NEW ADDICKS CHIEF PROVES HIS METALL

CHARLTON owner Thomas Sandgaard fears other clubs could still fall victim to football’s asset-strippers.

And the wacky Dane (above), who’d like to invite his favourite rock band Metallica to The Valley, is demanding action.

The EFL have already changed ownership rules, so anyone buying a club has to pass the Owners’ and Directors’ Test before they complete a takeover.

But Sandgaard said: “There is still a risk. There are many loopholes. You can put some consortium in place that looks legit.

“My intent is to continue to work with the EFL to create better circumstances. It’s difficult. You have to give entrepreneurship and initiative a chance.

“But you don’t want people to come in like they do in business and buy a company, strip it of its assets and let it go under, and then move on to the next one.

“The next one might be a football club. You leave the fans high and dry, and the players and the people who work there in a terrible situation. We have to make sure you have owners who are not just in it for personal enrichment.”

Sandgaard says the previous regime at Charlton spent almost £1million on a fleet of luxury cars which became a symbol of the club’s ownership crisis. He has auctioned off most of them – but is giving fans the chance to win the last one in an online competition.

Sandgaard said: “Instead of trying to save money, I thought why don’t we start a competition? It could be a really nice Christmas present for someone.”

Charlton were two days away from administration when Sandgaard took over, and he is still fighting off legal claims from creditors. But Lee Bowyer’s in-form side face Gillingham today lying fourth after winning six League One games in a row.

They have also signed 10 players since the takeover was approved in September and he hopes to buy more in January.

A Danish medical tech entrepreneur who used to play in a rock band, Sandgaard could do worse than tap up Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich for investment.

He added: “That might be an idea. Let’s invite him. I’m sure he would come. I don’t know Lars, but he is from Denmark.

“Charlton has had a lot of players from Denmark and look at their colours – red and white like the Danish national team!”