Charlton fans reject owner's plan to sell club to EFL
Thursday 28 February 2019 16:37, UK
Charlton owner Roland Duchatelet has suggested the English Football League should buy the south London club and rent the stadium and training ground back from him.
The bizarre proposal was made at a fans' forum on Wednesday by Lieven De Turck, the man Duchatelet has placed in charge of talks to sell the League One club.
The idea, however, was given short shrift by supporters present at the meeting, who rejected it unanimously as "unfeasible" and asked Duchatelet to lower his asking price. The response to the idea on social media on Thursday has been vitriolic.
It followed a radio interview Duchatelet gave to TalkSPORT on Tuesday in which he he said buying Charlton had been a "major mistake"; warned foreign investors against buying into English clubs, and blamed disaffected Addicks fans for vandalising property he owns in Belgium.
But he also said he was willing to facilitate the sale of the club by effectively giving it away for £1, although he would retain ownership of the property assets, further suggesting a "proposal" would be made at the fans' meeting.
It led Charlton fans, many of whom have been protesting against Duchatelet's disastrous reign at The Valley for several years, to wonder if they were going to be given the chance to buy the club.
But at the forum, De Turck explained the proposal was more an idea Duchatelet wanted to run by the fans for their feedback.
In "notes" from the forum that have been published on the Charlton website, the club explained De Turck "is looking to think outside the box at other options" as the sale process has stalled, despite a price being agreed with two parties.
"He asked the fans' forum what they would think about the EFL being offered to acquire the club," the notes continue.
"He said they would pass the EFL Fit and Proper Persons test, they understand the monthly losses as they have the financial figures of the club and they have the football know how to run it."
The 72-year-old Belgian businessman also owns majority shareholdings in clubs in Germany, Hungary and Spain, and previously owned Belgium's Standard Liege and Sint-Truidense.
But his time at Charlton has been dominated by disputes with the fans, relegation and a revolving-door approach to managers. Despite this, the club is enjoying its best season for years as it currently sits fifth in League One.
An EFL spokesperson told Sky Sports News: "The EFL can confirm that we have received a request from Charlton Athletic's majority shareholder Roland Duchatelet, which we will review and subsequently respond to as appropriate."
