Startling new revelations about the role of "network scout" Thomas Driesen form the focus of the second Voice of The Valley of the 2016/17 season, which hits the streets of SE7 before Saturday's home fixture with Wimbledon.

And despite the regime claiming to have changed direction with the appointment of Russell Slade in June, we reveal how Driesen has contimued to interfere under the new boss.

Matt Wright's blockbuster report goes up front in another packed line and seems certain to steal the headlines, with Rick Everitt taking the team captain's role in midfield with a revealing review of Richard Murray's 25-year stint in the Charlton boardroom

There's plenty about what's been happening on the pitch, too, with Everitt, Kyle Andrews and Kevin Nolan all having their say about Russell Slade's team's start to the season.

Distinguished regulars Wyn Grant, John Ingram and Simon Matthews are prominent in the starting line-up, while "foreign signing" Roger Carter chips in from Australia. Plus there's the latest instalment of Lazy Daisy, our new cartoon strip.

The 40-page VOTV129 was published ahead of the match against AFC Wimbledon on September 17th and will be sold again outside The Valley before the Oldham Athletic (September 27th) and Rochdale (October 1st) home matches.

Subscriptions cost £20 in the UK and copies are sent out by first-class post immediately on publication, while it's £27 elsewhere in Europe and £34 elsewhere (see PayPal widget in below, which may not be visible on mobile devices). If you prefer not to pay via PayPal, drop us a line at sales@votvonline.com and we will supply details of how to pay by cheque.

Please note that new subscriptions will now commence with VOTV 130 - if you still require a copy of VOTV129 then please order one separately. 

To order VOTV128, please visit the backnumbers page.

by Rick Everitt

Charlton chief executive Katrien Meire has pulled out of the race to represent League One on the Football League board. Meire went head to head with Walsall chief executive Stefan Gamble last week for a place as one of the two third-tier representatives on the 10-strong board, following the resignation of Millwall chief executive Andy Ambler.

But she pulled out before the votes could be counted, amid speculation that she was unlikely to have secured the support of any other League One club.

Read more...

By Rick Everitt

It is a sobering statistic that after Charlton’s lacklustre 1-1 draw at Oxford United, Russell Slade has recorded the club’s worst start to a comparable season for 90 years. Not since the 1926/27 campaign, when Alex Macfarlane’s side lost seven of their first nine matches, have the Addicks produced a worse set of results in their opening nine third-tier games. Read more...