McLeish in bid to take over Charlton
Eck fronts consortium with Ibrox pal Donald
ALEX McLEISH is heading a consortium to take over English League One club Charlton.
The former Rangers boss has teamed up with ex-Ibrox director and lifelong pal Donald Muir in a bid to buy the ailing London outfit.
McLeish and Muir were in the directors box at the Valley on Saturday where they watched the
Addicks beat League One rivals Oldham 1-0. That kept them just one point off the play-off places and McLeish was back at the Valley for last night’s EFL Trophy tie with Oxford.
But this season has been played out amid acrimony and unrest and Belgian owner Roland Duchatelet is set to sell up after protests against his running of the club.
Despised by many fans, the multi-millionaire former Standard Liege owner bought the club four years ago but has proved universally unpopular.
Charlton are reportedly now in talks with two consortiums – one from Australia and the other British-based – who are interested in buying the club.
And sources south of the border have confirmed to Record Sport that McLeish is heading up the UK group which includes Muir, who was a controversial figure among Rangers supporters after being placed on the Ibrox club’s board by Lloyds Banking Group in 2009.
McLeish is desperate for a return to management and has been linked with both the Rangers and Scotland jobs.
But if his consortium is successful in their Charlton bid it would likely kill off any chance of the national job, although it’s still unclear what his role at the Valley would be.
Current boss Karl Robinson has grown frustrated as talks drag on said: “The people who pay their money every week, they are who we have to make sure know what’s going on.
“Too many times in modern football too many things are hidden from fans. We need to be more open.”
While McLeish would provide the football expertise close friend Muir has the consortium’s financial background.
McLeish was a staunch defender of Muir when he came under fire from Rangers fans after being placed on the board back by Lloyds nine years ago.
Speaking at that time, McLeish said: “I went to primary school with Donald. I know he’s been sent in to monitor the spending but he’s not an enemy of Rangers, I can tell you that for a fact.
“He’s a big-time fan, even more fervent than I was when we were young. He’s a great guy, a great Rangers supporter.
“I kept in touch with him when he moved to Toronto. I went over there with Hibs one year and the first guy I phoned when I got there was Donald. And where did he take us? In with the Bears at the Bramalea Rangers Supporters’ Club.”
Charlton have never recovered from Premier League relegation in 2007 and now sit in the third tier but McLeish sees potential to get them back to the top.