Pune trip

[Al]

Why are the FF getting such a hard time they were invited over by the owners they are trying there best to open up dialogue with the owners to benefit all fans. The FF do not have a duty to tell us anything that went on over there if they wish to keep everything to themselves then they could do. We should be grateful that they are willing to let us know what was talked about whilst over there. As the FF were the people who were chosen to go over it is only fair that the people who were not voted from the FF get to hear what happened 1st

Wrong. It just makes them 'Super Supporters'. Gives totally the wrong impresssion. Think about it.

[BiggusLaddus]

Firstly I wasn't talking to you. Secondly,who the feck do you think you are telling me to do that?!

Following that reaction, I would respectfully suggest that you take Hughesy's advice.

[Mercer]

The Pune 9 have been in a very invidious position, for many reasons, since their trip was announced.

Opinions differ - should they have gone, should they not have gone. Whose opinion was right can only be judged when they report back. Yes, they admit, the press have 'done them up', however, that should be no surprise as they were warned!

What supporters want is simple - the unadulterated truth, warts and all, with no omissions of just wtf went on.

Pure and simple - not rocket science.

I think what is winding people up is what is coming across, in some instances, as bureaucratic and holier than thou nonsense.

The FF, by its own 'constitution', purports to be for 'all supporters' and therefore there should be no 'hierarchies'.

Just please get on with it guys and the quicker the better.

[Rover_Shaun]

I wonder which will happen first?

The Pune 9 reporting what went on

or

Hoilett signing a new deal

[Ste B]

One thing that is already in the public domain - but not picked up yet

At the end of the game the India Trophy was presented to Rovers.

This is then to be played every year with 4 teams - and will be similar to the Asia Trophy that we attended in HK.

I have a feeling that Jerome Andersons presence was to represent Kentaro in selling the TV rights for this. Which will obviously be diminished should we be relegated.

Anybody planning on going ?

[glen9mullan]

One thing that is already in the public domain - but not picked up yet

At the end of the game the India Trophy was presented to Rovers.

This is then to be played every year with 4 teams - and will be similar to the Asia Trophy that we attended in HK.

I have a feeling that Jerome Andersons presence was to represent Kentaro in selling the TV rights for this. Which will obviously be diminished should we be relegated.

Anybody planning on going ?

Would this be in addition to the proposed tour of Singapore next year which Qatari are fronting?

[den]

I think a collective brief statement is the right thing to do then we can induvidually add meat to the bones when needed.

Correct Tom - but not necessarily brief. It's more important that you convey any messages thoroughly and honestly.

The world's media has been following you people. Any statement that you make now will very likely be picked up by media people both here, in India and elsewhere. More important that you get it right, rather than early.

.

[Tom]

As an aside I thought that Nicko's piece yesterday was a good balanced one, shame the sub editors decided chicken puns are still funny.

[AndyC]

my position on this is pretty clear.

Had the ff rejected the chance to go to Pune, it would have probably done more harm in the long term, with regards the owners meeting fans to get their point of view across.

Sure - it would have made a statement, but it wouldn't have been picked up by the national press anyway. They simply dont care too much about little old rovers.

And for all those who are acting like 7 year olds on Christmas Eve, is it really too much to ask to wait for a day or 2 whilst they get their lives back in order? It won't change the outcome!

The stated aim of the FF before the trip, was to try and convey the strength of feeling of the majority of fans. Many of them are active users on this site and know that 95% think Kean should be fired.

All i really want (expect) to hear from the statement, is that they spent some time with the owners and their closet advisers and they managed to have a discussion about the depth of feeling that exists between the fans and how things are going both presently with the team and the wider concerns of how the club is being run.

Let's please just give the FF time to get back to life (if you have traveled that far in a short time before, you know how it plays havoc when you come home.

Otherwise, it really does feel like lord of the flies stuff before anything has even been said!

[Stuart]

What is happening now is as a result of things put in place ever since the trip was first organised. There is nothing worth getting worked up about now that wasn't worth getting worked about when the news was first leaked.

One of my concerns was about this site's independence being compromised and I was assured this wouldn't be the case as the site would be off limits. From what I can see this appears to have been the case.

However, with everyone turning on each other, and not insignificantly, the criticism coming from long term posters and even former and current mods, there is a danger of the site becoming toxic. I hope that's a complete over-reaction on my part.

The Fans Forum is effectively a committee - although apparently an unelected one. Nevertheless, as with all committees, their first duty is to each other and then to the people they represent/serve. It is therefore right, in my opinion, that the discuss all of their findings as a group.

However, although I accept the need to remain diplomatic, I would caution against censoring information or withholding facts. When it comes to the crunch, the FF do have a duty to the fans - even if it means the end of the committee itself. If the envelope can't be pushed that far, the it stops being a Fans Forum and becomes an extension of the club's PR team.

I would therefore ask three things of people:

Calm - Lay of each other, particularly the personal jibes. We are all on the same side.

Patience- Wait until the end of the week to give the Fans Forum the necessary time and space to consider everything and let them make the right decisions in the long term interests of the club AND fans.

Trust - have faith in the FF to do the right things and put down much of what has come out of Pune (indirectly) down to overzealous media spin.

Thank you.

[roversmum]

Very patronising and also a little big headed. Maybe some of the Pune 9 think they are "Super Fans" now? The rest of us two bit fans must pay homage,run along back to the sandpit and speak when we're spoken to.

The comments made by several puners especially RM lead me to suspect that they consider themselves in some way " special " fans as opposed to us

ordinary fans. This does not help when we are ALL concerned for the future of our beloved football club.

Kindly get off your indian high horses and tell us what went on.

HIgh horse? Perish the thought. I do apologise if the way I write upsets anyone, it is not intended to. I am more ordinary than ordinary. I am just trying to ease people's fears about the future of Blackburn Rovers, the club we all love. Throughout all the troubles, I have never seen the new owners as anything more than a good thing for Rovers, believing that eventually they would sort things out and get the club running smoothly. They are very astute business people and they have no intention of failing. Yes there have been those who no longer work for the club - and are very much missed - but the reasons are various and not in the public domain and I have not or would not ask why. It is always sad when someone who is respected leaves. This has been discussed at some length on the boards but the I believe the general opinion is that these things happen when a business changes hands.

I don't know all the ins and outs of decisions made, that is not my business. I am an ordinary supporter of the club who has been lucky enough to be included on the recent trip and made the most of every moment.

[Hi Mack]

HIgh horse? Perish the thought. I do apologise if the way I write upsets anyone, it is not intended to. I am more ordinary than ordinary. I am just trying to ease people's fears about the future of Blackburn Rovers, the club we all love. Throughout all the troubles, I have never seen the new owners as anything more than a good thing for Rovers, believing that eventually they would sort things out and get the club running smoothly. They are very astute business people and they have no intention of failing. Yes there have been those who no longer work for the club - and are very much missed - but the reasons are various and not in the public domain and I have not or would not ask why. It is always sad when someone who is respected leaves. This has been discussed at some length on the boards but the I believe the general opinion is that these things happen when a business changes hands.

I don't know all the ins and outs of decisions made, that is not my business. I am an ordinary supporter of the club who has been lucky enough to be included on the recent trip and made the most of every moment.

These two things are worrying me....

1. When is Eventually

2. They are Failing, Keans failing....what are they doing about it? Backing Kean?

[den]

They are very astute business people and they have no intention of failing

The only way they're running this business mum, is into the ground.

Yes there have been those who no longer work for the club - and are very much missed - but the reasons are various and not in the public domain and I have not or would not ask why. It is always sad when someone who is respected leaves. This has been discussed at some length on the boards but the I believe the general opinion is that these things happen when a business changes hands.

What - that the entire middle management walk out? That's been good for rovers, or is acceptable?

[Glenn]

Whilst I apreciate the spirit of your post, a couple of question .....

One of my concerns was about this site's independence being compromised and I was assured this wouldn't be the case as the site would be off limits. From what I can see this appears to have been the case.

How so, neither editorial nor forum has shown any bias, people are still welcome to put whichever viewpoint across. No change at all. I'm sure you're asking Ste or I personally to be blinkered and never change our personal viewpoints based on the things we learn, but on here our opinions are no more or less relevant than anyone's. (Edit - Having re-read that quote, I can now read it both ways, that we've both been compromised and not, so if I've got that wrong, my apologies)

However, although I accept the need to remain diplomatic, I would caution against censoring information or withholding facts. When it comes to the crunch, the FF do have a duty to the fans - even if it means the end of the committee itself. If the envelope can't be pushed that far, the it stops being a Fans Forum and becomes an extension of the club's PR team.

I'm confident there is no intent to do this, it's just about making sure we get it right. I'm sure once the update of the final meeting is out, we'll all be talking about our individual experiences and how we saw things in our own eyes, possibility hi-lighting the things that suit our own causes and lessening the focus on those that don't and there is no place for that in the "official" statement.

[Tom]

However, although I accept the need to remain diplomatic, I would caution against censoring information or withholding facts. When it comes to the crunch, the FF do have a duty to the fans - even if it means the end of the committee itself. If the envelope can't be pushed that far, the it stops being a Fans Forum and becomes an extension of the club's PR team.

Trust me mate, first and foremost we are all fans.

At one stage one of us was willing to leave the FF and go rogue so to speak if it would have enabled the message to be got accross. Thankfully some more level headed members talked them around and it didn't come to that as by being reasonable and some good work by a couple at the club we got our chance, a chance that may have not presented itself had we acted differently and ran our mouth at the earliest opportunity.

I'd also like to say I think some members got unfair stick whilst we were out there, John (O2G) has been fantasic through the whole thing from inception to execution and after a quote (not fully in conext of the whole interview) was shown on ITV people were too quick to jump on him I think.

Unfortunately that incident left some of us a little twitchy and after one more text interview for an Indian paper I refused to do anymore (execpt for a very brief one with Neil Yardley on the last day), ultimately that led to me dismissing a BRFCS member as I thought he was a reporter, for that I would like to apologise.

[Stuart]

Whilst I apreciate the spirit of your post, a couple of question .....

How so, neither editorial nor forum has shown any bias, people are still welcome to put whichever viewpoint across. No change at all. I'm sure you're asking Ste or I personally to be blinkered and never change our personal viewpoints based on the things we learn, but on here our opinions are no more or less relevant than anyone's. (Edit - Having re-read that quote, I can now read it both ways, that we've both been compromised and not, so if I've got that wrong, my apologies)

Sorry Glenn, definitely past tense. It was something we've already discussed earlier in this thread.

[Pugg]

Shame that this trip has caused such problems and changed some peoples perceptions of others. I'm glad I didn't get a chance to go, I would have probably accepted and would be facing the stick that the Pune 9 are facing. They did what I was hoping for.

Oh and 'get off your indian high horse and tell us what you know'. Flippin eck, all you have to do is wait a couple of days. I couldn't care less if the ff find out before I do or if every fan on this site does, as long as I find out then I'm happy. If the fans that went feel that a statement is the way to go about it then I'd say they are in the best position to make that decision.

[K-Hod]

Looking forward to hearing about what's really been said between the fans and the owners in India.

Too many people (rightly or wrongly) spitting their dummies out at the lack of immediate full disclosure.

[sentient]

If you allow me to pre-empt you travellers. If I'm chatting a load of tosh once you publsh your findings, feel free to quote this!

I am sure you will state how you were impressed by the passion shown by the Rao's, how they seem very thorough with their knowledge of the club, football etc.

How they do care about the fans.

How they will be putting down roots in the area and are in it for the long haul.

How their plans for marketing the club are impressive.

How shocked yet delighted you were with the reaction to the players and the football club in India.

Through the Indian academy and other links we will be established as a major force in India.

How they are inviting local people on to the board.

How they want to see the side improve year on year and will provide the funds to do this.

You forgot that we have a brilliantt manager!

[Hughesy]

Everyone else manages to work out what to do. I'm sure someone with your connections at Ewood should be able to work it out.

See below for the info you should have given out - simple question. Yes I could go via the 'other' channels but I wanted to do it proper.

They are on this page if that helps http://www.rovers.co.uk/page/FansForum

Thank you sir

[AndyNeil]

See below for the info you should have given out - simple question. Yes I could go via the 'other' channels but I wanted to do it proper.

If you wanted to do it 'proper', you should have found it through the club website - not rocket sicence.

[PAFELL]

Shame that this trip has caused such problems and changed some peoples perceptions of others. I'm glad I didn't get a chance to go, I would have probably accepted and would be facing the stick that the Pune 9 are facing. They did what I was hoping for.

Oh and 'get off your indian high horse and tell us what you know'. Flippin eck, all you have to do is wait a couple of days. I couldn't care less if the ff find out before I do or if every fan on this site does, as long as I find out then I'm happy. If the fans that went feel that a statement is the way to go about it then I'd say they are in the best position to make that decision.

As they went over as a forum, maybe they should meet up as a forum first - for example, when is their next forum meeting. Then release what they want to release when they are ready.

I find it strange that there were many on here who said the pune 9 should not have gone. yet now people want to know what was said and done etc. Not saying this is your position. I just find it strange that some lack the patience to wait.

People forget that like most of us when we return from holiday things can be hectic for a few days.

[Hi Mack]

So many niggly comments at the moment, lets all just leave it now! alot of them are coming from people I wouldnt expect it from!

[Gav]

It's funny that everyone who was asked to go went, yet Aaaathose weren't asked, wouldn't go anyway.

Obviously the general Blackburn fan base is more principled than the fans forum (who spend a lot of their time fighting for the rights of the general Blackburn fan).

Strange

Well you're entitled to your opinion Bucky, I wouldn't have gone, simple ad that.

[47er]

Hi Mack - I think sadly the board has been like this for a while there has been conflict in the air and talks of agendas and the likes since At least before Sam came in

Funnily enough I was thinking we are more united than we have been for some time. There is virtually nothing dividing 95% of the fans on here anymore.