Charlton fans support Back to the Board campaign

The Mercury’s Euan O’Byrne Mulligan spoke with Charlton fans to get their opinions onthe Back to the Board campaign, our bid to get fan representation back on the board of our football club

Jack Beaumont (pictured above), 25, Nightingale Vale (Woolwich)

It’s a terrific idea. And given that the relationship between the board and the fans has become virtually feudal over the past few years, it’s well overdue.

Exactly how effective the move would be, in terms of putting the will of the fans in to effect, is up for debate. But if you look at the club’s history, you’ll see that grassroots campaigns are what we do.

The Back to the Valley campaign essentially propelled us from potential oblivion into the Premier League.

The Duchatelet omnishambles is a convincing argument for direct fan involvement at top levels.

Toby Loften, 25, Priolo Road SE7
With Roland’s catastrophic tenure coming to an end and season ticket sales at an all time low,

I think a fan representative on the board could instil a bit of faith in us long-suffering Addicks.

It’s important for the potential new owners to create a significant break with the past and it’s this sort of action which will build some much-needed trust.

Charlton has a strong history of fan involvement; from the Back to the Valley campaign and more recently the Coalition Against Roland Duchatelet – I’d like to see it enshrined in an official position.

Michael Aquilina, 25,Brookbank Road
Having a fan on the Charlton board is a great idea.

There has been such disconnect and distrust between the fans and the club over the past few years.

It creates trust and accountability and gives fans a voice in an ever increasingly financially driven industry.

This has served clubs well in the past. Swansea were lauded for it and we adopted the model in our most successful period in modern times.

In my lifetime, Charlton has always been championed as a community club, but the plight under Duchatalet is rapidly destroying that connection.

Thomas Egan, 31, Charlton
I think it is a good idea, yeah. The club needs someone with our voice, someone to tell them what we think.
It seems at the moment we’re so distant from our board.

We don’t have anyone there now who is voicing our opinions.If we had someone there, it would pop the bubble the board is in. They’ve sold players, they’ve called us customers and they have taken themselves away from us and done their own thing.

It’s not worked and it’s never worked. We’re all praying this takeover is going to happen.

If it does happen then a fan on the board will be a massive step forward. We want somebody who understands us, who goes and spends their money every week.

We’re spending hundreds, maybe thousands of pounds, to then watch your club disintegrate before your eyes. It breaks people’s hearts.

Francesca Fierro, 32, Troughton Road

It makes sense to me.  The fans are the club.

How can you run it without their input?

I’ve lived here a couple of years now, and whenever I speak to fans, they’re all complaining about the way the club is run.

Surely this has to change. How can they move forward without giving fans more of a say?