Bristol R*vers dustbin thread

[Bristol Rob]

2 hours ago, Shaun Taylor said:

Surprised they have two lawn mowers

They don't.

When the club announced they were signing the GOAT it was an actual .

[SirColinOfMansfield]

This is when you know things have finally reached an all time low ....

 

Rovers Garden Gnome

 Bought for me, Christmas 2019. Nothing but Rovers misery since. If anyone wants it, I will send and pay for delivery. Been kept inside, so in immaculate condition.

Please PM if interested.

Enough is enough.

[Midlands Robin]

Someone a few pages back posted Barton's win ratio compared to Garner's.

I always think that in these circumstances win ratios are the wrong metric to use. A manager could have 1 win and 4 losses in 5 games and have the same win ratio as one with 1 win and 4 draws.

For a true appreciation of absolute shiteness you have to look at the "loss ratio"

Garner lost 17 in 33 for 52%

Biffer Barton lost 17 in 24 for 72%

To put it another way, Garner scored points in almost half his league games while Barton can just about score points in a quarter (oh how ironic, quarters?)

[WessexPest]

Let’s take stock of how HMS P*** The League is doing.

The album cover of Jeff Wayne’s musical version of The War of the Worlds - that’s how it’s going.

[CiderJar]

Rejecting gnomes is an all time low. I'm presuming it was kept inside so that the field could be plowed? No longer prowed.

7 hours ago, SirColinOfMansfield said:

This is when you know things have finally reached an all time low ....

 

Rovers Garden Gnome

 Bought for me, Christmas 2019. Nothing but Rovers misery since. If anyone wants it, I will send and pay for delivery. Been kept inside, so in immaculate condition.

Please PM if interested.

Enough is enough.

 

[Port Said Red]

7 hours ago, Midlands Robin said:

Someone a few pages back posted Barton's win ratio compared to Garner's.

I always think that in these circumstances win ratios are the wrong metric to use. A manager could have 1 win and 4 losses in 5 games and have the same win ratio as one with 1 win and 4 draws.

For a true appreciation of absolute shiteness you have to look at the "loss ratio"

Garner lost 17 in 33 for 52%

Biffer Barton lost 17 in 24 for 72%

To put it another way, Garner scored points in almost half his league games while Barton can just about score points in a quarter (oh how ironic, quarters?)

Hugely unfair, I think you should go back and calculate this again including the number of 2nd halfs Joey has won.

[wendyredredrobin]

10 hours ago, Taz said:

 

Send in the goats - cheaper and more eco friendly......

Goats? That's just the first team warming up

[Southport Red]

8 hours ago, SirColinOfMansfield said:

This is when you know things have finally reached an all time low ....

 

Rovers Garden Gnome

 Bought for me, Christmas 2019. Nothing but Rovers misery since. If anyone wants it, I will send and pay for delivery. Been kept inside, so in immaculate condition.

Please PM if interested.

Enough is enough.

Another new signing?

[BTRFTG]

17 hours ago, Bazooka Joe said:

The guy in the photo at the beginning of this video clip looks like someone from the cast of the Walking Dead.

Every one of the crowd look like the unfortunate folks one might see on a Channel 5 documentary, in this case: 'On Benefits - Living With Tourette's'.

[sh1t_ref_again]

2 hours ago, CiderJar said:

Rejecting gnomes is an all time low. I'm presuming it was kept inside so that the field could be plowed? No longer prowed.

 

Think it has more to do with not wanting it outside so the neighbours will work you're a closet gas head......imagine the shame and embarrassment you put on the rest of the family

[BTRFTG]

On 19/09/2021 at 01:54, Son of Fred said:

Joey says "I'm Captain of the ship & at the moment the ships sailing in the wrong direction"....

Look out for iceberg's Cap'n...

Looks like the Met Office have added a new region to their Shipping Forecast:

General Synopsis Saturday : 16:50 BST

Deep depression centred over North Bristol, Low, Steadily Falling.

Horfield

Wind: 1 decreasing zero, becalmed.

Sea: Rough increasing Very Rough.

Weather: Squally Showers.

Visibility: Occasionally Poor becoming Poor, FOG later.

 

 

 

 

[Bristol Rob]

9 hours ago, SirColinOfMansfield said:

This is when you know things have finally reached an all time low ....

 

Rovers Garden Gnome

 Bought for me, Christmas 2019. Nothing but Rovers misery since. If anyone wants it, I will send and pay for delivery. Been kept inside, so in immaculate condition.

Please PM if interested.

Enough is enough.

So a house-gnome.

Must be one of the few never to have been locked out.

[Port Said Red]

2 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Looks like the Met Office have added a new region to their Shipping Forecast:

General Synopsis Saturday : 16:50 BST

Deep depression centred over North Bristol, Low, Steadily Falling.

Horfield

Wind: 1 decreasing zero, becalmed.

Sea: Rough increasing Very Rough.

Weather: Squally Showers.

Visibility: Occasionally Poor becoming Poor, FOG later.

Oh dear, sounds like sinking weather......

[Mike Hunt-Hertz]

19 minutes ago, BTRFTG said:

Looks like the Met Office have added a new region to their Shipping Forecast:

General Synopsis Saturday : 16:50 BST

Deep depression centred over North Bristol, Low, Steadily Falling.

Horfield

Wind: 1 decreasing zero, becalmed.

Sea: Rough increasing Very Rough.

Weather: Squally Showers.

Visibility: Occasionally Poor becoming Poor, FOG later.

 

 

 

 

That Horfield lot are one gurt shower.

[Thomas_red]

Just saw #gascrisis trending…

[readie14]

Even Wally is taking the piss now

[BTRFTG]

Wow, if you really want something to cheer you up read the statement just issued by the outgoing Chair of their Supporters Club!

Safeguarding referral re 'IL Presidente'! What might this be?

[Crackers Corner]

11 hours ago, SirColinOfMansfield said:

This is when you know things have finally reached an all time low ....

 

Rovers Garden Gnome

 Bought for me, Christmas 2019. Nothing but Rovers misery since. If anyone wants it, I will send and pay for delivery. Been kept inside, so in immaculate condition.

Please PM if interested.

Enough is enough.

Rovers could sign him on a free transfer, must be better than some of thier current squad.

[WessexPest]

1 hour ago, BTRFTG said:

Looks like the Met Office have added a new region to their Shipping Forecast:

General Synopsis Saturday : 16:50 BST

Deep depression centred over North Bristol, Low, Steadily Falling.

Horfield

Wind: 1 decreasing zero, becalmed.

Sea: Rough increasing Very Rough.

Weather: Squally Showers.

Visibility: Occasionally Poor becoming Poor, FOG later.

 

 

 

 

Don’t mention Dogger to Darrell…

[GrahamC]

11 hours ago, Midlands Robin said:

Someone a few pages back posted Barton's win ratio compared to Garner's.

I always think that in these circumstances win ratios are the wrong metric to use. A manager could have 1 win and 4 losses in 5 games and have the same win ratio as one with 1 win and 4 draws.

For a true appreciation of absolute shiteness you have to look at the "loss ratio"

Garner lost 17 in 33 for 52%

Biffer Barton lost 17 in 24 for 72%

To put it another way, Garner scored points in almost half his league games while Barton can just about score points in a quarter (oh how ironic, quarters?)

There’s a bigger picture issue, too.

Garner had a dreadful record but his clear plan was to sign loads of players in their early 20s who had been let go by the likes of Palace & Fulham & try to produce a team that still had time on its side to improve.

This plan also had the bonus that should one of them do so well & attract the attention of a side up the pyramid then they’d get some funds to improve the squad.

This is a coherent strategy.

Barton on the other hand has signed 36 & 37 year olds who were without clubs (& in the case of Leon Clarke, who had 2 hamstring injuries last season & a back operation), plus a load of 30 something ex-Fleetwood players (or Scousers), there is no plan, no possibility these players are anything but on their way down. It is absolutely incredible that Wael has indulged him to bring in 20 players & massively increase the age profile & presumably wage bill.

They are in huge trouble, I’m delighted to say.

Edited September 20, 2021 by GrahamC

[BetterRedthanBlue]

4 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

There’s a bigger picture issue, too.

Garner had a dreadful record but his clear plan was to sign loads of players in their early 20s who had been let go by the likes of Palace & Fulham & try to produce a team that still had time on its side to improve.

This plan also had the bonus that should one of them do so well & attract the attention of a side up the pyramid then they’d get some funds to improve the squad.

This is a coherent strategy.

Barton on the other hand has signed 36 & 37 year olds who were without clubs (& in the case of Leon Clarke, who had 2 hamstring injuries last season & a back operation), plus a load of 30 something ex-Fleetwood players (or Scousers), there is no plan, no possibility these players are anything but on their way down. It is absolutely incredible that Wael has indulged him to bring in 20 players & massively increase the age & presumably wage bill.

They are in huge trouble, I’m delighted to say.

You mean 36 year old Leon Clarke isn't going to get them £15m?! 

[GrahamC]

Just now, BetterRedThanBlue said:

You mean 36 year old Leon Clarke isn't going to get them £15m?! 

According to Barton at the weekend “his career might be over”, truly incredible that he gave him a one year contract after the stuff I detailed above.

[The Gasbuster]

20 minutes ago, WessexPest said:

Don’t mention Dogger to Darrell…

Yeah, rhymes with Dogger Bank 

[Port Said Red]

8 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

According to Barton at the weekend “his career might be over”, truly incredible that he gave him a one year contract after the stuff I detailed above.

Does make you wonder if he and a few agent friends have spotted a "mark" doesn't it?

[Red Army 75]

So tinpot it’s unbelievable. It literally reads like they are a non league club. Oh wait 

[BTRFTG]

30 minutes ago, TomF said:

Link?  - Edit just found it https://bristolroverssc.co.uk/jim-chappells-report-to-the-agm/

 

When, after a rare and welcome home win over high-flying Sunderland at the Memorial Stadium on that Tuesday night of the 10th March, 2020, your Treasurer Sue Williams and I sorted, allocated and stacked up the box of 50/50 tickets ready for the following Saturday’s game against Ipswich Town, we could never have guessed that those same tickets would remain undisturbed ever since.

This was of course due mainly to the terrible pandemic that suddenly launched itself onto a largely unsuspecting world that week, causing the Ipswich match to be the first of many to be cancelled before a complete league season was played out behind closed doors for the first time in our history.

Whilst watching our football on phones and laptops became the norm many of us were sadly losing loved ones and life-long friends to the virus and many more were unable to obtain otherwise standard medical care as the pandemic swept the country. On behalf of the Supporters Club I wish sincere condolences to all our members and Rovers’ fans in general who have become bereaved as a result of the virus. Far too many ‘Gasheads’ were lost to us!

Unfortunately, there was another reason for those Ipswich tickets remaining in their box since the resumption of ‘proper’ football with fans back in the stands and on the terraces from the start of the current campaign. That reason, as most of you are aware by now, is that the Football Club decided to ‘take the 50/50 Draw in-house’ by refusing to allow the Supporters Club to sell either tickets or match-day programmes. To do so entails the Football Club having to organise and pay for everything itself instead of relying on our army of sellers and administrative volunteers who have carried out the task flawlessly since the club’s return to Bristol in 1996.

It simply makes no commercial sense at all and therefore I believe it to be a ‘punishment’ for your committee not complying with a demand for three things outlined to me in writing by Non-executive Director Chris Gibson, M.B.E., who has been appointed by the Football Club to liaise with all support groups.

The demands were as follows;

1/That I resign my post as Chairman (no reason given!) 2/That I apologise (for something not outlined in writing!) 3/ That the SC hands over £50,000 for ‘sponsorship’ of the ‘Quarters’ training ground.

It so happens I had always intended to stand down at the end of my current term of office. Our next AGM marks completion of my thirty years as Chairman and that is more than enough, I’m sure many of you will agree with, even in ordinary circumstances. It also marks half a century serving on the committee, a decade as Vice-Chairman to Steve Burns and many more years before that representing Gordon Bennett’s ‘Pirates’ Youth Organisation on Eric Godfrey’s SC Executive.

So, I am more than proud to have ‘done my time’ although never before under such extraordinary ‘leadership’ as Bristol Rovers currently suffers! I warmly welcomed

Wael Al Qadi at the press conference called by then Chairman, Nick Higgs, to announce the takeover of the club and then went out of my way to meet up with him again on his first visit to the then training ground at Cribbs with Darrell Clarke. Now I cannot wait to get out so spare no tears for me!

The apology that was demanded (but will never come from me) was, I understand, for a safeguarding issue in which I am supposed to have colluded with others to discredit the President. I can categorically deny any such collusion and I call upon the President to prove otherwise.

Our members deserve an explanation and what happened is that, before a League game at the Memorial Stadium I was handed a ‘letter of concern’ from a trusted member of the Supporters Club which he requested me to pass on to the Football Club. Both our Treasurer Sue Williams and Safeguarding Officer Sam Parsons were in the cabin working on the 50/50 Draw with me, as they were at every home match. Sam took the letter and promised to pass it on to the Football Club’s Safeguarding Officer and she reported that this had been done at our next Committee Meeting. The matter was minuted with little discussion. The following Thursday evening Sam and I were required to attend a meeting with CEO Martyn Starnes and FC Safeguarding Officer Nikki Parker when the then latest EFL Safeguarding Instructions were outlined to us and which we agreed to take on board in full.

The ‘Letter of Concern’ was not mentioned at that meeting which lasted around an hour. After a couple of weeks I was advised by Sam Parsons that we were duty bound as the recipients to follow up the letter with Nikki Parker which we did and we were informed that the matter was closed because it was not possible to obtain further information from the complainant. This was confirmed by the Bristol City Council/Avon & Somerset Police Safeguarding Officer and this was minuted at our next Committee Meeting.

The matter was never discussed further either in committee or outside until a few months back when it started being openly referred to on the ‘Gaschat’ social media forum. The information being discussed on the forum did not originate from the Supporters Club and our Secretary was instructed to issue a disclaimer on our website. This was duly done, and members can draw their own conclusions as to where the information originated but it was not from your committee.

The so called ‘moderator’ of the ‘Gaschat’ site has since written to me also claiming that I had colluded with others, that he had evidence and attached a copy of the original ‘Letter of Concern’ and wanted to meet with me to discuss the same.

How he obtained this confidential information is not clear, but I have no intention of discussing it with him and his letter has been placed in the hands of the Supporters’ Club’s solicitors.

The only regret I have in standing down is that I am leaving a brilliant, hardworking committee in what is a very difficult position that is none of their doing. The whole scenario follows a pattern in that it is the President’s ambition to rid himself of all dissenting opinion in order to be loved by the support base – the sensible members of which can see our once proud club being dissembled before their very eyes.

Think of five managers, a host of directors, masses of hard-working loyal staff both on and off the pitch, the Young Pirates, Blue Diamond Club, Former Players Association, two esteemed programme editors and so on. Not forgetting of course millions of pounds of losses mostly incurred before the pandemic oh, and a relegation back to the basement division!

Now the Supporters Club and the unfortunately named Presidents Club are seriously threatened. Don’t get me wrong, I sincerely believe that the President genuinely loves the club which is more than can be said of the Directors.

To the best of my knowledge none of the current Board, apart from the President and his brother, own any shares and none of them live in the Bristol area – they are simply employees of the club, unlike previous directors who gave their time and money freely for the benefit of Bristol Rovers.

In his latest ‘open letter to supporters’ the President claimed that nobody from the Supporters Club ‘attended’ the Football Club’s AGM a year ago and that is true. Many did not know that there was an AGM taking place as it was held on ‘Zoom’ with only a week allowed to request a place from receipt of the announcement.

It so happened that I was on a fortnight’s holiday and did not get back home until it was too late to receive the letter and claim a place. One known critic of the ‘Board’ did apply and told me he was refused, and I understand that only seven people took part so draw your own conclusions. The previous AGM in 2019 was held properly in person but turned into a fiasco as any shareholder who took part will readily confirm.

The hapless Chairman of that meeting closed it early in order to escape all the criticism and to avoid further critical questioning about the running of the company. He joined the list of ‘the departed’ soon after! As for the President’s claim that he values the support of the shareholders, well I’m sorry but if we were so valued perhaps he might have engaged with us before restructuring the company and reducing in particular the Supporters Club’s holding along with all other shareholders! When will there be another proper AGM I wonder?

Our own Supporters Club AGM could not have been held by ‘Zoom’ that we have now become so used to because the committee reasoned that many of our older members, indeed any member not on the internet, would not have been able to participate so it was held over and will now take place on October 28th.

According to the Share Scheme Agreement that I am a signatory to, the Supporters Club is entitled to two Directors on the Board and we have two nominations that are being forwarded to the Football Club.

I welcome at last the development of the training ground which is long overdue and which I know from speaking to him that the lack of such a facility was a big bone of contention with Darrell Clarke. I have already explained elsewhere that the £50,000 demanded of the Supporters Club towards the training ground was in fact set aside by the Committee for facilities for fans and that the equipment we suggested to then Chairman Steve Hamer would remain the property of the Supporters Club so that it could be reused.

The money belongs to the Supporters Club because it is the entire proceeds from the enforced sale of the former SC shop and offices in Kingswood.

If the remaining committee agree to stump up this massive payment from our funds, then it is entirely their decision but personally I would like the matter placed before the membership at the AGM. After all YOU are the people who have paid in over many years and have lost out on the convenience of our east Bristol base, so you deserve to be the ones to decide.

However, when/if voting, please be aware that the money was set aside for specific facilities for supporters at the training ground, and NOT for any other purpose.

So, I am both sad and glad to be standing down and I leave my former committee colleagues with something of a heavy heart as I know only too well how hard they work and have always done so for our members. In particular I want to praise my erstwhile officers; Secretary David Thomas has done a fantastic job on the Club’s website and in keeping up the links with the two incredibly successful Rovers’ women’s teams, both of which we continue to sponsor in full.

David has more than fulfilled his duties whilst suffering from cancer and has undergone a couple of major operations during the pandemic, so we are very lucky to have him battling through all this and doing his day job as well.

He is, thankfully, staying on and frankly deserves a medal! Also, to be following me ‘out of the door’ at the AGM they tell me is my near lifelong Vice Chairman Phil Draper while Treasurer Sue Williams has agreed to remain on the Committee until the end of the year.

Sue and Phil were both colleagues with me on the old ‘Pirates’ Youth committee under Gordon Bennett before joining several others ahead of me onto the main SC executive whilst I carried on representing the ‘Pirates’.

So, we have been through an awful lot during our near fifty years together and we jointly have an incredible tale to tell. Whoever steps forward to join your brilliant committee at this year’s AGM will have very big boots to fill but, whoever they may be, I wish them and all our loyal members all the very best of luck.

I will continue to support the team and your committee as best I can from my new position as an ‘observer’!

 

As David Coleman was wont to say:

"Quite Extraordinary!"

[CiderJar]

Aren't YouTube comments brilliant?

[Bristol Rob]

42 minutes ago, TomF said:

Link?  - Edit just found it https://bristolroverssc.co.uk/jim-chappells-report-to-the-agm/

 

When, after a rare and welcome home win over high-flying Sunderland at the Memorial Stadium on that Tuesday night of the 10th March, 2020, your Treasurer Sue Williams and I sorted, allocated and stacked up the box of 50/50 tickets ready for the following Saturday’s game against Ipswich Town, we could never have guessed that those same tickets would remain undisturbed ever since.

This was of course due mainly to the terrible pandemic that suddenly launched itself onto a largely unsuspecting world that week, causing the Ipswich match to be the first of many to be cancelled before a complete league season was played out behind closed doors for the first time in our history.

Whilst watching our football on phones and laptops became the norm many of us were sadly losing loved ones and life-long friends to the virus and many more were unable to obtain otherwise standard medical care as the pandemic swept the country. On behalf of the Supporters Club I wish sincere condolences to all our members and Rovers’ fans in general who have become bereaved as a result of the virus. Far too many ‘Gasheads’ were lost to us!

Unfortunately, there was another reason for those Ipswich tickets remaining in their box since the resumption of ‘proper’ football with fans back in the stands and on the terraces from the start of the current campaign. That reason, as most of you are aware by now, is that the Football Club decided to ‘take the 50/50 Draw in-house’ by refusing to allow the Supporters Club to sell either tickets or match-day programmes. To do so entails the Football Club having to organise and pay for everything itself instead of relying on our army of sellers and administrative volunteers who have carried out the task flawlessly since the club’s return to Bristol in 1996.

It simply makes no commercial sense at all and therefore I believe it to be a ‘punishment’ for your committee not complying with a demand for three things outlined to me in writing by Non-executive Director Chris Gibson, M.B.E., who has been appointed by the Football Club to liaise with all support groups.

The demands were as follows;

1/That I resign my post as Chairman (no reason given!) 2/That I apologise (for something not outlined in writing!) 3/ That the SC hands over £50,000 for ‘sponsorship’ of the ‘Quarters’ training ground.

It so happens I had always intended to stand down at the end of my current term of office. Our next AGM marks completion of my thirty years as Chairman and that is more than enough, I’m sure many of you will agree with, even in ordinary circumstances. It also marks half a century serving on the committee, a decade as Vice-Chairman to Steve Burns and many more years before that representing Gordon Bennett’s ‘Pirates’ Youth Organisation on Eric Godfrey’s SC Executive.

So, I am more than proud to have ‘done my time’ although never before under such extraordinary ‘leadership’ as Bristol Rovers currently suffers! I warmly welcomed

Wael Al Qadi at the press conference called by then Chairman, Nick Higgs, to announce the takeover of the club and then went out of my way to meet up with him again on his first visit to the then training ground at Cribbs with Darrell Clarke. Now I cannot wait to get out so spare no tears for me!

The apology that was demanded (but will never come from me) was, I understand, for a safeguarding issue in which I am supposed to have colluded with others to discredit the President. I can categorically deny any such collusion and I call upon the President to prove otherwise.

Our members deserve an explanation and what happened is that, before a League game at the Memorial Stadium I was handed a ‘letter of concern’ from a trusted member of the Supporters Club which he requested me to pass on to the Football Club. Both our Treasurer Sue Williams and Safeguarding Officer Sam Parsons were in the cabin working on the 50/50 Draw with me, as they were at every home match. Sam took the letter and promised to pass it on to the Football Club’s Safeguarding Officer and she reported that this had been done at our next Committee Meeting. The matter was minuted with little discussion. The following Thursday evening Sam and I were required to attend a meeting with CEO Martyn Starnes and FC Safeguarding Officer Nikki Parker when the then latest EFL Safeguarding Instructions were outlined to us and which we agreed to take on board in full.

The ‘Letter of Concern’ was not mentioned at that meeting which lasted around an hour. After a couple of weeks I was advised by Sam Parsons that we were duty bound as the recipients to follow up the letter with Nikki Parker which we did and we were informed that the matter was closed because it was not possible to obtain further information from the complainant. This was confirmed by the Bristol City Council/Avon & Somerset Police Safeguarding Officer and this was minuted at our next Committee Meeting.

The matter was never discussed further either in committee or outside until a few months back when it started being openly referred to on the ‘Gaschat’ social media forum. The information being discussed on the forum did not originate from the Supporters Club and our Secretary was instructed to issue a disclaimer on our website. This was duly done, and members can draw their own conclusions as to where the information originated but it was not from your committee.

The so called ‘moderator’ of the ‘Gaschat’ site has since written to me also claiming that I had colluded with others, that he had evidence and attached a copy of the original ‘Letter of Concern’ and wanted to meet with me to discuss the same.

How he obtained this confidential information is not clear, but I have no intention of discussing it with him and his letter has been placed in the hands of the Supporters’ Club’s solicitors.

The only regret I have in standing down is that I am leaving a brilliant, hardworking committee in what is a very difficult position that is none of their doing. The whole scenario follows a pattern in that it is the President’s ambition to rid himself of all dissenting opinion in order to be loved by the support base – the sensible members of which can see our once proud club being dissembled before their very eyes.

Think of five managers, a host of directors, masses of hard-working loyal staff both on and off the pitch, the Young Pirates, Blue Diamond Club, Former Players Association, two esteemed programme editors and so on. Not forgetting of course millions of pounds of losses mostly incurred before the pandemic oh, and a relegation back to the basement division!

Now the Supporters Club and the unfortunately named Presidents Club are seriously threatened. Don’t get me wrong, I sincerely believe that the President genuinely loves the club which is more than can be said of the Directors.

To the best of my knowledge none of the current Board, apart from the President and his brother, own any shares and none of them live in the Bristol area – they are simply employees of the club, unlike previous directors who gave their time and money freely for the benefit of Bristol Rovers.

In his latest ‘open letter to supporters’ the President claimed that nobody from the Supporters Club ‘attended’ the Football Club’s AGM a year ago and that is true. Many did not know that there was an AGM taking place as it was held on ‘Zoom’ with only a week allowed to request a place from receipt of the announcement.

It so happened that I was on a fortnight’s holiday and did not get back home until it was too late to receive the letter and claim a place. One known critic of the ‘Board’ did apply and told me he was refused, and I understand that only seven people took part so draw your own conclusions. The previous AGM in 2019 was held properly in person but turned into a fiasco as any shareholder who took part will readily confirm.

The hapless Chairman of that meeting closed it early in order to escape all the criticism and to avoid further critical questioning about the running of the company. He joined the list of ‘the departed’ soon after! As for the President’s claim that he values the support of the shareholders, well I’m sorry but if we were so valued perhaps he might have engaged with us before restructuring the company and reducing in particular the Supporters Club’s holding along with all other shareholders! When will there be another proper AGM I wonder?

Our own Supporters Club AGM could not have been held by ‘Zoom’ that we have now become so used to because the committee reasoned that many of our older members, indeed any member not on the internet, would not have been able to participate so it was held over and will now take place on October 28th.

According to the Share Scheme Agreement that I am a signatory to, the Supporters Club is entitled to two Directors on the Board and we have two nominations that are being forwarded to the Football Club.

I welcome at last the development of the training ground which is long overdue and which I know from speaking to him that the lack of such a facility was a big bone of contention with Darrell Clarke. I have already explained elsewhere that the £50,000 demanded of the Supporters Club towards the training ground was in fact set aside by the Committee for facilities for fans and that the equipment we suggested to then Chairman Steve Hamer would remain the property of the Supporters Club so that it could be reused.

The money belongs to the Supporters Club because it is the entire proceeds from the enforced sale of the former SC shop and offices in Kingswood.

If the remaining committee agree to stump up this massive payment from our funds, then it is entirely their decision but personally I would like the matter placed before the membership at the AGM. After all YOU are the people who have paid in over many years and have lost out on the convenience of our east Bristol base, so you deserve to be the ones to decide.

However, when/if voting, please be aware that the money was set aside for specific facilities for supporters at the training ground, and NOT for any other purpose.

So, I am both sad and glad to be standing down and I leave my former committee colleagues with something of a heavy heart as I know only too well how hard they work and have always done so for our members. In particular I want to praise my erstwhile officers; Secretary David Thomas has done a fantastic job on the Club’s website and in keeping up the links with the two incredibly successful Rovers’ women’s teams, both of which we continue to sponsor in full.

David has more than fulfilled his duties whilst suffering from cancer and has undergone a couple of major operations during the pandemic, so we are very lucky to have him battling through all this and doing his day job as well.

He is, thankfully, staying on and frankly deserves a medal! Also, to be following me ‘out of the door’ at the AGM they tell me is my near lifelong Vice Chairman Phil Draper while Treasurer Sue Williams has agreed to remain on the Committee until the end of the year.

Sue and Phil were both colleagues with me on the old ‘Pirates’ Youth committee under Gordon Bennett before joining several others ahead of me onto the main SC executive whilst I carried on representing the ‘Pirates’.

So, we have been through an awful lot during our near fifty years together and we jointly have an incredible tale to tell. Whoever steps forward to join your brilliant committee at this year’s AGM will have very big boots to fill but, whoever they may be, I wish them and all our loyal members all the very best of luck.

I will continue to support the team and your committee as best I can from my new position as an ‘observer’!

 

Reads like if I go down, I'm taking everyone with me.

Surely a more dignified exit would be, it has been a pleasure to serve, good memories, had over the baton, new direction etc... 

Also. GORDON BENNETT.

 

[BTRFTG]

1 minute ago, Bristol Rob said:

Reads like if I go down, I'm taking everyone with me.

Surely a more dignified exit would be, it has been a pleasure to serve, good memories, had over the baton, new direction etc... 

Also. GORDON BENNETT.

 

Couldn't disagree more. Although we love to take the **** out of them he comes across as somebody with a lifelong (if deluded,) passion for his club that's being torn apart by some megalomaniacal despot and his sycophantic lackies.

If true what he's written, that's some damning accusations against The Gas Board.

[frenchred]

1 minute ago, BTRFTG said:

Couldn't disagree more. Although we love to take the **** out of them he comes across as somebody with a lifelong (if deluded,) passion for his club that's being torn apart by some megalomaniacal despot and his sycophantic lackies.

If true what he's written, that's some damning accusations against The Gas Board.

Yep totally agree with you. The current lot will take the club down and out and not many will shed a tear apart from their true fans

[Monkeh]

10 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

Reads like if I go down, I'm taking everyone with me.

Surely a more dignified exit would be, it has been a pleasure to serve, good memories, had over the baton, new direction etc... 

Also. GORDON BENNETT.

 

Completely disagree

It reads like an honest assesment from someone sick of dealing with a dictatorship,

Remember this is the same owner who didn't want to spend money on the ground unless the supporters who owned shares stumped up half,

As I said when they tried to lord it over us when wael came in

He is a fake and its a property deal gone disastrously wrong

They have to be close to going under

[Bristol Rob]

2 minutes ago, Monkeh said:

Completely disagree

It reads like an honest assesment from someone sick of dealing with a dictatorship,

Remember this is the same owner who didn't want to spend money on the ground unless the supporters who owned shares stumped up half,

As I said when they tried to lord it over us when wael came in

He is a fake and its a property deal gone disastrously wrong

They have to be close to going under

Hope I'm wrong then! - sounds to me like an ineffective Supporters Club, with membership made up of the least organised set of supporters out there has been unable to work with a club for a significant amount of time for reasons various.

Maybe they'll now start to question why Wael has never held a senior role in any of the family businesses! 

Soap opera stuff!

And another gift.

[Steve Watts]

I have to be honest I'm slightly confused by his account.  He seems to be slating the regime for ripping the heart and soul (such as it is!) out of the club, but praising Wally at the same time saying about how much he loves the club.  Is essentially his point that Wally Al-Qaeda is well intentioned but incompetent? I'm really not sure!

I think his openness is to be applauded though.  He's clearly hurting at the way the club has been run and how decent people have been thrown under a bus having done nothing wrong. He's trying to make clear that the clubs scapegoats are not the villains of the piece.

[Bazooka Joe]

39 minutes ago, Monkeh said:

Completely disagree

It reads like an honest assesment from someone sick of dealing with a dictatorship,

Remember this is the same owner who didn't want to spend money on the ground unless the supporters who owned shares stumped up half,

As I said when they tried to lord it over us when wael came in

He is a fake and its a property deal gone disastrously wrong

They have to be close to going under

Bless 'em, they always look to go one step further.

First they go down, and next they'll go under (hopefully).

Perhaps they'd have done better if they had relocated to Australia (Down Under).

Tie me kangroo dog down sport !

[Bazooka Joe]

20 minutes ago, TomF said:

Having met Jim before I can say he is a decent bloke.  Like you say we take the piss but he is Rovers through and through.  Pretty grim if the SC are at loggerheads with the club.   

It seems like he might soon be saying "I'm through with the Rovers"

Parting is such sweet sorrow.

[Rudolf Hucker]

I heartily recommend listening to the D3D4 Football Podcast, Episode 183 from 39:52 which mentions the recent 15'ers v Orient match but concentrates most of its time on Joey Barton. Clearly, it's not just us who've sussed him as a delusional w'nker. The panel wet themselves as they discuss him ...

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/d3d4-football-podcast-ep183-seven-minutes/id1260929124?i=1000535904023

 

[Shaun Taylor]

They want a bigger stadium than yours and have aspirations to appoint our ex manager from 1990

https://gaschat.co.uk/thread/18604/ossie-ardiles

[Rudolf Hucker]

6 minutes ago, Shaun Taylor said:

They want a bigger stadium than yours and have aspirations to appoint our ex manager from 1990

https://gaschat.co.uk/thread/18604/ossie-ardiles

Got to be one of us posting that!

[Shaun Taylor]

4 minutes ago, Rudolf Hucker said:

Got to be one of us posting that!

I think they've lost the plot

[Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan]

2 hours ago, BTRFTG said:

Couldn't disagree more. Although we love to take the **** out of them he comes across as somebody with a lifelong (if deluded,) passion for his club that's being torn apart by some megalomaniacal despot and his sycophantic lackies.

If true what he's written, that's some damning accusations against The Gas Board.

God, I hope so...

[Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan]

2 hours ago, Monkeh said:

As I said when they tried to lord it over us when wael came in

:laugh:

Now over to ‘standard sag’ to give us an update from inside his banger...

Edited September 20, 2021 by Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan

[Monkeh]

23 minutes ago, Shaun Taylor said:

I think they've lost the plot

Rovers fans problem is they want to be better then us, where as we want to be the best,

There sole ambition is to finish above city

Where as we want to be in the top flight

 

[Major Isewater]

 Just another level of incompetence ;

No electronic subs board for the Gas .Billy Smart’s at the Mem .

Story from the post site.

No electronic board in Bristol

It’s now seemingly commonplace to have a digital subs board even in the lower tiers of non-league football, but for whatever reason, one was absent from the game on Saturday.

At first, it wasn’t noticeable as no subs needed to be made in the opening 45 minutes, and due to the scuffle between the two teams at the end of the first half, no one really paid any attention to how many minutes were added on until it was announced over the PA system.

Harvey Saunders introduction for the start of the second half then made it clear that a substitution board was nowhere to be seen and due to it being from the start of the half no Rovers player ran over to the touchline.

And due to the lack of clarification, completely incorrect information was passed onto stadium announcer Lance Cook who unnecessarily took the brunt of an error that was out of his control.

It became apparent soon that the fourth official was actually holding up his fingers as a way of communication which player was coming off, understandably causing some confusion on the terraces.

Edited September 20, 2021 by Major Isewater

[TheReds]

33 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

 Just another level of incompetence ;

No electronic subs board for the Gas .Billy Smart’s at the Mem .

Story from the post site.

No electronic board in Bristol

It’s now seemingly commonplace to have a digital subs board even in the lower tiers of non-league football, but for whatever reason, one was absent from the game on Saturday.

At first, it wasn’t noticeable as no subs needed to be made in the opening 45 minutes, and due to the scuffle between the two teams at the end of the first half, no one really paid any attention to how many minutes were added on until it was announced over the PA system.

Harvey Saunders introduction for the start of the second half then made it clear that a substitution board was nowhere to be seen and due to it being from the start of the half no Rovers player ran over to the touchline.

And due to the lack of clarification, completely incorrect information was passed onto stadium announcer Lance Cook who unnecessarily took the brunt of an error that was out of his control.

It became apparent soon that the fourth official was actually holding up his fingers as a way of communication which player was coming off, understandably causing some confusion on the terraces.

I assume the fourth official was related to one of the Sags, as the first substitute was number 16, so he done well holding up that many fingers.

[Major Isewater]

37 minutes ago, Major Isewater said:

It’s now seemingly commonplace to have a digital subs board even in the lower tiers of non-league football,

This is one of the most damning sentences in the article. 
Coming for us ?

 I don’t think so.

Not whilst they’re being Jolly Rogered by Jaily Barton and Wally is trying to organise a piss up in a brewery.

 

[weepywall]

46 minutes ago, Monkeh said:

Rovers fans problem is they want to be better then us, where as we want to be the best,

There sole ambition is to finish above city

Where as we want to be in the top flight

 

This all day long, they would be over the moon to be in the Conference if we were in the Conference South.

[The Gasbuster]

44 minutes ago, TomF said:

Conte?

That has to be someone on the wind up. 

They would never get a Conte, obviously.

They are very good at appointing C***s, though

[TheReds]

baggins Forum Legend     Posts: 17,295   Posting Level

Sep 17, 2021 at 1:41pm via mobile Squiffy likes this Quote   Post by baggins on Sep 17, 2021 at 1:41pm http://storage.proboards.com/5848383/a/c6fIyvbPPO3AI60KH0Wl.gif Sep 14, 2021 at 8:46pm nolongernonleaguegas said: 1,100 sold out of the 1,200 allocation. Assuming we’ll get more ?   Always amazed at our away travel support. No matter what League position, form, Manager, we always go with a good crew.

[Port Said Red]

30 minutes ago, TheReds said:

baggins Forum Legend     Posts: 17,295   Posting Level

Sep 17, 2021 at 1:41pm via mobile Squiffy likes this Quote   Post by baggins on Sep 17, 2021 at 1:41pm http://storage.proboards.com/5848383/a/c6fIyvbPPO3AI60KH0Wl.gif Sep 14, 2021 at 8:46pm nolongernonleaguegas said: 1,100 sold out of the 1,200 allocation. Assuming we’ll get more ?   Always amazed at our away travel support. No matter what League position, form, Manager, we always go with a good crew.

Reasonable number really, I wonder if the WMP can find a way of locking them all up.

Edited September 20, 2021 by Port Said Red

[Rudolf Hucker]

Walsall is such a schlep. 

[BetterRedthanBlue]

5 hours ago, GrahamC said:

According to Barton at the weekend “his career might be over”, truly incredible that he gave him a one year contract after the stuff I detailed above.

I really don't get it. Garner had a plan and it was always going to take time but the potential of it was huge, couple of players sell for 6 figures and suddenly everyone is laughing.

The fact they hired Barton with no guarantee of continuing this plan just baffles me (as does the fact they hired him in the first place) yes you need to blend youth and experience together but relying on Pitman and Clarke to get you promoted is only going to end badly and there is no resale value. Barton has taken the club backwards.

[ukneil]

5 hours ago, readie14 said:

Even Wally is taking the piss now

 

4 hours ago, Bristol Rob said:

Hope I'm wrong then! - sounds to me like an ineffective Supporters Club, with membership made up of the least organised set of supporters out there has been unable to work with a club for a significant amount of time for reasons various.

Maybe they'll now start to question why Wael has never held a senior role in any of the family businesses! 

Soap opera stuff!

And another gift.

 

1 hour ago, Major Isewater said:

 Just another level of incompetence ;

No electronic subs board for the Gas .Billy Smart’s at the Mem .

Story from the post site.

No electronic board in Bristol

It’s now seemingly commonplace to have a digital subs board even in the lower tiers of non-league football, but for whatever reason, one was absent from the game on Saturday.

At first, it wasn’t noticeable as no subs needed to be made in the opening 45 minutes, and due to the scuffle between the two teams at the end of the first half, no one really paid any attention to how many minutes were added on until it was announced over the PA system.

Harvey Saunders introduction for the start of the second half then made it clear that a substitution board was nowhere to be seen and due to it being from the start of the half no Rovers player ran over to the touchline.

And due to the lack of clarification, completely incorrect information was passed onto stadium announcer Lance Cook who unnecessarily took the brunt of an error that was out of his control.

It became apparent soon that the fourth official was actually holding up his fingers as a way of communication which player was coming off, understandably causing some confusion on the terraces.

Unless I am massively misunderstanding. 

Major's post seemingly explains the social media post by 'Lance' to which the owner and President of the 'professional' football club Bristol  Rovers replies with a large slice of sarcasm. Major's post however makes it clear Lance made whatever mistake he did due to the Professional football club known as Bristol  Rovers not being able to provide an electronic board to indicate substitutions and added time.  Thus leading the official to use a piece of slightly less technical equipment, namely  'his fingers', further leading to the hapless stadium announcer known as Lance to provide incorrect information to the throngs packed into Memorial Stadium.

The President of this Professional football club may well have been furious and launched a behind the scenes investigation into how this incident occurred and put into place robust processes to ensure no repeat which could cause the Professional club to be a bit of a laughing stock. But his most apparent, certainly most public action as far as I can see was a sarcastic reply to the person whose mistake was entirely innocent and whom has been thoroughly thrown under the proverbial bus. Just so the owner can hide their own embarrassment and shift blame away from the inept organisation known as Bristol Rovers. Classy guy. Real nice.

Oh and back to the statement from the outgoing Gas Supporters Club President - who do you believe?

[weepywall]

1 hour ago, TheReds said:

baggins Forum Legend     Posts: 17,295   Posting Level

Sep 17, 2021 at 1:41pm via mobile Squiffy likes this Quote   Post by baggins on Sep 17, 2021 at 1:41pm http://storage.proboards.com/5848383/a/c6fIyvbPPO3AI60KH0Wl.gif Sep 14, 2021 at 8:46pm nolongernonleaguegas said: 1,100 sold out of the 1,200 allocation. Assuming we’ll get more ?   Always amazed at our away travel support. No matter what League position, form, Manager, we always go with a good crew.

Is that the amazing away support that took about 300 to Barrow and Hartlepool.

[BTRFTG]

31 minutes ago, BetterRedThanBlue said:

Barton has taken the club backwards.

That, good Sir, is a matter of opinion. 

Personally, I believe he's doing a grand job.

[ukneil]

5 hours ago, Monkeh said:

Completely disagree

It reads like an honest assesment from someone sick of dealing with a dictatorship,

Remember this is the same owner who didn't want to spend money on the ground unless the supporters who owned shares stumped up half,

As I said when they tried to lord it over us when wael came in

He is a fake and its a property deal gone disastrously wrong

They have to be close to going under

I do personally think Wally desperately wanted to be the owner of a (any) football club but agree that the reason his family agreed to buy this one was the property deal. If that had gone right (anyone forensicaly reconstructing that chain of events might conclude it was always doomed) then family investment is a winner and Wally is the hero lapping up the fan adulation of a club then probably on the rise (relatively speaking).

Deal falls through, family gets out, Wally is left to himself to restore his own business pride in what has become more and more (and nothing more) than a vanity project. Except in spite of, or probably more accurately because of Wally's leadership things keep getting worse making the club and anyone connected to it, especially its owner and President, a complete laughing stock. Hence behaviours such as a tweet throwing your stadium announcer under the bus after your club was unable to provide any means to clearly indicate substitutions and time added on. You know,  unlike all other professional football clubs in the Football Pyramid were able to do.

[fatchers]

Did'nt the fake sheik get turned down by Gillingham and Southend before the gash approached him ?

[Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan]

1 hour ago, TheReds said:

baggins Forum Legend     Posts: 17,295   Posting Level

Sep 17, 2021 at 1:41pm via mobile Squiffy likes this Quote   Post by baggins on Sep 17, 2021 at 1:41pm http://storage.proboards.com/5848383/a/c6fIyvbPPO3AI60KH0Wl.gif Sep 14, 2021 at 8:46pm nolongernonleaguegas said: 1,100 sold out of the 1,200 allocation. Assuming we’ll get more ?   Always amazed at our away travel support. No matter what League position, form, Manager, we always go with a good crew.

250-300 to Barrow and Hartlepool.

Before Covid, when they were putting their away support figures on Slagchat, they were regularly taking 300-350 to places like Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Burton and Gillingham...and not much more to places like Shrewsbury and MK Dons.

I don’t know why this Sag is so amazed by that?

Walsall is about an hour up the road FFS 

Our fans don’t spank the monkey every time we sell out an allocation for a game that close to Bristol.

Still...it’s what they do.

[1960maaan]

35 minutes ago, Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan said:

250-300 to Barrow and Hartlepool.

Before Covid, when they were putting their away support figures on Slagchat, they were regularly taking 300-350 to places like Rochdale, Scunthorpe, Burton and Gillingham...and not much more to places like Shrewsbury and MK Dons.

I don’t know why this Sag is so amazed by that?

Walsall is about an hour up the road FFS 

Our fans don’t spank the monkey every time we sell out an allocation for a game that close to Bristol.

Still...it’s what they do.

TBF they are getting close to taking the same away as they get at home, not many teams can say that 

[Rich]

I thought this was interesting in the statement made. To the best of my knowledge none of the current Board, apart from the President and his brother, own any shares and none of them live in the Bristol area 

Does the brother still have shares? If not in the football club, perhaps Dwayne Sports or the company owning the Colony. Thought I read somewhere he still had a part involvement.

[myol'man]

Blimey 1100 to Warsaw, that's amazing

[BS4 on Tour...]

8 hours ago, readie14 said:

Even Wally is taking the piss now

“Panic on the streets of Horfield ... Lockleaze, Patchway, Staple Hill ... and I wonder to myself “ - Morrissey, genius

[Shaun Taylor]

1 hour ago, myol'man said:

Blimey 1100 to Warsaw, that's amazing

Imagine the uproar if they were only given 700 tickets like they've given Swindon

Edited September 20, 2021 by Shaun Taylor

[readie14]

48 minutes ago, BS4 on Tour... said:

“Panic on the streets of Horfield ... Lockleaze, Patchway, Staple Hill ... and I wonder to myself “ - Morrissey, genius

Burn down the Twerton

Hang the blessed JB

Because the shite that they constantly play

 

 

[Silvio Dante]

“Panic on the streets of Horfield

Panic in the tents of Blackthorn End

I Wonder To Myself

Will we ever win a game again

I wonder to myself

Joeys given someone a slap dear

And row M doesn’t exist here 

So you run down below Swindon Town

But there’s panic outside the Wellington

Lost to Barrow, Burton, Orient

But Waels such a nice gent

Burn down the Twerton

Smack the coach from Barnsley

Because the Fanta they’re serving today

It shows just how bad things are in my life 

Smack the coach from Barnsley

Punch the Horses

Punch the Horses 

Punch the Horses”

 

 

[BS3City]

BRFC - 

Blatantly Regularly Falsifying Crowds

 

[BetterRedthanBlue]

1 hour ago, Shaun Taylor said:

Imagine the uproar if they were only given 700 tickets like they've given Swindon

Give them 500

[Taz]

6 hours ago, Major Isewater said:

 Just another level of incompetence ;

No electronic subs board for the Gas .Billy Smart’s at the Mem .

Story from the post site.

No electronic board in Bristol

It’s now seemingly commonplace to have a digital subs board even in the lower tiers of non-league football, but for whatever reason, one was absent from the game on Saturday.

At first, it wasn’t noticeable as no subs needed to be made in the opening 45 minutes, and due to the scuffle between the two teams at the end of the first half, no one really paid any attention to how many minutes were added on until it was announced over the PA system.

Harvey Saunders introduction for the start of the second half then made it clear that a substitution board was nowhere to be seen and due to it being from the start of the half no Rovers player ran over to the touchline.

And due to the lack of clarification, completely incorrect information was passed onto stadium announcer Lance Cook who unnecessarily took the brunt of an error that was out of his control.

It became apparent soon that the fourth official was actually holding up his fingers as a way of communication which player was coming off, understandably causing some confusion on the terraces.

 

3 hours ago, ukneil said:

I do personally think Wally desperately wanted to be the owner of a (any) football club but agree that the reason his family agreed to buy this one was the property deal. If that had gone right (anyone forensicaly reconstructing that chain of events might conclude it was always doomed) then family investment is a winner and Wally is the hero lapping up the fan adulation of a club then probably on the rise (relatively speaking).

Deal falls through, family gets out, Wally is left to himself to restore his own business pride in what has become more and more (and nothing more) than a vanity project. Except in spite of, or probably more accurately because of Wally's leadership things keep getting worse making the club and anyone connected to it, especially its owner and President, a complete laughing stock. Hence behaviours such as a tweet throwing your stadium announcer under the bus after your club was unable to provide any means to clearly indicate substitutions and time added on. You know,  unlike all other professional football clubs in the Football Pyramid were able to do.

Perhaps we should all chip in to make some cards to help them out. I'll start by doing the number 1.

If we can do it on A3 please, make sure the number fills most of the page, and then laminate it - that way they can use them a few times without them getting crumpled, or too dirty.

I would say donate one or two of our old electronic boards, but they probably wouldn't have enough spare change for the meter to plug them in to charge them up.

[bs3]

An Evening of Queen – The Memorial Ground, Bristol

Hi there,



This event has been postponed...



The event organisers have been in touch to let us know that the show on Wednesday 25th September has been postponed and will no longer be taking place on this date.



The event organisers are working hard to arrange a new date and as soon as we get any update on this, we'll be in touch to let you know.



Please understand that given the circumstances, our Customer Service teams are incredibly busy at the moment, so we encourage you not to contact us. Instead, we will send out any further information as soon as we can



We're sorry for any disappointment caused.



Best Wishes,

Bristol Rovers Customer Service
 

They are really the gift that just keeps on giving.

A Queen tribute band which was unscrupulously  promoted as the real Queen now postponed with only days to go .  Tinpot doesn’t even begin to cover this shambles.

[Tully Bascomb]

On 19/09/2021 at 21:33, Shaun Taylor said:

If you zoom in It looks like they ran out of billboards to type the word syrup

And if you zoom in some more

[SirColinOfMansfield]

Agent Dick(head) Barton is on target to complete his mission ...