sound of the comments on here Ed was a really nice guy but wasn't really qualified to do the job
That used to be the case but not today. Accountants tend to look at historical data, reporting and compliance - a CFO is far more about future direction, strategy and leadership. Yes a CFO needs a good grasp of financial data but the bean counting responsibility can be dealt with by a qualified Finance Manager/Controller.
I'm still working as a Chairman for Private Equity ( hopefully nearly retired now !). I've probably worked with 20 companies over the past decade and all of them had a qualified accountants as a CFO, whether ACA, CMA or CIMA. I agree that companies also use qualified Finance Controllers to do most of the grunt work.
Whilst Charlton is a relatively small business, it has a fair amount of financial and regulatory complexity.
If I was Chairman or a NED or an investor, I would insist on a qualified accountant as the CFO.I wouldn't disagree and in my personal work experiences over the past 25 years or so the companies have had qualified ACAs as the CFO. But through working with other companies, albeit much larger than CAFC and talking with ACA qualified CFOs it isn't considered essential now for the CFO (who is actually a board director) to be a qualified accountant, particularly in large companies. I'm not saying that's right but it's happening - and not just in finance - there is a move also to appoint CHROs/CPOs/HRDs who are not HR qualified. I've even seen CMOs who have no experience of marketing! Much broader business experience is seen as more important.There clearly needs to be suitably qualified senior finance people beneath the CFO and external auditors will check the veracity and compliance of the accounts.I would agree that a company the size of CAFC doesn't (or shouldn't) have a need for a team of highly qualified people beneath the CFO - the CFO should be qualified. The issue with EW is that a) he isn't a qualified accountant and b) he was primarily doing the COO role, not the CFO role - and it could be argued not qualified through either academia or experience to do either!1 -
I know I wasn’t alone in being worried about Ed when they shoehorned him into a role he had no background or qualifications in. It was his property expertise that made me, and I know a few others, worried about whether there was some property play being done. I’m pleased that turned out not to be the case and Ed came out of his shell when CM left.2
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I've been told it was an EW move and he will have to unload his small shareholding which suggests football club involvement elsewhere.DubaiCAFC said:This was what I mention few weeks back, about a change at the top.. does feel a strange one.. not sure if this is a Gavin move or owners.. GC now has a lot of work to do, for someone who only come in with a small part to play.0 -
Well that can’t be true - if you think he’s left by choice you’re dreaming etc. etc.Crusty54 said:
I've been told it was an EW move and he will have to unload his small shareholding which suggests football club involvement elsewhere.DubaiCAFC said:This was what I mention few weeks back, about a change at the top.. does feel a strange one.. not sure if this is a Gavin move or owners.. GC now has a lot of work to do, for someone who only come in with a small part to play.1 -
or that could be wrong.SporadicAddick said:
Well that can’t be true - if you think he’s left by choice you’re dreaming etc. etc.Crusty54 said:
I've been told it was an EW move and he will have to unload his small shareholding which suggests football club involvement elsewhere.DubaiCAFC said:This was what I mention few weeks back, about a change at the top.. does feel a strange one.. not sure if this is a Gavin move or owners.. GC now has a lot of work to do, for someone who only come in with a small part to play.
Does it really matter? It's happened. Time to move on.0 -
Crusty54 said:
or that could be wrong.SporadicAddick said:
Well that can’t be true - if you think he’s left by choice you’re dreaming etc. etc.Crusty54 said:
I've been told it was an EW move and he will have to unload his small shareholding which suggests football club involvement elsewhere.DubaiCAFC said:This was what I mention few weeks back, about a change at the top.. does feel a strange one.. not sure if this is a Gavin move or owners.. GC now has a lot of work to do, for someone who only come in with a small part to play.
Does it really matter? It's happened. Time to move on.
Err yes - it could be material.2 -
I’m sure he will need to offload his small shareholding whoever’s choice it was.0
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I think that’s rather my point…At the moment it doesn’t matter at all, because there is no insight to suggest it’s anything other a change of jobs.Crusty54 said:
or that could be wrong.SporadicAddick said:
Well that can’t be true - if you think he’s left by choice you’re dreaming etc. etc.Crusty54 said:
I've been told it was an EW move and he will have to unload his small shareholding which suggests football club involvement elsewhere.DubaiCAFC said:This was what I mention few weeks back, about a change at the top.. does feel a strange one.. not sure if this is a Gavin move or owners.. GC now has a lot of work to do, for someone who only come in with a small part to play.
Does it really matter? It's happened. Time to move on.0
