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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 25, 2019 15:10:05 GMT
It doesn't stop me attending games but the constant uncertainty over the off field mess does put me off as it seems to others too.... The on field and off field issues are linked so no matter how well or badly we do in the present the future is determined by the off field short, medium and long term plans. I'm not hoping to hear anything weekly but would have expected an update by now given the radio interview 2-3 months ago....Perhaps that is unreasonable to others but that's my opinion. Not so long ago we were told we would be training at the colony now and look where that is at.... Unfortunately we are probably more needy for info than supporters of your average club where things tend to happen when an owner / owners tell you they will. Thanks for reminding me I have nothing to do with the plan that is apparently being worked on but as a supporter it is quite an important issue. I guess that statement alone sums the situation up....The club feel as supporters the plans off the field have nothing to do with the supporters....Perhaps that answers the question as to falling attendances. I respect your opinion of which you are entitled too but in this instance mine is obviously different. I expect more than you I guess but after 30 years of false dawns (albeit under different owners) my patience has worn out...I've seen all this happen before on many many occasions and we never quite deliver....As I said previously I really hope this one is the one that changes things. It would be a massive lift to the whole club and I suspect would re ignite the interest of many who are staying away at present.
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 25, 2019 15:06:04 GMT
The thing is Dave, if you do a search into the businesses listed on that piece estate, it isnt just one, its quite a few, thats not taking into account the major landowners of the site of which, there are 3. So, many people have to be informed about the proposed offer its impossible to keep it quiet. It's nothing like when we were dealing with UWE who were landowners with nothing built on it. So this was always going to get into the public domain one way or t'other. The club would have looked stupid to deny they were anything to do with it (specifically when one of the letters I was given to read stated that a sports arena was the sole reason for considering a sale) and if they confirm that we are trying to do something there then the rumour mill just keeps on spinning and deadlines are expected. Either way, Wael did confirm it, and despite what some people have said, that radio interview has not derailed any plans or stopped negotiations. ` If there were any other interested parties, as has been reported by waterygas, then those same land owners would have offers in writing, from a different agent and then it would be in the landowners interests to make that public as they would see outside pressure as a good way of jacking the price. It's also a very complex transaction and I'm not sure what you or other supporters are hoping to hear on a weekly basis, its not something that can be a given a running commentary of, but when there is something signed sealed and delievered then thats the time it is official and the club will inform us. It wont be through Know-all or anyone else posting here. As regards all the leaks that have gone on, well its no secret that there has been a split in the boardroom and a couple of directors have been feeding information down to foot soldiers on the terraces, for whatever reasons that may be, but that has been taken care of and it wont affect what is trying to be achieved. I dont see how any of this this stops you, or any other fan, from attending games and supporting GC and the team. You say you are fed up with a lack of progress/investment/future opportunities and yet one is being worked upon behind the scenes which you have nothing to do with anyway. So how on earth does that stop you attending games? It doesn't stop me attending games but the constant uncertainty over the off field mess does put me off as it seems to others too.... The on field and off field issues are linked so no matter how well or badly we do in the present the future is determined by the off field short, medium and long term plans. I'm not hoping to hear anything weekly but would have expected an update by now given the radio interview 2-3 months ago....Perhaps that is unreasonable to others but that's my opinion. Not so long ago we were told we would be training at the colony now and look where that is at.... Unfortunately we are probably more needy for info than supporters of your average club where things tend to happen when an owner / owners tell you they will. Thanks for reminding me I have nothing to do with the plan that is apparently being worked on but as a supporter it is quite an important issue. I guess that statement alone sums the situation up....The club feel as supporters the plans off the field have nothing to do with the supporters....Perhaps that answers the question as to falling attendances. I respect your opinion of which you are entitled too but in this instance mine is obviously different. I expect more than you I guess but after 30 years of false dawns (albeit under different owners) my patience has worn out...I've seen all this happen before on many many occasions and we never quite deliver....As I said previously I really hope this one is the one that changes things. It would be a massive lift to the whole club and I suspect would re ignite the interest of many who are staying away at present.
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 25, 2019 13:17:27 GMT
Its Crazy, Our own President mentioned the deal live on the radio some months ago, there is (apparently) an estate agents letter in the hands of shareholders of the fruit market and one of them / some of them have shared that info / provided sight of that letter, a very credible journalist has provided some info live on TV yet people still think it reasonable the whole thing should / could be hush hush. The club have mentioned NDA's and confidentiality agreements many times in the past in relation to past failed projects yet on this particular project that seems to have been missed and many people (it seems) not just from the club have this info and have shared it. For what its worth (probably not a lot) I have been told basically word for word what Blue Camel and WateryBlue are also saying and was told this by someone I trust 100% and the same person who told me what was happening with UWE...which was basically spot on info too. If this deal is so sensitive and its so important for it all to be kept a secret then I have no idea why so many people seem to know about it. I believe there is way too much info out there coming from credible people to suggest its all not just a figment of some peoples imagination. Why wouldn't people who are stake holders in the scheme be told not to or be precluded legally from sharing info with people from the outset? I have this info and I have no connection with the club in any capacity other than the fact I am a supporter. I have no interest in making myself look like a fool on a public forum by simply making up something or sharing something that I didn't think was true for the fun of it. I have no idea why the club haven't made some kind of statement to allow supporters some info as to what is going on. If nobody can say anything or there is no update....Why was it ever mentioned in the first place? I realise the club don't have to / don't want to say anything and that's their prerogative but given the numerous let downs we have all suffered in the past you would think they may decide it was the right thing to do to avoid all this debate, speculation and questioning. As I said previously, its fairly obvious that off the field issues are having a very obvious affect on attendances and the general feeling around the club (there seems little other explanation given the positive on field performance). Why not give a simple update on what is happening? You never know that might just restore a little faith and bring back some of the disillusioned supporters who are staying away. Its typical Bristol Rovers I'm afraid....A mess! Most supporters are fed up of hearing about agendas, boardroom splits etc...If those things are going on and people are leaking info and the like then as a club it needs to be dealt with. Apparently people were leaking info as far back as the UWE deal so its not like the club are not aware of that or who those people might be. In any credible business if you have people involved who are causing problems or sharing confidential info they need to be stopped / gotten rid of...Its not difficult! Its like asking supporters not to discuss / disclose info around who we might be signing around transfer deadline day...Its not going to happen as that's the nature of football supporters, particularly those who have lost patience in many, many failed previous projects. If people know about the FM deal, who the new owners may be, who new investors may be, what price has been offered to the FM etc.it will get discussed. Its no good as a club telling supporters about something and then expecting confidentiality around it...As others have said on here absolutely nothing should have been mentioned unless it was a done deal! I really, really hope it can be sorted and a deal is done but what happens now if it falls through? How many more projects are supporters expected to be informed about for them to fail / never happen? Its hard to know what is happening as we get very very little info provided to us as supporters and that is why there are hundreds of pages of speculation over each thing that is mentioned. As I said it appears at this stage to be another mess. I just hope it gets sorted and a deal is done and we can all look back at this in a few years when we are sat in our new fruit bowl arena and laugh about how long it took to get there....I for one believe that it would be very exciting for the club and supporters to be part of a wider project to re generate an area right in the heart of the city.
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 23, 2019 10:28:33 GMT
Here is what was posted by France Gas...
So when will someone tell us what he knows about Conygar Investments and Lavignac shares?
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 23, 2019 10:27:29 GMT
I haven't been on the forum for a while now as last time I was on I provided what info I knew about the UWE deal and look how that turned out! I have tried to stay away so as not to jinx the Fruit Market but couldn't watch and say nothing! Interesting now the names of the investors is seemingly out there (from what little I know I reckon the names are spot on). Most interesting is that those posters who were posting constantly and seem to back one side or the other (whoever those sides are) and were getting into debate after debate have appeared to disappear. No idea why this would be as I would have thought the names of the potential new owners / investors would be like a weight lifted off everyone's shoulders and it would be open season once one person has chosen to break cover with those names....The opposite seems to have happened. Is this because those who are constantly posting about this know less than people would think or is this because those names are like a hand grenade to the deal? For what its worth I, like a few others, get tit bits of info about what is going on and I would have thought by now the club would have provided some kind of update. In my opinion they create their own massive issues with a complete lack of any kind of clarity over pretty much all significant off field issues. If I wasn't a passionate Rovers supporter I would think we were being kept in the dark deliberately its that bad. I believe many (like me) are sick and tired of it. The way the stadium & training ground developments (or lack of)have been handled have been nothing short of an embarrassment with people apparently at the club gossiping, leaking info both officially and unofficially with little to ever back anything that is said. We hear of agendas, splits and sabotage etc. and as a supporter I have had enough of it. I suspect (in fact I know) many others have too and that is reflected in the gates this season (a season in which we have actually started well on the pitch). If you are someone reading this from the club please take note as there is a real and very present danger that more and more money will be lost due to lower attendances. If there is good news on the stadium / training ground please update the supporters, if there is bad news please update supporters, if there is no news then please update us on why that might be. We have had let down after let down for 30 years plus with off field issues so we can take bad news / no news. Your average supporter is sick and tired of hearing about agendas, ulterior motives etc....we don't really care (well I don't anyway)! My belief is that if a deal is going to happen it will, if it isn't it wont. A sensible and well thought out update is not going to put that deal in danger....If it is it must be a pretty flaky deal in the first place. Just do us all a favour Rovers and let supporters know what is happening (whether good /bad) so people who obviously care and are passionate about the club (whatever their opinion)are not having to trawl through hundreds of pages to try and get an update on the single most important issue facing our club over the medium to long term. Its sad and if it is not addressed gates will continue to fall and another generation of supporters will be lost. Good post and agree with your sentiments. Sorry who are the alleged investors? This is the only forum/social media I use and haven’t heard specific names other than Higgs being involved in more of an introductory capacity?
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 23, 2019 8:40:03 GMT
I haven't been on the forum for a while now as last time I was on I provided what info I knew about the UWE deal and look how that turned out! I have tried to stay away so as not to jinx the Fruit Market but couldn't watch and say nothing! Interesting now the names of the investors is seemingly out there (from what little I know I reckon the names are spot on). Most interesting is that those posters who were posting constantly and seem to back one side or the other (whoever those sides are) and were getting into debate after debate have appeared to disappear. No idea why this would be as I would have thought the names of the potential new owners / investors would be like a weight lifted off everyone's shoulders and it would be open season once one person has chosen to break cover with those names....The opposite seems to have happened. Is this because those who are constantly posting about this know less than people would think or is this because those names are like a hand grenade to the deal? For what its worth I, like a few others, get tit bits of info about what is going on and I would have thought by now the club would have provided some kind of update. In my opinion they create their own massive issues with a complete lack of any kind of clarity over pretty much all significant off field issues. If I wasn't a passionate Rovers supporter I would think we were being kept in the dark deliberately its that bad. I believe many (like me) are sick and tired of it. The way the stadium & training ground developments (or lack of)have been handled have been nothing short of an embarrassment with people apparently at the club gossiping, leaking info both officially and unofficially with little to ever back anything that is said. We hear of agendas, splits and sabotage etc. and as a supporter I have had enough of it. I suspect (in fact I know) many others have too and that is reflected in the gates this season (a season in which we have actually started well on the pitch). If you are someone reading this from the club please take note as there is a real and very present danger that more and more money will be lost due to lower attendances. If there is good news on the stadium / training ground please update the supporters, if there is bad news please update supporters, if there is no news then please update us on why that might be. We have had let down after let down for 30 years plus with off field issues so we can take bad news / no news. Your average supporter is sick and tired of hearing about agendas, ulterior motives etc....we don't really care (well I don't anyway)! My belief is that if a deal is going to happen it will, if it isn't it wont. A sensible and well thought out update is not going to put that deal in danger....If it is it must be a pretty flaky deal in the first place. Just do us all a favour Rovers and let supporters know what is happening (whether good /bad) so people who obviously care and are passionate about the club (whatever their opinion)are not having to trawl through hundreds of pages to try and get an update on the single most important issue facing our club over the medium to long term. Its sad and if it is not addressed gates will continue to fall and another generation of supporters will be lost.
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Post by dave1883gas on Oct 12, 2018 17:13:33 GMT
He also dodged the takeover question Was this on radio Bristol and if so what time? I would like to have a listen.
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Post by dave1883gas on Oct 5, 2018 13:24:41 GMT
100 years isn't very long. How long ago did we leave Eastville? 40years ago?? Be positive and look at it another way. Within that 100 years things may take-off. Maybe we'll be in the Prem earning doshloads of money, so we'd be able to afford to buy the land. A long leasehold arrangement works perfectly fine with other residential and commercial property transactions and simply means you own the buildings and not the land its built on. This doesn't automatically mean you pay rent (other than usually a small peppercorn sum) and doesn't have anything to do with match day and non match day income. If we owned the stadium freehold but entered into a commercial partnership which was bad for the club it would be the same as a commercial partnership which was bad for the club on a leasehold basis. Its down to the commercials not whether its leasehold with a long lease or freehold. Unless there is something particularly adverse about a particular leasehold agreement it isn't automatically a bad thing. In 100 years time there is the chance we could be evicted but there is also every chance we wouldn't be if it was a successful partnership. I guess the only other down side to leasehold is that you do generally have to ask the freeholders permission to make changes / expand / build additions etc. People need to detach a poor commercial arrangement in terms of income streams from a freehold / leasehold ownership.
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Post by dave1883gas on Oct 2, 2018 12:32:04 GMT
I have maintained whenever I have commented that I believe something major is going on behind the scenes and I haven't changed that viewpoint. On to sources and who should be leaking what I suspect its not just a case of people deliberately leaking info but more so a case of people chatting between themselves on match days (and I guess non match days) and some of those people work closely with the club on various matters so would be in a position to have an idea of what is going on. The reason I believe something is afoot is simply because the three people I have discussed this with I have known for many years and have no reason to tell porkies.....Therefore for me its the relationship I have with those individuals that causes me to believe something is happening. There is of course the theory that someone / some people within the club are deliberately releasing a pack of lies for some un known reason and as a down to earth bloke I cant really see who gains from that situation (although I maybe being thick and missing something). For me there are too many people saying very similar things for there to be absolutely nothing going on and I believe with the level of chatter going on and the time it has been going on the club would have dismissed it all by now in a 1 line statement. People say why would the club do that but my view is why wouldn't you? You would be keeping your supporters informed, clarifying the position and ending what has now been going on for months and months. Rumours and conjecture is no good for the club as much as it is no good for supporters and I don't see why it would be allowed to continue. This isn't your average idle chit chat but something that is being discussed by a large number of the support base and is a distraction for all concerned. One thing that may be put to bed quickly (because I may have missed it) is the UWE partnership that DC mentioned in his latest interview? Does anyone know what this is about? I believe he mentioned it in relation to some staff are volunteers from UWE?? I do know the answer to that as trainee medical staff form the UWE are nowassisting Rovers own medical team as apart of their degree courses, I sense this might be a recent development as I'm sure it wasn't mentioned by them when I visited their physio unit on a UWE open day in the past. You do have to wonder if DC dropped in the UWE reference has another one of his little clues, as I can't see why he really needed to make a reference to them yesterday. That's interesting as I believe we will still end up with a UWE partnership arrangement for both the stadium and training ground. I'm not going to repeat again why and could be incorrect but that's my opinion based on all the conversations I have had since the UWE deal originally fell apart. I also believe if the deal can be made to work for both parties that UWE would have a huge vested interest in it happening too. From a Kudos perspective it would be brilliant for them and would allow them to look at a collegiate type model used so successfully in the US. For us if the commercials could be made to work (a big ask I know) in my opinion it doesn't get much better location wise for many reasons.....No new build is ever going to be in an absolutely ideal location but I cant think of anywhere better for us that that particular location. We would have a huge number of students to attract to games and there is more and more housing planned in the area so we would be within walking distance of a huge number of resi properties and therefore potential new supporters. It would be interesting if anyone knew when that new partnership off the field started and the background behind it.
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Post by dave1883gas on Oct 2, 2018 12:08:51 GMT
I have maintained whenever I have commented that I believe something major is going on behind the scenes and I haven't changed that viewpoint. On to sources and who should be leaking what I suspect its not just a case of people deliberately leaking info but more so a case of people chatting between themselves on match days (and I guess non match days) and some of those people work closely with the club on various matters so would be in a position to have an idea of what is going on. The reason I believe something is afoot is simply because the three people I have discussed this with I have known for many years and have no reason to tell porkies.....Therefore for me its the relationship I have with those individuals that causes me to believe something is happening. There is of course the theory that someone / some people within the club are deliberately releasing a pack of lies for some un known reason and as a down to earth bloke I cant really see who gains from that situation (although I maybe being thick and missing something). For me there are too many people saying very similar things for there to be absolutely nothing going on and I believe with the level of chatter going on and the time it has been going on the club would have dismissed it all by now in a 1 line statement. People say why would the club do that but my view is why wouldn't you? You would be keeping your supporters informed, clarifying the position and ending what has now been going on for months and months. Rumours and conjecture is no good for the club as much as it is no good for supporters and I don't see why it would be allowed to continue. This isn't your average idle chit chat but something that is being discussed by a large number of the support base and is a distraction for all concerned. One thing that may be put to bed quickly (because I may have missed it) is the UWE partnership that DC mentioned in his latest interview? Does anyone know what this is about? I believe he mentioned it in relation to some staff are volunteers from UWE??
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 30, 2018 14:09:14 GMT
No I’m not I don’t often comment but I do view the forum. I don’t think the owners need undermining to be honest as they are doing that job by themselves. I do believe something is going on as friends of mine who I have known for many years wouldn’t tell me so if they didn’t genuinely believe it. I disagree and believe as a football club it’s in everyone’s interest to know what the plan is. If the owners had one they would surely come out and say we are here for the long haul, here is the plan etc etc but the silence is deafening because there is no plan. People say where is the evidence of the rumours being true? I sayvwhere is the evidence it’s not true? The owners could provide that in 30 seconds. More importantly and assuming the rumours are incorrect... where is the evidence of any kind of plan for the club? So far we have been fed false dawns and rubbish since the UWE collapse.
"I sayvwhere is the evidence it’s not true?"
I've said it before, how can you prove a negative?
I could tell you the world is round and not flat (I do believe that by the way!) but I can’t provide evidence of it... well I can but only evidence that comes from 3rd parties.... I myself do not have the means to prove it.
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 30, 2018 14:05:57 GMT
" I don’t believe many (if any) on this forum and other supporters not on the forum would come up with some complete and utter rubbish jusy for the fun of it." Are you new here?
Why should the owners come out and explain themselves, every time a new rumour comes out?
The people trying to undermine them would have a field day.
Because they have in the past? It's all a bit strange how the rumours are being allowed to continue unchecked, when there seems no real credence or, even, logic to the rumours. Let us also not forget they released a statement at 11:30pm to tell us all the UWE collapsed after the news was leaked on line sivwere quick to squash that little issue but not so quick to squash this one. Whatever the outcome (and I still believe something major is happening - but don’t have evidence) the situation is an utter mess!
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 30, 2018 13:53:59 GMT
To be fair I have also mentioned the rumour along with lots of others. I still firmly believe they will prove to be correct but if not you have to assume that someone within the club has deliberately set these rumours alive with a purpose in mind. There is no way the people who have told me these things would do that if they didn’t think it to be correct. I don’t believe many (if any) on this forum and other supporters not on the forum would come up with some complete and utter rubbish jusy for the fun of it. I also believe someone at the club would have set things straight long ago if there was nothing going on. If it all does turn out to be rubbish we as supporters should be questioning why the club allow there huge hole in communications to be filled with rumours. A simple statement from the club could stop this speculation instantly. " I don’t believe many (if any) on this forum and other supporters not on the forum would come up with some complete and utter rubbish jusy for the fun of it." Are you new here?
Why should the owners come out and explain themselves, every time a new rumour comes out?
The people trying to undermine them would have a field day.
No I’m not I don’t often comment but I do view the forum. I don’t think the owners need undermining to be honest as they are doing that job by themselves. I do believe something is going on as friends of mine who I have known for many years wouldn’t tell me so if they didn’t genuinely believe it. I disagree and believe as a football club it’s in everyone’s interest to know what the plan is. If the owners had one they would surely come out and say we are here for the long haul, here is the plan etc etc but the silence is deafening because there is no plan. People say where is the evidence of the rumours being true? I sayvwhere is the evidence it’s not true? The owners could provide that in 30 seconds. More importantly and assuming the rumours are incorrect... where is the evidence of any kind of plan for the club? So far we have been fed false dawns and rubbish since the UWE collapse.
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 30, 2018 13:31:32 GMT
"I can confirm I have heard the same as Spoony from a good source."
Me thinks he jumped on the band wagon too soon...
To be fair I have also mentioned the rumour along with lots of others. I still firmly believe they will prove to be correct but if not you have to assume that someone within the club has deliberately set these rumours alive with a purpose in mind. There is no way the people who have told me these things would do that if they didn’t think it to be correct. I don’t believe many (if any) on this forum and other supporters not on the forum would come up with some complete and utter rubbish jusy for the fun of it. I also believe someone at the club would have set things straight long ago if there was nothing going on. If it all does turn out to be rubbish we as supporters should be questioning why the club allow there huge hole in communications to be filled with rumours. A simple statement from the club could stop this speculation instantly.
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 19, 2018 12:58:49 GMT
Just been told that the construction company based in Southampton area may be the same construction company who are building the training facility at UWE....Have no idea if this is correct and don't know how to check who is building that but would be interesting if indeed this was the case!
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 19, 2018 11:16:49 GMT
My Understanding was that this work listed was an enabling upgrade and as such the UWE planning was now extant Looking at the documents it said two conditions were cleared in Jan 18 but there was still one requiring clearing and there was a deadline of a couple of days to get that sorted. As there are no other docs on file to show this was cleared I suppose the assumption would be that it was never cleared and therefore permission expired. It could be that it was cleared and no docs were filed to show this. I would imagine if someone has agreed to take over the club on the basis suggested they would be pretty confident that planning was in situ / a relative surety before they confirmed the deal or they could be in a whole heap of trouble if there is a hitch. The interesting one is that if the deal is done on the basis of an exchange for the Mem which would be sold and built out on a residential basis they would also need a very high degree of certainty that planning for that development was also in place or very close to being in place.
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 17, 2018 15:32:56 GMT
Having watched DC's interview today re the west ham game I have to say the club feels to me like its in a complete and utter mess on and off the field. With talk of takeovers / investors etc., poor on field performance, seemingly abysmal off field performance by way of stadiums and training grounds, cryptic messages from the manager something surely has to give soon. If there was nothing happening in the background it would be very, very easy to come out and say to supporters something on the lines of....The rumours on social media and forums etc. are complete nonsense, we are committed to the club and are here for the long term. A simple, short, accurate statement to make all this speculation go away / end. It seems to me that DC has today given a cryptic message because he is either trying to get fired, completely at the end of his tether, trying to force an off field issue (or possibly all three). The club / DS may take the view they don't owe the supporters any explanations or updates which is fair enough but in my opinion it is a very dangerous and ill thought out approach. As someone has said previously the biggest asset the club has is its paying customers / supporters (like any business really) and if those customers start to drop off in terms of attendances / spend then the club will be in a bigger pickle than it currently appears and so will the owners. I keep hearing about patience regarding the off field issues but if patience was required they couldn't have bought a worse club as we have been waiting for over 30 years for a decent and modern infrastructure. If you want patience as an owner you simply don't buy BRFC! If new owners / investors are in the background they may want to get on with it as the way its going they could end up owning / investing in a manager less league 2 bound club. My view is that there is something major going on in the back ground and based on what I have been told this was a sale to new owners....However having listened to DC today, perhaps as with all things Rovers things are not going smoothly on that front. Lets hope whatever is happening is resolved quickly and we end up with more stability on the pitch and an exciting future with a new stadium and training ground on the way. People criticise people for discussing rumours, being / pretending to be ITK but this is simply a result of a complete lack of any kind of communication from the owners / chairperson. There is a massive hole in the info coming from the club and human nature is such that the hole will be filled with correct / incorrect / semi correct info. Come on Rovers, the time has come to say something as your supporters I feel (like the manager) are also at the end of their tethers!
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 10, 2018 8:47:18 GMT
I have posted on here before (a while back) and stayed away as last time I basically got told that because I wouldn't name names I was not telling the truth. I unfortunately couldn't resist again on Sat / Sun as I know a few of the posters on here personally and its difficult to observe something without contributing, especially when you know that the people who are being doubted would not be making things up. I also posted on twitter what I have been told by three individuals who again have absolutely nothing to gain by making things up. The issue I and anyone else would have is proving what we are saying to be the truth as that is impossible when its not confirmed as official by the club or hasn't come directly from them. I could say the earth is round but I cant prove it as I don't have the means to do that. I would openly admit that the three versions I have heard are all subtly different but they are pretty close to each other in the main facts. I absolutely agree that over the last two years there have been many false dawns / false rumours but this time (to me) feels different as I haven't got to know about anything previously that hasn't turned out to be correct. The three people I have heard this from (or a very similar scenario from) I know well and know they would gain nothing by making something up (in fact they would probably damage their reputations by doing so). Unlike others I also fee that Wael's most recent interview massively lends itself to the fact something is going on as there is no agreement in the world (in my opinion) that would stop you ruling out UWE etc. if you were not in conversations with them in some way shape or form. Anybody who knows me knows that I am a huge Gas Head and unfortunately like many of you what is going on at the club both on and off the pitch does dictate my mood to a large degree (I wish it didn't). That is why its very, very, very, difficult to say nothing and not contribute to debates and share what I have been told as I would have thought others would appreciate it. Its pretty obvious (to me anyway) that people are not going to come on here and name the names of those who have given them info as its not up to them to risk that persons reputation if things don't pan out to be correct and also from a legal stand point naming names can put someone in a difficult position. I think the vast majority of people who contribute on here and other areas of social media want the best for the club and desperately want to see us improving both on and off the pitch. In my opinion that has happened quite a bit over the last year or so where especially off the pitch the owners and TG seem to be slowly improving how we operate. There will always be teething problems with change and its no surprise that things haven't always gone smoothly but overall this area has been positive. The biggest disappointment for me however has been the lack of clarity and communication from the club around what the off field plans are. Unlike some I think its important for the supporters to have an insight as to what the clubs plans are for both the stadium and the training ground. If they are positive then great and as long as the club caveat what they say with the fact there are no guarantees etc then I don't think most like minded Gas Heads will kick off if things don't work or go more slowly than expected. If things are negative then just tell us! Its not like we will all disappear and history shows that despite worse news in the past we still keep supporting. Its the lack of any kind of communication and seemingly hugely guarded stance that is the most worrying aspect. If the club came out and said tomorrow that the training ground is not happening and we are at the mem for the future with no improvements we would all feel bitterly disappointed,a bit embarrassed etc and then dust ourselves down and accept where we are and go back to giving everything for the team on a Sat afternoon with our usual never say die attitude! We have been in that situation for most of the last 30 years anyway so would be much of the same. The reason for all these rumours etc is simply because there seems absolutely no plan whatsoever 2.5 years after new owners took charge (or perhaps there is but we don't know about it). I realise that supporters are never going to be privy to exactly what is going on but it seems reasonable to me that we should have some idea after a 2.5 year time frame. The one club you wouldn't / shouldn't buy if you want patience is Bristol Rovers as supporters have been waiting longer than anyone for a credible and deliverable plan and therefore understandably in my view have little / no patience. So to conclude in my opinion someone / some people are either starting malicious rumours or there is something going on in relation to new investors / new owners. In either scenario the club needs to do something to stop those rumours or say something to provide a credible update to supporters on what the situation is regarding the two projects that have the biggest impact on the club and supporters over the nest 5 - 10 years.
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 8, 2018 21:17:43 GMT
I have heard exactly the same thing as Langford. Have heard from 3 people who are all people I have known for years and have no reason to lie that the club has been sold. This is all alleged info but again no reason to dis believe what I have been told. I believe too many people are reporting a very similar story so either someone very close to the club is creating a very malicious rumour or there is some truth in it!
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Post by dave1883gas on Sept 8, 2018 21:12:08 GMT
Ok, I started this so here goes, I got wind of this towards the end of last season but like many thought it was just more talk. I can tell you that today from an impeccable source widely respected amongst the Gas family and far too dignified to utter an unsubstantiated rumour that the club has been sold with completion expected next month, he understands that the buyer owns a construction company in Southampton. Oh, the training ground won't happen at the colony its already built almost complete by the UWE alongside the M32 I am not ITK just passing this on
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