[Archived] Will Cheston Respond ?

[CAPT KAYOS]

I got a reply to an email I sent to Cheston (I actually sent three subsequent ones after not hearing anything for a while) and after deliberating I have decided to copy it for all to see.

Now you can tweet from the tub.

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Email Response

4 Jul, 2016, 2:04 PM

From Elle Withers

Details

4th July 2016

By Email

Dear Mr Leake,

Thank you for your recent correspondence and apologies for the delay in coming back to you.

It is with regret to read your current concerns and I am sure you can appreciate, 1 given the size of the challenge we face, it is difficult to get involved in detailed discussions with every individual.

However, be assured that I have read your letter and noted your comments.

2 We are trying very hard to get Blackburn Rovers back to the top flight as soon as possible and approach the 2016-17 season with a sense of renewed optimism.

It will not be easy, but we need everyone with Rovers at heart (and the tone of your correspondence suggests to me that you care deeply about the club) to get right behind us.

As I said at the time of his appointment, we were delighted to welcome Owen Coyle to the club, 3 following a thorough managerial search. A long list of very high calibre names was drawn up, which was then whittled down to six individuals, four of whom were interviewed. Some were unable to fulfil the role for personal reasons, some personal expectations could not be agreed and some did not meet all of the criteria we were looking for.

Owen has a wealth of management experience, a strong track record in the Championship, which includes a promotion to the Premier League, and an excellent reputation for developing promising young players. He knows the area very well and understands exactly what football, and this club, means to people from these parts.

By taking on the role, he knew exactly what he was entering into and he was very positive about the resources that he would have to work with.

His reputation and contacts within the game are mightily impressive and we have already seen the benefit of that with the signings of Anthony Stokes, Danny Graham, Liam Feeney, Stephen Hendrie, and Jack Byrne players we are all very much looking forward to seeing pull on the blue-and-white halves.

The Owners remain totally committed to the club and have trust in the 4 management team currently in place at Ewood Park. However, this is an area which we hope to strengthen further in the coming weeks.

5 We acknowledge that questions have been raised over communication from the Owners, however they are a very private family and dont wish to conduct their business through the media. We have a very good relationship with the Owners and liaise with them and their representatives directly on a regular basis, so have a clear understanding of the way they want to take the club forward.

However, should they wish to comment publicly, they will do so through the correct club channels when they feel the time is right.

Communication is an area that has been discussed at many levels and is something we have been working hard on over the close season to improve. Shortly after I agreed to take on responsibility for all operational aspects of the football club, I sat down with the local newspaper for a Q&A and have continued dialogue with them on several occasions since. Plans are in place to do more local media interviews in the coming weeks, however all football matters will be left to the manager to discuss.

We are also in the process of finalising a new supporters consultation group details of which will be announced in due course.

This will provide representatives from all of the supporter groups, as well as invited individuals, to discuss their views, opinions and recommendations with members of the Board, the manager and senior staff at the club.

As you can see, providing clear lines of communication and building bridges with the supporters and local community as a whole remains at the forefront of our objectives.

This coming season, we need all true Rovers fans to get behind the club, so we hope we can rely on your support.

We value and appreciate your long-serving support and we hope to see you back at Ewood Park when the new campaign gets underway against Norwich City on Saturday August 6th.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Cheston

Director

Well done arbitro and to be fair acknowledgement to Cheston for his response - after much prompting it would appear ( but then again its the classic reception/bell boy & chef scenario)

But just had to laugh at the said response as how it can convince anybody is beyond belief

1 Still don't think they have an idea or care and still don't realise its all because of what they have created

2 now where have we heard that before?

3 Yeah right - very thorough - from nowhere to installed

4 Again -who does this management team consist of they/he keeps referring to

5 Communication - no need to make it all public, but its quite obvious the communication is not very clear at all and no focus is being addressed with regards to the fans - 'understanding to take the club forward' and forefront ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Fair play for responding, that was an actual positive - a personal response.

Problem is, even with something that should be a winner and with any reasonable fan knowing he can't say too much - he messes it up.

For me there were a number of issues:

1 The interview process

Some couldn't agree terms, some decided not to, some didn't fulfill the criteria (paraphrasing here) - well what does that say for the strength of the managerial search that some got on the list despite not meeting the criteria. That's like shortlisting me for a medical job - why bother? Also it's pretty discouraging when you can't agree to get multiple candidates in - again that suggests there's something wrong with the club. His admission here - assuming there's no porkeys - is that the whole shortlist and interview process was a shambles.

2 Reasons for appointing Coyle

I've a number of problems here with the reply. Firstly if some candidates were not pursued because they didn't fulfill all the criteria - what makes this different for Coyle? This seems very contradictory that some who got to interview stage were ruled out because of this, yet for Coyle this somehow doesn't count. Strange business imo. On that, Chesterton never addresses your concern why the goalposts were massively moved for the Coyle appointment. Secondly, he said that OC is appointed based on his record of success. Again if this were the criteria with the scoreline firmly 3-1 against in his last 4 jobs, surely experience is a reason to not to appoint him.

3 No mention of the SEM links/concerns. Not even a rebuttal. Perhaps it's fingers in ears time?

4. Speaking up Coyle's contacts and successes in the transfer market. Given 2 of them were known to the club (Grhama and Feeney) that's not the outstanding work Chesterton says it is. Credit where it's due, well done for bringing in Graham but the rest? When you are using the likes of Feeney and a West Ham youth to praise a manager, you know you're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

5. All true fans get behind the club. I won't even go there but again it's either you comply or you don't support the club. Bad, bad business to ever even stray near this given fans hurt on this issue and the crap we've had to put up with it.

So well done Rovers, another positive into a negative, and you've helped reassure me - reassure me we're heading in the wrong direction.

exactly Bb

[ABBEY]

#venkysout

[OJRovers]

If you are a "private family" don't buy a football club or hang out with Paris Hilton and drive round in a fleet of Rolls Royces!

Blimey, he must think the supporters are stupid to believe this.

[gumboots]

Isn't that the point? They do think we're thick, ignoring the fact that many on here are highly educated, run their own successful businesses, have practical success in a variety of skills. To the Rao family we are peasants.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Isn't that the point? They do think we're thick, ignoring the fact that many on here are highly educated, run their own successful businesses, have practical success in a variety of skills. To the Rao family we are peasants.

Hahaha. We have been here before.

Think drunken Norman baron, belching and farting in his castle, while the noble Robin of Locksley sits under an oak tree, reading Latin poetry......

[JHRover]

I think the scale of destruction will be coming clear just about now to Cheston and his assistants at the club.

We're less than a week away from the 'retain your seat' deadline. In theory the majority of season ticket purchases should be done and dusted by that date.

Only yesterday my brother received a card through the post advertising season tickets. He didn't have one last season and won't be getting one this season, but I still think its a bit late in the day to just be getting round to trying to entice former season ticket holders back. That should have been done months ago, along with many other things, but we're Blackburn Rovers so everything is done last minute.

Brighton were selling season tickets in February. Why weren't we?

Cheston's response to the email above is actually a half decent effort. Unfortunately for most it is too little too late, borne out by alarm bells ringing in the Ewood offices that the chickens are coming home to roost. You can only treat your support base like dirt for so long until people have had enough of it. Its going to take a lot more than an email and some hot air trying to justify the club's disgraceful behaviour in recent months to rebuild broken bridges with a large section of support. Its going to take a lot more than a couple of free transfers, a couple of loans and Owen Coyle's positive spin to convince me anything has changed for the better at this club.

If these owners were genuinely committed and wanted promotion then they would be releasing some of the supposed billions at their disposal to assemble a big and strong squad. That aint happening, and they are still relying on the FFP excuse. Meanwhile Sheffield Wednesday and Derby throw money around without a care in the world. Those are owners who mean business. This lot have a different agenda, and I still don't think we've quite got to the bottom of just what it is yet.

There will be no papering over shockingly low crowds next season, and maybe, just maybe, an empty Ewood Park will make someone in India sit up and investigate what is going wrong. As 'Director' it will presumably be Cheston's neck on the line if crowds are, as expected, pitiful next season.

I was in the club shop earlier today and overheard someone asking the sales assistant how season ticket sales were going. Her response was 'em yeah good, they've picked up in the last week'. When asked about comparisons to last season she said 'about the same'.

Clearly the staff have been instructed to paint a picture of normality and positivity. Pull the other one.

[tomphil]

If you are a "private family" don't buy a football club or hang out with Paris Hilton and drive round in a fleet of Rolls Royces!

Blimey, he must think the supporters are stupid to believe this.

Private when they want to be, that big guy would throw a party to open his junk mail. He's the opposite of private I'd say ignorant is a better way to describe them.

But yes men in suits in football positions of power do assume fans are idiots and no wonder with the stuff they get away with. Venkys and their people seem happy for us to think they're idiots as well, it suits their agenda imo.

[Baz]

Venkys can be as private as they want if they start running the club correctly, or sell up. They have had ample opportunity to do either, and have either continued to run things incompetently, and refused to speak/ acknowledge potential buyers.

[1arC]

I got a reply to an email I sent to Cheston (I actually sent three subsequent ones after not hearing anything for a while) and after deliberating I have decided to copy it for all to see.

Now you can tweet from the tub.

SamsungSponsored

Learn more

Email Response

4 Jul, 2016, 2:04 PM

From Elle Withers

Details

4th July 2016

By Email

Dear Mr Leake,

Thank you for your recent correspondence and apologies for the delay in coming back to you.

It is with regret to read your current concerns and I am sure you can appreciate, given the size of the challenge we face, it is difficult to get involved in detailed discussions with every individual.

However, be assured that I have read your letter and noted your comments.

We are trying very hard to get Blackburn Rovers back to the top flight as soon as possible and approach the 2016-17 season with a sense of renewed optimism.

It will not be easy, but we need everyone with Rovers at heart (and the tone of your correspondence suggests to me that you care deeply about the club) to get right behind us.

As I said at the time of his appointment, we were delighted to welcome Owen Coyle to the club, following a thorough managerial search. A long list of very high calibre names was drawn up, which was then whittled down to six individuals, four of whom were interviewed. Some were unable to fulfil the role for personal reasons, some personal expectations could not be agreed and some did not meet all of the criteria we were looking for.

Owen has a wealth of management experience, a strong track record in the Championship, which includes a promotion to the Premier League, and an excellent reputation for developing promising young players. He knows the area very well and understands exactly what football, and this club, means to people from these parts.

By taking on the role, he knew exactly what he was entering into and he was very positive about the resources that he would have to work with.

His reputation and contacts within the game are mightily impressive and we have already seen the benefit of that with the signings of Anthony Stokes, Danny Graham, Liam Feeney, Stephen Hendrie, and Jack Byrne players we are all very much looking forward to seeing pull on the blue-and-white halves.

The Owners remain totally committed to the club and have trust in the management team currently in place at Ewood Park. However, this is an area which we hope to strengthen further in the coming weeks.

We acknowledge that questions have been raised over communication from the Owners, however they are a very private family and dont wish to conduct their business through the media. We have a very good relationship with the Owners and liaise with them and their representatives directly on a regular basis, so have a clear understanding of the way they want to take the club forward.

However, should they wish to comment publicly, they will do so through the correct club channels when they feel the time is right.

Communication is an area that has been discussed at many levels and is something we have been working hard on over the close season to improve. Shortly after I agreed to take on responsibility for all operational aspects of the football club, I sat down with the local newspaper for a Q&A and have continued dialogue with them on several occasions since. Plans are in place to do more local media interviews in the coming weeks, however all football matters will be left to the manager to discuss.

We are also in the process of finalising a new supporters consultation group details of which will be announced in due course.

This will provide representatives from all of the supporter groups, as well as invited individuals, to discuss their views, opinions and recommendations with members of the Board, the manager and senior staff at the club.

As you can see, providing clear lines of communication and building bridges with the supporters and local community as a whole remains at the forefront of our objectives.

This coming season, we need all true Rovers fans to get behind the club, so we hope we can rely on your support.

We value and appreciate your long-serving support and we hope to see you back at Ewood Park when the new campaign gets underway against Norwich City on Saturday August 6th.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Cheston

Director

Do you mind if I copy and paste this on the Telegraph website? You may have done it already so apologies if you have.

[onlyonejackwalker]

How many emails did you have to send and how long did it take to get a reply?

[arbitro]

Do you mind if I copy and paste this on the Telegraph website? You may have done it already so apologies if you have.

I don't have a problem with that.

[arbitro]

How many emails did you have to send and how long did it take to get a reply?

I sent the one you have seen whilst he was on holiday shortly after Coyle was appointed. I sent at least two more after he returned and my frustrations grew with each one and the tone was more and more pointed.

In all honesty I didn't expect a reply let alone such a detailed one, at best I thought it would be one of the generic, condescending replies I have seen in the past. I appreciate the response but in truth it has done absolutely nothing to persuade me to renew my season ticket.

[1arC]

I don't have a problem with that.

Cheers Tony

[Ben-2000]

Just seen the same on Facebook but was sent by post in response to a one line reply on their ST application pack.

[onlyonejackwalker]

I sent the one you have seen whilst he was on holiday shortly after Coyle was appointed. I sent at least two more after he returned and my frustrations grew with each one and the tone was more and more pointed.

In all honesty I didn't expect a reply let alone such a detailed one, at best I thought it would be one of the generic, condescending replies I have seen in the past. I appreciate the response but in truth it has done absolutely nothing to persuade me to renew my season ticket.

I thought as much. All those celebrating a response, classified as professional by many, need for context to understand it was a reply to the third email sent, over a number of days / weeks and therefore by definition not very professional at all, irrespective of the words written. Eventually.

In business, ignoring your customers 1st email, then 2nd email whilst then actually deigning to reply to a third, would certainly be deemed unprofessional and would normally result in lost business, poor feedback and poor relations.

With the Rovers, eventually actually getting a reply is deemed worthy of celebration.

Total bunch of unprofessional shysters. One thing for sure is it is far cheaper keeping existing customers, than locating and recruiting new ones.

[Mike Graham]

Long response Tony but no substance.

As they say: "All fur coat but no nickers".

[Mike E]

Long response Tony but no substance.

As they say: "All fur coat but no nickers".

I prefer 'all fart and no @#/?'

[ABBEY]

I prefer a 3000000 mile sink hole under Venky towers with every single lune being sucked in and never ever seen again .

[gumboots]

I got a letter from Rovers today. Word for word the same as the one on here I think. So they're not replying to individual concerns, just sending out a standard letter.

[mustard]

I got a letter from Rovers today. Word for word the same as the one on here I think. So they're not replying to individual concerns, just sending out a standard letter.

No surprise gumboots. The letter is no doubt generic in both its content and its relevance to each individual email received. Looked to me like he'd copied and pasted bits from his previous articles/interviews, with some rhetoric chucked in about being a real fan and "getting behind the lads", or more importantly, "we need all true fans to pay your ST money to Venky's (please)".

[PeteJD13]

I got a very bog standard generic reply from Elle Withers his pa

[BlueMonday]

I got a very bog standard generic reply from Elle Withers his pa

Same here, 3 lines of generic BS. And then it transpires they deleted my oline account. Probably because I said I would only attend away games.

Thanks for your support, goodbye.

[AggyBlue]

Same here, 3 lines of generic BS. And then it transpires they deleted my oline account. Probably because I said I would only attend away games.

Thanks for your support, goodbye.

They only want fans who behave like sheep, anyone else can eff off. Operation 'drive fans away' is going to plan.

DE closed to home fans next, then the Riverside. We'll be playing home games at Brockhall soon while Ewood stands empty.

I know. OTT. I felt like a rant.

[gumboots]

Perhaps I should feel honoured that I actually got a letter, albeit typewritten and photocopied, icluding the signature

[Proudtobeblue&white]

Yes, landed on my mat today. Tomorrow's recycle day in Clitheroe so I will put it out with the rest of the paper. As if the rhetoric that is spouted will change my mind. Can the FF's ask:

1. How many ST holders sent in letters/emails etc of complaint?

2. Was this a generic reply? Didn't answer my questions.

3. Give us a true figure of ST sales so far compared with the same time last year.

Whilst I got a reply, it has made me even more sad about where my club is. MC is the captain of the Titanic.