Due to constant moaning and groaning by some fans, yesterday Wael gave an interview to update those who so desperately needed an update on things. Here is the interview..... Unfortunately, his updates on the training ground and stadium redevelopments etc etc have upset a few moaners and groaners on the other forums because his updates basically is same as before. Nothing new to report on. As a result of this, those moaners on the other forums are moaning even further. They wanted an update as a lack of communication. Wael gave an update. Now some of the same people are saying there was no point making an update. Wael cant win. He doesnt communicate so he gets slated. He then communicates and he still gets slated by the same people. Head doing!!!
I'm so fed up of it this season mainly due to some of our fans I'm really staring to drift away from it all
I'm just an old fellow who had a revitalised interest in my football club, because I really believed that I would still be around when we moved into an impressive new stadium on the back of a renewed success over the last few years under potentially one of the best English football managers of his time. My first season ticket was a pair of complimentary stand tickets given while working voluntarily for Ron and Jan Moules alongside others like Ray Kendall. The successful period under Don Megson included. So to the interview! What a waste of space. Sorry to most of you guys, but the weakness of the piece was not IMO just the answers from Wael but the equally inept interviewing technique. Over 50 percent of the interview trawling dead in the water ground of the UWE negotiations. He should have pressed Wael hard over the matters which are the most important. The future! Where are we going. In detail!!!! Wael trotted out the same old as we have heard before. What else could he say? These guys who are experts in building stadiums? who are they; what have they built; where's the money coming from; when is planning up for approval; when is something going to physically happen. Well at least we learned that the leasehold was a major issue....or have I heard that before? Just two points on a personal basis. Having sat on a University Senate committee for many years and later attempted to form a company partnership with an erstwhile colleague..........one step forward, four steps back. God! That sounds familiar.
If we expected a smooth ride on these issues then we were in for disappointments, planning I am informed by those that deal with these issues are not straight forward. When the time is right we will I believe be told what is happening because there will be something to tell. The main issue now is how much backing will DC get in the transfer window. I know we all want a new stadium and training facilities but these people are business people and they are not going to tell us A anything that that later might not happen B how it is being financed in case someone else moves in and takes the finance for their own project. We have to trust the B O D to do their jobs and running the club in a way that will help us grow
Totally agree with this. A lot of people think that the club should have moved forward a little quicker considering Mr Wael was our new Messiah with loads of money to propel us onwards and upwards. It ain't quite happened that way and reading between the lines it looks like even DC is getting a little p----d off with the situation. He did add in his recent statement that he is hanging on in there for the fans.
The way I see it is that Wael said since day one that he wont be throwing money around as he wants us to be self-sustainable. Evolution not revolution. Things will be a slow process as they are re-building up the club from scratch. How many lower league clubs are currently self-sustainable? I doubt there is many or even any! We were in massive debt which they resolved as soon as they came. The UWE deal was not a good deal for the club that would make us self-sustainable. So they pulled out of the deal for plan B. I they are in the process of designing for plan B. They have plans for the training ground but to be self-sustainable, they are tweaking those plans to be able to build the training ground bit by bit. Makes sense to me! But to be self-sustainable, they want the youth set up better and have improved that area allowing a proper development squad. We have a big squad if you take our development squad into consideration. How much has that effected the wage budget? I dont think some have taken that into any consideration but instead slated the owners for a low budget for the 1st team! They have also increased the number of backroom staff to help support DC and make the development team work. They have been and will continue to revamp the Mem in areas to try to improve facilities for the fans to improve the match day experience. They have increased our capacity adding the other stand which should increase income. To be self-sustainable, Wael needs as much income as possible to strengthen on the pitch and behind the scenes with revamping the Mem as and when. He will be looking at investment to help build the training ground and redevelopment of the Mem. Im sure the Al-qadi family can afford it themselves but why pay for it themselves if someone else is willing to fund it. They got the investment for UWE so im sure they will get it for the Mem when plans are made so they then know how much is needed. Again they have always said they wont throw money at the club as we have to self fund things being self-sustainable. Re-building the club from the bottom up is a massive task which will take time. They havent even had 2 years yet. Give them chance. What I can say is that we are in a much better position now than when under Higgs.
Well said CJS We all want state of the art facilities and this isn't going to happen overnight, if I am still fit enough in 5 years time to get to a Rovers match I still want them to be playing not struggling to survive because the owners threw millions of pounds at it and then when things didn't go as well as they hoped walked away and left us with massive debts and no one to help pay them off. Slowly but surely keeps us on an even keel, I just hope they can provide enough in the meantime to keep DC content as he will be as important in keeping this club progressing
I've been watching The Rovers now for fifty years and in that time we have always played in an absolute dump, there is no way that we are going to attract 'quality players' whilst plying our trade in the current ground, it just looks and feels properly shabby and good players are just not going to want to come here. For the younger generation of fans they may feel that they can wait and be patient for things to improve but for someone who has watched them week in week out home and away for as long as I have I find it very difficult to subscribe to that " It isn't going to happen overnight " statement.
I have watched and supported Rovers since I was first taken to a match as a ten year old by a neighbour at Eastville, I have seen proposals for grounds at Stoke Gifford near to where I lived Kingswood and Severnside come and go, I have watched them at Eastville Bath and the Mem. I don't have a crystal ball to know when the ground/training ground situation is going to improve but it is better to travel in hope than arrive in despair. I think that if the board support his Waitrose list we just might be surprised at the players that come in and I firmly believe that the board will try and support DC because they want to keep him in the managers seat because like most supporters they trust him
