FFS - I'm asking for your help

I will be this thread asked for suggestions.

Ras with respect im not saying starve the club im saying be more assertive in where the money goes and about the clubs openess with you. Make ithe money count dont let it be 1% of the budgeted loss . Only saying this again as i dont want to be misrepresented.

Fair doos :-)

People dont read my posts properly. I wasnt suggesting ffs organise a protest. I stated the ffs leader is part of the management of the welly group calling for a protest. I stated that i found it odd that the same guy was organising a board donation scheme the same scheme that he complained the board shafted.

I stated (and i know im on my own on here) that the ffs should be more assertive with the club seeing as it shafted you.

Do what you like with it, clearly it isnt a protest group i know that. I wish you good luck and enjoyment.

Ill leave it there and agree to disagree.

Dinsdale - the BoD are having an absolute shocker at the moment & for that they should rightly be criticised. However, I see the FFS as a bunch of fans having a go at raising some positivity and supporting the players. Nothing more, nothing less.

I think we can mix questioning the running of the club whilst making an effort to support the team.

Ok, as this seems to be THE thread for consultation, ideas, discussion etc, here goes.

sorry if some of this has also been on another thread, but it wasn't clear before, as there were (are) several threads about the FFSC, and they are still going/evolving. Not a criticism. Just making it clear I'm not posting some of this again as some sort of point/repetition.

this thread has now been created, so it's clear now the place for views

1) I appreciate I'm probably swimming against the tide here but I've never liked the prominent use of 'FFS' (rather than FFSC) due to the other, more well know, use of FFS (i.e. for *'s sake)

How do I explain that to a kid? or anyone really.

the comment to 'be a parent' is missing the point. I am a parent. Why do I need to involve my children, or other children, or my Mum, or my friends, or anyone, in this phrase when it is TOTALLY avoidable.

It's not necessary IMO and just gives fuel to the people who think all footy fans are foul mouthed, confrontational and thick.

It's like French Connection deliberately playing on the F##k abbreviation and its blatently obvious anagram, when it already has a suitable and harmless name.

It;s just pandering to the lowest common denominator. Rise above I say. Show people you aren't dragged down to their level. No need to apologise for wanting to be a family club.

In fact, does 'Fans Forum Sponsorship Club' even represent a fair title anymore? what forum?


2) I feel the money should be donated to something very tangible, rather than put into a general fund, or even given to BRFC for them to do what they want to within a specific area (e.g. youth).

this may result in it having to be capital expenditure, or at the least something very very clear and tangible. e.g. a piece of equipment, a trip to x.

this is quite normal in the funding of voluntary organisations.

this isn't a criticism.

it is merely a different way of still helping the young players, and the club, yet making sure it doesn't go into a big black hole. Looking at the evidence of board and manager financial management, non restricted funding doesn't seem to have helped the club on the pitch in the past.

do the FFSC members feel the need to 'get something' from their altruistic support of young players? i suspect people would pay £10 a year and not expect prize draws. Supporters Club is £9 and nothing 'tangible' comes from that except the news letter (which I like) and the possibility of helping get tickets.

in reply to the above, Hugo wrote "Personally I don't think we should change anything. If we start adding clauses or demands it becomes a very different thing. If its not broke, don't break it."

Unfortunately we have been relegated, the fan's forum has been closed down with no warning, the DoF was sacked, half a team was let go, several rats have left the sinking ship, and 1 player has even been put on the transfer list (when no others have been).

So, THINGS HAVE CHANGED. THE WHOLE PLACE IS BROKEN. It needs to be fixed and the FFSC can be an example of how things can be fixed by involving the grass roots fans, and not blindly left to 7 people on a Board, or money blindly given to those people to make the same mistakes over and over again.


3) I am gobsmaked that everyone (bar one) seems to be happy to let this continue as it did last season as if nothing happened.

This is the ONE CHANCE WE / YOU WILL EVER, EVER GET TO MAKE A STAND and you are about to blow it, and stick unrestricted funding back into precisely the people who shut the original FFSC down. And you know what, they had been thinking about closing the forum for several months [very reliable source], and when they did finally do it they STILL they gave no warning, or let people even save their contacts or PMs. And guess when it was closed. Just after relegation. Quelle surprise.

The club is at its lowest ebb and I pray it doesn't get any lower. But as soon at it starts rising you will not see a chink in the armour of the Board. You won't. We are ALREADY seeing signs of the club going back to 'normal', and any chance of change ebbing away. The SC have held an EGM where the main outcome was blaming everything on a man who wasn;t even there. The SC will most probably vote BSS back in and the Fan's Directors will carry on regardless. The Board won;t change. Status Quo.

4) The above, and the following, was in my head all afternoon / evening, and when I just read what Dinsdale wrote above, I was interested to see that what he had written was what was in my head.

I am very confused to see a spokesperson for a small group of 'rebels' that is trying to get as much publicity as it can for its aims (which I tend to agree with BTW), to then be able to consistently write on several threads today that the FFSC doesn't seem to need to change, even though the entire environment at BRFC has changed. Very mixed messages there.

I think Jon has done some great work, and will continue to do some excellent work, but this FFSC thing is just not right at the moment. It really isn't. But I can already envisage a number of people saying 'everything is ok', so you will go forward without any change.

If that is TRULY what you want then obviously you will run with that, but it's such a waste of an opportunity to stand up for yourselves for once.

we?

Can't believe i'm waking up at 7am on a Dam sunday these days....

firstly I will join up again, and I will help whenever I can, but i'm more of a rock-up and help on the day kind of bloke, so let me know when I can be of assistance....

I had a thought, now the rugby have gone, and the ffs sponsor youth matches, surely it could be arranged for more youth fixtures to be played at the mem, maybe on a sunday if we could drum up enough interest

we agree to disagree...??