Supporters Consultation Meeting

[Mattyblue]

3 minutes ago, Tom said:

I think if you go on behalf of a group, the forum in this case it’s expected you would report it back to that group.

 

Paul will just drip feed it in... ITK ya know!

[Stuart]

5 minutes ago, Tom said:

I think if you go on behalf of a group, the forum in this case it’s expected you would report it back to that group.

Not much point otherwise.

Sounds like it went the same was as all the previous ones though. Platitudes.

[Paul Mani]

10 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Paul will just drip feed it in... ITK ya know!

Nah mate...I was just being respectful to the Mods who put their trust in me as I didn’t know how it worked. 

[DE.]

3 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

Nah mate...I was just being respectful to the Mods who put their trust in me as I didn’t know how it worked. 

It's up to you as to how you believe Mowbray was relaying the information. If you feel he meant it to be private and trusted it not to be blabbed elsewhere then you shouldn't say anything, but if it was just open off-the-cuff remarks then I see no reason why it couldn't be repeated on here. Totally your call.

[Paul Mani]

12 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Not much point otherwise.

Sounds like it went the same was as all the previous ones though. Platitudes.

Just read the notes mate. No point in me providing my insight really for you and a few others to go on with your own agenda.

I went for myself, to try to understand my club.

The most embarrassing moment of the evening was when a ‘fan’ stood up and proudly admitted to our CEO that he won’t pay for a ticket and goes every week on complimentary tickets.

[Inglorious basturk]

The transcript is in the paper isn’t it so no secrets .... edit not a full transcript 

Edited February 6, 2020 by Inglorious basturk

[Stuart]

Just now, Paul Mani said:

Just read the notes mate. No point in me providing my insight really for you and a few others to go on with your own agenda.

I went for myself, to try to understand my club.

The most embarrassing moment of the evening was when a ‘fan’ stood up and proudly admitted to our CEO that he won’t pay for a ticket and goes every week on complimentary tickets.

You didn’t “go for yourself”, you represented BRFCS.

@J*B please don’t let this guy go again. 

[47er]

46 minutes ago, Cherry Blue said:

Decision to put away fans in upper Darwen End rather than close to pitch is on TM advice. Based on his experience as a player "footballers are aware of supporters". Why give away team advantage.

Doesn't add to the game atmosphere but a home result is priority.    

Matter of balance imo. Result or adding to the" Ewood Experience". When the place is rocking (or when it used to be) with a cracking atmosphere, that seemed to spur the players on to me.

[Miller11]

I’ll give a more in depth post tomorrow, but my opinions after tonight:

My issues are with Venky’s. In its current format there is no opportunity to glean any insight into what their plans or motivations are. Many of the questions posed were directed at them and couldn’t be answered by the spokespeople, and they seemed to annoy them. “I can only speak for what’s happened in the last two years” was a common answer. 

Much of this was an extension of what the fans forum raise.

Waggott and Mowbray both come across as decent and honest. They are clearly trying their best under some difficult circumstances. Some unpopular choices have been made, but they genuinely believe they are for the best. 

We as fans won’t know we are in a mess with FFP until it happens.
 

So while I’m not sure these meetings are fit for purpose, Mowbray and Waggott were both reassuring.

 

[Paul Mani]

4 minutes ago, Stuart said:

You didn’t “go for yourself”, you represented BRFCS.

@J*B please don’t let this guy go again. 

I represented BRFCS impeccably. With respect and humility. I spoke at length with TM and briefly with SW and Robert Coar. I was open with them about a lot of the concerns on here. I’ve also privately spoken with members on here and I am happy to do so with people who do not sneer and look down their noses in order to strengthen their agenda.

But I don’t have to tell you anything you big baby! 

[Stuart]

Just now, Paul Mani said:

I represented BRFCS impeccably. With respect and humility. I spoke at length with TM and briefly with SW and Robert Coar. I was open with them about a lot of the concerns on here. I’ve also privately spoken with members on here and I am happy to do so with people who do not sneer and look down their noses in order to strengthen their agenda.

But I don’t have to tell you anything you big baby! 

Less with the insults you.

You've really gone downhill since you stopped being a wannabe ITK.

Edited February 6, 2020 by Stuart
Agenda FFS. My agenda is wanting Rovers to be successful.

[K-Hod]

Lads, can we behave ourselves please? 
Thanks.

[Miller11]

11 minutes ago, Paul Mani said:

The most embarrassing moment of the evening was when a ‘fan’ stood up and proudly admitted to our CEO that he won’t pay for a ticket and goes every week on complimentary tickets.

Massive lie.

I never stood up. I’ve told him that at previous meetings and he knows full well my thoughts and reasons. I didn’t proudly do anything... if you remember, Waggott mentioned he spoke to people regularly who went away and never went to Ewood. Bayes then asked if a person who previously mentioned they wouldn’t set foot in Ewood at a previous meeting was in the room. They were, but took a load of abuse last time, so they didn’t say anything.

I’ve been pretty public in my stance for a good few years. I want to go to games, I don’t feel comfortable financially supporting a regime I despise. If not stumping up £300 a year makes me not a fan in your eyes, I won’t lose any sleep.

[Cherry Blue]

6 minutes ago, 47er said:

Matter of balance imo. Result or adding to the" Ewood Experience". When the place is rocking (or when it used to be) with a cracking atmosphere, that seemed to spur the players on to me.

Unfortunately the club has a choice in most games as long as we remain outside premiership.

[Stuart]

Just now, K-Hod said:

Lads, can we behave ourselves please? 
Thanks.

Just a bit confused is all. I thought that the five places were for BRFCS representatives.

 

Just now, Miller11 said:

Massive lie.

I never stood up. I’ve told him that at previous meetings and he knows full well my thoughts and reasons. I didn’t proudly do anything... if you remember, Waggott mentioned he spoke to people regularly who went away and never went to Ewood. Bayes then asked if a person who previously mentioned they wouldn’t set foot in Ewood at a previous meeting was in the room. They were, but took a load of abuse last time, so they didn’t say anything.

I’ve been pretty public in my stance for a good few years. I want to go to games, I don’t feel comfortable financially supporting a regime I despise. If not stumping up £300 a year makes me not a fan in your eyes, I won’t lose any sleep.

Surely he didn’t have an “agenda” and that’s why he went “representing himself” under the pretence of representing the site?

[J*B]

For clarification, BRFCS represents the fans that use it. Anyone going to the meeting via BRFCS is only inadvertently representing us in so far as we will lose our ticket allocation if someone goes in and embarrasses themselves. 
Nobody is under any specific set of rules that they must report back to the forum. Everything ‘on the record’ gets published in the telegraph, everything ‘off the record’ I would suggest is kept off the record. 
The five tickets we are issued are available for every fan invitation event. I purposely don’t take one because I don’t want to be seen to take any privilege. If you want one for the next event, send me a PM. 

[Bbrovers2288]

Just now, J*B said:

For clarification, BRFCS represents the fans that use it. Anyone going to the meeting via BRFCS is only inadvertently representing us in so far as we will lose our ticket allocation if someone goes in and embarrasses themselves. 
Nobody is under any specific set of rules that they must report back to the forum. Everything ‘on the record’ gets published in the telegraph, everything ‘off the record’ I would suggest is kept off the record. 
The five tickets we are issued are available for every fan invitation event. I purposely don’t take one because I don’t want to be seen to take any privilege. If you want one for the next event, send me a PM. 

I’d like you to go , I trust your judgement more than most on here, next time, take one for yourself. Please 

[Bbrovers2288]

Just now, OldEwoodBlue said:

Paul... usually the edited recording will be live on radio lancs website in the next 48 hours. If you google it you can listen to previous ones. So you can openly say anything about the main meeting. No secrets.

Anything said off the record when you was talking to Tony afterwards is off the record unless you choose to share it privately.

 

£1.3 million budget for transfers was never going far. At least everyone knows now.

Still more than the nothing to spend some were saying last night, also said they were open to pushing past that. 

[tomphil]

1.3 million should get a decent loan player or pay the wages of a decent freebie.

Scenes when he uses that to re - sign Samuel and Bell !

[Tom]

Glad those that went enjoyed it, I’ve been before and it’s easy to get on board with Mowbrays passion, it often doesn’t come across the same in text.

From the commentary it seemed Cheston was flustered again, not sure his presence at these things helps 

[JHRover]

Not sure that tonight really takes us any further than we've been at the last couple of meets. Seems to be 'business as usual' with very much the same stuff coming out.

Owners are committed, manager and CEO only want to be judged on what happens whilst they are here, money available but not being spent (heard that one before).

I agree with Mattyblue that the slip from Waggott about the academy is potentially concerning if you interpret these things at face value. Clearly if there is a view to ending Category A status this is completely at odds with the recent proclamations about developing youth and FFP worries. 

As we've done to death on numerous occasions, academy expenditure is exempt from FFP calculations so if there is a reduction in funding to the academy that will be entirely of Venkys own volition.  Strange thing to do if they are desperate to invest. Then again maybe just a poor choice of words from Waggott.

Not sure re-use of pint glasses and concerns about contamination or the location of away fans during games are really issues that should be dealt with at these meetings. These are bi-annual precisely because they should cover much more than the usual gripes and matchday preferences.

[Bbrovers2288]

25 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Not sure that tonight really takes us any further than we've been at the last couple of meets. Seems to be 'business as usual' with very much the same stuff coming out.

Owners are committed, manager and CEO only want to be judged on what happens whilst they are here, money available but not being spent (heard that one before).

I agree with Mattyblue that the slip from Waggott about the academy is potentially concerning if you interpret these things at face value. Clearly if there is a view to ending Category A status this is completely at odds with the recent proclamations about developing youth and FFP worries. 

As we've done to death on numerous occasions, academy expenditure is exempt from FFP calculations so if there is a reduction in funding to the academy that will be entirely of Venkys own volition.  Strange thing to do if they are desperate to invest. Then again maybe just a poor choice of words from Waggott.

Not sure re-use of pint glasses and concerns about contamination or the location of away fans during games are really issues that should be dealt with at these meetings. These are bi-annual precisely because they should cover much more than the usual gripes and matchday preferences.

I would certainly like a bit more of the meaty issues addressed rather than recycling issues, seems a bit of a waste of an opportunity but I imagine the questions are hand picked prior to the event 

[Bigdoggsteel]

Well it's a new level of honesty to just outright say we only had £1.3 million to spent. It's good to just be upfront like that. 

[Parsonblue]

3 hours ago, Ossydave said:

Surely the playing in opposition kit was a joke by TM, that's how I read it anyway but its hard to tell from just reading Sharps commentary. 

That's happened at Ewood before now when we loaned a club our away kit for a League game after the ref ruled against the away kit they had brought with them.  It would appear that it was Mowbray who wanted the third kit because they found the away kit was not always suitable for some colour clashes.

Once again, I thought both Mowbray and Waggott came over very well and clearly have the best interests of the club at heart. 

I thought Mowbray's comments on transfer policy were detailed and open and clearly he has a large say in that area of the club so it was quite right for him to cover that part of the agenda.

The meetings illustrate that the different groups in attendance have different views on certain things so it's not easy for those in charge to find compromises.  Some supporters fully agreed with Mowbray with regard to putting the away fans as far away from the pitch as possible whilst others felt atmosphere was more important and wanted them in the lower tier.  I suspect, and would hope, that Mowbray's view would be the one we follow.  At many away grounds you are either in a corner or upstairs - out of the way - so the noise impact from away fans is reduced.  

[Paul Mani]

8 hours ago, DE. said:

Only £1.3m being available to spend (does that include wages?) is pretty scary to me. That's lower level/relegation candidate level transfer budget. Unless we have a lot more in the summer to play with we are looking at an incredibly difficult 20/21 season with the amount of investment the squad is going to need.

£1.3m was what was left from last summer, so the budget will be refreshed and also effected by players leaving etc making ‘room’.

One interesting pOint by Cheston was on ffp. He stated clearly that ffp is always judged on this years and the previous two years accounts. Meaning that so long as you lose the same amount every year (and  accumulatively that doesn’t exceed £39m over the three years) then your budget literally refreshes every season and you have the same spending power. If that makes sense.

He also said that whilst our submissions for ffp were due in at the end of the month (feb), but we can make some further adjustments if needed up until the end of June when our accounting period ends.

My observation is that a profit sale like Dack for example every three years would make huge dent in our ability to spend as a £20m fee would effectively make us whole for that year which would increase our spending power over any three year period.

Interesting also (as I’ve said SOOO many times) that in particular Mowbray said on numerous occasions that failing all else, if he really wanted to spend more Money, the owners had told him he only had to ask.

My overriding emotion now following the meeting is that we have a leadership structure who do care passionately about the club.

Mowbray is far from dull. He’s passionate, animated, BRUTALLY honest about himself, his players, the market. I can 100% see why the lads including Jonty and Dunny love him so much. He hasn’t got tons of cash sloshing about but he does have a plan on how to use it better. Which he talked to me about openly and in detail. Based off the meeting and my first ever 10 mins with him one to one, he is absolutely the man to take us on for as long as he has that desire!