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Post by bs10er on Aug 16, 2021 22:21:38 GMT
No it is not and it is down to TG.
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Post by BrightonGas on Aug 16, 2021 22:24:45 GMT
Supporters Club Statement on 50/50 by Sam Parsons | Aug 16, 2021 | 50:50, News As you will be aware, if you attended Saturday’s match, there were no 50/50 draw tickets on sale at the Memorial Stadium. The reason for this is that the Club’s Commercial Director informed the Supporters Club that he didn’t want us selling tickets because he wanted to take the draw in house, despite the fact that the draw has never been anything other than a Supporters Club initiative since its inception on the Rovers return to Bristol in 1996. The Supporters Club has always provided sellers and workers (all volunteers), and paid for the tickets, programme trolleys and all necessary equipment under our City Council Licence throughout. The draw now provides our main source of income but the entire profit goes to the Football Club in the formof donations made regularly to the Youth Academy, the Development Squad and the Ladies teams operated by the Community Trust, all at no cost to the Football Club which would become responsible for these expenses should the 50/50 draw be taken over. In addition to taking over the 50/50 Draw the Board has demanded a payment of £50,000 from the Supporters Club “to support and sustain the training ground”- The Quarters at Almondsbury. This money was raised by us from the sale of our Kingswood shop that we had to close when all ticketing and souvenir sales were taken away leaving it economically unviable. With this money the Committee had intended to purchase spectator facilities and dugouts on a No.1 pitch, played on exclusively by the U-18’s and Development teams, for supporters who attend these matches. The equipment was to remain the property of the Supporters Club so that it could be transferred to another pitch if necessary. Informal discussions regarding this arrangement took place with the then Supporters Club Director and the Football Club, though no formal agreement was ever put in place. The Committee’s reaction to the Club’s demand for £50,000 was one of shock, as it came with no formal discussion taking place, simply a request to pay the money immediately. It should be said, at this point, that the money, if agreed, would go towards the specific items listed above, for the Bristol Rovers Training Ground, not a training ground owned by a third party. To the best of my knowledge neither the U-18 side or the Development side have yet played any matches at that venue. The Supporters Club’s decision, as a gesture of goodwill, was to offer to donate £25,000 now with a further £25,000 next year in exchange for us retaining full control of the 50/50 Draw which would continue to provide the funding. Our offer was made to the Commercial Director of the Football Club who, at the time of writing, has not responded, though he is attempting to contact all of our volunteer matchday staff to hold a meeting with them tomorrow afternoon. Quite what his agenda is I don’t know, but I felt that you should all know that it was his decision to sell matchday programmes in house and his decision to take control of the 50/50 Draw and although I have seen instances of blame being laid at the door of the Supporters Club, this simply is not true. Jim Chappell, Chairman, BRSC. As a 'gesture of goodwill' the SC will retain ownership of the assets despite all profit going to the football club...ok, what nonsense. Jim clearly likes the feeling of power from seeing money in the bank.
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Post by Hudson1883 on Aug 16, 2021 22:26:52 GMT
Personally stopped believing much/any of Jim’s ramblings some time ago. As already mentioned, he made his bed.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2021 22:27:44 GMT
Supporters Club Statement on 50/50 by Sam Parsons | Aug 16, 2021 | 50:50, News As you will be aware, if you attended Saturday’s match, there were no 50/50 draw tickets on sale at the Memorial Stadium. The reason for this is that the Club’s Commercial Director informed the Supporters Club that he didn’t want us selling tickets because he wanted to take the draw in house, despite the fact that the draw has never been anything other than a Supporters Club initiative since its inception on the Rovers return to Bristol in 1996. The Supporters Club has always provided sellers and workers (all volunteers), and paid for the tickets, programme trolleys and all necessary equipment under our City Council Licence throughout. The draw now provides our main source of income but the entire profit goes to the Football Club in the formof donations made regularly to the Youth Academy, the Development Squad and the Ladies teams operated by the Community Trust, all at no cost to the Football Club which would become responsible for these expenses should the 50/50 draw be taken over. In addition to taking over the 50/50 Draw the Board has demanded a payment of £50,000 from the Supporters Club “to support and sustain the training ground”- The Quarters at Almondsbury. This money was raised by us from the sale of our Kingswood shop that we had to close when all ticketing and souvenir sales were taken away leaving it economically unviable. With this money the Committee had intended to purchase spectator facilities and dugouts on a No.1 pitch, played on exclusively by the U-18’s and Development teams, for supporters who attend these matches. The equipment was to remain the property of the Supporters Club so that it could be transferred to another pitch if necessary. Informal discussions regarding this arrangement took place with the then Supporters Club Director and the Football Club, though no formal agreement was ever put in place. The Committee’s reaction to the Club’s demand for £50,000 was one of shock, as it came with no formal discussion taking place, simply a request to pay the money immediately. It should be said, at this point, that the money, if agreed, would go towards the specific items listed above, for the Bristol Rovers Training Ground, not a training ground owned by a third party. To the best of my knowledge neither the U-18 side or the Development side have yet played any matches at that venue. The Supporters Club’s decision, as a gesture of goodwill, was to offer to donate £25,000 now with a further £25,000 next year in exchange for us retaining full control of the 50/50 Draw which would continue to provide the funding. Our offer was made to the Commercial Director of the Football Club who, at the time of writing, has not responded, though he is attempting to contact all of our volunteer matchday staff to hold a meeting with them tomorrow afternoon. Quite what his agenda is I don’t know, but I felt that you should all know that it was his decision to sell matchday programmes in house and his decision to take control of the 50/50 Draw and although I have seen instances of blame being laid at the door of the Supporters Club, this simply is not true. Jim Chappell, Chairman, BRSC. As a 'gesture of goodwill' the SC will retain ownership of the assets despite all profit going to the football club...ok, what nonsense. Jim clearly likes the feeling of power from seeing money in the bank. Agreed, you either donate or you don't. I'm still surprised that the owners are asking for funding for the training ground. £50k is a small amount in the grander scheme of the training ground.
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Post by Officer Barbrady on Aug 16, 2021 22:33:36 GMT
As a 'gesture of goodwill' the SC will retain ownership of the assets despite all profit going to the football club...ok, what nonsense. Jim clearly likes the feeling of power from seeing money in the bank. Agreed, you either donate or you don't. I'm still surprised that the owners are asking for funding for the training ground. £50k is a small amount in the grander scheme of the training ground. big enough to cause the SC a problem though which I suspect is the point of the exercise. Oh well no great shame. I'm not a big fan of 'elite supporter' groups, particularly insidious ones that disrupt things for the rest of us. Should be disassociated and shut down.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2021 22:45:39 GMT
This is what i love about bath city, community owned, no politics and lots of hard work by volunteers pulling in the same direction. The club atmosphere is positive, adventurous and fun. I miss the old gas days... id take nick and his blueprints or geoff and his floats in a heartbeat over our current mob. Yes i know we were skint but we were the rovers i always knew and always loved. I dont know what on earth we are now bar a mess.
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Post by Jomo on Aug 16, 2021 22:50:21 GMT
Sad state of affairs we should all be pulling in the same direction, a club is nothing without its supporters. So many divisive cliques with the football club. Supporters Club and Presidents Club at odds with the club. Fans split on managerial appointment. Shocking first two home attendances and booed off already. Usually need everyone united and pulling in the same direction to be successful and we certainly don't have any of that. It could hardly be any more of a shambles than it is right now. How the * with a supportive owner and a new training ground, can our club have driven itself into such a hole of shambolic incompetence and division? It's actually quite impressive in a way. An embarrassment all round.
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Post by jongas1 on Aug 16, 2021 22:57:53 GMT
Supporters Club Statement on 50/50 by Sam Parsons | Aug 16, 2021 | 50:50, News As you will be aware, if you attended Saturday’s match, there were no 50/50 draw tickets on sale at the Memorial Stadium. The reason for this is that the Club’s Commercial Director informed the Supporters Club that he didn’t want us selling tickets because he wanted to take the draw in house, despite the fact that the draw has never been anything other than a Supporters Club initiative since its inception on the Rovers return to Bristol in 1996. The Supporters Club has always provided sellers and workers (all volunteers), and paid for the tickets, programme trolleys and all necessary equipment under our City Council Licence throughout. The draw now provides our main source of income but the entire profit goes to the Football Club in the formof donations made regularly to the Youth Academy, the Development Squad and the Ladies teams operated by the Community Trust, all at no cost to the Football Club which would become responsible for these expenses should the 50/50 draw be taken over. In addition to taking over the 50/50 Draw the Board has demanded a payment of £50,000 from the Supporters Club “to support and sustain the training ground”- The Quarters at Almondsbury. This money was raised by us from the sale of our Kingswood shop that we had to close when all ticketing and souvenir sales were taken away leaving it economically unviable. With this money the Committee had intended to purchase spectator facilities and dugouts on a No.1 pitch, played on exclusively by the U-18’s and Development teams, for supporters who attend these matches. The equipment was to remain the property of the Supporters Club so that it could be transferred to another pitch if necessary. Informal discussions regarding this arrangement took place with the then Supporters Club Director and the Football Club, though no formal agreement was ever put in place. The Committee’s reaction to the Club’s demand for £50,000 was one of shock, as it came with no formal discussion taking place, simply a request to pay the money immediately. It should be said, at this point, that the money, if agreed, would go towards the specific items listed above, for the Bristol Rovers Training Ground, not a training ground owned by a third party. To the best of my knowledge neither the U-18 side or the Development side have yet played any matches at that venue. The Supporters Club’s decision, as a gesture of goodwill, was to offer to donate £25,000 now with a further £25,000 next year in exchange for us retaining full control of the 50/50 Draw which would continue to provide the funding. Our offer was made to the Commercial Director of the Football Club who, at the time of writing, has not responded, though he is attempting to contact all of our volunteer matchday staff to hold a meeting with them tomorrow afternoon. Quite what his agenda is I don’t know, but I felt that you should all know that it was his decision to sell matchday programmes in house and his decision to take control of the 50/50 Draw and although I have seen instances of blame being laid at the door of the Supporters Club, this simply is not true. Jim Chappell, Chairman, BRSC. Interesting this puts blame on the club for Two Mile Hill closing, whilst the statement at the time of closure says merchandise and ticket sales were removed as a result of the store not being economically viable…but now they are suggesting a different version to fit their narrative? www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-rovers-supporters-club-shop-1026632“However, the cost of running and maintaining the shop far exceeds the revenue generated. With that in mind, tickets and merchandise sales will no longer be offered at Kingswood beyond the present season. The Football Club is bringing about changes that will facilitate all sales at The Memorial Stadium and online.”
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Post by teanbiscuits on Aug 17, 2021 5:06:26 GMT
The Supporters Club lost the majority of fans a few years ago now. It would be beneficial for us all to start with a clean organisation without the apparent bitterness and entitlement.
I'm all for fan representation within a club but it needs to be for the fans. Nothing more and certainly none of what we get now.
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Post by peterparker on Aug 17, 2021 5:43:52 GMT
Why the f would you agree to hand over any money
Just don't get it.
Not that I am a member anymore, but when are they going to hold an EGM to discuss and take the views of their membership.
Keep the money for when the club might really need it, or divert it somewhere else.
Don't act all tough and then bend over
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Post by peterparker on Aug 17, 2021 5:51:32 GMT
The Supporters Club lost the majority of fans a few years ago now. It would be beneficial for us all to start with a clean organisation without the apparent bitterness and entitlement. I'm all for fan representation within a club but it needs to be for the fans. Nothing more and certainly none of what we get now. Agree, but probably nigh impossible as always needs people to do the hard yards and then attract members The SC has been so intertwined with th club for years, that it doesn't know how to be without being so connected At best The SC needs new faces, accept that the connection to the club is dead and work out what its new aims are that no longer automatically mean raising money and giving it to the club
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Post by Gasshole on Aug 17, 2021 6:07:36 GMT
Maybe they don’t got no money, done it at the Bingo.
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Post by herbertblake on Aug 17, 2021 7:00:28 GMT
The share scheme organised by the supporters club raised many hundreds of thousands of pounds towards helping the club. They paid players wages Andy Rammell and further back Steve Yates in our Twerton days.
Raising money at events quizzes social functions over the years as well as the highly successful 50 50 draw which has been going since 1996.
If fans want representation and an avenue to discuss such things as disabled facilities or tickets then the sc used to take forward their ideas to get things done.
Current owners are unaware about the fabric of a club is through fans involvement. You can't alienate supporter volunteers who sale 50 50 write in what was one an award winning matchday programme.
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Post by Hugo the Elder on Aug 17, 2021 7:02:14 GMT
Why the f would you agree to hand over any money Just don't get it. Not that I am a member anymore, but when are they going to hold an EGM to discuss and take the views of their membership. Keep the money for when the club might really need it, or divert it somewhere else. Don't act all tough and then bend over Something doesn't ring true from that statement does it? I don't see how the club can demand any money from the SC?
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Post by orgasmic on Aug 17, 2021 7:06:40 GMT
I just find it very sad. The SC has not done a great job over the last few years to put it mildly but the manner in which the club are going about it isn’t great either. Having not been able to attend for a long time I fear what I come back to might not resemble the club I fell in love with. I’m all for progress but there are ways of progressing things in a way that keep fans engaged and happy. I feel the club are forgetting that. It’s a business and I get that, but football is different to most businesses because of how their “customers” relate to the club. For all the rights and wrongs on both sides I just find it a bit sad.
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Post by bluegas on Aug 17, 2021 7:08:06 GMT
Why the f would you agree to hand over any money Just don't get it. Not that I am a member anymore, but when are they going to hold an EGM to discuss and take the views of their membership. Keep the money for when the club might really need it, or divert it somewhere else. Don't act all tough and then bend over Something doesn't ring true from that statement does it? I don't see how the club can demand any money from the SC? That crossed my mind - what legal claim does the club have?
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Post by mftc on Aug 17, 2021 7:10:02 GMT
The FC are so fed up with him, Chappell was told he would be banned unless they paid £50k ransom.
Where are the script writers for Midsummer Murders. It seems everyone has motives. (Was it Hamer or Holtby?)
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Post by gasandelectricity on Aug 17, 2021 7:17:11 GMT
Something doesn't ring true from that statement does it? I don't see how the club can demand any money from the SC? That crossed my mind - what legal claim does the club have? SC: “Dear Mr Tom, how can we help out the club financially?” TG: “How about some cash for facilities at the training ground?” SC: “Now that’s an idea. If we do that we’d like to be able to watch the players train” TG: “No can do I’m afraid! Not allowed under the covenants of the land. But it would be great to have that cash” Next thing you know the supporters club are insisting the club ‘demanded’ the cash, and dictated how it would be used. I’m not in the know, I’m speculating massively, but it could easily be a civil conversation about how funding is being used is being twisted into something far more nefarious.
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Post by peterparker on Aug 17, 2021 7:22:33 GMT
Needed to stop, to compose a longish piece rather than just react to different things.
Obviously things have been made difficult here because of the relationship breakdown between the FC and The SC
The FC (if true) should never demand any money from any supporters group and any supporters group should never hand over any money willy nilly.
The problem here (as I see it) is that The SC has been so intertwined with the club, that despite what the website might say, the SC are not a truly independent voice or organisation. The SC has basically been the fund raising arm of the club for decades and if The SC are slow to hand the money over, then of course the club et twitchy as they are accustomed to this income (whatever the size)
It’s no surprise the club would want to take it in-house, collect the money direct and divert it wherever they want.
If The SC were truly independent and had not had such a symbiotic relationship with the club over the years perhaps there would be less pressure on The SC to hand over any money
It’s 2021 and football clubs have changed a whole bit. The club are now running their own membership scheme (like many other pro clubs). If the FC want to raise money direct through match day draws, organise away travel or anything else because they believe they can do it better or more effectively than they will.
None of this has had to happen this way, but the seeds of division have probably made this harder than necessary, both sides are to blame here and it needn’t be so acrimonious
It’s 2021. The SC cannot and quite frankly shouldn’t be the Supporters Club of 1986.
The SC, if no longer needed to be what it has been for so long, needs to re-evaluate itself and it’s aims and most of all needs to engage it’s members and the wider fan base to achieve this.
The SC can still raise money, but they can do so on their terms, without being the un-official, official fund raising arm of the club.
Both sides need to get round a table and thrash things out, with an acceptance there is change, or The SC should just retreat and take stock and come back later
Meanwhile The SC needs to call an EGM so it can properly update it’s members and the fans
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Post by Topper Gas on Aug 17, 2021 7:29:25 GMT
Didn't his astute management and financial control allow just that to feed someone's gambling addiction? He oversaw that debacle and was never personally brought to account. I lost all respect for him at that point. I did think that money was recovered so it seems strange that only £50k is left from 199. Pretty sure they fortunately recovered all the £130K which was taken, I guess that then begs the question what's happened, or happening, to the other £80K plus where's all the other money received from the 50/50 draws etc gone?
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