[Archived] Supporters meeting with Club

[K-Hod]

I hope this means that people will stop slating the owners, and look to work with them to sort out perceived issues.

When they stop making colossal errors of judgment, the slating will cease.

[Plastic Head]

I hope this means that people will stop slating the owners, and look to work with them to sort out perceived issues.

Meeting might go like...

"PH" Ok Mrs Venky woman. One of my perceived issues is that we are in the bottom 3 and look certain for relegation.

How can we work together to resolve this issue/perceived issue?

"Mrs D" Do not protest against us or my boyfriend the manager and everything will be OK.

"PH" What makes you think that?

"Mrs D" Errrrrr. It just will be OK.

"PH" F&&& off.

[Andy]

What's 'perceived' about having the worst manager in our Premier League history taking us on a pretty certain one-way trip to the lower leagues?!

Kean is so far out of his depth it's become a joke (see the Photoshop thread).

He doesn't have the decency to admit that he's not up to the job and walk, so we must question the owners.

Their constant head-burying on the issue ("fantastic manager") and refusal to admit that there's a big, big problem only makes the issue worse.

If you wish to also bury your head in the sand and sit and watch us meekly submit to relegation, then fine.

Fortunately, however, we have people like Glen who are passionate enough to do something about this horrible situation we find ourselves in.

[thebigguy]

There was a couple of things agreed which we have asked to be publically issued by the club before we release it, Communication from them is key

Hope you gave them a deadline

[Jackson]

Just got off the blower to George Papandreou. Apparently, he's a regular on this site and Greece's 340bn IOU is now going to be "perceived" debt. Genius.

On a par with Liam Fox, that one.

[broadsword]

I honestly think trying to talk to them is a waste of time.

[rebelmswar]

There was a couple of things agreed which we have asked to be publically issued by the club before we release it, Communication from them is key

Remember though that while communication is the key it can be used to ones advantage. I have seen nothing official from the club recently that has not been very one sided and extraordinarily inept.

You have all the cards and the deck will become more staked in your favour as time goes on, make sure that you hammer down on them when they have the big blind. You know what they have to do, they do not have the same advantage.

Nous faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace.

[chaddyrovers]

I hope this means that people will stop slating the owners, and look to work with them to sort out perceived issues.

The owners need to talk to fans properly and have proper communicate between the fans and the owners.

If you look at what John Henry and Tom Warner did when they bought Liverpool, a couple of weeks later they did a live chat on the Liverpool TV channel where supporters send in questions by Email and Fax plus by text and the owners even took live calls of some of the fans. Plus within the first month of being in charge of Liverpool they meet with fans groups to outline their plans for the club and had discuss with them how to move the club forward together.

They have been almost in charge of rovers now nearly one year. They have only just started to talk to fans groups. This should have been done within a few months of the takeover being completed.

The owners need to a live web chat where we can send in questions for them to be answer

or have one of the rovers TV reporter Neil Yardley do a proper interview with the owners? and a week before the interview will take place ask for fans to send in their own questions and allow the one of the owners to answer them. Then post it as a Video were fans can watch it.

Also the owners need to appoint a proper Chairman to run Blackburn for them. Allow him to the run the club without having to run every decision by the owners. Also Kean should report directly to the Chairman and not the owners. we need a proper management structure at the club.

[Plastic Head]

I honestly think trying to talk to them is a waste of time.

That's what I meant earlier...I think.

[glen9mullan]

Remember though , that while communication is the key it can be used to ones advantage. I have seen nothing official from the club recently that has not been very one sided and extraordinarily inept.

You have all the cards and the deck will become more staked in your favour as time goes on, make sure that you hammer down on them when they have the big blind. You know what they have to do, they do not have the same advantage.

Nous faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace.

You are totally correct, Words will not suffice we need clear answers and actions, and every step must be minuted by the club and issued by the club as a sign of progress. I want every single supporter regardless of opinion to know what is going on and what the future holds. This has to be communicated and everything which is discussed with the club has to be relayed to every person. This "On a need to know basis" Culture is unhelpful. It just fuels conspirocy and has people worrying.

The eight who attended last night from a supporters point of view was:

Simon Littler,

Phil- Whalley Rover

Mark Fish - Mark1875

Lee Walsh- Rafinho

Tony Grogan- 51 year old season ticket holder for over 40 years

Terry- Most will know him and friend of Birdies

Carl Hatch

and Me

These are the individuals who put their names forward to attend at the recent open supporters meeting which was held at Uncle Jacks. There was a wide spectrum of opinions, with some pro-protest, some anti Protest, and some having different opinions about the ownership of the club and the current infrastructure

Kamy was invited too but had travel delays and unfortunately was unable to attend.

John Newsham chaired the meeting along with some of his team, whilst Rovers took minutes. The Police was also present.

Quite a few concerns were put across (We gave them the wing and not the whole chicken as a taster). I also used my inside knowledge to pose questions which have been taken away to gather answers.

The end result of the meeting was that it was felt by John Newsham that this meeting needed to go upto the next level so a further meeting in Principle has been agreed which will be with members of the board,

This meeting is being discussed today at the club and we are waiting for them to come back to us with dates ect and indeed of the board agree to have this meeting.

If they do agree then further concerns, will be put across at that meeting, as the group seeks to go through the correct channels to secure a meeting with the club owners. We made it clear at the meeting that we seek answers to the concerns that the supporters have.

We also seek clarification of the infrastructure and decision making process at Ewood Park and in Pune, Who makes decisions on a day to day basis, and if its not the board what difference would it be if they was not there. Clear leadership is needed here in Blackburn.

We made it clear that Venksy priority has to be its customer base because without it there is no club. No other venture at present carries as much importance than the concern the supporters have and marketing ect must take a back seat as this needs the owners personal attention

[Tom]

Glad it was productive, I didn't realise other forum members were at the open meeting would have been good to have a chat (although I may have done without knowing as with hi Mack)

[roversmum]

Yes, Chaddy, yes, yes, yes. Exactly what needs to happen. I would say though that Paul Hunt is perfectly able to fulfil the position of Chairman/Chief Executive, but he does need proper accredited assistance, he can't carry the load on his own, as John Williams and Tom Finn worked together so Paul and another should do.

Glen Mullen, Well done. Though, if you wanted to be pedantic - and I am most certainly not - I could say that I have not voted for these people so they don't represent me - now where did I hear that before... (please don't jump on me, just making a point). As you know, I am not a supporter of the protests as such, but I most certainly am a supporter of people having their say and input.

Though - what the dickens is John Newsham doing chairing this meeting? He is the stadium manager! I suppose then it was mainly to do with the protests.

However, give John his due, he recognised that it needed to 'go up a level' as you say. I am very heartened by this. I was hoping that something along these lines could be arranged. But why was this not recognised before? It's so obvious. I would have wanted such a meeting to go immediately to Paul Hunt, Rob Coar, etc., and hopefully this will be arranged sooner rather than later.

[Boz]

There comes a point in time when the game is up for a manager and for the good of the club, the owners/directors realise that they must act, for long term benefit.

Usually that point is when the manager loses the players, it was seen at Wigan under Ince. Direction is gone, results suffer, the manager is gone. To date despite one or two mutterings of complaints (which footy players will always do when they are not playing how they think they should be) this has not been openly apparent, quite the reverse actually with support regularly coming from senior players in the local paper.

As a supporter I personally do not like a turnstile approach to managers coming and going, I would much rather give them time and opportunity, I have always been rather sad when we have had to dispense with a manager. Indeed it has been commonly accepted by the footballing elite that longevity with your manager generally equals success.

BRFC since our takeover have not however been a typical football club, with initial supporters concerns following change being compounded upon with the departures of experienced and important personnel, combined with a whole load of crap spouted about their plans, marquee signings and no longer being a selling club, plus most worryingly doubts as to their actual financial input, all of which to date would appear to have been mostly empty words.

Steve Kean has been a party to some of this too, for example his pontifications on the Junior new contract debacle. Combined with an awful points record he is a sitting duck for supporters’ displeasure. Yet at the same time I can acknowledge that he has attempted to turn around the style of play with a much more expansive game and to a certain degree it could be said to be easier on the eye. Though the pragmatists will argue that it's points that matter, which indeed they do, finding the balance is the skill and to date Steve Kean has not found it. The owners do not appear to be ready to make an unpleasant decision.

With supporters marches and efforts to bring to an end a manager's sad record that has relegation written all over it, also seeming to be having little impact on our owners, who have little experience of dealing with the very strange business which is football, where does that leave us?

Usually a change in direction would bring about the supporters getting behind the new manager, with enthusiasm and a renewed vigor. But after some of the shenanigans with our owners, and current yes men management in situ, there would appear to be a real danger of ultimately alienating the supporters in the long term. This has horrendous implications for our club, in so far as once they vote with their feet they will be gone and many will not come back and support a club under the current owners. I know quite a few who tell me that it is easy to find other things to do on a Saturday afternoon and once out of the habit they generally don’t come back, not regularly.

In my opinion there is a tipping point when the owners will have to act, not just in an attempt to remain in the EPL, but for also the long term viability of BRFC, a football club with real actual supporters. Do the owners have the required knowledge and experience of running an EPL football club, especially one set in East Lancashire? I have a genuine concern whether there is anybody actually still at BRFC who might be able to have a word with the owners and explain the severity and perilous position we are currently in. That position is not just within the relegation places after a quarter of the season, but more importantly than that, the groundswell of antipathy towards our club from the supporters.

The tipping point is very near in my opinion and matters must be addressed and quickly.

[yeti-dog]

Boz..excellent post.

Reasonable and perceptive without resorting to empty rhetoric.

[glen9mullan]

Yes, Chaddy, yes, yes, yes. Exactly what needs to happen. I would say though that Paul Hunt is perfectly able to fulfil the position of Chairman/Chief Executive, but he does need proper accredited assistance, he can't carry the load on his own, as John Williams and Tom Finn worked together so Paul and another should do.

Glen Mullen, Well done. Though, if you wanted to be pedantic - and I am most certainly not - I could say that I have not voted for these people so they don't represent me - now where did I hear that before... (please don't jump on me, just making a point). As you know, I am not a supporter of the protests as such, but I most certainly am a supporter of people having their say and input.

Though - what the dickens is John Newsham doing chairing this meeting? He is the stadium manager! I suppose then it was mainly to do with the protests.

However, give John his due, he recognised that it needed to 'go up a level' as you say. I am very heartened by this. I was hoping that something along these lines could be arranged. But why was this not recognised before? It's so obvious. I would have wanted such a meeting to go immediately to Paul Hunt, Rob Coar, etc., and hopefully this will be arranged sooner rather than later.

The meeting was open to all who put their names forward at the open supporters meeting we held at Uncle Jacks, those who put there names forward regardless of opinion was invited.

[Gav]

I hope this means that people will stop slating the owners, and look to work with them to sort out perceived issues.

You're going to struggle with that idea mum, simply because they appear to be clueless and I've been in your camp backing them!

Whilst they maybe nice people with the club a heart, they're ruining the club with every passing day, I just don't think theyve realised it yet, which speaks volumes.

As for supporters meeting the club, it's a start, it started in Pune a few weeks ago, lip service, that's all that was, will this be any different........

[chaddyrovers]

Yes, Chaddy, yes, yes, yes. Exactly what needs to happen. I would say though that Paul Hunt is perfectly able to fulfil the position of Chairman/Chief Executive, but he does need proper accredited assistance, he can't carry the load on his own, as John Williams and Tom Finn worked together so Paul and another should do.

However, give John his due, he recognised that it needed to 'go up a level' as you say. I am very heartened by this. I was hoping that something along these lines could be arranged. But why was this not recognised before? It's so obvious. I would have wanted such a meeting to go immediately to Paul Hunt, Rob Coar, etc., and hopefully this will be arranged sooner rather than later.

roversmum, I do agree with you that Paul Hunt could do the Chief Executive job but he does need a good number 2 to assist like Tom Finn did with John Williams. Hopefully the owners will do this. Appoint Paul Hunt as Chief Executive and allow him to appoint his own your number 2. Then allow Pual Hunt to run the club in the proper way. The owners have appoint him, so they should trust him to run the club for them and they should listen to his advise totally and nobody else tbh.

The owners do need to put in the correct management structure in place aswell with Kean reporting to Paul Hunt and the Board and NOT DIRECTLY to Mrs D and the family.

Also what role does Vineeth Rao and Robert Coar? are theu involve in the day to day running of the club?

[John]

Paul Hunt primarily has experience in commercial deals/roles not running a football club.

[rebelmswar]

Glenn, was cancelling protests and such discussed with you at the meeting?

[Parsonblue]

Paul Hunt primarily has experience in commercial deals/roles not running a football club.

Totally agree John. It would be unfair to expect Paul Hunt to step into the shoes of John Williams and this has been the problem with Venkys all along. They get rid of experienced guys - Allardyce, Williams, Finn - and then ask people without experience to do the same job. Should we be surprised when it all goes pear shaped?

[glen9mullan]

Glenn, was cancelling protests and such discussed with you at the meeting?

The club will issue 2 statements tomorrow whilst John Newsham will be on Radio Lancashire tomorrow morning regarding the confusion that the statement the club put on the website has caused

[imy9]

Once again well done Glen, after a dark year feeling proud to be a Rovers fan again.

[AndyNeil]

The club will issue 2 statements tomorrow whilst John Newsham will be on Radio Lancashire tomorrow morning regarding the confusion that the statement the club put on the website has caused

Do you know the contents of the 2 statements (I'm not asking for the contents)? Also do you know what John Newsham will be saying regarding the "confusion"?

[Kelbo]

Once again the club are making themselves look like clowns and rank amatuers, what levels has our club sunk to?

Or is it simply that a combination of Venkys, Kean ans Anderson are just bare faced liars?

[roverssex]

is rovers.co.uk web site down? what was is then 1st statement??