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Fan Pilots - pointless or not?

Discussion in 'Bristol Rovers' started by Bluebaldee, Sep 16, 2020.

  1. Bluebaldee

    Bluebaldee Total Git

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    This weekend four games in League One will host up to 1,000 fans as pilots:

    Blackpool
    Charlton
    Hull
    Shrewsbury

    My personal view is this is pointless, as much as I’d love to return to the Mem asap.

    There’s no way, with cases rising nationwide, that stadiums will be properly open anytime soon. If Govt start allowing 1k supporters into grounds & declare that they’re helping clubs out then that’s clearly conkers as no pro club can survive with 1k coming through the turnstiles.

    I can’t see the point personally.
     
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  2. Captain Jack Sparrow

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    I can't see the point either. We didn't apply for it apparently.

     
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  3. Gastronomic

    Gastronomic Well-Known Member

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    I won't be going to crowded places until things seem much safer. I think we'll end up with more younger people going to crowded events and then spreading the virus and killing more old people. Sooner or later so many people will have had the virus that it won't spread any more. Or they'll find a vaccine. Hopefully there will be a vaccine some time in the new year.
     
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  4. Delsy

    Delsy Active Member

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    I think Rovers rejected the pilot scheme because of the costs involved in putting the game on. Makes you wonder though if at any time soon the EFL say that we can have a thousand or two supporters in the ground will they give those places to ST holders or people paying on the day ?
    I just want to see fans back in the grounds and as soon as possible please, football at the moment is just such a non entity.
     
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  5. old timer

    old timer Well-Known Member

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    According to Martin Starnes Rovers have sold in excess of 3000 season tickets so with a thousand supporters only at each game we are only going to see 1 match in 3. He also stated they were not informed that they could take part until about 10 - 30 am and they had until about 2 - 30pm to confirm or decline, they declined on the basis they didn't have sufficient time to put safety measures in place.
    I would rather they declined than put the safety of supporters in danger and I desperately want to see Rovers Play and meet with friends made through attending matches
     
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  6. Captain Jack Sparrow

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    On top of that, having fans would require having stewards etc so that's an example of costing us more than if we had no fans <ok>
     
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  7. Captain Jack Sparrow

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    Would be season ticket holders only if we allowed fans back in gradually.
     
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  8. Captain Jack Sparrow

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    From 0ur CEO...

    Hopefully the Government can be persuaded to allow stadiums to be opened providing it can be determined it is safe to do so, for at least a proportion of our supporters to attend. We did receive a communication from the EFL just before 11.30 on Tuesday offering us the opportunity to run today’s game as a pilot event with 1,000 fans attending. However, we were only given until 2pm the same day to obtain the go ahead with our Safety Advisory Group and the SGSA. This was an impossible timeline to achieve and work out who we would be able to admit to the game. We have over 3,000 season ticket holders currently and our submissions to the authorities so far reflect the fact we want all of that number to be able to watch the games at the Mem as an absolute minimum…..sooner rather than later.

    In the meantime, as part of our ongoing plans for a return to spectators, we have contacted all season ticket holders with some questions about a return. This guidance will help us further develop our plans to ensure that all season ticket holders can attend matches when safe. Furthermore, all season ticket holder have now been sent their codes to view the match this weekend on iFollow free of charge. This provision will remain in place until attendances surpass 50% of stadium capacity.
     
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  9. Delsy

    Delsy Active Member

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    Oh Well, all hypothetical now eh ? Can't see fans back this year now and maybe not until the 21/22 season :emoticon-0106-cryin
     
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  10. GreatWesternGas

    GreatWesternGas Well-Known Member

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    After the expected news today regarding sports attendances, I wonder how many league 1 and 2 clubs are going to survive the season, with no income anytime soon. Many of them are in dire financial straits anyway, but no attendees possibly at all this season, and certainly for the remainder of 2020, will probably see a few go into administration before the season is even ended. One thing's for sure, they'll get no help from the EFL and even less from the Premiership, who are only interested in their own profit margins etc. If this drags on well into next year, which I think it will, it would not surprise me one iota to see the football season curtailed early again!
     
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  11. Bluebaldee

    Bluebaldee Total Git

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    You can go to the pub but your kids can’t see their grandparents.

    You can watch a Sunday league game down the park but you can’t have a kick about in the same park with 6 of your mates.

    Go to work, don’t go to work.

    It’s all a bit of a pig’s ear.

    I agree with GWG - many clubs will go to the wall unless there is either government help, a cash injection from the Premier League or fans are let back into stadiums.

    Will there be a League One and League Two for 2021-2022? At this rate there might not be.
     
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  12. GreatWesternGas

    GreatWesternGas Well-Known Member

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    ' many clubs will go to the wall unless there is either government help, a cash injection from the Premier League or fans are let back into stadiums.' The problem is, I would imagine that the government may well help sport out financially in some way, to compensate for loss of revenue etc, but the bulk of the cash will go to the 'big boys' in the Premiership mainly, as money seems to go to money nowadays, and these clubs are higher profile than us minnows. The more noise you make, the more notice others seem to take of you! These clubs are spending tens of millions on new players at a time like this, and yet they will still go to the Government Benefit section with the begging bowl, at the expense of the more deserving clubs - you wait and see!
     
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  13. Captain Jack Sparrow

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    Macclesfield are gone due to failing to pay debts of 500k. Some prem players get that in less than 2 weeks wages! Prem clubs can survive without fans attending due to TV money but most of the 72 football league clubs can't, especially L1 and L2.

    Prem clubs can afford a one off payment of 7.2 million each. Easily. If each club puts that amount up, that would equal 144 million. Divide that equally among the 72 football league clubs, that would mean 2 million per club to pay majority of the clubs staff and player wages. Not to be used to buy players. Just help the wage bill. This will save so many clubs.
     
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  14. old timer

    old timer Well-Known Member

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    CJS do you really think the premier league give a dam about l 1& 2 they wont realise we are not there until they will have to bring on their young players instead of taking of clubs like Rovers, Exeter for peanuts
     
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  15. Captain Jack Sparrow

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    No I don't think the club gives a damn. But they should.
     
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  16. Captain Jack Sparrow

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    Just came across this...

    Frank Lampard believes the Premier League has a “heart” and will do its bit to support struggling EFL clubs through the coronavirus pandemic.
    While England’s top tier received the lion’s share of their income from TV revenue, which has remained strong through the COVID outbreak, clubs in the EFL are losing tens of thousands of pounds per week due to playing in front of empty stadiums. That financial pain is set to continue for some time yet, with a spike in cases forcing plans for the return of fans on October 1 to the backburner.

    Lampard, whose Chelsea side face Barnsley in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, is confident the Premier League will make “positive moves” to help protect lower-league clubs from financial ruin. Lampard told the Guardian:
    “If you are talking about how Premier League clubs can help those lower down in the leagues, we have paid for the tests for Barnsley. It’s a sign of a club in the Premier League doing the right thing. I think it’s important that the Premier League as a collective looks at supporting the EFL, the leagues below and grassroots football, absolutely. That’s the base of why we’re all here. I started and (a lot) of the young players started in Sunday league football. I’ve managed in the Championship. I understand a lot of the difficulties that clubs are having, so I think there certainly can be a conversation. I can’t go too political because I don’t know enough about the numbers, but I do think clubs in the Premier League and the Premier League themselves have a heart. They understand the situation and I’m sure as we move forward they will be making positive moves on that front.”

    The Telegraph claims the EFL wants £200 million from the Premier League to cover the cost of the lack of income from crowds.

    EFL Chairman Rick Parry has told the Premier League that behind closed doors games are costing the 72 EFL clubs £20 million per month amid talks to negotiate a funding deal.

    Outspoken Gillingham chairman Paul Scally has urged the Premier League to “step in and help the family”, claiming his club could go “out of business by Christmas” without financial support. Scally told the Mirror:
    “You cannot tell me that with Chelsea spending £200m in the transfer market there is no money in the Premier League to help out the EFL clubs. We should be a family in football. We’ve been a family for 125 years and now when a member of the family is struggling badly it’s time for wealthy big brother to step up and help the family. It’s as simple as that. This latest blow will be devastating for all clubs in the EFL. I’ve already been worried sick about it. Last night I woke up at 4am because I couldn’t sleep through worry, it’s a day-to-day existence and it will be the same for all clubs. We’ve been told they are going to try to help us, I don’t know in what form, but that can’t come soon enough otherwise clubs will go out of business.”

    Scally’s concerns were echoed by Portsmouth CEO Mark Catlin. He told the News:
    “With each month it goes on, I am now really starting to worry. Unless fans are going to be allowed back in or there is some form of bail out, I worry for the future of football generally unless something is done urgently. We are stable, but even a club as stable as us are losing revenue at this moment in time. That’s £700,000-plus each month in lost revenue.”

    But Burley manager Shaun Dyche believes the Premier League bailing out smaller clubs could set a dangerous precedent. He said:
    "If the Premier League can do their bit to enhance the chance of other teams surviving, and when that is needed, possibly they’ll step in. But if you are going to apply that rule of thumb, does that mean every hedge fund manager that is incredibly successful, are they going to filter that down to the hedge fund managers that are not so successful? There’s lots of different businesses out there making huge sums of money that could therefore protect similar lines of business but lower down. If you are going to apply it to football, I think you have to apply it across the country to everyone and every business."
     
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  17. Bluebaldee

    Bluebaldee Total Git

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    Yeah thanks Shaun - equating L1 & 2 clubs with “less successful hedge fund managers”.

    For a bloke who plied his trade in the lower leagues that’s a crap analogy and a heartless approach.
     
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  18. GreatWesternGas

    GreatWesternGas Well-Known Member

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    Nice to see where Mr Dyche's priorities lie - sounds a bit like 'I'm alright Jack!' Some people forget their roots very quickly. I read earlier today that Macclesfield went bust for the sake of £500,000. Gareth Bale is apparently being paid £600,000 a WEEK by Tottenham, and there must be numerous others on similar deals in the Premiership. I know we would all dream of Rovers one day playing at that level (even though we know it's never going to happen realistically) but to be honest, I'd rather we stayed where we are than end up like the money orientated franchises that are operating in the Premiership.
     
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  19. Captain Jack Sparrow

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    please log in to view this image
     
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  20. Delsy

    Delsy Active Member

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    It's very confusing isn' it ?

    I am not going to say that there isn't a bug out there but I don't think now that it is anything like as dangerous as it was first made out to be and to penalise the 'whole' of society is a massive over reaction in my mind. If this carries on for much longer I think the government are going to start to see all sorts of knock on effects which will be detrimental to everyones wellbeing and will end up turning this virus in to some kind of a sideshow.
     
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