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Post by axegas on Oct 31, 2023 22:53:05 GMT
What if they really wanted JB to succeed and backed him but his/our staff proved to be incompetent by not even being able to complete a deadline day signing. If that were the case maybe they felt a root and branch change was needed with dedicated Rovers employed backroom staff were needed so that we would have more control and established experienced people running the club with a manager just running the first team. Sort of like they said they were going to do.... If I were rich enough to own a club I would want to get my own people in, not all of one particular managers staff throughout the club. Wael was mad letting Barton (or anyone) have so much say and so many of his own people in place. No conspiracy here at all, just sensible running of a business. Occam's razor. Wrong razor, you mean Hanlon’s
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Post by axegas on Oct 31, 2023 21:05:23 GMT
You were the biggest advocate of Garner so that gives me confidence 🤣 Carlts would disagree.
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Post by axegas on Oct 31, 2023 20:49:18 GMT
Can confirm that it is indeed posted on his story.
Maybe had a fall out with Wael towards the end?
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Post by axegas on Oct 30, 2023 17:36:26 GMT
There’d be no point doing something like that. How would it bring in more money for the club? Yeah there’s 3/4 games a season where we might need the extra capacity. In that case spend the money on an actually nice North stand with bigger bars, restaurants and a larger capacity so you’ve got a 13 or 14k capacity. It’s so important we get the North and East stands right, I’d rather we waited longer, saved up transfer fees, grants and even fundraiser among fans if we ended up with a couple of stands to be proud of.
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Post by axegas on Oct 29, 2023 17:01:46 GMT
5,000 extra seats won't bring in £3mil. Do the sums, it won't be far off. I did say add in a pie and a pint. I think the key for many is whether this redevelopment will improve the ground’s facilities for supporters not just enlarge the capacity. If the capacity rises to 15,000 by adding a couple of semi permanent stands next to the East stand, it will improve the aesthetic of the ground but we won’t fill it regularly as it won’t be a substantial enough attraction to new fans. If we’re adding new bars, new toilets, making it easier to access the ground, new club shop, improving catering facilities, adding retail space, event space. All these kind of things, then when we raise the capacity, we might actually stand a chance of filling it. Looking forward to seeing what the new owners visions for the ground is when the plans are released to the public.
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Post by axegas on Oct 29, 2023 15:15:38 GMT
City fans are absolutely fuming about it apparently.
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Post by axegas on Oct 28, 2023 20:32:45 GMT
Having just listened to the interview, the wording sounds exactly like we will be adding to the existing East stand (extending the current seated part or adding seats either side) and keeping the terrace below. Finished with commenting it will do us for years to come. Sounds like we are increasing the capacity with a few extra seats before going for a new stadium when we reach higher levels. The only part that doesnt make sense to the above is the Thatchers. Unless we would extend it backwards, that one would need to be demolished and rebuilt. I’m not an architect, but the way I can see them ‘adding’ to the East stand is this: -Completely demolish the actual East seating and catering bit. -Build a new tier on top of the terracing that stretches the full distance, with a larger roof that covers the terrace section as well. (This ‘tier’ could well be temporary, a sort of South Stand on stilts) - Create a section in between the upper tier and lower terrace that acts as a concourse and an access route for those below. - Rebuild the catering facilities behind this newly created stand. - Convert current East terrace into ‘Safe standing’ to comply with Championship and Premier League requirements.
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Post by axegas on Oct 28, 2023 20:17:55 GMT
When they say the south end of the east stand is next, does that mean extracting the section of stand that currently sits within the south stand and plonking it on the away terrace? I’m totally underwhelmed by anything that’s not a wholesale redevelopment of the mem (which is not my preferred location, but then you’ll never please everyone). Even something done in stages so that ultimately it looks like one complete stadium. All I can picture from this info is lots of makeshift stands similar to those we’ve seen dotted around the ground previously. To quote Paul Buckle, I feel we’re being told to lower our expectations… It's a disgrace, if this is what it is then I am sorry that club will get what they deserve. Floating around in league 1 forever. It is becoming worrying that we do not have the money to build a modern stadium with a decent capacity. People will say Bournemouth don't have a huge stadium. But they are actually looking at building a new ground, whilst their owners fund premiership football. I am genuinely concerned we've been sold down a river of mediocrity. Let’s actually see the plans before we jump to conclusions that it’s a disgrace and we’re being sold mediocrity. The East stand is aging and poorly built, you can’t ‘redevelop’ it without knocking it down. We’ve explored doing stuff like bolting a family stand onto it before and it hasn’t worked. The only chance of securing any kind of return on investment is if you demolish it, rebuild to a modern spec, improve and enlarge the catering facilities. Add office space, retail space or student accommodation. Whilst partially financing it through grants and loans. I’m sure that is the option the owners are looking into, if they have any commercial sense.
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Post by axegas on Oct 28, 2023 19:48:18 GMT
I think my original suggestion, Leam Richardson fits the criteria the owners are looking for. Young, full of ideas. Promoted from this league. Experience in the championship.
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Post by axegas on Oct 28, 2023 13:12:07 GMT
Let’s just get on with this now, so many years of failed plans, blame games and false hope.
It’s finally time to build the facilities that the fans deserve, at the mem.
The location is great, the plans now need to consider parking, space, acoustics and revenue making facilities for the club.
Confident we can turn the mem into a fantastic stadium but it will require careful consideration.
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Post by axegas on Oct 27, 2023 11:27:47 GMT
Claude Makelele? Could be an interesting outside the box appointment. Believe Wael knows him a bit, he’s watched a Rovers game from the directors box in the past. Wait.... What.... Makelele's watched the Gas down the Mem?! Shut up?! Surely not?!?!?! 😂 I’m not making it up EDIT: Link a bit dodgy but look up Claude Makelele Wael al Qadi on Google
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Post by axegas on Oct 27, 2023 11:17:15 GMT
Claude Makelele? Could be an interesting outside the box appointment.
Believe Wael knows him a bit, he’s watched a Rovers game from the directors box in the past.
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Post by axegas on Oct 27, 2023 0:15:24 GMT
I think we’re used to very hands on owners who have a very visible presence. Dunfords, Higgs, Wael.
Not every owner is going to be like that. As long as they do what they’ve been brought in for, which is to provide investment and expertise and as long as we’ve got some contact with the board with Wael and Gorringe, then it’s acceptable.
The Kuwaitis might prefer a discreet way of doing business, they might not be confident with English as a second language or feel they are media trained enough.
As a fan I’d like to get to know them more, but it’s not an absolute must.
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Post by axegas on Oct 26, 2023 17:46:00 GMT
I've been on Rovers forums for a long time. Many of the voices pro and anti Barton, I have a tremendous amount of respect for.
Some of the people who didn't like Barton I know for a fact have stuck with the club through thick and thin. Through relegations, unlikeable managers and bad teams.
You're always going to get a few fickle or petulant people in the world but I genuinely believe many of the Anti-Barton crowd like me, formed their opinions based on valid reasons.
We never stopped supporting the club and will get behind whoever is next in charge.
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Post by axegas on Oct 26, 2023 17:29:59 GMT
I think perhaps worst thing about him leaving for me is that we might go back to not being able to attract good players to the club anymore. From a recruitment point of view I think he’s been a solid 9/10 but obviously at times he just simply hasn’t got the best out of those players as a team. I’ve often thought that he would make a great chief scout but is only an average lower league manager. That worries me too. JB has been instrumental in attracting a much higher calibre of player to the Gas since he arrived. Remember what we had before? Who's going to be our scout now, do we even have a recruitment team? I presume Eddy Jennings, our head of football operations will go.
If you search Bristol Rovers scout into Google, a guy called 'Chris Spendlove' appears, who apparently joined us as a Chief Scout from Plymouth in 2022 where he was First Team Scout there.
I'd imagine he'd stay but it says he's a Liverpudlian so you never know, he could follow JB elsewhere.
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Post by axegas on Oct 26, 2023 13:40:17 GMT
Out of work manager or compensation due? Assuming we’ve got a little bit of money for compensation with the JCH deal falling through.
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Post by axegas on Oct 26, 2023 13:34:56 GMT
Is this thread how the board will decide? There is no real experience within the board to make the next appointment. I mean in fairness Wael does have experience in making new managerial appointments, he’s made a few of them!
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Post by axegas on Oct 26, 2023 13:27:28 GMT
For ease of reading, let’s have a thread with your suggestions for next manager.
I’ll go first, Leam Richardson. Good record in League One, kept Wigan up with kids one year and got them promoted the next winning 21-22 L1 Manager of the season.
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Post by axegas on Oct 26, 2023 12:49:31 GMT
I’m slightly surprised by the timing but I’m pleased with the end result.
I think with a bloke like Barton in charge, with all the negative publicity we’ve received, the money we’ve spend, the divide it caused in the fanbase. He had to be delivering this season more than what he’s shown. There’s more pressure on him than there would be with other managers and he doesn’t deal with it very well.
I thought on Tuesday night it looked like the players weren’t playing for him. The body language was not good.
I’m looking forward to the focus returning on the pitch rather than off it and us not being the most hated club in L1 again. Really didn’t enjoy that aspect of the Barton era at all.
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Post by axegas on Oct 25, 2023 0:31:23 GMT
I’ve got to be honest I’ve never liked Barton for off the pitch reasons but I still don’t think there’s footballing merit to get rid of him yet. Injuries are hampering us and we don’t quite have the cutting edge up front to convert the chances we are creating. This has probably damaged our confidence, resulting in a sub par performance tonight. We’ve got home games coming up and a few games in hand. Marquis and Hunt will hopefully be back from injury, Woods will return from his suspension, which will improve the squad massively. Maybe Barton will give Belly another chance to redeem himself as well. Re-assess closer to January, budgets and expectations are high for this season so clearly being 16th in the league won’t be acceptable by then, but there is still plenty of this season left to turn things around. Axe, I just don’t see how anyone can say there is no footballing merit to sack him. It was atrocious tonight, no matter how you dress it up or blame the ref. He is talking about how the ref didn’t give the foul on cox and the penalty but Stevenage should have had a penalty too when Finley dragged down Reid (I think) but no one is talking about that. We were absolutely awful all night and quite frankly deserved nothing. The chances we created didn’t trouble the keeper at all. When it comes to the squad, he has a squad of players and all of them should be good enough to compete at this level. 75% of that starting 11 have either played with us in that division or played at a higher level than L1. No matter what team he has picked this year we have won 4 out of 13. It’s just not good enough for the money he has spent. As for the squad he’s signed, he’s spent money on some great players that can play if they aren’t broke or suspended but he signs the ones with poor injury and disciplinary records and then everyone is surprised when we are bereft through injury and suspensions. The final thing, utterly classless on the radio calling Evans a fat weeble. Yes Evans is a Banned word, he always has been, but Evans has won more than Barton with less money and is higher in the league with a smaller budget, I think JB is looking much more the arsehole tonight than Evans. I’m not saying there’s no footballing merit completely, an owner with less patience may have pulled the trigger by now. That first half was atrocious. Is it worthy of sacking him yet though? I just think that against Stevenage we were crying out for Jack Hunt’s experience, Ryan Woods calmness in the centre of the park and for someone like JCH or Marquis (I know he came on near the end) to put the ball in the net. Fact is we’ve been a bit unlucky and it’s making us look worse than we actually are to some degree. Of course you can also blame Barton for building a squad lacking in depth. I personally don’t want to see Hoole, Grant or Finley starting soon. There can be no excuses for tonight’s performance. Let’s just see what happens in the Northampton game. Expecting a big response and some of the underperforming players dropped. Hopefully Marquis can start and be a threat. On the final point, totally agree. His post match interviews have become an utter embarrassment to the club. Understand it’s hard for me to defend Barton when I dislike the bloke, I am just trying to look at it how I would’ve for Garner or DC.
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