Charlton fans vow not to disrupt Championship charge as they resume protests against owner Roland Duchatelet

Lyle Taylor celebrates scoring at Barnsley as Charlton go third in the table
George Wood/Getty Images
Giuseppe Muro21 August 2019

There is perhaps no club in the country where optimism and trepidation collide quite like they do at Charlton.

These are still early days but Charlton are among the leaders in the Championship after a fine start under manager Lee Bowyer.

Bowyer felt the play-offs might be out of reach but seven points from three games means they could end tonight in top spot if they beat Nottingham Forest at The Valley.

However, that good start only partly masks the uncertainty that continues to reign, as protests against owner Roland Duchatelet are set to resume.

Protests have been on hold this season. But with Duchatelet no closer to selling up, despite formally putting the club up for sale more than 18 months ago, fans group the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet [CARD] now intend to restart protests against him.

POS TEAM P W D L GD PTS
1 Sheff Wed 4 3 0 1 +4 9
2 Leeds Utd 3 2 1 0 +4 7
3 Charlton 3 2 1 0 +3 7
4 West Brom 3 2 1 0 +2 7
5 Swansea 3 2 1 0 +2 7

CARD have stopped play at The Valley by throwing crisp packets and plastic pigs on the pitch in the past but they have no plans to organise protests which could disrupt matches and impact on the team’s good start. Instead, they plan to target Duchatelet with “lawful direct action”.

In a statement, earlier his month, CARD said: “We will not stand by while Duchatelet undermines what Bowyer achieved last season.”

Duchatelet is “disappointed” with what he describes as “new aggression” towards him and claims he is the victim of a “witch hunt”.

Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman has abandoned a takeover bid after failing to reach an agreement with Duchatelet (below). It is thought the Belgian’s unrealistic selling price is an issue, while interested parties have found him difficult to deal with.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images
AFP/Getty Images

Amid the uncertainty behind the scenes and with the smallest budget in the Championship, Bowyer is the glue holding everything together. There is a statistic doing the rounds that shows the fine job Bowyer is doing, with only Liverpool and Manchester City averaging more points per game than Charlton’s 2.17 in 2019.

In Jonny Williams, Charlton have one of the best players in the Championship if he can stay fit, while keeping hold of star striker Lyle Taylor during the transfer window was a major boost and Bowyer has brought in several good loan players, including Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

The signings of Erhun Oztumer and Tomer Hemed since the transfer window closed have put the finishing touches to the squad and strengthened midfield and attack.

“Results so far have exceeded all expectations,” says Rick Everitt, editor of Voice of The Valley fanzine.

Fans have protested against owner Roland Duchatelet in previous seasons Photo: Getty Images
Getty Images

“We all want to believe they can continue but the current set-up is built on sand.

“By relying heavily on loan players and one-year contracts, there’s no continuity from season to season and the more successful Bowyer is, the bigger the risk another club will want him.

“The club has no strategic plan, no chief executive, no functioning board, and Roland Duchatelet claims to be have been trying to sell up since 2016.

“There will be no secure future for Charlton until Duchatelet is gone but that does not mean we can’t enjoy what Bowyer is achieving. He has been fantastic.”

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