[Archived] Alan Myers - director of communications

[arbitro]

Looks as though they are trying to avoid people thinking that they are run by Blackburn Rovers rather than endorsed.

BRFCAG, BRFCS/BRFCC, you've got to think they'll be coming after you next!

All seems a bit churlish really. You'd think with where the club are at the moment we would want certain groups defined as linked with the club and, rather that defrock them, give them some guidance, and embrace and encourage their involvement with the club, on a voluntary basis. Take ownership of the branding for them and support the activity of those people who are enhancing the reputation of the club, rather than reducing their visible affiliation.

Is the Fans Forum officially known as the Blackburn Rovers Fans Forum?

[yoda]

Rare sighting of alan myers

http://www.rovers.co.uk/news/article/rovers-meet-with-disabled-supporters-2619410.aspx

Reading that the disabled supporters will have to be named something along the lines of

The disabled users of disable facilities kindly provided by Blackburn Rovers

[arbitro]

Do the Disabled Supporters not run a coach to away matches anymore? I recall an issue with their coach but don't know if it was resolved.

If not why don't our beloved owners step in to help. After all somebody was extolling their virtues on here recently for the money they have spent on community projects.

[Parsonblue]

Do the Disabled Supporters not run a coach to away matches anymore? I recall an issue with their coach but don't know if it was resolved.

If not why don't our beloved owners step in to help. After all somebody was extolling their virtues on here recently for the money they have spent on community projects.

There is now no need for a Disabled Supporters coach as the Away Travel now use a coach with a lift as part of the club's inclusive programme. This system has worked very well over the past few seasons.

[arbitro]

There is now no need for a Disabled Supporters coach as the Away Travel now use a coach with a lift as part of the club's inclusive programme. This system has worked very well over the past few seasons.

Thanks Parson.

[Jock]

So it's the-

Disabled supporters of a football team that happen to be Blackburn Rovers but we are nowt to do with Blackburn Rovers so please don't phone Ewood Park asking for us Club.

It must be murder for the staff at Ewood to redirect the tens of calls they must get a month asking for the above club. How did they ever manage when we had efficient people running the club?

[Glenn]

All seems a bit churlish really. You'd think with where the club are at the moment we would want certain groups defined as linked with the club and, rather that defrock them, give them some guidance, and embrace and encourage their involvement with the club, on a voluntary basis. Take ownership of the branding for them and support the activity of those people who are enhancing the reputation of the club, rather than reducing their visible affiliation.

From memory, there was always a big distinction between the Disabled Supporters Group and other fans groups in so much as when the club formally dropped support of "officially recognised" supporters groups, i.e. the regional groups, (a good number of years ago now) the Disabled Supporters Group were exempt and were the sole remaining "official" supporters group.

[Stuart]

From memory, there was always a big distinction between the Disabled Supporters Group and other fans groups in so much as when the club formally dropped support of "officially recognised" supporters groups, i.e. the regional groups, (a good number of years ago now) the Disabled Supporters Group were exempt and were the sole remaining "official" supporters group.

Fine with that but it seems that is no longer the case?

[Baz]

You know that feeling when you have a list of really important things that need dealing with......should I do that, or should I annoy another group of supporters?

I mean how many new disabled fans are we attracting every week that is causing a melt-down in the offices.

Does it need doing, well possibly, but priorities people.

[Jock]

Maybe Toffee could improve the Tribute(if that's what it is) to Uncle Jack on the club website.

[thenodrog]

Yes but he didn't @#/? it up

Correct.... because he was as ruthless as he needed to be. Is this a circular argument?

[thenodrog]

should have appointteed a real manager but your new mates knew best.

Not that i couldnt change my mind ....I WILL NEVER EVER CHANGE MY MIND

I find it odd that you still do not admit that the anti Allardyce brigade were wrong. You do need to change your mind because you still don't believe that they never should have sacked Allardyce. God only knows how many times that was re-iterated on here to the Allardyce haters before and up to his dismissal but it made no difference, they all knew best didn't they? .... Or as some might opine 'haters gotta hate' eh Abbey?

[thenodrog]

You may well be right. But I'm not sure what the running costs of Brockhall are. Are the facilities not owned by Rovers? So the costs are light and heat and mowing the grass. As a league one club we'd have fewer staff one would expect but having those staff working at Brockhall or Pleasington? Not sure of the additional costs?

The cost of Brockhall would be significant and the cost of Ewood similar and way over our budget . Problem we have is that the supporters of BRFC will not / can not pay enough to support the expense. Might be business sense to offer the excellent facilities at Brockhall with another professional local team.

[thenodrog]

Just seen this, no supporter has walked away from the "club" they have walked away from the current owners. They are the ones insulting Jack Walkers legacy.

Semantics yoda. Anyway you are wrong. Not many walked away from the club until we were relegated. We'd had the new owners two years by then.

Just as an aside

a. if JW is looking down do you think he'd be impressed with the deserters?

b. what would happen in everyone did that?

Back on topic, here's a thought. Should there have been a communication to the fans that the director of communication to the fans was not able to communicate to the fans? Or should we have had to read speculation about it on a fan messageboard?

Who cares about communication from the owners? paul nailed it in his recent post. Why would they say anything because whatever they say will be twisted on here and elsewhere. Jack Walker was hardly an open book was he? All that matters is success / failure on the pitch

Fans forum members have regularly said the FF is not the place to discuss the workings of the club. So the "why don't the moaners join" is another swerve aimed at distraction.

In fact every FF member who has ever posted on the subject has blamed the fans. Who can forget the cringworthy Mr Spark?

The FF is irrelevant appeasement where busybodies discuss the shade of the pitch or a missing lightbulb in trap 4.

ES will be well suited. He is well on the way to achieving his ambition of sitting with 4000 'proper' supporters in an Ewood that sounds like the local swimming baths.

[thenodrog]

If the FF was to put itself forward as representing the fans on major issues such as ownership and management than it would be falsely representing itself because as is rightly pointed out it is a non-elected voluntary body.

The worst thing that the FF did to it's reputation and credibility was go on that India jolly. You liked to think you were representing the fan base then that was apparent. You all had stars in your eyes and wouldn't listen to common sense advice would you?

[Coatbridge rover]

What's it like being perfect Gordon.

[thenodrog]

tbh I used to be big headed but I'm perfect now.

But you may have a point, I do sometimes get bored with always being right CR.

[ABBEY]

What do you care though Gord ? You don't even want rovers to come through this you want lanky daydream .

[Coatbridge rover]

Can you give me the lottery no for this sat,cheers

[ABBEY]

The worst thing that the FF did to it's reputation and credibility was go on that India jolly. You liked to think you were representing the fan base then that was apparent. You all had stars in your eyes and wouldn't listen to common sense advice would you?

Most sensible post for yonks you've done . If I had been asked to go to Pune I would have told them to stick it up there arse. It's like the modern FF they don't represent me even by 1%

[Coatbridge rover]

I understand that John Pittard and Birdy go yo every game,others who went,I think thought it would be a good jolly.And weren't really bothered about the ethics.

[Glenn]

I was one of those on the "Jolly", despite it costing me a load of money I didn't have at the time and the time it took up nearly sank the company I was trying to keep afloat. Yes I only paid a few hundred quid for a trip that probably should have cost thousands, but I'd just as soon had gone if I was sleeping on somebody's floor and flying Euroflot, if it meant I got my chance to say my piece to them face to face (a few of us had already worked on self-funded trips, but it had been made crystal clear that if we did, we wouldn't get an audience with them).

Had I not taken the chance to make sure they understood, face to face, the situation they were in, what it meant to the fans and what the end result would be if they didn't act, I'd have gone to my grave regretting the decision, wondering if my worries about what others might think of me had actually got in the way of making a real positive difference.

With hindsight, would I do it again? No, of course not, I now know Balaji sat there, listened intently, said all the right things and then they didn't take a blind bit of notice. But surely you understand why we had to try! Given some of the idiotic things that were being tried at the time to try and bring about change, a good shot at an audience with them (which we got) seemed it was worth doing.

The one small thing I did gain from the trip was a much better understanding of the club, the internal power struggle (be it perceived or real), how close JA was to certain people at the club and on a better note I met the two Ians for the first time. But I'd have been much happy to do all of that in this country.

But what does this have to do with Alan Myers, this was all long before his time? It was somebody all together different handling club communications back then and personally I'm ok with "you say it best, when you say nothing at all", than the alternative.

I understand that John Pittard and Birdy go yo every game,others who went,I think thought it would be a good jolly.And weren't really bothered about the ethics.

Birdy, Pittard et al paid their own way, just to watch the game. The Rao's did however include they in some of the events they'd organised and offered to pay their expenses (hotel, airfares etc), but last I heard they hadn't seen a penny back from India.

[Tom]

Obviously I agree with Glenn's sentiments (I would wouldnt i) - all this talk of people don't do anything, we tried something (ill advised or not - and yes we were warned) and failed spectacularly - still, we tried, I'm still surprised we got close enough to speak to Balaji after seeing how a certain ex preston type was trying to manage things!

Funnily enough though I'm pretty sure Alan Myers was out there at the same time working for sky sports covering the trip, sure I remember seeing him conducting interviews.

[yoda]

Semantics yoda. Anyway you are wrong. Not many walked away from the club until we were relegated. We'd had the new owners two years by then. The day they bought us, 1 year, 2 years it's all the same Gordon, they have @#/? up

Just as an aside

a. if JW is looking down do you think he'd be impressed with the deserters? Jack Walker would fully understand the supporters being @#/? off, then again he wouldn't have let it get this far

b. what would happen in everyone did that? The Rao's might buck their ideas up

Who cares about communication from the owners? paul nailed it in his recent post. Why would they say anything because whatever they say will be twisted on here and elsewhere. Jack Walker was hardly an open book was he? All that matters is success / failure on the pitch Correct, current set up will not produce that though

ES will be well suited. He is well on the way to achieving his ambition of sitting with 4000 'proper' supporters in an Ewood that sounds like the local swimming baths.

[Stuart]

The cost of Brockhall would be significant and the cost of Ewood similar and way over our budget . Problem we have is that the supporters of BRFC will not / can not pay enough to support the expense. Might be business sense to offer the excellent facilities at Brockhall with another professional local team.

Would they? Why? What costs are you referring to?