Bristol Rovers owner Wael-al-Qadi has apologised to enraged Bristol Rovers fans after the club was dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league Barnet at home last night: Owner's call for unity
Fearing a relegation struggle, Rovers plan to start their fight back at The Valley on Saturday.
Stern editorial control is maintained at Voice of the Valley as the latest issue is typeset
Issue No. 147 (my birth month and year) will be hitting the streets around The Valley before the Bristol Rovers game on Saturday. Editor Rick Everitt has such a wealth of copy to choose from that one of the vinegar pissers has had his copy spiked.
As usual, it is possible for a copy to be sent under plain cover for you to enjoy at home, but there is no special Black Friday deal: Details
Things have speeded up over the last week on the takeover front according to Roland's representative on earth, Lieven De Turck, at a fans' forum held last night: Takeover update
De Turck said of the British group that in the last week he felt they had taken a big step. LDT expected things will be sped up now. He explained that in the past they had shown they had proof of funds but with proof of funds alone they cannot purchase the club. Now they appear close to putting the money on the table.
My concern about this group has always been how much money they have beyond the purchase price to rebuild the club.
Dwe Turck said that the problem with the Australian based consortium was their complexity which was still very high, although there had been some reduction. He said he felt the upcoming transfer window and being sixth in the league helps with the sale of the club which is why he feels there has been movement recently. He still thought the Australians were the most likely bidders which should qualify them for a record as holding the longest negotiation to buy a football club.
Other potential purchasers were mentioned, but they don't look very serious or credible.
Charlton proceeded to a second round FA Cup tie against Doncaster (who beat Chorley 7-0) with a 5-0 demolition of Mansfield Town at a soaking wetValley tonight. Lyle Taylor scored a hat trick. Mansfield boss David Flitcroft described Lyle Taylor's third goal as 'Cantona-esque'. Even Nicky Ajose got on the score sheet and Lee Bowyer credited him with setting up the first two. Bowyer praised the team's ruthlessness in front of goal.
Not many Addicks enjoyed the spectacle. Rick Everitt tweeted, '1,910 is not only the worst Charlton FA Cup attendance since 1921 but under half the previous worst against Merthyr Town in 1928 - and that was on a Wednesday afternoon!'
The match report from Louis Mendez is here: Mansfield played their part
The BBC has a clip of a goal that gave Lyle Taylor his hat trick: Wonder chip
Lewis Page has signed a new contract that will keep him at Charlton until at least 2021: New deal with trigger clause
Smiling supremo Lee Bowyer expressed his delight at the news, although Page is just of five players he wants to sign new deals.
The rumour mill is linking Charlton with former Tottenham player Giancarlo Gallifuoco, Left field deal
He is currently playing for Italian third tier site Rieti, but they are running short of cash and may be open to offers, not that I can see Roland sanctioning one.
He has formerly played for Torquay United and Dover Athletic, but it all looks high risk to me.
Charlton may have to face a permanent future in the lower leagues if a plan by leading Championship clubs to break away from the EFL comes to fruition. However, there are a number of obstacles in its way: Premier League 2
Millwall are one of the smaller clubs in the Championship who have declared their opposition to the plan.
