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Reply | The boy done good
at 14:51 25 Jan 2025
Very true that..short term so called Directors all trying to feather their own nest and aid and abetting Bottomley, the man who tried to kill our club. They all purport to be life long fans though, one was even called out by the EFL for his part in the saga and has the brass neck to sit in the Directors box. Then they wonder why some fans treat them with contempt. Some have been recognised by the club and made honorary members, the truth is they were all in cahoots with Bottomley and assisted him. Grindrod even went out to bat for Bottomley in a last minute attempt to stop him being voted off the board at the EGM, a proper rat and it wont be forgotten. [Post edited 25 Jan 14:54]
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Reply | The boy done good
at 12:35 25 Jan 2025
You're wrong, shareholders are quite entitled to voice their concerns in respect of individuals who are running the club. They can do that without the co-chairman threatening legal action, i'd be surprised if hes actually done that to be honest.That's what shareholders are supposed to do hold those running the club to account . Others might think Gauge has done a great job and they might view his financial input as a good enough reason to not hold him to account, i don't see it that way. When you're the captain of the ship, the buck stops with you, good leaders embrace that. |
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Reply | The boy done good
at 11:11 25 Jan 2025
Well since Simon Gauge became Chairman the club has regressed to the point of us losing our league status and coming within weeks of losing the club. Poor decision making from those in the Boardroom, poor managerial appointments and decisions from the top that contributed in us being relegated...who in their right mind would send the best player in the club ( Ethan Brierley) to train at a club that was under a transfer embargo? At a time when we desperately needed him on the pitch. That must have been ratified by the Chairman. In fact had it not been for fan intervention we would have had a con man from St Ann's, who really lived in a flat in Preston and a DJ from Norwich in charge of the club. Somebody at the club fell hook line and sinker for that one. Fan intervention also introduced the Ogden family to the club, that wasnt Simon Gauge's work.
I posted on here about 2 years ago that a EGM should have been called to remove him from his position, at the time he decided single handedly and without consultation to change the direction of the club. I've also officially contacted the Trust on two occasions to call a EGM in respect of Simon Gauge and his inability to run the club properly. As a member of the Supporters Trust I'm well within my rights to do that. To be honest the Trust have been as much use as a chocolate fireguard when it comes to shining a light on their relationship with Simon Gauge, they've now been rendered toothless and thats never been more evident since Murray Knight entered the boardroom. The biggest tragedy in all of that relationship is that we have recently lost possibly the best Trust Chairman that we could have wished for, certainly in the same mould as Col Cav. I suspect the fall out from that has been celebrated in the boardroom, one less person to challenge and hold them to account. The club isn't a dictatorship and if shareholders and fans have worries about how the club is being run then they should speak up and contact the Ogden family. I think they would want us to do that having invested millions in the club.
It's nothing personal in respect of Simon Gauge, he's a retired pilot with zero experience in running a multi million pound business, never mind a football club and it shows. The buck stops with him when it comes to us dropping out of the league, it was on his watch and legal threats don't work when your observations can be backed up by facts. If shareholders are concerned then they are well within their rights to ask for the removal of the Chairman, nothing he can do about that. If the fans hadn't have expressed their concerns several years ago in respect of how he club was being run it would no longer be here. The fans have also put hundreds of thousands of pounds into saving the club, it was never all down to Simon Gauge, or his family or whoever. [Post edited 25 Jan 11:30]
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Reply | The boy done good
at 12:16 24 Jan 2025
A local lad doing very well for himself, not just that but a Dale fan and former Director who was very instrumental a couple of years ago in saving the club from the clutches of Morton House. A fella who also put a awful lot of his own money into the club. Cameron Ogden and his family should be networking with the likes of Jamie, especially with his links to learning platforms and the NHS etc. The exact sort of bridges that the club should be building. This is a open goal but unfortunately there is nobody at the club with the savvy or gumption to pick up the phone and have a conversation. It's the reason why Cameron Ogden needs to look at how his club is operating and who is making the big decisions. I won't be at the forum but the question as to why Jamie is not still involved and attending on matchdays needs posing, is he afforded the same matchday hospitality invites as other ex Directors like Andrew Kelly, Graham Morris etc? If he isn't then why not? [Post edited 24 Jan 12:23]
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Reply | Another one gone
at 09:33 21 Jan 2025
I think there's a reason this style of play is embraced so warmly by the players also. A lot of the physical aspect and blood and thunder challenges is reduced, less crosses into the box means less heading of the ball. A slow tempo to the game and short passes between the defenders gives the players a opportunity to rest and reset. Statistics might prove that theory wrong but it's how it appears to me, it's very rare you see players coming off the pitch drenched in sweat and covered in mud. I call it dot to dot football, the coaches have taken the emotion and unexpected out of the game. The flare players who would get you out of your seat are now expected to be defenders also and their game suffers. Alarakhia is a great example of that and you can see the frustration in his body language. The young coaches can't veer away from the blueprint because it will jeopardise their progression in the game. Jim McNulty has a vested interest in keeping to the manual. Sometimes it looks great if the balls moved quickly but a lot of the times it's like watching paint dry. The games changed. |
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Reply | Pitch update
at 09:18 21 Jan 2025
It forecasts it to stop raining from lunchtime Friday right up to kick off, plenty of time for the pitch to be playable. |
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Reply | Forest Green away thread
at 08:07 18 Jan 2025
Looking at the league table and the amount of games other teams have already played we should now be really confident of finishing in a play off spot. I think the key is how we approach the games, take the game to our opponents like we did against Fylde and the results will look after themselves. If we over think the game and get embroiled in tactical nonsense...p*ssing about at the back and drawing our opponents on to us etc etc, we invite trouble and give our opponents a opportunity to play in our half of the pitch. I think the key is McNulty, i hope he embraces the challenge of finishing in a play off place and doesnt view it as pressure, because the league has opened up for us now and there's no doubt we have a good enough squad. The play off games then become a bit of a lottery as we all know. We are easily capable of winning two out of our next three league games and the Worthing game is now a fantastic opportunity to leave us only two wins from a trip to Wembley. We could be going to Wembley twice, we are more than capable of doing that and i hope the manager and players are already using the prospect of that happening as motivation for the upcoming fixtures. Let's take the game to FGR today and not die wondering. [Post edited 18 Jan 8:11]
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Reply | Pitch update
at 11:21 17 Jan 2025
Yes probably the best park in the Town but it used to be so much nicer and very well maintained. They had grass tennis courts also but I think they went a long time ago. |
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Reply | Pitch update
at 07:10 17 Jan 2025
I always thought the top of Springfield Park/ running track and pitches would have made a great location for a new stadium and sports village, you could even bring the golf course under the same umbrella and put a new access road in from Roch Valley Way or Bolton Road. Redeveloping the park also which is now looking tired and building a education/ residential complex with investment from the club, council, education, NHS, Government and grants. It's a massive footprint if you include the golf course and park and something that could benefit all parties. [Post edited 17 Jan 7:16]
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Reply | Pitch update
at 08:47 16 Jan 2025
Thanks for that. I was commenting on those at the club who are responsible for the day to day running of it. James question was in relation to which of our current Directors has the responsibility, i wasn't sure there was one. |
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Reply | Pitch update
at 07:50 16 Jan 2025
Yes, good idea that. Why not submit a question to the Trust to ask on your behalf at the fans forum. If there is a Director who is responsible then he will probably address the room and explain the amount of involvement the club have. I've never heard of a individual Director having responsibility for this but then again we are told very little when it comes to how the club is run. I'll be very surprised if any success the football in the community has is driven by any of our Directors. [Post edited 16 Jan 8:37]
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Reply | Pitch update
at 05:51 16 Jan 2025
No. They aren't governed by those running the football club thankfully and are grant funded by the EFL, PFA, Rochdale Council, National Lottery and other partners. They do some fantastic work and the job fair was a resounding success with about 600 people in attendance. I was surprised the football club didn't advertise the event on their social media platforms seeing as it was hosted at the club, I'm sure it would have been of interest to many amongst the fan base. Maybe they did and i missed it. [Post edited 16 Jan 6:05]
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Reply | Tonight’s games
at 21:53 14 Jan 2025
The less we play the more our play off chances increase. Good set of results tonight. [Post edited 14 Jan 21:57]
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Reply | Pitch update
at 15:55 13 Jan 2025
I don't think so, they said that they want to leave a legacy in the Town and being involved with the football club ties in with sport and recreation, education and health. A sporting complex which benefits the whole Town and brings thousands of people together every week or two to watch live football/ rugby is what the Town needs. Incorporate a sports hall, swimming pool , artificial pitches and classrooms etc and that would be a fantastic facility for the whole of the borough. |
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Reply | Pitch update
at 12:58 13 Jan 2025
Those are my feelings, i look at Spotland today and envisage if the club will still be going in thirty years time in its current format. It's showing its age and it's expensive to run, especially as a non league club. It just feels to me as though the time has arrived to consider relocating and the money that needs spending on the pitch and infrastrucre brings that into even more focus. I'm a older fan and we don't like change, I'd be interested to hear what the young fans think because they are the future
[Post edited 13 Jan 13:00]
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Reply | Pitch update
at 12:23 13 Jan 2025
Well it depends what the state of football looks like at the time. Both the Dale and Oldham are financed by wealthy owners without them both clubs might no longer be here. Bury FC have already disappeared, they didn't live to fight another day. So that's three clubs all within walking distance of each other. It would be divisive but it would be better than having no local football club to support. All three Towns have now lost their football league status and projecting forward i don't see how finances at this level are going to greatly improve. Rivalry is all well and good but not if eventually we all end up cutting each other's throats. As i said its radical but things will have to change and I'd prefer the Ogden family to look at the bigger picture rather than just plugging the financial deficit at the current stadium. So a move to a new location in the Town is my preference for the future of the club and it's ultimate goal of sustainability. The footprint of the current stadium and the surrounding area limits our options when it comes to maximising our chances of sustainability i think. [Post edited 13 Jan 12:31]
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Reply | Pitch update
at 09:43 13 Jan 2025
Would you rather the club cease to exist at all, rather than start a new venture with a local club? I'm asking that question as a worse case scenario. |
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Reply | Pitch update
at 08:41 13 Jan 2025
Not sure if this is feasible, i suspect it's not at the moment but my thoughts are more radical than that.
I think the Ogdens need to have a serious conversation about relocating the club within the borough and starting afresh. It would need to be in partnership with the council and other community groups and maybe retail /leisure/college/ education providers. It would require a professional and knowledgeable team to drive the plans forward and help to access funding and grants along the way. Hornets need to be fully involved also.
The whole club needs to change from top to bottom and redeveloping Spotland could be a case of throwing good money after bad. Then there are the perceived problems in respect of planning permission and parking restrictions in a residential area. The plan is to have a stadium that is making money 365 days of the year and being utilised not only for sport but also for leisure and education purposes. I dont think the current location is conducive to all of that and the footfall/ parking and noise issues that come with it. It would be a wrench to leave but going forward i think relocation, alongside a training complex and leisure facilities would be the best option to make the club self sustainable.
I also wouldnt close my mind to amalgamating with another local club, in the long term i think that is going to be a option that many lower league clubs look at. In the meantime i think we will just continue to apply expensive sticking plasters to the pitch and it will be a annual problem. Obviously others will have a different opinion to that but i'm trying to envisage what lower league football clubs and how they generate finance looks like in 10/20/30 years time. [Post edited 13 Jan 9:32]
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Reply | Games tomorrow
at 16:53 10 Jan 2025
I'll meet up with you as a neutral but it will have to be at a home game in March. We can meet up for a beer in the Baum pre- match and speak about some of our club legends like Ted Oliver, it won't take long to work out if you're a BIFFO. That was a nickname that's been earned over decades, it wasn't just given. Send me a PM but don't think you can pull the wool over my eyes because you won't be able to do. I don't want to get into private message ping pong neither, or be mates or anything. Come on your own. |
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Reply | No coach to Stockton
at 11:32 7 Jan 2025
Project 500 is more realistic the way that the club is being run. If those in charge with the day to day running of the club find it such a struggle to communicate with the current fan base then they have next to zero chance of enthusing the public of Rochdale. You need a big character to do that, somebody with great communication skills and somebody who people naturally gravitate towards. There is nobody at the club who fits the criteria, certainly not the co chairman or the club secretary. That's not being disrespectful, it's just speaking the truth. [Post edited 7 Jan 11:33]
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