Paul Elliott agreed earlier this month that he would meet with CAST once the EFL had approved the take over. However, two weeks later and with no clear timescale of the EFL process, we have written to him again with some of the most pressing of the many questions supporters have about the current situation.

Dear Paul,

Thank you for your letter of 16th June agreeing to meet with CAST once the take over has been approved by the EFL.

Two weeks have passed since your letter but very little further information has become available so I would now like to take you up on your offer to send through any further questions we have.

1. We understand that you have no previous interest in or affiliation with Charlton Athletic. Could you explain to us what has motivated you to purchase a company that owns a football club with draconian liabilities to its landlord at a time when the very future of clubs is threatened by the financial implications of Covid-19 ?

2. When do you expect to hear from the EFL about the necessary approvals under the Owners and Directors Test and the Source and Sufficiency of Funds?

3. Why has the ownership of ESI not yet been updated on the Companies House website?

4. What is the involvement of Mohammed El Khashasy in CAFC and ESI?

5. Can you tell us who else is in the consortium?

6. You say that you have already put money into the club to help with the running costs. Is this in the form of a loan and will it be sufficient to cover the June wage bill?

7. We note that Chris Farnell was involved in a legal capacity at Bury FC last year. We would be interested to know what he learned from that experience which could now be helpful to CAFC?  How would he describe his relationship with the EFL?

8. Have CAFC received income from the Joe Gomez deal following Liverpool's title win?

9. Who is fulfilling the role of Finance Director presently and what protocols are in place to ensure that income to the club from season ticket sales, central payments and any former player sales will be properly used to cover future legitimate football-related club costs?

I think that, if you can give us full and frank answers to these questions, it might go a long way to relieve some of the anxiety and scepticism that is rife among supporters at the moment.

Yours sincerely

Richard Wiseman (Chair - CAST)