[Archived] Fans Forum meeting, plus new website

[windymiller7]

It really does stagger me that the club claim the programme last season took the 'media team' 5 man days to prepare. How?

Even if the 'team' only consists of 2 people, that suggests that it takes them 5 days each, 10 days in total, 7-8 hours each day. Are the club really suggesting that last season's programme took at least 80 working hours to produce each edition?

Sorry if I'm being a bit pedantic here, but that's not what '5 man days' means. This means that if the team consisted of 5 people, it would take a day, 2 people - 2.5 days etc. ie there's probably a few people doing different bits and their combined input equates to around 40 hours. You would be correct if they had stated "It takes the media team 5 days".

That said, I'm pretty sure that if you gave me a week, I could come up with something better than we've produced for the last few years. It seems to be 90% adverts and the rest asking this week's selected player what his favourite colour is!

[arbitro]

Sorry if I'm being a bit pedantic here, but that's not what '5 man days' means. This means that if the team consisted of 5 people, it would take a day, 2 people - 2.5 days etc. ie there's probably a few people doing different bits and their combined input equates to around 40 hours. You would be correct if they had stated "It takes the media team 5 days".

That said, I'm pretty sure that if you gave me a week, I could come up with something better than we've produced for the last few years. It seems to be 90% adverts and the rest asking this week's selected player what his favourite colour is!

Your point about advertising could be relevant here. Perhaps the lack of advertisers in the forthcoming season is contributing to the size reduction. That would also contribute to the loss making.

[AndyNeil]

I put the minutes on my twitter feed a few days ago as the FF seem to have stopped using their social media accounts.

The programme will remain at the current size and price for the coming season, although there will be no programme again for the pre-season game as there wasn't for Wigan last season.

[tomphil]

I expect about 6 pages per issue to be taken up by Feeney then seeing as he seems to have been nominated as club spokesperson in their desperate attempt to justify his re signing.

[JHRover]

I put the minutes on my twitter feed a few days ago as the FF seem to have stopped using their social media accounts.

The programme will remain at the current size and price for the coming season, although there will be no programme again for the pre-season game as there wasn't for Wigan last season.

With concerns as to the quality raised at the forum meeting last week, and Mike Cheston admitting that the programme is making a loss, do you think that responsibility for the programme will be given to someone else? Or alternatively a radical change in content? Why not aim to achieve a greater size?

Last 4-5 years the programme has been virtually the same but with a slightly different cover and different colours/fonts. I'd like to see the club push the boat out and produce the bound volumes containing substantial material - interviews with club legends, pages of stats, full analysis of the opposition and past meetings. I refuse to accept that the club couldn't do this. I've bought every away programme in recent years and with the exception of Huddersfield ours is a woeful effort.

[AndyNeil]

With concerns as to the quality raised at the forum meeting last week, and Mike Cheston admitting that the programme is making a loss, do you think that responsibility for the programme will be given to someone else? Or alternatively a radical change in content? Why not aim to achieve a greater size?

Last 4-5 years the programme has been virtually the same but with a slightly different cover and different colours/fonts. I'd like to see the club push the boat out and produce the bound volumes containing substantial material - interviews with club legends, pages of stats, full analysis of the opposition and past meetings. I refuse to accept that the club couldn't do this. I've bought every away programme in recent years and with the exception of Huddersfield ours is a woeful effort.

I'm not on the FF anymore and haven't been for more than 2 years so couldn't answer your questions I'm afraid.

I agree that it has gone downhill over recent years and just do not accept the '5 man days' to put it together given the quality, or lack of - I know the club had their profit margin cut last season but they held the price at £3. The cover last season was virtually the same as Millwall which makes me wonder if they can even be bothered designing it themselves, or if it is farmed out to an agency? When I see some of the other programme covers (retro, etc) and look at our bland, generic cover its no wonder sales are dropping through the floor and that they can't give them away.

[Al]

Some people are so intolerant of others, or is it that they just like to enforce their will on others? Personally as a non smoker I never did see the problem of smoking in the open air, especially in a separated area. It is certainly not illegal when three sides are open to the atmosphere.

[gumboots]

I wasn't being intolerant, merely asking what the law is on public places like football stadia. Personally I hate being anywhere near anyone who is smoking, and find the smell of cigarette smoke thoroughly unpleasant. Even at a distance it causes me to cough. However, I have no problem with people smoking provided there is sensible provision made to minimise the effect on others

[K-Hod]

Some people are so intolerant of others, or is it that they just like to enforce their will on others? Personally as a non smoker I never did see the problem of smoking in the open air, especially in a separated area. It is certainly not illegal when three sides are open to the atmosphere.

I couldn't agree more with this. The smoking area in the Riverside is completely fine and separate from those that don't wish to.

Whilst I don't smoke myself, I've no issue with those that wish to. It's their life and it stops the toilets from being full of crafty smokers......

[scotchrover]

Back on topic, at the next meeting, someone needs to bring up the condition of the stadium. It looks very grubby in parts. I sat in the Darwen End all last year and the roof (looking up from the seats), had paint peeling off. I know for a fact that other parts of the ground don't exactly look great either!

[AndyNeil]

Back on topic, at the next meeting, someone needs to bring up the condition of the stadium. It looks very grubby in parts. I sat in the Darwen End all last year and the roof (looking up from the seats), had paint peeling off. I know for a fact that other parts of the ground don't exactly look great either!

...taken from the minutes of the meeting on 11th July

e) BS stated that several external areas around the ground were looking

quite scruffy and asked whether there were any plans for a cleaning

programme. MC replied that he had been looking at the issue and

had indeed recently been on the roof – a cleaning programme was

planned.

[OJRovers]

If the 'media team' cut back on the 5 man days, what else are they going to be doing with the time? Surely the programme is one of their main deliverables?

[DE.]

If the 'media team' cut back on the 5 man days, what else are they going to be doing with the time? Surely the programme is one of their main deliverables?

Lots of propaganda to produce these days, too.

[Paul]

Some people are so intolerant of others, or is it that they just like to enforce their will on others? Personally as a non smoker I never did see the problem of smoking in the open air, especially in a separated area. It is certainly not illegal when three sides are open to the atmosphere.

Nobody is being intolerant Al. The FF minutes say nothing about an open air smoking area. Tom clarified it as being open air and I agreed with that.

Smoking in a public building is illegal.

I put the minutes on my twitter feed a few days ago as the FF seem to have stopped using their social media accounts.

The minutes came up on my FB page last night or early this morning. Otherwise I wouldn't have been aware of them.

[Al]

Nobody is being intolerant Al. The FF minutes say nothing about an open air smoking area. Tom clarified it as being open air and I agreed with that.

Smoking in a public building is illegal.

The minutes came up on my FB page last night or early this morning. Otherwise I wouldn't have been aware of them.

It's not illegal if it's open on three sides as a football stadium is. That's why they have smoking areas in pub yards. Your words are carefully chosen to suit your purpose.

[mhead]

Rearranging the seats on the deck of TheTitanic......

[BlooBoy]

Your point about advertising could be relevant here. Perhaps the lack of advertisers in the forthcoming season is contributing to the size reduction. That would also contribute to the loss making.

A good point

The money made on actual programme sales is minute (a thousand sold at 3 quid a pop ).

Artwork/printing costs will swallow all that up.

Advertisers generate the cash.

[AndyNeil]

Nobody is being intolerant Al. The FF minutes say nothing about an open air smoking area. Tom clarified it as being open air and I agreed with that.

Smoking in a public building is illegal.

The minutes came up on my FB page last night or early this morning. Otherwise I wouldn't have been aware of them.

Yes, sorry Paul that is my error. It seems that the Facebook page is being used however after the previous 'incident' it seems that the Twitter account has been abandoned.

[sambo]

Rearranging the seats on the deck of TheTitanic......

To be fair, whilst they are minor in the grand scheme of things, these issues still matter to some people and are necessary 'day-to-day' stuff.

[Iceman]

On the plus side though they are looking at the possibility of stocking umbrellas in the club shop.

Probably just so that Mr Venky can protect himself from snowballs.

I expect about 6 pages per issue to be taken up by Feeney then seeing as he seems to have been nominated as club spokesperson in their desperate attempt to justify his re signing.

Hopefully its the Feenished article, and that there are no more

[Baz]

Yes, sorry Paul that is my error. It seems that the Facebook page is being used however after the previous 'incident' it seems that the Twitter account has been abandoned.

I hope said person has had the decency to apologise in person to the fan he besmirched, and offer his resignation to the FF too.

[Baz]

Interesting:

New Manager

TS expressed surprise at the outcome of the selection process for the new manager appointment.

The club had received around 30 serious applications for the vacancy, which had been refined with the invaluable help of Alan Irvine and Rob Kelly, who had played or worked with almost all of them. Three candidates had been interviewed and an appointment was due to be made when the club were made aware of the availability of Owen Coyle. It was decided to add Owen to the interview list and he had been duly appointed. Owen met all the criteria for the role, including an ability to develop young players, having Championship experience, having achieved promotion on a modest budget, good media experience and he understood the particular situation at Rovers.

On Supporter Consultation- why is it 'not practical' for Cheston to meet with every fan group? Surely that should be one of his priorities if he wants to get supporters back?

[Stuart]

Gumboots like you I don't what is legal but I think I'm clear on what has become generally accepted.

Tom if it's outside the ground I'm OK with that. I'm not aware of what happens in the BBE.

It seems family members who smoke won't be able to as this is DE end of the JWL only!! Seems daft to me. If one section of smokers get an area why don't others?

In this litigious age that we live in, I'm surprised that smoking areas are even provided at all. A lawyer could well argue that his client was 'encouraged' to smoke by the club providing a smoking facility and he can sue for damages to his health as a result.

Utter bunkum but there you go.

[Paul]

Presumably the club see smoking areas as the solution to people smoking in the toilets. Can't say I've noticed this as an issue in the JWL. It often happens at away grounds.

[47er]

Interesting:

New Manager

TS expressed surprise at the outcome of the selection process for the new manager appointment.

The club had received around 30 serious applications for the vacancy, which had been refined with the invaluable help of Alan Irvine and Rob Kelly, who had played or worked with almost all of them. Three candidates had been interviewed and an appointment was due to be made when the club were made aware of the availability of Owen Coyle. It was decided to add Owen to the interview list and he had been duly appointed. Owen met all the criteria for the role, including an ability to develop young players, having Championship experience, having achieved promotion on a modest budget, good media experience and he understood the particular situation at Rovers.

On Supporter Consultation- why is it 'not practical' for Cheston to meet with every fan group? Surely that should be one of his priorities if he wants to get supporters back?

There is no transparency in that interview process. It's an owner set-up like Kean was. The process proceeded to the penultimate stage and then Coyle was dumped on the panel from above.

Nothing has changed at Ewood since those bad old days. Coyle was not a genuine candidate and does not deserve fans' support.

Venkys out.