Takeover story updated

VOTV editor Rick Everitt has updated his story on the potential takeover of Charlton: Takeover at advanced stage

I have been surprised (or perhaps not) at some of the reaction on social media to the Rickster's story. Admittedly, Rick Everitt does not hide his light under a bushel and he calls a spade a spade. However, I do not think he is attention seeking, nor is he desperate to sell extra copies of Voice of the Valley. Given its size and the quality of the paper, I doubt whether he makes any money out of it.

Some consider that a takeover would undermine a new found stability, but what that stability has largely consisted of is Roland sticking to his moules and frites and Katrien keeping a lower profile. Both are welcome developments in the sense that Karl Robinson has been given more autonomy. He has got us into the play off places, and should be safe under any new owners, but it is as well to remember that the play off places are a lottery with a one in four chance of winning.

Some cynics are saying 'we've been here before' and they won't believe it until they read it on the official site. That will be the last place the news will appear. Of course, this has been bubbling along under the surface for some time. I have been given information from time to time on the understanding that I do not directly use it. However, I think we are near an outcome one way or the other.

Rick Everitt has better sources than I do and the key paragraph in his updated story is the concluding one: 'I can report with certainty that the due diligence is at an advanced stage. While that does not guarantee a deal will be concluded or any timeline, it will necessarily have required extensive co-operation from the football club, which is unlikely to have been forthcoming without significant proof of funds and an indicative agreement on price. In short, the approach has to be a credible one and of interest to Duchatelet simply to have got this far.'

As the writer of the Drinking During the Game blog put it well, '[Rick Everitt] is a good judge of when it's safe to say something and when it isn't.' What I am also sure about is that Rick is Charlton through and through.