With 12 months to run on his deal, Lyle Taylor is to be offered a new contract. Lee Bowyer expects bids for him: New deal
Bowyer thinks there are three things that will keep Taylor at Charlton: he loves it at The Valley, he is in London and will be playing in the Championship.
The window of opportunity for Roland Duchatelet to sell the club may not last for long, at most two months, warns VOTV editor Rick Everitt in a new blog post: Short window
The Rickster states: 'While all the indications remain that the Belgian is still holding out for an unrealistic price, one stumbling block to a deal has been removed by promotion. Duchatelet had previously been demanding a success payment when new owners got the team out of League One, something that at least one interested party was not prepared to entertain. But whether that is enough to unlock a deal remains to be seen.'
The Ramsgate fan concludes, ' Unfortunately, all previous experience points to the owner running the club on the basis of wishful thinking rather than business logic.'
Six Championship clubs and two Scottish clubs are interested in getting the signature of Patrick Bauer: Popular defender
However, some reports are suggesting that he would prefer to stay at The Valley if he could: Setback for Rangers. That may not be easy to achieve with Lee Bowyer out of contract soon and Roland not willing to spend a euro more than he has to.
Jonny Williams, whose wages cannot be afforded by Charlton, is attracting interest from the Super Hoops and Swansea City.
Meanwhile, promotion rivals Luton have drawn up a 'comprehensive' list of targets: Summer targets
For the next few weeks I will be publishing stories simultaneously on this blog and Addick's Third Division Diary before switching completely to Addick's Championship Diary.
Soon we have to start thinking seriously about next season and the big challenge we face, as big as going up to the Premier League in 1998: the Championship is now effectively the Premier League Division 2 that Richard Murray foresaw. However, first a final few words about last Sunday.
There have been many good pieces of writing about the experience of Sunday, but one of the best has now been published online by CAST board member Heather McKinlay, one of the small band of Scottish Addicks: Of Magpieand Robins
I went to see my osteopath yesterday: he lived in Greenwich for fifteen years at the time of our ascent to, and participation in, the Premier League. He said that when the second goal went in, he thought of me and almost thought of contacting me, but decided it wouldn't be very professional.
Finally, I have been thinking of how delighted my father would have been, particularly as he was at the first FA Cup final at the old Wembley. He would be particularly pleased that our song mentions Jimmy Seed and Sam Bartram. He would be delighted to see as many Addicks supporting the clubs as was the case before and after the war. And he would be surprised but pleased that I was still there supporting them, after disappointing him by failing to follow in his non-league footsteps and become a professional footballer.
Ramsgate fan and Voice of the Valley editor Rick Everitt can be a bit of a glass half empty guy. That is understandable enough where Charlton are concerned. But the Rickster seems to be in a hopeful mind following our win at Wembley. He regards it as the defeat of despair and the start of a new chapter in the Charlton story: Addicks beat more than Sunderland
The Rickster points out that it was safe enough for the Duke of Cambridge to come to yesterday's Championship play off final whilst it was too insecure for Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet to come on Sunday. However, Prince William is at least a dedicated fan of his club who displays some emotion whereas the barmy Belgian regards it as a business venture worth at best two per cent of his time.
This story notes that a variety of celebrities are Villa supporters and explains why Prince William is, given that he doesn't come from Birmingham: Royal supporter
Oddly the list does not include famous economist John Maynard Keynes who wrote an evocative account of an early 20th century match and the time in the pub afterwards (which I think he enjoyed more). Curiously, he also had a great loathing for Ramsgate, something on which he wrote at some length.
Some posts will now appear on this page as well as Addick's Third Division Diary.
BBC Sport has an in depth feature on our last contest with Sunderland at Wembley, including interviews with Sasa Ilic, Steve Brown and the often forgotten Mark Bowen. Relive the day if you were there or learn about it if you were too young to attend: Remembering that day
Later I must get my 1998 top ready for tomorrow.
This site has been revived on a temporary basis. Of course, it could become the main blog again.
Charlton Athletic are looking forward to making a fresh start in partnership with the offshore developers who failed in their bid to build around Millwall’s ground. Three options for the future of the club are being considered and will be voted on by members of a new True Supporters’ Club (details below).
Option one would see the Jimmy Seed stand demolished and replaced by housing. This would create a three sided ground which would be sufficient for League 1 or 2. Away supporters would go in the top tier of the Covered End where they could exchange banter with home fans in the lower tier.
Option 2 would see The Valley demolished for housing and a new 9,000 capacity stadium built in the vicinity of the 02. A site at Herne Bay was considered, but it was thought that this was too near core trouble makers on the Isle of Thanet.
Option 3 is the one favoured by the club. A club spokesman said, ‘What we need is a fresh start with a new fan base. Many Charlton fans are not the brightest kids in the class and they are easily led astray by hotheads.’
The club did consider taking over Rushden & Diamond’s stadium at Nene Park (now being demolished), but it was thought to be too dilapidated, although it is hoped to use part of the site for a new training ground.
Instead the club will move into the home of modern franchise football, stadium mk, providing local fans with home football every week. If the move worked out well, the two clubs might merge as MK Dons Athletic.
As a concession to Kent supporters, a couple of home games will be played each season at Gillingham. There will also be a coach which will leave The Valley at 10.30 a.m. Travelling via Eltham, Welling, Bexleyheath, Bromley and Catford, it will arrive at stadium mk in time for the kick off. On the way back fans will be home for Match of the Day.
Membership will open soon for the True Supporters’ Club. Each member will receive a lapel badge with a picture of Roland and Katrien. There will also be exciting competitions. One prize will be a trip to watch Sint Truiden play, preceded by a lunch of moules et frites with Roland. Another will allow a fan to spend a night with Thomas Dreisen as he works on his statistical analyses of players (slice of pizza and soda of your choice included). Fans can also win a personally autographed copy of Karl Robinson’s Big Book of Excuses.
Members will also receive their own fanzine Voice of the Silent Majority which will give them the alternative facts they have been asking for. This will be produced by some of the country’s leading PR consultants. Each issue will cost at least £20k to produce, but will be free to members. A regular feature will name and shame the ‘vinegar pissers’ who have been undermining the club. First up, VOTV editor Rick Everitt.
