Just in the nick of time for our launch..

We also now have full membership available, website, as well as launch tonight, and an AGM will follow early next year. We have over 1000 followers and subscribers, and growing paid membership.

Every football club is special to an extent, and the reason being its more than money can buy. People love their club and that is special, not for gain or glory but because its part of them, and for me that is why it is worth fighting for.

The question has been asked is Charlton still a special club?

I say Yes, because of our history, pretty much everything you see at the Valley today is a result of that specialness, without it we probably not be here.

Perhaps we got lazy, the supporters club was allowed to decline, but every revolution gets old as does every generation, we couldn't form a Trust before when in retrospect we most needed it a few years ago - I rue this personally as I didn't get involved due to just having my first child at the time. But all is not lost.

We can unite, we can rebuild and revitalise. We don't have to do it with fireworks, sacking the board, tearing down the club house. We can do it gently and with quiet determination. We can work with whatever situation, ownership and environment. Little by little we can rebuild our fan network and revitalise our supporters with new blood and new ideas. We can work with the club to help in whatever way we can to make our club a success and keep the wolves from the door in the bad times. Sure we will have something to say when things are not right but only if we are able to do so in possession of facts and answers, not just complaints or rumours however worrying they are.

All our fans can do this, it costs nothing to subscribe and nothing for under 16s, and only a measley fiver a year to own a piece of the Trust and become a full member. Ask yourself when you go an a forum or have a chat down the pub, how much you take the club and yes its various benefactors over the years for granted. Can we really moan about them and their real or apparent motives if we do nothing to help ourselves.

This is our club, we just need to show it by what we do to help it and not just take it for granted year on year. No one else will do it for us.

I hope we can bridge the gulf that has opened between fans and owners, tonight we will celebrate what the union of those two interests can achieve with our launch and back to the Valley celebration. It is this that I will fight for as long as people who support the Trust want me to do that as Chair, and as long as I can in whatever capacity outside of that.

The building blocks are in place, all we need now is You. Spread the word.
Barnie Razzell - interim chair, CAS Trust