[Archived] Big Sam Autobiography

[Paul]

Blackpool, media and FA darlings! LoL! Really? Bunkum.

All this shows is the Bpool fans group of more resourceful and dedicated to the cause than our prawn sandwich brigade, they've a desire to bring about change, our lot simply don't care enough.

What do you mean by "all this shows," to me it sounds rather dismissive. It was good TV, well put together and explained the issues from the supporters' view well - I knew the basic issue but not much of the detail.

As for "our lot don't care enough" I think there are other reasons, which never get a mention, why many were unwilling to take direct action.

[tomphil]

Might just be that Blackpool have a fan who's high up in local media circles. We on the other hand had an enemy with fingers and clients within SKY TV and god knows where else.

[K-Hod]

We got fitted up and smeared good and proper by JA's friends in high places.

Absolutely nothing to do with the lack of willingness of the fans.

[Gav]

What do you mean by "all this shows," to me it sounds rather dismissive. It was good TV, well put together and explained the issues from the supporters' view well - I knew the basic issue but not much of the detail.

As for "our lot don't care enough" I think there are other reasons, which never get a mention, why many were unwilling to take direct action.

Blackpool fans have been protesting week in week out for months now, much of which has been away from a match days. Several high profile stunts have been in the national and local media and we can't even fill a Q&A with the manager, Shaw and Myers.

So that's where my comments came from.

[K-Hod]

People have had the stuffing knocked out of them and have voted with their feet for the most part I'd suggest.

[Amo]

Blackpool, media and FA darlings! LoL! Really? Bunkum.

It used to be cute when Den used it now and again, but you're gonna wear out that word soon.

[den]

Blackpool fans have been protesting week in week out for months now, much of which has been away from a match days. Several high profile stunts have been in the national and local media and we can't even fill a Q&A with the manager, Shaw and Myers.

So that's where my comments came from.

We'd fill the stadium if Venkys were willing to do a Q and A Gav.

The problem with the three amigos being in front of the fans was always going to be

1) they wouldn't have any answers to the real questions and

2) nothing the fans could say to them could change anything.

[Gav]

We'd fill the stadium if Venkys were willing to do a Q and A Gav.

The problem with the three amigos being in front of the fans was always going to be

1) they wouldn't have any answers to the real questions and

2) nothing the fans could say to them could change anything.

Or far to many fans are all p1ss and wind den

I'm getting pulled back in to the same arguments all over again, time to logout again and give the site a miss.

Bye for now.

[scotty_beam_me_up]

Alan Myers said his former employers gave Rovers a rough ride and unfortunetly most fans get their football knowledge from Sky Sports News. This is why you often hear in pubs arguments about pass completion and the new one this week.... sprints completed. Jerome Anderson and K**n had a platform to put their point across and we didn't.

The point about Blackpool is interesting. They may have sympathy from the outside football world but what has it actually got them? Oyston still in charge and their team freefalling through the leagues.

[tomphil]

There it is in a nutshell, it's made no difference to Blackpool nor the Oystons and as admirable as their efforts may be as time goes on it'll peter out. I'm not saying for a minute that no one should do anything but it just shows what we are up against. The stability that was reached some time ago ended up being a soothing factor to a lot of fans and now it's just frustration that we can't kick on for most.

The bigger picture of course is the death by a thousand cuts we are in the grip of but people just don't seem to see it.

[onlyonejackwalker]

Or far to many fans are all p1ss and wind den

I'm getting pulled back in to the same arguments all over again, time to logout again and give the site a miss.

Bye for now.

P1ss and wind? Seriously, what was the point of the Q and A as I personally cannot think of anything tangible or with lasting benefit?

What point detailing Rovers defensive frailities to Bowyer? Do you think he doesn't know already? I could have asked Shaw about going 'rogue', but to what effect? It didn''t cost him his job first time round and he is clearly just a token figurehead. I also could have asked Myers 'what do you do' and 'when do you do it'? Would it have helped at all?

I worked under Shaw in the 90's. He is totally gormless. Spending an evening with him I can well do without. The other two are also self-serving beneficiaries of the owners lasting stupidity. You think mass attendance and an unsavoury night for all three would have helped it would appear. Help who? To what affect? What would have changed?

Like Den has said. I don't need to listen to Bowyers bullshitting about performances and results and players when I can just look at the league table. Or Shaw struggling with his maths, spreadsheets and yearly management accounts as we lose another 20 million. I'd have turned up for the Raos, simply to see whether any light at the end of this tunnel was in anyway visible.

Good on you if you got sloshed at the QandA and asked about Bolton tickets. Not sure how it helps but bully for those that do.

[sambo]

Blackpool fans have been protesting week in week out for months now, much of which has been away from a match days. Several high profile stunts have been in the national and local media and we can't even fill a Q&A with the manager, Shaw and Myers.

So that's where my comments came from.

And the thing is, Blackpool haven't achieved much. Rovers fans protested for a long time and got nowhere - I agree more should have turned out (I did) but the Venky's seem to be blind, deaf and dumb with regards to fan feelings.

From reading your posts you don't mind GB and want him to do well, which is fair enough. Surely escalating the protests and invading the pitch/boycotting like Blackpool would have a detrimental effect on the team? I could swear I've seen you encourage people to 'back the team', but escalating the protests would do the opposite.

It just seems like your views on GB and Venky's conflict with each other - I see no way we could copy the Blackpool model and not disrupt Bowyer and the 11 men on the pitch. What would you propose we do? That's a genuine question, as I have no idea.

[riverside returns]

I guess that the fundamental issues relating to the two cases are that in Blackpool's case, the villain of the piece lives and works in the area of the club and is visible.

In our case and this may be why there is little fan appetite, the Rao's live and work several thousands of miles away and whilst action may make some ripple in the smelly pond of broadcasting for a minute or two it has exactly the same effect on the owners as the square root of jack s41t.

In that scenario, and in the minds of many, the only result of any action is to give those that have bent and twisted our recent history, some exposure or alternatively, give those that undertake the action the warm fuzzy feeling that they are having some effect over the whole scenario, which is as deluded as it is possible to be.

[Gav]

Everyone had an opportunity to ask a question of the man running Blackburn Rovers in the UK, any question, but the vast majority of people decided they couldn't be bothered, would rather moan and groan from complete anonymity, its just not worth it.

Everyone had the chance to ask Bowyer any question, he's the man running the playing side and berated more than anyone else at the club, but the vast majority of people decided they couldn't be bothered, would rather moan and groan from complete anonymity, its just not worth it.

Well you had your chance, you bottled it, so stop bl00dy complaining.

[OJRovers]

Everyone had an opportunity to ask a question of the man running Blackburn Rovers in the UK, any question, but the vast majority of people decided they couldn't be bothered, would rather moan and groan from complete anonymity, its just not worth it.

Everyone had the chance to ask Bowyer any question, he's the man running the playing side and berated more than anyone else at the club, but the vast majority of people decided they couldn't be bothered, would rather moan and groan from complete anonymity, its just not worth it.

Well you had your chance, you bottled it, so stop bl00dy complaining.

I don't think asking questions would've made any difference anyway.

The bottle-job was the majority who didn't support the protests back when it might have made a difference.

[K-Hod]

Everyone had an opportunity to ask a question of the man running Blackburn Rovers in the UK, any question, but the vast majority of people decided they couldn't be bothered, would rather moan and groan from complete anonymity, its just not worth it.

Everyone had the chance to ask Bowyer any question, he's the man running the playing side and berated more than anyone else at the club, but the vast majority of people decided they couldn't be bothered, would rather moan and groan from complete anonymity, its just not worth it.

Well you had your chance, you bottled it, so stop bl00dy complaining.

Even if they'd given us the answers we wanted, actions speak louder than words.

[TeamGB-11]

Everyone had an opportunity to ask a question of the man running Blackburn Rovers in the UK, any question, but the vast majority of people decided they couldn't be bothered, would rather moan and groan from complete anonymity, its just not worth it.

Everyone had the chance to ask Bowyer any question, he's the man running the playing side and berated more than anyone else at the club, but the vast majority of people decided they couldn't be bothered, would rather moan and groan from complete anonymity, its just not worth it.

Well you had your chance, you bottled it, so stop bl00dy complaining.

Exactly what I posted a few days ago..

[Pedro]

Exactly what I posted a few days ago..

What is the point of asking probing questions to a man who states that performances have been good since he took the reins? Someone who is fairly happy with this season's 16% win rate?

If I want to bring that level of stress and irritation into my life I could save a fiver and take an angle grinder to my scrotum. Like someone else said, it was a pointless exercise. Points are all that matter, performances are secondary - we don't get enough of either. No amount of dead-end questioning will change that.

[Gav]

What is the point of asking probing questions to a man who states that performances have been good since he took the reins? Someone who is fairly happy with this season's 16% win rate?

If I want to bring that level of stress and irritation into my life I could save a fiver and take an angle grinder to my scrotum. Like someone else said, it was a pointless exercise. Points are all that matter, performances are secondary - we don't get enough of either. No amount of dead-end questioning will change that.

We get dead-end questioning day in day out on here, but when the opportunity to put those dead end questions to the men responsible its all of a sudden not worth it

Surely you see gross hypocrisy of the situation Pedro? and I'm not singling you out here by any means.

[Pedro]

We get dead-end questioning day in day out on here, but when the opportunity to put those dead end questions to the men responsible its all of a sudden not worth it

Surely you see gross hypocrisy of the situation Pedro? and I'm not singling you out here by any means.

I just don't see it as any form of solution...merely a gesture but certainly better than nothing. For those who asked for dialogue with the club, they can't complain because that's a box now ticked.

That's something I've never craved (I prefer swearing at referees and the opposition's players!)

As I've said before, I like Bowyer as a man and appreciate the job he did in the early days...but I'm finding that every time he speaks, I lose more respect for him especially if he is incapable of being critical of performance levels and unable to get wins. For me, we should always be putting in the effort that we have shown pretty much since the 2nd half of the Fulham game. FFP is an irrelevance when effort and application is concerned and under him We spent two years looking blatantly unfit, often disinterested and tactically naive and VERY one - dimensional. But in response to a direct question, he stated he was happy with what we were producing!? That's either a lie, delusion or someone out of touch or seriously in denial. I think that is one of the main reasons where the increasingly common comparisons to Kean come from.

[Stuart]

I don't think asking questions would've made any difference anyway.

The bottle-job was the majority who didn't support the protests back when it might have made a difference.

100%.

It does no good to look backwards now though. All that does is keep Bowyer in the manager role. We need to look forwards now.

There isn't even time for stability to turn to stagnation now. Stand still and we will follow Wigan and Blackpool... sooner rather than later. And lose another 5000 fans.

But still "we've been there before so we can do it again". Such a shame that people welcome failure, especially given the potential that a bit of ambition could unleash.

[ABBEY]

Will any of the allardyce fan club who said West Ham would go downhill after he left actually admit they were wrong?

[Hasta]

Will any of the allardyce fan club who said West Ham would go downhill after he left actually admit they were wrong?

Yes I was wrong.

As for all of Allardyce's other clubs from Bolton onwards, they went downhill.

Maybe in terms of football owners:

porn barons > chicken magnates

[K-Hod]

What does it matter? We went downhill after he left, as did pretty much every other team! They are doing better, but Bilic was still a risk! People were just speculating. If you're asking people to admit they were wrong on this front, where does it end?

[DE.]

What does it matter? We went downhill after he left, as did pretty much every other team! They are doing better, but Bilic was still a risk! People were just speculating. If you're asking people to admit they were wrong on this front, where does it end?

Indeed, there does seem to be a bit of an obsession with some on here of proving themselves right and others wrong. Life's too short to care about the smaller stuff.

Anyway, Bilic has done a great job at West Ham and deserves a lot of credit. I remember him being touted for the Rovers job around the time Hughes/Ince left... what could have been.