Club Update

[SLO@DRFC]

We attended a meeting at the club today, to receive an update on both the takeover and what is currently happening at the club. 

We put some of the questions to the club that fans have been asking on social media over the course of the last few weeks.

First of all, we discussed fan engagement and the Meet the Owners events that have proved popular of the course of the last few years.  John Ryan has indicated to the club that he very much wants to continue with these events and they club and John are looking to schedule the next event before the season starts.  However, it should be noted the Louis Tomlinson might not in all probability be able to attend the first meeting due to touring commitments abroad.

This took us on to In Rovers We Trust, and how the new prospective new owners view this successful fan engagement initiative.  Mr Ryan has indicated that he is very passionate about this initiative and wishes it to continue and continue to grow. 

The club has committed to continue to work with supporters to ensure the matchday and club experience continue to be enhanced, with many initiatives discussed and debated through IRWT coming to fruition during the summer months.  Keep your eye out on the official website for further developments on the Roversisation of the Keepmoat Stadium, some exciting developments within the bowl of the stadium to enhance the matchday atmosphere and also an enhanced town centre presence.

The club has also improved the PA system over the summer due to feedback from fans.

To continue its enhance its engagement with the local community a passion which Mr Tomlinson stated when the takeover was announced the club are launching an In Rovers We Trust campaign throughout local Leisure Centres, schools, libraries and community centres (keep an eye out for the posters).  The Schools plan has also recently been completed and the club with continue to work with the community foundation to provide ticket initiatives such as attendance for attendance and player visits to as many local schools as is possible. 

Another exciting initiative for our fans is the club plans to take the first team out during half term breaks (except Christmas) for open training sessions, in four villages in the Doncaster region, this will be our chance to see how Paul and the team at work.

We are all interested in the football side and what ambitions the club have for the coming season.  We are assured that the team has one aim – promotion to the Championship.  We asked about player recruitment and although they is nothing that can be announced we are assured that we should keep an eye out on the official website over the next month for exciting developments.  The players are back in training on Monday.

Finally, fans have also asked about the future of our sister club, Doncaster RLFC.  They are very much part of the future plans and have recently been handed their biggest ever budget as they push for promotion to Super League.

We hope that this feedback has proved helpful to you.  However, should you have any further questions please do not hesitate to send them to us either via this forum or via email at supporterliaison@doncasterroversfc.co.uk and we will put them to the club for you.

Mark and Lee
SLOs

[Bessie Red]

Nice one. Helps to clear up a few concerns.

[Wild Rover]

Please Proof read and make alterations as required. Information gratefully received though.

[since-1969]

What about the Playing side ?.signings ?any more leaving ? Is Wellens to continue as club captain ? Is the new managment happy with clubs season ticket sales ? No new news then .

GOOD !!! to hear that the PA is being upgraded . What about the Big Screen is this still happening .

[DRNaith]

I doubt they'd confirm Wellens as captain yet in case we sign Lampard (jr) before the start of the season.

[since-1969]

Yes of course silly me!!

[Wellred]

No we are signing Messi once Argentina are out of the World Cup.

[DRNaith]

Yes of course silly me!!

Obviously I was joking about actual players involved but I think it gets my point across that an incoming player may be better suited to being captain.

[River Don]

Thanks for that, good to see the continued commitment to fan engagement, IRWT and DRLFC.

[GazLaz]

Put to bed a few things that the "presume the worst brigade" presumed the worst about.

[River Don]

Re: the open training sessions.

Here are a couple of suggestions.

Mexborough is often the forgotten town. I know it's starting to get towards Rotherham and Barnsley territory but it is a Doncaster town. It would be good to see the club trying to extend it's popularity that way out.

Not exactly a village but Anchorage Lane playing fields would be handy for kids from Cusworth, Sprotbrough and Bentley to get to. Perhaps they could look at using the facilities of the Wheatley Rugby club based there?

[PDX_Rover]

Good stuff.

[hoolahoop]

Where is the VSC in all of this, is it now a defunct organisation ?
Noting that this meeting included the SLOs , which other bodies were invited to this meeting Lee ?

[GazLaz]

SLO's work for the club don't they? Surely the VSC will have to organise their own meeting if they want one.  Im sure there is a plan to do this. In fact Hoop, you seem to think you are entitled to know every time JR has a shit, why don't you ask him or Baldwin for a chat? I know Ghosh had a meeting with GB to chat about a few things last season.

[Alickismyhero]

Where is the VSC in all of this, is it now a defunct organisation ?
Noting that this meeting included the SLOs , which other bodies were invited to this meeting Lee ?

In support of Hools, it does sound as though only you were there Lee can you explain why?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Thanks SLO's. Good to hear.

Sounds like business as usual and Gavin is committed to continuing the good work to improve the club bit by bit, brick by brick. 

[DearneValleyRover]

SLO's work for the club don't they? Surely the VSC will have to organise their own meeting if they want one.  Im sure there is a plan to do this. In fact Hoop, you seem to think you are entitled to know every time JR has a shit, why don't you ask him or Baldwin for a chat? I know Ghosh had a meeting with GB to chat about a few things last season.

Gaz the SLO's don't work for the club, or shouldn't their role is for fan engagement with the club, it's an unpaid role.

[GazLaz]

I know they don't get paid but isn't it an initiative that was set up by the club?

[DearneValleyRover]

I know they don't get paid but isn't it an initiative that was set up by the club?

No

[GazLaz]

Who's idea was it then and who bought their jackets?

[Wellred]

Why are questions being asked as to why Lee was the only person at this meeting when in the first post it states WE in the opening of the first two paragraphs?
It even says Mark and Lee at the bottom of the post!!
Unbelievable   

[Alickismyhero]

Are you responding to me welred?

[DearneValleyRover]

Who's idea was it then and who bought their jackets?

They are part of the IRWT initiative Gaz it's irrelevant as to who paid for their jackets, they are not club employees but are a function that allows fans to engage more closely with the club and to help with the Matchday experience

[Mr1Croft]

As Wellred says Mark was also present. But for the point of clarification I wasn't present due to work commitments, as posed above we have been gathering some of the questions on Social Media and put them to the club and have posted the answers received today.

Remember we asked these questions and posted the answers on behalf of, and for the benefit of our fellow supporters, as is everything we do. We also meet with the club officials on a weekly basis on almost all matters relating to fans, so I don't know why the question is being asked why nobody else was involved in said meeting. As SLOs we are merely a communication channel between the fans and the club but that doesn't mean we are the only communication channel, the VSC (as does the Supporters Club) have their own means of communicating with the club (and to an effective level may I add).

As for the SLO Role Specification, it is a UEFA initiative which was originally adopted from the German model. We were appointed by the club on behalf of the supporters, but the fans did have a representative involved in that process. They provide us with the infrastructure and resources necessary to perform our role for the benefit of the fans which in turns benefits the club. As you may already be aware the club have advertised to recruit further SLOs and this process is still ongoing.

According to UEFA SLOs are "Ideally employed by the club in order to liaise with the fans, the SLO(s) is an an advocate of both sides, representing the interests of the club AND those of the supporters."

[IDM]

Keep up the good work Lee (and Mark)..

[Alickismyhero]

Why put "WE" when in fact Lee wasn't present?

It would appear that there was only one person present, Mark, so Hools was right

The point I think Hools was making is that normally the VSC would be there,

where were they?

who took the decision not to invite them?



Lee,

The questions were very soft and gentle and nothing like the ones put forward on the VSC, why?

who selected the questions?

Thats why the VSC should be there asking searching questions, they should have been there! Patsy springs to mind!

[IDM]

Alick,

The SLOs were/are acting on behalf of the fans and the club, why are you interrogating them when all they have done is tried to help?

What does it matter if the term used was "we", this could be referring to the SLO role, not necessarily the people.  I write to business colleagues using "we" to represent what I have done on behalf of my employer.

As for the VSC, it has been quite clearly said that the VSC has their own channels of communication - this one here was for the SLOs not the VSC.

I really don't get the need to be so critical of the actions of the SLOs? 

[DonnyOsmond]

Only on here could someone post helpful information and get interrogated on it.

[The Red Baron]

Why put "WE" when in fact Lee wasn't present?

It would appear that there was only one person present, Mark, so Hools was right

The point I think Hools was making is that normally the VSC would be there,

where were they?

who took the decision not to invite them?



Lee,

The questions were very soft and gentle and nothing like the ones put forward on the VSC, why?

who selected the questions?

Thats why the VSC should be there asking searching questions, they should have been there! Patsy springs to mind!

I think you're being very harsh on the lad. Talk about shooting the messenger!

[Mr1Croft]

Why put "WE" when in fact Lee wasn't present?

It would appear that there was only one person present, Mark, so Hools was right

The point I think Hools was making is that normally the VSC would be there,

where were they?

who took the decision not to invite them?



Lee,

The questions were very soft and gentle and nothing like the ones put forward on the VSC, why?

who selected the questions?

Thats why the VSC should be there asking searching questions, they should have been there! Patsy springs to mind!

The "We" is because we work collectively and its not about 1 of us claiming credit for anything we do. As you can imagine being 2 of us we do work on different things throughout the role and we will each look to achieve different tasks. Every time we communicate something through the SLO channel we don't say who specifically did what because it is a team effort. Although Mark probably does deserve the credit for this as I haven't been much help this week as I've been mourning the passing of a family member.

Once again, we have meetings with the club all year round and unsurprisingly this happened to be the topic for this specific one. That doesn't mean this meeting took place rather than the VSC meeting with the club and as far as I'm aware a VSC director was present at the club today, as to why and what they discussed with the club I don't know and you would have to ask them directly.

I hope this helps.