Roland Duchatalet agrees deal to sell Charlton Athletic

Charlton's prospective new owners have pledged to back manager Lee Bowyer and build bridges with Addicks fans if their takeover of the club goes ahead.

Owner Roland Duchatelet has agreed to sell his stake in the Sky Bet Championship club to East Street Investments, subject to approval by the English Football League.

Duchatelet has spent almost six years at The Valley, during which time the club were relegated to League One at the end of the 2015-16 season.

The 73-year-old's reign proved hugely unpopular and sparked anger from fans, whose various protests saw crisp packets and plastic pigs thrown on to the pitch.

After three seasons in the third tier, Charlton gained promotion to the Championship under Bowyer after beating Sunderland 2-1 in May's play-off final at Wembley.

East Street Investments chairman Matt Southall said in a statement: "We are privileged to take ownership of such an historic club and it is incredibly exciting to be part of the process of building a fresh future for the fans, loyal club staff and players of Charlton Athletic.

"While we may be the club owners, truly we are only the custodians. The true spirit of this football club rests with the fans, it is nothing without them.

"Their support throughout some difficult times both recently and in the past has been inspirational and we intend to build on that loyalty.

"Our priority will be immediate contact with fan groups in order that their views play a major role in the club going forward.

"We believe the football side of the club is in excellent hands with Lee Bowyer and what he and the players have achieved following promotion has been outstanding. We will do everything possible to support Lee's vision and ambitions.

"We would like to thank Roland Duchatelet, his team and the directors for helping to facilitate a quick and smooth sale. They leave the club with solid foundations on which we can invest and build."

His Excellency Tahnoon Nimer is the majority shareholder in East Street Investments through his Abu Dhabi-based corporation, Panorama Magic General Contracting LLC.

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