"Will never forget" - Ex-Charlton Athletic owner Thomas Sandgaard hailed after play-off final message | OneFootball

Sandgaard left in 2023, but he's clearly still remembered fondly at The Valley

Charlton Athletic secured their return to the Championship after five years away with their win in the League One play-off final on Sunday, and they have had to endure some bumps in the road on the way to that glory.

It hasn't been dull at the south London outfit in recent times, and in 2020, the East Street Investments era was brought to an end when American-Danish businessman Thomas Sandgaard purchased the Addicks, arriving with big dreams and ambitions.

His tenure at the club though lasted just three years, and with no higher than a seventh-placed League One finish in that time, and he moved the team on to Global Football Partners - who two years later have helped to secure a Championship return.

Ex-Charlton Athletic owner Thomas Sandgaard sends message after play-off victory

It appears that even though Sandgaard left two years ago though, Charlton aren't too far from his mind still, as he took to social media to congratulate the club on their success.

"Charlton Athletic have done it. Promotion to the Championship. Wembley conquered," Sandgaard wrote.

"This is what belief looks like. A squad that fought with everything they had, backed by fans who never lost faith. This is what makes football beautiful and what makes this club so special.

"Charlton is more than a club. It’s a symbol of community, history, and ambition.

"Tonight’s win honors that legacy while setting the tone for a bold future. Congratulations to every Addick. This one’s for you. The Championship awaits."

There were mixed opinions of Sandgaard's time at Charlton from the terraces. On one hand, he saved the club from the turbulent East Street Investments, but under his custodianship, the Addicks dropped lower down the League One table.

His message to the club though has been well-received by fans, including one supporter who claims they will "never forget" the efforts he went to try and improve things.

Another supporter had the same kind of response to Sandgaard's message.

Another fan has admitted that Sandgaard's time at the club didn't end the way anyone hopes,

Another Charlton fan has told Sandgaard to return to The Valley at some point in a fan capacity now that they are a Championship club, whilst another believes everyone is "indebted" to him due to the fact he took over at a time of desperation.

Thomas Sandgaard was never the bad guy at Charlton Athletic, but they've moved on under Global Football Partners

Sandgaard endured a tough time at Charlton when he was owner, as performances on the pitch from the squad he funded just weren't good enough.

In two short years since his exit, Global Football Partners - whilst they have made mistakes of their own such as Michael Appleton - found a winning formula with Nathan Jones, who was a managerial coup for League One and it's now paid dividends.

GFP prefer to let the players and Jones do the talking though and are relatively silent, which is a different method to what Sandgaard went with whilst in charge, but he put himself on the line at times with his finances and backing to managers, and despite the fact he never had any success at The Valley, Sandgaard will always remembered fondly.