Roll up, roll up, it's the Charlton circus

[Bobbin']

Have had a few people on here ask exactly why our fans are protesting, there has also been times when something has happened at the club which I feel needs to be shared with football fans but have never known where to post it so I am creating this thread for anyone that cares and also for somewhere for me to just vent!

As I said to Blademan in another thread, there is just so much to go through so I will direct you to these two posts so as just to get a rough idea.

• Walked into the club and sold key players claiming they were 'not good enough'.
• Told Chris Powell who he should and shouldn't be playing.
• Brought in players behind Powell's back promising them they would get game time.
• Sacked a popular manager for no reason other than having the audacity to challenge his ideas.
• Putting in place a CEO with zero knowledge of running a business or most importantly, a football club.
• Has a bizarre belief that success can be achieved by bringing in 5th rate managers from 5th rate leagues.

The following are lies told by Katrien Meire (employed by Roland btw, his representative):

• She interviewed 20 applicants for the vacant managers job in 24 hours before hiring Guy Luzon (despite rumours weeks in advance)
• Every decision they have made is the right one.
• We've considered British managers.
• She wishes to strengthen relationships with the supporters (which is laughable and we'll get to the reasons why)

These are all blatant lies.

Meire antics:

• Her condescending and sarcastic nature during fans' forums.
• Claiming that our history is in the past and therefore doesn't matter.
• Urging Charlton supporters to stand up against protesters as they represent only 2% of the fan base.
• Laughing at protesters.
• Her comments in Ireland, calling Charlton fans weird and customers. She then has the brass neck to try and defend those comments, trying to claim they were misconstrued.

Sound like stuff someone who is keen to create a relationship with supporters would do?

This is all stuff I have literally plucked from the top of my head but the list goes on, it may not seem that Roland is responsible for a lot of this stuff but he is. Meire is just his fall guy.

Also, let's not forget that despicable statement he had posted to the official site a couple of weeks back.

Since Roland has taken the reigns, we have regressed - no question. We've gone from mid table to relegation fodder in two years, all down to Roland's poor management and ridiculous recruitment strategy.

So I ask you again, why would you defend these two?

Nothing wrong with not buying good players? Interesting.

I found this on the web:

Usually, English football sides are run by managers, who have a wide-ranging role in team affairs. But Duchâtelet wanted Charlton to be run by a head coach, who would have little say in what players came into the club. So he started interfering with the team behind Powell’s back.

Duchâtelet’s first moves included selling popular striker Yann Kermogant to Bournemouth. He was replaced with the hopelessly inexperienced Piotr Parzyszek; a player so out of his depth, he made just one substitute appearance, three minutes before the end of a match, before being bundled off to Sint-Truiden on loan.

Goalkeeper Yohann Thuram-Ulien was also imposed on Powell, ahead of the effective and experienced Ben Hamer, who later escaped to Leicester.

According to Katriern Meire, this is your clubs aim:
“My proposition would be a real unique football fan experience — and see hopefully the next stars of the Premier League, which we will have play for Charlton in the first team and then sell onto the Premier League.”

So basically, develop young players for the Premier League and sell them off. Don't you think that's extremely negative?

Found of the same article as earlier:

An interview with Belgian magazine L’Echo saw her (Katrien Meire) declare she did not care for the club’s past, mocking complaints from supporters of 60 years “who know everything better than anyone”. Can't you see that she hates you, the fans?

Here's another comment from Meire which shows she knows nothing about football.



“So whenever I get friendly emails from fans they say ‘get out of our club’, so it’s not the shareholders’ club. They say they pay… but they go to the restaurant with their family every week or they go to the cinema, and they’re not satisfied with the product, do they go and scream to the people in charge of it? No they don’t! But they do with a football club, and that’s very weird.”

To add to all of that, she refused to meet with Pete Varney, cancelling meetings at the last minute and ignoring his emails, called the protesting fans "2%" of the fanbase, repeatedly seems to tell off or insult the fans, season tickets going missing, the fans sofa, a couple having sex on the pitch which was leaked for a PR for pitch hire, Roland barely talking to fans, lots of poor signing and obviously relegation, all of that is certaintly not just "not buying good players and good down", there is much more shit going on at the club then that.

Credit to this article for supplying me lots of info: https://medium.com/@darryl1974/how-roland-duchâtelet-and-katrien-meire-are-killing-charlton-athletic-odc8a9ed7e91c#.q6m240hpm

I would recommend looking at the link that JoshBCFC is referring to.

Now I felt compelled to start this thread after the quite frankly, shambolic handling of the Chris Wilder situation. He was promised full control of the team and future signings, he wanted the job and was ready to sign on the dotted line but the club refused to back up their promises in writing which does not bode well for the future.

Now today, our lovely CEO who has done nothing but patronise and lie to the fans was in the audience at a conference with the telegraph. More proof (if any was needed) of the complete disregard and contempt she has for fans.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...n-athletic-chief-executive-katrien-meire-fans

This only adds to the fact she has already criticised us for questioning the regime, calling us weird and referring to us as customers.

Sorry for the long post and apologies if no-on gives a shit but people need to know what is going on.

Last season was horrific, we thought the pre-season would offer some respite but within the first week of the season ending the humiliation continues.

 

[Bobbin']

And in the time since I have created this thread:

http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/article.cfm?id=117890&headline=Katrien Meire: Charlton fans have visited my family home to hand out protest leaflets&sectionIs=sport&searchyear=2016



I have absolutely no idea how she ended up CEO of a football club, even more staggering is that she still is and hasn't been fired yet.

 

[ccfctommy]

I follow the CARD account on Twitter. The whole 'Fans Sofa' and the fans last week ripping apart said sofa, was surreal.

 

[TomPNE94]

She actually sounds quite convincing in the 2nd article. I just don't think they understand the English game and the way that the fans are towards their own club. There isn't that sort of passion in other countries (in my opinion) and we feel more a sense of ownership rather than just being a "customer" as she thinks.

They sound stubborn and id be worried if I was a Charlton fan that these protests will just make them more determined to stay. Let's be honest, the FL or the FA aren't going to do anything about it.

 

[Bobbin']

She actually sounds quite convincing in the 2nd article. I just don't think they understand the English game and the way that the fans are towards their own club. There isn't that sort of passion in other countries (in my opinion) and we feel more a sense of ownership rather than just being a "customer" as she thinks.

They sound stubborn and id be worried if I was a Charlton fan that these protests will just make them more determined to stay. Let's be honest, the FL or the FA aren't going to do anything about it.

The South London Press one?

Don't be fooled, this is the first time she has admitted any mistakes and she has been playing the victim throughout her time at the club.

It's all for show to make the fans look bad.

I just don't think they understand football at all, lets not forget the extreme measures that Standard Liege supporters went to to oust Roland.

 

[TomPNE94]

The South London Press one?

Don't be fooled, this is the first time she has admitted any mistakes and she has been playing the victim throughout her time at the club.

It's all for show to make the fans look bad.

I just don't think they understand football at all, lets not forget the extreme measures that Standard Liege supporters went to to oust Roland.

Yeah I understand that. I just think anyone who didn't know a Charlton fan or uses a forum like this and only saw that article would definitely be reeled in by that. She's clearly a very clever, manipulative person.

 

[Bobbin']

Yeah I understand that. I just think anyone who didn't know a Charlton fan or uses a forum like this and only saw that article would definitely be reeled in by that. She's clearly a very clever, manipulative person.

Manipulative is definitely the word.

I like to think most sensible football fans can see straight through her blatant lies and act.

 

[nevermindtheboll_Ox]

Cheers for this Bobbin, never really taken an interest before but understand it better now.

To be fair, going to her home town to protest is a bit much, but she comes across horrifically. Sounds completely disconnected and ignorant to football culture. No understanding of what a football club means to its community, in a way a cinema or restaurant or whatever never would.

You can imagine a summer of cheap foreign imports that look good on paper but will never adjust to League One, and a season of mediocrity under a CEO who can't understand why you're complaining as the budgets decent enough and it was just misfortune on the signings.

 

[Bobbin']

Cheers for this Bobbin, never really taken an interest before but understand it better now.

To be fair, going to her home town to protest is a bit much, but she comes across horrifically. Sounds completely disconnected and ignorant to football culture. No understanding of what a football club means to its community, in a way a cinema or restaurant or whatever never would.

You can imagine a summer of cheap foreign imports that look good on paper but will never adjust to League One, and a season of mediocrity under a CEO who can't understand why you're complaining as the budgets decent enough and it was just misfortune on the signings.

It's taken you the time to read everything in that first post to come to that conclusion.

She's been at the club for nearly two and half years and still can't understand what the problem is.

I appreciate your point about going to her home town but it shows her and Roland the lengths we will go to to save our club.

 

[Muzzle]

Don't want to scare you Bobbin, but the sound like the ckicken farmers up at Blackburn, who are clueless in regards to running a football club

 

[Freethinker]

Have had a few people on here ask exactly why our fans are protesting, there has also been times when something has happened at the club which I feel needs to be shared with football fans but have never known where to post it so I am creating this thread for anyone that cares and also for somewhere for me to just vent............

Bobbin, sorry that lot is a smoke screen, it all began when Katrien misidentified a Class 375 Electrostar as a Class 377 Electrostar and when Roland took her side, out came the banners, beach balls and Coffins.

 

[Bobbin']

Bobbin, sorry that lot is a smoke screen, it all began when Katrien misidentified a Class 375 Electrostar as a Class 377 Electrostar and when Roland took her side, out came the banners, beach balls and Coffins.

These things are unforgivable. Do the research on the club you are buying.

 

[Lamby]

Don't believe in all the propaganda in the posts above!

 

[Aber gas]

And in the time since I have created this thread:

http://www.southlondonpress.co.uk/article.cfm?id=117890&headline=Katrien Meire: Charlton fans have visited my family home to hand out protest leaflets&sectionIs=sport&searchyear=2016



I have absolutely no idea how she ended up CEO of a football club, even more staggering is that she still is and hasn't been fired yet.

Oh wow, is she actually trying to equate her situation to the racist abuse black players faced? The women is clearly deluded.
Do you know what their plan is in terms of what they want to achieve? ( deluded or otherwise)

 

[Bobbin']

Oh wow, is she actually trying to equate her situation to the racist abuse black players faced? The women is clearly deluded.
Do you know what their plan is in terms of what they want to achieve? ( deluded or otherwise)

Definitely seems to be what she is implying. Another case of her trying to deflect the attention from herself by attacking the fans.

It's telling that she's only been into football for 15 years, she should be nowhere near a football club in a CEO capacity.

No-one knows what they want/hope to achieve mate which is a huge part of the problem and one of the reasons the protests are happening, there is no transparency between the board and fans. We're just constantly fed a stream of lies.

 

[Bobbin']

"We're looking now into the process and we have several British or English experienced managers. We're looking into it.

"(The new manager needs) experience and also - what we think was one of the main problems - (to overcome) so many poor moments of discipline among the players.

"(He'll need to) go back to the core Charlton is about - a hard-working footballing team - and make everybody work for the same kind of goal.

"(It's) not just general discipline problems, but somebody that can bring a team spirit back.

"It's disruptive to your business (to have so many managerial changes) and that's why we are now relegated. We had too many managers in a short time."

She has just described Chris Powell, the man she sacked after two months of stepping into the club thus losing everything that Charlton is about and the team spirit.

I despair at this woman.

 

[TomPNE94]

She has just described Chris Powell, the man she sacked after two months of stepping into the club thus losing everything that Charlton is about and the team spirit.

I despair at this woman.

It seems like she is slowly starting to get it though, which must be a tiny positive?

 

[Bobbin']

It seems like she is slowly starting to get it though, which must be a tiny positive?

Only if you believe her, which I don't.

She has said the right things before and never followed it up, often doing the exact opposite. Wouldn't be surprised if that's the case here. It's easy to say you're looking at British managers knowing full well none of them will entertain the idea of working for them whilst not having full control of the side.

 

[Bobbin']

Football journo who covers Belgian football today on Twitter after Duchatelet re-buys St Truiden in Belgium.

Duchatelet says he didn't intend to get involved again in Belgian football, but there was interest in Sint Truiden by foreign buyer. (1/4)

Duchatelet says foreign buyer for Sint Truiden wouldn't have been good as no knowledge of Belgian competition & mentality. (2/4)

Duchatelet says he'll use his experience & be involved in transfers. Network will be used but emphasis on bringing through youth. (3/4)

Duchatelet says he'll be involved organisationally at Sint Truiden. His partner - Marieke Höfte - becomes 1st women to be a club president.

That second paragraph in particular. Seriously, what is this bloke on!?

 

[Bobbin']

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...tml?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

Silly girl, finally being proven to be the liar that she is.

 

[UTS]

Couldn't give a shit about Charlton after that article your fans published basically offending the whole of L1. No sympathy from me now.

 

[Bobbin']

Couldn't give a shit about Charlton after that article your fans published basically offending the whole of L1. No sympathy from me now.

'Article your fans published'

It was a journalist for a newspaper in Kent, absolutely in no way affiliated to Charlton or their fans.

Get over it ffs.

Although I do fear for what the future holds for us now we don't have your sympathy.

 

[THE LAST WALTZ]

Although the article was printed by The Sevenoaks Chronicle, my local paper, as I live in Kent, not London, there were several tweets or quotes from Charlton fans basically saying that they were far too good for this shitty league.
So, yes, the article can, in some way, be attributed to your fans.

 

[Bobbin']

Although the article was printed by The Sevenoaks Chronicle, my local paper, as I live in Kent, not London, there were several tweets or quotes from Charlton fans basically saying that they were far too good for this shitty league.
So, yes, the article can, in some way, be attributed to your fans.

Being a Charlton fan, I come across a lot of other Charlton fans on Twitter. I don't recall a single one saying we are 'too good for this shitty league'. Probably the most sinister thing I saw was 'Reality really sinks in that we're back in L1 looking at these fixtures', probably the same thing being said by thousands of Bolton fans or even York and Dag & Red fans now they're back in the conference.

Have people forgotten that we was here only 4 years ago? it took us three years to get out. No Charlton fan that I know is under any illusion just how hard L1 can be and not one has suggested we shouldn't be here.

If people like UTS are genuinely that upset over something like that then I would suggest it says more about their empty lives than it does anything else.

Who cares what a Bury fan thinks anyway? I mean Bury, ffs.

 

[T.A]

 

[UTS]

Being a Charlton fan, I come across a lot of other Charlton fans on Twitter. I don't recall a single one saying we are 'too good for this shitty league'. Probably the most sinister thing I saw was 'Reality really sinks in that we're back in L1 looking at these fixtures', probably the same thing being said by thousands of Bolton fans or even York and Dag & Red fans now they're back in the conference.

Have people forgotten that we was here only 4 years ago? it took us three years to get out. No Charlton fan that I know is under any illusion just how hard L1 can be and not one has suggested we shouldn't be here.

If people like UTS are genuinely that upset over something like that then I would suggest it says more about their empty lives than it does anything else.

Who cares what a Bury fan thinks anyway? I mean Bury, ffs.

I now sympathise whole heartedly with your plight. Not.

Who said I was upset either? Hardly made me cry just thought it was a ludicrous article considering Charlton aren't even that big a club, and don't really look out of place in L1. I don't lead an empty life either so no need for the personal insults. Seems the only one who is seriously upset is you. I'd suggest the man with the empty life is one who has over 2,000 posts in just over a year, which is you.

 

[Bobbin']

I now sympathise whole heartedly with your plight. Not.

Who said I was upset either? Hardly made me cry just thought it was a ludicrous article considering Charlton aren't even that big a club, and don't really look out of place in L1. I don't lead an empty life either so no need for the personal insults. Seems the only one who is seriously upset is you. I'd suggest the man with the empty life is one who has over 2,000 posts in just over a year, which is you.

You clearly are quite upset over this, you created a thread on it which was quite rightly closed and you then feel you need to mention it again in this thread a few days later, must have been really playing on your mind.

Post count doesn't really show the real picture does it? Before I turned the shoutbox off, I seem to recall you being a very frequent poster in there and I'm rather sure it's you that has spat your dummy out on several occasions, left, come back, left, come back etc.

 

[Indian Dan]

There have been plenty of bigger clubs than Charlton that have plied their trade in L1 recently. Most used it as a springboard to regain most of their lost status.

Remains to be seen what sort of fist Charlton make of it

 

[JJH]

I now sympathise whole heartedly with your plight. Not.

Who said I was upset either? Hardly made me cry just thought it was a ludicrous article considering Charlton aren't even that big a club, and don't really look out of place in L1. I don't lead an empty life either so no need for the personal insults. Seems the only one who is seriously upset is you. I'd suggest the man with the empty life is one who has over 2,000 posts in just over a year, which is you.

I'm sorry UTS, but that's utter bollocks.

Charlton have spent more years in the top flight than they have in L1. They're by no means the biggest club to drop to this level, but they're a big club in L1.

 

[Bobbin']

Didn't know where was best to post this but seeing as it further highlights the shambolic nature in which we are being run I figured this is the place.

After another supposedly poor showing today at Orient here is some of Slade's post match comments.

When asked about former triallists Kevin Foley and Lewis Buxton, who did not feature at Orient, Slade said: “They would make good additions to the squad but we are looking at the finances because we have priority areas to look at.

“For example a goalkeeper is high on our list and we would hope in the next 48 or 72 hours we’ve dealt with that.

“The two boys [Foley and Buxton] did well and they would be good additions to the squad.”

So, we are unable to commit to signing two trialists for no fee because we have to 'look at finances' this is after releasing around 8 players and making approx £4.2mil on outgoing transfers, this includes fees spent on incomings. This is League One ffs.

More evidence that Slade was fed a load of old bollocks and that the board don't want these players.

Also worth reiterating that Roland is estimated to be worth €800mil and we can't afford to offer two one-year deals of league one wages to two players that the manager has said would be good additions.