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Post by Bamber Gashead on Aug 26, 2023 21:57:04 GMT
Copied from Gaschat from todays programme:
INSIDER KNOWLEDGE
WITH TOM GORRINGE
Dear Gasheads,
I hope you are all well and trust that you have had an enjoyable summer.
It feels like it has been a long time since I last wrote one of these and there has certainly been a lot that has gone on in the meantime.
Firstly, I am delighted that we have been able to welcome Mr Hussain AlSaeed and his team to the club as our new owners. The process of due diligence started with them in February and it has been a long and vigorous process since then to get to the point where the announcement was made.
It has been enjoyable working with the team and looking for ways in which we can continue to drive the club forward to reach our potential on the pitch, we entered the summer period with a clear strategy of what was required and a list of core targets already identified. We managed to secure a number of these targets early which allowed the maximum benefit of pre-season to be felt through the squad. Although there is still work to do, we are happy with the business that has been done so far and we feel that we have a squad that can compete at the right end of the table.
Off the pitch, on top of the due diligence, we embarked on an ambitious plan to improve the facilities at the stadium. The project has been subject to a number of delays from the start and, although don't think it is appropriate to go into detail of these at this stage whilst the situation is on-going, I will answer some of the core points that I am aware have been raised in recent weeks.
I think the first thing to say is that there has been, and continues to be, a lot of mis-information in the press about the situation. There have been numerous articles written, none of which have ever had any of the facts from us, many projected a mis-informed and one-sided version of events. It still remains our view that keeping our counsel on the frustrations that we have faced during the process is the best thing at this time.
The previous stands were removed following the final league game of the season. This allowed the team access to the site to undertake some ground tests required to finalise the plans. Furthermore at this time, additional assessments on the drainage systems and plans were taking place. In doing this preparatory work, a number of holes were dug which has meant that the previous stand could not be re-instated.
Also, at this time, our pitch maintenance team undertook a large renovation of the pitch which accounted for some of the disruption reported at that time.
In order to comply with the planning request we have commissioned a number of external reports which have assessed items such as the impact of light, acoustic and travel of the new development, all of which have returned nominal adverse findings for local residents.
The change in capacity only stands to bring the club back in line to pre Covid capacity figures as opposed to increasing the capacity to new levels. The improvement to toilets, disabled facilities and the fact that it will be an enclosed space should all benefit our supporters and residents alike.
However there have been some areas in which we could have done better. Our communication with the residents is something that we could have started earlier and in more detail to ensure that there was a wider awareness of what is happening and when.
The process for the stand remains on going and although the timelines for a conclusion remains largely out of our hands, we are doing all we can to conclude things as soon as possible.
The above issues caused a number of changes for the first home game of the season. This has also led to disruption for a number of supporters who have purchased season tickets in the affected areas. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone affected for their cooperation and understanding, as well as our team for dealing with all of the seat moves and reallocations ahead of time to minimise the impact for supporters.
Furthermore, for the first home game of the season, we also introduced a new access control system. Following the issues many supporters experienced last season and the scenes that were seen recently at Arsenal, we were delighted with the first game and how well the system worked for supporters. This was only possible again thanks to the hard work and testing of our team in the build-up to the game.
Following the game we invited supporters to share their feedback via an online survey and I have personally reviewed all of the responses and responded to many of them directly. The core areas for improvement focus around some key areas. The first of these is cleaning. We have shared the responses in this area with the external cleaners and changes have been made. I will be doing a walk around with them ahead of the match today to ensure that everything is as it should be. The second area for improvement was toilets. Our team have been going through these plans and will make upgrades where required which will be actioned over the coming weeks. Finally, there was feedback regarding the lack of scoreboard whilst the new stand development is taking place. We have assessed our options on this and have a new solution in place for today's game.
Another area of feedback was the catering offerings available at The Mem. For the Barnsley game we also trialled a number of new outlets around the stadium. This is part of an on-going review to look to offer more choice and variety for supporters. Certain retail outlets last season didn't contribute financially to the club for the space that they were allocated. As ever, our business model means that all revenue generated by the club is invested directly in the first team and so we must ensure that our core catering windows are commercially benefiting the football club. In addition, we are keen to offer more variety and choice for supporters across the stadium. This process will be continually reviewed, with improvements made across the course of the season.
As ever, this season, I will attempt to use these notes as a means to keep you up to date on our progress and answer any questions that you might have. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with anything that you wish to be addressed and I will do my best to get through as many of them as I can over the course of the season.
Thanks for all of your support and here’s to a positive season both on and off the pitch.
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TaiwanGas
Paul Bannon
Tom Ramasuts Left Foot.
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 1,538 
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Post by TaiwanGas on Aug 27, 2023 1:52:54 GMT
It’s good to have an update from the CEO, and thanks for posting Bamber, I guess Tom’s piece was only available in the match day programme. I know I have been out of the UK for 20+ years and my English is suffering, but I found Tom’s piece a little confusing in parts, I had to read several paragraphs two or three times trying to get the gist of what was written, oh, and a bit of proof reading would not have gone amiss. So the Mem Redevelopment is an ambitious plan eh!. I did notice the new dug outs yesterday, they looked very smart, you could also see the scale of the support beams and framework in the side and corner of the South West Stand that had already been erected, they are very substantial and it looks impressive already, but reading Tom’s piece why are we building it?, seems to me that matters are very much in our hands not out of them!. All in all a decent communication, but question marks hang over many of the points Tom has raised and I get a feeling that perhaps our CEO is a little adrift of all that is going on around him, though I think that understandable as well. I thought it poor that the Stadium did not have a clock of any sorts yesterday, let alone a scoreboard, this was according to the match day commentators from yesterday’s game. (The small clock above the Thatchers end had stopped at 8).
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Post by swissgas on Aug 27, 2023 3:09:28 GMT
It’s good to have an update from the CEO, and thanks for posting Bamber, I guess Tom’s piece was only available in the match day programme. I know I have been out of the UK for 20+ years and my English is suffering, but I found Tom’s piece a little confusing in parts, I had to read several paragraphs two or three times trying to get the gist of what was written, oh, and a bit of proof reading would not have gone amiss. So the Mem Redevelopment is an ambitious plan eh!. I did notice the new dug outs yesterday, they looked very smart, you could also see the scale of the support beams and framework in the side and corner of the South West Stand that had already been erected, they are very substantial and it looks impressive already, but reading Tom’s piece why are we building it?, seems to me that matters are very much in our hands not of them!. All in all a decent communication, but question marks hang over many of the points Tom has raised and I get a feeling that perhaps our CEO is a little adrift of all that is going on around him, though I think that understandable as well. I thought it poor that the Stadium did not have a clock of any sorts yesterday, let alone a scoreboard, this was according to the match day commentators from yesterday’s game. (The small clock above the Thatchers end had stopped at 8). Your comments about Tom’s update are very diplomatic and I do share your sympathy for the predicament he is in. But how can we expect one person to deal with a multi million pound grandstand project and at the same time perform mundane tasks like responding personally to fans about a survey on the state of the toilets and the pasties at the Mem ( not in that order) ? Apart from being a ridiculous way to run a business it’s simply not fair to put Tom under this level of stress. It was revealing that surveys commissioned by the club relating to light, acoustics and travel ( traffic) show “ nominal adverse findings for local residents” whatever that means. But it’s up to the planning officers to decide whether or not the adverse effect is within regulatory levels and although we may think it is “ nominal”, which I take to mean insignificant, our opinion really doesn’t have any relevance. The same imprecise thinking was evident in the design and access statement submitted to the planners by Arena Stadium Solutions and I was surprised by the amount of leeway they seemed to expect they were going to get from the planners. The most obvious example was with the number of disabled seating spaces where the plan submitted was for 10 spaces but it was admitted that the building code stipulated 34 spaces. This is a significant difference and I cannot see how the justification given, that 10 is better than the 6 we had previously, will be considered credible. I do hope we are now paying BNP Paribas or some other qualified firm to give us robust professional advice about the planning application and not trying to stagger through the process on a wing and a prayer. |
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Post by The Concept on Aug 27, 2023 9:03:30 GMT
No way You couldn't have done that from Knowle Cricket Ground on Broad Walk Hang on ... you've made me stop and think now ... what is the hill range I can see from the East Stand? Kelston? Lansdown? ... I'm sure it's Dundry. Trying to picture it now, but I'm sure I can see a Dundry Mast. p.s. Last season we could see a big Ferris Wheel, brightly lit up, that was on Durdham Downs. Checked out the view yesterday... I can definitely see Dundry Mast from the East Stand, it appears just to the left of the West Stand as you look across. Then if you pan to the left there are further hill ranges, which must be Kelston and Lansdown, stretching towards Dyrham Park. The new stand roof will mean I lose sight of part of the County Ground, and one of the Gloss CCC floodlights. ... I'm now wondering whether the new roof will block the south-west floodlight slightly, with that corner of the pitch affected. Surely not though? We would have had everything covered in the planning, right? |
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o2o2bo2ba
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Aug 27, 2023 9:14:29 GMT
"...Apart from being a ridiculous way to run a business it’s simply not fair to put Tom under this level of stress."
Kind words, Swiss, but under his tenure as CEO it hasn't bothered him one iota to put some of the ex staff that were with club employees for years through similar.
But, I digress.
As you were....
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TaiwanGas
Paul Bannon
Tom Ramasuts Left Foot.
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 1,538
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Post by TaiwanGas on Aug 27, 2023 10:17:08 GMT
It’s good to have an update from the CEO, and thanks for posting Bamber, I guess Tom’s piece was only available in the match day programme. I know I have been out of the UK for 20+ years and my English is suffering, but I found Tom’s piece a little confusing in parts, I had to read several paragraphs two or three times trying to get the gist of what was written, oh, and a bit of proof reading would not have gone amiss. So the Mem Redevelopment is an ambitious plan eh!. I did notice the new dug outs yesterday, they looked very smart, you could also see the scale of the support beams and framework in the side and corner of the South West Stand that had already been erected, they are very substantial and it looks impressive already, but reading Tom’s piece why are we building it?, seems to me that matters are very much in our hands not of them!. All in all a decent communication, but question marks hang over many of the points Tom has raised and I get a feeling that perhaps our CEO is a little adrift of all that is going on around him, though I think that understandable as well. I thought it poor that the Stadium did not have a clock of any sorts yesterday, let alone a scoreboard, this was according to the match day commentators from yesterday’s game. (The small clock above the Thatchers end had stopped at 8). Your comments about Tom’s update are very diplomatic and I do share your sympathy for the predicament he is in. But how can we expect one person to deal with a multi million pound grandstand project and at the same time perform mundane tasks like responding personally to fans about a survey on the state of the toilets and the pasties at the Mem ( not in that order) ? Apart from being a ridiculous way to run a business it’s simply not fair to put Tom under this level of stress. It was revealing that surveys commissioned by the club relating to light, acoustics and travel ( traffic) show “ nominal adverse findings for local residents” whatever that means. But it’s up to the planning officers to decide whether or not the adverse effect is within regulatory levels and although we may think it is “ nominal”, which I take to mean insignificant, our opinion really doesn’t have any relevance. The same imprecise thinking was evident in the design and access statement submitted to the planners by Arena Stadium Solutions and I was surprised by the amount of leeway they seemed to expect they were going to get from the planners. The most obvious example was with the number of disabled seating spaces where the plan submitted was for 10 spaces but it was admitted that the building code stipulated 34 spaces. This is a significant difference and I cannot see how the justification given, that 10 is better than the 6 we had previously, will be considered credible. I do hope we are now paying BNP Paribas or some other qualified firm to give us robust professional advice about the planning application and not trying to stagger through the process on a wing and a prayer. Indeed Swiss, No doubt Tom wrote his piece with good intentions, and no doubt things are improving slowly and for the better, with Tom spread so thinly over all areas, he is no doubt fire fighting most of the time, the Bright situation will now see Tom busier than before, and I do hope we get a decent person in that can take some of the workload and leave the CEO to manage the company and not the Toilet situation, which, must surely have been improved by now, a new cleaning contract?, new plumbing & Paint?, can anybody confirm if the toilets have been improved in a noticeable way?. I did pick up on this line from Tom ‘ The change in capacity only stands to bring the club back in line to pre Covid capacity figures as opposed to increasing the capacity to new levels. I am not sure for who’s benefit this is written, the local’s? Is their still a restriction on capacity re Covid? If so, for how long does this continue? What was the capacity reduction re Covid?. Does anybody know the cost of the South West Stand in it’s entirety?, When I caught a glimpse of the supporting structure on ifollow I was immediately surprised by the scale of the framework, it is a major project no doubt, and I would hate to try and guess the cost. |
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keygas
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Post by keygas on Aug 27, 2023 10:27:50 GMT
Hang on ... you've made me stop and think now ... what is the hill range I can see from the East Stand? Kelston? Lansdown? ... I'm sure it's Dundry. Trying to picture it now, but I'm sure I can see a Dundry Mast. p.s. Last season we could see a big Ferris Wheel, brightly lit up, that was on Durdham Downs. Checked out the view yesterday... I can definitely see Dundry Mast from the East Stand, it appears just to the left of the West Stand as you look across. Then if you pan to the left there are further hill ranges, which must be Kelston and Lansdown, stretching towards Dyrham Park. The new stand roof will mean I lose sight of part of the County Ground, and one of the Gloss CCC floodlights. ... I'm now wondering whether the new roof will block the south-west floodlight slightly, with that corner of the pitch affected. Surely not though? We would have had everything covered in the planning, right? I was thinking the same about the floodlight in that area & looking at this image, maybe a bit of adjustment might be needed.  |
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o2o2bo2ba
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Aug 27, 2023 10:31:29 GMT
I first thought the construction was for Akinfenwa a$$ on the bench as we were playing Wycombe...
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Post by CabbagePatchBlues on Aug 27, 2023 12:53:01 GMT
Watching Brighton on MOTD,I recalled when they were having their new stadium built and we were told that the same firm would be used to build our new Empire.So sad that was never realised and we seem to be struggling to even sort the modest new south stand at the Dickensian Mem. That’s an insult to Dickensians |
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oldie
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Post by oldie on Aug 27, 2023 13:04:44 GMT
Watching Brighton on MOTD,I recalled when they were having their new stadium built and we were told that the same firm would be used to build our new Empire.So sad that was never realised and we seem to be struggling to even sort the modest new south stand at the Dickensian Mem. That’s an insult to Dickensians Imagine Brunel designing our new stadium. Would make the old Wembley towers look tame. 😱😂 |
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Post by swissgas on Aug 27, 2023 14:15:27 GMT
Hang on ... you've made me stop and think now ... what is the hill range I can see from the East Stand? Kelston? Lansdown? ... I'm sure it's Dundry. Trying to picture it now, but I'm sure I can see a Dundry Mast. p.s. Last season we could see a big Ferris Wheel, brightly lit up, that was on Durdham Downs. Checked out the view yesterday... I can definitely see Dundry Mast from the East Stand, it appears just to the left of the West Stand as you look across. Then if you pan to the left there are further hill ranges, which must be Kelston and Lansdown, stretching towards Dyrham Park. The new stand roof will mean I lose sight of part of the County Ground, and one of the Gloss CCC floodlights. ... I'm now wondering whether the new roof will block the south-west floodlight slightly, with that corner of the pitch affected. Surely not though? We would have had everything covered in the planning, right? I thought the same as you and keygas about the floodlights and the possibility of a shadow in the corner of the pitch. There may have to be a rethink about a concourse with food and drink outlets as well. When a new stadium is built or an old one remodeled such a concourse is a key feature which is planned for within the design whereas we are just plonking a standard structure at the South End of the ground. It would be interesting to learn whether this standard Arena Solutions design has been installed elsewhere with a concourse underneath. The area under the stand is a narrow passageway approximately 60 meters long x 5 meters wide which according to the design and access statement must be able to hold 1750 people ( half the stand capacity). It seems doubtful whether that will be possible if food and drink outlets are installed and those would also bring safety concerns especially when taking into account the need for rapid emergency evacuation. Although a concourse may have been “ a good idea at the time” it seems likely that not much thought was put into it and if that’s the case and it’s not going to be possible then best to come clean with fans and make a compromise with the planners on this issue. |
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eppinggas
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Ian Alexander
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Post by eppinggas on Aug 27, 2023 15:39:34 GMT
Am I being a bit thick? (No laughing at the back). I thought Rovers were waiting for planning permission to be given? Has it been,
1. Granted, no problems.
2. Rovers have been led to believe it will be granted, no problems.
3. F*ck it, we'll just build it and see what happens. Problems.
From T Gorringe in cider message, it's not clear. Perhaps it's like Cheddar Valley.
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Post by CabbagePatchBlues on Aug 27, 2023 15:54:57 GMT
I recall Brighton putting up a temporary stand at the athletics stadium they were playing at while waiting for their new stadium. A massive scaffolding job behind one of the goals. I think Eastleigh used it afterwards. Ours doesn’t look that temporary.
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Post by lostinspace on Aug 27, 2023 16:04:07 GMT
Am I being a bit thick? (No laughing at the back). I thought Rovers were waiting for planning permission to be given? Has it been, 1. Granted, no problems. 2. Rovers have been led to believe it will be granted, no problems. 3. F*ck it, we'll just build it and see what happens. Problems. From T Gorringe in cider message, it's not clear. Perhaps it's like Cheddar Valley. have a feeling that IF it gets refused, BRFC will appeal to the sports council ,who , i think have the power to override councils on the sports facility amenities,and it will be passed ,,no matter what mrs Green ninnies likes to think.... and nothing wrong in the Cheddar Valley, very busy today with day trippers up the Gorge .  |
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TaiwanGas
Paul Bannon
Tom Ramasuts Left Foot.
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 1,538
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Post by TaiwanGas on Aug 27, 2023 16:34:20 GMT
I recall Brighton putting up a temporary stand at the athletics stadium they were playing at while waiting for their new stadium. A massive scaffolding job behind one of the goals. I think Eastleigh used it afterwards. Ours doesn’t look that temporary.I agree, I see nothing temporary with the structure that is the South West Stand, the costs to deliver, build and then dismantle and take away would be staggering in the space of 3 years, that’s if it is, as so-said temporary, that stand is a keeper and is phase #1 of the re-development of the Mem imo. |
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Post by laughinggas on Aug 27, 2023 17:35:30 GMT
I recall Brighton putting up a temporary stand at the athletics stadium they were playing at while waiting for their new stadium. A massive scaffolding job behind one of the goals. I think Eastleigh used it afterwards. Ours doesn’t look that temporary.I agree, I see nothing temporary with the structure that is the South West Stand, the costs to deliver, build and then dismantle and take away would be staggering in the space of 3 years, that’s if it is, as so-said temporary, that stand is a keeper and is phase #1 of the re-development of the Mem imo. Why three years? No way new stadium would be ready to move into in 3 years! |
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TaiwanGas
Paul Bannon
Tom Ramasuts Left Foot.
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 1,538
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Post by TaiwanGas on Aug 28, 2023 3:35:05 GMT
I agree, I see nothing temporary with the structure that is the South West Stand, the costs to deliver, build and then dismantle and take away would be staggering in the space of 3 years, that’s if it is, as so-said temporary, that stand is a keeper and is phase #1 of the re-development of the Mem imo. Why three years? No way new stadium would be ready to move into in 3 years! Yes, how long is temporary, and how long till a new Stadium is built. I used three years to demonstrate that cost of delivery, construction, dismantle and removal is not viable be that 3 or 10 years I think the same. The new South West Stand will only be dismantled and removed when the WHOLE stadium is dismantled. Actually imo if the FM Stadium does get the go ahead within the next year or so, my guesstimate would be the grand opening will be around 2033, after all, it’s a 30 year rejuvenation project at St Phillips. I think that is why we are now seeing major improvements being made to the Mem, as the powers that be recognise the Mem will be our home for many a year to come, and ground share is not an option, let’s hope we have brave investors with us for the long haul. Actually from a different angle I am starting to feel fairly optimistic that quite possibly their is actually a plan for a new home. Mmmm… |
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
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Post by kingswood Polak on Aug 28, 2023 6:24:27 GMT
Quite a shock to see how high the new stand is. It's going to be a really intimidating ground once thats been completed. Who needs a new ground. Stick a 2nd tier on the thatchers, stick a stand that you would have to walk under when coming into the poplar side. Whack a few structures up in the gaps. 20k. Simples. I guess you are being sarcastic but many of us have been saying a revamped mem is the best way forward, from day one or day zip as our US cousins say. Given the millions already being paid in transfers in the next tier up, it’s hardly likely we would ever get to the prem as, getting to and staying, in tier 2 becomes more and more of a pipe dream. Of course it’s not impossible but unless the new owner has hidden money then we do not even have the financial clout of the 82, with 2 people backing us. Personally, I’d prefer a nicely tarted up mem and to the spec it was supposed to be , before our investors pulled out last time. 18-20k would more than suffice, so long as it was 3/4 filled. Anyway, let’s see how PP goes for this as, if it goes tits up then we really could end up in a lot of trouble and not at the best of times, with a new investor onboard. Then again, he may well have been a part of the decision making if reports are true of him being involved with conygar talks, who still have not made any decisions upon whether there is to be a stadium , were they to exercise their right to buy. Yes, a newer and modern mem would suit me fine if ever I get to see the place again. |
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
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Post by kingswood Polak on Aug 28, 2023 6:44:03 GMT
Copied from Gaschat from todays programme: INSIDER KNOWLEDGE WITH TOM GORRINGE Dear Gasheads, I hope you are all well and trust that you have had an enjoyable summer. It feels like it has been a long time since I last wrote one of these and there has certainly been a lot that has gone on in the meantime. Firstly, I am delighted that we have been able to welcome Mr Hussain AlSaeed and his team to the club as our new owners. The process of due diligence started with them in February and it has been a long and vigorous process since then to get to the point where the announcement was made. It has been enjoyable working with the team and looking for ways in which we can continue to drive the club forward to reach our potential on the pitch, we entered the summer period with a clear strategy of what was required and a list of core targets already identified. We managed to secure a number of these targets early which allowed the maximum benefit of pre-season to be felt through the squad. Although there is still work to do, we are happy with the business that has been done so far and we feel that we have a squad that can compete at the right end of the table. Off the pitch, on top of the due diligence, we embarked on an ambitious plan to improve the facilities at the stadium. The project has been subject to a number of delays from the start and, although don't think it is appropriate to go into detail of these at this stage whilst the situation is on-going, I will answer some of the core points that I am aware have been raised in recent weeks. I think the first thing to say is that there has been, and continues to be, a lot of mis-information in the press about the situation. There have been numerous articles written, none of which have ever had any of the facts from us, many projected a mis-informed and one-sided version of events. It still remains our view that keeping our counsel on the frustrations that we have faced during the process is the best thing at this time. The previous stands were removed following the final league game of the season. This allowed the team access to the site to undertake some ground tests required to finalise the plans. Furthermore at this time, additional assessments on the drainage systems and plans were taking place. In doing this preparatory work, a number of holes were dug which has meant that the previous stand could not be re-instated. Also, at this time, our pitch maintenance team undertook a large renovation of the pitch which accounted for some of the disruption reported at that time. In order to comply with the planning request we have commissioned a number of external reports which have assessed items such as the impact of light, acoustic and travel of the new development, all of which have returned nominal adverse findings for local residents. The change in capacity only stands to bring the club back in line to pre Covid capacity figures as opposed to increasing the capacity to new levels. The improvement to toilets, disabled facilities and the fact that it will be an enclosed space should all benefit our supporters and residents alike. However there have been some areas in which we could have done better. Our communication with the residents is something that we could have started earlier and in more detail to ensure that there was a wider awareness of what is happening and when. The process for the stand remains on going and although the timelines for a conclusion remains largely out of our hands, we are doing all we can to conclude things as soon as possible. The above issues caused a number of changes for the first home game of the season. This has also led to disruption for a number of supporters who have purchased season tickets in the affected areas. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone affected for their cooperation and understanding, as well as our team for dealing with all of the seat moves and reallocations ahead of time to minimise the impact for supporters. Furthermore, for the first home game of the season, we also introduced a new access control system. Following the issues many supporters experienced last season and the scenes that were seen recently at Arsenal, we were delighted with the first game and how well the system worked for supporters. This was only possible again thanks to the hard work and testing of our team in the build-up to the game. Following the game we invited supporters to share their feedback via an online survey and I have personally reviewed all of the responses and responded to many of them directly. The core areas for improvement focus around some key areas. The first of these is cleaning. We have shared the responses in this area with the external cleaners and changes have been made. I will be doing a walk around with them ahead of the match today to ensure that everything is as it should be. The second area for improvement was toilets. Our team have been going through these plans and will make upgrades where required which will be actioned over the coming weeks. Finally, there was feedback regarding the lack of scoreboard whilst the new stand development is taking place. We have assessed our options on this and have a new solution in place for today's game. Another area of feedback was the catering offerings available at The Mem. For the Barnsley game we also trialled a number of new outlets around the stadium. This is part of an on-going review to look to offer more choice and variety for supporters. Certain retail outlets last season didn't contribute financially to the club for the space that they were allocated. As ever, our business model means that all revenue generated by the club is invested directly in the first team and so we must ensure that our core catering windows are commercially benefiting the football club. In addition, we are keen to offer more variety and choice for supporters across the stadium. This process will be continually reviewed, with improvements made across the course of the season. As ever, this season, I will attempt to use these notes as a means to keep you up to date on our progress and answer any questions that you might have. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with anything that you wish to be addressed and I will do my best to get through as many of them as I can over the course of the season. Thanks for all of your support and here’s to a positive season both on and off the pitch. So, still no explanation why works seem to have started on a whim, the timeframe in play and why planning was not put in for, in a timely manner IF this stand was to be used. Still no apology for selling tickets for a stand that is not in place and no explanation as to why all of this happens, out of the blue as it were. Talk about shutting the stable door once the horse has bolted. All of this from the MUCH more professional club ! It’s something of nothing really and gives no new information, that has not already been worked out by guesswork and speculation. He talks of misinformation yet had ample chance to give information but chose not to. I honestly do not think it would remain such a problem if it looked like we had learned our lessons, on the pitch and I know it’s very early days but we seem to have started off where we ended, high possession football with no end product. I wonder what the new owners criteria will be for on pitch progress and if he/they will show the same patience/love in, with the manager. It really is high time someone started to get things right and not be waiting for the usual and late excuses that have, once again, become the norm. Who, in their right mind would wish to own a football club ? For the 1st time in my very close to 60 years, I wonder if we wouid all be better off with a single football club , where everyone is working towards one and much better goal. Now is the time as SL is , very seriously, looking to sell up and ride into the sunset. Who could blame him with conservative estimates put weekly losses at a frankly obscene amount. How are Bristol Rovers expected to compete when a man of his calibre is done with it all ? The more I think about it, the luckier I think we were and are, to have Wael at Rovers. I am positive 90% of other buyers woukd have been gone and very quickly |
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kingswood Polak
Without music life would be a mistake
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 10,361
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Post by kingswood Polak on Aug 28, 2023 6:54:15 GMT
How selfish you are doctor Under league regulations we have to provide 250 seats for opponents under cover so many disabled places besides what about the 500 Rovers season ticket holders who paid to sit for 23 matches? That's not good. But not the end of the world for a couple of games. The club is often criticised for being not very business like. THis is business like, If it's short term pain for long term gain and it's only for say 3 or 4 matches, then I will stick my chin out and say it was worth it. If it's half the season, someone looks like a chump. If it was a permanant structure it could easily have been half the season to a full season of reduced capacity. My measure would be, will it pay for itself? Only if used to capacity is my guess |
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