Charlie Methven Charlton takeover off with former Sunderland owner blasted over his conduct

Looks like Charlie Methven won't be buying Charlton after all - with his business conduct heavily criticised.
Charlie Methven Charlton takeover off with former Sunderland owner blasted over his conduct
Charlie Methven Charlton takeover off with former Sunderland owner blasted over his conduct /

Charlton owner Thomas Sandgaard has confirmed Charlie Methven’s takeover of the club is off after he blasted the way the former Sunderland director does business.

Methven claimed he had agreed a £8.5m price for a 90% stake in the club, but Sandgaard has backed out, saying Methven ‘couldn’t stick to the terms’ of the deal.

That now sees former Sunderland CEO Jim Rodwell leave the club already, along with Methven’s business partner Ed Warrick.

Speaking to the South London press, Sandgaard said: “I can’t say a lot until this point, it was best to keep it under wraps. I had signed a long-term sheet with that group that was led by Charlie. 

"There was some very specific terms that were very clear at the end of January and coming into February that they didn’t comply with. Those were really the key items in the deal.

“So this morning I told Charlie I can’t keep doing this, that’s why that deal is off.”

Sandgaard did confirmed he would continue to seek outside investment, but he has been left less than impressed with Methven’s behaviour.

“I’m doing just fine,” he said. “Everything is good in camp Sandgaard, if you want to call it that. I didn’t suddenly pull out of a deal. It was a group that simply didn’t adhere to the terms and for quite some time did not do that. They didn’t fund anything – it’s still on me.

“I know they were very interested at getting into the club but if you can’t stick to the terms that you set up the original deal with then there is really nothing there. Eventually I had to say this can’t continue.”


Read more Sunderland news


Published
Michael Graham
MICHAEL GRAHAM

Michael Graham is a professional sports writer with more than ten years of industry experience. After pursuing football writing by helping establish the Roker Report Sunderland AFC fansite, Michael moved to Planet Sport to cover football.  Michael has since worked on many of the sports sites within the Planet Sport network, including Football365, TEAMtalk and Planet Football before leaving to join 90min. As well as football, Michael is an accomplished tennis writer and has been regularly featured on Tennishead, TennisBuzz and Tennis365. It is football that is his first love, though, with Sunderland AFC his particular passion.  Contact: michael@buzzpublishing.co.uk