news Business Event / Q&A Tony Mowbray & Steve Waggott

[Guest]

Having tried to add appropriate news from that event into each thread I've decided to post all the info I gathered from the day into its own section.

• £1.3m refurbishments of all the hospitality lounges to take place over coming months
• Over £2m spent on Category One status for the Academy (further £1m was a grant from government)
• Significant amount (in the millions) spent on infrastructure at STC (analysis booths/scouting software)
• Premier Suite being done first after first international break, ready for third home game of the season
• European scouting network to continue to grow
• The new Sodexo food in the concourse is a little more expensive than the old stuff, but significantly more option
• Loaded fries one of the many new options available
• New LED/TV screens in food concourses and brand new EPOS till system
• Match/event themed prices and promotions on food due to new system will take place
• We've got a brand new pie manufacturer, smaller niche business in the local area
• All the concourses will be completed by Friday in time for Charlton game
• Elliott Bennett says Tosin Adarabioyo hasn't been introduced to the squad - they don't know what's happening with that one either
• Charlie Mulgrew says team are quietly hoping for a top 6 finish, and spoke specifically about his mentoring of Dan Butterworth and JRC
• Little mention of specifics but ideas still snowballing about The Riverside and plans for the future of the stand
• Plan is to have several 'One Rovers Day' type events like Stoke (H) last season and have lots of kids coming in for free again

And finally, for anybody who does attend hospitality/boxes at Ewood, the new Sausage Rolls are ridiculously nice!

Edited July 30, 2019 by JoeHarvey

[Guest]

If anybody else managed to speak to SW, TM or the players individually and get any further info/gossip then please feel free to add onto here, definitely didn't get chance to squeeze news out of everybody in the room myself.

[oldjamfan1]

Thanks for the information Joe, much appreciated.

[JHRover]

53 minutes ago, JoeHarvey said:

Having tried to add appropriate news from that event into each thread I've decided to post all the info I gathered from the day into its own section.

• £1.3m refurbishments of all the hospitality lounges to take place over coming months
• Over £2m spent on Category One status for the Academy (further £1m was a grant from government)
• Significant amount (in the millions) spent on infrastructure at STC (analysis booths/scouting software)
• Premier Suite being done first after first international break, ready for third home game of the season
• European scouting network to continue to grow
• The new Sodexo food in the concourse is a little more expensive than the old stuff, but significantly more option
• Loaded fries one of the many new options available
• New LED/TV screens in food concourses and brand new EPOS till system
• Match/event themed prices and promotions on food due to new system will take place
• We've got a brand new pie manufacturer, smaller niche business in the local area
• All the concourses will be completed by Friday in time for Charlton game
• Elliott Bennett says Tosin Adarabioyo hasn't been introduced to the squad - they don't know what's happening with that one either
• Charlie Mulgrew says team are quietly hoping for a top 6 finish, and spoke specifically about his mentoring of Dan Butterworth and JRC
• Little mention of specifics but ideas still snowballing about The Riverside and plans for the future of the stand
• Plan is to have several 'One Rovers Day' type events like Stoke (H) last season and have lots of kids coming in for free again

And finally, for anybody who does attend hospitality/boxes at Ewood, the new Sausage Rolls are ridiculously nice!

I do wonder about some of these figures and whether they are being inflated portray the owners in a positive light. 

1) the £3 million going into the academy I understand isnt a voluntary donation. It is a requirement of Category A academies. If it isnt spent the academy is downgraded. 

2) I find it hard to believe that analysis booths and software for scouts has cost millions of pounds. We could build a new training ground for that sort of money.

 

[philipl]

4 minutes ago, JHRover said:

I do wonder about some of these figures and whether they are being inflated portray the owners in a positive light. 

1) the £3 million going into the academy I understand isnt a voluntary donation. It is a requirement of Category A academies. If it isnt spent the academy is downgraded. 

2) I find it hard to believe that analysis booths and software for scouts has cost millions of pounds. We could build a new training ground for that sort of money.

 

There is zero reason to inflate the numbers and besides they are in line with the injections this year through Venky's London.

If you are doing those types of installations properly at the level Premier League clubs have including subscriptions to feeds and analytics so you have something to look at in the booths, those are the sort of prices you are looking at. Only top level leagues have the monitoring kit to supply the data which in itself is a statement of intent from Rovers.

Yes you are right regarding Academy investment. It is voluntary in the sense there are plenty of Academies around that aren't Cat A but the commitment has been made to remain at top level.

[JHRover]

Just now, philipl said:

There is zero reason to inflate the numbers and besides they are in line with the injections this year through Venky's London.

If you are doing those types of installations properly at the level Premier League clubs have including subscriptions to feeds and analytics so you have something to look at in the booths, those are the sort of prices you are looking at. Only top level leagues have the monitoring kit to supply the data which in itself is a statement of intent from Rovers.

Yes you are right regarding Academy investment. It is voluntary in the sense there are plenty of Academies around that aren't Cat A but the commitment has been made to remain at top level.

So are we going to be seeing Premier League level of recruitment as a result of this 'multi million' spend? Looking forward to it.

[chaddyrovers]

thanks @JoeHarvey

was Mowbray there? what did he say?

[OJRovers]

European scouts really earning their money this summer.

Good news about the pies.

[TBTF]

5 hours ago, JHRover said:

I do wonder about some of these figures and whether they are being inflated portray the owners in a positive light. 

1) the £3 million going into the academy I understand isnt a voluntary donation. It is a requirement of Category A academies. If it isnt spent the academy is downgraded. 

2) I find it hard to believe that analysis booths and software for scouts has cost millions of pounds. We could build a new training ground for that sort of money.

 

Or buy a bloody centre half!

or will it be the David Rays suite??

[Guest]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

thanks @JoeHarvey

was Mowbray there? what did he say?

Mowbray seemed in a rush. Said the same crap as usual (not intended in a nasty way) and Waggott did most of the talking.

Charlie Mulgrew spoke highly of JRC and Butterworth and talked about mentoring and the feeling in the group.

[Stuart]

8 hours ago, OJRovers said:

European scouts really earning their money this summer.

Good news about the pies.

I thought the loaded fries were the most reassuring bit.

Engagements like this are a good idea... after the issues on the field are sorted.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Stuart said:

 I thought the loaded fries were the most reassuring bit.

Engagements like this are a good idea... after the issues on the field are sorted.

Prices have gone up though on the whole.

[bazza]

It's ok to plan big investment in some quarters. But sometimes little things need attention as well.

Why can we Riversiders not exit the ground via the back fire escape any more?

The hand driers in the gents toilets of the Riverside are abysmal. They don't encourage washing and drying of hands after having a pee. Such a small amount of money in comparison would be needed to upgrade to Air Force or similar.

I find in many businesses that attention to small things is forgotten and hence customers are put off.

I always judge a pub on its gents toilet. If it's clean and everything works properly, even if the fittings are ancient, then I know that the licensee probably takes great care in his or her cellar and the beer will be good.