Miller11

That’s me on the podcast. My response to Waggott was “Steve, that’s what we’ve been telling you for years”

Speaking from a Rovers Trust perspective, regular focused two way dialogue has only really started after their plans will have been broadly in place. The main feedback the club took from last years sales were that revenue targets were hit and the figure was up on previous years. If the Supporters Trust, fans forum, or any individual fan said to Waggott “reduce ticket prices”, he’d point to potentially missing revenue targets. We’ve spent recent meetings trying to prove that this wouldn’t happen and that there is enough appetite there from supporters to ensure that they can still meet these targets while growing the fanbase.

I’d not really considered the idea of Klarna and the like for season tickets. A quick google search shows Hibs, Celtic and Roma all have it as a payment option and It’s probably something every club will jump on soon. I can see them tightening (or implementing) regulation around this type of credit sooner rather than later though, no doubt Rovers will miss the boat. I have to say that recently the discussions have been a lot more two way, and a lot better received. We should be able to announce some more detail in this soon and provide a lot more depth at our AGM in June. I wasn’t expecting anything remotely dynamic or revolutionary with this seasons offering. The timescales they seem to operate on wouldn’t allow for it, and the “sign off from India” seem pretty arduous. The ultimate argument is always that failure to hit the revenue target is absolutely unthinkable, and there is a real fear of cutting prices. My personal point of view is we need to keep banging the drum and making suggestions (and back them up) over the next few months. If there isn’t a significant change in the clubs approach, and a far more varied/flexible offering for the 24/25 season, I’ll be disappointed.

Completely agree Chaddy. Another point I’ve made repeatedly is why do we ever take season tickets off sale? For example what if someone who is out of work gets a new job in August, they may have to wait until September til they get paid, but they’d have to wait til Christmas for a half season ticket. I can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t make them available at a pro rata rate, so if they buy one two games into the season they get around £38 off.

I’ve put this to Waggott and co repeatedly over the last 2 years in pretty simple terms… You are giving people one, or if they are lucky perhaps 2 paydays to find the money for a season ticket. It’s not enough time, you need to get them on sale earlier. Give them a chance to get the funds together. I was happy when they were released at the earliest date in living memory, a breakthrough maybe? But no, the earlybird means that there’s a price hike if you haven’t bought within 5/6 weeks… or one payday, two if you are lucky.

Generous for that particular game!

Steve Waggott has said these exact words to me: ”We invested £6 million on Ben when he was one of the brightest prospects in the country”. While the fee will have been paid in instalments, as is the norm, I don’t think that it was dependent on any clauses, the conversation around this didn’t suggest so. I went for 7 based off that 6, plus a signing on fee and possible additional fee due to him becoming a full international.

Mowbray and Waggott are both on record as saying that the plan was to “polish him up” and sell him at a profit. That’s been touted as the Rovers model for at least 5 years and it’s failed more often than it’s worked.

What a strange saga it’s been. I think a lot of the recent criticism has been harsh, that said I mocked him for 2 years. Signed out of the blue, to all intents and purposes outside a transfer window, for an extortionate fee. Touted as a project signing that will generate a big profit by Mowbray and Waggott which appeared absolutely ridiculous due to his hopeless performances for 2 years. Finds some minor form, gets recommended to the Chile set up thanks to some football manager players and a throwaway comment on a Rovers TV interview, blags a passport, becomes a national hero, becomes a goal machine, wins a load of Rovers fans thousand of pounds, Rovers completely fail to capitalise on his newfound celebrity and literally knock back lucrative opportunities, fail to negotiate a new deal, reject offers for him, watch him walk away on a free. Good luck to him, it’s been bizarre, enthralling and frustrating. He’ll probably go down as a cult hero to many. He has to go down as a dreadful piece of business too, but it could’ve been oh so different. This is “the project/model” at work.

I said yesterday that when it really is do or die, we have been good. Our FA cup run and our improbable comeback today attest to that. Taken in isolation what we did today should’ve been a result for the ages, but it’s just a footnote to a disappointing season. There’s plenty of moments to point to this season, some terrible decisions have gone against us, and there have been some horrific self inflicted mistakes, but I think the ultimate issue is a mentality problem from the top down. It’s took us til the last 45 minutes of the season for us to really go for it and batter a team. Millwall couldn’t live with us second half, but where has that level been over the last couple of months (Huddersfield second half aside)? We’ve apparently had “8 cup finals” and every game since the beginning of March has been touted as “must win” but we’ve only done the business when it’s been mathematically the case. Until today there’s always been the next game. I doubt there is much disappointment within the club. If there is it will pale into insignificance compared to that of the fans. It’ll be a shrug of the shoulders, bemoan how unfair the system is, waffle about a project, and say “there’s always next year”. No urgency, no evidence of any desire to get promoted, it’s always a distant hope rather than an objective. We all blamed Mowbray last year (and before)… it goes deeper than that.

I doubt it, but I’m praying. Disagree. He has astonishingly little composure in the box on the very rare occasions he gets in there.

I don’t think there is a single player in our squad I wouldn’t rather have as a centre forward (false or otherwise) than Ryan Hedges today. That includes goalkeepers. I hope to god he’s out wide and Brereton is up top.

Two cracking games in the Conference playoffs today!

I think Swansea will get at least a draw. While Sunderland Mowbray seems a lot more interested in his job then Rovers Mowbray was for at least his last 3 years with us, we all still know he is more than capable of a monumental collapse or an uninspired nothing performance. PNE can be really hard to beat when they want to be, and they are at home. There’s every chance it comes down to us and Millwall. I know we’ve supposedly had loads of “must win” games lately, but this one actually is do or die. The last couple that were genuinely that (Leicester and Sheff Utd) were incredible performances and we’d have won both but for bad substitutions. It’s definitely more hope than expectation, but I’m believing.

Yes. Renewal process is underway. Should be reasonably straightforward.

For something that size I couldn’t even hazard a guess. There’d be a wide range of price options for sure.

I’m not sure who picks it to be honest. I think the biggest issue at Ewood is that the PA system is absolutely knackered. In some areas of the ground it’s deafening, in others you can’t hear a thing, and sometimes it’s just unclear noise. They who supposedly never refuse a cheque should be tapped up to replace it.

Personally I think that list Millwall will be playing on Monday is belting! I’d like us to come out to the pitch to either Hardocre Uproar by Together, The Illicits version of Born Slippy, or something by New Order, perhaps Ceremony. However I think that we should implement something like Millwall where every fan can make a request. We might get a good bit of variety rather than a 12 season long repeat of some random “indie hits of the noughties” CD. A little thing to include the supporters, and hopefully generate a bit of buzz pre-match.

Asked (and continue to push) for the same to happen at Ewood

I’m predicting that despite the complaints about having no central striker for the last few weeks, we will see Gallagher wide right and Dolan through the middle.

Deciding to bring on Wharton and Brittain. It’s never helped us hang on to a lead.

I’d have thrown the kitchen sink at them for 5 minutes. Get as many players in the box and get the ball in there as frequently as possible.

Yes, I’d move Szmodics wide. The fact we haven’t won in 9 means I’d have no qualms in asking an in form player to do something a bit different. No Dack won’t make the runs Szmodics does. He will come deep, show for the ball, pick out forward passes, find space in the box and shoot. I’d like to see him stick around if he’s prepared to negotiate reduced terms.

Hopefully long enough to get a goal. Better starting him and hopefully getting our noses in front and subbing him off once he’s knackered.

Lazy argument and untrue. He was never the quickest but his movement is a lot cleverer than most. Bringing him on when they have shut up shop like they did yesterday was never going to be easy for him, but he offered miles more than any of the front three that started.