[Archived] Protest @ EFL HQ

[Eddie]

30 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Did you join in any of the previous protests or boycotts?

No. There are two reasons for that. The most obvious is that I don't currently live in the UK, so I have no real ability to boycott (although I have continued to attend matches each season whenever possible, subscribe to Rovers player and iFollow, and I have not stopped giving the club money. The second reason is that I never felt that the boycotts did anything. I thought they were counterproductive and simply made our supporters look childish and damaged any hope we had of salvaging a working relationship with the owners. 

29 minutes ago, lraC said:

I assume that if our owners have been fit and proper for 10 months, then they have had 6 plus years, of not being so. So far, I haven't heard anyone of the owners, or even a spokesperson come out and explain, some of the extraordinary events, at our club over the last seven years. A few months of normal behaviour, can hardly paper over this can it?

1

25 minutes ago, JHRover said:

What indicators are those? Aside from winning more games what is different about the club now than in say February 2014?

IraC, I agree. The club still needs to improve communication with the supporters and at some point will need to address the elephant in the room (their complete mismanagement for the first few years of their ownership). I don't expect that to happen anytime soon, or ever really, but it would go a long way towards improving the relationship with the supporters. 

As for the indicators, I see several that point towards things being better now: 

1 A manager in charge who is being allowed to get on with his job. Everything indicated that Mowbray has final say on everything to do with players and that he has no fear of the owners stepping in to get in his way. 

2 Investment in the team. Yes, for several years we were profitable in our transfer dealings, but this season the club has made a concerted effort to build a squad that is not only capable of going up straight away, but one that will be competitive in the Championship. 

3 Paying our bills. Maybe it is just being piled into more debt, but the lights are still on and everyone gets their payslips, and that is no small feat considering how much this club is losing on a monthly basis. 

4 The appointment of experienced staff in key positions. Over the past 6-12 months we have seen the club hire staff who are actually qualified for their jobs. 

 

[JHRover]

6 minutes ago, Eddie said:

 

As for the indicators, I see several that point towards things being better now: 

1 A manager in charge who is being allowed to get on with his job. Everything indicated that Mowbray has final say on everything to do with players and that he has no fear of the owners stepping in to get in his way. 

2 Investment in the team. Yes, for several years we were profitable in our transfer dealings, but this season the club has made a concerted effort to build a squad that is not only capable of going up straight away, but one that will be competitive in the Championship. 

3 Paying our bills. Maybe it is just being piled into more debt, but the lights are still on and everyone gets their payslips, and that is no small feat considering how much this club is losing on a monthly basis. 

4 The appointment of experienced staff in key positions. Over the past 6-12 months we have seen the club hire staff who are actually qualified for their jobs. 

 

1. Everything Bowyer did indicated he had the final say on everything to do with players and had the trust of the owners to do things his way. Bucket loads of evidence on that. 2 years of 'stability' in which the owners went quiet and Bowyer assembled a quality squad that did the club proud after the rotten eggs were removed. What's different now other than it is Mowbray that they trust rather than Bowyer?

2. Investment in the team - by my reckoning they've spent up to £1 million on Dack, Samuel and Bell and possibly turned down a few hundred thousand for Mulgrew. Since 2015 they've sold upwards of £30 million of talent and spent, at the very most, about £1.2 million. The club made a 'concerted effort' under Bowyer to 'get back to the Premier League' and look how that ended up.

3. Paying our bills - perhaps the only thing they have consistently done - we all know the alternative to that is either administration or liquidation which would mean Venkys lost control of the club. They've not got much choice on that one.

4. Appointment of 'experienced staff' - who? To my knowledge the only senior staff arrival since last year has been Steve Waggott. Said all the right things to date but talking a good game has never been the issue here with the succession of various people they've brought in to work at the club. Its actually doing the job properly that they struggle with. On paper his CV is no better than Derek Shaw's. We've still got no commercial director and the suspicious presence of Pasha.

I'm genuinely not trying to be hard work here, I just see a lot of parallels with 2013-15 under Gary Bowyer and for that reason I'm not going to get sucked in by it all. Things are undoubtedly 'better' than they were under Coyle because people like Mowbray and trust him and we're winning a lot more football matches, but I'm not sure how much credit Venkys deserve for that and even if they do deserve credit it counts for nothing if they stab him in the back like they did with Bowyer and sell everything off again in 12 months time.

[Stuart]

I’ve honestly lost all appetite for protesting.

Not because I think that they CAN’T work but largely because of attitudes like @Bigdoggsteel mean that they WON’T work. (Although at least he is being up front about it).

Now, and unless they bring back Steve Kean, I will just go to the games with my lads, watch, cheer, critique, get mad at referees and go home.

My anti-Venkys energies are now limited to hoping that they will one day F. the F.O. and (if we are very lucky) suffer some horrendous financial collapse, and end up destitute.

Fans of other clubs didn’t care about our situation - along with 90% of our own fans. And if a sizeable majority of fans aren’t prepared to stick by one another against malicious ownership then why bother. We aren’t really a fanbase in that sense anyway, just individuals and small groups who happen to sit near each other once a fortnight. This much has been proven.

Wonder how many anti-Glazers, anti-SISU, anti-Hicks-Gillette (oh how they forget), anti-Bates fans will turn out - and they are they City clubs? It seems that it’s the townies that are the more vociferous - and much more easy to deem rabble-rousers and dismiss.

And shouldn’t this be an issue for every football fan? Any of them could be next...

[Hasta]

Venkys haven't become  good owners. They just haven't had to make any decisions recently.

Tell me who appointed Coyle, decided to sack Coyle and then appointed Mowbray?

Tell me how Cheston can interview 5 candidates, go on hoiday and then another party employs Coyle in his absense?

We don't know because there is no transparency on who makes key decisions at Ewood. If Mowbray fails that circus will happen all over again.

Regardless,  the protest is off site against EFL administration. If Rovers fans want to go then great. It is not "prodding any bear."

[Tugay's Right Foot]

Wait, will it get an airing such that it derails or distracts our teams from the current challenges? By teams, I mean our first team going for the top 2 spots and the various developmental and youth squads in their leagues/cups.

if yes, then backburner for me. Just my view.

[DE.]

I can't imagine a couple of dozen people protesting outside the EFL headquarters having such a seismic impact that it destroys our squad's morale and plunges the club into chaos. If it does, though, then it'll be one hell of a protest. 

[Dreams of 1995]

I'd argue that if our squad gets distracted by a few Rovers/Blackpool fans protesting outside the EFL HQ on a Friday afternoon then it isn't worthy of promotion.

What makes you think for just one second that this can have any impact whatsoever on our performance on the pitch? Do you think these men are so emotionally unstable that the slightest hum of discontent at how the league is regulated is going to make them spiral into some depressive like state, unable to perform at any level? You mustn't think much of them if so.

[JHRover]

19 minutes ago, DE. said:

I can't imagine a couple of dozen people protesting outside the EFL headquarters having such a seismic impact that it destroys our squad's morale and plunges the club into chaos. If it does, though, then it'll be one hell of a protest. 

The only way it might have an impact is if the 'EFL's precious corporate partners and sponsors start to get uncomfortable with it all. They probably won't want groups of vocal supporters congregating outside and if they raise concerns with the suits at the EFL then something might happen.

Their language is ££££. Everything is ok with the world as long as the ££££ keep on flowing in. The minute that comes under threat is when they start to sit up and take notice.

[Hasta]

2 hours ago, Tugay's Right Foot said:

Wait, will it get an airing such that it derails or distracts our teams from the current challenges? By teams, I mean our first team going for the top 2 spots and the various developmental and youth squads in their leagues/cups.

if yes, then backburner for me. Just my view.

How can a small number of Rovers fans in a protest in Preston containing a much larger number of other football supporters "derail or distract our team"?

I ask that question to you and BigDog, who liked the post.

[McClarky]

You can only despair after reading some of the comments on here. I suppose if you throw a rubber bone to a starving dog he’ll be loyal for life.

[pk1875]

4 hours ago, Tugay's Right Foot said:

Wait, will it get an airing such that it derails or distracts our teams from the current challenges? By teams, I mean our first team going for the top 2 spots and the various developmental and youth squads in their leagues/cups.

if yes, then backburner for me. Just my view.

So if a team is doing well fans should wait until the team is on a bad run to voice a protest? how does that make fans look? Blackpool had huge protests last season and a great effort at NAPM even at Wembley.......... did it derail the team?

[jim mk2]

7 hours ago, Eddie said:

I haven't missed the point. My point is, that for the past 10 months our owners have been fit and proper. 

 

 Forgetting 7 years of mismanagement, poor decisions, arrogance, ignorance, indifference and downright rudeness towards supporters, and total lack of respect for the club and what it means to the community.

I can't believe you're taking this stance to be honest. The EFL (and Premier League) rules regarding ownership need challenging in law and in the courtroom, never mind by loyal supporters on the streets

[Rover_Shaun]

9 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I can understand Blackpool fans doing it,but I feel Rovers fans should put it on the backburner until the summer at least... 

Some days I wonder how they did what they did without a peep.......then again.

[blueboy3333]

7 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

The last 2 transfer windows 

We had two similar transfer windows under Bowyer. Then the rug was pulled from under his feet. The last two transfer windows don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things.

[HowieFive0]

How many off here are attending ? 

[47er]

8 hours ago, JHRover said:

What indicators are those? Aside from winning more games what is different about the club now than in say February 2014?

The debt is bigger and we've been relegated again?

[blueboy3333]

43 minutes ago, HowieFive0 said:

How many off here are attending ? 

I'll go if you go.

[Butty]

9 hours ago, JHRover said:

1. Everything Bowyer did indicated he had the final say on everything to do with players and had the trust of the owners to do things his way. Bucket loads of evidence on that. 2 years of 'stability' in which the owners went quiet and Bowyer assembled a quality squad that did the club proud after the rotten eggs were removed. What's different now other than it is Mowbray that they trust rather than Bowyer?

2. Investment in the team - by my reckoning they've spent up to £1 million on Dack, Samuel and Bell and possibly turned down a few hundred thousand for Mulgrew. Since 2015 they've sold upwards of £30 million of talent and spent, at the very most, about £1.2 million. The club made a 'concerted effort' under Bowyer to 'get back to the Premier League' and look how that ended up.

3. Paying our bills - perhaps the only thing they have consistently done - we all know the alternative to that is either administration or liquidation which would mean Venkys lost control of the club. They've not got much choice on that one.

4. Appointment of 'experienced staff' - who? To my knowledge the only senior staff arrival since last year has been Steve Waggott. Said all the right things to date but talking a good game has never been the issue here with the succession of various people they've brought in to work at the club. Its actually doing the job properly that they struggle with. On paper his CV is no better than Derek Shaw's. We've still got no commercial director and the suspicious presence of Pasha.

I'm genuinely not trying to be hard work here, I just see a lot of parallels with 2013-15 under Gary Bowyer and for that reason I'm not going to get sucked in by it all. Things are undoubtedly 'better' than they were under Coyle because people like Mowbray and trust him and we're winning a lot more football matches, but I'm not sure how much credit Venkys deserve for that and even if they do deserve credit it counts for nothing if they stab him in the back like they did with Bowyer and sell everything off again in 12 months time.

Bang on the money here. Interested to see what @Bigdoggsteel has too say to this.. 

[Neal]

59 minutes ago, Butty said:

Bang on the money here. Interested to see what @Bigdoggsteel has too say to this.. 

 

You must be the only one...

[Roving Mick]

Venky plants

Curse of the Venkpire

[Butty]

18 hours ago, Neal said:

 

You must be the only one...

Hahahaha brilliant.  

[davefarnworth]

Ask them about the cup draw. What a disgrace 

[chaddyrovers]

41 minutes ago, davefarnworth said:

Ask them about the cup draw. What a disgrace 

Fa cup? Or League cup?

 

[Neal]

Can someone tell me... Was Suhail reported to the EFL for working here and effectively running the club without a work permit? Would like to have a few facts straight...  Pretty sure i saw that he was. 

[chaddyrovers]

can you proof it Neal? 

Wasn't he employed by the club legally?