Lancashire Telegraph

[K-Hod]

I'm not criticising his character for a moment, he's probably a nice lad for all I know!

There are loads of people who I disagree with on a host of issues, but I still count amongst my best friends. Such is life.

It just seems weird he is so sensitive about criticism, when he's put himself up there to be shot at. 

[Pedro]

On 07/11/2019 at 14:01, Mattyblue said:

Purely by accident I have found that I have personally received a lot of criticism for this column over the years.

Unlike Tony Mowbray I cannot hold back the deluge by picking up a defiant win.

By no means am I asking for your sympathy nor your lenience. I always, 100 per cent, stand by what I say and that will not be diluted by other people’s views.

I’m here to be shot at and whether you are a Shearer-esque sharp-shooter, or a Stokesian blank-firer, you are entitled to do so.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/quicktest/18019450.the-unexpected-drama-follow-rovers/

 

He’s definitely not bothered though 

Maybe it's his amazing dancing bear that's bothered?

[bluebruce]

On 07/11/2019 at 15:59, AllRoverAsia said:

He posts some great Rovers photos on Facebook, lots of oldies, so I now give him some leeway when reading the LT.

Its a game of opinions and his are less right-wing than some on here.

As someone who is left wing and thinks Simon consistently talks tosh, albeit eloquently, I don't get you there. It's football, not politics, there's no correlation between political leanings and wanting our manager sacked. 

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, bluebruce said:

As someone who is left wing and thinks Simon consistently talks tosh, albeit eloquently, I don't get you there. It's football, not politics, there's no correlation between political leanings and wanting our manager sacked. 

As you say football and politics should not mix.

Oddly enough and only a few days ago I saw an interesting Youtube video of the top 10 politically influenced football clubs in the world. 

In my post, I wasn't thinking Politics and maybe I should have used 'Corporate' 

[bluebruce]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

As you say football and politics should not mix.

Oddly enough and only a few days ago I saw an interesting Youtube video of the top 10 politically influenced football clubs in the world. 

In my post, I wasn't thinking Politics and maybe I should have used 'Corporate' 

Fair enough, not sure how that applies either tbh. Do you mean harsher? Since you seemed to be talking about levels of patience.

Sucks that there are any politically influenced clubs but there are...were most of them from Italy and I'm guessing maybe Russia?

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, bluebruce said:

Fair enough, not sure how that applies either tbh. Do you mean harsher? Since you seemed to be talking about levels of patience.

Sucks that there are any politically influenced clubs but there are...were most of them from Italy and I'm guessing maybe Russia?

All over, Italy, Spain, Russia, Cyprus and even Israel, plus others.

Edited November 10, 2019 by AllRoverAsia

[Leonard Venkhater]

On 10/11/2019 at 21:29, AllRoverAsia said:

As you say football and politics should not mix.

Oddly enough and only a few days ago I saw an interesting Youtube video of the top 10 politically influenced football clubs in the world. 

In my post, I wasn't thinking Politics and maybe I should have used 'Corporate' 

No, your meaning was clear enough lol

[Husky]

I'm surprised the LET is still going to be perfectly honest. The level of journalism there has always been of barely GCSE standard and it's gone further downhill in recent times.

[RevidgeBlue]

8 minutes ago, smudge1971 said:

My job is to write about Rovers, sell newspapers and keep the advertising revenue coming in.

I do not agree with the personal abuse directed at you above but as a fan's column should your role not be to cast an independent over view of what is happening down at the Club and to call a spade a spade if things are not going well?

You'd  probably sell more papers or attract more viewers if you told it as it is rather than just accepting everything the manager says without question. There's more of enough from that from Rich Sharpe who probably doesn't want the Club  to fall out with the so you can afford to take a more objective stance.

[smudge1971]

Sadly there is a fat line of lawyers and other forces which dictate what I can and cannot write about. The paper is no longer an independent concern but part of NewsQuest UK. 
  I have 350 words to put across my view and so there is little room for nuance. It has to be condensed. 
  Believe me I would have stepped down long ago if I was sure Paul Yates wouldn’t get the job. 

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, smudge1971 said:

Sadly there is a fat line of lawyers and other forces which dictate what I can and cannot write about. The paper is no longer an independent concern but part of NewsQuest UK. 
  I have 350 words to put across my view and so there is little room for nuance. It has to be condensed. 
  Believe me I would have stepped down long ago if I was sure Paul Yates wouldn’t get the job. 

Who's Paul Yates?

[Mattyblue]

Yates should do the gig, the only one on the 'Fans Jury' that speaks any sense.

[Stuart]

7 hours ago, smudge1971 said:

Sorry. I am quite prepared to take the online disagreements and I should’ve made it clearer that I was joking and that I obviously DO care. Who wouldn’t? I don’t think doing a job of any sort needs “thick skin” as it isn’t something everyone can summon up at all times. Sometimes. 
 

But I’m not going to tolerate lies. Whoever hides behind the name AAK has not told me anything to my face. No one has yet had the guts to. If anyone would like to then by all means do so and then I will respect your opinion. 
 

Someone said that I put myself out there and so should expect abuse. I agree. But whoever wants to criticise should also front up and do so under their real name, not a pseudonym. 
 

My job is to write about Rovers, sell newspapers and keep the advertising revenue coming in. 
 

AAK, lets have a chat. If you feel so strongly then it is obvious you would like to have a sit-down, just me and you, and I’ll listen to whatever you imagine you said to my face. 

Simon, if I may.

I think the bit in bold is the root cause of why you receive a lot of stick. I agree though that it shouldn’t be aimed at you personally and should be about your opinions and only your opinions. You put them out there (as we all do) so they will get shot at.

Your style appears to be to find a positive spin on most things and to write pieces which generate a little controversy.

But the bit it bold is what grates. We are clearly in straits on the pitch and off it and we have the illusion of normalcy. If you are posting positive stories just to sell newspapers and advertising then at best it is insincere and at worst is patronising. It becomes propaganda, de facto on behalf of the club or incumbent manager, and benefits the LT as it helps them remain in the good books with them: one of their commercial partners.

We need something to change on the field - and quickly - yet we are seeing the same mistakes, the same excuses and no sign that any lessons are being learned. We have no clear pattern of play and we seem to be very much on a downward cycle. This surely cannot be used to defend, let alone sustain, Mowbray’s own excuses and blame for certain players. Do you really believe that Mowbray is the right man to take this club forward? If so, why? Because of fear of the unknown alternative?

I guess your articles are designed to divide opinion because that is what will spark online discussion and increase site traffic (which is what sells advertising) but by definition you will polarise opinion and end up with a lot of people who take exception.

To the man on the street (or the average LT reader) who doesn’t go to Ewood, you represent the thoughts of the “every Rovers fan”. If, like the LT, you don’t even represent the broader fanbase (and even have a pop at the ‘negative’ fans) then this can be taken very personally. Right now our fanbase is very much split - as it has been for many years - the middle ground is narrowing, and right now there is a groundswell of anti-Mowbray feeling building at one side. Articles about Rovers should look to balance this. Yes, stick to your instincts but acknowledge the concerns of those “on the edges of the middle ground”. Beyond that, at one end of the spectrum are the “super fans” (I use the term unapologetically) who won’t hear a bad word about anyone with a Rovers badge on their chest, at the other end are the critical fans who are more demanding and think the badge should be constantly be earned by everyone - including the manager. In the middle there are people who see it as ‘just a game’ and their interest in Rovers begins on Saturday at 2pm and end at 5:30pm. I’d suggest that many of the middle group are the ones who are now losing patience and will go on to lose interest. This should be acknowledged and right now it feels as though you are writing for the super fans.

All that said, writing regular articles is a big commitment, and I applaud you for that. I guess in some ways you are a barometer for when things have gone beyond the pale, like Parsonblue or chaddyrover on here. If you were to post something negative about a manager then we would all know the tide had truly turned...

 

[smudge1971]

I enjoyed reading that and take all your points. I did not mean that I write to sell papers or generate revenue. The sole purpose of the local newspaper industry nowadays is to do so. I would love to tell what I know. You all know how we got here from there but I would love to explain how we got there from Premiership comfort and who has the money. I can’t. The law is on the side of the rich. 
 

My view is this; the forums are always alight with negativity. Fair play. I see some here are positive and I acknowledge that. 
My view is that we are a middle of the road club and no manager is going to wave a magic wand. So I write that. I am not a happy clapper or owt. I support the club, have been a season ticket holder since I was 6 in 1977. I do give too much leeway but that is because love is blind. 
  I am occasionally furious after a game but my column isn’t written then. 
 

 

[Mattyblue]

‘Middle of the road’, call it what you want. But a club with our playing budget, infrastructure and Cat 1 Academy shouldn’t be flirting with a second relegation to the third division since 2016.

[LDRover]

Just now, smudge1971 said:

I enjoyed reading that and take all your points. I did not mean that I write to sell papers or generate revenue. The sole purpose of the local newspaper industry nowadays is to do so. I would love to tell what I know. You all know how we got here from there but I would love to explain how we got there from Premiership comfort and who has the money. I can’t. The law is on the side of the rich. 
 

My view is this; the forums are always alight with negativity. Fair play. I see some here are positive and I acknowledge that. 
My view is that we are a middle of the road club and no manager is going to wave a magic wand. So I write that. I am not a happy clapper or owt. I support the club, have been a season ticket holder since I was 6 in 1977. I do give too much leeway but that is because love is blind. 
  I am occasionally furious after a game but my column isn’t written then. 
 

 

Thing is mate that there's a world of difference to when we were 'middle of the road' under Kendall, Saxton and Mackay compared to now - at least we gave it a go and we didn't have a pot to piss in back then.

Fair play for sticking your head above the parapet though, I was made aware of this site through exactly the same means.

[Stuart]

Just now, smudge1971 said:

I enjoyed reading that and take all your points. I did not mean that I write to sell papers or generate revenue. The sole purpose of the local newspaper industry nowadays is to do so. I would love to tell what I know. You all know how we got here from there but I would love to explain how we got there from Premiership comfort and who has the money. I can’t. The law is on the side of the rich. 
 

My view is this; the forums are always alight with negativity. Fair play. I see some here are positive and I acknowledge that. 
My view is that we are a middle of the road club and no manager is going to wave a magic wand. So I write that. I am not a happy clapper or owt. I support the club, have been a season ticket holder since I was 6 in 1977. I do give too much leeway but that is because love is blind. 
  I am occasionally furious after a game but my column isn’t written then. 

I think the negativity attributed to this site is a little unfair and a projection as viewed from the other side of the blue-and-white-tinted spectacles. Many on here would call it realism.

It usually reflects and focuses the negativity that we all feel after games and aims it like a spotlight on the root causes. Usually the same root causes game after game. You don’t write after games or in anger but we all frequently do. After a defeat this is a place to avoid, for sure, but only because we are all passionate about our club, and want to see it succeed.

The dawn of the mainstream internet and therefore messageboard/forum age coincided with a startling upturn in the fortunes of the club and, despite that success, people still wanted to see us improve and to not fall backwards. Perhaps we all didn’t want the dream to end. Maybe we are crazed perfectionists who will always demand more? For example, Souness was one of my favourite Rovers managers. I didn’t want him to leave, even towards the end. But he did have to go because he has lost what he had and it was impacting the team and results and we were heading back down. There is no shame in that time having come for Mowbray. I don’t want us to be relegated again. I highly doubt it will be as easy to escape next time.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, LDRover said:

Thing is mate that there's a world of difference to when we were 'middle of the road' under Kendall, Saxton and Mackay compared to now - at least we gave it a go and we didn't have a pot to piss in back then.

Fair play for sticking your head above the parapet though, I was made aware of this site through exactly the same means.

We certainly did give it a go. There has not been one decent attempt, since the Venky's dismantled us down.

So many of our fans have just chosen to re-write the pre-Walker years, when we were regular challengers, even if we never made the final push...1978-fifth, 1981-third ( missed out on goal difference) 1984-fifth, 1985-fifth, 1988 -fifth, 1989-fifth and play off final, 1990-fifth..

Too much accepting the unacceptable imo..

Edited November 12, 2019 by Leonard Venkhater

[LDRover]

Just now, Leonard Venkhater said:

We certainly did give it a go. There has not been one decent attempt, since the Venky's dismantled us down.

So many of our fans have just chosen to re-write the pre-Walker years, when we were regular challengers, even if we never made the final push...1978-fifth, 1981-third ( missed out on goal difference) 1984-fifth, 1985-fifth, 1988 -fifth, 1989-fifth and play off final, 1990-fifth..

Too much accepting the unacceptable imo..

Well said. I even read on the Facebook group that we are punching above our weight the other day.... What is it? 5 seasons (I think) in the third tier in our 144 year existence.

 

[AAK]

All 3 proper defenders we have are 1 yellow away from a suspension. Imagine they all got a yellow.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, LDRover said:

Well said. I even read on the Facebook group that we are punching above our weight the other day.... What is it? 5 seasons (I think) in the third tier in our 144 year existence.

 

Yep..It makes me sick, to be honest

[Leonard Venkhater]

Just now, AAK said:

All 3 proper defenders we have are 1 yellow away from a suspension. Imagine they all got a yellow.

I can hear it now...injuries and suspensions  blah, blah...

[AllRoverAsia]

All very interesting but, WTF is Paul Yates?

[Proudtobeblue&white]

I think it's also interesting on the brink of England's 1,000th game, 143 clubs have provided England players for the national team, at 48 players, we are ninth in the list. Small town club, never!

[DeeCee]

Just now, AllRoverAsia said:

All very interesting but, WTF is Paul Yates?

Married Bob Geldof?