Soccer - Network failure prompts Charlton fans to rebel

By Steve Tongue LONDON (Reuters) - It might have seemed an attractive idea to own a network of clubs all over Europe, moving players and coaches between them, while cutting out fees for transfers and agents, but Charlton Athletic fans are rebelling against the whole concept. In January 2014, Belgian entrepreneur Roland Duchatelet, 69, added the English second tier side to a stable that already included teams in Hungary (Ujpest), Germany (Carl Zeiss Jena), Spain (AD Alcorcon) and Belgium (Standard Liege and St Truiden, both subsequently sold). The attraction of Charlton to Duchatelet was clear -- they were a former Premier League club based in London with a fine stadium at The Valley, crowds of 15,000 and obvious potential. Yet the south London club have fallen into decline. They are heading towards the third tier of English football, prompting a rebellion by some supporters like the one that forced Duchatelet out of Standard. Fans have been gathering outside the club’s offices following every home game to demonstrate against Duchatelet, accusing him of poor managerial appointments, bringing in sub-standard players from the network clubs and refusing to talk to potential investors. Reported not to have attended a home game for some 15 months, the owner has not witnessed these scenes. Yet Katrien Meire, 31, the Belgian he installed as chief executive, could hardly avoid them and has been a target of personal abuse too. Admitting that communication with supporters has been a problem, she has hired a new PR advisor and is desperate to build bridges with a fan base that won widespread acclaim for its successful campaign to return Charlton to The Valley after seven years in exile from 1985-92 -- even forming a political party to influence the local council. Last week, two local members of parliament met her at their request to discuss supporters’ concerns. “I know they (fans) are the lifeblood of the club,” Meire told Reuters in an interview at the stadium. “I recognise there is a huge gap but we all love this club and I'm sure we can find common ground.” To that end, 'Target 20K', an organisation with supporters’ representatives, has been set up with the aim of restoring attendances to the 20,000 and more who regularly attended home games until Charlton dropped out of the Premier League after seven years in 2007. POSITIVE MESSAGE Failure to put over a positive message, she believes, means fans do not realise that Duchatelet has invested an extra 20 million pounds ($28.69 million) since buying the club, on top of 12 million spent on the academy. “I don’t think that has happened in the past with any previous (Charlton) owner,” Meire said. On the pitch, however, things are looking increasingly bleak. Having dispensed with five managers in two years, Duchatelet recently recalled one of them, compatriot Jose Riga, for a second spell. Two years ago, Riga saved Charlton from relegation in the final week of the season. Taking over a team that has sunk almost to the bottom of the Championship after losing their last two away games 5-0 and 6-0, he knows how hard a repeat will be. “I prefer to think it’s the most difficult challenge of my career because I want to put the most energy I can into it,” he said. Charlton fought in vain against what Meire calls a “ridiculous” relaxation of the Football League’s financial fair play rules. This allowed Championship clubs to make losses of up to 30 million pounds a year and encouraged them, she believes, to spend beyond their means in the madcap dash for Premier League money -- estimated to be worth 100 million pounds to the team finishing bottom next season. One such club, Bolton Wanderers, last year reported debts of 172.9 million pounds. As Duchatelet struggles to win over Charlton followers with his network concept, it is little consolation that Bolton sit below them in the Championship table because they are the only team who do. ($1 = 0.6972 pounds) (This story has been refiled to clarify extra investment in para 12, no other changes) (Editing by Toby Davis)