Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet

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Duchatelet under embassy spotlight

A senior official at the Belgium Embassy will raise concerns about the activities of Charlton owner Roland Duchâtelet with the Belgian government and public officials.

Counsellor Alain Leroy, who reports directly to the Belgian Consul General in the UK, hosted a delegation from the Coalition Against Roland Duchâtelet (CARD) on Wednesday, April 17th at the embassy in Belgravia.

He listened closely as the CARD representatives outlined how the actions of his countryman were harming the club, its supporters and its wider community, as well as attracting widespread ridicule in the media and across the football industry.

A CARD spokesperson said: “We were impressed that Mr Leroy was so well informed, which shows how much attention Duchâtelet’s actions have generated beyond the football world.

“He had a good knowledge of the situation at Charlton, particularly with regards to the issue of the unpaid staff bonuses and Duchâtelet’s recent bewildering rant demanding that the EFL buy the club from him.”

With Lee Bowyer’s team having already reached the League One play-offs this season, CARD emphasised that the continuing opposition to Duchâtelet was not related to results, or Duchâtelet’s nationality.

Among the issues highlighted were the possibility of further protests against Duchâtelet in Belgium if he fails to deliver on his commitment to sell the club, announced 15 months ago, and that these protests were unlikely to be restricted to St Truiden.

The representatives also assured Mr Leroy that the coalition had had nothing to do with the graffitiing of premises linked to Duchâtelet earlier this year, and no knowledge of who was responsible, but explained how it would not be a surprise if other groups took an increasingly militant approach should Duchâtelet remain at Charlton.

Although the Belgium Embassy is unable to interfere in private matters, Leroy noted the concerns expressed to him and pledged to report back to the relevant authorities in Belgium, which include government officials, the regional authorities and the police.

A CARD spokesperson added: “No one is in any doubt that Duchâtelet needs to go, including Duchâtelet himself, but it’s almost a year-and-a-half since he said he was selling up and he is still there despite numerous interested parties. It’s high time he set a realistic price and sold the club, which would be a relief to everyone concerned.”

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Fans unite to take club protests to EFL bosses

Charlton and Blackpool fans will take their protests against their respective clubs’ owners directly to the EFL on Friday, September 14th, with street demonstrations planned outside the league’s offices in London and Preston.

CARD is calling on Addicks fans to assemble at 55 Blandford Street, W1, at 12.30pm. And it wants other football supporters, as well as London-based Blackpool fans, to join them.

Blackpool Supporters’ Trust will then lead the 3pm protest at EFL House, 10-12 West Cliff, Preston, and welcome any Charlton and other fans in the north who are available.

Duchatelet, Charlton’s owner since 2014, is currently embroiled in a public dispute with Valley staff about unpaid bonuses, while attempts to sell the club have foundered because of his unrealistic valuation. He has been the subject of a long series of demonstrations at matches since 2015. Local Greenwich and Woolwich MP Matthew Pennycook described the situation at the club as “utterly shambolic” two weeks ago.

A High Court judge ruled last November that Blackpool's owners have asset-stripped the club to the tune of £26m, bypassing governance arrangements to do so. Ten months on, the EFL has done nothing to address the concerns raised in the court ruling and the Oyston family continue to cling on to the club, with the EFL seemingly unwilling to disqualify them.

A CARD spokesperson said: “Football fans in general, and Charlton and Blackpool supporters in particular, continue to be extremely frustrated by the EFL’s apparent unwillingness to address serious issues of poor governance at some of its clubs.

“While we welcome the EFL’s holding statement on the situation at Charlton and the proposal to meet with both the club and the Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust, we need to see a great deal more urgency and focus.

“While the EFL is dragging its feet, Charlton remain in a state of limbo with no executive directors, no chief executive, no chief financial officer, and until this week had had a caretaker team manager for six months. The administrative staff are up in arms because of the way they have been treated, while such day-to-day management as exists is implementing ill-considered, short-term decisions that rightly earn the derision of Charlton fans and the wider community. That cannot be allowed to continue.

“What is happening at our clubs could impact anywhere, so we will welcome fans of all other clubs joining us. The EFL appears to be little more than a trade association with decisions taken by the clubs for the benefit of the clubs. But without fans it is nothing.

“We call upon the EFL to step up to its responsibility to oversee the broader and long-term health of football in England. We need more than a charter, we need a binding code of conduct with real mechanisms to ensure enforcement. The EFL has access to a range of sanctions, including fines and bans. Whether it is prepared to use them to rein in rogue owners like Duchatelet is a question of competence and will.”

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Easter Monday protests off as takeover nears

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) has withdrawn its plans to protest against the current ownership of Charlton Athletic at the Easter Monday game against Rotherham United.

CARD said there had been significant developments since its previous announcement two weeks ago. That followed then manager Karl Robinson’s comments to the media suggesting a takeover might be delayed indefinitely.

A CARD spokesperson said: “Although we have not received the firm evidence of a takeover that we wanted, things have moved on and we no longer think it is appropriate to take action on Easter Monday.

“Karl Robinson’s departure as manager is clearly linked to the takeover, which is now being widely reported by mainstream media as imminent.

“Public and private sources suggest there is no reason to think that Duchatelet himself intends to be owner of Charlton for much longer.

“In addition, we believe the change of manager and subsequent dramatic improvement on the pitch last Saturday have revived fans’ hopes that the team could still be promoted via the play-offs.

“While we don’t respond to individual results, the team’s status next season is clearly significant to the club’s long-term future, which is our main concern. And we believe most Charlton fans would regard trying to get promoted as the immediate priority they can usefully influence."

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Protest planned for Easter Monday

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) is to stage a day of protest at The Valley on Easter Monday unless there is firm news of new Charlton Athletic owners before April.

Fans have finally run out of patience after team manager Karl Robinson made clear on Tuesday night that even he no longer believes what he is told about the takeover by the existing two-man club board.

Robinson told the media after the latest defeat: “Our CEO was gone at the end of December. Our financial director has gone now. We were told the club would be done in two weeks. That was seven or eight weeks ago in the beginning of January. We thought we’d have somebody in in mid-January to try and push us forward and give us some funds. I’m stood here in mid-March and being told it’s nowhere near.”

A CARD spokesperson said: “While we appreciate the takeover requires a degree of confidentiality, it has become clear that that neither Karl Robinson nor a majority of fans now feel they can rely on what director Richard Murray says.

“Murray said on February 28th that a price and terms had been agreed and ‘we are now just waiting for their respective lawyers to finalise the sale and purchase agreement’. Robinson’s comments suggest the manager has now been given a different story.

“Fans have been very patient this season and wanted to give Karl Robinson and the players every chance. But another opportunity to get out of League One has been squandered, the club has no effective leadership or strategic direction and there appears to be every prospect of this continuing into the summer, while the absentee owner sits in Belgium counting his money.

“If necessary we intend to target Roland Duchatelet’s business operation in Belgium for lawful protest, as well as all three April matches at The Valley, because this situation cannot and will not be allowed to continue indefinitely.”

CARD will announce further details for the Easter Monday game against Rotherham United in due course, with the games on April 14th and 28th to follow, and is focusing its attention abroad on Duchatelet’s plan to open a new 25-room hotel in Belgium in May.

The group is also calling on Charlton fans to boycott season-ticket sales for 2018/19 until new owners are in place.

The spokesperson added: “If the club is sufficiently foolish to bring out its season-ticket prices ahead of a takeover we would hope most fans would say enough is enough.

“Nobody needs to buy a season ticket for August at this stage and Duchatelet would be bound to take it as evidence that he can do anything he likes. It’s no longer about loyalty to the club, which we all share, but propping up his rotten regime.”

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CARD demands Murray answers

Charlton fans will demand answers about the club’s immediate future by rallying outside The Valley’s west stand before Saturday’s home match against Walsall.

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) is asking Addicks supporters to assemble outside main reception by 2.15pm, when they will call on director Richard Murray to come out and address them. CARD wants a pledge that a significant part of the cash from player sales during the January transfer window will be reinvested in replacements.

Charlton sold winger Ricky Holmes to Sheffield United for a reported £400,000 this week and are expected to conclude a £4m deal for defender Ezri Konsa to move to Everton before the end of the month.

Murray said in a club statement on Monday that no fees would be reinvested because Charlton are in takeover discussions, but gave no indication of when or if these talks might be successfully concluded.

He is one of only two Addicks directors following the departure of chief executive Katrien Meire in December. The other is owner Duchatelet, a Belgian businessman, who last attended a game in 2014.

A CARD spokesperson said: “We need to hear from Richard Murray about the club’s immediate future. He said four years ago when Duchatelet took over that he would be responsible for the relationship with the fans and that he would speak on behalf of the board when appropriate. We feel it is only fair that we should give him the opportunity to do so.

“At the weekend manager Karl Robinson promised a takeover update this week, but there was nothing new about that in Murray’s latest comments 

“Holmes has gone and Konsa is likely to follow. We don’t expect Duchatelet to put in extra funds this month, but it can’t be right that the squad is weakened with no guarantee of a takeover. It makes no sense even in terms of getting the best price for the club, because he is making Robinson’s job of securing promotion more and more difficult. 

”We want a guarantee that if Konsa goes without a takeover then a significant part of the fee will be made available to Robinson to strengthen the team. We also want a timeline for takeover negotiations with clarity about whether a deal is possible or likely before the end of January. We urge all concerned fans to come and hear what Murray has to say.”

The spokesperson went on: “We have not staged any protests this season because we have been aware of takeover moves and did not want to do anything that might have affected a possible promotion push. The club has now damaged that prospect itself, so we are giving notice that the period of truce is over.

“We will not be organising anything inside the stadium on Saturday, but the gloves are coming off. Unless the situation is resolved, this is likely to be the start of an escalating series of lawful protests, both at The Valley and in Belgium. It’s now up to Murray to explain why that shouldn’t be the case.”

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Rosettes v Pompey to celebrate the role of the fans

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) is to distribute thousands of red-and-white rosettes to fans attending Charlton’s home fixture against Portsmouth on December 9th, which marks the 25th anniversary of the club’s return to The Valley.

The rosettes are to celebrate the part played by fans in the re-opening of the SE7 stadium, and particularly the role of the Valley Party, whose 60 candidates amassed nearly 15,000 votes in the 1990 local elections, changing Greenwich Council policy in the process.

The club’s then directors wore red and white rosettes when the first match back, also against Portsmouth, took place on December 5th, 1992. Charlton had played at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park and West Ham United’s Upton Park since 1985.

A CARD spokesperson said: “Charlton fans are rightly proud of everything they did to overturn the decision of the club’s then owner to move the club to Selhurst Park in 1985.

“It’s no surprise that the present regime has been reluctant to acknowledge the fans’ contribution, given the parallel with the current situation where the vast majority of fans are once more opposed to the owner and want him out.

“No one involved in the Valley campaign was invited on to the organising committee set up many months ago to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the return.

“The club failed to mention the 25th anniversary of the Valley Party election at the time, despite being reminded, and chief executive Katrien Meire even tried to stop it being marked with a short speech at the 2015 player of the year, an event organised by supporters and held on the exact date.

The spokesperson continued: “We know that the Fans’ Forum has had an opportunity to make its own representations over the December 9th celebrations this week – just 12 days before the game - and, very belatedly, we understand that the club is showing signs of a more collaborative approach, which we welcome.

“However, the Valley Party was not a club initiative, so it is not appropriate that it should be left to the club to decide how or whether it should be celebrated, least of all when the chief executive is on record as saying that she didn’t care about the club’s history.

“By wearing red-and-white rosettes on December 9th, Charlton fans can make sure that supporters take their proper place at the heart of the celebrations – a visible tribute to the Valley Party campaigners, the volunteers who worked on the ground to get it ready in time, those who paid into the Valley Investment Plan to help fund it, and, of course, the 1992 directors.

“At the same time, rosettes are a traditional symbol of support for a football team, as well as a feature of elections, so we believe this is a positive initiative and that they will add to the occasion for everyone - hopefully with the same outcome on the pitch as 25 years ago.”

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Duchatelet’s “profound threat” to the future of Charlton

Members of the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) met last week, and reaffirmed their joint commitment to the removal of the Belgian businessman as owner of Charlton.

CARD – formed in January 2016 and bringing together representatives of a number of different Addicks groups and organisations, including the Charlton supporters’ trust - has no early plans to resume disruptive protests during matches. But it remains active and intends to pursue its aim in other ways as the season progresses.

A spokesperson said: “We congratulate manager Karl Robinson on the team’s overall start to the season and on achieving the longest of the eight separate managerial tenures since Duchatelet bought the club three years and eight months ago. We also look forward to the celebrations when Karl reaches a full calendar year in charge.

“While any improvement on the pitch is to be welcomed, CARD’s concern is to ensure that Charlton fans still have a club to support in five, 10 and 20 years’ time and we continue to regard Duchatelet as a profound threat to that objective.

“He bought a Championship club and it is entirely down to him and his choice of chief executive, Katrien Meire, that the team is currently in League One for a second season. That is more important to most supporters than any short sequence of results, good or bad, as is the club’s damaged and diminished reputation resulting from their mismanagement. It is reflected in the fact that Charlton have lost 40 per cent of season-ticket holders.

“However, CARD does not believe it would be responsible or sensible to organise protests which could potentially impact on the team’s chances of winning promotion, and we believe that is also the majority view among fans as a whole, so we are not currently planning any that affect matches.

“We do wish to acknowledge the supporters who continue to wear black and white scarves and protest shirts to games, and encourage them to carry on. They can be assured that we are making other plans behind the scenes.

“In addition, CARD will continue to liaise with and offer support to fans of other clubs in dispute with their ownership, especially in cases where Charlton are due to meet such clubs on the pitch.” #cafc #WeWantOurCharltonBack

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Remarkable turnout showed Charlton fans’ determination to see change

Following the final home match of the season, the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) has thanked everyone who supported Sunday’s protests, whether by turning up early behind the north stand, wearing black and white, or simply making their views clear during the game.

CARD’s spokesperson commented: “Police put the 11am turnout in Harvey Gardens at well over 2,000. This was spectacular and in fact, the numbers overwhelmed our ability to communicate with and organise people as we would have liked.

“We made the mistake of underestimating Charlton fans’ willingness to turn out early on a Sunday morning, and with hindsight we would have handled things differently outside the stadium, because there was potential to do more. But we are hugely grateful to the number who came and will learn from that.

Nevertheless, the main exterior objective of blockading the car park was highly effective.

“Inside, the black and white balloons and fake season-ticket tickertape were not intended to stop the game in the same way as previous items like the pigs, but rather to create a visual spectacle, as well as remind some fans why we are protesting. They did their job well.”

CARD also addressed the views of some fans who would have liked to see more direct intervention, such as a pitch invasion to stop the game as had happened at Leyton Orient the previous day.

The spokesperson said: “With protests like Sunday we are playing a game of cat and mouse with the club and forcing them to address things that might happen, which was especially true of the focus on the lower west stand. We recognise that this can lead to unfulfilled expectations among fans as well. But next time, who knows? As it was the club had to double the number of stewards and the directors were left in no doubt of fans' feelings from the large number of loud, black and white-clad protesters close around them.

“There are a variety of views within CARD, as well as outside it, about how far protests should go. However, we are guided by the extent to which they are likely to be endorsed by most supporters opposed to the regime and what they are likely to achieve, as well as the legal position. It’s inevitable that this will be too much for some and not enough for others.

“We were pleased to work with two other groups who are strongly opposed to Duchatelet - Women Against the Regime (WAR) and The Belgium20 - in Sunday's protests. But anything we do will have limited impact without the active support of so many Charlton fans. Sunday showed irrefutably that even after the regime has driven a third of supporters away, a huge majority want the regime out and back our protests aimed at achieving this.

“On that basis, CARD will continue for as long as Roland Duchatelet and Katrien Meire remain involved with the club. We would all like that period to be as short as possible and remain hopeful that it will end sooner rather than later.

”Meanwhile, we offer our sincere and huge thanks to all those who have worked so hard and over such a prolonged period to plan, organise, support and participate in our protests."

To contact CARD, please email [email protected].

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Fans plan to ‘take back The Valley’ at season’s final game

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) is calling on Charlton fans opposed to the club’s current ownership to assemble at The Valley one hour before the midday kick-off of this season’s final game at home to Swindon Town on Sunday, April 30th.

CARD wants as many protestors as possible to meet at 11am by the big Charlton badge at the rear of the north stand to join a major demonstration, details of which it will reveal on the day. And it is urging fans to turn up there in black and white, even if they plan to boycott the match itself.

Protestors who intend to go in are being encouraged to buy seats in the lower west stand.

A CARD spokesperson said: “At the end of yet another season of failure from this dishonest and incompetent regime, we are urging Charlton fans to send the owner and chief executive Katrien Meire the clearest possible message that they will never be accepted at The Valley.

“A poll carried out this month by the Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust among nearly 1,500 fans, 43% of whom are current season-ticket holders, showed that 94% now feel negative about Charlton’s future under Duchatelet and 89% want protests to continue.

“These are overwhelming and irretrievable numbers. Far from learning lessons and building bridges, Duchatelet and Meire are inflicting ever greater damage on the club by wasting more money and systematically destroying Charlton’s supporter base. They must go now.”

CARD was instrumental in delivering the largest Charlton protest in Belgium yet on March 4th and joined hundreds of Coventry City supporters for a joint march and demonstration at the Ricoh Arena on Good Friday.

It has also called on any fans considering buying season tickets to defer a decision until the end of the summer, based on the club’s failure to deliver on its promise of a top-six challenge in 2016/17.

Charlton are currently 15th in League One and on the brink of the club’s worst finishing position in the Football League since 1926, when it had to seek re-election.

The spokesperson concluded: “Katrien Meire likes to say to fans that it’s only ‘their opinion’ she should resign. However, the evidence of failure is obvious in the league table, obvious in the 5,500 reduction in average attendances since 2014/15 and obvious in the spiralling debt of £54m owed to Duchatelet in the latest published accounts.

“The protests we will organise will be lawful and respectful both of Swindon’s position in the table and the two sets of players, but we need to get these people out now. So for this one game on April 30th, we are urging every Charlton fan to come and take back The Valley by sheer weight of numbers.

“Let’s make it a day that will go down in history as a massive demonstration that the only possible way forward for the club is under new ownership, with a new board and with a new chief executive.”

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More protests, and take a stance on season tickets

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) is urging Charlton fans to “keep right on to the end of the Roland”.

Despite welcoming recent indications of a potential change in ownership, CARD notes that the club has claimed it is not for sale. The campaign therefore continues, and in addition to another joint protest with Coventry City fans next month, CARD is asking fans to delay purchasing season tickets for the 2017/18 season, which have finally gone on sale today.

Following last October’s joint action at The Valley, CARD is teaming up with Coventry supporters again to protest at the Ricoh Arena on Good Friday (April 14th, 3pm kick-off), in a joint demonstration against Duchatelet and the Sky Blues’ owners Sisu.

More details will be disclosed in due course. But to help protestors get to the Midlands and also to boost support for the Charlton team at the match, CARD is running its own coaches, fare £13* from across SE London and Kent. This is a third cheaper than the club’s price.

CARD has also announced its intention to stage a day of action at the final home match, against Swindon Town, on Sunday, April 30th (noon kick-off). Activities will be tailored to the circumstances at the time, including the situation of the two teams.

A spokesperson said: “We plan to take back The Valley on the final day of the season and are asking fans who have been staying away, whether in protest or frustration, to return and send a resounding message to the next owner about what Charlton can be. This can be accomplished inside the ground or outside, for those unwilling to buy a ticket.

“We welcome the prospect of new ownership, but it is important any buyer understands that the current board of Duchatelet, chief executive Katrien Meire and former chairman Richard Murray is toxic. There is no case for continuity.

“In our view, Meire has shown herself to be unfit to run the business and Murray’s consistent defence of this regime over its three years of failure has utterly destroyed his credibility. Their continued presence risks poisoning any reconciliation process.

“Last summer the club lost 40 per cent of its season-ticket holders and many who did buy later felt they had been tricked by false promises of a promotion challenging squad.

“It is obviously for each supporter to make their own decision, but we would strongly encourage anyone inclined to renew to wait for developments.

“Our passion is Charlton, not protesting, so CARD will end when Duchatelet goes, but like others we are keen to put our energies into supporting new ownership and a new management team in repairing the damage of the last three years.”

Coaches to Coventry will depart as follows:

*Canterbury (Victoria Hotel, London Road) 9.20am *Medway Services (London bound) 9.45am *Dartford (Heath Lane, nr Halfords) 10.15am *Bexleyheath (Albion Road, nr Marriott Hotel) 10.30am *Bromley (North station) 10.10am *Well Hall (northbound bus stop, nr Dickson Road) 10.30am *Charlton (Markro bus stop, Anchor & Hope Lane) 10.45am

The fare is £13 per person from all pick-ups.

Please make payments to the Charlton protest fund account: sort code 20-68-04, account number 50661678 or via PayPal (as a friend to avoid commission) to [email protected] - it is essential you give your name as a reference, then email [email protected] giving your name and pick-up details. (Pic via @glendowdall on Twitter)

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Back from Belgium - and the fight goes on

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) wants to thank the hundreds of Charlton supporters who made the 500-mile round trip to Sint-Truiden to join Saturday’s Unity Protest march through the town, as well as the many other fans who spontaneously demonstrated their own feelings about the owner and his regime during the team’s 2-1 defeat at Northampton Town.

More than 100 supporters of a wide age range travelled to Belgium by coach and they were joined by many dozens of others who had made their own way from England by rail and road. The fans kept in touch with events at Sixfields via commentary relay to the coaches and a video link to the pre-march buffet, where Addicks protest band The 2percent also performed.

They were then accompanied by a small contingent of Sint-Truiden fans for the procession through the town to Stayen, home of Duchatelet’s Belgian club, STVV. Police estimated total numbers at about 300. The owner was at the stadium but did not show himself during the demonstration, which was covered by both local and London television outlets, and a range of other media.

The exemplary conduct of Charlton fans was underlined by the tweet posted by local police chief Steve Provost, with whom CARD had liaised extensively before the day. He said: “Nice demonstration #cafc, good agreement with the organisers, perfect execution by [police] colleagues.”

CARD also welcomed the sensible and proportionate policing of the march. But it contrasted the fans' conduct with the prior claims of Duchatelet, who called disaffected supporters “vinegar pissers” in a local newspaper and said the police chief and town mayor would have to take responsibility for the "consequences" of allowing the demonstration.

In a statement to the Guardian newspaper, published on Saturday, the club also said: “We would request that anyone travelling to protest in Belgium this weekend will conduct themselves in an appropriate and respectful manner.”

A CARD spokesperson said: “It appears to be Roland Duchatelet who needs advice on how to conduct himself in an ‘appropriate and respectful manner’. He has previously called protest organisers ‘stupid people’, misognynists and ex-employees. Charlton must have had a huge turnover of staff if all those in Belgium were ex-employees.’

“The club also misled some national journalists into believing it was transporting all 1,400 travelling fans to Northampton. They ran five coaches and had made clear from the outset that they were not prepared to run more than that. They took 258 people, which is no bad thing, but they could not even be honest and transparent about that.

"The regime has long demonstrated its poor judgement, but this was both naive and desperate, even unethical. It is yet more evidence of the management's incompetence, as is the team’s plunge towards possible relegation to League Two, despite one of the biggest budgets in the division. Duchatelet and chief executive Katrien Meire have no idea what they are doing, which has been evident to many fans for some time.

“The protest in Sint-Truiden went well beyond our expectations and in addition to CARD’s role we want to acknowledge the part played in delivering it by the Belgium 20 group, as well as Women Against the Regime (WAR). It was months in the planning, so it was not just about recent results, but three years of hopeless management of the club - confirmed by the team’s league position, the emptying Valley and thumping financial losses.

“If necessary we will return to Belgium in even larger numbers in future, but we would much prefer that Duchatelet makes arrangements to sell the club before that happens. We fear for its future if he remains in control.”

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Unity Protest coaches sold out

Charlton fans organising Saturday’s Unity Protest against the club’s owner Roland Duchatelet in his home town of Sint-Truiden have confirmed that every seat on the two coaches travelling has now been sold.

Dozens more protestors are travelling to Belgium by Eurostar and local rail services as well as private cars, with up to 250 supporters of the London club expected to march through the town ahead of the local team’s Jupiler League match against Eupen at 8pm local time. They will be joined by disaffected Sint-Truiden (STVV) fans who recently announced the launch of GrAS, their own protest group, urging Duchatelet either to run their club on a competitive basis or sell it to someone else who will. Media interest in Saturday’s protest is already high, with both BBC and ITV sending a camera team on board the coaches, and other reporters expected. The protest has been planned jointly by the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD), including Women Against the Regime (WAR), and the Belgium 20, who have previously confronted Duchatelet at the Sint-Truiden stadium, Stayen. Charlton protest band The 2percent will play a set at 4pm ahead of the main march. A CARD spokesperson said: “A huge amount of planning has gone into Saturday’s demonstration and we are grateful to the police, both here and in Belgium, for their assistance in making sure everything is in place. “The response from Charlton fans of all ages and both genders has been magnificent and we know they will acquit themselves well on the day. The numbers in Belgium alone give the lie to Duchatelet’s claim that the protests are down to ‘a few hotheads who were shown the door’. “Hundreds of people do not spend 12 hours and their own money travelling to Belgium and back for a march for any other reason than their passion for Charlton and shared conviction that Duchatelet is destroying the club. “What’s more, we are putting him on notice that he can expect to be embarrassed and upset for as long as it takes to persuade him to sell up, just as he has caused so much frustration and unhappiness to Charlton fans over the last three years. We will act lawfully, but we will never leave him in peace.”

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Belgian authorities green light March 4th protest

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) has welcomed the decision of the Belgian authorities to give permission for the Unity Protest against the Charlton owner on Saturday, March 4th.

At least 200 Addicks fans are set to travel to Belgium, where they will now be joined by disgruntled Sint-Truiden supporters for a rally and march through the town.

Locals have just announced their own campaign group, GRAS, which is urging Duchatelet to run their club in a competitive way or sell up. Liaison between Charlton and Sint-Truiden fans has been ongoing for many months.

The decision to allow the protest was announced in the local newspaper Het Belang van Limburg on Tuesday and follows liaison with the Metropolitan Police in London.

But the Charlton fans hit back at a bizarre statement by Duchatelet in the local paper claiming the protestors, whose numbers have run into several thousand at The Valley, are “a few hot heads who previously worked directly or indirectly for the club and who were shown the door due to their rebellious and rowdy attitude”.

He went on: “They also don't like the fact that I give [chief executive] Katrien Meire my support.”

A CARD spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the local authorities have recognised our right to protest in Sint-Truiden and will now work with them on the details to ensure that this a safe but effective demonstration. We are also grateful to the Met for their help.

“Duchatelet’s insistence that the protests are the work of a few dismissed former staff is self-evidently ludicrous, both in terms of the numbers demonstrating against him and the diverse range of people in CARD, Women Against the Regime (WAR) and in other groups involved in the Sint-Truiden initiative, such as the Belgium 20.

“People are protesting because they are passionate about Charlton and angry at the long-term damage being done to the club under his ownership and Katrien Meire’s management.

“Everybody involved is a Charlton fan of many years standing and none has ever been sacked by the club due to their rebellious and rowdy attitude. He either knows that this is a lie or he is being misled by other people. In either case, he should put up or shut up.”

Fans planning to travel to Belgium will leaflet the crowd at tonight’s Charlton home match against Oxford United to encourage other supporters to join them.

For details of how to join the protest in Belgium, email [email protected].

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Hundreds set for Sint-Truiden protest

More than 200 Charlton fans are set to make the 500-mile round trip to protest against the club’s owner Roland Duchatelet in his home town of Sint-Truiden, Belgium, next month.

Supporters will travel by coach, ferry, plane, train and car on Saturday, March 4th to join the Unity Protest, which is being jointly organised by the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD), the Belgium 20 and Women Against the Regime.

A CARD spokesperson said the initial response had already gone beyond expectations.

“At this stage we are confident of having 200 Charlton fans in Sint-Truiden. Nearly half of that number have already paid £25 to travel by coach, but it’s very difficult to put a figure on those travelling independently," said the spokesperson.

“We know there are a lot making their own way, maybe a majority – and more coach bookings are coming in every day. We’re committed to two coaches, but It’s quite possible that we will need to put on more and if that’s the case, we will.”

Coaches are picking up at Charlton, Ebbsfleet International railway station and Folkestone, with one returning the same day and the other staying overnight.

Fans plan to rally in the town square before marching to the Sint-Truiden football stadium, Stayen, where a further protest is planned. That club is also owned by Duchatelet. The organisers have made provision for a buffet on arrival to serve 100 people, as well as a set from Charlton protest band The 2percent.

The spokesperson said: “The arrangements for March 4th have been heavily planned and we are in contact with the Metropolitan Police, which is liaising with their Belgian counterparts to ensure that everything is done properly and there are no surprises on the day.

“We are reaching out to Sint-Truiden fans, who we know have their own issues with Duchatelet, and expect some of them to join our protest. We certainly have no argument with the locals or their country.

“But as Duchatelet has never been willing to engage with Charlton supporters and hasn’t even attended a match since October 2014, we feel it’s time we took the protest to him.

“As recent results and attendances have shown, the club is falling apart in his hands. We don’t think there has ever been a protest quite like this in the history of English or Belgian football, but this is an extraordinary situation and we know Charlton fans will rise to it.”

Fans interested in taking part in the March 4th protest can email [email protected]

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Protests are bound for Belgium

NEWS: Charlton fans angry with club boss Roland Duchatelet have announced plans for a major new protest against his ownership in his home town of Sint-Truiden on Saturday, March 4th.

The demonstration will be the largest yet staged by Addicks supporters in Belgium and is being jointly sponsored by an alliance of Charlton pressure groups.

The Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD), the Belgium 20 group and the recently formed Women Against the Regime (WAR) are among those working together to persuade the maximum number of Charlton supporters to travel and get their voices heard directly by Duchatelet, who has not attended a game at The Valley since 2014.

The Addicks’ independent protest fund, which has already raised more than £50,000 from supporters to fund protests against Duchatelet’s Charlton regime, has pledged financial backing to help keep down the cost of the trip to supporters.

And transport is being organised to Belgium to help as many Charlton fans as possible to take part.

A CARD spokesperson said: “The next stage of our campaign will be squarely focused on Duchatelet in Belgium. It’s clear that previous protests in his home town have got to him and that stepping up action there has to be a key part of persuading him to sell the club as a matter of urgency.

"The protest will be lawful and responsible, but we have every intention of embarrassing Duchatelet in his own country and we hope as many Charlton fans of all ages as are able will take part.

"We have chosen this date for many reasons, one of which is that we know Charlton’s away allocation at Northampton Town that day is very likely to sell out regardless. There can therefore be no sensible claim that the protest is affecting the level of support for the team.

"We are also mindful that Charlton fans want to see manager Karl Robinson given every chance to steer the team towards the League One play-offs if that remains a possibility, and there can be no serious suggestion that protests taking place in Belgium affect that negatively.

"Further details of the protest’s planned itinerary will be disclosed in due course.”

Charlton fan have made several previous high-profile 600-mile round trips to Belgium, most recently in mid-November when the Belgium 20 came across Duchatelet as he was eating lunch. Embarrassingly for the owner, this enabled fans to refute previous claims by club officials that he watched every Charlton match on a live video stream, as the team was playing Swindon at exactly the same time.

Days later, a CARD contingent in a London taxi emblazoned with anti-regime messages visited locations in Belgium targeting Duchatelet’s sporting, business and political interests.

The protests received widespread press and television coverage in England, Belgium and internationally, and even prompted Duchatelet to break his self-imposed media silence, when he was forced by journalists to defend his actions.

Fans interested in taking part in the March 4th protest should contact [email protected].

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Respect only goes so far

CARD has reiterated that it will not be organising any protests at Saturday’s Charlton home match against Port Vale to avoid the risk of clashing with planned remembrance ceremonies on what the club has dubbed Armed Forces Day. However, it is encouraging supporters attending the game to make their feelings clear in any lawful way they see fit once the second ceremony is over and the match has kicked off.

A CARD spokesperson said: “We recognise that there is huge anger within the fanbase at yet another farcical twist in the Charlton saga, with the club dismissing Russell Slade just two and a half weeks after chief executive Katrien Meire spoke gushingly on national radio about him being a fresh start and providing long-term stability for the club.

“This shows yet again that nobody should believe a word that Meire or owner Duchatelet say, and given that CARD itself announced Slade’s dismissal to the national media four hours before the club confirmed it, nobody can seriously believe that they are fully in control of events, or indeed the club.

“We are confident that with this humiliation and the hugely successful #TaxiForRoland initiative we have demonstrated that we can and will disrupt and divert this administration at will, and we would ask fans to understand why we are sticking to our plan to stage the next significant organised protests at the home game against Sheffield United on November 26th." The spokesperson concluded: “This doesn’t mean that we are against people protesting after 3pm on Saturday, but such is the level of anger among Charlton fans that we cannot be certain any protest organised by us at short notice would not spill over in such a way as to risk being seen as disrespectful to those of who have died in the service of their country. And for that reason we will not be organising anything.” Supporters are urged to watch out for a further statement next week about CARD's plans for the Sheffield United game.

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Bring your own banner to Chesterfield

It will be 'free speech' day at The Valley on Saturday, October 29th, the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) has announced.

CARD is urging fans to bring their own anti-regime banners to the game against Chesterfield.

And following a series of incidents at matches that have seen protesting Charlton supporters targeted and bullied by stewards, CARD is warning the regime that it will be carefully monitoring how the club treats its own fans.

"Free speech is one of the fundamental principles of society, but principles and common-sense are severely lacking at The Valley at the moment," said a CARD spokesperson.

"Earlier this year the club introduced a new clause into the ground regulations specifically targeting banners that are critical of the owners.

"Thousands of supporters protesting peacefully inside the stadium may be inconvenient, and hugely embarrassing, but that doesn't mean the club can ignore fans’ right to protest. Even the club, in a statement it issued in March, admitted that “every supporter has the right to voice their opinion”.

"What’s more, what football club on earth hires private security guards that turn on its own fans? Roland Duchatelet and the inexperienced staff he has appointed have proved they are incapable of running the club - it's time to go."

So far this season the club has threatened to withhold a supporters' season ticket over what it called 'not particularly constructive' comments on social media, confiscated inoffensive banners displayed within the stadium, issued a ban on the recording of meetings with fans, and issued threats to an independent supporters' group about having a dissenting fan on its committee.

Complaints have been made to the police and the club about the heavy-handed tactics employed by stewards and private security guards at the last home match against Coventry City, during which fans disrupted the game by throwing 3,000 pigs onto the pitch. Fans were angered when a supporter was apparently grabbed around the neck and thrown against a wall by privately hired security staff as he was leaving the ground.

In contrast, the coalition enjoys an excellent working relationship with the Metropolitan Police, with multiple protests involving several thousand fans having passed without incident.

Greenwich MP Matthew Pennycook, whose constituency includes The Valley, last week said he was writing to the Football League regarding his concerns about the relationship between the club and its fans.

Now CARD is calling on supporters to devise their own banners for the match against Chesterfield.

The coalition has ideas for one or two of its own, but CARD trusts supporters will be able to bring their own inventiveness and humour to the occasion...

The spokesperson added: “We intend to show the regime what we think of their bullying tactics, and to stand up for free speech.”

Fans should note that banners must be no bigger than 150cm x 150cm to meet fire regulations. CARD also reiterates its opposition to any swearing, misogynistic or xenophobic slogans.