Charlton v Fleetwood held up by fans crisps protest
Saturday 25 August 2018 19:06, UK
A planned protest at The Valley caused play to be briefly suspended shortly after the start of Charlton’s home game with Fleetwood on Saturday.
The supporters' group Charlton's Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) distributed packets of crisps ahead of kick-off, some of which were thrown onto the pitch.
The protest came in response to a report in Thursday's London Evening Standard that a member of the club's staff had been told to ask human resources whether he could eat crisps at his desk during a break because the club had reduced cleaning services in a cost-cutting measure.
The EFL has also asked to meet with the club and their supporters trust as the animosity between the two continues to grow.
In October 2016, fans of Charlton and Coventry threw plastic pigs onto the playing surface at The Valley in a joint protest at the way their respective clubs were being run.
A long-awaited takeover of the Sky Bet League One club by an Australian consortium remains uncompleted.
Charlton interim manager Lee Bowyer believes that the protest may have hindered his side on Saturday.
"We were nearly going to score when they threw the packets on the pitch," he said. "Look, whatever is happening off the pitch is happening, I can't control that.
"I can't stop the fans throwing crisp packets onto the pitch. All I can control is what's happening on the pitch regarding the players. And that's what I'll keep doing."
