The Peter Varney diaries: Roland Duchatelet ignored my attempts to connect him with a big-hitting buyer for Charlton Athletic and early conversation with Thomas Sandgaard set alarm bells ringing
Former chief executive delivers the inside story on dealing with two of the Addicks' previous owners
South London Sport: Charlton Athletic Edition is regularly catching up with Peter Varney, the club’s former chief executive and a boyhood fan of the club, to get his tales and inside info from when he was in a key position of responsibility in SE7.
In this 10th instalment, Varney talks about his attempts to bring a buyer to the table that would allow Roland Duchatelet to end his ownership of the Addicks and also his involvement in Thomas Sandgaard’s takeover in September 2020.
Thomas Sandgaard at a Charlton game in September 2020/Picture: Kyle Andrews
MEIRE MISSED MEETINGS, DUCHATELET CLAIMED I WAS A CARD MEMBER AND SANDGAARD WAS ANNOYED BY HOME TRUTHS
Peter Varney has mentioned before that he would always try to help Charlton Athletic if they looked in trouble - especially when it came to ownership issues. But dealing with Roland Duchatelet and Thomas Sandgaard proved to be a tricky business - especially when it came to the former, whose running of the football club left supporters in mutinous mood.
Before I discuss my attempts to speak to Roland Duchatelet, the first email I sent to him was in 2015, there is a need to provide a bit of context first.
This will partly serve to explain my motives and also an issue which surfaced once I tried to reach out to Duchatelet.
In January 2008 there was a massive breakdown in the relationships of the main directors which led to Richard Murray being replaced as chairman on the most powerful committee at Charlton, which was the PLC one.
