Pre Season 25-26

[KentExile]

18 minutes ago, ruggles1995 said:

have we really only got 4 friendlies? seems rather short, I know the squads not huge, but you would of thought 6 friendlies? 

There is a 2 week gap between the Elche friendly, & the first day of the season, so you do wonder if something fell through

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/july/09/dates-for-your-diary-ahead-of-2025-26/

[JHRover]

5 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

I think the club have been caught out by league one/two starting a week earlier than us, and haven't got the capability of finding an alternative opponent for the weekend before the season.

Most friendlies involving foreign teams or PL outfits either require a financial incentive or a degree of organisation/competence/forward planning to involve the travel/timing stuff.

Everton takes care of itself as their fans will cover the cost of hosting the game.

What this lot want is cheap and easy - a League Two side turning up on their coach from an hour up the road, but we are now getting to the stage where really we need a match on the weekend of the 2nd August and probably also one to fill the gap between getting back from Spain on 26th July having played on 25th against Elche and the following weekend - you'd normally have another one midweek there to keep building up.

[MarkBRFC]

9 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Most friendlies involving foreign teams or PL outfits either require a financial incentive or a degree of organisation/competence/forward planning to involve the travel/timing stuff.

Everton takes care of itself as their fans will cover the cost of hosting the game.

What this lot want is cheap and easy - a League Two side turning up on their coach from an hour up the road, but we are now getting to the stage where really we need a match on the weekend of the 2nd August and probably also one to fill the gap between getting back from Spain on 26th July having played on 25th against Elche and the following weekend - you'd normally have another one midweek there to keep building up.

They did the exact same thing last pre season so it's no real surprise.

We were doing Friday/Saturday double headers, and the week before the season we had Stockport on the Friday night but didn't bother organising anything for the Saturday, despite Elliot telling us all summer that the plan was to have a home game on that Saturday.

Feel like we'll be miles behind on other sides when the season starts due to terrible Pre Season planning.

Even last weekend on the 5th July most other Championship sides were playing, not sure why we couldn't have had a game then after two solid weeks training.

[arbitro]

As it stands right now Rovers will have from July 25th to August 9th without a match. Going two weeks immediately before the season without a game is poor and will surely affect Ismaels preparations.

I think there will be something hastily arranged but pretty much every Premier League team are fixed up and  Leagues One and Two start on August 2nd. That narrows it down to a non league opponent or going into Europe which I don't think is ideal the week before the season starts.

Poor from Rovers.

[Mattyblue]

Nevermind ‘ambition’, ‘or we should increase gates by doing x’, ‘there’s an opportunity to do y’.

They aren’t now even fulfilling the absolute basics of running a professional football club… and that’s doing a disservice for non-pro clubs who will be able to organise a friendly for the weekend before the season kicks off.

[MarkBRFC]

@K-Hod was anything mentioned in the FF about the poor planning of pre season this year?

Ridiculous to not have a game for two weeks before the season starts 

[chaddyrovers]

Could Rovers have a behind closed doors game organised for the 2nd of August but not announce anything? 

Fulham could be option for pre season game, They don't have a game that weekend. 

[Mattyblue]

They could, but why wouldn’t they have announced it? 

[chaddyrovers]

because they don't, didn't you say the other week we had behind closed game against Blackpool, was that announce? 

[Mattyblue]

Why would I have known about a secret game against Blackpool? And of course if we had they would have at least mentioned it.

A midweek game in the middle of the season to help a player back to fitness, maybe they wouldn’t, but of course they would announce the final friendly regardless of the venue… come on Chaddy, it’s piss poor for a supposed Championship club.
 

Edited 6 hours ago by Mattyblue

[MarkBRFC]

Last pre season we played Tranmere behind closed doors at Brockhall on a Saturday afternoon and that was well publicised by the club.

I think this summers effort is just down to rotten planning, and being caught out that league one/two start a week earlier than us.

Edited 6 hours ago by MarkBRFC

[Mattyblue]

The Club Secretary forgot to press send for the request for a game, I heard.

[chaddyrovers]

7 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Why would I have known about a secret game against Blackpool? And of course if we had they would have at least mentioned it.

A midweek game in the middle of the season to help a player back to fitness, maybe they wouldn’t, but of course they would announce the final friendly regardless of the venue… come on Chaddy, it’s piss poor for a supposed Championship club.
 

you posted this didn't you? 

 

[Mattyblue]

I was being sarcastic, I.e the kind of cheap skate thing they’d do.

[arbitro]

23 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Could Rovers have a behind closed doors game organised for the 2nd of August but not announce anything? 

Fulham could be option for pre season game, They don't have a game that weekend. 

Indefensible from Rovers.

The liaison guy, the actual club secretary works from home......in Brighton. 

[chaddyrovers]

20 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Indefensible from Rovers.

The liaison guy, the actual club secretary works from home......in Brighton. 

Interesting that, so how does he send the paperwork through to correct offices? He is the only one with access card for transfers paperwork. 

How many people work in club secretary office? I know we have assistant club secretary. Been there doing that job for years she has. 

[arbitro]

2 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Interesting that, so how does he send the paperwork through to correct offices? He is the only one with access card for transfers paperwork. 

How many people work in club secretary office? I know we have assistant club secretary. Been there doing that job for years she has. 

I really don't know who the assistants are or the processes they use.

I know he is the manager of some Rovers staff at Ewood and they have never even met him.

[KentExile]

32 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Interesting that, so how does he send the paperwork through to correct offices? He is the only one with access card for transfers paperwork. 

How many people work in club secretary office? I know we have assistant club secretary. Been there doing that job for years she has. 

"Paperwork" is no longer "paper", its electronic, like your emails, they can be reviewed remotely. (with the correct software etc)  This is how it will be justified by the club

 

28 minutes ago, arbitro said:

I really don't know who the assistants are or the processes they use.

I know he is the manager of some Rovers staff at Ewood and they have never even met him.

But yes, a ridiculous state of affairs

Edited 5 hours ago by KentExile

[Parsonblue]

59 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Indefensible from Rovers.

The liaison guy, the actual club secretary works from home......in Brighton. 

He seems to be based at Brockhall now.

[KentExile]

10 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

He seems to be based at Brockhall now.

If that is the case, then it is a step in the right direction. 

Although the pessimist in me notes that  with Rovers under Venkys, one step forwards is often followed by at least a couple of backwards steps 😉 

Edited 5 hours ago by KentExile

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Interesting that, so how does he send the paperwork through to correct offices? He is the only one with access card for transfers paperwork. 

How many people work in club secretary office? I know we have assistant club secretary. Been there doing that job for years she has. 

Email if we’re selling players. Carrier pigeon when we’re buying them

[Mercer]

2 hours ago, arbitro said:

Indefensible from Rovers.

The liaison guy, the actual club secretary works from home......in Brighton. 

 

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

Interesting that, so how does he send the paperwork through to correct offices? He is the only one with access card for transfers paperwork. 

How many people work in club secretary office? I know we have assistant club secretary. Been there doing that job for years she has. 

It's absolutely farcical.

There can be no excuses.

He should be at Ewood / Brockhall full time. to be an integral part of the club's community. 

[Mercer]

2 hours ago, arbitro said:

I really don't know who the assistants are or the processes they use.

I know he is the manager of some Rovers staff at Ewood and they have never even met him.

Scandalous.

1 hour ago, Parsonblue said:

He seems to be based at Brockhall now.

I hope so and for the full working week and not just the odd day ore so.

[bazza]

3 hours ago, arbitro said:

 

I know he is the manager of some Rovers staff at Ewood and they have never even met him.

Par for the course. I reckon most people working for Rovers now have never met the owners.

[arbitro]

7 minutes ago, bazza said:

Par for the course. I reckon most people working for Rovers now have never met the owners.

At a Q&A in October last year Eustace said he had never even spoken to them let alone met them