“There will be no suspension of protests at Charlton this weekend, regardless of the expected managerial change, the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet (CARD) has confirmed.
CARD has major plans for Saturday’s home game against Sheffield United.
It is calling on its army of volunteers to make a special effort to turn out and Charlton fans in general to make clear they are not taken in by this latest instalment of Groundhog Day.
A spokesperson said: “This will be the seventh ‘fresh start’ the regime has declared in under three years, and this one comes with the pre-announced installation of a Duchatelet network spy on the coaching staff, Chris O’Loughlin.
“At this stage the man who nominally takes charge of the team is barely relevant. Duchatelet has clearly signalled his intention to carrying on interfering in playing matters, which is bound to undermine whoever he appoints sooner rather than later.
“We are resigned to the fact that whoever is appointed will be dismissed before very long and the whole cycle will start again. There is no reason for anyone to believe otherwise. Therefore, our focus remains on removing Duchatelet and his puppets.”
Previously, CARD has interrupted four matches at The Valley just after kick-off. The team has gone on to win three of them – against Middlesbrough and Birmingham City last season and Coventry City in October. Charlton were already relegated when they took on promotion-chasing Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth, last April.
CARD’s matchday activity was suspended at the start of the season to allow the new management team and squad an opportunity to show things had changed, but no similar luxury will be afforded former MK Dons boss Karl Robinson, who is set to become the latest to take the ejector seat at The Valley.
The spokesperson said: “Despite all the warm words from chief executive Katrien Meire when Russell Slade was appointed during the summer, repeated to a national radio audience less than a month ago, the regime’s true colours still come shining through.
“Whether it’s the unqualified Thomas Driesen scouting players by computer, the network stooge Chris O’Loughlin being placed at the training ground to report back to Belgium or pressure from Duchatelet himself, the manager will always be undermined. Nothing has changed and nothing will change while the club is owned and run by these people.”
Last week, CARD took its protests to Belgium using a London taxi in a special Charlton protest livery and it plans further activity away from matchdays to embarrass Duchatelet and Meire among their peers.”

“If anything is being thrown on the pitch could it be staggered. 3 or 4 hold ups to the game will have far more impact than one 90 second one. Not a criticism of CARD in any way, just saying like.”

“I’m not in favour of holding up play as I have said before. If it is going to happen, its going to happen, but if it is going to happen 3-4 times, you run the risk of those that are tolerating the hold ups being completely alienated from the match day active anti regime and yes you can want to watch a football match and still be anti regime.
It was reported that there was dissent at the last game in the crowd, how do you think it will look if some of our fans start fighting because of the continued stoppages .. it will look like Millwall.
The single stoppage makes the point and does not fracture the fan base, multiple stoppages, a points deduction will fracture the fans base. For or against the regime, I would hope everybody on this board want the fans to be as one when this lot go!”

“Saturday’s atmosphere is going to be electric with three sets of fans in the ground”

“There was a fair bit of trouble caused by Sheffield United last time they were down Valley I believe, by the Cbeebies I think they are known as.”

“There is clearly still a demand from Sheffield United fans for tickets, even though they have sold out, I would imagine the clubs have spoken to each other about this and decided it was best. Sheffield United would have a fairy large London based supporters club.
They may not be Millwall, but they still have a large hoolie element, if it kicked off in home areas due to tickets being available without restriction to anyone, then this forum would explode with indignation at the regime and asking why they were not restricted.”

“Sheff Utd have always had an element – they’ll be bringing plenty down for a weekend in the Big Smoke as well as London-based Blades – and people on here will be the first ones moaning if any of their more lively followers got in the Covered End and made their presence known.
Before the 1-0 win in the promotion season a few made their way around the back of the Covered End, started up a Yorkshire chant and one ended up on the floor after an old CAFC boy intervened so this is a sensible move by the club.”

“They’ll have more fans than us!”

“I wonder if it will be the games with the highest ratio of away to home fans since we came back to the Valley ?”

“Robinson will be named today but won’t take over till Monday and his first game will be….. MK Dons in FA Cup”

“Out of all the teams to visit Charlton this season I feel as though the Champions of the League are yet to visit, that could potentially happen this weekend… A win would be fantastic and would send a strong message to the rest of the League whilst a draw shouldn’t be frowned upon either and is something I’m sure that both teams will be happy with.”

“Blunt Sharp and blunt the Blades …”

“Comfortable home win 4-0”

“The floodgates are open!
6-0 home win”

“3-0 win like the last time this ref took one of our games.
Robinson watching from the stands.
KM surprised protests are continuing.
Just as many Blades as Addicks to welcome our new manager.”

“This is a test; we have had the no manager boune lets see know if we can have the new manager bounce. Sheffield United are no walkovers we all know that but there last two games they have struggled to break down 9 men. The team have got to have some confidence behing them now. Charlton win 3-1”

“United struggled recently only beating 9-man Shrewsbury 2-1 and 9-man Bury 1-0 respectively. Positive vibes around the club with the last 2 results and the hopeful appointment of Robinson. United are second in the league. Maybe a high scoring draw. 2-2. Hope we may nick it.”

“Been a lot of talk in the past week about how we’ve turned a corner and this will be a great test to see if we actually have.”

“This could truly define our season on the pitch; missing our star player in Ricky Holmes against a rampant side finally seeming to ‘come good’. However, our team is not too shabby when given freedom to play as we’ve shown in our last two games; Magennis will never stop running, Ajose has finally found his feet and in Ademola Lookman we have one of the few players in the division who can provide a real flash of absolute quality. Our defence is very solid. The thing about Sheffield United is they like to have a lot of shots; Dillon Phillips will have to be on his toes if called upon again. Would be very harsh to change the team from Tuesday but I reckon Nugent may bring Jacko back in, a calm head on the field for what is likely to be a high charged match. They have scraped past nine men twice in the last week; Saturday is when they lose.”

By Roy

2 thoughts on “Pre-Match View From Charlton”
  1. We Blades will win this game 3 0,we are scoring for fun even though we have struggled to break down the last 2 games,thats due to them parking the bus.
    You wont park the bus which will play right into our hands,this is the season we get promotion,sorry but we will just have too much for you.

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