Charlton boss Lee Bowyer: EFL rules need to change – how can it be right that fears staff won’t be paid in the future?
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
Charlton Athletic manager Lee Bowyer has called for the EFL to change their regulations – stating his disbelief that financial doubts have emerged just months after East Street Investment acquired the club.
Majority shareholder Tahnoon Nimer is looking to remove executive chairman Matt Southall and has withdrawn funding until the former agent is no longer involved.
Southall has told the Addicks’ players and also Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust that there is enough money for the club to run until December without Nimer’s financial contribution.
But the EFL have not fully ratified ESI’s takeover as they say source and sufficiency of funding until 2021 has not been received yet.
Bowyer said: “The EFL have obviously got regulations – they need to be changed.
“I can’t understand how this club is in this situation, so soon after the Bury scenario. How can that happen?
“I get there are rules and regulations and a way of doing things, but for me as manager of this football club I think they need to be changed, because this shouldn’t be happening now. The people who are here have only been here since January and in no time at all we’re talking about people maybe not getting paid in the future. How can that happen? It’s wrong.
“The fans are paying their money every week and don’t understand what is going on with their football club.
“All they have to do is if you own a football club you have to put x amount of money into a separate account and it can’t be touched by anybody.
“If people have the money – and I’m not just talking about our football club I mean every football club – if they have that money then they put it across there. So then if it does go pear-shaped it’s a case of ‘here you go, there’s money to keep you going in the longer term.
“If there is no money to pay the bills then they shouldn’t be in charge. Bury is a prime example.”
As usual Bowyer only one talking sense at the club.
Southall tells supporters trust that the club can run off gate receipts until December. He’s assuming large public gatherings are not banned under the coronavirus. He’s also assuming that fans will return next season, buy season tickets when none of our players sign new contracts and we’re struggling at the foot of league 1. Nor would that scenario attract new investors when the Valley and training ground remain held by a previous owner who is no longer on the hook for losses made by the club on a day to day basis. The man is deluded, out his depth and a very bad liar.
Southall also defended his use of the rental property saying it is leased by the club for use by all senior staff, including Nimer, and he only uses it when working for the club. Says he has a main home in Manchester. None of that stands up to even moderate scrutiny. Who signed the lease on that property under the club’s name? It wasn’t Nimer, surely it was the Chairman, it can’t have been anyone else. He says Nimer uses it when he’s working for Charlton. So far he’s been in London for ONE game. That’s his only appearance. Southall says publishing the address put his family at risk but why are they in the house if his family home is in Manchester? Why has Southall signed a lease on the club’s books for a £12,500 a month flat when his salary is less than £200K a year? A £4.5 million flat being used by someone on less than £200k a year. He says his salary is actually below average Championship level pay for a Chairman. Yes, it would be, as he has zero experience and has proven himself to be nothing more than a spiv.
Southall has the cheek to use the club media platform to express full support for him in his role and blame Nimer for everything. I wonder if the players support him as they have no new contracts negotiated and he has awarded himself a £100K range rover, huge consultancy fees (for introducing someone with no money to own the club) and a £4.5 million property for him to live in. This guy is an utter fraud and has the cheek to claim the club supports him as he suspends someone at the club for reporting his behaviour to the EFL. Why would the club support him as Chairman when he only has the position because he introduced Nimer to the club? What other connection does Southall have to the club warranting his job and crazy compensation package? If Nirmer never had any adequate funds or interest in the club then it entirely undermines Southall’s position. If there is no funding from Nimer then Southall has assumed this position as Chairman and is being paid not by NImer but out of the fan’s pockets. It comes purely from day to day revenue. So we the fans are paying for his lavish lifestyle. We are paying the price of him not doing due diligence in determining if the man he introduced to the club as owner actually had sufficient funds.
The manner in which Southall became Chairman and seemingly signed off on his own benefits in kind, plus paid off consultancy fees to his associates at the club’s expense whiffs of fraud. I would genuinely be interested to know if the SFO might be interested into taking a closer look at this arrangement.
Nimer does not appear interested but the way that Southall has rinsed the club for his own gains is disgusting. He may claim the club supports him but it is impossible that any fan does. He should know that Charlton fans do not take this type of behaviour lying down.
We want our Charlton back.
Totally agree with Lee…..The staff at the club are very very loyal despite the last regime sacking many long serving members.The fans have been fantastic and their ‘power’ can not be underestimated as demonstrated at games.
The EFL have a great deal to answer too…..hiding their heads in the sand and NOT prepared to ensure
this situation didn’t happen.
The full facts have yet to be in the open but suspending Chris Parkes was unbelievable and who was responsible for his suspension ?….what was the allegation ?….and thank god he is back at work.
Why was the Range Rover fleet leased/purchased ?
Why a very expensive flat rented in London ?
Why are friends of Southall employed and what is their role ?