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Thread | Media campaign to help save our football club.
at 01:33 22 Feb 2024
During the Morton House saga we did a fantastic Job of getting our story out into the National media, we contacted local councillors and politicians and i think this is a tactic that as fans we could all get involved with. Simon Gauge wants to sell the club and his main priority is to recoup his money, the long term future of the club doesn't come first. I could be wrong on that front but I don't think so. I don't really blame him for wanting his money back neither but its the club that we are interested in saving so let's take the Chairman's needs out of the equation.
It seems ludicrous when you think about it that a asset rich but cash poor historic football club could be only weeks away from liquidation. It doesn't seem right, a club with over 100 years of history. In a election year this would serve as a major embarrassment for a Government that has constantly harped on about sorting the finances of football out and looking after the little clubs....they don't want another Bury and because of that I think there would be possible intervention. Andy Burnham doesn't want another Bury neither and the fact we are in shouting distance of Gigg Lane and he's the Mayor of Greater Manchester will also put pressure on him to act. The timing is right for us to go down this route and it could buy us much needed time, maybe attract a creditable investor and also deter shysters who won't want to get involved in a high profile club which is in the media spotlight.
Could the Trust alongside the fans not issue a hard hitting statement outlining the severity of our situation and specifically include mention of the long standing Government promises, the fact we are a neighbouring club to Bury FC and if we are allowed to go out of existence it will be seen as a failing of the Government, Andy Burnham and the local councillors in this an election year. This is a different route than our Chairman would take because he has finances tied into the club which is his priority. I sent a similar message to Simon Gauge probably more that twelve months ago, regarding this sort of approach and he replied saying that he had attended a meeting about future governance or something and that was that. I also sent a copy to our two journalistic supporters who agreed with the idea in principle, basically sending out a National SOS via the media and pressurising the Government/politicians/Council. It would need the Trust to lead it though, they are the voice of the fans.
I also think a link to the David Clough story and video which was narrated by Richard Wild would have a impact and tug at the heartstrings of potential investors who want to help the club so include that. I think as fans we need to now all come together and fight to save the club. Ignore the doom and gloom message from Simon Gauge. He's holding a gun to the head of all of us and its about time we told him enough is enough and got hold of the club ourselves, alongside others who have no vested financial interests in it but have skill set or finances to help us. Put some pressure on the Government, Burnham, RMBC and see what comes up. Both Oldham and Bury councils have recently invested in their clubs and we have had council ownership of the ground before. They would be investing in a community asset. Can we be certain all these routes will have been thoroughly investigated by a Chairman and Directors who are more intent on recouping their investment than saving the club and planning for its long term future? I still think a community football club with the council part owning the stadium is a real possibility, rename it the Rochdale Community Stadium and work alongside other service providers, access funding etc. Time is quickly running out though so any campaign would have to start now. I think as a Trust and fan base we need to start making a real noise and appeal for help rather than hoping Simon Gauge suddenly magics up a suitable investor that will have the best interests of the club at heart. I'd suggest that notion is now a pipedream and we need to row our own boat as fans.
[Post edited 22 Feb 4:12]
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Thread | Xmas Party Nights.
at 18:05 14 Sep 2023
Plenty of clubs are now promoting these, i would like to think plans are already advanced and we will be releasing our dates and prices within the next few weeks. Last season it was left too late, November if I remember rightly. Strike early, people are now making arrangements for office parties etc. Promote it to death and make plenty of money.
[Post edited 14 Sep 2023 18:14]
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Thread | Poor Scunthorpe...another Shyster?
at 09:44 11 Sep 2023
Scunthorpe finally get rid of their ex Chairman Peter Swann to replace him with David Hilton as the new owner..except unbeknown to the fans David Hilton allegedly goes by four different names and has served a couple of years in prison for fraud. I this fella was once associated with Bury. Once they're in your club it's too late.
It's vital that supporters Trusts and supporters do their own due diligence on anybody who is looking to invest in, or take over their football club, that obviously includes our club. It's not good enough to expect the Chairman and Directors to do that and in turn they shouldn't expect supporters Trusts and shareholders/ fans not to also do a deep dive on any individual. It would be negligent as a fan base not to do that. There's too much of this happening. [Post edited 11 Sep 2023 9:57]
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Thread | Positive thought of the day!
at 08:29 25 Aug 2023
A win tonight could put us 4th in the league table. It seems a long time since we could say that. If last Saturdays performance is anything to go off then we are more than capable of holding our own in this league. |
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Thread | Could the Chairman and Directors please outline their aims and ambitions?
at 15:04 26 May 2023
In just over a months time the players will be reporting back for pre-season training, the fans are currently in the dark regarding what to expect next season. Is there anybody actually running the club at the moment and could our Chairman please start to show some sort of leadership qualities? As a shareholder I'm now wondering if those in the Boardroom are fit for purpose, I can't be the only one thinking along those lines. If they can't take us any further then please say and let's see if as shareholders/the Trust/ fans we can source others to run the club ( it doesn't have to be Chris Dunphy etc). I would like to see a EGM called because at the moment the club is going down the plug hole and the silence is deafening. It seems to me that the only ambition that the Chairman and Directors now have is to find a investor and what happens on and off the pitch is secondary. [Post edited 26 May 2023 15:32]
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Thread | Stockport...a wall of noise?
at 06:37 19 Apr 2023
It's going to happen at Stockport, the footballing gods have now decreed that will be the day.
The media will be out in force of course, hunting for grown men and small children crying. Looking for their pound of flesh and so will the gloating Stockport fans. As proud battle hardened Rochdale fans can I respectfully request that we do the complete opposite and unite as one throughout the game. No grow men and woman crying for the cameras to pick up, do it behind closed doors instead.We aren't bury.
Let's bring our songs and do the opposite to what they all want, let's go down singing and in particular raise the roof for the moments leading up to the final whistle and create a wall of noise. Let's also remember that this is only football and contrary to popular belief it's not life or death, health,family and friends are much more important. It's not the end neither, everything always happens for a reason. [Post edited 19 Apr 2023 7:31]
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Thread | The Bradford City game.
at 06:18 3 Apr 2023
The tickets in the away section sold out for this game in a matter of days, about 3200 i think. They would also easily sell out the WMG stand if it was offered them. It's looking like this game will be a dead rubber for us and it gives the club the opportunity to raise much needed funds to help with recruitment for next season, maybe £100k in total in visitor ticket sales which could help to pay the wages of two new players, or the manager. As a season ticket holder in the WMG i would be open to moving for this game, with the choice of either sitting in the main stand or standing up in the Sandy Lane. Interested to know how others feel or if this is really feasible but there is a lot of money to be made which would benefit us greatly. Not sure what's happening at the club or who is even running it day to day anymore, so i don't know if this has been considered by anybody. [Post edited 3 Apr 2023 6:44]
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Thread | Colin Garlick leaves Port Vale.
at 05:18 1 Apr 2023
Our best ever CEO and somebody who has done a great job at Vale Park. Good luck in whatever you decide to do next Colin. [Post edited 1 Apr 2023 5:20]
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Thread | A unique football club..why you should invest in it?
at 09:01 31 Dec 2022
So the Chairman and Directors have announced their intentions to look for outside investment and to be honest I don’t really blame them. The only future I can see at present is to constantly service a growing debt and hope beyond hope that we survive on the pitch every season. As a young supporter that must be very disheartening and it’s the young fans who are the most important going forward. I am expecting and really hoping that the net will be cast worldwide in the search for suitable investors and a professional service will be utilised to assist in the search.
Positive reasons to invest need to be highlighted and there is a fantastic story that surrounds our football club all of which could be included in a promotional video which could be presented to any potential investor. Thinking off the top of my head this is how I think it could be done, it’s not easy though when we’ve never won bugger all. Feel free to also add other ideas etc, the more the merrier.
So we have a 115 yrs old historic football league club situated in Greater Manchester and with very close links to the motorway network and a international airport, also within 30 minutes drive or so from Leeds and Liverpool.
We have a club that has survived against all odd despite being surrounded by clubs such as Man City and United. We are one of a few clubs that has never been bankrupt and have always paid our way even through tough times.A large number of supporters have purchased small shares in the club to help with finances
Tell the brilliant stories of our history and the Co-op, paint the picture of how we employed the first black manager in the football league. The story of the Overcoat men and go big on the David Clough legacy and what he did for the club. Include the video footage of Richard Wild when he brilliantly narrated how Cloughy saved us, that will bring a tear to even the toughest of potential investors, show his Statue proudly sitting in the main stand. Tell the story of how the fan base united and came together to fight off a very hostile takeover and how good men stepped forward and flooded the boardroom and opened their wallets in order to keep the club fan owned. Include footage of our recent games at Old Trafford and Wembley , our victory over Leeds and our draws against Spurs and Newcastle. All Premiership Clubs that foreign investors can associate with.
There is enough history and positivity there to put a great promotional video together but it needs to be done in a professional manner and not half arsed, employ a professional company to spread the word. If we are going to do this then let’s go big and let’s give us the best chance of reaching out to as many potential investors as we can. The Americans and Chinese love stories and projects like ours but we have to sell ourselves properly and not just in the UK. If Wrexham and Gillingham can do it then so can we.
[Post edited 31 Dec 2022 9:18]
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Thread | Free Season Tickets for under 16yrs and unemployed?
at 10:14 10 Apr 2022
The number crunchers inside the club would be able to work out how much revenue was gained through season ticket sales last season so they could probably estimate how much we would lose by giving season tickets away for free to the younger fans just for this upcoming season.
At a time when bills and living costs are soaring it could be the ideal time to attempt to speculate to accumulate. Target every school in the Borough,really push recruitment for the new singing section and the great work being done in Studds Bar pre- match to accommodate the junior fans. Utilise the advertisement boards around the town and the local media. Set up sale kiosks in local supermarkets, people love a free giveaway. Maybe put six adult half price match tickets in each season ticket to entice their parents along.
Extra revenue made on programmes/ matchday catering/ club shop etc might even cover the initial loss of the season ticket revenue...and I would hazard a guess that the money made on those season tickets isn’t as significant as we think anyway. Just a idea. |
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Thread | A surreal six month!
at 06:45 26 Oct 2021
It’s not an exaggeration to say that during the last six months the Club was days, maybe even hours away from going the same way as our neighbours down the road. The game was up, the decisions had been made, one hundred and fourteen years of history, hard work and toil just confined to the dustbin. No consultation with the fans, the shareholders, the overcoat men...nothing! Those responsible should hang their heads in shame, what a way to live your life, what must their families think?
The Currans/ Rose /Jarvis of this world do what they do, it’s all about the money and nothing personal towards our Club, the name of the Club is irrelevant to them. Somebody invited them through the front door and then did a sales pitch on them, they didn’t just turn up unannounced. The person sending out the invites painted a picture of a club that was ripe for picking, a rudderless ship, a Club that nobody cared about. He couldn’t have been further from the truth but it shows how deluded and detached from reality our CEO was. Curran was sold a pup and our boardroom traitors cashed in their shares. Does nobody do proper due diligence these days?
Anyway great things come out of adversity and during the Sutton game I was sitting in my seat and looking around and this is what I saw. A Directozrs box stuffed full of good, honest people...Dale fans. The David Kilpatrick Stand, the fantastic Graham Morris as Club President, Andrew Kelly as matchday spionsor, a pivotal figure who now has our academy named after him. The David Clough statue and his brilliant scorebioard, the mural on the Sandy Lane wall...that looks brilliant. Our manager, down to earth and straight talking, he fits in well. A new team of players on the pitch and there is much to admire from them. A Supporters Trust that we can be proud of, one that will go from strength to strength. A set of fans that are now united and fully behind the Club and those tasked with running it. Fans who now have a real stake in the Club, thanks to the recent share issue.
The battle isn’t won yet, there are still obstacles to overcome but together we have proved that this really is Team Rochdale..a formidable opponent who will come together and fight to the bitter end to save their Club....the Club that we all love.
[Post edited 26 Oct 2021 8:44]
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Thread | Season Ticket Boycott required!
at 17:43 10 Apr 2021
It’s with a very heavy heart but I think somebody has to say it...the only way we will get Bottomley and this inept manager out of the Club is to refuse to purchase season tickets, otherwise we are funding their wages. The renewing of BBMs contract was the equivalent of putting two big fat fingers up to all of the Supporters, well it’s time the Supporters returned the compliment! |
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Thread | Our ‘managed relegation’ and the direction of the club.
at 03:21 7 Apr 2021
It doesn’t seem credible to the paying public, the fans, but the more you think about it, the evidence of a managed relegation is there for everybody to see now.
1...The Chairman’s statement prior to the season kicking off which straight away killed the aspirations and hopes of all supporters, at a time when Hope always springs eternal.
2...Player recruitment and a squad of players which right at the start many supporters predicted would struggle, made up of non league signings and players with poor injury records etc...and no left back. Humphrys was a goood signing though, one we can make money on.
3...The football leading up to Christmas which amounted to playing in our own half of the pitch and treating the game like a training exercise, with no apparent urgency to pressurise our opponents and score goals...players constantly passing backwards, strolling for throw ins, kicking the ball away when chasing games and passing up shooting opportunities in the dying embers of games, goalkeepers sauntering around in injury time with the ball when we desperately need three points. Playing to protect a point and not lose. Do they come off dripping in sweat, devastated, do they throw kitchen sinks...well I haven’t seen it.
4....A manager who constantly suggests that black is white, doesn’t look at the table, doesn’t seemed concerned about his job, devoid of tactical nouse, a record breaker.
5....A January transfer window when we desperately need to recruit properly to avoid the drop but instead sign players and then announce that they are with a view to NEXT season, we don’t sign a left back.
6....A CEO who is given a free reign to do as he pleases and a Board of Directors who are all compliant, the extension to the managers contract and the lack of criticism and action from fellow Directors indicates that this wasn’t just the work of one man, he would have been held to account by now if that was the case. Andrew Kelly would have done that wouldn’t he..the interim Chairman wouldn’t have allowed that on his watch surely?
7.....The managers reward for failure and overseeing the worst home record in the history of the Club...a new secret 12 month contract. That stinks to high heaven and is a insult to the supporters of the Club.
So when you put all those points together it really does seem as though this has been a real team effort and they all had the chat, if you are going to plan for a managed relegation then a season when no fans are allowed inside the Stadium and a pandemic is the perfect storm to enact the plan. L2 means a further cut in the playing budget which go some way to covering the deficit in lost revenue, we will have a non league budget then. It also makes it easier to blood the youth academy players which is the real baby when it comes to Bottomley, BBM, Kelly, the only problem is they will find L2 tougher than L1. The real hope will be that the fans will still turn up and buy their season tickets because we all know the fans are taken for granted, we aren’t daft though and many won’t . Credit where it’s due though, at the recent forum the Director did inform us that there is a plan, unfortunately though just like the managers new contract , it’s a closely guarded secret. I’m sure all will be revealed soon though...there’s season tickets and new kits that need selling so lines of communication and spin will have to be opened.
There have been many times this season when I have been watching games and questioning if what I am watching is legitimate and then I have listened to BBM s post match comments and it’s made me even more suspicious. I think we’ve been paying to watch a season that was already decided before a ball was kicked. The ex Chairman commented in his reply to the Trust last week that he wouldn’t be associated with the direction that this lot wanted to take the Club in and he wouldn’t be a voice piece to it neither. Like every Dale fan he would have wanted progression and not regression i think. When you look at our Boardroom and our manager do you see people bursting with passion, drive, energy, passion and most importantly winners. Do you see people who want to emulate what Chris Dunphy and Keith Hill achieved only a few years ago, or do you see people who are happy to take the easy option and settle for going backwards.
David Clough was at that Charlton game thanks to Richard Wild and Francis Collins and due to his impaired vision they commentated on the game for him, i’m led to believe that he nearly jumped out of his wheelchair when Joe Thomson scored the goal that ensured we stayed in L1 and he then broke down emotionally. That’s the passion,desire and emotion that we are now missing at the club, instead it’s been replaced with apathy, disdain,arrogance and mistrust...we need our club back and a new Boardroom and it needs to happen quickly because this regression isn’t going to stop at L2 unfortunately. [Post edited 7 Apr 2021 9:12]
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Thread | The lack of concern!
at 06:52 25 Mar 2021
Firstly, hats off to Mark Hodkinson and a big thank you for putting in the time and effort to highlight the very perilous state of the Club, he’s a professional journalist and this will have been done in his own time because of his obviously concern for the Club he loves.
It’s pretty obvious reading between the lines that the Club is collapsing and we need a new Boardroom, we also need a new CEO as quickly as possible and a new manager, we’ve needed one of those for months. Neither are fit for purpose, that’s the reality. We have a manager who has overseen our worst home record in living memory and that will probably eventually end up as being the worst in the 114 year history of the club..out of embarrassment he should have resigned and if not he should have been sacked, instead somebody has rewarded him with a new contract on the quiet and destroyed upcoming season ticket sales in a instant.The rest of the Directors aren’t fit for purpose neither, firstly for allowing it to happen and secondly for now standing back and accepting the situation, it’s a dereliction of duty from each of them. At least try to retrieve the situation and show some balls.
The lack of concern comes from the fan base and this forum is a great example of it, the amount of regular posters who can’t be bothered to contribute to the debate, there is more interest in how ex players are performing, or stats of the day etc. If supporters are ambivalent or feel compromised then at least contribute and maybe put up a defence for the CEO, BBM, Directors, show a bit of concern or worry about the club, it’s better than doing nothing and keeping quiet. Will these same fans keep quiet if the club goes to the wall, or will they go all bury like and start pretending they didn’t know there was a problem?
As a fan base we are quiet though aren’t we, the Supporters Trust maybe reflect the majority of the fan base, passive and and don’t want to rock the boat, the silence from them has been one of the biggest disappointments over the last few months, if you are there to represent the fans and look after the club then at least come out fighting and find your voice. Personally, i think there is a real danger that the club won’t start next season but the lack of concern from many fans now has me thinking that is a over reaction, i hope i’m wrong obviously. |
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Thread | Happy with that!!
at 17:22 26 Aug 2017
Of course playing against 10 me at home you expect to nick the game but when you factor in our defensive problems and injuries I am pretty happy with that point today.
The defenders have had pelters and they have been well deserved, today they need a pat on the back. Big Jim was my man of the match but Rafferty pushed him close. A positive cameo from substitute Brown,during the second half he defended well and put in a very good shift. Matty Done was strangely quiet and man of the match Williams did nothing to deserve that accolade, but Allen, Cannon and Henderson put in decent performances.
Bury are a dismal outfit, bereft of ambition and team spirit. A collection of expensively assembled players who seem to be lacking in desire. I think Hill will be happy tonight, all things considered.Our season is yet to ignite but it will do. [Post edited 26 Aug 2017 19:05]
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Thread | Changing the Record!!
at 06:35 1 Jul 2017
The start of July and a new season beckons... new players, new fixtures, new adventures and a new DJ. It was a somewhat torturous process with the new lad being caught in the eye of a shitstorm not of his own making, but anyway it's sorted out now.
I expect Eren will have been busy sorting his records out into different piles over the last couple of months, I hope he has. We don't want a clone of Dave Sweetmore do we?? The turgid din of diabolical voices wallowing in self pity, bullets in the gullet...slit your wrists music. Think about the kids Eren, the youngsters, do you honestly think they want to be force fed this doom and gloom? They don't even know who Hector is. Would their parents even be happy?
I mention the kids on purpose because of the new Season Ticket initiative, they will be at the ground in greater numbers and need catering for, not in the foot long hot dog sense, i am talking about music/ entertainment. Eren, I want you to open your eyes to your audience and remember one word 'inclusive' and ask yourself... ' Out of this pile of records in front of me, how can I best mix them all up to cater for ALL of the supporters in the ground'.
Don't listen to your mates because they will get you sacked from your job, you'll be playing crap that nobody is interested in, probably about 'somebody stuck in the gutter in the pouring rain and his Jack Russell has just popped its clogs'. It's old hat, like I said think of the kids, the females, the old farts. Mix it up and i think you will be a roaring success. I'm in the Dale bar before every game if you need any more advice. Good luck with everything. [Post edited 1 Jul 2017 7:04]
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Thread | Respect for the Football Club!!
at 17:59 27 Aug 2016
Things aren't right are they? Ask yourself a question, do you support Keith Hill or the Football Club, the correct answer is the Football Club. He's been great for us Hilly but after scrutinising his recent recruitment of players, his comment about having the opportunity to move to other Clubs,I am left with the distinct feeling that his time at Rochdale is coming to an end. In a nutshell I reckon he's lost his mojo, his hunger or whatever you want to call it. I think he's gutted that the Bolton and Blackburns didn't come knocking in the Close Season.
The recruitment of Thompson, RNL and no doubt Holness given the chance, is the work of a manager who doesn't have the desire to push the team forward and better what we had only a few months previous, i can't see how anybody can argue that point?.
We have a Chairman and a bunch of Directors, their credentials can't really be questioned because they love the Club even though some of their decisions Have been poor at times and I think it's now the time to sit Hill down and remind him who runs the Club and who pays the wages. Find out what direction Hill wants to go in because it's quite obvious he's treading water at the moment, if he's not happy then a parting of the ways should be sorted out. If he's 100% committed to staying and pushing us onwards then excellent.
The Future of the Football Club is more important than Keith Hills and if he's just plodding along until the next opportunity comes along then it's the Club who will suffer. I don't buy into the theory that he's had his budget slashed that's a non starter but the whole atmosphere around the Club at the moment is downbeat and the recruitment of certain players can only be described as flabbergasting.
I fully expect to get flamed for this post but somebody as got to ask the question. |
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Thread | Stadium Manager??
at 10:31 3 Aug 2016
Regarding the dirty toilets, dirty seats, overgrown weeds etc, who is responsible for the day to day upkeep of the Stadium? Do we have a Stadium Manager and if so what would be his job spec? Thanks. |
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Thread | Macc game
at 19:21 26 Jul 2016
0-1. Whittaker
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