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Post by socrates on Nov 24, 2017 21:25:34 GMT
We were going out of business fast That’s right and now we’re not. So things have improved. Just not as much as we were all hoping. But I still prefer our position now to when Higgs and co were here. I wonder if any of the board bashers could answer me , do you prefer our position now to when Higgs and co were here and do you think things are better or worse ? Thought I’d just bump my post because as far as I can see nobody’s given me an answer which considering the amount of negativity towards the board I thought some would have. I’ll say it again , are we in a better position now than when Higgs sold the club ?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2017 21:28:03 GMT
Will we ever discover the truth behind the reason we pulled out of UWE at such a late stage?
There was always a small part of me (the over optimistic side) that thought the deal was not totally dead. When the press release was made the 'Headmaster' at UWE was giving media interviews saying the door will still open, happy to re-open talks etc. I thought if it truly was dead he'd have been happy to expand further with the media over the following months and his silence may have been a clue that secretly talks may have resumed. After listening to Hamer last night my conspiracy theory was blown apart!
Anyway, I suspect the only way we'll ever hear any detail about the collapse of UWE is when Hamer leaves Rovers. If he's not paid off with a confidentiality clause in a severance package he may tell all?
I agree with bluebutterfly. It makes no sense to pull out of UWE if Hani's sole motivation is investment and not football as without the revenue streams of a new, modern stadium they will steadily make a bigger and bigger loss on their 'investment'. Will he get to the point that regardless of his younger brother's desire to forge a profile in the football world and reputation of their family sell the Deeds to the Mem from under us?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2017 21:45:17 GMT
I think the owners have missed a trick. The potential to turn the club into a championship team getting 12-16k attendances in a brand new ground would have made sense of their investment with the value of the club skyrocketing. Now were told to wait for some obscure future ground development and a made up date about the colony while we lose lots of money every year! It just dosnt add up does it? Nothing venturered, nothing gained as they say.
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Post by gasoline on Nov 24, 2017 21:59:49 GMT
I think the owners have missed a trick. The potential to turn the club into a championship team getting 12-16k attendances in a brand new ground would have made sense of their investment with the value of the club skyrocketing. Now were told to wait for some obscure future ground development and a made up date about the colony while we lose lots of money every year! It just dosnt add up does it? they are full of sh** and conned dc,players and fans This is unfortunately the truth.
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Post by aghast on Nov 24, 2017 22:00:31 GMT
I think the owners have missed a trick. The potential to turn the club into a championship team getting 12-16k attendances in a brand new ground would have made sense of their investment with the value of the club skyrocketing. Now were told to wait for some obscure future ground development and a made up date about the colony while we lose lots of money every year! It just dosnt add up does it?I said the same on another thread. The investment just makes no sense anymore. What can they possibly get from the football club as a return? Although how we're losing so much money every season with 8,500 attendances in this league, and nothing much spent on players or infrastructure remains a mystery to me.
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Post by paulpirate on Nov 24, 2017 22:00:54 GMT
they are full of sh** and conned dc,players and fans Weal never said we would definitely build the UWE and Hamer sounded very positive because it’s his job to be positive about such deals when they’re in the balance. He wasn’t going to say we’re still in talks but the situation is looking sh** was he. no cause he’s a bs and doesn’t give 2 hoots about the fans,wake up
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Post by swissgas on Nov 24, 2017 22:20:29 GMT
That’s right and now we’re not. So things have improved. Just not as much as we were all hoping. But I still prefer our position now to when Higgs and co were here. I wonder if any of the board bashers could answer me , do you prefer our position now to when Higgs and co were here and do you think things are better or worse ? Thought I’d just bump my post because as far as I can see nobody’s given me an answer which considering the amount of negativity towards the board I thought some would have. I’ll say it again , are we in a better position now than when Higgs sold the club ? This is my take on it socrates I did see your post but put my thoughts in a reply to knowall. "Prior to the take over Rovers were about £7 million in debt to the directors/shareholders and MSP Capital, losing about £1 million per year and with no plan of how to go forward. Steve Hamer confirmed yesterday that Rovers are now £12 million in debt to Dwane Sports Ltd, losing about £2 million per year and with no plan of how to go forward. I should say the financial situation now is considerably worse than it was in January 2016 but the question for Rovers fans is what should we do ?" Even taking into account the deteriorated financial situation we could be much more optimistic about the bigger picture if only Dwane Sports, from the start, had come up with a properly written down plan and vision to give us some hope. They didn't do that, the stadium consultants soon disappeared, and it drifted on until the UWE cancellation was revealed in August. Since then they have had three months to come up with something new and I think most of us thought Steve Hamer was going to tell us about that yesterday but what we heard from him was terribly disappointing. I understand some fans think it's rude and disrespectful to question the owners but, believe me, if a business owner is confident about what he is doing and has a clearly defined plan he'll be pleased to answer constructive questions and be proud to set out his vision.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2017 22:28:21 GMT
I think the owners have missed a trick. The potential to turn the club into a championship team getting 12-16k attendances in a brand new ground would have made sense of their investment with the value of the club skyrocketing. Now were told to wait for some obscure future ground development and a made up date about the colony while we lose lots of money every year! It just dosnt add up does it? Maybe they’ve missed a trick or maybe they weren’t prepared to give the UWE three times as much money as first agreed under Higgs ? This is what I was told by a fan I stand near who had spoken to Wael about it months ago , could be bullshit I don’t really care because I don’t care much for rumours but I think it’s as easy to say we dodged a bullet as we missed a trick because we don’t know the ins and outs of the deal Higgs had or the deal Wael / Hani / Hamer were trying to make. At the end of the day we’re supporters we keep on supporting or we do something else on Saturday afternoons. I’m still glad we’ve got a club to support because under the last lot I honestly thought wed be gone by now. If we were just about breaking even a long term plan about the mem/colony/team would make sense but were losing 1 or 2 million pound per year so i just cant see how it adds up? But i agree the UWE could have been a bad deal for the club.
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Post by patchwaygas on Nov 24, 2017 22:35:38 GMT
Could selling out to the Al Qadis be Higgs biggest mistake at Rovers (and he made a few!)
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Post by amgas on Nov 24, 2017 22:37:58 GMT
Clearly Wael wanted to get involved with a club, the family will back him to a point, but the cost of the stadium was beyond what they were willing to fund. I guess trying to be positive we still have a reasonably wealthy owner who perhaps can sustain moderate loses, but the dream of a new stadium and us stepping up a level appears to be gone at least in the short term.
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Post by northridinggas on Nov 24, 2017 22:38:39 GMT
That’s right and now we’re not. So things have improved. Just not as much as we were all hoping. But I still prefer our position now to when Higgs and co were here. I wonder if any of the board bashers could answer me , do you prefer our position now to when Higgs and co were here and do you think things are better or worse ? Thought I’d just bump my post because as far as I can see nobody’s given me an answer which considering the amount of negativity towards the board I thought some would have. I’ll say it again , are we in a better position now than when Higgs sold the club ? It's difficult to answer this but where I think we are worse off is that we have owners whose emotional attachment to the club is much more tenuous and who don't have the moral pressure of living in the community affected. Both of these make it easier to take decisions that may be detrimental to the club and fans
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Post by aghast on Nov 24, 2017 22:39:17 GMT
Could selling out to the Al Qadis be Higgs biggest mistake at Rovers (and he made a few!) That is a very interesting point. I don't know the answer but we all will one day.
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Post by socrates on Nov 24, 2017 22:40:55 GMT
Weal never said we would definitely build the UWE and Hamer sounded very positive because it’s his job to be positive about such deals when they’re in the balance. He wasn’t going to say we’re still in talks but the situation is looking sh** was he. no cause he’s a bs and doesn’t give 2 hoots about the fans,wake up Then so was Higgs. Because he constantly said we’d get our stadium and when Sainsbury pulled out he constantly said it was a water tight contract and he would win. That’s what people do in situations like that they stay positive all the time there’s even 1% chsnce it will work, they have too and I would too. Hamer hoped the deal would go through , obviously because he’s chairman of our club he helped our owners buy our club and he’d be financially better off too no doubt not because he does care or doesn’t care about our fans I know that you prat he’s a Swansea supporter. This forum is like pulling teeth
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Post by socrates on Nov 24, 2017 22:42:32 GMT
Clearly Wael wanted to get involved with a club, the family will back him to a point, but the cost of the stadium was beyond what they were willing to fund. I guess trying to be positive we still have a reasonably wealthy owner who perhaps can sustain moderate loses, but the dream of a new stadium and us stepping up a level appears to be gone at least in the short term. Spot on. Not the throw your toys out of the pram scenario some on here are making out. Some of the stuff on here today is pathetic.
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Post by paulpirate on Nov 24, 2017 22:46:40 GMT
no cause he’s a bs and doesn’t give 2 hoots about the fans,wake up Then so was Higgs. Because he constantly said we’d get our stadium and when Sainsbury pulled out he constantly said it was a water tight contract and he would win. That’s what people do in situations like that they stay positive all the time there’s even 1% chsnce it will work, they have too and I would too. Hamer hoped the deal would go through , obviously because he’s chairman of our club he helped our owners buy our club and he’d be financially better off too no doubt not because he does care or doesn’t care about our fans I know that you prat he’s a Swansea supporter. This forum is like pulling teeth less of the prat calling gobby
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2017 22:50:25 GMT
That’s right and now we’re not. So things have improved. Just not as much as we were all hoping. But I still prefer our position now to when Higgs and co were here. I wonder if any of the board bashers could answer me , do you prefer our position now to when Higgs and co were here and do you think things are better or worse ? Thought I’d just bump my post because as far as I can see nobody’s given me an answer which considering the amount of negativity towards the board I thought some would have. I’ll say it again , are we in a better position now than when Higgs sold the club ? Long time listener, first time caller- felt I had to reply to this as to me I really don't get why anyone would think we are anything more than marginally better off with the current owners. We have transitioned from being owned by a well meaning, if error prone fan of the club, to being owned by an investment banker with no interest in football. Not only that, but this investment banker thinks he answers to nobody (DS doesn't communicate with the media) and has his investment secured against our home! Now, can you put a positive spin on that because I tell you what I am really bloody struggling. The dismissive way DS will not speak to us directly is especially sickening as it shows the contempt our owners have for the fans and paying customers of their 'investment'. So we have basically swapped imminent doom for a long drawn out death where no significant funds will be put into the club. DC will almost certainly leave and who will our budget allow us to bring in in place of him? We are going to sink without trace and then eventually Hani will sell the ground, re-coup his investment and then p*** off leaving us to form AFC Bristol Rovers and start from scratch. So ultimately all the Al Qadis offer us over Higgs is a few more years existence but in a neutered state where oblivion is all but inevitable. If that is an improvement then the Al Qadi's have successfully lowered expectations beyond belief. What can we as fans do? The debt is already beyond levels reachable by a supporter's trust. It looks like we have been left hoping there is some truth in the Ed Ware rumours. I would gladly have that lot back after hearing that car crash interview last night that confirmed what most of us feared.
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Post by socrates on Nov 24, 2017 22:57:18 GMT
Then so was Higgs. Because he constantly said we’d get our stadium and when Sainsbury pulled out he constantly said it was a water tight contract and he would win. That’s what people do in situations like that they stay positive all the time there’s even 1% chsnce it will work, they have too and I would too. Hamer hoped the deal would go through , obviously because he’s chairman of our club he helped our owners buy our club and he’d be financially better off too no doubt not because he does care or doesn’t care about our fans I know that you prat he’s a Swansea supporter. This forum is like pulling teeth less of the prat calling gobby Alpoligies for calling you a prat what I meant to say was it was a prattish post. I’m just surprised that you’re upset because Hamer doesn’t care about Bristol Rovers supporters. His job with our owners was to connect them with a small club with a view to them buying it. Having bought the club of course Hamer wants us to excel make money and become even more successful than we’ve been these last three years. Hamer wanted the UWE to work for very different reasons than the likes of us. I thought that would have been obvious from day one.
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Post by paulpirate on Nov 24, 2017 23:03:18 GMT
less of the prat calling gobby Alpoligies for calling you a prat what I meant to say was it was a prattish post. I’m just surprised that you’re upset because Hamer doesn’t care about Bristol Rovers supporters. His job with our owners was to connect them with a small club with a view to them buying it. Having bought the club of course Hamer wants us to excel make money and become even more successful than we’ve been these last three years. Hamer wanted the UWE to work for very different reasons than the likes of us. I thought that would have been obvious from day one. accepted,he may of wanted the ground but he still talks out his arse I like wael and think he’s genuine but all the rest are snakes,most things that come out hamers mouth is absolute bollox It’s embarrassing and treats the fans like mugs
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Post by socrates on Nov 24, 2017 23:12:42 GMT
Thought I’d just bump my post because as far as I can see nobody’s given me an answer which considering the amount of negativity towards the board I thought some would have. I’ll say it again , are we in a better position now than when Higgs sold the club ? Long time listener, first time caller- felt I had to reply to this as to me I really don't get why anyone would think we are anything more than marginally better off with the current owners. We have transitioned from being owned by a well meaning, if error prone fan of the club, to being owned by an investment banker with no interest in football. Not only that, but this investment banker thinks he answers to nobody (DS doesn't communicate with the media) and has his investment secured against our home! Now, can you put a positive spin on that because I tell you what I am really bloody struggling. The dismissive way DS will not speak to us directly is especially sickening as it shows the contempt our owners have for the fans and paying customers of their 'investment'. So we have basically swapped imminent doom for a long drawn out death where no significant funds will be put into the club. DC will almost certainly leave and who will our budget allow us to bring in in place of him? We are going to sink without trace and then eventually Hani will sell the ground, re-coup his investment and then p*** off leaving us to form AFC Bristol Rovers and start from scratch. So ultimately all the Al Qadis offer us over Higgs is a few more years existence but in a neutered state where oblivion is all but inevitable. If that is an improvement then the Al Qadi's have successfully lowered expectations beyond belief. What can we as fans do? The debt is already beyond levels reachable by a supporter's trust. It looks like we have been left hoping there is some truth in the Ed Ware rumours. I would gladly have that lot back after hearing that car crash interview last night that confirmed what most of us feared. I’ll take that chance on the POSSIBILITY of a slow drawn out death over imminent doom every time thanks. Like I’ve said in many posts these last 24 hours it’s a really crap situation that we’ve got this bloke from Jordon who loves football has clearly fallen for our club but his older brother holds the purse strings and doesn’t really care much for football but at least we are investing and improving our club in this situation. We weren’t under Higgs and in my opinion I honestly don’t think we’d have a club to support now or at the very best if it hadn’t been for the take over D.C. wouldn’t have stayed and we’d probably be bottom of the conference after going in to administration and docked points. I’m not saying life is rosy I’m simply saying that we are owned by a very rich family who have said they want to do things slowly but surly over a period of time and not throw massive amounts of money at it quickly. They’ve done exactly that, but I didn’t see many people complaining at the time of the take over. I think the majority heard Wael say this and thought yeah right he’s just saying that because he’s a nice guy and doesn’t want to sound arrogant and now they’ve seen that what he said was spot on and are really dissapointed. When they took over I didn’t for one minute think we’d be the next Chelsea or Man City and I didn’t think for one minute that they’d spend and throw millions at it like the rosy face lady garden down the river has , why ? Because they never said they would.
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Post by socrates on Nov 24, 2017 23:25:02 GMT
Alpoligies for calling you a prat what I meant to say was it was a prattish post. I’m just surprised that you’re upset because Hamer doesn’t care about Bristol Rovers supporters. His job with our owners was to connect them with a small club with a view to them buying it. Having bought the club of course Hamer wants us to excel make money and become even more successful than we’ve been these last three years. Hamer wanted the UWE to work for very different reasons than the likes of us. I thought that would have been obvious from day one. accepted,he may of wanted the ground but he still talks out his arse I like wael and think he’s genuine but all the rest are snakes,most things that come out hamers mouth is absolute bollox It’s embarrassing and treats the fans like mugs I think Wael is a lovely bloke and has clearly taken to our great club I don’t like Hamer I didn’t from the first time I heard him talk but I do think he wants the club to be successful because that will make him money and I don’t know anything about Hani except that he holds the purse strings and doesn’t care much for football. Our best hope is that Wael and co can get him more interested. I honestly believe overall the consortium that has taken over want the club to be successful but they also don’t want to waste millions upon millions chasing something too quickly because they know that probably won’t end well. If I’d bought Rovers and felt the UWE deal wasn’t right I wouldn’t have gone with it either. I also wouldn’t throw crazy money at transfer fees when we average 8,500 fans 23 times a season. Lansdown could do it he wanted to do it they’ve been relegated , promoted , relegated , promoted they’ve stood still really sure they’ll get there in the end probably but I’d rather have a board who are a bit more savvy than a sugar daddy who just throws sh** at a wall and hopes in the end some of it will stick. Isn’t that what we all take the water out of them about? Well when I’ve said it I meant it.
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