Our Club. Our Future. FAQs.
Our Club. Our Future. FAQs.
Why are you asking fans to sign-up now?
We might need to act as fans so we need to be ready. If you sign-up, we can contact you quickly if we need to take action or raise money to protect the future of Charlton Athletic. Our club is in peril. On 22nd May, notice was given that ESI, which owns Charlton Athletic, is for sale. This could mean anything from a protracted period of uncertainty, through a sale not even going through to the club falling into the wrong hands. The EFL is investigating the January takeover. Funds to pay wages and keep the club running are scarce. Legal action is pending. Duchâtelet retains control of the training ground and The Valley. joining together gives us the opportunity to act together
Who is behind this campaign?
The Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust (CAST) has launched this campaign but you do not have to be a member of CAST to sign-up. CAST’s mission is to protect, preserve and promote Charlton Athletic for this and future generations. We were established in 2012 with the objective of strengthening the bond between the football club and the communities it serves. This campaign is for everyone who cares about the future of Charlton.
Do I need to be a member of the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust to be involved?
No. All welcome
Does Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust have concrete plans in place to own Charlton Athletic Football Club?
Not yet. However, we have been making careful study of models used by other clubs including Portsmouth FC and the Foundation of Hearts who will shortly take ownership, as fans, of Heart of Midlothian in Scotland.
Are you asking for money now?
No, but we might do in the future. We have been investigating fundraising and crowdfunding platforms and the financial and legal structures necessary in case we need to raise significant sums.
You say ‘It won’t take much, but it will take many’. Surely we’d need to raise many millions?
Yes, it will require significant sums, whether that is to own the club outright as fans or to have a financial stake. If we do fundraise in future, we will make sure it is affordable for everyone to contribute and participate. Many fans contributing small amounts can soon add up to a big sum. We will also welcome larger amounts from those who can afford more. The exact structure of what we do is all part of our current research.
What prompted CAST to launch this campaign now, before it is clear what is going to happen regarding the current ownership?
On Friday 22nd May the Club issued a statement saying that notice had been given to sell ESI, the company that owns Charlton Athletic. On top of the transfer embargo, the club is under investigation by the EFL and former directors have pending legal action. Any or all of these could put our club in serious jeopardy. So, while we continue to hope for the best, we need to prepare for the worst. No one cares about Charlton more than the fans. The fans are the people with the real long term vested interest in our club
Surely fan ownership is just pie in the sky?
There are absolutely no guarantees. There are lots of uncertainties everywhere at the moment. However, what we do know is that there have been successful periods of full or partial fan ownership in this country and elsewhere. In the 1990s one of those successful fan ownership stories was Charlton Athletic
More Questions?
Fan Enquiries. Please email Hello@castrust.org
Media Enquiries. Please email Media@castrust.org