Peter Storrie agrees to stay on as Charlton Athletic chief executive until end of 2023

Peter Storrie has agreed to extend his spell as chief executive at Charlton Athletic until December.

The former Portsmouth and West Ham United CEO initially arrived on a short-term deal, being appointed to his role after owner Thomas Sandgaard pulled the plug on takeover negotiations with a group led by ex-Sunderland co-owner Charlie Methven.

Storrie was brought in at a point when Sandgaard opened talks with American Marc Spiegel about taking a majority stake in the League One club.

Asked last week if the job was full-time or part-time, Storrie told the South London Press on a Zoom call: “Well, it depends on whether my wife is listening to this or not. Discussions continue, not just Thomas but also at home.

“I look after several clubs and I’ve spent time in Australia as well, that takes up quite a bit of my time anyway. Charlton was sold as three days a week, consulting and restructuring the club. Three days turns into five days, turns into seven – as it always does when you’re running a football club.

“I’m lucky in some ways. The Colombian one (Millonarios) – with the time difference – works quite well, that’s mainly evening time for me rather than during the working day. I manage to work them all quite well.”

Storrie has a lengthy career of working at the top end of football clubs. So what condition did he assess Charlton to be in when he took on the job?

“My wife always berates me for using this phrase but it is one of several clubs who are sleeping giants that are in the wrong division,” said Storrie. “But football doesn’t lie. You have no divine right to be in a division. You have to earn the right to do so.

“Here we have a big club, big stadium and very, very good facilities but obviously in a division where income is more difficult and more of a challenge. Clearly we have to do all we can to get it into the Championship – that is step one of the ambitions.”

The financial demands in England’s second tier are arguably even greater if you want to compete at the top end of the table – with player wages and transfer fees soaring.

Asked about that, Storrie said: “They do, but all your income lines increase substantially – not just the money you get from the league. The season-ticket income increases, the gate income would increase and the commercial side would increase. You have a lot of increased revenue you don’t get at the moment in League One.

“It’s a question of building it in stages. It’s the old saying – Rome wasn’t built in a day. If you can get the club up into the Championship you gradually build from that, rather than trying to do it all in one go.”

Asked about some of the changes he made early on, Storrie said: “My understanding was that the staff weren’t so involved in terms of meetings and discussions going on – both on the football side and the office side.

“I immediately brought back in weekly management meetings so everyone was involved in every department – so everyone knew what was going on and everyone had an input.

“I said to the staff from day one – if I have to sit here and make every decision then something is wrong. It is similar with the football side. It is important that the academy, women’s team and first team work as one, as well.”

MAIN PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD