Supporters Consultation Meeting - Thursday 21st June

[AllRoverAsia]

7 hours ago, tomphil said:

"If we could get land where we could integrate the two"

Quite sprang out....

It certainly did and as a plan to work towards such integration.

Waggott “It would make sense in the future if we could acquire sections of land where we could combine the two together"

The seed is sown, we can't say we were never told.

[JBiz]

7 hours ago, tomphil said:

Thankfully this fella Waggot clearly wants to take the bull by the horns and has the relevant experience to do so.

I agree on this. Only just read the article but it just reaffirms the overall improvements in comms, customer service, social media etc since he arrived. Granted there is not much concrete in the article, he talks about keeping the ground up to spec, possibly investing in the riverside which could turn Ewood into a more day to day venue, hotel/restaurante etc and also integrating and improving the academy and senior training centre.

It’s all the stuff we haven’t actually heard discussed for years, ways to actually improve the club in the long run. It’s still only talk till it’s done though! Combining the safe standing idea with a riverside re-fit could be a good idea, so could converting part of the stand into some sort of venue - a new Northcote or Bowland brewery esq establishment might work that side of Blackburn.

[Vinjay]

Should point out there already is a restaurant (/bar)

As for the Northchoke suggestion?x 1000000

EDIT-Should have added about 2000 more zeroes. What's the next suggestion a Venkys restaurant?

Edited June 25, 2018 by Vinjay17

[tomphil]

54 minutes ago, Biz said:

I agree on this. Only just read the article but it just reaffirms the overall improvements in comms, customer service, social media etc since he arrived. Granted there is not much concrete in the article, he talks about keeping the ground up to spec, possibly investing in the riverside which could turn Ewood into a more day to day venue, hotel/restaurante etc and also integrating and improving the academy and senior training centre.

It’s all the stuff we haven’t actually heard discussed for years, ways to actually improve the club in the long run. It’s still only talk till it’s done though! Combining the safe standing idea with a riverside re-fit could be a good idea, so could converting part of the stand into some sort of venue - a new Northcote or Bowland brewery esq establishment might work that side of Blackburn.

Must admit even I like the approach of the guy although i'll probably end up disagreeing with some of the non football related stuff. Thing is though he has inherited issues but seems intent on tackling them one way or another not ignoring, passing the buck or basically lying and there's needed to be some hard headed guy in there for a while. The DE is a prime example, not a popular move and as usual could probably have been handled better but he's made the call and been brave enough to put his name to it which I respect if nothing else.

Non of the eternal squirming and bull we've been accustomed to since this lot and their pals rocked up, similar to Mowbray in that respect.

I do think the riverside might be closed and I think he's sowed a seed but I think he'll only do it if it's really necessary and if a few thousand use it this season every game he'll leave it alone. Just my hunch but i'll trust him on that.

Some of his comments on the training ground make sense because he's explained the football thinking behind it however the other comment on the land etc makes me shudder. Like I said though that thinking is probably inherited and we've had rumours around it for a few years, it's inevitable I think and always has been.

[Iceman]

Should turn that Riverside section into some sort of Entertainment/Suite Area. Maybe add in a nice Gym and Swimming pool  

[tomphil]

Or a moving walkway at the front on the stand so people can still face the pitch and watch the game whilst they exit from one end to other. They might stay a bit longer ?

[Roving Mick]

Now's the time to build a railway station at the Riverside.  Consent has been obtained from the local Druids.

It could be a blessing in disguise.

Rovers Count Their Blessings

[JHRover]

It goes beyond being a question of whether the Riverside is fit for purpose or safe or big enough, its a question of improving the standard of the stadium, making it a better place to be for home fans, whilst also adding infrastructure to the stadium that can be used on non-matchdays and generate additional revenues for the club.

The club can moan all day long about a lack of revenue and about poor us because other clubs make more money than we do, and yet ticket receipts only go so far on that road. Other things such as sponsorships, commercial departments and non-football related income are actually more significant. As far as I'm aware the only 'external' income the club makes on non-matchdays is through renting offices on the Darwen End and through hosting events in the Premier Suite.

We have a stand in the Riverside that may well be adequate for our matchday needs in terms of capacity and safety, but which is lagging behind the rest of the stadium, inferior to most other stands in the Championship, and contributes nothing by way of extra revenue to the club.

A redeveloped Riverside could incorporate a variety of things to at least give us the ability to raise extra funds. Office space, hospitality, a hotel, a conference centre, shops. At the same time the stand could be brought into modern day standards by making it all covered, removing the supporting pillars, having a concourse within the stand with extra food and drink kiosks rather than 2 shared over a stand of 4,500 queuing up for ages.

No doubt some will say 'there's no demand' for such things and yet in the last 5 years there must have been what, 6 new hotels opened within a few miles of Ewood? So clearly there is demand in the area.

PNE managed it by going into conjunction with the NHS and involving them in it, which isn't ideal but is an alternative way of doing it.

[Vinjay]

5 hours ago, tomphil said:

Or a moving walkway at the front on the stand so people can still face the pitch and watch the game whilst they exit from one end to other. They might stay a bit longer ?

Maybe a big cable car ride from the hill direct to your seat exclusively for Riverside season/matchday ticket holders!!! Technically to the turnstiles but hey creative license and marketing right? 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Vinjay17

[JAL]

On 25/06/2018 at 17:32, Vinjay17 said:

I think someone said maintenance/repairs have been "cost cutting" areas for years even prior to Venkys buying the club. 

I wonder if they want to wait and see what happens with the "safe standing" movement before making any changes? That would make some logical sense before "modernising" the stand and installing padded seats or something. As for lack of rain cover is it really worth doing some of roof extension just so some people won't get a little wet? It would be cheaper to hand out those plastic covers or perhaps just advise people to wear a rainjacket if the weather's expected to be a little wet. I thought people say it's Southern people who are soft yet they bring up issues like this. I don't particularly like it when there's heavy wind AND rain blowing right in my face but a bigger roof wouldn't really do much to help with the former. I think the Riverside is fine in the centre certainly from a view standpoint. 

As I said in terms of modernising how much can you do really with the stand as it is? Padded seats, etc that's not the case around the vast majority of the stadium anyway. I still don't think a roof extension would be worth it. Some people of course advocate demolishing the whole stand if not quite demanding a "modern" replacement on the scale Jack planned (and the WFIT outright ignored as Williams actually admitted) and how much that cost? I think they would close the stand (as with the DE) before undergoing any substantial costs. Of course we really need to know what Waggott's vision of a modernised Riverside actually is. I'm not saying he's lying just he hasn't seemed to explain any specific ideas for it. There's easily enough rental office space in the other stands (and I don't even know if that's at full capacity) and the main club administrative areas. 

I don't really see how a 30 year old stand is outdated. Look how long the old Nuttall Street Stand and Riverside lasted. The Riverside in particular obviously was in a real state by the end (hence it's replacement) and safety issues based on what happened at Valley Parade too. Still it's not like they were falling down for most of the structures history.

The foundations weren't in the best of states 7 years ago.

So, would like to know from supporters consultations what is the current state of the riverside stand foundations and how much have Venky and their British co horts spent on improving these Riverside foundations over the past seven years. ?

[Mike E]

18 minutes ago, JAL said:

The foundations weren't in the best of states 7 years ago.

So, would like to know from supporters consultations what is the current state of the riverside stand foundations and how much have Venky and their British co horts spent on improving these Riverside foundations over the past seven years. ?

Bit late, it was last week. Try emailing Waggott yourself.

[JAL]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

Bit late, it was last week. Try emailing Waggott yourself.

What about next time there's a meeting.

[Mike E]

7 hours ago, JAL said:

What about next time there's a meeting.

Ask when it comes round, probably won't be til around Christmas.

I'd have thought a quick email would get you an answer by next week though.

[JHRover]

Did the question about Tommy Johnson get asked? Seems he has disappeared, as the Telegraph are now referring to Stuart Harvey as head of recruitment.

[Parsonblue]

16 hours ago, JHRover said:

Did the question about Tommy Johnson get asked? Seems he has disappeared, as the Telegraph are now referring to Stuart Harvey as head of recruitment.

Tommy Johnson left in February and Stuart Harvey replaced him.

[JHRover]

32 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

Tommy Johnson left in February and Stuart Harvey replaced him.

Cheers, I presumed Johnson had left but don't think there has ever been any official announcement of that. Never heard of Harvey but note from this

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2015/august/a-passion-to-succeed/

That he was leading recruitment in the academy in 2015 so it seems at some stage he has been promoted. Do we know any more about him (other than him being ex-Burnley)?

[J*B]

[JBiz]

9 minutes ago, J*B said:

Attendances top of the list...sounds familiar to this place eh.

[Mattyblue]

Shows that it isn’t just ‘negative’ brfcs then?

[arbitro]

4 minutes ago, Biz said:

Attendances top of the list...sounds familiar to this place eh.

And so it should be.

[JBiz]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

Shows that it isn’t just ‘negative’ brfcs then?

You won’t hear me calling this board negative these days it’s as balanced as it’s ever been.

If anything, I brought more negativity to it by being a bit of a **** towards the “excuse” of a 3 quid surcharge.

Still - if I’m completely honest, it’s the price overall that could be more accessible, better tiered pricing for example, more local promotions, rewards for repeat custom etc. The idea that a 3 quid 1-3pm is the “over the edge pushing” thing is what irked me considerably. 

[old darwen blue]

Can we have our Darwen End seats back please?

[MCMC1875]

Well at last it seems we're all more or less on the same wavelength.

I see that attendances are top of the agenda for the next Supporters Consultation Meeting agenda.

I believe that the Rovers Trust have already met with the club about attendances. (I was asked for suggestions and put forward 11 before the meeting. Since then I've remembered the Education Through Football scheme which reached out to primary schools across East Lancs pioneered by ex Rover Terry Gennoe who was a qualified teacher).

I understand that the Action Group have also met with the club (not sure about the agenda).

There're now 48 pages on the attendances thread. Let's see what happens.

Edited November 22, 2018 by MCMC1875

[JHRover]

Don't supporters help put the agenda together? So not really that surprising that attendances feature on it.

3 reasons attendances haven't gone up as much as they could/should/would have liked:

1) Not putting season tickets on sale until the last minute, missing out on potential sales during the success of last season

2) Putting prices up

3) Annoying people by closing home sections, then claiming it is done to make it more convenient for home fans when really it is all about making it easier to get more away fans in.

[arbitro]

Could somebody question the club about the early kick off times for non televised games? On Saturday we will have around 5500 fans travelling to Preston and yet the same police force that covers Rovers don't appear to see that as a risk. Given that fact if can only be Rovers themselves who are taking it upon themselves to bring the game forward.

I believe it's another way of discouraging fans from attending.