Mike Graham

I can see our attendances taking a nose dive. Not one corporate box was occupied last night (at WBA on Saturday they must have about 50 boxes and all were taken). We did however appear to roll out a welcome to Bradford supporters; it was notable about 40 of them were in the Red Rose Suite at the BBE doing prayers during the 2nd half of the game. Rovers posted a gate of just under 10,000 last night. Are they really suggesting the ground was 1/3 full - a new bean counter needs to be recruited.

I was present when the conversation took place where this information was revealed.

At WBA every single header of his was mistimed.

I saw nothing tonight, and at WBA, to suggest any of our new signings add any value to our team. The only skill on show tonight came from some fabulous touches from Cantwell when he came on albeit he looked a frustrated player and it showed on occasions. If anyone can point to Kargbo having any footballing skills I would love to see the evidence. This could well be a long tough season. I hope not but remain to be convinced.

Found it!! 2021 - how time flies.

Has anyone got a copy of the similar message from the start of the season about 4 or so years back? It was the one with the chicken coat of arms!! I would love to compare them.

So petty. No doubt will soon be telling Duncan Miller he can’t do his excellent playlist anymore. His music was awesome last season and gained numerous plaudits from home and away fans.

100% Matty. I preached partnership for 35 years. Behavioural skills and building trust and respect were key. Guess what - it worked time and time again. It was so successful that after various visits to curious and doubtful corporations in the USA I was asked to join the advisory board of Washington State training company; I even presented to the Lithuania Economic Minister and then their President resulting in a new Act of Parliament to assist with the safe decommissioning of a nuclear power station. Then, as per my presentation to the WATR AGM, I come to Rovers and their UK based leadership. It was all one way. They would only lift their heads from their laptops when we spoke about increasing ST and match day sales; they were also keen on improving the match day atmosphere as long as it was low or zero cost. As I said it was all one way except for Steve Waggott who was accessible and ok to work with. At least he knows the industry albeit he always tried to manage us; at least you could have a private fall out with him without him taking it personally and pulling the shutters down. You cannot make any headway with the present ‘leadership’ (sic). 35 years of partnership tells me when you are flogging a dead horse and this is one of those very rare occasions. We need to expose what up is happening. We need to expose that there has been interest in buying Rovers. We need to use every tactic to change the course of Blackburn Rovers. Demonstrations do not, and will not work. There are far more subtle ways of leverage. EDIT: I should have added the Lithuanian power station was a Chernobyl design and 90% staffed by Russians. The management approach was an authoritarian ‘instruct and command’ style which was a key contributory factor in the Chernobyl disaster. The approach at Ewood and from the owners is also authoritarian albeit I have no doubt they will advise staff and others this is not the case. This approach discourages questioning, innovation and participation over and above the norm. It is unhealthy.

The rumour is yes.

An excellent idea. I look forward to viewing the results. I suggest also doing Facebook as Twitter is garbage and a lot don’t go there anymore. A closely followed by B

Brilliant. Worth saving to comment on Rovers Facebook mutterings.

The club’s version of the FF minutes are out on the official website. Someone needs to get to that reporter chappie at the LT to ensure he has the correct version.

Remember those silly snakes some fans took to Derby late last season…..perhaps they could be repurposed and reused as ‘Suhail Snakes’. That would fit nicely with the clubs green agenda.

I guess SW’s notice period / Pay In Lieu of Notice will be up on the 21st August hence the delay in the new ‘CEO’ (in name only) announcement. Mind you according to the ‘real’ FF minutes the owners are doing the appointment so it could be 2026 or 2027 before the smoke appears from the bowels of Ewood Towers.

Correct. However SS and YS no longer have anyone to hide behind.

The Club has fooked up as a number of us predicted. They did not like being held to account by WATR so they turned to the FF to tick their box of consultation thinking they would get their own way. They were always going to get caught out with their pants down. There are some decent, intelligent and forceful folk on the supporters side of the FF. The latest score is: Supporters 1 v Narcissists 0 (own goal)

Hardly convincing. It sounds like a local election return - getting elected on 33% of the vote and less than 10% of the electorate. The designs were poor. It should have been handed over to the fans.

There are EFL regulations about supporter consultations and what clubs should do. Sadly there are no teeth to these regulations and no penalties for clubs who fail to carry out what they should be doing.

Exactly. Rovers run on an operations mode. They plan 2 or 3 games ahead depending on the match schedule. Every non playing side staff member has a role and they carry that role out game after game with the only variable being the number of home and / or away tickets sold and the reputation of the visiting fans. It is a silo based operation. There is no cross departmental or cross role thinking as to how we can do things better or do things differently as to make the event more attractive to attract new or lapsed supporters to Ewood. The approach is far too safe. It allows staff to relax into the same old ways of working every home game rather than instil the need for innovative thinking. The only time the club were challenged to ‘think outside of the box’ was the Fan Takeover days and even then some staff went into hiding and unhelpful mode. Some senior staff subsequently dissed the Fan Takeover days as being a waste of time as although we had significantly increased the attendance the ticket income was down due to ticket price cuts. They just don’t get it. It is all about the bottom line. They do not have the slightest clue how to increase attendances over time (only the fans can help them achieve that). Sorry I rephrase it as they don’t want to know.

Sorry, but it really is depressing. I have flogged myself to get my Club to do things properly. I have worked with massive companies and extremely well paid executives - the ones at Ewood are the worst I have come across; it is all one way (take take take) and all about their ego’s, maybe this is a problem across football but I do think they could do better. With the present ownership and the Rovers senior leadership team we are only going one way……backwards. It would only take a small shift in approach for them to make such a difference. Sadly the only fan engagement is silly little videos (one way communication) and telling us what they believe we want to hear.

3 months today is the 150th anniversary of the formation of Blackburn Rovers at the St Leger Hotel in town. We should be brimming with excitement and anticipation at this momentous year - yes we should be celebrating the year of our founding not just the day. What do Rovers have planned: - the new much vaunted Rovers museum is to be a few glass display cases to show off the contents on ground tours. - we are to get a 150th Anniversary book but the COO, against the advice of the now departed CEO, wants to have an introduction by the owners which will result in fewer sales. I hope he sees sense. - supporters have formally asked for a Blue Plaque at the site of the St Leger Hotel; WATR even gained permission from the site owners but the Club and council are reluctant as “they get stolen”. Why not think outside of the box and put the plaque a a bit higher and sell plastic replicas in the Club shop? - I am told that the post match fireworks for the game v Derby were booked but have been cancelled due to the cost. - what will be the ticket prices for the Derby game? Will they pitch them at Cat A to ‘milk’ the fans again or will they try and do an offer to entice fans to return. I do worry as to what route the management (sic) will take. - nothing more has been heard of the plans for 3 house gable ends to be painted with scenes celebrating 150 years. - there is a rumour doing the rounds in East Lancashire that Rovers are to order a new TIFO will the images of our illustrious owners. 150 years (sorry 135 years) of a proud Blackburn Rovers deserves celebrating. I worry that it will be a damp squib. Perhaps we should use the Derby game as an opportunity to make our views heard.

Someone was subsequently appointed but the role changed. The whole point of my post was to show they wanted WATR when we could assist but they did not keep to their side of the deal. It is not a Police matter - it is about the manner of the Club’s engagement.

It gets worse. In the later part of 2023 I was approached by an individual in the Community Trust as they were looking to submit a bid to the Premier League Charitable Fund to bid to the ‘Fans Fund’ for a Fan Engagement officer. This was at the time when WATR, and me personally, were desperate for the Club to engage and build Rovers support base. Four weeks after the approach I asked what had happened to be told it needed to be submitted within a couple of days but required support from an established fans group. I reminded the Trust that the bid would require WATR’s meaningful involvement as “fans should inform the design of the project” and be involved “in the design and development of projects prior to application….”. The Trust were desperate for WATR’s support and I wrote a supportive paragraph and arranged for fan groups such as Proud Rovers and others to also support the bid. This was on the basis of: 1. WATR would have a copy of the bid document before submission; 2. The new Fan Engagement officer would be tasked to include working outside of BwD in areas such as Chorley and South Ribble; 3. WATR would be on the appointment panel for the Fan Engagement officer. - We never saw the bid document albeit it was promised on various occasions. - An appointment was made without our knowledge; the individual only stayed 2 weeks as it was not the role the appointee believed it to be. - A new appointment was made and the job title changed without us being consulted or advised; - I cannot see any evidence of any fan engagement work outside of BwD, nor can I see much with BwD. - WATR were duped into supporting the Club. We did so for good reasons but were dropped as soon as the Community Trust got their money. This is how the Club operates. We tried engagement, it was only one way and on the basis the Club benefits. Engagement will not work with the present owners and management (sic) team.

Fine thanks Gavin. Just been persuaded to do some consultancy and I have been overwhelmed with so much work that I have had to start saying no to much of it after a week. A day a week is more than enough. It is management consultancy……too good for the clowns at Ewood. VENKYS OUT!!

Some of these manager titles will fit a treat down at Ewood Towers: - Head of the Lower Bowl - Thinker of Deep Thoughts - Chief Visionary (aka Chief Vision Officer) - Brand Warrior - Chief Amazement Officer - Artistic Ninja - Organiser of Random Thoughts and Erratic Activity