[Archived] Brisa What Is The Point?

[Blakey]

Please can somebody tell me what the point in BRISA is? As far as I can see the group is full of so called “do-gooders” who are trying to make themselves look important.

Do you really think that a group of fans can change the mindset of a multi-million pound company? If you do then I personally think that you are sadly mistaken. Ok so you have had meetings with John Williams and Tom Finn, please can you tell me something positive which has come out of these meetings? As far as I can see nothing positive has happened. You need to get a grip on reality, it seems to me like JW and TF meet the group just to pacify you and to make you think that the club is listening.

You keep going on about attendances and lack of atmosphere, why don’t you try and concentrate on the fans that are already there. You will not and cannot attract people to Ewood Park who simply do not want to go. As for the atmosphere it’s up to the fans that attend matches to create the atmosphere, so why don’t some people who have a lot to say on this messageboard get off there fat behinds and get down to Ewood Park, instead of writing from the comfort of their armchair.

I’m expecting some negative feedback from what ive had to say considering all the abuse you have given to Vinjay. I thought that this was meant to be an independent messageboard where everybody could give their point of view, but unless you are one of the “do-gooders” you get shot down and we all know who they are, don’t we?

[LDRover]

The blue touch paper has now been lit.....stand back and watch the fireworks people!!!

[modes98]

I am not a part of BRISA but i can see it has a role to play. Without giving advice and opinions to the people who matter how will they know what we want? If they don't know how can they change things?

[Scotty]

Please can somebody tell me what the point in BRISA is?

The main point of BRISA is to unite Rovers fans everywhere and improve the communication between fans and the club. As our mission statement says, we aim to represent the best interests of Blackburn Rovers supporters everywhere.

As far as I can see the group is full of so called “do-gooders” who are trying to make themselves look important.

I can assure you that none of us are trying to make ourselves look important. As for the "do-gooders" comment, if that's how you want to refer to us then that's up to you. Personally that doesn't worry me at all - I'd rather be a "do-gooder" than a "do-badder". We are simply trying to do the right thing for Rovers supporters.

Do you really think that a group of fans can change the mindset of a multi-million pound company?

I've no idea to be honest but we're going to give it a go. If it doesn't work then at least we've tried.

Ok so you have had meetings with John Williams and Tom Finn, please can you tell me something positive which has come out of these meetings?

In our early days we submitted an Attendance Proposal that was drawn up from suggestions, submitted by a number of fans, on what the club could do to increase attendances, or at least prevent them falling further. Whether the club decide to act on any of these suggestions or not in the future remains to be seen, but at least they know what the Rovers fans think. TF and JW also commented specifically on a number of the key proposed improvements which we then published in one of our meeting minutes.

By meeting with John Williams and Tom Finn we also got to learn about why they price certain games the way they do and what their thoughts are generally regarding our attendances. Again, we've tried to communicate this information back to the fans.

We've also met Tom Finn and Greg Coar, the club's Senior Marketing Manager, to discuss the formation of regional supporters groups. The club have offered to help us set these up as much as they can and we hope to release details of our plans soon.

Finally, as I write this, a couple of the BRISA committee are currently meeting with Tom Finn to talk about resurrecting the Fans Forum. This will allow a group of fans to meet and talk with club representatives about anything to do with Blackburn Rovers. The agenda will be set by the supporters, anyone will be able to submit agenda items, and the minutes of each meeting will be publically available for anyone to read.

You keep going on about attendances and lack of atmosphere, why don’t you try and concentrate on the fans that are already there.

If you have an ideas or suggestions that you think will help then we would be delighted to hear them. If you cannot attend a BRISA meeting in person then submit your suggestions to admin@brisa.org.uk or add them to our messageboard at www.brisa.org.uk and we will raise them at a meeting on your behalf. We are always looking for feedback, always need help, and always welcome new ideas.

I’m expecting some negative feedback from what ive had to say considering all the abuse you have given to Vinjay.

I'm sure you and Vinjay are one and the same person. Anyway, I've attempted to answer your points as best as I can. No negativity, no abuse.

On a more general note I don't really understand why someone would want to knock the principle of BRISA. We are only trying to help and even if we don't get anywhere we've at least tried. We certainly won't be making anything worse.

However, I can understand people knocking the effectiveness of BRISA. After a busy initial six months it's fair to say that the BRISA activity has tailed off significantly over the last six months. There are many reasons for this that I won't bore you with, but we are hoping to 're-launch' BRISA soon and get things up and running again. Organising a regular Fans Forum will be a start.

The main thing that will always drive BRISA forward though is the supporters. If you submit ideas, attend meetings, give us feedback, etc, etc, it will all help us to continue and move forward. In addition, if anyone feels they have the time, the ideas, and the drive to work on the BRISA committee then we'd love to hear from you.

[Blakey]

I'm sure you and Vinjay are one and the same person.

I can assure you that me and Vinjay are not the same person, although he does have some very good points. I am just trying to get my point of view over. BRISA was launched with a blaze of pulblicity and as far as i can see a year on the group has very little to show for their work. It's all good and well having meeting with the top Rovers officials but if nothing positive comes from them what is the point? Sometimes i wonder if its just a publicity stunt so that members of BRISA can prove that they are "true Blackburn fans"

[stuwilky]

I can understand that point of view, but Id be very surprised if many people actually knew who was involved in BRISA other than by an internet moniker?

[USABlue]

I can assure you that me and Vinjay are not the same person,

Really How hard was it for you to write a post without banging on about the Walkers?

[Uddersfelt Blue]

I see you joined the board today. Funny how you are so quick to criticise what was a positive move by genuine caring fans to influence the direction of their club.

If you care so much about your football club then you might want to suggest an alternative and not one which involves selling out to a Russian billionaire.

PS I have nothing to do with BRISA

[promoted2001]

Are you vinjay in disguise?

[Exiled in Toronto]

Can't anyone post anything on this board that goes against the received wisdom without being accused of being Vinjay, a clarrot or both? This is getting worse than 1930's Russia.

While Blakey might have expressed the point better, I think he is saying what many are thinking: BRISA did a much better job publicising their launch and lofty goals than in following through.

I appreciate that I have contributed dick to BRISA, so I am not criticising anyone's efforts; but running around garnering all the publicity about what BRISA was going to do without having the infrastructure in place to follow up on was an error.

Scotty's reply, apart from the dismissive Vinjay reference at the end, is encouraging, and I don't doubt for a second the intent of the individuals concerned, but the reality is that an impression has been created that BRISA is all mouth and trousers. Such an impression, fair or not, has to be dealt with if BRISA is to engage the support of Rovers fans going forwards. Unfortunately, there are few 2nd chances to create a first impression.

Personally, I think the way forwards is for BRISA to get their heads down, forget any PR announcements, and focus 100% on achieving ANYTHING tangible that fans would see as a) being of significance, and would not have happened without BRISA. Resurrecting the Fans Forum might be a start, but then that seemed to suffer from much the same perception.

Edited November 20, 2006 by Exiled in Toronto

[Ste B]

from his details appears he/she is not vinjay.

[SouthAussieRover]

Has the BRISA membership been asked about their views on resurrecting the Fans Forum? No..I didn't think so.

Could the membership possibly be included a bit more in decision making?

[USABlue]

Can't anyone post anything on this board that goes against the received wisdom without being accused of being Vinjay, a clarrot or both? This is getting worse than 1930's Russia.

While Blakey might have expressed the point better, I think he is saying what many are thinking: BRISA did a much better job publicising their launch and lofty goals than in following through.

I appreciate that I have contributed dick to BRISA, so I am not criticising anyone's efforts; but running around garnering all the publicity about what BRISA was going to do without having the infrastructure in place to follow up on was an error.

Scotty's reply, apart from the dismissive Vinjay reference at the end, is encouraging, and I don't doubt for a second the intent of the individuals concerned, but the reality is that an impression has been created that BRISA is all mouth and trousers. Such an impression, fair or not, has to be dealt with if BRISA is to engage the support of Rovers fans going forwards. Unfortunately, there are few 2nd chances to create a first impression.

Personally, I think the way forwards is for BRISA to get their heads down, forget any PR announcements, and focus 100% on achieving ANYTHING tangible that fans would see as a) being of significance, and would not have happened without BRISA. Resurrecting the Fans Forum might be a start, but then that seemed to suffer from much the same perception.

I know you are not Vinjay but are you perhaps related

[Exiled in Toronto]

I know you are not Vinjay but are you perhaps related

If I posted that we're doing an unbelievable job punching above our weight, with a bunch of ungrateful wretches for a fanbase, who are driven away to the by the drummers down to the heniously illegal pubs where they watch a cartel of bent refs blatantly fix Rovers games, then I'd fit right in here!

[Fife Rover]

I can assure you that me and Vinjay are not the same person, although he does have some very good points. I am just trying to get my point of view over. BRISA was launched with a blaze of pulblicity and as far as i can see a year on the group has very little to show for their work. It's all good and well having meeting with the top Rovers officials but if nothing positive comes from them what is the point? Sometimes i wonder if its just a publicity stunt so that members of BRISA can prove that they are "true Blackburn fans"

I accept that you may not be Vinjay, but you sure as hell sound like him!

If you live locally give them your support instead of knocking them. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day. I just wish I lived within 50 miles of Blackburn; I would be getting stuck-in to this BRISA meetings thing, and I would also once again become a S/T holder.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Fife Rover

[joey_big_nose]

I would suggest that you are expecting negative relpies to your post as it is pretty much the only logical response to it.

To me, and to most I would imagine, it seems ridiculous that you are knocking someone else for merely trying to do something. By all means suggest ways to do things differently in order to achieve better results, or object to methods used if you consider it damaging in some way, but to advocate just doing nothing is absolutely pathetic.

Why do someone down for trying to make a difference? It's the single most indefensible argument to adopt. They don't appear to be hurting anybody and they are trying to achieve something, both in stark relief to the nature of your post which only appears motivated to insult the individuals involved.

Incidentally, what on earth is wrong with being a do-gooder? Would you rather everybody sat on their hands and did nothing? What do you wish to achieve through that? You imply that BRISA are having some kind of negative effect through their actions but I can't really see how that is. Unless you can demonstrate that in some way or another you haven't really got a point...

ps. I am not a member of BRISA, but I hate it when people try to discourage others from trying to make a constructive impact in any field. The effort put in, no matter whether you agree with the outcomes, has to be respected not derided.

[Scotty]

Scotty's reply, apart from the dismissive Vinjay reference at the end, ....

I'm not being dismissive at all, merely making an observation based on the content and style of Blakey's post (an observation that others have appeared to make as well). If I'm wrong then I apologise.

[FourLaneBlue]

Can't anyone post anything on this board that goes against the received wisdom without being accused of being Vinjay, a clarrot or both? This is getting worse than 1930's Russia.

The style of his post was very similar to Vinjay's, in fact I'd be surprised if it isn't Vinjay using a different email and computer than usual. Expecting people not to mention it shows that perhaps it is your own viewpoint that is more in line with Pravda.

[Ste B]

Has the BRISA membership been asked about their views on resurrecting the Fans Forum? No..I didn't think so.

Could the membership possibly be included a bit more in decision making?

Part of the BRISA remit is to provide a way of providing dialog between the fans and the club. The FF did that, but suffered from a lack of being open with what was discussed. BRISA has to be careful not to fall into that trap, as imho its suffering from keeping too much behind closed doors. Other than that Scotty has pretty much answered the rest of the points.

Not sure why everybody is jumping on the "you must be Vinjay because...." bandwagon. This is an internet messageboard where people are supposed to be able to discuss their opinions, even if they are wrong. Its kind of like saying you can only discuss things on here if you like cake.

FYI.. its definitely not Vinjay. I've not noticed any negativity towards the club at all in the posts.

[Sparky Marky]

Quote

We've also met Tom Finn and Greg Coar, the club's Senior Marketing Manager, to discuss the formation of regional supporters groups. The club have offered to help us set these up as much as they can and we hope to release details of our plans soon.

Here lies the problem. Greg Coar???...Is this just a coincidence or is this man related to Robert Coar....

If he is, then what a coincidence that the chairmans son/relative is qualified to be Senior Marketing Man for the club....That must be why our Marketing is top notch and the fans are flocking....

:ph34r:

[Ste B]

Here lies the problem. Greg Coar???...Is this just a coincidence or is this man related to Robert Coar....

Not related. He did stress that right from the outset.

[Blakey]

The style of his post was very similar to Vinjay's, in fact I'd be surprised if it isn't Vinjay using a different email and computer than usual. Expecting people not to mention it shows that perhaps it is your own viewpoint that is more in line with Pravda.

I can assure I am not Vinjay and I have no idea who he/she is.

I am a season ticket holder and have been for the last 17 seasons. I just wanted to get my point of view across. After all this is meant to be an independent messageboard where people have the right to air their opinions. As Ste B says "Its kind of like saying you can only discuss things on here if you like cake".

I am not anti "Walker" as Vinjay is, if it wasn't for the Walker family we would probably be in the bottom 2 leagues having to play the likes of Grimsby and Boston every week, we should be grateful for what we have and how far the club has come in the past 15 years.

[FourLaneBlue]

Very well, I will take your word for it and say welcome to the board then Blakey.

As for Ste saying you can say what you like on here...well, we didn't put Vinjay and RoverTheMoon on 'mod watch' did we!

Edited November 21, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[USABlue]

If I posted that we're doing an unbelievable job punching above our weight, with a bunch of ungrateful wretches for a fanbase, who are driven away to the by the drummers down to the heniously illegal pubs where they watch a cartel of bent refs blatantly fix Rovers games, then I'd fit right in here!

Fit in? You'd be God like.

[Paul Mellelieu]

A band of Rovers supporters take time and effort to provide Rovers' fans with a voice and get it in the neck for being do-gooders.

As for influencing the club, the stay away supporters are doing a very good job at changing the club's pricing policy. And which supporters, who live locally and who post here don't go down to the ground?

Thirties Russia? Give it a break.