Peter Parker
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Richard Walker
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Post by Peter Parker on Feb 29, 2016 10:33:05 GMT
WAEL AL-QADI wants to learn from the examples set by the likes of Vincent Tan, Massimo Cellino and The Venky’s - by doing the opposite of those madcap owners.
Jordanian Al-Qadi and his family completed a shock takeover of Bristol Rovers earlier this month.
But any Gas fans worried their new president might interfere with team selection, sack managers left right and centre or even meddle with the club’s colours can rest easy.
A football man from his work with the Jordanian FA, Al-Qadi insists he understands the game and hopes to alter the stereotype that mega rich foreign owners do not.
The banker, 46, told SunSport: “I hope to change that perception.
“It is essential to understand and know the game if you want to be in it. How else will you improve? You have to understand it. You really have to know the game if you want to buy a football club.
“If you don’t know how the fans feel, what the fans want, what conditions managers need to perform better, then you are setting yourself up for failure.
“Without naming names, some owners have come in and, for example, have tried to tamper with the heritage of the club.
“Football is about tradition. A club has its heritage and its loyal fanbase. So when you come in and try to change a name or certain aspects of its heritage, that just does not work.
“It backfires. You lose the trust of the fans who are the most important thing in the club.”
One set of foreign owners that Al-Qadi does admire is Sheikh Mansour’s regime at Manchester City.
Though he is yet to meet the UAE supremo, Al-Qadi has visited City’s £200million new training complex and was blown away.
Pirates fans should not expect bundles of cash to be spent on players a la the blue half of Manchester - Al-Qadi insists he could not do that due to financial fair play, anyway.
But he does want to emulate City in many other ways - most notably the network system they have created in other countries with clubs like New York City.
Al-Qadi explained: “I’ve been to Man City and I’ve seen what they’ve done in a deprived area - how they’ve turned it around.
“They’ve created jobs and a beautiful academy which is one of the best in the world. What they’ve done they really have to be proud of.
“Local talent can go in, shine and go onto better things. It’s fantastic.
“Their tie-ups with clubs in New York, Australia and now in China are brilliant ideas.
“From that aspect on a smaller scale in Bristol, that is where my passion is - to get a very strong academy that can give local boys a chance to come through and also attract players from all over, all ethnicities, everywhere.
“I think Bristol Rovers will benefit from having tie-ups or associations with other clubs, be it exchanging ideas, young players coming in, or even our players going over and getting some experience abroad.
“Look at Eric Dier for example - an English lad who went over to Portugal and is now in the England team. So why not? Everything is possible in football.”
Al-Qadi picked Rovers because of “the potential of the city, the loyal fanbase and the deep heritage of the club”.
He wants to build it up slowly and “not by throwing money at it”, improving the academy, generating cash from strengthening sponsorship ties.
While he insists he is fully behind his manager Darrell Clarke, who admitted he was in the dark over the takeover.
Al-Qadi added: “I fully support him and what he wants to do. He’s the manager, he picks his team, he picks his staff, and I am here to support him. His record speaks for itself.”
Football nut Al-Qadi was educated at Westminster School in London and grew up a Chelsea fan as it was closest, supporting them when they were in the second division and idolising Kerry Dixon.
But these days he has a new favourite player, one who epitomises how anyone can go from the bottom to the top if they dream big and work hard - something Al-Qadi hopes to achieve at Rovers.
Al-Qadi revealed: “Recently, the player I really admire is Jamie Vardy. He is an example of what can be done - coming from non-league is a beautiful story.”
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Post by DudeLebowski on Feb 29, 2016 11:43:51 GMT
Another reassuring read.
Lovely.
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eppinggas
Administrator
Ian Alexander
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Post by eppinggas on Feb 29, 2016 11:50:22 GMT
He says all the right things. We are very fortunate. UTG.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2016 11:54:02 GMT
Looks like we may have moved on from telling a member of staff to stand next to a pasty hut and count customers.
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Post by interceptor on Feb 29, 2016 11:59:36 GMT
I love him
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Post by interceptor on Feb 29, 2016 12:00:04 GMT
I am in love with him
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harrybuckle
Always look on the bright side
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Post by harrybuckle on Feb 29, 2016 12:01:48 GMT
We were even mentioned on BBC radio 5 live yesterday morning by the Chief executive of the Football League who commented Look at Bristol Rovers who would have thought they would have got such a foreign owner who wants to build the club in the long term.
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Post by Henbury Gas on Feb 29, 2016 12:36:04 GMT
Expectations are very high at the moment, lets hope he converts the talk into actions  |
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Peter Parker
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Richard Walker
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Post by Peter Parker on Feb 29, 2016 12:43:02 GMT
It all sounds great at the moment. Part of me has that nagging feeling it is too good to be true.
Henbury is right there seems to be a lot of high expectations at the moment, but Mr Al-Qadi had clearly said it will be a ‘slow’ process. It is very much a long term strategy being talked about. I just hope the fans don’t get restless in the short term expecting something that clearly isn’t going to happen overnight and chucking money around
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Post by badbloodash on Feb 29, 2016 12:57:46 GMT
It all sounds great at the moment. Part of me has that nagging feeling it is too good to be true. Henbury is right there seems to be a lot of high expectations at the moment, but Mr Al-Qadi had clearly said it will be a ‘slow’ process. It is very much a long term strategy being talked about. I just hope the fans don’t get restless in the short term expecting something that clearly isn’t going to happen overnight and chucking money around So from being the 10th richest club in the country to take. It nice and slow so nothing much is going to change in the near future which means we will still have a poor stadium and a poor team until we can sort out the academy so we might have some glory for my grand kids anyway it was nice for a week |
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Peter Parker
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Richard Walker
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Post by Peter Parker on Feb 29, 2016 13:05:25 GMT
It all sounds great at the moment. Part of me has that nagging feeling it is too good to be true. Henbury is right there seems to be a lot of high expectations at the moment, but Mr Al-Qadi had clearly said it will be a ‘slow’ process. It is very much a long term strategy being talked about. I just hope the fans don’t get restless in the short term expecting something that clearly isn’t going to happen overnight and chucking money around So from being the 10th richest club in the country to take. It nice and slow so nothing much is going to change in the near future which means we will still have a poor stadium and a poor team until we can sort out the academy so we might have some glory for my grand kids anyway it was nice for a week There is zero evidence we are the 10th richest club in the country isn't there?
As for expectations they have to be managed. Grounds, Academies etc are built in a day, products of an Academy might not see the light of day for years.
I don't know what people expect on the playing side in the short term or in the summer. Just look at the criticism Lawrence has gotten for disrupting the side
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Angas
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Post by Angas on Feb 29, 2016 13:39:26 GMT
We're not on the brink of administration. That's a huge step forward. The rest will come in its own good time. I'm happy with that.
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Post by singupgas on Feb 29, 2016 13:52:02 GMT
So from being the 10th richest club in the country to take. It nice and slow so nothing much is going to change in the near future which means we will still have a poor stadium and a poor team until we can sort out the academy so we might have some glory for my grand kids anyway it was nice for a week There is zero evidence we are the 10th richest club in the country isn't there?
As for expectations they have to be managed. Grounds, Academies etc are built in a day, products of an Academy might not see the light of day for years.
I don't know what people expect on the playing side in the short term or in the summer. Just look at the criticism Lawrence has gotten for disrupting the side
Lawrence is disrupting the team thought, he hasn't had a good game since signing and the rest of team are beginning to look poor with him in the side. |
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irishrover
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Post by irishrover on Feb 29, 2016 15:23:44 GMT
It all sounds great at the moment. Part of me has that nagging feeling it is too good to be true. Henbury is right there seems to be a lot of high expectations at the moment, but Mr Al-Qadi had clearly said it will be a ‘slow’ process. It is very much a long term strategy being talked about. I just hope the fans don’t get restless in the short term expecting something that clearly isn’t going to happen overnight and chucking money around Yes - I think patience and cautious optimism are probably the order of the day. The problem is that these are not characteristics that are normally associated with football fans..... |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2016 16:23:48 GMT
He's saying all the right things.
I would rather have a sustainable club than a rich man's toy that is totally scuppered if he loses interest.
As a Chelsea supporter I wonder what he thinks of the way that club is run? Take away the money from Abramovich and everything there would unravel in an instant.
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
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Post by brizzle on Feb 29, 2016 16:24:06 GMT
Expectations are very high at the moment, lets hope he converts the talk into actions But my main concern is, at my age will I live long enough to see the ''revolution?''  |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2016 16:35:20 GMT
Expectations are very high at the moment, lets hope he converts the talk into actions But my main concern is, at my age will I live long enough to see the ''revolution?'' I think it just happened. The rebuilding process starts next. |
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Post by gashead1979 on Feb 29, 2016 16:44:50 GMT
Does anyone feel the timing of the takeover (shortly after the transfer deadline) was on purpose so there would be no pressure to spend any money? (other than to Higgs and Co)
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kingswood Polak
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Post by kingswood Polak on Feb 29, 2016 16:46:35 GMT
Expectations are very high at the moment, lets hope he converts the talk into actions But my main concern is, at my age will I live long enough to see the ''revolution?'' Me too, after decades of false dawns and. Being told to lower our expectations it will be disappointing if we don't at least get some decent Investment in the team itself. I am not all that fussed, personally, about the stadium but I would love to see is do fairly well and get promotion etc. As bad blood says, seems like it will be the kids and grandkids that may see this evolution happen. Having said that, none of us really know what his plans are on that front |
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eppinggas
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Post by eppinggas on Feb 29, 2016 17:00:24 GMT
The revolution has started. We were there through the dark days - I always quote Braintree away - although Hitchin away in the Cup wasn't too bright either, in fact there is a long list... The important thing is that we are still here supporting the Club - and now we are at the start of something genuinely exciting.
And please - if anyone has a photo from half time Saturday - I am with the leader of the revolution and sporting a Jordanian flag on my Smart Computers Rovers shirt!
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