Paul Scally = WANKER

[CAFC Matt]

Addicks flummoxed by Scally slur

Charlton have reacted with bewilderment to accusations from Gillingham chairman Paul Scally that the club is a 'disgrace'.
Scally was responding to last week's unveling of a deal between the Premiership Addicks, its charitable trust and Kent County Council to expand the club's award-winning community work across the county.
He told a newspaper: "I don't believe Charlton have any real interest in the community at all. All they want to do is fill their stadium."

But Charlton chief executive Peter Varney has expressed surprise at the comments, given that the club's community work has been taking place across Kent, from as far north as Dartford to Margate and Ramsgate in the south, for the last 10 years.

"To say we aren't interested in the community is almost laughable," said Varney.

"Our community programme has been commended both domestically and internationally for the work it does to improve people's lives."

He added: "In the last year we have embarked on a project in a deprived township in South Africa - we are not doing that because we expect them to catch a bus to The Valley.

"Community projects are perceived as excellent ways of using football to tackle social issues and not just as a means to sell tickets."

In fact, the Charlton Athletic Football in the Community scheme has been working across Kent for the last decade.

Project manager Jason Morgan said: "One of our biggest projects in Kent at the moment is an officer working in Dartford and Gravesham, who has received funding from the Home Office to lay on football coaching courses in targeted hot spots to divert youngsters away from potential criminal activity.

"It is not a football development programme or a money-making project, it is strictly there to help the community."

In Sevenoaks former Charlton player Brian Kinsey has worked with sports centres and the local authorities for the last 10 years, which has included going into schools to carry out curriculum-time coaching.

And ex-Addicks goalkeeper Bob Bolder currently carries out 60 per cent of his work in Thanet, receiving funding from Thanet District Council, and has been working in Kent for the last eight years.

He offers playing opportunities to a range of youngsters, from toddlers to the disabled, and also runs beach football tournaments at Ramsgate and Margate during the summer months.

Said Varney: "Of course we hope we will attract people to support Charlton through the Kent initiative, but we will not be using force and the planned work with those developers building thousands of homes in the region is open to any other club.

"I am sure Tesco will not complain if Sainsbury's put leaflets through the doors of new homeowners - they will market themselves too.

"The most important thing is that Kent County Council would not enter into such a progressive agreement with the club if it did not see real social and community benefit for the people of Kent."

The deal between the three organisations to enable the club to bring new schemes and initiatives to the county - while cementing and developing existing arrangements - was sealed last Tuesday at County Hall, Maidstone.

Leader of the council, Cllr Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart, said: "The Charlton scheme will work alongside our many initiatives in disadvantaged areas where we aim to give children the very best opportunities in life.

"The link will help disabled youngsters, promote healthy living and play a part in tackling problems like truancy. It is a tremendous initiative.

"The council is keen to work with all sports clubs with community outreach schemes and provide the very best for our youngsters."

The programmes will attract significant grant funding and will not be funded by Charlton Athletic.

And it's just one more stage in the Addicks' long association with the county, with 58 per cent of the club's season-ticket holders having a Kent postcode.

Indeed, the elected supporters' director who sits on the board of the football club hails from Kent, and Sue Townsend is proof of the potential rewards of hard work.

Said Varney: "The Maidstone and The Weald branch of the supporters' club was only founded after the club returned to The Valley in December 1992, and started with a handful of people who used to meet in the Queen Anne pub, in Maidstone.

"Now their membership is more than 1,000 through the tireless work of Sue and others - it is not all about money. Sue also serves as one of the club's directors and this is an option open to Mr Scally."

The Gillingham chairman was quoted in Kent on Sunday as saying: "Charlton are rollercoasting through Kent trying to build their customerbase. I cannot stop them, but I'm not happy about it.

"It is certainly underhand in my view. I don't blame Kent County Council because why would they be interested in football politics or ethics. But it is completely unethical and poor behaviour in my view."

To say we aren't interested in the community is almost laughable. Our community programme has been commended both domestically and internationally for the work it does to improve people's lives.
However, the Addicks are also good neighbours as Dover Athletic discovered last month when the hard-up side requested financial assistance in their efforts to avoid going out of existence.

Charlton donated a number of tickets to the club's Premiership match against Blackburn Rovers, and Dover were delighted to earn more than £400 from the goodwill gesture.

Added Varney: "We helped out Dover when they needed some assistance and we were perfectly happy to help Gillingham financially by playing them in a pre-season friendly as well.

"That match took place in late July, but although we still haven't received our share of the gate receipts from the game, we haven't put any undue pressure on them

From official site.

The prick neds his f***ing head testing

 

[Wozza]

He makes some valid points.

Charlton have advertised for fans in Brighton, after all.

 

[Hiney]

He makes some valid points.

Charlton have advertised for fans in Brighton, after all.

That doesn't take away the fact that he is a complete COCK

 

[CAFC Matt]

He makes some valid points.

Charlton have advertised for fans in Brighton, after all.

When

 

[GUNTER]

Scally was our landlord.

 

[CAFC Matt]

Scally was our landlord.

Was he prick then? Or has he only becme a prick since taking over a so called football team

 

[Mr Blobby]

Scally fleeced us for a fortune during our stay and i have no respect for him. He is only interested in £ and nothing else matters.

I will be at Charlton on Wednesday cheering you on against the scum. (working in London so too good a chance to miss, so will meet the Charlton lads we know for a few beers and hopefully a resounding home win!)


What pub do you drink in before games?

 

[Wozza]

When

Started 2 or 3 years ago, I believe. On billboards near the station.

Also adverts in the Argus trying to attract young players.

 

[Ex Shelton Seagull]

Didn't some NSC members graffiti some of those posters? The ones at Hove station were the main targets if I recall.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

he has done well for gillingham but he is a cocker

 

[Harold]

They have a good size supporters club in Hastings. We've (A21) played friendly football matches against them a couple of times years ago. They used to run coach travel, match entry and a programme for a ridiculously cheap price (£5 or £10 first visit if my memory serves) to get supporters to the Valley from Hastings.

 

[Soul Finger]

While I agree that Scally is a complete cocknocker (we paid for the Gordon Road Stand) I also believe that clubs should respect boundaries a bit more.

I remember seeing a Man U ad in Kent a few years ago. Within sensible reason I don't think clubs should be allowed to encroach on other teams' catchment areas. It's a question of fair play.

Having said that Scally is still a total c*nt.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Both the Albion and Charlton Athletic do excellent work in the community. They should be judged on the benefits that the community get from that work, not on the motives that lie behind such programmes.

If Scally doesn't like it, maybe he he should look at what Gillingham FC puts back into the community. Not very much, it would seem.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

So you wouldn't mind Charlton extending their community work to Sussex then Lord B.

Oh, sorry, too late, they have.

 

[Fergus96]

Would you rather see clubs trying to attract local talent, or continue to bring in mass influx of overseas players. Scally is a nob I quiet agree.

But at the end of the day, in business you can encroach on other counties / countries, and football is a business now, Man Utd - not a football club a PLC

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I think Charlton are a model that other clubs should aspire to. They just have to aware of not treading on other club's toes, and if they do, well accept the criticism.

Scally is still a wanker however.

 

[Gwylan]

While I agree that Scally is a complete cocknocker (we paid for the Gordon Road Stand) I also believe that clubs should respect boundaries a bit more.

I remember seeing a Man U ad in Kent a few years ago. ...

And they shouldn't have been advertising beyond their catchment area in Surrey?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

So you wouldn't mind Charlton extending their community work to Sussex then Lord B.

Oh, sorry, too late, they have.

I really don't have a problem with how far Clubs spread their net. The Albion operate throughout Sussex and are working to full capacity, with masses of government funding to support their community work.

It all helps to draw young people into football and that's got to be a good thing.

There's also a lot of good work that is being done outside the scope of official Club programmes - again, a good thing.

John Robinson used to run Soccer Schools for kids, in his own name, in places like Lewes and Hailsham. Maybe he still does. I'm certain that some of the young people who got a first taste of football through these activities have gone on to become Albion supporters. It's just a shame that they won't find it easy to get tickets for matches.

Manchester United are, of course, just marketing a commercial product. That's not the same thing as working in the community - although, to be fair to MUFC, they do have an excellent community programme as well.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Well it would be good to think Charlton don't extend to Sussex as the Albion have it covered.

If the interest is the community there should not be any boundary issues.

 

[Soul Finger]

Would you rather see clubs trying to attract local talent, or continue to bring in mass influx of overseas players. Scally is a nob I quiet agree.

But at the end of the day, in business you can encroach on other counties / countries, and football is a business now, Man Utd - not a football club a PLC

Football is a business, agreed, but it is not like any other business.

Man U's community projects are good but should they stay in their own locale?

On a business slant, is it OK for Man U etc to open superstores in Hastings, Whitstable or Woking? No, of course it's not.