Charlton Athletic takeover agreed by Charlie Methven’s SE7 Partners
Charlton Athletic’s owner has agreed to sell the south London football club to the US-bankrolled SE7 Partners consortium fronted by former Sunderland director Charlie Methven.
The third-tier team confirmed on Monday that a deal had been struck between current owner Thomas Sandgaard and SE7 Partners, which also includes former Charlton finance director Ed Warrick and American billionaire Joshua Friedman.
Charlton chief executive Peter Storrie said: “A deal has been agreed and a share purchase agreement has been signed by Thomas Sandgaard and SE7 Partners.
“We’ll now work with SE7 Partners and the EFL [English Football League] to meet the league requirements, which is a process that can take some time.
“In the meantime, the day-to-day running of the club will not be impacted. Our preparation and recruitment for the 2023/24 season is well under way.
“We have our targets for our men’s team and our women’s team. Led by Dean Holden and Karen Hills, those plans continue to progress and will not be halted while we await the approval.
“The aim is to put the club in the best position to achieve our targets for next season – a top-six finish for the men’s team and further progression for the women’s team.”
The deal comes four months after takeover talks between SE7 Partners and Sandgaard collapsed amid reports that the Dane had changed his demands.
SE7’s agreement does not include Charlton’s stadium, The Valley, and training ground, which belong to the club’s former owner Roland Duchatelet.
Former journalist and public relations consultant Methven, 46, was executive director at Sunderland for 18 months until late 2019 and remained a minority owner until last summer.
Charlton have endured a turbulent spell since relegation from the Premier League in 2007 and finished 10th in League One this season.
The Charlton Athletic Supporters’ Trust called for any new owners to be upfront about who was paying for the takeover in a statement made earlier this year.
“We expect our club to be owned by someone who is prepared to be transparent about the source of their funding and their plans for our club and its future,” CAST said in March.
“We want Charlton to be viewed as a fundamental community asset, and not merely a plaything, for a time, for wealthy individuals.”