Trust News 16 by CAS Trust

Trust News

ISSUE 16 SEPTEMBER 2018

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Welcome

to the 16TH Edition of Trust News Has there ever been a more demoralising time to be a Charlton supporter? I accept that the winter of 1983/84 when the club hovered on the edge of insolvency and expulsion from the League was a terrible time and that the Selhurst / Upton Park years were grim. But did we ever feel anything like the powerlessness, the alienation, the embarrassment and the dismay that we feel at the moment ? Eight months ago when Roland Duchatelet announced that he was looking to sell the club there was a spring in everyone’s step. Richard Murray’s estimation that the club would change hands at the latest by the summer had us anticipating a surge in season ticket applications. Lee Bowyer’s reinvigoration of the team in March and April reminded us what it was like to be in a vibrant, passionate Valley all pulling in the same direction. In June the club and the Australians published an optimistic joint statement of intent. But now it all seems like a false dawn and we just have no idea who to believe. The club looks us in the eye and tell us that everything is agreed but that the EFL are still not in a position to ratify the Australians as passing their Owners and Directors Test. The Australians say only that they are still in the game. Meanwhile, other sources suggest that the two parties are nowhere near agreement on sale price after all. Supporters are confused and left in limbo. And on top of all the frustration and disappointment of the last eight months we now have the demoralising spectacle of the campaign to reduce expenditure. We really don’t buy the argument that this is to make the club more attractive to potential purchasers. Any new owner will have his or her own ideas on

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how to run the club and will not be persuaded by minor savings on water or electricity. And no new owner will want to inherit a staff team demoralised by the non- payment of promised bonuses. CAST have managed to secure a meeting with the EFL although, at the time of going to press, we haven’t yet been able to confirm a date. We will be aiming to ensure that we leave the EFL in no doubt whatsoever about why Charlton fans are so unhappy about how the club has been run for the last four years and why we think that there should be more stringent restraints on how owners treat their clubs. On a broader front we welcome the fact that EFL clubs at their summer meeting this year did discuss the conduct of owners and agreed both to introduce a code of conduct and a policy to sanction individuals whose conduct is damaging to the game. Much will depend on the detail but we are pleased to see that, at the very least, the clubs recognise that there is a problem. In this edition (pages 4-5) Heather McKinlay looks at what a new Charlton owner could expect in terms of increased income and support. Steve Clarke (pages 6-7) considers the broader picture of supporter involvement and the future of our “parent” organisation – Supporters Direct. John Barnes (pages 8-9) reports from Belgium on the political campaign being waged in Sint-Truiden by the Roland Out Party (RoT) which is endeavouring to exert pressure on Duchatelet in his home town. CAST has campaigned throughout the last year on the issue of safe standing at football matches. We arranged a safe standing roadBoard Chair: Richard Wiseman Vice chair: Steve Clarke Treasurer: Nigel Kleinfeld Richard Hunt Heather McKinlay Alex Clarke Andy Buckland

show at The Valley last January which both our local MPs – Matt Pennycook and Clive Efford – had agreed to attend. Unfortunately, we had to postpone the roadshow when Katrien Meire resigned but, on pages 10-11 we have reproduced the speech that Efford made when the subject was debated in the House of Commons on July 25th. We have given over our centre pages in this edition to the issue of the staff bonus dispute. Duchaltelet’s e mail to staff is countered by a letter from the leader of Greenwich Council – Cllr Danny Thorpe. One silver lining in recent months has been the success of the Charlton Women’s team and we are pleased to bring you (pages 14-16) some background on the club and, in particular, on its owner and chairman Stephen King. The women will be playing this season at the VCD ground in Crayford and would greatly appreciate your support. We are very conscious that Charlton is not the only football club to have been in crisis and conflict recently. On pages 17-19 we bring you the latest news from the Supporters Trusts at Blackburn, Blackpool and Coventry as they struggle to rescue their clubs from the damaging whims of their owners. You will probably be aware that The Valley has been listed as an Asset of Community Value since 2013. On pages 20-21 we bring you up to date with the work we are doing to renew the ACV status when it expires in October this year. We close this edition with our ever-popular end of season quiz (a tad late) and a poetic reminder of happier times from Kevin Murphy. COYR

Web designer - David Hall Editorial - Richard Wiseman, Design, Layout, Photos Ken Sinyard Rob Sutton

Additonal photos - CAFC, Getty Images Keith Gillard, Ken Sinyard,Tom Morris/CAFC Except where indicated copyright CAST 2018

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Great expect Heather McKinlay looks at recent CAST surveys on the sort of welcome awaiting new owners….

A resounding 85% of fans who responded to our recent survey reported that they would spend more at Charlton Athletic under new owners, while three quarters would definitely or possibly support a fans’ fundraising scheme should new owners introduce one. We asked about additional spend per household across a range of items. The highest average values understandably related to match attendance:

85% would spend more •43% would spend an average of £284 more on season tickets. •39% would spend an average of £126 more on individual match tickets across the season. •17% would incrementally spend around £105 on club-organised travel, such as Valley Express and Valley Away. •14% would spend an average of £177 more on matchday hospitality or sponsorship. The impact of calls to curtail spend on other discretionary match expenditure is clearly seen in the number of respondents who would increase spend under new ownership across the season in such areas: •62% would spend an average of £68 extra on club merchandise •58% would increase spend by around £68 on food and drink within The Valley •41% would spend around £40 more on match day programmes

Other areas would also benefit from a resurgence in goodwill. Around a fifth say they would join or rejoin Valley Gold, while just under 10% would spend around £90 more on Mascot packages and Young Reds. 12% spontaneously cited other areas where they would increase spend, such as Valley Pass, purchasing club items on e-Bay or indirectly through encouraging friends to attend matches. Charlton Athletic has a history of fans and club pulling together to achieve extraordinary things. That includes fans putting their hands into their pockets in financial support – from the VIP scheme to buying shares with little - or as it turned out, zero – prospect of a return; from paying £1 towards Ronnie Moore’s transfer fee, to subscribing to the monthly Valley Gold scheme. The appetite to pull in the same direction is clear, though the damage of the past four and a half years is also apparent. 57% would possibly support a fundraising appeal by new owners with the caveat of understanding the objectives. Supporters need to be confident to place their trust, as well as their cash, into new hands: “Would like to help the club but it would depend on the details.” “Would have to be totally transparent and obvious where the money is going.” “If new owners really want to treat fans seriously and with respect, certainly like to give something back both in terms of cash and effort.” 18% say they would definitely support any new appeal: “Because I’m willing to back a club financially that is truly rooted in its community and ambitious.” “Desperate to help rebuild the club, and use the protest momentum as we did in 1992 to achieve something great. Desperate to re-engage and give something back.” “The fans are the club. If a realistic proposition is proposed by new owners then it is important we put our money where our mouths are and support them all the way.” (The survey took place at the end of June 2018. We received 511 validated responses, a statistically robust number for analysis. Just over half of the responses (54%) came from members of CASTrust. Those who are members of the Supporters’ Trust were marginally more inclined to report an intention to increase their spend, and a little more

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tations

positive about the idea of a new owners’ fundraising scheme: while 18% of both members and nonmembers say they would definitely support such an initiative, 62% of Trust members versus 50% of

non-members possibly would.) In April, as part of our annual season ticket intentions survey, we asked supporters to compose a message to new owners. The three dominant themes of the messages we received were: •RESPECT: “Respect the fans and the club’s traditions” “Respect the important role of the fans who are the club’s lifeblood” “Respect the journey that the club has had previously” “Football’s a passion – not a toy” •ENGAGE: “Engage with fans” “Attend games and talk to fans” “Invite CAST representatives to discuss key changes” “Understand us. Research us. Visit the museum” •AMBITION: “Invest sensibly and sustainably” “Have realistic football ambition” “We are not expecting miracles. Have reasonable

clear ambitions and you will have most of us on side straight away.” “Establish a stable functioning infrastructure” The overall message to new owners was positive and optimistic. “Please bring clarity, a plan, sensible stewardship, openness and ambition. You’ll be welcomed with open arms” People pledged to buy season tickets as soon as new ownership is announced. People offered to promote the club and help build attendances. People were thirsting after the affinity that previously existed between club and supporters. Not everyone was a supporter of the protests but everyone was buzzing to welcome new owners who brought with them the respect, engagement and ambition that has been lacking for the last five years. One respondent put it a bit more poetically: “We have a unique opportunity for a potential buyer to come in and reconnect with our fans. Building a modern football club with strong traditional values as well as in a prime location is an opportunity that cannot be found elsewhere. The Valley is a beautiful stadium - steeped in history and capable of showing a football club we all want to see. With your help the mist can roll back in from The Thames”

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The Roland out To

John Barnes reports from the Belgian front

It’s election year in Belgium and on Sunday 14th October when the polling stations open the Sint-Truiden electorate may well see an unfamiliar name on their ballot paper amongst the recognisable and well-established political groups; - the Roland Out Today Party. Roland Out Today! It sounds good no matter how you say it, and it offers a very convenient acronym – ROT. ROT - a word that speaks to English and Flemish linguists alike, clearly and unequivocally telling of Roland Duchâtelet‘s extraordinary capacity for neglect and degradation. The idea to use the SintTruiden municipal election as a way to get at Duchâtelet was first mooted by a group of protesters more than a year ago. At that time, few really believed the Belgian billionaire would still have his claws securely embedded in our football club by the time autumn 2018 came along. Regardless, the idea was thought to be a sensible contingency, just in case the great visionary from Haspengouw had not yet recognised the many and considerable hints for him to rot op (Dutch/ Flemish colloquialism, similar to eff off). Well the hints were ignored and Duchâtelet is still here, so now ROT’s time has come. 6

As the long, hot summer nears its conclusion and club staff are denied their rightful bonuses, a deluded Duchâtelet still waits in vain for some passing fool to give him £45m in compensation for his own fiscal foolery. Perhaps he is happy to wait. But on the other hand, ROT, as a group, are not so patient. So, in the best traditions of Charlton fans’ activism, and with a nod to members of the Valley Party, members of the Roland Out Today Party stand primed and ready to play their part in persuading Duchâtelet that he really would be better off spending his remaining days attending dancing lessons. The Roland Out Today Party has only recently attracted press attention in Belgium and closer to home. But it was way back on 5th December 2017, down at the Valley, that the party was actually launched. The 5th December 2017 is an auspicious date for Charlton fans - the 25th anniversary of our return home, a return that marked the end of seven miserable years in exile. Since the launch, Roland Out Today party members have been busy with preparations for the forthcoming election campaign, making several fact-finding visits to Sint-Truiden, engaging with the local people and measuring popular opinion about Duchâtelet. Formulating an election campaign that is relevant to the people of a small provincial city in

Belgium with the aim of bringing pressure against its wealthiest resident posed something of a conundrum for ROT. But, informed by some extensive research, bringing scrutiny to Duchâtelet’s sway over local businesses, local politics and the city’s football club STVV, seemed to offer a promising angle. And so, with the general theme agreed, the next step was to decide on the best method of delivering the campaign message to Duchâtelet and his fellow Truineers. Flemish language leaflets bearing the party message seemed most appropriate, each to be handed out on the city streets. So, on the weekend of 18th & 19th May, party members offered ROT leaflets, and talked to weekend shoppers on Grote Markt, - the city’s historic centre. But, on this occasion, within an hour the police turned up to put an end to this innocuous activity on the premise that the group didn’t have permission from the city Mayor. Nonetheless, putting aside the frustration of being stopped, contact had already been made with a number of residents who expressed an interest in knowing more about the Roland Out Today Party, a few of whom said they were prepared to help the election campaign. Roland Out Today recently returned to Sint-Truiden with a second leaflet, this time warning

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oday Party

those who might work for one of Duchâtelet’s businesses about the scandalous way staff at Charlton had been denied payment of bonuses they had been promised. A leaflet was delivered to nearly every home in the city, and the result of that exercise was huge Belgian press coverage for the campaign, which demonstrated clearly the value of the ROT visits to Sint-Truiden. As the election draws closer it is ROT’s intention for visits to Sint-Truiden to become more frequent. Ideally, a presence in the city will be needed every week between now and 14th

October. But to achieve this, a pool of 30-40 party members are required, all of whom are ready and able to make a trip to Belgium within the next few weeks, to help carry the campaign right up to Duchâtelet’s doorstep. If you wish to assist with the Roland Out Today Party election campaign, you can do so by becoming a party member or simply making a donation. In order to do so, please contact members@rolandouttoday.eu If you’d like to learn more about the Roland Out Today you’ll find a lot of information at www.rolandouttoday.eu 7

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“Is it ignorance or apathy? Hey, I don’t know and I don’t care.” Steve Clarke looks at the future of Supporters Directt

The words of Jimmy Buffett probably weren’t aimed at football fans in the UK, but, on reflection, he seems to sum it up pretty well. Imagine buying a shop … it’s in a good area … it has potential, but will need some investment … managed properly this can be a big success … and to top it all, you’ve been told it has a very loyal customer base numbering in the thousands. Next, you discover not only does their loyalty seem unquestioning, they’re actually prepared to keep buying your product, despite it often being unreliable, even inferior. Yet they still keep coming back week after week after week. Blimey, they’re so loyal, they can’t wait for their children to be old enough, so they can turn them into lifelong supporters. Hang on, surely not, it gets even better. You discover a good number of them like your shop so much, they are willing, even eager, to give their expertise and time free of charge to help make it a success. All to help your business develop. Best of all, the only thing they want in return is to be respected and listened to … Imagine buying a football club … it’s in a good area … it has potential, but will need some investment … managed properly this can be a big success …

Yeah, okay, you get the picture. More often than not, the football scenario ends very differently, as we at Charlton know only too well. But even ignoring, for a moment, our trials and tribulations - plus those of Blackpool, Coventry, Hull etc etc - most loyal fans feel undervalued and unloved. 8

So why the hell don’t we do something about it? Year after year we suffer varying levels of frustration, or worse. Maybe there’s some deep explanation about masochistic tendencies? Psychologists out there probably have a theory. Whatever the reason, we just accept being ridden over rough-shod, week in week out. And that’s why football politics, dull though it frequently is, does matter. And that’s why, for many years now, football supporters have been represented nationwide by two bodies - Supporters’ Direct (SD) and the Football Supporters Federation (FSF). But now times are changing, and CAST has been involved in shaping the future of those two organisations. One Saturday in late July, both gathered for their respective AGMs in a hotel near Russell Square. This year is a significant one. After a decade plus of the two existing side by side, a plan is in place to merge the organisations. It’s a subject which matters to us as a Trust, and has required careful consideration. We have valued the excellent level of help always received from SD, both in setting up our Trust, and subsequently on any number of issues. There’s no doubt, although a number of us are independently members of FSF, our first loyalty would be to the good people at SD. How about a bit of background, for those not entirely up to date? Over time SD and FSF have evolved to perform different functions. SD has been all about fan coordinated representation; they have helped set up and supported over 100 Trusts, working across the football spec-

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trum from lower level fan-owned clubs, ranging right up to the wealthy Premier League clubs. Spurs Trust, as an example, is especially active and highly successful. FSF has covered a broader range of work on behalf of individual supporters in many areas. For example, two of their particular successes have been the Fans’ Embassies at World Cups and the Euros; and their Faircop facility helps fans who find themselves in trouble, following incidents at and around games, working to ensure these individuals are treated properly. In broader terms, they liaise with police forces the length of the country trying to improve our experiences, especially on away trips. No surprise to anyone I’m sure, the future is all about money. Funding is constantly a critical issue, especially since major SD contributor, the Co-operative Society, withdrew some time ago. Currently funding of both is down to the Premier League Fans’ Fund, who provide the vast majority of the costs for each body. So the gamekeepers are paying for the poachers to get themselves organised. How healthy does that sound? Now the Fans’ Fund has said they have had enough of supporting two organisations. The say it causes confusion, working out who deals with what and reducing the effectiveness of the fans’ voice. When they want to engage on a new subject, who do they go to? What if they need a quick answer? They have a point, but merging two distinct entities is troublesome. Not least because relations over the years have been up and down. And beyond all the hype, there has to be thought for the careers of their twenty or so employees. At the AGM, the debate was heated. The argument crystallised. On one side, those who vehemently defended the SD principles of fan engagement - a seat on club boards, and ultimately fan ownership. There’s a real concern the whole idea of fan

“No surprise to anyone I’m sure, the future is all about money”

involvement/ownership isn’t shared by senior people in FSF and that soon after a merger the Trust movement would fade from the spotlight. On the other side, there is fear over SD’s financial future beyond mid-2019, even their whole viability. If they have to tender for all their future work they will effectively have to start from scratch to raise new funding. The mere fact that current funding comes from the very people who have most reason not to want to hear supporters’ views is testimony to how tough it is to get any funding at all. Many who favour the merger believe there is a real risk a discrete SD would struggle to survive in any recognisable form within a couple of years. After debate, the CAST Board decided to support the merger, based on the financial arguments. The SD AGM went first and voted for the merger in close contest, 36 Trusts in favour, 30 against, with 3 abstentions. In the afternoon at the FSF AGM, the matter was much clearer where a considerable majority voted in favour. The coming months will show how well the two groups can work together, and if ultimately we actually having stronger fan representation against the trade organisations that run our game. CAST’s merger vote was with something of a heavy heart. We recognise the fears of the role of trusts being diminished. It’s up to all of us who bebelieve in the concept of fan representation to fight to ensure the principles thrive in the new world To end, just as a matter interest, let’s ponder this: The FA website reports 8.2 million people regularly participate in football in some form. Just imagine how powerful the footballing public’s voice would be if just half of them paid £1 per year towards coordinated action. But then, maybe we all simply are too fond of moaning …

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SIT DOWN, SHUT UP! On Monday 25th July a debate was held in the House of Commons on the subject of safe standing at football matches. Eltham MP Clive Efford took part in the debate. This was his contribution: “In this debate, we must listen to fans, because the fans we are talking about are those who commit themselves passionately to their club. They give up their time, go to the matches and create the atmosphere in the grounds that make football in the British Isles a brand that is 10

popular across the globe. People are prepared to pay money to watch the English Football League, English football matches and British football clubs, because of the atmosphere created in the grounds by those fans. Imagine if those games were played in empty stadiums and then broadcast around the world. They would not be as attractive as they are, so the fans are incredibly important to the future of football, and we need to listen to them. We are speaking particularly

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today about those fans who go to away games—the ones who make that extra commitment— because they are the ones who predominantly stand. I am a Millwall season ticket holder. I do not have to stand when we are at home games, but people in large sections of the ground do. When I go to an away game, I have to stand. If anyone wants to go to an away game who cannot, or does not want to, stand, they are discriminated against, because they have no choice. If they want to go to the game,

they have to stand, so what about those fans? We need to create these designated areas. I pay tribute to the Football Supporters Federation and Supporters Direct for their persistent campaigning to get recognition for the voice of fans. It is not about recreating areas where clubs can cram people into a standing area; this is about creating rail seating where someone will stand in the place of a seat. We can therefore designate areas where people who choose to stand can do so safely, and those who want to sit can do so without the interference of those who want to stand. The question we have to ask ourselves is whether the current situation, where people stand in areas that are designed for seating, is safe. The answer to that is clearly no, so the next question to the Minister has to be: “What are we going to do about it?” The Government cannot continue to put the telescope to a blind eye and say, “I see no fans standing.” They are, and they are standing in areas that are dangerous and not designed for it. We should deal with that. When fans have been asked whether they want to stand, they have said in large numbers that they do. More than 3,000 Middlesbrough fans were consulted, and 99% of them said they wanted to stand. More than 7,000 Arsenal supporters were consulted, and 96% of them said they wanted to stand. Spirit of Shankly consulted 20,000 of its fans, and the overwhelming majority wanted to stand. Consistently, throughout the football league, fans are telling us that they want to stand in safe areas. The Minister could allow a relax-

ing of the regulations to allow rail seating to be introduced in grounds. For games where the regulations demand that fans have a seat, seats could can be put down and it would become a seated stadium. For those games where an area is designated for standing, those seats could be

can stand. I do not see why we cannot relax the regulations to deal with a situation that is currently unsafe. In answer to some questions last week, the Minister very helpfully said that she was looking to hold a fundamental review of safety in football

“The question we have to ask ourselves is whether the current situation, where people stand in areas that are designed for seating, is safe. The answer to that is clearly no,” locked back by the grounds staff and the area could be used for standing. When we have consulted with the local authority, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority, the police, the fans and the local club, I do not see why we cannot designate safe areas where fans

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stadiums, but over the weekend we heard rumours of No. 10 pushing back against that. Can she assure us that that did not happen over the weekend, and that we will get a full, fundamental review of safe standing in football stadiums?”

From: HR Sent: 22 August 2018 11.53 Subject: An e mail from Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet Please see below an e mail from Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet Dear All As you are aware we are currently in the process of trying to sell Charlton Athletic. We had hoped for a takeover to have gone through in the first half of the year but that has not happened. With that in mind I was at The Valley earlier this summer to begin preparations for the 2018/19 season in case a takeover could not be completed by the start of the season. You may have spoken to your line manager about some of the key topics and I am writing to you today to provide clarification on where we are. •Takeover The club being sold remains the number one priority You will have received the statement earlier in the summer that a deal has been agreed with an Australian consortium, they just need to process a few documents with the EFL to complete the takeover. This hasn’t happened yet but the Australian group still remain confident it will be sorted. There has been a second party mentioned on a few occasions. While things had gone quiet from them they have been back in contact in recent weeks. We regularly have interest from new parties While there is interest, and it is my intention to sell, unfortunately I cannot put a timeline on how long the takeover will take, as you just can’t be sure with these things but the aim is to have the takeover complete as soon as possible. We will look to update staff more regularly on this going forward. • Cost Conscious As your line manager will have explained the club is undergoing a review of all costs in order to reduce running costs. This is to make costs more bearable for any potential new owner. The club makes a very significant operating loss every month which is out of proportion with the occasional player sales revenue intended to offset those operating losses. Various parties interested in taking over the club have been put off by the high running costs. Therefore such cost reductions make the club more attractive to potential purchasers. I am grateful for the changes you have made so far and if you have any further ideas on where we should review our efficiencies do let your line manager know. This is a matter of restoring the financial health of the club which had got out of control for a League One club. •Payments and Incentives Ever since I took over Charlton 4 1/2 years ago, every employee has been paid on time, every month. This will not change. The club will continue to fulfil contractual obligations The club had a very bad financial year last season and because of this the club will not be paying incentivised bonuses. Before we can look at bonuses in the future we need to restore the club’s financial health. •Restructure As part of being more cost conscious, there is an ongoing staff restructure. You will notice that people leaving are not being permanently replaced in line with other League One clubs. At the moment there are no plans for redundancies but we will let you know if that situation does change. We appreciate the hard work of all the club’s staff throughout this process I appreciate it is a difficult time for staff with a lot of uncertainty. Should you have any queries or concerns, please raise to your line manager or to HR. Roland

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PHOTOGRAPHS; KEITH GILLARD

A woman’s place Andy Buckland salutes the rise of Charlton’s Women’s team

Many Charlton fans will have heard of our women’s team and their recent success but here we give a little history and talk to owner and chairman Stephen King about the past and what lies ahead. The team are now in the new look Women’s Championship (the second tier of women’s football in England) and will be pitting their wits against the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and of course relishing those local derbies with Millwall and Crystal Palace. The team are fresh off the back of gaining promotion having won the FA Women’s Premier League South in some style last season. They took the title by eight points and a goal difference of +85 and then beat Blackburn Rovers (winners of the Northern Division) in the play-off final to secure their rightful place in the Championship With Stephen at the helm and with a young upcoming manager in Riteesh Mishra the good times would seem to be on the way back for the women. Mishra, who was once a professional player at Nottingham Forest until injury cruelly ended his

career, led the promotion charge in what was his first managerial season. The club has come through a number of guises since it was founded in 1991 as Bromley Borough and latterly renamed as Croydon’s Women FC. It was when they became Charlton Athletic Women’s Football Club that they enjoyed their most successful spell to date but the men’s relegation from the Premier League in 2007 almost led to the women’s team being disbanded as the tightening of belts began. The current club chairman Stephen King - a Charlton fan who has been attending The Valley for decades - took over the chair in 2012 and has spent more than £300,000 in stabilising the club with the sole aim to get it back to somewhere near its former glory of the mid 2000s. That was the time when they made four out of five FA Cup finals and were one of the most successful women’s teams in the country. After years of growth and plenty of funding, Charlton have a women’s first team and a youth set-up (a Regional Talent Centre led by Technical Director James Marrs) to be proud of and one King believes

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e is on the pitch is more than fit for the second tier and the coming season. King’s journey started as a child – when he was taken to The Valley for the first time and fell in love with Charlton. He’s been a season ticket holder since the 60s and began watching the women’s team as their status grew. He attended the aforementioned cup finals as a supporter and, after the men’s team were relegated from the Premier League in 2007 which forced ties to be cut with the women’s team, his involvement gradually increased. Charlton Athletic Community Trust took over with Paul Mortimer as manager, and King came on board. His company PHSC (who offer health, safety and environmental consultancy and training and as well as security technology) became the club’s sponsor in 2010. A further removal of funding meant CACT could no longer support the team financially and that is when King stepped in to take full control, maybe not

quite appreciating the financial commitment he had made. He said “I think if you went back to the beginning and I had been aware of what the costs would have been, I think I probably would not have done that. It’s one of those things where it is a bit of a slippery slope. You get the bug, you get involved in it, you then feel obligations for what you are doing. You form affinities and relationships and it is about being part of the story and seeing the progress. We have a great bunch of coaching and fitness staff in place now, led by Riteesh Mishra, and we are beginning to employ on a permanent basis staff to take the club forward. There is the physio team headed by Simon Webster and our increasing support from everyone at The Valley. We’ve also got some help from Valley Gold and we’ve other supporters and volunteers who help out in various ways, including financially.

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PHOTOGRAPH S; KEITH GILLARD

Asking why I do it, it’s one of those things. Why does anybody put money into football? It’s one of those things where with one or two exceptions nobody does it with an idea you’ll make money from it. It’s done because football is a passion and I’ve always taken the view, particularly with women’s sport, that a relatively little amount put in can lead to quite a good outturn. You think what it would cost to run our women’s team is less than the average Premier League player’s monthly salary. You have to look at it in context. As with anything, the lows are very low but the highs are very high. When you do have a great result, when you do win a League or a Cup whether it is men’s or women’s football – the elation and the high of that are what you do it for, you do it for that buzz.” So it looks set to be an exciting season ahead and the nucleus of the promotion team remains with some clever additions by Mishra to strengthen his squad. The seemingly free scoring Kit Graham who has already amassed over 200 goals for Charlton will be relishing the coming season. A new home ground also awaits as matches will be played at The Oakwood (Old Road, Crayford) this season, a ground they are sharing with VCD Athletic in Crayford. In addition the team will play two games this season at The Valley, so keep an eye out for news of which fixtures that will be. Further expansion of the non-playing staff such as the appointment of Steve Adamson as General Manager and Tia Walby as Marketing Officer will no doubt help the push up the leagues. Promotion of course leads to greater expense – for example the team will be playing away to Durham on September 23rd. The Women’s Club appreciate all and any help they receive in that respect. Fans can support the team this season in a number of ways, not least attending games at The Oakwood (Season tickets are now available at a very reasonable £40 with £15 for concessions), joining the club as a sponsor or donating via Paypal to charltonwomen@cafc.co.uk. It costs from just £200 to sponsor a game or £250 to sponsor a player for the season. Further information in this respect can be obtained by emailing the new General Manager steve. adamson@cafc.co.uk. You can also follow all the news on twitter @CAFCWomen or their website http://www.cafcwomen.co.uk

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Richard Wiseman reports from Blackburn, Blackpool and Coventry

conflict

In Trust News 13 (November 2016) we reported that 97% of members of Blackburn Supporters Trust (BST) had voted in favour of abandoning all dialogue with their club’s owners (Venky’s) and putting pressure on them to sell the club instead. Michael Doherty from BST anticipated that fans would need to extend their efforts to India if they were to be able to influence events in any meaningful way. This sounded a very familiar scenario to Charlton fans who were just pleased that Belgium is not so far away as India. Almost two years later Doherty reports that there has been a welcome change of atmosphere at Ewood Park since the low point of relegation in May 2017. Many fans were expecting a fire sale and a further spiral of decline but, although the owners (Venky’s) are still absentee, there is great relief that they seem at last to have begun to appreciate some of the realities of running a football club in England. Tony Mowbray wasn’t able to stop relegation when he arrived in February 2017 to replace Owen Coyle but to many supporters his appointment was the first sign that the owners were beginning to make sensible and informed decisions. Mowbray was welcomed as a “proper football man” and he began to win the confidence of fans through the way he engaged and communicated. The club’s signing of Bradley Dack for a reported £750k during the summer was a promising signal of intent. Rovers kicked off last season in the third tier of English football for the first time in 47 years but, after a modest start, results on the pitch improved. Mowbray took the team on a run of thirty two games with only one defeat, and by the time Jason Pearce’s sumptuous goal consigned them to defeat at The Valley in April, promotion was already secured. This obviously improved the mood around the club but Doherty also points to the appointment in January of a new CEO – Steve Waggot - as an im-

PHOTOGRAPH S: ROVERS TRUST, SKY BLUE TRUST, BLACKPOOL SUPPORTERS TRUST

our comrades in portant contribution to the improving atmosphere. Waggott, who had previously filled that position at Charlton and Coventry, has made a “really good impression.” He regularly meets with the chair of BST and is willing to address any concerns that are raised. He and Mowbray have both been to India to liaise with the owners and they both attend structured dialogue meetings with supporters. There are still some fans who can’t forgive Venky’s for the debacle of the last eight years and the loss of a place in the Premier League but overall there seems to be a sense that at last everyone is pulling in broadly the same direction. That is decidedly not the case at Blackpool. Conflict and alienation persist despite the club’s relative success in achieving promotion back to League One via the play-offs last year. The attendance at Wembley when they beat Exeter that day tells its own story. Blackpool Supporters Trust (BST) maintained its call for boycott and, despite the temptation to enjoy a day out in the capital, fewer than 6,000 Blackpool supporters went to the game. Andy Higgins of BST - a lifelong fan - hasn’t been to a home game for three seasons. His last appearance at Bloomfield Road was at the final game of the 2014/15 season when the game against Huddersfield was abandoned after a mass pitch invasion. When we spoke to Higgins two years ago he described the “toxic atmosphere” that existed at Bloomfield Road, largely as a result of the volume of litigation that had been launched against critical supporters. The situation hasn’t improved despite the fact that, back at the beginning of this year, there did at last seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel. Optimism rose as a result of the High Court judgement in November 2017 which ruled that the Oystons had “illegitimately stripped” the club of £26.8m after promotion to The Premier League in 2010.

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They were ordered to pay over £30m to minority club shareholder Valeri Belokon but, after paying the first £10m instalment by taking out a loan, they failed to meet the deadline for the second. Belokon was subsequently granted the immediate right to recover the remainder through an enforced sale of the Oyson’s assets – including the football club. Belokon - a Latvian banker - gave every sign of wanting to own the club so it seemed to be what David Conn referred to in The Guardian as “the obvious and natural conclusion to a hideous few years for Blackpool”. But alas no. Last May, the Kyrgyzstan government secured a criminal conviction carrying a 20 year jail sentence against Belokon (who did not attend the court) for alleged money laundering. The Latvian, according to his executives, argues that the conviction was politically motivated. The conviction means that Belokon automatically fails the EFL Owners and Directors Test (section 1.h) on the grounds that he “has an unspent convic18

tion by a court of competent jurisdiction anywhere in the world”. Andy Higgins describes Belokon as a “really decent bloke” and it is clear that many Blackpool fans would like nothing better than for him to take ownership of the club. The EFL, however, are adamant that “our requirements remain clear and are clearly set out within our regulations. Blackpool FC will be treated no differently to any other club who participate in the EFL” When Coventry City were relegated to League 2 in May 2017 they sunk to their lowest position for nearly fifty years. Like Blackpool they regained their position in League One via the play-offs although, unlike Blackpool, their fans turned out in droves (over 40,000) at Wembley. Nevertheless, the club’s situation remains dire, despite the achievements on the pitch under manager Mark Robins. It was December 2007 when Coventry was purchased by SISU Capital – a hedge fund – who

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Meanwhile SISU are locked in a legal dispute with Coventry City Council arguing that, when the council sold The Ricoh to Wasps Rugby Club in 2014 they undervalued it by tens of millions. They are seeking a judicial review of the sale on the premise that SISU were financially disadvantaged by the transaction process. It won’t be long before SBT will be re-starting the Countdown to Homelessness but in the mean time they have been making links with a consortium who have made a series of so far unsuccessful offers to buy the club. Some time ago SBT did the preparatory work on a community share issue to be activated in the event of there ever being a realistic chance of a purchase. However, with City’s on field fortunes on the up (relatively speaking), it may well be the case that SISU decide to hang on in there in the hope of eventually cashing in on the bonanza of the Premier League.

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PHOTOGRAPH S: ROVERS TRUST, SKY BLUE TRUST, BLACKPOOL SUPPORTERS TRUST

planned to get the club into the promised land of The Premier League. Jack Pitt-Brooke of the Independent says that “in the opinion of many, what followed is some of the worst mismanagement and blind belligerence in English football this century” Roger Ellis of Sky Blues Trust (SBT) acknowledges that things have improved a little – mostly on the pitch - since the awful year (2013/14) that the club played in Northampton in front of crowds that often fell below 2000. However, impending homelessness is still a massive threat. The club returned to the Ricoh Arena as tenants in August 2014 on a four year deal. During last season SBT ran a “Countdown to Homelessness” campaign as the number of games remaining at The Ricoh got down to single figures. They lobbied SISU, the EFL, the FA and local MPs to publicise the Club’s plight and the Club gained a one year extension of the arrangement on a match by match basis. That deal expires at the end of this season.

The Valley – an Asset of Community Value The 2011 Localism Act gave community organisations the right to nominate an asset to be included on a list of assets of community value (ACV). A building or piece of land is deemed to have community value if its main purpose is to further the social well-being or social interest, including cultural, recreational or sporting interests of the local community. In 2013 Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust (CAST) nominated The Valley to the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The nomination was successful (and was supported by the football club) and in October 2013 the ground was placed for a period of five years on the register of assets maintained by the council. Trust board members and volunteers celebrated the award with club representatives on the pitch before the game with Birmingham on 8th February 2014. The Valley thus joined a number of other buildings in the borough to enjoy the protection of ACV status – alongside Greenwich Theatre, East Greenwich Library, Weigall Road Sports Ground, The Bugle Horn, The White Swan and a dozen other pubs. In all, there are 38 football grounds with ACV status. They include Anfield, Old Trafford, Portman 20

Road, The King Power Stadium, Gigg Lane and The Old Spotted Dog Ground (Clapton FC) What does ACV status amount to? It means that any owner of the club who wishes to sell the ground must inform the Royal Borough who will in turn inform CAST. We would then have six weeks to decide whether we (or any other community group) wish to make a bid to buy the ground. If we decide to make a bid there is a further six month moratorium period while a bid is prepared. During this time the ground cannot be sold. Of course, it wouldn’t always be the case that a supporters trust would wish to raise a bid to purchase a stadium in the event of the owner planning to dispose of it. Tottenham supporters would be unlikely to support an initiative to raise funds to purchase White Hart Lane with plans for an improved new stadium already on the table. West Ham fans and Upton Park ? Well, maybe, but neither of these grounds had ACV status anyway. Let’s suppose that CAST did elect to make a bid and are able to raise sufficient funds during the six month moratorium. That does not that mean that the owner is obliged to sell the ground to us. The

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So is it really worth it? The main advantage of AVC status is that it stops disposal of the asset on the quiet. It means that you can’t turn up for a drink at The White Swan or The Bugle Horn one evening to discover that it has been sold to a developer and is now closed pending conversion into a nail bar. You have the opportunity to gain publicity and galvanise local opinion against the sale. Sure, the owner can ignore the publicity and dispose of the property anyway but at least you have had a chance to try to exert some influence.

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PHOTOGRAPH KEITH GILLARD\ CAFC

owner could sell to whosoever they wished and for whatever price they chose. They could also change their mind and not sell the ground at all. The Valley is currently owned by Charlton Athletic Holdings Ltd which is itself owned by Baton UK and ultimately by Roland Duchatelet’s company Staprix NV. If Charlton Athletic Holdings Ltd is sold this would only amount to a change of shareholders of that company and would not amount to a disposal of The Valley. In that case there would be no obligation on the owner to inform the Royal Borough and no opportunity for any community bid to be made. This would only arise in the event of a planned disposal to a third party not connected to the club.

It would be the same with The Valley and it isn’t hard to imagine the outcry that would be raised locally and nationally if it was revealed that the ground was being disposed of against the wishes of supporters. There would be vigorous opposition and loud public protest. There would be a lot of bad publicity for the owner. He could, of course, simply ignore it all and proceed with the disposal once the moratorium was over but who knows what might transpire during that six months? It certainly beats turning up for a game and being handed a piece of paper and a map of South Norwood. To my mind there is a second advantage to ACV status for our ground. It is a symbol. It is a statement on behalf of local people and their representatives in the Town Hall that The Valley matters. That it is seen as a site which delivers social benefit and community value both through the staging of Charlton games and the club’s associated community work. That it strengthens community cohesion and provides employment opportunities. That it drives income towards local businesses. That it is a source of civic pride for Greenwich residents. CAST have been in contact with RB Greenwich staff during the last few months to enquire about renewing the ACV status of The Valley when it expires in October. We have been advised that there is no provision for renewing ACV status but that there is nothing to prevent an asset being nominated for a further period once it has been removed from the register of assets. So, bizarrely, there doesn’t seem to be any way of avoiding a short period when the ground is unprotected as, even if our application is received on the day the current protection expires, there would be a period of a few weeks while the owner can comment on the application and the council can reach a decision. The current ACV status of The Valley does not include the car park as we were not successful in persuading the council in 2013 that it should be included. Subsequent case law regarding Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium has concluded that their car park is an integral part of the match day operation (ie not of ancilliary use) and should be included in the listing. We are confident therefore that we can persuade RB Greenwich to do the same so that the car park (or part of it) could not be disposed of separately without CAST having the opportuntiy to bid for the land. Richard Wiseman

PHOTOGRAPH KEITH GILLARD

1.What is the longest period of time that CAFC has spent in the third tier of English football since promotion to the second division in 1929? 2.Which much loved Charlton player had an uncle who kept wicket for The West Indies in two test matches in 1962? 3.What do The Valley, Greenwich Theatre and The White Swan pub in Charlton Village have in common? 4.The attendance for Charlton’s game at Accrington on August 18th was 2265. How many years do you have to go back to find a smaller crowd watching the club in a league fixture?

6.Who described what in a Tweet on August 21st as “utterly shambolic”? 7.How many games has Michael Morrison played for Birmingham City at Championship level since Charlton gave him away in June 2014? 8.How much does it cost to sponsor a player in the Charlton Women’s team for the season? 9.Who does Bradley Pritchard play for now? 10.Rearrange the following to find a well known Belgian visionary: ONE DULL THREAT CAD

5.Who said: “The fans missed a big chance. I would have been able to take the club into The Premier League”? 1.3 years 2.Clive Mendonca 3.They are all Assets of Community value 4.43 years – 1880 at Tranmere in April 1975 5.Roland Duchatelet 6.Matt Pennycook MP describing the situation at Charlton Athletic 7.136 8.£250 9.Cray Wanderers 10.Tin-Tin 22

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Another Summer’s Day – Another Seven Six Kevin Murphy

Wembley in May, The Valley in December – forty one years apart. Two great matches carved forever in every Charlton heart. December ’57 – were you there or were you even alive? I was there and I remember the Johnny Summers five. Huddersfield had come to London and firmly held their ground. Two nil down and looking ragged The Robins turned around.

The extra time digs deep for courage and the crowd sits down once more The Charlton hearts can scarce imagine the show that they’re in for.

It’s four goals all no time remaining. Will this be Sasa’s day? To duel face to face with each opponent and deny their right of way.

Was it something – delayed reaction? Trotter’s half time blast ? But four goals later we were level, Town had been outclassed. One from Ryan and three from Summers – should we now defend? The Town came back and scored another at the Floyd Road end

One minute left and Town are reeling as Ryan leads the attack. It’s in the net! It’s seven-six and Charlton have come back . And now some forty one years later that score again we see The play-off final, a Summers day at glorious Wembley.

A match fit to grace this temple of football history Has finished level – thanks to Rufus – with the goals at three to three.

A new colossus has chosen Wembley to make football history Clive Mendonca’s world-class hat trick – a first for all to see.

Within two minutes a goal for Charlton – Summers had come alive But Town came back and in a moment Charlton were down one -five.

Six five down – it’s all or nothing as the Reds press Town again. Summers scores! The game is level. The Valley takes the strain.

It’s Charlton in the final for the one remaining spot And Sunderland – the pride of Wearside – who come to spoil the plot.

Brave Sunderland had shared the glory and clearly earned the right To decide the end of this great contest and The Premier League’s new light. The first twelve marksmen ventured forward and boldly made their case Six-six it stood. Now others are called to end this deadly embrace Without hesitation young Shaun Newton adds seven to the fray. Suddenly it’s all over. Ilic saves from Michael Gray. The joy and sadness overwhelmed us as the crowd both sang and cried The Charlton faithful overflowing. The Wearsiders mortified. Two Summer’s days many years apart but the same emotional mix. The Reds are back. The game is won. Another seven-six.

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