By Wilf MacDonnell
Charlton Athletic chief executive Peter Storrie provided a highly anticipated update on the club’s takeover when speaking to fans at the quarterly forum recently.
Charlton announced earlier in the month that Danish-US businessman Thomas Sandgaard had approved a deal for SE7 Partners to purchase the football club.
The sale comes at a crucial time for the Addicks as the club aim for promotion from League One next season. Naturally, fans were eager to hear how the deal would affect transfer business, among other issues, and Storrie went some way to offering an explanation at the meeting.
The headline was that transfer plans haven’t changed from two months ago along with the aim of a top-six finish. However, Storrie did concede that the buying party must be made aware of any big expenditures, meaning they will have the seal of approval on any signings the club wish to make from a financial perspective.
Fans were pleased to hear that Storrie was still certain that regardless of the new owners’ input, the final say on identifying talent will lie with manager Dean Holden.
Storrie did then cast some doubt over the summer business by adding that he could not comment on what the plans and budget will be once the new owners have officially arrived, as he simply did not know yet.
The process of the official takeover may still take some time. It was revealed that despite the club having nearly all the documents in line, due to the sheer volume of information required for the EFL’s approval, it is uncertain in what timeframe it might be completed. This information includes also getting FA clearance for the takeover of the Charlton Athletic Women’s team.
Storrie added on the details of the paperwork process, that the EFL has an independent review body that looks at the financial side and also into the source of funds. He said that is something the club would not be involved in. While the club are aware that elements of the process would be conducted between the potential new owners and the EFL and the FA, there is no telling how long this part of the takeover may take.
Storrie was keen to emphasise that the club would move as normal until the process was completed, with him and Holden looking at the same type of players as they were before the takeover was agreed.
