Boardroom bickering is completely tiresome for Charlton Athletic’s fanbase

BY LOUIS MENDEZ

Meat products are banned at the New Lawn. Forest Green owner Dale Vince prides himself on his environmentally-sound lifestyle choices and runs his club very much in that image.

If you wanted a pie – it’s meat free. Burgers – the same. Your half-time cup of tea was delivered with a splash of oat milk which, to be honest, wasn’t that nice actually.

But while Rovers are struggling at the foot of League One during their first-ever campaign at this level, they are run with a purpose. A message. Some direction.

You can’t say that about their formerly high-flying visitors. Charlton fans weaving their way to the New Lawn, up the banks of the Stroud Valleys in the picturesque Cotswolds, on Tuesday hopefully allowed themselves some time to forget the latest episode of Unhappy Valley that is airing closer to home.

The rolling hillsides felt a million miles from the current boardroom trauma in South London but arrival at Rovers’ non-league level facilities served a timely reminder of what all this backroom bickering has achieved over the last decade.

The Addicks are small fry now. They compete with clubs the size of Forest Green, who drew a crowd of 2,670 including 871 travelling fans, because they deserve to. Bar a miracle, Duncan Ferguson’s side probably won’t be in League One next year. But they will be replaced by another club operating with a budget, resources and a fanbase that pales into insignificance compared to Charlton’s.

What will come of the latest squabble between Thomas Sandgaard and Charlie Methven is still to be determined.

The former Sunderland executive director’s takeover was called off this time last week, despite his managerial appointees being in place for over a month.

Whether the threat of legal action is seen through or not, it’s a perfect example of the mind-numbing nonsense Charlton fans have put up with for too long.

American businessman Marc Speigel seems to be adding his name to the list of potential suitors. There’s no evidence at this stage about what he will bring to the Addicks miserly table – bare of either animal or meat-free produce for a long time now. But it’s clear that the never-ending cycle of psychodrama on Floyd Road has dragged the Addicks down to a level they feel destined to wallow in for a long time. It’s tiresome.

There were positives from Tuesday’s jaunt to Gloucestershire. Corey Blackett-Taylor opened the scoring after just 12 minutes. Rovers boss Ferguson had highlighted Jes Rak-Sakyi as the Addicks’ dangerman before the contest, but those warnings fell on mutton ears – and they don’t like that around these parts.

The Palace loanee breezed beyond Jamie Robson before delivering an enticing low cross that fell into Blackett-Taylor’s path. He gobbled up the sixth goal of his most prolific campaign so far.

The South Londoners dominated large spells of the first half, albeit failing to test Ross Doohan in the home goal enough.

It was a fairly tame second period until the latter stages.

Fighting for their lives in the division as well as the lives of every living thing on the planet, Forest Green had a real go.

Kyle McAllister and Myles Peart-Harris both had Charlton hearts in mouths, ironically, as they came close to levelling late on.

But the Addicks hung on for a fifth win in their last seven league outings under Dean Holden.

He’s starting to look like a keeper. But of course, boardroom bickering means it isn’t that simple.

STAR MAN
Jesrun Rak-Sakyi. Too good for League One. He terrified Rovers’ defence in the first period.

BEST MOMENT
Michael Hector came off the bench for his debut and launched a defensive hoof up the pitch that Peter Kay would have been proud of. Effective.

PICTURES: KYLE ANDREWS