How Charlton fans united and ousted the club's unfit owner

16 January 2020 11:29
After five years of turmoil, supporters at The Valley are now looking to the future with relief, apprehension and excitementIn January 2014, an unknown Belgian businessman called Roland Duchâtelet bought Charlton Athletic for £14m. With the club sitting 19th in the Championship, there was excitement among Charlton fans that, in the modern age of billionaire foreign owners, they might just be on the cusp of something great. But it wasn’t to be. Within two years, hundreds of Charlton fans were marching towards the Valley in a faux funeral procession, trailing behind a coffin that symbolised the death of the football club at the hands of its reckless owner.To many Charlton supporters, Duchâtelet’s “regime” offers the perfect example of how not to run a football club: belligerently pursuing an unrealistic vision without any consideration for the fans until the club has been driven to ruin, both on and off the pitch. Related: Charlton recall dark times as they prepare to bid farewell to Duchâtelet Continue readingreadfullarticle

Source: TheGuardian