investment

[DonnyOsmond]

I'd rather Rovers become somewhere between Southampton and Crewe then Cardiff/Portsmouth. Investment is needed but not just into the team into the training facilities and youth so that it came make us successful when owners move on or when people call for their money back.

[BillyStubbsTears]

BB

If Virginie Ledoyen and Juliette Binoche from 20 years back offered to satisfy my ever carnal whim for the next 20 years, would I vote for that?

That's my w**k-fantasy question for the day, following on in your style. All of them are equally hypothetical and meaningless.

I support the board's policy of sustainability (read: "Board being prepared to subsidise the club by £1-2m per year) because there is nothing else feasible on the agenda. Simple as that.

[coventryrover]

We have never had enough home grown players coming through.  Do you suggest the current focus is incorrect?

We have enough players to at least get into play off, DW/TB have provided the funds
The reason why we are not up there is due to injuries, inconsistency, not playing to full potential, better opposition, poor manager...

[coventryrover]

BB

If Virginie Ledoyen and Juliette Binoche from 20 years back offered to satisfy my ever carnal whim for the next 20 years, would I vote for that?

That's my w**k-fantasy question for the day, following on in your style. All if them are equally hypothetical and meaningless.

I support the board's policy of sustainability (read: "Board being prepared to subsidise the club by £1-2m per year) because there is nothing else feasible on the agenda. Simple as that.

I thought it was 3-4 million.  Damn our board for subsidising us.  PLease walk away now

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Ask that question to any football fan. They will always wish for more. We are dealing with reality not fantasy. There was no buyer with pots of money. You were misled. Deal with it and move on.

[Lifelong supporter]

i would suggest that most people who are talking about investment on here are really talking about short term gambling.

Investment, certainly for the long term, should be put into the club infrastructure and concentrate on the youth and academy setup.

You mean the same investment already previously provided and concentrating on the youth and academy set up that has produced one saleable asset in the last 15 years? That doesn't sound like a great business plan to me.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

What would be your business plan Lifelong?

[Lifelong supporter]

If you paid me as much as Gavin Baldwin I might be able to come up with one.

[Wellred]

Wellred. Fair dos. I've just never heard you say what you think we SHOULD be doing.

OK it depends on which side of the fence you are sat on.
Am I happy seeing a board of very wealthy men doing the bare minimum to keep our club going with plans for the future which involve nurturing youngsters and bringing them through. (Requiring minimum financial investment)
No I am not.
We are told we have one of the biggest budgets of the teams in this division. Sorry but I don't see a great deal of evidence of it.
We have signed two players on loan this season. 3 if you include a goalkeeper (Bear in mind however that apart from an untried youngster we don't have a permanent signed keeper.)

I don't get why the owners are here. What is the point of putting money into something just to keep its head above water without any visible ambition.
If they don't want to take a gamble the let someone who is prepared to have a go.

[graingrover]

Well I think that I am starting to see what they mean by building a sustainable future . I have just read on Dros about our award for the community development of our own youngsters . I have just read we have given Mandeville and Jack McKay pro contracts .

[Wellred]

Well I think that I am starting to see what they mean by building a sustainable future . I have just read on Dros about our award for the community development of our own youngsters . I have just read we have given Mandeville and Jack McKay pro contracts .

Being the cynic that I am Brian maybe by giving these youngsters a 6 month pro contract on pretty basic wages we are ensuring that nobody comes in and pinches them off us.
It is a step forward when you consider our past but lets see if they are still here at the start of next season.
Maybe then and IF our manager gives them a bit of game time we can be a lot more positive.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

FFS Wellred. It was put on a golden platter for JR and he still f*cked it up. Unless you know someone with real money give it a rest. Lets just wallow in self pity about matters on the pitch which we can all agree on.

[Bentley Bullet]

BST

Of course the question was hypothetical! Don't you answer hypothetical questions? I'll try again.....If there was something else feasible on the agenda, something involving the amount of money similar to that at Brentford/Bournemouth being made available for team building, would you support the idea?

[DonnyOsmond]

Well I think that I am starting to see what they mean by building a sustainable future . I have just read on Dros about our award for the community development of our own youngsters . I have just read we have given Mandeville and Jack McKay pro contracts .

Being the cynic that I am Brian maybe by giving these youngsters a 6 month pro contract on pretty basic wages we are ensuring that nobody comes in and pinches them off us.
It is a step forward when you consider our past but lets see if they are still here at the start of next season.
Maybe then and IF our manager gives them a bit of game time we can be a lot more positive.

They've been given 2 year deals.

[acko]

if you agree that the current board are correct then i suggest you get off dickovs back every time we lose hes not stupid he knows what the supporters are saying,so if the budget is so good dont you think he would have used it,or have the board assured him irrespective his job is safe.dont forget the loanees we have where required due to injuries ect because the squad is short of quality

[BillyStubbsTears]

BB

Yes, of course I would. I'm a football fan just like you and I have the drug-like obsession of wanting to see my team win.

But I'm also grown-up enough to know that that sort of "investment" (sic) can only be good for the long term health of this club if it was sustainable. If it meant shooting for the moon for a couple of seasons, then collapsing, no, I wouldn't support it.

So it's a pointless question.

[coventryrover]

Wellred. Fair dos. I've just never heard you say what you think we SHOULD be doing.

OK it depends on which side of the fence you are sat on.
Am I happy seeing a board of very wealthy men doing the bare minimum to keep our club going with plans for the future which involve nurturing youngsters and bringing them through. (Requiring minimum financial investment)
No I am not.
We are told we have one of the biggest budgets of the teams in this division. Sorry but I don't see a great deal of evidence of it.
We have signed two players on loan this season. 3 if you include a goalkeeper (Bear in mind however that apart from an untried youngster we don't have a permanent signed keeper.)

I don't get why the owners are here. What is the point of putting money into something just to keep its head above water without any visible ambition.
If they don't want to take a gamble the let someone who is prepared to have a go.

Who??  cmon wellred, have you seen this queue of investors

[drfc1951]

If John Ryan sold some of his assets, he could invest somemore.

[Wellred]

Well I think that I am starting to see what they mean by building a sustainable future . I have just read on Dros about our award for the community development of our own youngsters . I have just read we have given Mandeville and Jack McKay pro contracts .

Being the cynic that I am Brian maybe by giving these youngsters a 6 month pro contract on pretty basic wages we are ensuring that nobody comes in and pinches them off us.
It is a step forward when you consider our past but lets see if they are still here at the start of next season.
Maybe then and IF our manager gives them a bit of game time we can be a lot more positive.

They've been given 2 year deals.

If they have then fair enough.

[Wellred]

Wellred. Fair dos. I've just never heard you say what you think we SHOULD be doing.

OK it depends on which side of the fence you are sat on.
Am I happy seeing a board of very wealthy men doing the bare minimum to keep our club going with plans for the future which involve nurturing youngsters and bringing them through. (Requiring minimum financial investment)
No I am not.
We are told we have one of the biggest budgets of the teams in this division. Sorry but I don't see a great deal of evidence of it.
We have signed two players on loan this season. 3 if you include a goalkeeper (Bear in mind however that apart from an untried youngster we don't have a permanent signed keeper.)

I don't get why the owners are here. What is the point of putting money into something just to keep its head above water without any visible ambition.
If they don't want to take a gamble the let someone who is prepared to have a go.

Who??  cmon wellred, have you seen this queue of investors

Investors or buyers?

[Al4475]

This debate will continue for a while yet in one guise or another - and while ever it's done in a sensible friendly way it's a great one! For me - a little more investment wouldn't go amiss but not on mortgaging the club's future! Personally I would invest in a new manager/coach as opposed to chucking millions at new players and wages! I don't know the ins and outs but from the current management coaching staff I'd replace the manager, his assistant and head coach and retain the keeper coach that if I could do it would be my investment! The players we have are (in my opinion) more than good enough but they (keepers) aside are not being coached/managed effectively!  And the gems we have managed to recruit in goal over the last two seasons and great work gerrard does with them is a different kettle of fish to the rest of the squad! I'd invest in a new management team bar gerrard personally!

[silent majority]

i would suggest that most people who are talking about investment on here are really talking about short term gambling.

Investment, certainly for the long term, should be put into the club infrastructure and concentrate on the youth and academy setup.

You mean the same investment already previously provided and concentrating on the youth and academy set up that has produced one saleable asset in the last 15 years? That doesn't sound like a great business plan to me.

That's not what I said.

[bfdoncaster west]

buy land and do  building arond km

[bfdoncaster west]

how did swansea fc do it

[albie]

There is no such thing as "investment" in a club like Rovers. Investment is money put in to generate a return, over and above the initial outlay.

Money spent on clubs like DRFC is a subsidy, pure and simple. If folks can't see that, then then need to keep away from giving financial advice to those who can.

[bfdoncaster west]

how did swansea fc do it

[silent majority]

What I find surprising is that supporters just assume that there are people out there just desperate to buy football clubs and then throw millions in their direction in the hope of some kind of success.

Not only that but why buy DRFC? There are bigger and better options than our club if that's what someone wants to do.

[bfdoncaster west]

how did swansea fc do it

[Bentley Bullet]

BB

Yes, of course I would. I'm a football fan just like you and I have the drug-like obsession of wanting to see my team win.

But I'm also grown-up enough to know that that sort of "investment" (sic) can only be good for the long term health of this club if it was sustainable. If it meant shooting for the moon for a couple of seasons, then collapsing, no, I wouldn't support it.

So it's a pointless question.

BST

Are you suggesting that Brentford and Bournemouth's (to name just two) "investors aren't grown up?

Ridicule this if you like...... Regarding sustainability, Doncaster Rovers are sleeping giants in terms of attracting big crowds.

In the sixties, they had a history of big crowds, and when they were in the fourth division they often attracted bigger crowds not only than all the teams in the fourth division, but also higher than all clubs in the third, and were about half way up in crowd attendances of second division clubs.

The crowds were increasing when we were doing well in the Championship, and had increased significantly over the previous five or so years.

Fans were coming back, and had we sustained our position by a little more investment we could have been a 'sustainable' club in the Championship now.

[acko]

i wont argue with that bullet