PETER VARNEY wants to end years of bitter civil war at Charlton and get fans talking about football again.
The ex-Addicks chief executive and British investor Andrew Barclay are bidding to buy the stricken Championship club.
Peter Varney wants to bring the good times back to CharltonCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
And lifelong fan and season-ticket holder Varney, 66, has watched on as Charlton have ripped themselves apart with wars between supporters and owners — and even in the boardroom itself.
Varney, chief executive from 1997-2008 and vice-chairman from 2010-2012, told SunSport: “I’ve been a fan since 1960 and seen promotions, relegations, Premier League football.
“And until recent years all we spoke about was the games, the managers, players, performances.
“But all I hear now from people sitting around me at The Valley is the off-the-field stuff.
“The club must get to the point where we are talking about football again.”
SOUR END FOR SOUTHALL
Fans staged a series of protests and boycotted games during Roland Duchatelet’s reign.
And supporters were jubilant when current owners East Street Investment bought the club from the controversial Belgian businessman in November.
But that soon turned sour when it was alleged new chairman Matt Southall awarded himself a £100,000 Range Rover and luxury apartment at the club’s expense.
He became involved in a bitter war-of-words with new majority shareholder Tahnoon Nimer, which eventually resulted in Southall being sacked and escorted out of The Valley.
Lee Bowyer has stuck around despite so much uncertaintyCredit: PA:Empics Sport
Varney added: “The fans had gone from singing Southall’s name to hating him. It has been a never-ending circus.”
Now Varney says he and Barclay will not declare any grand masterplan to return to the Premier League in five years.
Firstly, they will seek to not only buy the club but The Valley and training ground, which are still owned by Duchatelet.
He said: “We have a one-month plan — which is to get control of Charlton, the stadium and ground. Whoever owns the club must have control of The Valley and training ground.”
BID TO BUY GROUND
The other big issue is £7million of debt owed to seven ex-directors — Richard Murray, Sir Maurice Hatter, David White, David Hughes, Derek Chappell, Bob Whitehand and David Summers.
That has been agreed to be only paid off in five years of instalments if Charlton win promotion to the Prem.
But there is a £7m charge on The Valley and training ground — and Chappell is behind legal action arguing Duchatelet had no right to sell the club by separating it from its assets, which could yet reverse the whole transfer of the club back to the Belgian.
But Varney added: “The reality is there is an appetite to resolve all of these issues in one go, otherwise you are kicking a can of worms down the road for later.
“Everyone is getting older and I’m sure there’s an agreement that can be reached that satisfies everyone.
“Andrew ticks all the right boxes. He has the funds to do the deal, lives in London, is passionate about football and will run the club prudently.
“Charlton fans know I wouldn’t put my reputation on the line if he didn’t.”
Lyle Taylor has ruled himself out of playing for the rest of the seasonCredit: PA:Empics Sport
Striker Lyle Taylor says his dream of playing at the highest level he can was behind an agonising refusal to play out the rest of the season with Charlton.
In-demand Taylor, 30, is out of contract at the end of the month and has attracted interest after scoring 25 goals last season.
He netted five in his first six games in the Championship before a knee injury ruled him out until December, and took his tally to 11 after returning.
The Addicks sit third-bottom of the table and boss Lee Bowyer is also resigned to being without Chris Solly, who is in the same situation as Taylor, and on-loan Birmingham ace David Davis.
Taylor said: “I’ve sat in my living room staring at a blank TV screen for hours. I’ve not eaten or slept properly.
“I’ve been up until five in the morning. It’s been very difficult.
“I said ‘My heart says play, you will be OK, you have been fine for ten years, 12 years until this knee injury’.
“But my head is saying where would I be should I get injured in the next six to eight weeks?
“Ever since I was 18 and was released by Millwall I have dreamt of playing at the highest level I could possibly play at.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
