Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 2:52 pm  

bullinenemyland wrote:

Next year we will probably go down

Blimey, and you call us lot pessimistic.

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 3:45 pm  

bullinenemyland wrote:

Sorry, but this place is getting as bad as that frigging supposed Bulls "Supporters" group on facebook. I just wonder what it would take to make any of the moaners and groaners on here happy.

I said when the club folded it would for me be like starting a club from scratch and that it would not be the same. In fact I was wrong... it is exactly the same. Its still full of the same old gripes, the same complainers, the same stay away fans (i'll not spend another penny ones). What do you actually want? What is it that you actually think you want to achieve. I'd much rather you all just f*ck off as it would be a much happier place for us lot that just want to go watch some rugby without all the negative heartache. The bad blood is all from doom and gloomers, not the club
Fair play to Friday and FA for going to speak with AC, i've done this a few times this season both on match days (AC actually walks around the stadium... any one of you bothered to go up to him and say hello?) and in the club offices. He's a quite sound bloke, very knowledgeable about the game and just as frustrated with the performances on the pitch as fans are. But he's also a realist. He knew this season would be a challenge to stay up with what we started out with 22 weeks ago, which was jack sh*t!!!

Someone on here (think it was Smack him jimmy?) said all he wants is a winning team. Yes we all want that. How friggin obvious. But so do the other 40 clubs in the scheme of things. I'm going to let you into a little secret... someone has to finish bottom (awaits gasps and shock horror at that fact!!!). That is how sport works.

Here's the facts... we have a club, the club has players (quality or not), we get to go watch said players... I might not be thrilled at the results or performances but compared to 22 weeks ago, I'm pretty pleased that we have just that.

Next year we will probably go down yes. And it will be poop, yes. And we probably will lose more so called lifelong supporters, yes. But i'm fine with that.

Oh, and for those who question the current owners and certain staff's intentions, just a few thoughts. Andrew Chalmers... would you sell up your family home, pack up your family and fly them half way across the world to live in the total elegant place that is Bradford, to have no central money to spend and therefore every penny that is spent comes from your own pocket (remember most of us paid for ST into Green's accounts) to be completely disinterested and not bothered if the venture fails or succeeds?

Graham Lowe... not in the country due to health complications? This is the club that gives more people heart attacks than any other (just ask fans "favourite" Stuart Duffy). I'd stay well clear if I'd had the scares that they have but yet they still have tried to help despite the constant social media keyboard warriors backlash.

Stepping up and doing something at this club is well and truly a thankless task for sure.

I know i'll get loads of stick for this but I really do wonder what it would take (something realistic, not pie in the sky stuff) to actually turn around the current discontent. So rather than just dishing out the general abuse to anyone who shows the slightest positivity in a gloomy rubbish situation, answer this question. What one thing that is realistic to achieve would you like to see that would get you on board and supportive?

Take that response and pass it onto to AC next time you see him walk past you at a game (if you can be bothered to go again that is).

Thanks for that, my view entirely, saved me a lot of typing.

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:05 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Regular, meaningful and honest communication with all supporters covering all issues facing the club.

For a start.

Fair point, but if not meaningful then is there any point.

I get some peoples points about fans forums but in the past these have just ended up being a load of hot air. The only problem I have is that on one hand if the club hosts one, they may be accused of the same old lies and hot air, whilst if they don't people complain there is no communication. Either way, they cannot win.

For me, I like the idea of these small fans focus groups and from all accounts last nights was constructive and positive. If those actions can be made then that is only a positive thing for me.

Over the last few years we've had far too many owners who like the attention and the sound of their own voice for their own good. I'd much rather have a quiet one who doesn't over-promise and quietly goes about getting the club on sound ground.

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:15 pm  

While we're telling people to f*ck off and leave, can we also get rid of those k**bhead fans who cannot have a bad word said about the club and label anyone who does as some sort of lesser fan?

Truth is, the club needs all levels of support and its no secret that a lot of supporters feel let down and ignored by the current club. No doubt the previous admins have also taken their toll so the new lot are going to have to work harder than perhaps they feel they should to win a few hearts back. A bit more honesty and a kick up the backside for the media person would be a great start.

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:34 pm  

Personally I don't want for much, I just want to see the glory days back at odsal. Hashtag bring back the bouncy castle

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 4:51 pm  

I don't think its helpful to be telling people either to bog off if they aren't deliriously happy that we have a club OR that we should be permanently grumpy about everything.

I like to think I'm somewhere in the middle. Cautious about things, trying to be supportive - whilst not swallowing everything that comes from the club (that stance disappeared with the events of the last Admin/Liquidation)

As for 'what I wanted', I guess it would have been good to have heard something, anything, from our owners since they took over the club. Andrew Chalmers appears to be doing some things right at the moment - not least by meeting two members of this very forum, as well as the 'focus groups'. Fair play to him for that! I'm not clear why he couldn't have done this much, much earlier, other than the oft-repeated 'we've had a lot to do'.

I certainly agree that there was a lot to do to build up the club from scratch, but I'd argue that giving the odd hour or two to communicate with the supporter base was actually an integral part of 'building up the club'...

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 8:33 pm  

HamsterChops wrote:

Does anyone know a single person who was amongst these "twenty randomly selected fans"?

I would have very much like to have been party to this, but didn't even know it was happening. Like most fans I suspect.
Unless I see someone I know and trust say they were part of it, I'm not even totally convinced it actually happened.

No, it definitely happened. Some people on the supoorters facebook group went. Some were throwing their toys out of the pram saying the main people of the supporters group should have gone (certainly a case of feeling they're superior to other fans)

But the couple who did go said the focus group was exactly the right format. Rather than a fans forum where in the past it was more the owner telling the fans what was happening with a whole lot of hot air (followed by winding up petitions., unpaid wages andc administrations) the focus group was more the fans talking by all accounts and sharing their concerns and ideas with the club. They wasn't any shouting arguing that you may get with a big group in a forum with people trying to get thier point across. They said it was exactly the correct format for fans to get their point across. I didn't go to the fans forum but im not too sure how much input the fans had compared to this focus group (which from those that went said it was a decent exercise)

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 8:40 pm  

Bull Mania wrote:

No, it definitely happened. Some people on the supoorters facebook group went. Some were throwing their toys out of the pram saying the main people of the supporters group should have gone (certainly a case of feeling they're superior to other fans)

But the couple who did go said the focus group was exactly the right format. Rather than a fans forum where in the past it was more the owner telling the fans what was happening with a whole lot of hot air (followed by winding up petitions., unpaid wages andc administrations) the focus group was more the fans talking by all accounts and sharing their concerns and ideas with the club. They wasn't any shouting arguing that you may get with a big group in a forum with people trying to get thier point across. They said it was exactly the correct format for fans to get their point across. I didn't go to the fans forum but im not too sure how much input the fans had compared to this focus group (which from those that went said it was a decent exercise)

Good to know it was a real thing then. Not so good they think that these self appointed supporters groups represent the fans, but I suppose talking to them is better than talking to nobody. They certainly don't represent me though, they're largely idiots.

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:25 pm  

HamsterChops wrote:

Good to know it was a real thing then. Not so good they think that these self appointed supporters groups represent the fans, but I suppose talking to them is better than talking to nobody. They certainly don't represent me though, they're largely idiots.

Just to confirm, the focus group was completely random, some were asked while they were in the shop. Just so happened a couple were part of the supporters facebook group (it has 3.3k followers) the club didn't ask people specifically from that group.
Im not part of the group personally but seen comments on the page.

Re: Meeting Andrew Chalmers : Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:33 pm  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

While we're telling people to f*ck off and leave, can we also get rid of those k**bhead fans who cannot have a bad word said about the club and label anyone who does as some sort of lesser fan?

Truth is, the club needs all levels of support and its no secret that a lot of supporters feel let down and ignored by the current club. No doubt the previous admins have also taken their toll so the new lot are going to have to work harder than perhaps they feel they should to win a few hearts back. A bit more honesty and a kick up the backside for the media person would be a great start.

Well said - you beat me to it