Venky’s & Waggott Out Protest Ideas

[...]

43 minutes ago, arbitro said:

My granddaughter cried happy tears when we scored and floods of sad tears at the end. On the train home I explained to her that those two emotions are common in football but not usually in the same game.

She doesn't really understand about poor ownership, snide directors and the like - she just wants to see Rovers win every week and there are many kids like that. It's up to us older ones to keep some pressure on these wretches to try and  ensure the club is safe for generations to come.

It's all about the explanation to our kiddies mate. I dont want my kids going down to Ewood thinking this is how it should be, I want them to know that we are in a strange time and that football can be amazing and football can be gloomy. You might not win every week but you're still be happy because you love our club. 

I get asked often why we sing we want venkys out. And I have to try and modify things to their ears. Which isn't easy, but I have shown them videos of when we won the league, how it happened and who Jack Walker was. They know all about Jack now I'm proud to say, Just wish they knew how it felt to have the place full every weekend with owners at the helm who bleed blue and white like Uncle Jack.

Our Time Will Come Again

Edited May 4 by ...

[funny-old-game]

2 hours ago, ... said:

It's all about the explanation to our kiddies mate. I dont want my kids going down to Ewood thinking this is how it should be, I want them to know that we are in a strange time and that football can be amazing and football can be gloomy. You might not win every week but you're still be happy because you love our club. 

I get asked often why we sing we want venkys out. And I have to try and modify things to their ears. Which isn't easy, but I have shown them videos of when we won the league, how it happened and who Jack Walker was. They know all about Jack now I'm proud to say, Just wish they knew how it felt to have the place full every weekend with owners at the helm who bleed blue and white like Uncle Jack.

Our Time Will Come Again

In the 70s and 80s before Jack got involved we had little to no money but the fans and directors felt every win and lose in equal measures, unlike now with the hierarchy having no attachment and their only goal is to feather their own nest.

Edited May 4 by funny-old-game

[...]

9 hours ago, funny-old-game said:

In the 70s and 80s before Jack got involved we had little to no money but the fans and directors felt every win and lose in equal measures, unlike now with the hierarchy having no attachment and their only goal is to feather their own nest.

Correct. My only game in the 80s came in 89 "splinters on our arses" 😉 

But yes you're right the heart of the club rippled outwards and touched everyone win or lose

Edited May 4 by ...

[RevidgeBlue]

On 02/05/2025 at 18:49, Mashed Potatoes said:

With the best will in the world I don't think Jack Walker - he was never knighted - did not put all his money into the club.

So in your desperation to be contrary, you're now belittling Jack Walker's contribution. That's extremely poor from yourself.

I dont think it's in any real dispute that his overall input was in the order of £120 - £130m. Whether or not it was his entire fortune, that was a  hell of a lot of money 30 -35 years ago.

Then on top of that there were the funds grudgingly put in after his death by the family who had no real interest in football. 

 

[Mashed Potatoes]

29 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

So in your desperation to be contrary, you're now belittling Jack Walker's contribution. That's extremely poor from yourself.

I dont think it's in any real dispute that his overall input was in the order of £120 - £130m. Whether or not it was his entire fortune, that was a  hell of a lot of money 30 -35 years ago.

Then on top of that there were the funds grudgingly put in after his death by the family who had no real interest in football. 

 

Complete nonsense. I don't think as the poster who makes a spectacle of themselves disparaging some of our better players is in a position to lecture others as being in a desperation to appear contrary.

I deliberately used the phrase "with the best will in the world" to make it clear that I wasn't belittling Jack Walker. You appear to be the only poster unable to grasp that.

[RevidgeBlue]

13 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

I deliberately used the phrase "with the best will in the world" to make it clear that I wasn't belittling Jack Walker. You appear to be the only poster unable to grasp that.

Of course you weren't.

Why be so keen to point out that he didn't put his entire fortune in, or wasnt knighted then?

It's one thing being the Board's comedy contrarian at every opportunity which is often good value but that was just incredibly poor form.

[TheFinalCountdown]

Does Mashed Potatoes support The Arsenal?

[wilsdenrover]

15 minutes ago, TheFinalCountdown said:

Does Mashed Potatoes support The Arsenal?

No idea but Bodger loves him. 

[KentExile]

7 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

No idea but Bodger loves him. 

Wasn't that Badger?

Edited May 4 by KentExile

[wilsdenrover]

8 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Wasn't that Badger?

You are quite correct…
 

I’ll leave my error there for everyone to see 😁😁

Edited May 4 by wilsdenrover

[...]

4 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

You are quite correct…
 

I’ll leave my error there for everyone to see 😁😁

Everybody knows Badger loves.... 🎶 🎵 

 

It's even in the song man 🤣 top show hehe

Edited May 4 by ...

[wilsdenrover]

7 minutes ago, ... said:

Everybody knows Badger loves.... 🎶 🎵 

 

It's even in the song man 🤣 top show hehe

I’ve had a shocker 😁😁

[...]

1 hour ago, wilsdenrover said:

I’ve had a shocker 😁😁

Haha 😄  be reet

[glen9mullan]

Sorry for the silence over the last week or so (Was in for unexpected surgery Tuesday)

The Coalition has been busy working away in the background on various initiatives and plans which will run through the summer and into the new season and beyond.

Club update: The club continues to offer no dates for interim discussions hoping we will disappear I assume, though we did not expect them to put anything forwards. They publicly stated they wanted to find resolution through diplomacy and although there was some reluctance within the Coalition Panel to engage at all with the club, we did not want to give the club the "Get out of jail card" that we've refused to engage. No meeting is another point to the supporters and has enabled us make significant in roads in to wider support from community figures.

I today met with Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain, after his parliamentary speech last week had not read the room in terms of how supporters were feeling. 

We exchanged emails in the last 24 hours and a couple of telephone calls, before he invited me to his offices today,

Firstly I must say, what a genuinely nice gentleman.

He was open and honest that football had never been his sport and the last 15 years of Rovers he was significantly out the loop of who owns us, or the wider issues. He stated he'd had a meeting or two unrelated with the Execs at Rovers, unbeknown to him that there was a significant history of disconnection between the club and the supporter base. He did not know the community trust and the club are two different entities and was put in the picture they should not be confused as the same. Reasoning the community trust are absolutely fantastic and a shining light for the town and credit to the staff.

Prior to our meeting, he'd made a number of calls to those who had an greater angle on what's been going on at Rovers, and he had a general idea. 

I ran through the history of the club, touching on its heritage, 150 years, pre Jack walker, The walker years, and how the Rao family came to own our club and the subsequent investigation carried out by the BRFC Action Group which resulted in meetings with the Premier League, The FA, EFL and finally our meeting at Parliament which instigated the Independent regulator bill which is currently part of the current parliamentary discussions. We discussed the FA's commercial partnership with Kentaro and the subsequent press gagging which threatened to lift the lid which would of been a national embarrassment to the English football authorities, hence the governments intervention.

We discussed the current situation at the club, and the lengths supporters have had to go to previously to have corruption removed from the corridors of Ewood. We discussed a Hierarchy where Accountability, Responsibility is only but in name, with the club being run by opportunist with little or no experience, where they've turned a £300 million investment into dead money by their inability to run a football club, whilst supporters are treated as merely customers with an "At arms left" approach with little or no transparency, where information is only shared on an exclusive nature, alienating the other 99.9% of the supporter base.

 

Adnan is extremely keen to help any way he can including fully endorsing the coalition.

 

We've road mapped a strategy together which includes but is not limited to the following.

 

1. A full open supporters meeting, with the cost being picked up by Blackburn Council  to allow all supporters to talk in a pubic forum to relay their concerns to enable him to challenge the club and ownership both privately and publicly. He'd attend this meeting and take all questions to allow him to be educated further, so he can give the right support.

2. He will be contacting the Execs, asking what is happening at Rovers, and requesting they also attend a separate public meeting with the supporters to face questions over the running of the club.

3. He is going to both write and phone the owners, looking for clarity on their aims for the club and relay the supporters concerns over the running of the club in the UK and the lasting affect its having on the town and community including regeneration.

4. He's going to advocate for a democratic voice as a minimum for supporters without prejudice to be able to hold the club accountable for their actions.

5. He is open to facilitating another panel of supporters attending parliament around the community impact the last 15 years has brought, to galvanize further the need for governance and greater supporter involvement at our football clubs.

 

He was passionate throughout our meeting and the calls we had yesterday, he cleared his dairy to meet pretty much straight away, as our town, needs a thriving football team to aid a thriving town. A club is nothing without its community, and this was something he was keen to express.

We've other discussions on-going with other key potential allies, as we continue to build the Coalitions credibility for the tough days and weeks ahead.

[aletheia]

Good stuff glen.

Hope your unexpected surgery went OK.

[Mashed Potatoes]

1 hour ago, glen9mullan said:

Sorry for the silence over the last week or so (Was in for unexpected surgery Tuesday)

The Coalition has been busy working away in the background on various initiatives and plans which will run through the summer and into the new season and beyond.

Club update: The club continues to offer no dates for interim discussions hoping we will disappear I assume, though we did not expect them to put anything forwards. They publicly stated they wanted to find resolution through diplomacy and although there was some reluctance within the Coalition Panel to engage at all with the club, we did not want to give the club the "Get out of jail card" that we've refused to engage. No meeting is another point to the supporters and has enabled us make significant in roads in to wider support from community figures.

I today met with Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain, after his parliamentary speech last week had not read the room in terms of how supporters were feeling. 

We exchanged emails in the last 24 hours and a couple of telephone calls, before he invited me to his offices today,

Firstly I must say, what a genuinely nice gentleman.

He was open and honest that football had never been his sport and the last 15 years of Rovers he was significantly out the loop of who owns us, or the wider issues. He stated he'd had a meeting or two unrelated with the Execs at Rovers, unbeknown to him that there was a significant history of disconnection between the club and the supporter base. He did not know the community trust and the club are two different entities and was put in the picture they should not be confused as the same. Reasoning the community trust are absolutely fantastic and a shining light for the town and credit to the staff.

Prior to our meeting, he'd made a number of calls to those who had an greater angle on what's been going on at Rovers, and he had a general idea. 

I ran through the history of the club, touching on its heritage, 150 years, pre Jack walker, The walker years, and how the Rao family came to own our club and the subsequent investigation carried out by the BRFC Action Group which resulted in meetings with the Premier League, The FA, EFL and finally our meeting at Parliament which instigated the Independent regulator bill which is currently part of the current parliamentary discussions. We discussed the FA's commercial partnership with Kentaro and the subsequent press gagging which threatened to lift the lid which would of been a national embarrassment to the English football authorities, hence the governments intervention.

We discussed the current situation at the club, and the lengths supporters have had to go to previously to have corruption removed from the corridors of Ewood. We discussed a Hierarchy where Accountability, Responsibility is only but in name, with the club being run by opportunist with little or no experience, where they've turned a £300 million investment into dead money by their inability to run a football club, whilst supporters are treated as merely customers with an "At arms left" approach with little or no transparency, where information is only shared on an exclusive nature, alienating the other 99.9% of the supporter base.

 

Adnan is extremely keen to help any way he can including fully endorsing the coalition.

 

We've road mapped a strategy together which includes but is not limited to the following.

 

1. A full open supporters meeting, with the cost being picked up by Blackburn Council  to allow all supporters to talk in a pubic forum to relay their concerns to enable him to challenge the club and ownership both privately and publicly. He'd attend this meeting and take all questions to allow him to be educated further, so he can give the right support.

2. He will be contacting the Execs, asking what is happening at Rovers, and requesting they also attend a separate public meeting with the supporters to face questions over the running of the club.

3. He is going to both write and phone the owners, looking for clarity on their aims for the club and relay the supporters concerns over the running of the club in the UK and the lasting affect its having on the town and community including regeneration.

4. He's going to advocate for a democratic voice as a minimum for supporters without prejudice to be able to hold the club accountable for their actions.

5. He is open to facilitating another panel of supporters attending parliament around the community impact the last 15 years has brought, to galvanize further the need for governance and greater supporter involvement at our football clubs.

 

He was passionate throughout our meeting and the calls we had yesterday, he cleared his dairy to meet pretty much straight away, as our town, needs a thriving football team to aid a thriving town. A club is nothing without its community, and this was something he was keen to express.

We've other discussions on-going with other key potential allies, as we continue to build the Coalitions credibility for the tough days and weeks ahead.

The Football Governance Bill passing through Parliament imposes an obligation on clubs to hold regular meetings with a representative group of supporters. Are you suggesting in the above that you want something in addition to that ? I think the club may simply throw the new legislation back in your face if you are.

[glen9mullan]

56 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

The Football Governance Bill passing through Parliament imposes an obligation on clubs to hold regular meetings with a representative group of supporters. Are you suggesting in the above that you want something in addition to that ? I think the club may simply throw the new legislation back in your face if you are.

There's engagement then there's engagement.

Democratic v exclusive,  and allowing the latter will see us stand still 

[Mike E]

1 hour ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

The Football Governance Bill passing through Parliament imposes an obligation on clubs to hold regular meetings with a representative group of supporters. Are you suggesting in the above that you want something in addition to that ? I think the club may simply throw the new legislation back in your face if you are.

Currently only with Fans Forum (selected by the club and fellow attendees), and WATR (which doesn’t represent the wider fanbase, only its members).

The more open 6-monthly meetings that became reasonably regular pre-COVID are the minimum imo.

[47er]

3 hours ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

he Football Governance Bill passing through Parliament imposes an obligation on clubs to hold regular meetings with a representative group of supporters.

You think we're doing that already? Easy to please aren't you?

[Upside Down]

5 hours ago, glen9mullan said:

Sorry for the silence over the last week or so (Was in for unexpected surgery Tuesday)

The Coalition has been busy working away in the background on various initiatives and plans which will run through the summer and into the new season and beyond.

Club update: The club continues to offer no dates for interim discussions hoping we will disappear I assume, though we did not expect them to put anything forwards. They publicly stated they wanted to find resolution through diplomacy and although there was some reluctance within the Coalition Panel to engage at all with the club, we did not want to give the club the "Get out of jail card" that we've refused to engage. No meeting is another point to the supporters and has enabled us make significant in roads in to wider support from community figures.

I today met with Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain, after his parliamentary speech last week had not read the room in terms of how supporters were feeling. 

We exchanged emails in the last 24 hours and a couple of telephone calls, before he invited me to his offices today,

Firstly I must say, what a genuinely nice gentleman.

He was open and honest that football had never been his sport and the last 15 years of Rovers he was significantly out the loop of who owns us, or the wider issues. He stated he'd had a meeting or two unrelated with the Execs at Rovers, unbeknown to him that there was a significant history of disconnection between the club and the supporter base. He did not know the community trust and the club are two different entities and was put in the picture they should not be confused as the same. Reasoning the community trust are absolutely fantastic and a shining light for the town and credit to the staff.

Prior to our meeting, he'd made a number of calls to those who had an greater angle on what's been going on at Rovers, and he had a general idea. 

I ran through the history of the club, touching on its heritage, 150 years, pre Jack walker, The walker years, and how the Rao family came to own our club and the subsequent investigation carried out by the BRFC Action Group which resulted in meetings with the Premier League, The FA, EFL and finally our meeting at Parliament which instigated the Independent regulator bill which is currently part of the current parliamentary discussions. We discussed the FA's commercial partnership with Kentaro and the subsequent press gagging which threatened to lift the lid which would of been a national embarrassment to the English football authorities, hence the governments intervention.

We discussed the current situation at the club, and the lengths supporters have had to go to previously to have corruption removed from the corridors of Ewood. We discussed a Hierarchy where Accountability, Responsibility is only but in name, with the club being run by opportunist with little or no experience, where they've turned a £300 million investment into dead money by their inability to run a football club, whilst supporters are treated as merely customers with an "At arms left" approach with little or no transparency, where information is only shared on an exclusive nature, alienating the other 99.9% of the supporter base.

 

Adnan is extremely keen to help any way he can including fully endorsing the coalition.

 

We've road mapped a strategy together which includes but is not limited to the following.

 

1. A full open supporters meeting, with the cost being picked up by Blackburn Council  to allow all supporters to talk in a pubic forum to relay their concerns to enable him to challenge the club and ownership both privately and publicly. He'd attend this meeting and take all questions to allow him to be educated further, so he can give the right support.

2. He will be contacting the Execs, asking what is happening at Rovers, and requesting they also attend a separate public meeting with the supporters to face questions over the running of the club.

3. He is going to both write and phone the owners, looking for clarity on their aims for the club and relay the supporters concerns over the running of the club in the UK and the lasting affect its having on the town and community including regeneration.

4. He's going to advocate for a democratic voice as a minimum for supporters without prejudice to be able to hold the club accountable for their actions.

5. He is open to facilitating another panel of supporters attending parliament around the community impact the last 15 years has brought, to galvanize further the need for governance and greater supporter involvement at our football clubs.

 

He was passionate throughout our meeting and the calls we had yesterday, he cleared his dairy to meet pretty much straight away, as our town, needs a thriving football team to aid a thriving town. A club is nothing without its community, and this was something he was keen to express.

We've other discussions on-going with other key potential allies, as we continue to build the Coalitions credibility for the tough days and weeks ahead.

I think point number 5 is the most important of them all. The club is a cornerstone of the Blackburn community and venkys have utterly destroyed that.

That's the reason I won't stand for anyone defending them. It's not the damage to the club, it's the detrimental effect they've had on the community and town. That's the reason I strongly believe there is to be no compromise with them. The only way this ends is with them selling.

[norwichblue]

14 hours ago, glen9mullan said:

Sorry for the silence over the last week or so (Was in for unexpected surgery Tuesday)

The Coalition has been busy working away in the background on various initiatives and plans which will run through the summer and into the new season and beyond.

Club update: The club continues to offer no dates for interim discussions hoping we will disappear I assume, though we did not expect them to put anything forwards. They publicly stated they wanted to find resolution through diplomacy and although there was some reluctance within the Coalition Panel to engage at all with the club, we did not want to give the club the "Get out of jail card" that we've refused to engage. No meeting is another point to the supporters and has enabled us make significant in roads in to wider support from community figures.

I today met with Blackburn MP Adnan Hussain, after his parliamentary speech last week had not read the room in terms of how supporters were feeling. 

We exchanged emails in the last 24 hours and a couple of telephone calls, before he invited me to his offices today,

Firstly I must say, what a genuinely nice gentleman.

He was open and honest that football had never been his sport and the last 15 years of Rovers he was significantly out the loop of who owns us, or the wider issues. He stated he'd had a meeting or two unrelated with the Execs at Rovers, unbeknown to him that there was a significant history of disconnection between the club and the supporter base. He did not know the community trust and the club are two different entities and was put in the picture they should not be confused as the same. Reasoning the community trust are absolutely fantastic and a shining light for the town and credit to the staff.

Prior to our meeting, he'd made a number of calls to those who had an greater angle on what's been going on at Rovers, and he had a general idea. 

I ran through the history of the club, touching on its heritage, 150 years, pre Jack walker, The walker years, and how the Rao family came to own our club and the subsequent investigation carried out by the BRFC Action Group which resulted in meetings with the Premier League, The FA, EFL and finally our meeting at Parliament which instigated the Independent regulator bill which is currently part of the current parliamentary discussions. We discussed the FA's commercial partnership with Kentaro and the subsequent press gagging which threatened to lift the lid which would of been a national embarrassment to the English football authorities, hence the governments intervention.

We discussed the current situation at the club, and the lengths supporters have had to go to previously to have corruption removed from the corridors of Ewood. We discussed a Hierarchy where Accountability, Responsibility is only but in name, with the club being run by opportunist with little or no experience, where they've turned a £300 million investment into dead money by their inability to run a football club, whilst supporters are treated as merely customers with an "At arms left" approach with little or no transparency, where information is only shared on an exclusive nature, alienating the other 99.9% of the supporter base.

 

Adnan is extremely keen to help any way he can including fully endorsing the coalition.

 

We've road mapped a strategy together which includes but is not limited to the following.

 

1. A full open supporters meeting, with the cost being picked up by Blackburn Council  to allow all supporters to talk in a pubic forum to relay their concerns to enable him to challenge the club and ownership both privately and publicly. He'd attend this meeting and take all questions to allow him to be educated further, so he can give the right support.

2. He will be contacting the Execs, asking what is happening at Rovers, and requesting they also attend a separate public meeting with the supporters to face questions over the running of the club.

3. He is going to both write and phone the owners, looking for clarity on their aims for the club and relay the supporters concerns over the running of the club in the UK and the lasting affect its having on the town and community including regeneration.

4. He's going to advocate for a democratic voice as a minimum for supporters without prejudice to be able to hold the club accountable for their actions.

5. He is open to facilitating another panel of supporters attending parliament around the community impact the last 15 years has brought, to galvanize further the need for governance and greater supporter involvement at our football clubs.

 

He was passionate throughout our meeting and the calls we had yesterday, he cleared his dairy to meet pretty much straight away, as our town, needs a thriving football team to aid a thriving town. A club is nothing without its community, and this was something he was keen to express.

We've other discussions on-going with other key potential allies, as we continue to build the Coalitions credibility for the tough days and weeks ahead.

Sounds like a top fella

[Mashed Potatoes]

12 hours ago, glen9mullan said:

There's engagement then there's engagement.

Democratic v exclusive,  and allowing the latter will see us stand still 

Given that the club are yet to announce how they intend meeting their obligations for fans' consultation I would suggest it is somewhat premature for you to describe those arrangements as "exclusive". Perhaps a more constructive approach would be for your group to publish a set of proposals as to how you would like these arrangements to work.

Everybody will have their own views as to how this should work. For now I will restrict myself to simply suggesting what I think should be the composition of the representative group of fans :

3 members of the existing Fans Forum, of whom at least 1 should be female

3 members of WATR, of whom at least 1 should be female

1 member of the Disabled Supporters Association

1 member of the Pride Supporters group

1 member of the South Asian Supporters Association

It would be best if these people were elected via secret ballot.

More generally there have been explanatory notes setting out how the new legislation and regulatory system should operate. The most relevant is Bill 213 EN 2024-25 which I think you should read if you haven't already done so. The manner in which the fans group consultation is expected to operate is set out on pages 51 and 52.

Edited 14 hours ago by Mashed Potatoes
Typo

[Mashed Potatoes]

9 hours ago, 47er said:

You think we're doing that already? Easy to please aren't you?

Grow up. See my reply to Glen above.

[glen9mullan]

59 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Given that the club are yet to announce how they intend meeting their obligations for fans' consultation I would suggest it is somewhat premature for you to describe those arrangements as "exclusive". Perhaps a more constructive approach would be for your group to publish a set of proposals as to how you would like these arrangements to work.

Everybody will have their own views as to how this should work. For now I will restrict myself to simply suggesting what I think should be the composition of the representative group of fans :

3 members of the existing Fans Forum, of whom at least 1 should be female

3 members of WATR, of whom at least 1 should be female

1 member of the Disabled Supporters Association

1 member of the Pride Supporters group

1 member of the South Asian Supporters Association

It would be best if these people were elected via secret ballot.

More generally there have been explanatory notes setting out how the new legislation and regulatory system should operate. The most relevant is Bill 213 EN 2024-25 which I think you should read if you haven't already done so. The manner in which the fans group consultation is expected to operate is set out on pages 51 and 52.

Thank you for your post,  all  opinions matter.

Within the Coalition it's everyone's group,  I'm just a panel member as equal to each other. I represent the AG on this panel.

My own opinion (which is not representative of either the AG or Coalition)

Is a supporters panel open to all. 

Their affiliation to a current supporter group should have no baring at all, though I agree all demographics need to be part of it.

Every single supporter should be able to stand in a democratic public vote that all supporters can vote in.

The majority of supporters are in no group at all.

I fully understand Supporters direct and the FSF's stance on Supporter panels as a former elected National Council FSF board member who was heavily involved in the birth of the bill.

I must add it was the Rovers supporters who instigated the IFR at Government level which was the first step to this becoming a reality,  I know this as I along with Mark Fish where the individuals who attended parliament with the MPs to push Hugh Robertson to start this cycle.

Co opting existing groups onto the panel through secret Ballots would already dilute democracy.

Rovers could become real pioneers here by having a a true democratic voice which the majority can get behind.

We've already seen in recent weeks how Sheffield Wednesdays fan panel has lost credibility in their supporter base due to how it was set up in line with your suggestion.

Edited 13 hours ago by glen9mullan

[Mashed Potatoes]

15 minutes ago, glen9mullan said:

Thank you for your post,  all  opinions matter.

Within the Coalition it's everyone's group,  I'm just a panel member as equal to each other. I represent the AG on this panel.

My own opinion (which is not representative of either the AG or Coalition)

Is a supporters panel open to all. 

Their affiliation to a current supporter group should have no baring at all, though I agree all demographics need to be part of it.

Every single supporter should be able to stand in a democratic public vote that all supporters can vote in.

The majority of supporters are in no group at all.

I fully understand Supporters direct and the FSF's stance on Supporter panels as a former elected National Council FSF board member who was heavily involved in the birth of the bill.

I must add it was the Rovers supporters who instigated the IFR at Government level which was the first step to this becoming a reality,  I know this as I along with Mark Fish where the individuals who attended parliament with the MPs to push Hugh Robertson to start this cycle.

Co opting existing groups onto the panel through secret Ballots would already dilute democracy.

Rovers could become real pioneers here by having a a true democratic voice which the majority can get behind.

We've already seen in recent weeks how Sheffield Wednesdays fan panel has lost credibility in their supporter base due to how it was set up in line with your suggestion.

Thank you for your reply, and the courteous manner of it.

As I understand it you envisage an open to all forum. This strikes me as having two practical problems :

1. How do you ensure that everybody coming forward is actually a Rovers supporter as opposed to say Burnley supporters trying to make trouble.

2. How could the forum operate in practice. There are 11000 or so regular match attending supporters plus a few thousand more attending from time to time plus all the others who live far away and don't attend games. How would this work if several hundred wanted to attend ?