Charlton Athletic: EFL meets Addicks officials to clarify ownership

Charlton have been relegated from the Championship this season

The Football League met with representatives of Charlton's prospective new owner and their current ones on Wednesday to find a way round the current impasse surrounding the club.

Paul Elliott, a businessman whose background is in property, was announced as Charlton's new owner by the club on 10 June.

However, earlier this month it was revealed during a court hearing that the deal for Elliott's consortium to buy East Street Investments (ESI) was still to be completed.

On 27 July, the EFL said it had requested a meeting with the club to clarify the ownership situation and warned Charlton of the consequences should its regulations not be met.

The EFL says the discussions were 'constructive' but that it still requires further information.

An EFL spokesman said: "The EFL has met with Charlton Athletic, a representative of ESI and also the proposed new owners in order to progress and clarify some of the outstanding ownership issues affecting the club.

"The discussions were constructive, with all parties showing a willingness to move matters forward as the EFL again outlined the requirements that need to be met in order to satisfy EFL regulations.

"Further information is now awaited and it remains the responsibility of the club to meet these requirements."

Charlton were relegated from the Championship last week and a number of fans have expressed on social media their unease at the current situation.

On Wednesday, local MP Clive Efford told the House of Commons "some dubious characters have got involved with the club", which was undermining Charlton's future. It was not clear who he meant.

Charlton was sold by Roland Duchatalet for £1 to the East Street Investments consortium in January. Duchatalet retains ownership of the training ground and the stadium.

However, ESI's major shareholders, Tahnoon Nimer and Matt Southall, fell out, after which Nimer refused to put any more money into the club.

Chris Farnell, a Cheshire-based solicitor who has been working with Elliott on the deal, has stated that Elliott's status as ESI's new owner cannot be registered at Companies House until the EFL has finished its deliberations.

Charlton officials have said Elliott is presently paying the salaries of the first-team squad.

Former Charlton chief executive Peter Varney is understood to be keen to buy the club. However, Varney says he has not yet seen the required paperwork, while ESI sources have said they have not received any indication a bid was being prepared.

"The EFL recognises that this is an unsettling time for all concerned, and will continue to liaise directly with supporter groups, but patience is appreciated as we continue to work in the best interests of the club," said an EFL spokesperson.