Wednesday 10 January 2024

Ramsgate fan speaks out

There has been a long and surprising silence on the part of VOTV former editor Rick Everitt, but at last he has broken cover with an penetrating and in depth analysis of tonight's opportunity to ask questions of the three Charlton directors: https://www.votvonline.com/home/the-2023-24-blogs/9-1-24-questions-to-be-asked-about-charlton-s-future/

Whilst I recognise that the Rickster is not everyone's cup of tea, few people have as much understanding of the history of Charlton.  He asks some important questions about the plight of the club and asks fans not to be distracted by second order questions such as the price of food and drink or even new signings.

You need to read the article for yourself but here are some key points:

'The lack of any clarity about who is steering the ship and how they intend to get it to its destination, whether that is the Championship or above. Nobody in their right mind could imagine that the club can ever be financially sustainable in League One.

Now we can probably agree that competence has been in very short supply at The Valley for many years, but the idea the club can limit its operating losses in this way short of a revolution in wider football funding is pure fantasy.

One of the key drivers in Charlton’s extraordinary rise in the 1990s and 2000s was the connection between the fans and the club, up to and including the board. This was possible because supporters knew the club was open, honest and engaged with them.  That has not been true for at least a decade.'