: Thu May 21, 2009 7:41 am  

bobsmyuncle wrote:

Let me know if you get a response.
I'll make one one for any supporter impetus to assist the club, but frankly have been appaled by the clubs previous lack of engagement with fans who want to help the club.
Are we just fodder in ther minds or are we considered ineffectual.
Its been said before that the club is missing out on a hardcore of passionate supporters who could willingly promote the Bulls by initiatives instigated the club or by innovative suggestions from us.
Whatever, the management NEED to re-engaage with the supporters in joint efforts of reinvigoration. And it will cost them nothing.

Come on Bulls, contact Wigan Bull if he's prepared to be the locus

Seriously though, how many fans do you think you could mobilise to help the club? There is a small but vocal few on here and other MBs who might be willing to put time and effort (money?) in, but how many others in reality?

I'm not trying to be negative and I'm in to help however I can, but it has been tried before and there just was not the support to help out.

: Thu May 21, 2009 9:29 am  

Not meaning to offend anyone here or anything,

just was reading this thread and would like to disagree with someone that said mcnamara is a victim of circumstance.

John Kear works with a salary budget less than yours and with a group of players that are, in some areas, slighty worse than some of your stars.

Whilst obviously your club has had to cut back in some areas, the team itself is still not bad, just poorly coached.

Bradford and Wakefield squads are about as good as each other.

McNamara is just too inexperienced.

: Thu May 21, 2009 8:54 pm  

debaser wrote:

Seriously though, how many fans do you think you could mobilise to help the club? There is a small but vocal few on here and other MBs who might be willing to put time and effort (money?) in, but how many others in reality?

I'm not trying to be negative and I'm in to help however I can, but it has been tried before and there just was not the support to help out.

I'm talking more about some regular communication through the season. I accept it would be difficult for people to take days off work etc to "help out"

Things like fans offering contacts for various services at good rates (e.g. web design, training gear....etc etc etc) would could also be an option.

Us as fans asking sensible questions and gaining sensible reply without resorting to a slanging match. That at least starts the communication lines.

The fans forum is good, but many, myself included can't get over midweek for an evening.

Also for fans to send ideas, suggestions through to the club for their consideration.

Add to that any other constructive dialogue that people can think of.

: Thu May 21, 2009 9:52 pm  

AaronBull wrote:

I'd also be interested. I was too young to get heavily involved with BISA back in t'day, as it were, but now I'd genuinely be interested.

It was the same old story - plenty of people complaining about what was wrong and what needed doing regarding the Bulls; too few people actually prepared to do anything about it and put some effort in. So it all fell on a handful of people who worked bloody hard and for nothing in the end. The Committee members were all working full-time (and in my case, and some!) and yet somehow managed to find time for meetings, research, projects, organising campaigns, organising events, writing press releases, engaging with the media, writing articles, producing magazines, recruitment drives, making giant flags, organising awards, putting on testimonial functions...yes it was hard work and frustrating that so few fans were prepared to get stuck in.

I wish I had a pound for every time someone said "BISA should do something about it" but were unwilling to do anything themselves. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Bulls fans just seemed uninterested in doing something to make a difference.

A real shame, because we DID have active engagement with the club and found out a lot which explained many things. That meant we were often able to indicate reasons why things were as they were, although sometimes we were in a difficult situation because at times we were trusted with sensitive information. It also meant we were able to regularly feed back the feelings from the supporters, and sometimes the club listened.

And we had a few bust-ups with them too - like when Bullseye and I wrote a press release in response to Caisley's "Sky Blackout" kite-flying (both taking a big risk and doing it in work time btw as time was of the essence) - and did the balloon go up or what?

I suspect if anyone tried (again) to resurrect BISA (or start afresh) they would find the same - likely worse now. After all, if all those who post regularly on here and express strong opinions about the Bulls haven't by now tried to band together as a supporters' association, they are never likely to, are they?

IF anyone feels minded to have another shot at it, there is a bank account with some remaining funds still open, and some other material such as constitution (which took ages to draw up) which is or may still be around, which maybe could be passed on to a legitimate committee elected by a reconstituted membership.

: Thu May 21, 2009 10:00 pm  

bobsmyuncle wrote:

Let me know if you get a response.
I'll make one one for any supporter impetus to assist the club, but frankly have been appaled by the clubs previous lack of engagement with fans who want to help the club.
Are we just fodder in ther minds or are we considered ineffectual.
Its been said before that the club is missing out on a hardcore of passionate supporters who could willingly promote the Bulls by initiatives instigated the club or by innovative suggestions from us.
Whatever, the management NEED to re-engaage with the supporters in joint efforts of reinvigoration. And it will cost them nothing.

Agree totally.

I have been saying the same for years now.

Part of the problem is that there are just so few staff left at the club now. When I look back to the off-field setup a few years back, and to what it is now, its scary. And remember, those few staff who are running the club now are having to do a hell of a lot of work, and I suspect for limited reward.

One potential problem though - and drawing on experience with BISA too: when people who express an interest in "getting involved" get to realise just how much work is actually involved, its amazing how many suddenly find they are not as keen as they thought they were.

: Thu May 21, 2009 10:32 pm  

Adeybull wrote:

It was the same old story - plenty of people complaining about what was wrong and what needed doing regarding the Bulls; too few people actually prepared to do anything about it and put some effort in. So it all fell on a handful of people who worked bloody hard and for nothing in the end. The Committee members were all working full-time (and in my case, and some!) and yet somehow managed to find time for meetings, research, projects, organising campaigns, organising events, writing press releases, engaging with the media, writing articles, producing magazines, recruitment drives, making giant flags, organising awards, putting on testimonial functions...yes it was hard work and frustrating that so few fans were prepared to get stuck in.

I wish I had a pound for every time someone said "BISA should do something about it" but were unwilling to do anything themselves. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Bulls fans just seemed uninterested in doing something to make a difference.

A real shame, because we DID have active engagement with the club and found out a lot which explained many things. That meant we were often able to indicate reasons why things were as they were, although sometimes we were in a difficult situation because at times we were trusted with sensitive information. It also meant we were able to regularly feed back the feelings from the supporters, and sometimes the club listened.

And we had a few bust-ups with them too - like when Bullseye and I wrote a press release in response to Caisley's "Sky Blackout" kite-flying (both taking a big risk and doing it in work time btw as time was of the essence) - and did the balloon go up or what?

I suspect if anyone tried (again) to resurrect BISA (or start afresh) they would find the same - likely worse now. After all, if all those who post regularly on here and express strong opinions about the Bulls haven't by now tried to band together as a supporters' association, they are never likely to, are they?

IF anyone feels minded to have another shot at it, there is a bank account with some remaining funds still open, and some other material such as constitution (which took ages to draw up) which is or may still be around, which maybe could be passed on to a legitimate committee elected by a reconstituted membership.

Sorry to go off topic, but do the guys who were involved with BISA post on here ? I understand you and Bullseye are still around, just curious if any of the other BISA volunteers still post

: Fri May 22, 2009 5:12 am  

Visage wrote:

Sorry to go off topic, but do the guys who were involved with BISA post on here ? I understand you and Bullseye are still around, just curious if any of the other BISA volunteers still post

I was one. But later on, in the second reincarnation.

: Fri May 22, 2009 7:43 am  

I was also a BISA member in its second version.

: Fri May 22, 2009 7:55 am  

AaronBull wrote:

I'd also be interested. I was too young to get heavily involved with BISA back in t'day, as it were, but now I'd genuinely be interested.

As would I. Time to resurrect BISA?

As for suggestions to the club - I emailed them before they joined twitter, telling them that they could spread news on twitter to the fans. I didn't get a response but a few days after I noticed they'd joined up on twitter.

: Fri May 22, 2009 10:32 am  

Adeybull wrote:

It was the same old story - plenty of people complaining about what was wrong and what needed doing regarding the Bulls; too few people actually prepared to do anything about it and put some effort in. So it all fell on a handful of people who worked bloody hard and for nothing in the end. The Committee members were all working full-time (and in my case, and some!) and yet somehow managed to find time for meetings, research, projects, organising campaigns, organising events, writing press releases, engaging with the media, writing articles, producing magazines, recruitment drives, making giant flags, organising awards, putting on testimonial functions...yes it was hard work and frustrating that so few fans were prepared to get stuck in.

I wish I had a pound for every time someone said "BISA should do something about it" but were unwilling to do anything themselves. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Bulls fans just seemed uninterested in doing something to make a difference.

A real shame, because we DID have active engagement with the club and found out a lot which explained many things. That meant we were often able to indicate reasons why things were as they were, although sometimes we were in a difficult situation because at times we were trusted with sensitive information. It also meant we were able to regularly feed back the feelings from the supporters, and sometimes the club listened.

And we had a few bust-ups with them too - like when Bullseye and I wrote a press release in response to Caisley's "Sky Blackout" kite-flying (both taking a big risk and doing it in work time btw as time was of the essence) - and did the balloon go up or what?

I suspect if anyone tried (again) to resurrect BISA (or start afresh) they would find the same - likely worse now. After all, if all those who post regularly on here and express strong opinions about the Bulls haven't by now tried to band together as a supporters' association, they are never likely to, are they?

IF anyone feels minded to have another shot at it, there is a bank account with some remaining funds still open, and some other material such as constitution (which took ages to draw up) which is or may still be around, which maybe could be passed on to a legitimate committee elected by a reconstituted membership.

I completely understand this Adey and yes I suspect people don't have the time to return to something you are talking about, i.e. BISA.

I was suggesting a much simpler version - A regular (sensible) Q&A between club and fans, enabling us to (as you pointed out) understand the circumstances as to why some of the "bad" things are happening.

Add to that, again as I've mentioned, things like fan suggestions, useful contacts, expertise etc.

The club could also use it to ask for fan feedback on proposals they have or to ask for volunteers for various projects (one off project, thus meaning people don't have to commit long term or on a regular basis).

I just thought it was a shame that a good number of people on here have much to offer / discuss / suggest which isn't utilised.
Some more information coming through may also stop some of the dross posted on here.

I'd certainly welcome yours, or anyone else’s input into producing something workable to propose to the club.