Belgium's 18th richest man close to £14m takeover at Charlton Athletic The 67-year-old tycoon, who made his fortune in electronics and has become a high-profile political activist in his homeland, has owned Standard Liège, the Belgian League leaders, since 2011. Charlton's chairman Michael Slater said: "Very constructive discussions are ongoing which we hope to conclude soon." Unusually for a club owner, Duchâtelet's politics are socially liberal, with Vivant, the party he bankrolls, supporting radical tax changes aimed at encouraging greater redistribution of wealth. The Football League has this weekend taken the first step towards the official return of terracing at stadiums outside the Premier League by canvassing member clubs on the pros and cons of introducing "safe standing" areas. Edgar Davids, Barnet's player-coach, said last night that he intends to retire as a player after a third red card in eight Conference matches. The Dutch midfielder, 40, who is nicknamed "The Pitbull," claimed he is being unfairly targeted by match officials.