Charlton fans are once again fearing for the future of their club and have called for clarity over its ownership following Thomas Sandgaard’s sweeping changes to the leadership.
The Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust have lost confidence in Sandgaard, but warned the club could not afford a return to the “total disarray” under previous owners East Street Investments, after a series of appointments cast doubt over the Dane’s public insistence that he is not intending to sell up.
Charlton announced the arrivals of new manager Dean Holden and former Brentford boss Andy Scott as technical director yesterday, but also the surprise additions of former Sunderland chief executive Jim Rodwell as chief operating officer and Ed Warrick as finance director.
Last Friday, Warrick registered a new shell company, named SE7 Partners Ltd, in tandem with another former Sunderland executive, Charlie Methven, who has been reported to be involved in a potential takeover. SE7 is the postcode of Charlton’s home at The Valley and the company’s stated nature of business is “activities of other holding companies not elsewhere classified” and “other sports activities”.
The club is yet to provide comment on SE7’s involvement. Methven has told the South London Press that SE7 has been set up as a possible vehicle for future investment in the club and that he made recommendations to Sandgaard over candidates for roles at Charlton, but denied he has any intention of becoming an executive himself.
“We seek further transparency about the investment and infrastructure behind the scenes,” CAST told Standard Sport. “We note the recent registering of a new company, SE7 Partners, but there has been no official comment regarding this.
“Charlton have been in total disarray in recent times under the ownership of ESI in various guises. We said never again for us or any club at that point. Above all, we need transparency regarding who is running and financially investing in our football club.”
Charlton’s situation is further complicated by the fact that former owner Roland Duchatelet still owns both The Valley and the club’s training ground, and has previously demanded £50million for their acquisition.
Standard Sport understands that at least one party with interest in buying the club will be in attendance at tonight’s Carabao Cup meeting with Brighton, interim manager Anthony Hayes’s final game in charge before new boss Holden takes to the dugout for the Boxing Day visit of Peterborough.
Holden will be Charlton’s fifth permanent boss in little more than two years under Sandgaard’s leadership, and CAST warned the lack of stability was another ominous sign for the future of a club languishing 18th in League One.
“Regarding the appointment of Dean Holden, we are very pleased that he acknowledged the importance of the new Addicks Charter in his first interview with the club,” CAST added.
“We wish him all the best and hope he can get enough from the squad to pull us up the table. But the issues at the club go well beyond the on-field management. Continual turnover in key roles, with no clear strategy behind the appointment, is not a sign of a well-managed organisation.”
