[Archived] Open Floor Meeting To Unite The Fans

[AllRoverAsia]

A major plus for me was getting Birdy at the table and hearing him say that he wanted Venkys gone (or at least words to that effect).

As others have said Ewood Blues must, going forward, be a major part of an anti-Venky campaign to add the credibility of a well known long established Rovers supporters group.

Love him or loath him the fact is Birdy is a 'face' of Blackburn Rovers.

Couple that with the passion and guts of people like Glen and Mark and the business planning of Wayne Wild (and preston blue) plus youth like Neal and there is a lead-team in formation. Plus Marion!!!

RTID.................

[Amo]

I think changing the "in on 18 out on 75" to 18in75out message would be better.

Works better for social media too #18in75out

[oldjamfan1]

A point i wanted to make that I didn't get chance to elaborate on was about targeting the F.A. from a different direction. I've mentioned on another thread that got sidetracked about starting something called "Fans on Board". I touched on this and Wayne responded about how they've contacted the F.A. about fan representation at board room level. I think it could be good to start this organisation ourselves, separate from Rovers protests (although i think it will help our situation) and try to get other supporters groups from other clubs on board through the 'Fans United' movement. We briefly spoke about the FSF (Football Supporters Federation) and I feel their goals are too widespread, I think there needs to be an organisation SPECIFICALLY forcing this issue on the F.A. to make it mandatory the the fans are represented in the board room to stop situations at Rovers from happening again and to stop what is happening now. I think we need to think big and outside the box and personally I'm 100% convinced that this is the only way (fans on board), I'm fully committed to the idea but I just don't know where to start with it. I feel that most fans of almost every club would vote in favour of this, Arsenal, United, Liverpool, Everton, Newcastle, Leeds, Coventry, Portsmouth to name a few I feel would back this idea.

I have given my details to the guys tonight but feel free to contact me on here.

I have been thinking for a while now how I might be able to offer some help and assistance to getting Venkys out. Had I been based in Lancashire and not Glasgow I would have been there last night, probably hogging the microphone, and would undoubtedly have put myself forward in some way.

However when I saw this, I may have found something I can contribute meaningfully to. I am the CEO of a housing association, and as part of our governance arrangements we have to support tenants to skill themselves up to be able to sit on our Board. More importantly, we actually have to have a certain number on the Board. There are tenants on the boards of every HA in Scotland, and these are multi million pound businesses.

I know this isn't football-related but it seems to me that the issue of fan representation on the boards of football clubs is comparable, and there are probably lessons to be learned from my sector if football wanted to adopt similar rules about user-governance. I have access to a network of trainers and governance experts, many of whom are football fans themselves, as well as my own experience in this field.

Please get in touch if you feel I can be of assistance.

PS - There will be a Venkys Out banner at the forthcoming Old Firm game and the Celtic v Man City champions league clash.

[Iceman]

I not in favour of delaying traffic as we dont want residents who arent interested being effective by it.

We dont want bad press/media coverage

affected Chaddy

[ABBEY]

I not in favour of delaying traffic as we dont want residents who arent interested being effective by it.

We dont want bad press/media coverage

You mean you might be late deedums

It's supposed to effective

[Tom]

I not in favour of delaying traffic as we dont want residents who arent interested being effective by it.

We dont want bad press/media coverage

As others said action invariably inconveniences people - as long as it's nothing critical they get over it; I'm sure folk would move for an ambulance etc

[chaddyrovers]

The last thing we want or need is yet another new group forming.

The three groups on the top table - BRFC Action Group, Ewood Blues and Rovers Trust - should be given the mandate to now propose the next actions based on ideas from last night's meeting.

I would divide the work into two - Ewood Park/Blackburn based initiatives and India based ones.

There is a lot of work needs to be done to get any of the ideas being floated up and running and successful.

Anyone who wants to get involved should contact one of the three groups and offer their services stating what they think they can bring to the party.

Last night showed more than enough fans still care as much as ever and want some positive action to end the Venky's regime.

The fact that the chief football correspondent for The Times, Oliver Kay, could be bothered to voluntarily spend his Thursday night in Blakey's Bar shows we are certainly not being ignored or forgotten by the national media.

The Times of India published a very decent feature last week on the shambles that has been the Venky's ownership.

Carefully planned, unified action is what's needed. One trip to India is all that's required, not two or three different groups flying out. And January 2017 coinciding with the cricket ODI in Pune is the perfect opportunity to allow for proper planning and maximum results.

Unity was the aim last night and that's what we got. Keep it simple folks!

Hopefully Oliver Kay can do a big article about it and why. Plus it in a good paper like the Times.

Good press coverage and what we need

[Tom]

I think you should "out" the wally.

Of course it was Mr Preston Blue; impeccably timed intervention before a slanging match ensued

[yoda]

Of course it was Mr Preston Blue; impeccably timed intervention before a slanging match ensued

Slanging match or passion ?

[Mike Graham]

Slanging match = ex wife

Passion = new wife

[chaddyrovers]

As others said action invariably inconveniences people - as long as it's nothing critical they get over it; I'm sure folk would move for an ambulance etc

But wont it local businesses and other people non football retaled by delaying traffic?

[oldjamfan1]

Slanging match = ex wife

Passion = new wife

Brilliant!

[ABBEY]

Know idea what you said.. Chaddy

Local business is already affected by boycotters and crowds dropping . I take it you would be a scab at work Chaddy and wouldn't strike

Slanging match = ex wife

Passion = new wife

Spanking = bit on side

[Dreams of 1995]

Paul Lambert on SSN saying that he told owners there needed to be a serious revamp and they disagreed so he decided to agree to disagree and walk. But without massive revamping of the way the club is run things will continue the same way they have been going.

Seemed rather reluctant to pursue the line of questioning. Definitely think a NDA was included in his get-out clause

[Neal]

As for the name, I really like the simplicity of Rovers Against Venky's. However, where we've fallen.short is that this should've been the BRFC Action Group (which has longevity post-Venky's), much like TangerineKnights has longevity.

I think something like ROVERS AGAINST VENKYS sums it up really. It spells out that this is NOT their club, that it's OURS and that we will be taking action AGAINST them. It also doesn't sound too much like a group either but rather a name for the fans that has a simple yet clear message.

You spoke well Neal, I was stood next to you and could sense your frustration with how some people were behaving.

So, well done, I wouldn't have had the balls to do what you did. Just next time though mate, don't wear your sister's leggings.

Firstly... You cheeky bastud! Haha. Yeah but like some others have said, everyone has a right to be heard, I just think people seem to turn up without thinking about what these meetings are focused on and want answers... Which is what last night wasn't about! I was eager for us to get things boxed off and organised but there was significant amounts of time wasted due to feelings, moot points and frustrations which I suppose is to be expected.

I have been thinking for a while now how I might be able to offer some help and assistance to getting Venkys out. Had I been based in Lancashire and not Glasgow I would have been there last night, probably hogging the microphone, and would undoubtedly have put myself forward in some way.

However when I saw this, I may have found something I can contribute meaningfully to. I am the CEO of a housing association, and as part of our governance arrangements we have to support tenants to skill themselves up to be able to sit on our Board. More importantly, we actually have to have a certain number on the Board. There are tenants on the boards of every HA in Scotland, and these are multi million pound businesses.

I know this isn't football-related but it seems to me that the issue of fan representation on the boards of football clubs is comparable, and there are probably lessons to be learned from my sector if football wanted to adopt similar rules about user-governance. I have access to a network of trainers and governance experts, many of whom are football fans themselves, as well as my own experience in this field.

Please get in touch if you feel I can be of assistance.

PS - There will be a Venkys Out banner at the forthcoming Old Firm game and the Celtic v Man City champions league clash.

Wow. Thats great mate, really appreciate it. It's interesting to see how this works in housing, the more evidence we can have to present this idea the better so its good there are examples OUTSIDE off football. I'll maybe set up some sort of twitter account to get the ball rolling but anyone else who wants to come on board with this please get in touch even if its just share ideas.

Some fantastic points were made, and i echo everyone on here in their praise for those who spoke confidently and put their ideas forward, inparticular Neal and Marion who were fantastic. I have a lot wrote down and a lot to look at tonight over the next few hours before i go to bed, i also have a list of people who put their names and contact details down and you have my guarantee that i will contact every single person who i have details for in the coming days, as we look to reach out to people who can bring positives to the table.

Tonight's meeting cannot be the last of its kind, we must act on tonight's discussions and move forward together and i accept and agree that any future meetings need to have proposals and decisions. The clear remit from tonight in terms of protests, was that the proposal to enter on 18 and exit on 75 was the popular one, and in the coming days the work on this will begin. The other popular suggestion was whistles, and anything of this nature, that is either audible or visual in addition to being disruptive.

For those who are disappointed at any lack of progress tonight, please bear with it, we are on the right road now and the journey has begun.

Just want to say well done again Mark, although I know I did last night. People willing to stand up and be counted is all i've wanted as a Rovers fan for 6 years now and you've certainly done that. It was a difficult position to put yourself in but you coped well, it was just a shame that a lot misunderstood the point of the meeting. Feel free to get in touch anytime.

[Mike E]

Anyone who wishes to get in touch, PM on here. When supply work rolls in again, I'll put some money forward into the whistle idea.

[JHRover]

Paul Lambert on SSN saying that he told owners there needed to be a serious revamp and they disagreed so he decided to agree to disagree and walk. But without massive revamping of the way the club is run things will continue the same way they have been going.

Seemed rather reluctant to pursue the line of questioning. Definitely think a NDA was included in his get-out clause

Just like Williams tried to get them to change their ways, then Paul Hunt, Lambert was another in the long line of people who wanted to make a success of this and put their neck on the line to do it, but might as well have been talking to a brick wall in their bedrooms.

Lambert was their last shot at redemption. His appointment united the fanbase, and was an opportunity for them to turn this ship around. It seems the prospect of listening to the manager and acting on his advice was too much for these people.

It seems like an eternity ago that I was hailing Lambert's appointment alongside Irvine and Kelly. For a brief moment we were a normal, ambitious club that wanted to improve and progress and had made a series of sensible and ambitious coaching appointments. Lambert was clearly appointed with a remit of getting to the Premier League and was clearly led to believe he would be given the tools to do it.

Quite how they have managed to undo all of that in the space of 6 months whilst condemning us to the Third Division is in a perverse kind of way impressive. It takes a special level of incompetence/criminality to go from the stability and steady hand of Bowyer to the extreme ambition of Lambert (promotion the only goal) to the incompetence of Coyle (I want to have a team that can compete in this league) all in less than 9 months.

[Neal]

Lets at least try and get the ball rolling then. Anyone who is decent at Photoshop, maybe something to start from below?

Could I see what it would look like if it read

ROVERS AGAINST

VENKYS (Venkys in red and bigger text to show them up)

Good work sir!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Just looked at the LET article regarding this. Reading the LET online is so depressing. The comments section is a who's who the the biggest and blindest morons in the the country

Populated by Burnley fans hiding behind Rovers misnomer...really wouldn't take any notice pal.

[J*B]

Could I see what it would look like if it read

ROVERS AGAINST

VENKYS (Venkys in red and bigger text to show them up)

Good work sir!

[Neal]

Cheers mate. I really like that! You've done some good work there, hats off to you!

[Tom]

I'd second Neal being involved more prominently if he wanted to be, told him last night (although didn't introduce myself) that he spoke well and if I'm not mistaken he spoke about 5 years ago with passion at the Manxman although I think his fashion choices have changed a bit in that time, was also prominent in early pictures with the Venkys out bed sheet (or was that Kean out can't recall now) and with the blackpool March is obviously keen to get involved in new ideas.

[OJRovers]

More pressure needs to be put on the Board of Directors, who legally are meant to run the club in the best way possible:

Consider Lambert's honest appraisal of the club and his integrity to walk away to Cheston's "nothing out of the ordinary" response to the local MP and his pandering to the owners - it is shocking that he is not getting put under more pressure to stand against the owners.

[AggyBlue]

I would divide the work into two - Ewood Park/Blackburn based initiatives and India based ones.

I thought similar except I would have three working parties. The third one to raise finance to fund the other two.

[J*B]

I like how we're considering Neal's role in this due to his spray on trousers.