Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! 19:45 - Jul 30 with 3650 views | SteTsGoldenBoot | With the developments over the last few days (even perhaps the last few years), I have never benn more certain than within the next few years, we will be asking our wonderful Dale Trust, to take over our beloved Dale. I suppose the question that I am asking is, do we wait for this, or can we plan for this? If fans could commit even £10/week, could this money be banked for ‘D day’ or would it have to be earmarked for shares? As the major shareholder in the club, I would hope that some sort of ‘emergency fund’, could be built. The comfort of ‘The Rochdale Division’, ‘A well run community club’ and now ‘we own our own ground’ is all sadly about to disappear. I’ll, contribute what I can, but would like to know the best difference that I can make. Neville Neville somehow convinced Forever Bury to give their shares to their ‘saviour’ Stewie Day! I am not a shareholder, I could have done much better supporting our Trust, but will pledge to do so, especially with regard to The Trust running our club. [Post edited 30 Jul 2023 19:47]
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| Everything thats been, has past. The answers in the looking glass! |
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Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 19:58 - Jul 30 with 3582 views | WirralDale | I think this is a good suggestion, although it depends how much individuals can afford to contribute on a regular basis during a cost of living crisis etc. As I'm an exile, I don't attend all home games and as I recently saved money on cancelling one direct debit, could afford to put some money aside towards the fund. What do other fans think? We may have to consider other ways of raising money too.. | | | |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 20:33 - Jul 30 with 3509 views | TalkingSutty |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 19:58 - Jul 30 by WirralDale | I think this is a good suggestion, although it depends how much individuals can afford to contribute on a regular basis during a cost of living crisis etc. As I'm an exile, I don't attend all home games and as I recently saved money on cancelling one direct debit, could afford to put some money aside towards the fund. What do other fans think? We may have to consider other ways of raising money too.. |
Trust and fans get hold of the club enlist help from local businessmen ( not Dunphy to avoid conflict) and council if possible. Look at the Morris amendment again with a view to releasing money from the Stadium and rebooting the club. Maybe even selling the stadium if we have to start as a Phoenix Club, but hopefully not. Make it a proper fan run club. It's preferable to being liquidated or inviting in a bunch of shysters to cause us all a load of grief. | | | |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 20:54 - Jul 30 with 3421 views | kel | I can’t give a great deal financially but I can certainly give time if the worst happens. Good to see you back posting STGB | | | |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 21:41 - Jul 30 with 3332 views | D_Alien | Just thinking back two years ago for a moment, there now seems a certain inevitability about where we are now. Perhaps we were all pretty naive in assuming that a brand new board of inexperienced directors (however well-meaning and personally committed) could pull us through. Perhaps we were all just grateful that we'd survived to fight another day So to the OP. Great post, and that day has arrived. Instead of the endless churn of opinions about our current situation, provision should start for the next inevitability which the OP describes The logistics of that might as well start now, and an appraisal of the financial options open to us. How much would we need to raise per annum, and what are the sources we could tap into? How would it be structured? Even if these options didn't prove necessary, having a basis of planning in place would simply be sound and sensible just in case [Post edited 30 Jul 2023 21:45]
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Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 21:59 - Jul 30 with 3261 views | Plattyswrinklynuts |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 20:33 - Jul 30 by TalkingSutty | Trust and fans get hold of the club enlist help from local businessmen ( not Dunphy to avoid conflict) and council if possible. Look at the Morris amendment again with a view to releasing money from the Stadium and rebooting the club. Maybe even selling the stadium if we have to start as a Phoenix Club, but hopefully not. Make it a proper fan run club. It's preferable to being liquidated or inviting in a bunch of shysters to cause us all a load of grief. |
Before we get ahead of ourselves I think that first & foremost we need to know the exact extent of the clubs financial issues. The thing I can’t reconcile in my own mind is the position of the trust member on the board. Pointed & uncomfortable questions need to be asked but when all board members are bound by confidentiality/ NDA’s then surely that amounts to a conflict of interest. When it’s all rosy in the garden that’s not an issue but as things stand now it inevitably makes it impossible to hold the board fully to account. I’m not sure what the answer is but in the current circumstances I personally think that the trust need to get their heads together- the shareholders & the broader fan base need to know the whole picture, however bad it is. While I & all dale fans appreciate what Simon & all other board members have done to save the club from the hostile MH takeover attempt, that will be irrelevant if the club ends up going to the wall due to the board’s inexperience of running a professional football club. Ideally I would like to see the board & the trust as a united front approaching the council with a view to offering all unsold shares from the last share issue plus any shares directors wish to get rid of to the council, the board members get their investment back & the money from unsold shares would go into the club coffers (assuming the council will take up the offer if course). | | | |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 00:37 - Jul 31 with 3042 views | SuddenLad |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 21:59 - Jul 30 by Plattyswrinklynuts | Before we get ahead of ourselves I think that first & foremost we need to know the exact extent of the clubs financial issues. The thing I can’t reconcile in my own mind is the position of the trust member on the board. Pointed & uncomfortable questions need to be asked but when all board members are bound by confidentiality/ NDA’s then surely that amounts to a conflict of interest. When it’s all rosy in the garden that’s not an issue but as things stand now it inevitably makes it impossible to hold the board fully to account. I’m not sure what the answer is but in the current circumstances I personally think that the trust need to get their heads together- the shareholders & the broader fan base need to know the whole picture, however bad it is. While I & all dale fans appreciate what Simon & all other board members have done to save the club from the hostile MH takeover attempt, that will be irrelevant if the club ends up going to the wall due to the board’s inexperience of running a professional football club. Ideally I would like to see the board & the trust as a united front approaching the council with a view to offering all unsold shares from the last share issue plus any shares directors wish to get rid of to the council, the board members get their investment back & the money from unsold shares would go into the club coffers (assuming the council will take up the offer if course). |
What the board did/have done will always be respected, and remembered, but they have now clearly run their course. We are rapidly going backwards, towards the abyss. They have decided that it is 'their ball' and they will kick it where they want. We constantly hear that they want a thriving, successful football club but whenever anyone asks questions about the future, or even the current state of the club, they suddenly develop selective deafness and become mute. The latest rumours seem to amount to another plea for a cash injection for an as yet unstated purpose (beyond staving off oblivion, which is the general assumption). Well, after six decades of chucking money into sheets and blankets being hauled around the pitch, buckets, tins, hats and every other conceivable receptacle, I'm not sure whether I can stomach having to do it all over again. I have enough shares, I have a season card, I am a paid up member of the Trust. I buy shirts and all other kinds of merchandise, draw tickets, refreshments, I use the bars on match day. I have always done these things because I want to do and because I love this club. It's a massive part of my life and like many supporters, it plays an important social role in my agenda. However, I am now at a stage where I am beginning to think that I've had enough of being a cash cow. I will not be shoving any more money in the direction of the club until there is a frank and honest discussion from those in charge as to exactly where we are as a club. Jimmy McNulty has been a breath of fresh air since he was awarded his position. He speaks in exactly the way I hoped he would, He's passionate about this club, about his players and their futures. He is striving to assemble a squad of players who can make us supporters proud again and he is doing it with a great deal of thought, care and vetting. He desperately wants to create a good impression as Head Coach, (who wouldn't), but more importantly, he wants it for his players and the fans. He has planted the seeds of 'togetherness' which has been missing for so long amongst the utter dross and apathy we have endured for nigh on four seasons. So, unless and until the current Board decide to break their ridiculous - and frankly inexcusable - vow of silence, I'm done. The EGM/AGM fiasco is the full stop for me. If it wasn't bad enough, Twitter is circulating embarrassing and worrying stories about yet another bunch of sharks (names given) circulating ready to drag us through the mire, who have already succeeded in conning the club out of goods. Only at Rochdale would this bloody nonsense happen. It's now time for new faces, (God knows where from), far more openness and less dictatorial, dismissive attitudes. I would never compare the current board with what preceded it, but they need to seriously consider whether they want to make the supporters friends or foes, because their time - and our patience - is rapidly running out. From discussions at the game on Saturday, it's apparent that me and many others have had enough. For me, it's now a good pre-match blather, match day pint, match, home and that's your lot. | |
| “It is easier to fool people, than to convince them that they have been fooled†|
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Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 08:09 - Jul 31 with 2900 views | electricblue | I missed out at time to purchase shares when the call to supporters was made by the BoD.. The MH problem at the time was a long winded affair and credit to the Trust and the BoD and that is as far as i acknowledge what the BoD have done. Since earlier this year maybe start of last season the BoD said the club was on course to lose £30k a week and what have they done! In my eyes nothing except to slash the wages budget, perhaps the board dont have the bottle to streamline the staff to an appropriate operating level between 40- 60 due to this unpresidented time of the cost of living crisis. Like any properly run business you have make cuts in all areas to surivive, weather the storm and then rebuild, gradually. What avenues have the BoD gone down to increase revenue! Anybody know? And now we once again the BoD two directors want to put their own money into the club at the expense of the ground that in its self opens up the club to the sheep in wolfs clothing of prospective new owners. Is this so called loan interest free! Is it feasible for the trust to take over the club! Appoint a separate group of people other than the trust board to steer the club from the looming rocks ahead. The past few days as got me thinking that the trust needs to ask its members about a vote of no confidence in the chair and the board, is this to late to save the club. Is anything now to late.... The board should come clean and actually open up the books and see how bad it really is... The cash cow(supporters) is starting to look rather thin.. | |
| My all time favourite Dale player Mr Lyndon Symmonds |
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Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 08:38 - Jul 31 with 2830 views | Rodingdale |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 08:09 - Jul 31 by electricblue | I missed out at time to purchase shares when the call to supporters was made by the BoD.. The MH problem at the time was a long winded affair and credit to the Trust and the BoD and that is as far as i acknowledge what the BoD have done. Since earlier this year maybe start of last season the BoD said the club was on course to lose £30k a week and what have they done! In my eyes nothing except to slash the wages budget, perhaps the board dont have the bottle to streamline the staff to an appropriate operating level between 40- 60 due to this unpresidented time of the cost of living crisis. Like any properly run business you have make cuts in all areas to surivive, weather the storm and then rebuild, gradually. What avenues have the BoD gone down to increase revenue! Anybody know? And now we once again the BoD two directors want to put their own money into the club at the expense of the ground that in its self opens up the club to the sheep in wolfs clothing of prospective new owners. Is this so called loan interest free! Is it feasible for the trust to take over the club! Appoint a separate group of people other than the trust board to steer the club from the looming rocks ahead. The past few days as got me thinking that the trust needs to ask its members about a vote of no confidence in the chair and the board, is this to late to save the club. Is anything now to late.... The board should come clean and actually open up the books and see how bad it really is... The cash cow(supporters) is starting to look rather thin.. |
Completely agree with the vote of no confidence in the Chairman. I have no confidence in his ability to do anything apart from getting his own money back. Make no mistake, as soon as a buyer emerges who meets the price he paid for his shares we won’t see Gauge for dust, and as the dust cloud clears we will be left to rake over the wreckage. Get rid now before he does any more damage. | | | | Login to get fewer ads
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 08:45 - Jul 31 with 2809 views | TalkingSutty |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 08:09 - Jul 31 by electricblue | I missed out at time to purchase shares when the call to supporters was made by the BoD.. The MH problem at the time was a long winded affair and credit to the Trust and the BoD and that is as far as i acknowledge what the BoD have done. Since earlier this year maybe start of last season the BoD said the club was on course to lose £30k a week and what have they done! In my eyes nothing except to slash the wages budget, perhaps the board dont have the bottle to streamline the staff to an appropriate operating level between 40- 60 due to this unpresidented time of the cost of living crisis. Like any properly run business you have make cuts in all areas to surivive, weather the storm and then rebuild, gradually. What avenues have the BoD gone down to increase revenue! Anybody know? And now we once again the BoD two directors want to put their own money into the club at the expense of the ground that in its self opens up the club to the sheep in wolfs clothing of prospective new owners. Is this so called loan interest free! Is it feasible for the trust to take over the club! Appoint a separate group of people other than the trust board to steer the club from the looming rocks ahead. The past few days as got me thinking that the trust needs to ask its members about a vote of no confidence in the chair and the board, is this to late to save the club. Is anything now to late.... The board should come clean and actually open up the books and see how bad it really is... The cash cow(supporters) is starting to look rather thin.. |
Good post. I'm now at the point were i am starting to question the legimity of what we are seeing and what we are being told. As a shareholder who has received no notifications whatsoever i'm entitled to think that way. 1.Why has the Chairman been so reluctant to reach out for help? 2. Why has he been reluctant to even reply to those offering help? 3. Why was there a sudden change in the whole ethos of the club the minute they purchased back the MH shares? 4. Why didn't they consult with the shareholders and Trust before basically putting our club up for sale? 5. Why have the clubs funds absolutely tanked since they started running the club? 6.Why are they very reluctant to communicate with the fans,or even the general public when it comes to things like selling season tickets for example? 7. Why at a time when the revenue has just been collected from season ticket sales and probable parachute payments, transfer fees, sponsorship renewals have they chosen this moment to soften the fans up in relation to the reality of liquidation? 8. Are they softening the fans up? 9. Are they softening the fans up and frightening them and then a investor will suddenly appear? 10. A investor who will have bad intentions in relation to the club but the desperate ( softened) fans will just have to accept the offer because the club has run out of time? Do i smell a big fat rat, yes i do. I now think that the fan base need to be on high alert and don't just Trust everything that comes out of the boardroom, keep a open mind. The reluctance to communicate and share information is a big red flag and its been going on for a long time. The downward spiral of the club and the silence makes me think this could be a managed decline of the club which will attract property developers to step in when it reaches its lowest ebb and we have nowhere else to turn, no other option. People might dismiss all this as scaremongering but there are a lot of things that just don't add up here. Good people have offered to help and been completely ignored, or even openly attacked without even listening to their proposals. It's as though they don't want outside people coming in. [Post edited 31 Jul 2023 8:48]
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Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 09:02 - Jul 31 with 2752 views | DaleFan7 |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 08:45 - Jul 31 by TalkingSutty | Good post. I'm now at the point were i am starting to question the legimity of what we are seeing and what we are being told. As a shareholder who has received no notifications whatsoever i'm entitled to think that way. 1.Why has the Chairman been so reluctant to reach out for help? 2. Why has he been reluctant to even reply to those offering help? 3. Why was there a sudden change in the whole ethos of the club the minute they purchased back the MH shares? 4. Why didn't they consult with the shareholders and Trust before basically putting our club up for sale? 5. Why have the clubs funds absolutely tanked since they started running the club? 6.Why are they very reluctant to communicate with the fans,or even the general public when it comes to things like selling season tickets for example? 7. Why at a time when the revenue has just been collected from season ticket sales and probable parachute payments, transfer fees, sponsorship renewals have they chosen this moment to soften the fans up in relation to the reality of liquidation? 8. Are they softening the fans up? 9. Are they softening the fans up and frightening them and then a investor will suddenly appear? 10. A investor who will have bad intentions in relation to the club but the desperate ( softened) fans will just have to accept the offer because the club has run out of time? Do i smell a big fat rat, yes i do. I now think that the fan base need to be on high alert and don't just Trust everything that comes out of the boardroom, keep a open mind. The reluctance to communicate and share information is a big red flag and its been going on for a long time. The downward spiral of the club and the silence makes me think this could be a managed decline of the club which will attract property developers to step in when it reaches its lowest ebb and we have nowhere else to turn, no other option. People might dismiss all this as scaremongering but there are a lot of things that just don't add up here. Good people have offered to help and been completely ignored, or even openly attacked without even listening to their proposals. It's as though they don't want outside people coming in. [Post edited 31 Jul 2023 8:48]
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Without any communication of actual meaning the BoD are allowing the speculation amongst fans to grow and rumours will start flying about from one extreme to another. This could all be squashed by them actually coming out and saying something meaningful. The fans forum shouldn't be the place where all this gets discussed IMO. It needs a separate meeting and if it is just between the BoD and shareholders at first then that's fine. The silence is deafening and is going to make the void between club and supporters wider and wider. Maybe that's what they want? | | | |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 09:10 - Jul 31 with 2724 views | TalkingSutty |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 09:02 - Jul 31 by DaleFan7 | Without any communication of actual meaning the BoD are allowing the speculation amongst fans to grow and rumours will start flying about from one extreme to another. This could all be squashed by them actually coming out and saying something meaningful. The fans forum shouldn't be the place where all this gets discussed IMO. It needs a separate meeting and if it is just between the BoD and shareholders at first then that's fine. The silence is deafening and is going to make the void between club and supporters wider and wider. Maybe that's what they want? |
Maybe the mention of liquidation was deliberate? Did they have a meaningful meeting with the supporters trust before announcing the possible liquidation? If they didn't then why not? The Trust committee will know the answers to those questions and maybe they might also ask themselves..why didn't they discuss this possibility with us first? That would be a normal thing to do. As I said, things don't add up. [Post edited 31 Jul 2023 9:12]
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Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 09:45 - Jul 31 with 2640 views | electricblue |
Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 08:45 - Jul 31 by TalkingSutty | Good post. I'm now at the point were i am starting to question the legimity of what we are seeing and what we are being told. As a shareholder who has received no notifications whatsoever i'm entitled to think that way. 1.Why has the Chairman been so reluctant to reach out for help? 2. Why has he been reluctant to even reply to those offering help? 3. Why was there a sudden change in the whole ethos of the club the minute they purchased back the MH shares? 4. Why didn't they consult with the shareholders and Trust before basically putting our club up for sale? 5. Why have the clubs funds absolutely tanked since they started running the club? 6.Why are they very reluctant to communicate with the fans,or even the general public when it comes to things like selling season tickets for example? 7. Why at a time when the revenue has just been collected from season ticket sales and probable parachute payments, transfer fees, sponsorship renewals have they chosen this moment to soften the fans up in relation to the reality of liquidation? 8. Are they softening the fans up? 9. Are they softening the fans up and frightening them and then a investor will suddenly appear? 10. A investor who will have bad intentions in relation to the club but the desperate ( softened) fans will just have to accept the offer because the club has run out of time? Do i smell a big fat rat, yes i do. I now think that the fan base need to be on high alert and don't just Trust everything that comes out of the boardroom, keep a open mind. The reluctance to communicate and share information is a big red flag and its been going on for a long time. The downward spiral of the club and the silence makes me think this could be a managed decline of the club which will attract property developers to step in when it reaches its lowest ebb and we have nowhere else to turn, no other option. People might dismiss all this as scaremongering but there are a lot of things that just don't add up here. Good people have offered to help and been completely ignored, or even openly attacked without even listening to their proposals. It's as though they don't want outside people coming in. [Post edited 31 Jul 2023 8:48]
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With the help of the Trust the Board fought off MH and that seems be it.. Ok they had to purchase MH shares and who was at fault for that! It seems to me that opening the door of the ground for them to put their money against opens the door for somebody else is this what is going to happen! It is begining to look that he is running the club into the ground and we are studds deep in my eyes and sinking in the mire under this leadership.. The more i read the more distrust in the Chair and his fellow directors. | |
| My all time favourite Dale player Mr Lyndon Symmonds |
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Planning for D day v Waiting for D day! on 10:11 - Jul 31 with 2551 views | TomRAFC | Completely agree with the concerns about the chairman/board, particularly our own naivety in their ability to run the club. This was something I was guilty of. The responsibility of bringing the necessary skills to run the club absolutely rests with the board. I feel very strongly that the time has come to also review the performance of the staff in charge of the day to day running of the club during our spectacular fall from grace. Nice guy, but please step forward George Delves. "On the appointments, Chairman Simon Gauge said: “We’ve made one or two changes behind the scenes, in that George Delves is now Chief Operating Officer, rather than the secretary of the club. It just expands his duties to what he was actually doing anyway within the club." - Even during the days of David Roger Bottomley, he was the person running the club on a day to day. Much like George Donnelly, tries hard but worryingly ineffective. | |
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