Alex McLeish is heading a consortium to take over Charlton Athletic

[ian1964 10,720]

Alex McLeish is heading a consortium to take over Charlton Athletic.

The former Rangers boss has teamed up with ex-Ibrox director and lifelong pal Donald Muir in a bid to buy the ailing London club.

McLeish and Muir were in the directors’ box at The Valley on Saturday where they watched the Addicks beat League One rivals Oldham Athletic 1-0.

That kept the south Londoners just one point off the play-off places but this season has been played out amid acrimony and unrest.

And Belgian owner Roland Duchatelet is set to sell up after widespread protests against his running of the club.

Disliked by many fans, the multi-millionaire former Standard Liege owner bought the club four years ago but has proved universally unpopular.

Charlton are reportedly now in talks with two consortiums - one from Australia and the other British-based - who are interested in purchasing the club.

And sources south of the border yesterday confirmed to Record Sport McLeish is heading up the UK group which includes Muir.

McLeish is keen for a return to management if the the right job becomes available and has been linked with both the Rangers and Scotland jobs.

The 58-year-old is currently second favourite with the bookies behind Michael O’Neill for the vacant Hampden hotseat where he almost led the country to Euro 2008 during 10 months in charge.

O’Neill remains the SFA’s top target but they have yet to speak to the Northern Ireland boss, who has also been offered a new big-money deal by the IFA.

McLeish admitted recently he would love the chance to succeed Gordon Strachan having been out of the dug-out since a short spell with Zamalek in Egypt two years ago.

But if his consortium is successful in their Charlton takeover then that would likely kill off any chance of the Scotland job, although it’s unclear what his role at The Valley would be.

Current boss Karl Robinson has grown frustrated as talks drag on and admitted at the weekend he wants the situation resovled.

He said: “The most important things are the history of the football club and where the club is going to go.

“The people who pay their money, week in, week out. They are the ones who we have to make sure have a very clear understanding of what’s going on.

“Too many times in modern-day football because of commercial aspects, too many things are hidden from fans.

“We need to be a little more open and more straight with them and let them know exactly where we are.

“We probably need another statement coming out so we know exactly where we are, what we’re doing, and all of a sudden the questions get put from me.”

While McLeish would provide the football expertise, close friend Muir has the consortium’s financial background.

McLeish was a staunch defender of Muir when he came in for heavy criticism from Rangers fans after being placed on the Ibrox board by the Lloyds Banking Group in 2009.

He survived a vote of no confidence at the AGM just months after he was appointed upon being backed by majority shareholder Sir David Murray.

But speaking at that time, Eck said: “I grew up with Donald. Went to primary school with him. And I feel for him also because he’s getting that Enemy Within stuff from some of the fans.

“I know he’s a financial doctor sent in to monitor the spending, but he’s certainly not an enemy of Rangers, I can tell you that for a fact.

“He’s a big-time Rangers fan, even more fervent than I was when we were young. He’s a great guy, a great Rangers supporter.

“I kept in touch with him when our lives went in different directions and he moved to Toronto in Canada.

“I went over there with Hibs one year and the first guy I phoned when we got there was Donald. And where does he take us? In with the Bears at the Bramalea Rangers Supporters’ Club.”

Charlton have been in steady decline since the club’s most successful and stable period under Alan Curbishley who was at the helm for 15 seasons.

They have never recovered from Premier League relegation in 2007 and now sit in English football’s third tier but McLeish sees potential and opportunity to get them back to the top.

[buster. 5,120]

I wonder who is behind this prospective set-up ?

 

Makes you wonder if whoever it is has been close to our saga at one stage or another.

 

 

Edited January 10, 2018 by buster.
Cr@p grammar

[Uilleam 5,924]

Probably a housebuilder.

 

Muir, if memory serves,  was known, in no way inaccurately, as 'The Enemy Within' when he was LBG's swagman on the Board at Ibrox. 

 

I can't see him, or his backers, being in it for the glory of Charlton Football Club, quite frankly.

[Gazza_8 233]

Would rule him out of getting the Rangers job.

[Gonzo79 15,204]

1 hour ago, Gazza_8 said:

Would rule him out of getting the Rangers job.

 

Thankfully.  

 

Hope he does well at Charlton...one London club I don't mind.