|
Post by grayraydon on Feb 25, 2016 11:18:49 GMT
Great article, really good to hear that the quarters are here to stay and that he understands just what being a gashead is all about, I'm still trying to get my head round everything that's happened over the last week, these sort of things don't happen to us, but with every article and interview I read I like the man a little bit more. Onwards and upwards, UTG!!!
|
|
|
Post by Hugo the Elder on Feb 25, 2016 11:20:13 GMT
We have much to thank DC for.
Only 2 seasons ago we were a shambles both on and off the pitch.
|
|
|
Post by Qatar Gas on Feb 25, 2016 11:22:13 GMT
How is your arabic? If you google "روفرز وائل القاضي بريستول" (Wael al-Qadi Bristol Rovers) you will begin to realise the impact we are having in the Arab World. There are loads of articles! Can this be converted into revenue streams if we progress on the field? Wow, There are quite a few stories from the Arabic newspapers! I recognised one of them as a Qatari newspaper. I guess you could end up seeing some of our stuff in Jordan and beyond. I remember when QPR were sponsored by Gulf Air (from Bahrain) and they sold their shirts in the small airport shop. In the same way in Dubai airport you see the kits of all those Emirates sponsors, and Man City shirts in Abu Dhabi airport as well as PSG shirts in the airport here because of who owns them. Although not too sure how many shirts we would actually sell compared to all the Premier league ones on sale!
|
|
|
Post by roverstillidie on Feb 25, 2016 11:24:50 GMT
Great article.....Compare that to the story the Bristol Post have run with, stating that Wael Al-Qadi sports a £15k watch..! FFS
|
|
|
Post by Gas Go Marching In on Feb 25, 2016 11:33:42 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Quartermaster on Feb 25, 2016 11:35:29 GMT
How is your arabic? If you google "روفرز وائل القاضي بريستول" (Wael al-Qadi Bristol Rovers) you will begin to realise the impact we are having in the Arab World. There are loads of articles! Can this be converted into revenue streams if we progress on the field? Wow, There are quite a few stories from the Arabic newspapers! I recognised one of them as a Qatari newspaper. I guess you could end up seeing some of our stuff in Jordan and beyond. I remember when QPR were sponsored by Gulf Air (from Bahrain) and they sold their shirts in the small airport shop. In the same way in Dubai airport you see the kits of all those Emirates sponsors, and Man City shirts in Abu Dhabi airport as well as PSG shirts in the airport here because of who owns them. Although not too sure how many shirts we would actually sell compared to all the Premier league ones on sale! I walked past a whole shop dedicated to Leicester City in Bangkok airport last summer. I think King Power are involved in the airport. It hasn't don't Leicester any harm! Every time I read an article like this I realise none of it has really sunk in for me yet!
|
|
|
Post by Qatar Gas on Feb 25, 2016 11:47:15 GMT
Wow, There are quite a few stories from the Arabic newspapers! I recognised one of them as a Qatari newspaper. I guess you could end up seeing some of our stuff in Jordan and beyond. I remember when QPR were sponsored by Gulf Air (from Bahrain) and they sold their shirts in the small airport shop. In the same way in Dubai airport you see the kits of all those Emirates sponsors, and Man City shirts in Abu Dhabi airport as well as PSG shirts in the airport here because of who owns them. Although not too sure how many shirts we would actually sell compared to all the Premier league ones on sale! I walked past a whole shop dedicated to Leicester City in Bangkok airport last summer. I think King Power are involved in the airport. It hasn't don't Leicester any harm! Every time I read an article like this I realise none of it has really sunk in for me yet! Ah yes I remember seeing that too in Bangkok airport last year. It is funny when the media talk about 'little Leicester' doing so well in the premiership, they always forget to mention that they are owned by a billionaire!
|
|
|
Post by Topper Gas on Feb 25, 2016 11:49:02 GMT
Remember a few years back when, in the space of what seemed like a few weeks, Rovers were used by several different managers in uncomplimentary scenarios? Someone said something like "it was so bad, it was like watching Bristol Rovers" - and he was the manager of a Scottish team or something like that (no it wasn't Mark McGhee ) Then there were one or two articles that randomly had a dig at us too. Crazy to think how it could all change over the coming years. Maybe one day, my son who is due any day will actually be called a "glory supporter" - Imagine that!!!!! Going back a few years too, I remember a few players being warned about not signing for us because of the " poisonous atmosphere" both in the stands & behind the scenes. Paul Buckle was always a tw@t though!! Personally I'd call it passionate rather than poisonous.
|
|
|
Post by Antonio Fargas on Feb 25, 2016 11:49:19 GMT
I walked past a whole shop dedicated to Leicester City in Bangkok airport last summer. Was it a knocking shop?
|
|
|
Post by mehewmagic on Feb 25, 2016 11:59:20 GMT
...With regard to wealth, I've researched everywhere I can think of, and whilst the whole family is worth well over a billion, Wael is only a multi millionaire. Mind you, the purchase of our club is by the whole family, so strictly speaking our owners are billionaires. exactly. anyway, the point isn;t how much money someone has, or has access to, but how much they want to spend or can spend. SL is allegedly a billionaire (note really sure as he sold quite a percentage of his HL shares to help finance City before HL got even stronger) but has spent very little really and spent it very poorly anyway. The only real legacy so far will be no external debt, a good stadium, and we all know that infrastructure projects are far easier than pitch matters!
|
|
|
Post by islandgas on Feb 25, 2016 12:02:15 GMT
If Wael is as good as his word, and I think he will be, we've an awful lot to thank NH for.
|
|
|
Post by mehewmagic on Feb 25, 2016 12:09:06 GMT
Remember a few years back when, in the space of what seemed like a few weeks, Rovers were used by several different managers in uncomplimentary scenarios? Someone said something like "it was so bad, it was like watching Bristol Rovers" - and he was the manager of a Scottish team or something like that (no it wasn't Mark McGhee ) Then there were one or two articles that randomly had a dig at us too. Crazy to think how it could all change over the coming years. Maybe one day, my son who is due any day will actually be called a "glory supporter" - Imagine that!!!!! Going back a few years too, I remember a few players being warned about not signing for us because of the " poisonous atmosphere" both in the stands & behind the scenes. and going back a few more years, think about Ian Atkins. as much as the man seemed very unlikeable, he had done really well at Cobblers and he says he had several offers from clubs higher than Rovers. Came to Rovers but Board was split and he says he regretted taking the job. Despite all this HE was the man who stabilised us on the pitch and signed a lot of the promotion winning team. Just like many other ex-Rovers managers, he's never properly managed again in football... We have to get rid of all this crap, and we seem to be finally getting there. Sod all these boardroom egos. 92.6% ownership is basically a dictatorship, and so far the dictator seems very benevolent.
|
|
|
Post by Gas Go Marching In on Feb 25, 2016 12:11:02 GMT
I walked past a whole shop dedicated to Leicester City in Bangkok airport last summer. I think King Power are involved in the airport. It hasn't don't Leicester any harm! Every time I read an article like this I realise none of it has really sunk in for me yet! Ah yes I remember seeing that too in Bangkok airport last year. It is funny when the media talk about 'little Leicester' doing so well in the premiership, they always forget to mention that they are owned by a billionaire! Maybe but they still haven't spent a lot of money.
|
|
|
Post by mehewmagic on Feb 25, 2016 12:11:07 GMT
From the Times todayHenry Winter meets Wael al-Qadi, ally of Fifa presidential hopeful Prince Ali and owner of the League Two club
A wealthy man last seen kissing the Bristol Rovers badge on that famous quartered shirt flew into Zurich yesterday to lobby on behalf of Prince Ali bin al-Hussein in the Fifa presidential race. Rovers fans could be forgiven some surprise at finding that they have a presence at the centre of football power but their new owner, Wael al-Qadi, is a character full of surprises.
Educated in London in the Eighties, when he followed the Chelsea of Kerry Dixon and Pat Nevin home and away, Qadi has been involved with the Jordanian FA and the Asian Development Football Foundation and is no stranger to Fifa-ville. The Jordanian businessman deplored the venal behaviour staining the world governing body on Sepp Blatter’s watch, leading to highprofile dignitaries being dragged away from Zurich’s Baur Au Lac hotel by FBI investigators in May.
“I’m going to sleep well in Zurich,’’ the 46-year-old says with a smile. “I’m very confident the Feds won’t be breaking down my door. But there will be a lot of people who probably won’t turn up.” Fear of the Feds ripples through Zurich, as Fifa representatives gather to vote on Blatter’s successor tomorrow.
“Prince Ali is Fifa’s last hope,’’ says Qadi of the third favourite. “He’s the only person who can save Fifa. I know his character, integrity, transparency and leadership skills. Fifa will struggle to survive if he is not voted in. It would mean Fifa as an organisation doesn’t want to reform. Just imagine if someone else is elected and two weeks down the road something comes up with this guy, what do you think will happen with Fifa then? With Prince Ali, I can guarantee you he has nothing [dodgy]. That’s part of his upbringing being part of the royal family, being a prince. He’s very humble.
“I met Blatter: very charismatic but overextended his stay. Fifa has been led by Europeans. There is a perception, especially in Africa, that Uefa [runs Fifa] and it does not treat the rest of the world in a fair way. The trust is not there. With the amount of revenues Fifa generate, they should have done more for African countries.”
Qadi was born in Qatar but worries about the World Cup there in 2022. “Qatar will be challenging. How many games will there be? 64? After that what is there to do? Imagine a World Cup in one city,” he says. “You can watch a game, drive ten minutes and watch another. It would have been nice to have spread the World Cup around the region with the majority of games in Qatar.
“I’ve been to five World Cups as a fan and loved every one. It was nice seeing Zinédine Zidane score in France [in 1998]. I love Zidane. Japan [2002] was an incredible experience, a different culture. In Cape Town [2010], I saw England against Algeria, an anticlimax. I’m an England fan but because England don’t do well I revert to Italy in the later stages. I can’t support Germany. But I was there when Germany beat Brazil 7-1 [in 2014]. That was an experience!
“I grew up in Qatar and when I was 12-13, we moved to London. Being a football fanatic, Chelsea were the closest. I was going home and away. I used to love Kerry Dixon: No 9, scored a lot. I loved Pat Nevin: beautiful, light movement, used to beat people.
“I saw the bad side of football, all the problems in the 1980s with crowd trouble. I was nearly electrocuted by Mr Ken Bates when he wanted to electrify the fence [at Stamford Bridge].
“I still go to Chelsea. I went to Sexy Fish last week and John Obi Mikel was two tables away. I said: ‘I’m a big Chelsea fan, can I have a picture?’ He said: ‘Come over.’ I sat next to him, but when I stood up, I caught the table cloth and all the glass, plates and cutlery started falling one by one, crash, crash, crash. The whole restaurant was looking at me and thinking, ‘you idiot’.
“It was so embarrassing. John Obi was so nice. He said: ‘Don’t worry, breaking a glass brings good luck!’ I said: ‘Well I have a ton of good luck coming your way, because I want to give it you.’ A couple of days later he scored in Paris [against Paris Saint-Germain], an away goal that could be priceless.
“Myself, I’ve always played twice or three times a week with friends until three years ago when I tore my ACL. It was a bad pass, I overstretched and it just ripped. It’s hanging by a thread. So no more football.”
Instead he poured his love of the game into buying a club, first scouring Belgium, then a check on Gillingham before settling on Rovers and completing the deal giving the al-Qadi family 92 per cent of the club’s shares last week.
“The place felt right. Bristol Rovers has a fantastic heritage, a very strong fanbase,” he says. “Just imagine if we get a bit of success! People love this club so much. I cannot afford to make mistakes, I cannot afford to fail — for them. I’m a strong believer in heritage. There will be none of this changing of colour, or badges. The quarters are here to stay. Rovers are going on a pre-season tour of Spain to a club [Sabadell] that has the same quarters as us. Tradition is vital.”
On being introduced to the crowd at half-time of last Saturday’s game against Morecambe, Qadi kissed the Rovers badge on his shirt, a slightly over-the-top act for a first date. “It was love at first sight for me. I got the seal of approval when they sang Goodnight, Irene [the club’s anthem]. I know the words,” he says. “When I started the process of acquisition, I watched a lot of videos, saw what the chants were and it grew on me. I never expected the reaction would be like this. In our [Gulf] region, it’s huge news. That’s what English football does to you.”
He’s not flash. “This ‘billionaire’ tag I have is a misunderstanding. Somebody just labelled me that. I am an owner of a club that I believe I can build up properly, step by step, and make sustainable,” he says. “Home-grown players are essential for the soul of the club and for financial [reasons]. There’s a bond between fans and such home-grown players which you won’t get by buying a player in from another place.
“The ambition with Bristol Rovers is to reach as high as we can. All the ingredients are there. With the manager [Darrell Clarke] there was immediate chemistry. There’s total understanding and agreement between us. On [recruitment] plans for next season, I told him, he’s the manager, he decides. I’m here to support him.”
Qadi wants to develop the Sky Bet League Two club on and off the field. “We require a new stadium with a capacity of 21,700, maybe more,” he says. “The only way is upward. It’s a chance to create history, which would be amazing.”
He follows stories higher up the pyramid. “It would be beautiful to see Leicester win the league,” he says. “Look guys, it’s happening to Leicester. Look at Jamie Vardy; he was non-League and look at him. That fairytale would be such an inspiration for us.”
Lordy, this guy sounds like a real deal. I'm not used to this as a Rovers fan.
|
|
|
Post by baggins on Feb 25, 2016 12:35:41 GMT
Plus, it's not just his own personal wealth, which is no doubt sizeable, but who he knows who could invest as well.
|
|
|
Post by roverstillidie on Feb 25, 2016 13:00:28 GMT
If Wael is as good as his word, and I think he will be, we've an awful lot to thank NH for. Agree to a point, but I think NH and the Board also have a lot to thank us fans for really.
After that fateful day against Mansfield, I think the fans of a lot of other Clubs (one in particular springs to mind) would have said enough is enough and just walked away.
The Loyalty and support our fans showed throughout that Season in the Conference was nothing short of amazing given the circumstances.
Mr Al-Qadi has publicly stated that one of the main reasons the Club was such an attractive proposition was because of the 70k (in case the Teds are reading ) we took to Wembley for a non League Final....
All of a sudden those trips to Kidderminster, Woking, Dover etc seem to have been made all the more worthwhile.
UTG
|
|
|
Post by Blueside on Feb 25, 2016 13:14:41 GMT
Wow! great article. Of all the lines, this covers it all for me and is all that matters:
"I am an owner of a club that I believe I can build up properly, step by step, and make sustainable"
It would seem he has the experience and understanding of football and what it means to people; all this talk of how much money he has is vulgar and misses the point. All we need to know is he has the means to invest in us, and the understanding of how to do it properly. I'm not wishing or expecting a quick rise to the premiership, with all this elation evident around the place at the moment, it is good to remind people that the real hard work starts now, and with Mr Al Qadi at the helm, hopefully it can be rewarded. Only something that is sustainable can survive and is therefore worthwhile building in the first place.
|
|
|
Post by alvestongas on Feb 25, 2016 13:14:56 GMT
If Wael is as good as his word, and I think he will be, we've an awful lot to thank NH for. Agree to a point, but I think NH and the Board also have a lot to thank us fans for really.
After that fateful day against Mansfield, I think the fans of a lot of other Clubs (one in particular springs to mind) would have said enough is enough and just walked away.
The Loyalty and support our fans showed throughout that Season in the Conference was nothing short of amazing given the circumstances.
Mr Al-Qadi has publicly stated that one of the main reasons the Club was such an attractive proposition was because of the 70k (in case the Teds are reading ) we took to Wembley for a non League Final....
All of a sudden those trips to Kidderminster, Woking, Dover etc seem to have been made all the more worthwhile.
UTG
At the time the lads and ladies I go with said we had to get behind them there and then otherwise it could have been the end of our club. As you say the support at places like Gateshead, Macclesfield, Halifax & Dover was almost responsible on its own for our return to the football league .......& now this!
|
|
|
Post by phillistine on Feb 25, 2016 13:40:46 GMT
Interesting that he describes chemistry with DC and his comment about their relationship suggests no Director of Football
|
|
|
Post by lympstonegas on Feb 25, 2016 14:01:05 GMT
Yeah, its odd to think my boy may only know good times. Actually, its bizarre..... Wow. But will it make him a 'real' supporter Hugo. To appreciate the good times, you first must have experienced the bad times, and by christ, we've certainly got that experience Well not sure if anyone noticed but when Morecombe player was sent off last Saturday and everyone was chanting Cheerio I saw Wael start waking as well - that's a real supporter in my book
|
|