Something Is Rotten In The State Of Denmark

[Donnybob]

So said Marcellus in Hamlet, Act I. Wikipedia explains it as a phrase often quoted when something is not right, rife with errors from top to bottom, leading to suspicion of motive. When the administration knows about the problems and chooses not to prevent them, then clearly something is rotten in the state of Denmark. That’s where things are at the Keepmoat today.

The number of dissatisfied supporters posting negative views on this forum is on the increase. To be fair there have always been dissenters, even when times were good, but not on the scale we’re witnessing right now. It’s a problem for the club that, if not addressed, will have catastrophic consequences. The club cannot afford to alienate the fan base further.

As ever, when things are in turmoil those at the heart of the matter can seldom identify the true problem. One doesn’t have to be a genius to recognise the effects though. An awful lot of folk have turned their back on the club already, walked away, having vowed or are vowing that they have had enough. Others are following in their footsteps. A run of fortunate results has papered over cracks that are a mile wide. But the problems aren’t something that can be put right with a few good results, they lie much deeper, in the very foundations of the club

Let me try and point out what has gone wrong.

When John Ryan took on the role of Chairman he vowed to resurrect the club. He set targets and made promises. We would win things, build a new ground, rise through the leagues and establish ourselves in the Second Tier. He shared a vision that supporters could buy into and he delivered on those promises. And then his head was turned by a crazy madcap scheme. A scheme that ultimately proved to be an unmitigated disaster for which the responsibility has to lie at his own door.

Roll forward a year and for the first time in a decade the club is currently operating without any kind of direction or strategy in a tin pot division without a single outstanding team yet there is no shared dream. There is no plan. There’s no declared vision. It’s a case of slash the spending, try and stabilise and then let’s see what happens. This is the most pointless season the club has been involved with in more than a decade.

Does anyone really believe the club genuinely wants to gain promotion this season? Is there a structure in place to finance a return to the Championship? Or would we come tumbling straight back down again in total disarray? Can we even afford to invest in the squad that would be required at that level simply to avoid total embarassment?

Fans without the benefit of rose-tinted spectacles can clearly recognise Doncaster Rovers is a club going nowhere fast. The support has all-but halved in a year. Even paid-up season ticket holders are threatening to stay away because the fare on offer is so dire.

I don’t think Ryan’s heart is in it any more. It’s good that he is still putting his hand in his pocket but does he still put his head on the pillow at night and dream the impossible dream? I doubt it very much. Remember how eager he was to see his face on TV, hear his voice on radio and have his picture in the papers when things were on the rise? Does he still have the same passion, determination, drive, ambition and sheer desire to drive forward the club he presumably still loves?

I guess it’s less easy when your fingers have been badly burned.

John Ryan is still a hero although I think we have to accept that he’s changed. He’s not the man he was and we certainly have no right to criticise him for his faltering enthusiasm. John Ryan isn’t getting any younger.

Be honest, is he the dynamic ebullient leader that Rovers’ fans loved and who got up the noses of other clubs’ fans. He’s no longer the public face of the club. He’s taken a back seat and right now this club needs strong, positive, visible leadership. It needs to lay its cards on the table and tell its fans what it plans to do this year, next year, in the next five years and hopefully beyond that.

Clearly the fans are not buying into the current set-up. If they were the ground would be full. There’s far more to the malaise than winning ugly, selling better pies, opening a cash turnstile or having a singing section. The disaffected fans need someone to trust and believe in. They need a dynamic, charismatic leader to put their faith in or ten years of hard work will be wasted.

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing John Ryan is to find his own successor. He knows and I’m sure that deep down you also know he cannot go on forever. Unpalatable as it might seem, perhaps that time has come.

These views will not sit comfortably with a lot of folk who believe they love the club but instead of throwing your teddies out of the pram and having a tantrum, think about what I’ve said. This club needs leadership. It pains me to say it but the current leadership is not visible or effective enough and that’s where we have to start if the club is to be salvaged and this fan versus fan carnage ended.

[Filo]

So, in short, you`re not happy and feel the need to whinge, after a couple of defeats?

[colin cramb]

i couldnt be bothered to read that

[NorthNorfolkRover]

Ash tree disease ?

[SkellowRover]

Bob hasn't been happy with events at the club for a long time Filo not just after a couple of defeats and personally i completely understand why.
Also if people knew who DB was then maybe they would understand why a lot of his posts are long as he has been a respected writer in his field in the media for many years.

[wilts rover]

Doncaster Rovers v Yeovil Town, 16 December 2007

Score; 2-1 to Yeovil Town
Attendance; 5,967

The Rovers goal was an OG in the last minute and we didn't have a shot on target. The defeat left Rovers 10th in League 1.

Do you not remember the furore after this game? O'Driscoll must go? Tactily clueless, worst manager we ever had? The old forum and P&G were full of it. Have we lost 4000 fans? Or are we the most overachieving club in the 21st century and just back to where we were, but with twice the budget?

Get real. We are a little club in South Yorkshire, we aren't Barcelona (or F C Copenhagen), we are where we are and that's where John Ryan has brought us. And for all he has done the least he deserves is to make his own decisions when he wants to step down - not having fans call for his to go when a new team is 8th in League 1 in November.

I remember this argument with Bob G in the summer. I have the utmost respect for Bob, I dont for you. You are a spoilt brat who winges if everything is not as you want it. Take the rough with the smooth, you disgust me.

Is this a dagger I see before me, the handle towards my hand.

[keepmoatman]

i couldnt be bothered to read that
[/quote

ditto

[Filo]

Bob hasn't been happy with events at the club for a long time Filo not just after a couple of defeats and personally i completely understand why.
Also if people knew who DB was then maybe they would understand why a lot of his posts are long as he has been a respected writer in his field in the media for many years.

We`re talking football not catching fish!

[SkellowRover]

Bob hasn't been happy with events at the club for a long time Filo not just after a couple of defeats and personally i completely understand why.
Also if people knew who DB was then maybe they would understand why a lot of his posts are long as he has been a respected writer in his field in the media for many years.

We`re talking football not catching fish!

But he's getting a few bites lol

[bedale rover]

when we moved into the KMS there was about 10 of us who got season tickets in the west stand to sit together like we had on the popside

out of the 10 there are only 3 left

we have gradually been losing the longstanding fans and dont seem to be able to entice them back

it may be that they may have liked the old "pubteam" mentality and the more "businesslike" approach has alienated people

whatever it is the rovers are not holding on to fans with over 20-30 years of supporting the reds

we need to not only attract new fans and not lose the old ones

i agreed with donnybob at the moment going to the rovers is a chore not a pleasure and somehow we need to enthuse ALL our fans

[dickos1]

We can't be losing many of the fans that've been coming for 20 odd years cause our gates are massive even now, compared to ten years ago, even the last time we were in this league our average wont be much different come the end of the season.

[BigH]

Sorry DB but I don't agree with you.

I can't be arsed picking your post apart - Homeland's on in half an hour - but I suggest you start reading the papers.

The whole ****ing world has been turned upside down over the last few years, not just lil DRFC. And yet there are those who think that the way the world works is that everything stays on an upward curve in a benign environment. It doesn't.

You have a point about JR needing to have a successor at some point. Personally, I hope its a very long way off. Not only is he the Chairman but he is the most enthusiastic supporter of DRFC that I've met. I just hope that he skims over your thread because I'm sure it would hack him off if he read it.

[dumbroofer]

we are worse bedale out of the dozen or so who used to go there is now not even a single one

[Filo]

Bob hasn't been happy with events at the club for a long time Filo not just after a couple of defeats and personally i completely understand why.
Also if people knew who DB was then maybe they would understand why a lot of his posts are long as he has been a respected writer in his field in the media for many years.

We`re talking football not catching fish!

But he's getting a few bites lol

Like I said, it`s all well and good writing an article in the Angling Times or Anglers Mail or whatever publication he writes for nowadays, he`s very knowledgeable and experienced in that field, but to my knowledge, he does n`t posses those same attributes as regards to running a football club, so he chooses to disguise his whining and moaning as some kind of Shakespearean masterpiece.

[dickos1]

We have a core fan base of about 3k fans, fans that will go every week, go a lot of the away games, then we have a lot that will come when we're doing well or got a big game.
I know a lot who started going when we went keepmoat, even got season tickets, but they weren't hard core fans they didnt regurlarly attend belle vue, and now the excitement of the new ground and championship football has gone they dont regurlarly attend attend the keepmoat.

[redwine]

Bob hasn't been happy with events at the club for a long time Filo not just after a couple of defeats and personally i completely understand why.
Also if people knew who DB was then maybe they would understand why a lot of his posts are long as he has been a respected writer in his field in the media for many years.

We`re talking football not catching fish!

....and there's me thinking Filo meant Hemingway.

[Dagenham Rover]

Bob hasn't been happy with events at the club for a long time Filo not just after a couple of defeats and personally i completely understand why.
Also if people knew who DB was then maybe they would understand why a lot of his posts are long as he has been a respected writer in his field in the media for many years.

We`re talking football not catching fish!

....and there's me thinking Filo meant Hemingway.

Well theres a comment made in Ernest   

[hoolahoop]

Sadly there were 11 of usall STH's at OBV and the KMS.........there are only the 2 of us who now go regularly and neither of us have season tickets. In my case it's due to my new working hours.
Would I stop going ? Not a chance but there have been a chain of events that have caused this negativity and a split in the fanbase.
Deriding/ignoring DB's post is not the answer , he has made many valid points and hasn't imo derided JR in any way whatsoever. I sense despair in his post and simply can't understand why he merits simple 'one liner' blase and childish responses.
Strange how many couldn't bother to read it but still felt inclined to comment on it's content. 

[Viking Don]

Maybe people are forgetting or just choosing to ignore just how many people came on this board to moan about the previous manager.

I just think we're in a lower league so should accept a lower standard of football and opposition so really should go to games for a laugh and day out rather than wanting to see us do a bad impression of Barcelona.

I know players get it in the neck for not being 'loyal' when they move clubs for money, but we're just supposed to be Donny supporters so loyalty doesn't even come into it, we just go anyway, maon if we want, get bored a lot, but still go next week because they're our team. Maybe I missed summat along the premiershite years...

[The Red Baron]

I just think we're in a lower league so should accept a lower standard of football and opposition so really should go to games for a laugh and day out rather than wanting to see us do a bad impression of Barcelona.

Would be nice if we could have a laugh, but most of the games I've seen at the Keepmoat have made me want to weep.

[Dagenham Rover]

I've read the post some of which I agree with some of which I don't,   however

"It’s a case of slash the spending, try and stabilise and then let’s see what happens."

Do you really think there was any choice in it, if we hadn't slashed the spending  the club would go bust very quickly it is totally irrelevant what the owners personal wealth is.

It needs either parachute payments or clauses in contracts "if you fail at your job and the club is relegated your salary is reduced by 50%"  then see the buggers try

[Viking Don]

That's a good thing though, better than just wanting instant gratification from watching a winning side every week. It's life, it's not all good.

[hoolahoop]

I just think we're in a lower league so should accept a lower standard of football and opposition so really should go to games for a laugh and day out rather than wanting to see us do a bad impression of Barcelona.

Would be nice if we could have a laugh, but most of the games I've seen at the Keepmoat have made me want to weep.

Agreed with the exception of the Hull game, I would have  preferred  multiple dental appointments.

[Viking Don]

See above

Don't try and tell me you don't have a laugh, you wouldn't go otherwise. I don't mind folk moaning, I bloody do it enough, but I bloody still love it, just like you lot!

[Dagenham Rover]

I just think we're in a lower league so should accept a lower standard of football and opposition so really should go to games for a laugh and day out rather than wanting to see us do a bad impression of Barcelona.

Would be nice if we could have a laugh, but most of the games I've seen at the Keepmoat have made me want to weep.

Agreed with the exception of the Hull game, I would have  preferred  multiple dental appointments.

Now that I don't believe 

[bobjimwilly]

The issues that Donnybob has raised are the sort of issues the VSC are here to help with, to get answers for, to try and rectify. If we had more members of the VSC, more members like Donnybob, and more people wanting answers, we would have a stronger voice with the club and we can pursue organising open forums with the club for peoples voices to be heard.

I know many on this forum don't want to join the VSC, and some even seem against the VSC, but no-one can argue with the phrase "stength in numbers", which is what the trust is all about.

Donnybob, my advice is join the VSC, make your concerns official, even demand a meeting with the directors and maybe your opinions will have more strength. At the minute many will view them as a random mans rants on a football forum, and who, in all honestly, really listens to those sorts of people?

[RedJ]

maybe time for another Donnybob challenge? God knows there's enough empty seats to bring a friend each

[Viking Don]

TBH there's some made up stuff in that report.

"There is no plan. There’s no declared vision. It’s a case of slash the spending, try and stabilise and then let’s see what happens"

That's a plan isn't it?

As for halving the attendances, I like to see just how big that fish was he caught...

OK I'm gonna join the VSC again tomorrow, I joined before on some special offer that turned out to be a load of cobblers, which put me off, but I'll send you boys some cash tomorrow as I think you deserve it for your unceasing efforts to promote DRFC.

[BobG]

One thing, I think relevant, that's not been mentioned on this thread so far: who controls the power in DRFC today? It's an important question. We all know the answer of course. But no one has yet suggested that that is perhaps one of the reasons for JR's noticeable lack of visibility. I think that's a thought worth bearing in mind. Further, I think all this is a sign of things to come. Those with the power control the destiny. Just where are we going? DonnyBob has hit the nail right on the head.

BobG

PS I suppose, once again, I'm about to be cast in the role of Cassandra......

[hoolahoop]

One thing, I think relevant, that's not been mentioned on this thread so far: who controls the power in DRFC today? It's an important question. We all know the answer of course. But no one has yet suggested that that is perhaps one of the reasons for JR's noticeable lack of visibility. I think that's a thought worth bearing in mind. Further, I think all this is a sign of things to come. Those with the power control the destiny. Just where are we going? DonnyBob has hit the nail right on the head.

BobG

PS I suppose, once again, I'm about to be cast in the role of Cassandra......

More like Rodders.