Re: Fans committee meeting : Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:46 pm  

Please email your question and i will try and get them answered. I will be at the fans committee meeting next week. Please email me at bazzer1962@hotmail.com If you dont give me questions then i cannot ask for you, so please email me. Thanks Baz

Please email your question and i will try and get them answered. I will be at the fans committee meeting next week. Please email me at bazzer1962@hotmail.com If you dont give me questions then i cannot ask for you, so please email me. Thanks Baz

Re: Fans committee meeting : Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:20 am  

Baz,

In view of the time that’s past since I posted my original questions, some of which have already been answered, I thought I ought to re-write them:

1) The Dons have lost the confidence of many supporters due to the bad decisions made by the club this season. In the Batley match programme, John Scarrow suggested that the speculating about what went wrong this season should end and we should all look forward to the future.

The fans won’t stop speculating about what went wrong until the club say exactly what went wrong. If the club don’t tell the fans, the fans will continue to speculate that the club don’t know, and will remain unconvinced that the club has learned from its mistakes.

It is in the club’s best interest to deal with this issue properly if it wants to stop the haemorrhaging of fans away from the club.

2) Sponsorship money, RFL funding, and gate receipts will all be lower next year. Will Club Doncaster be investing money into the Dons, or will the rugby club have to be self-sufficient?

3) What are the club's ambitions for next season?
(a) Stabilise and finish mid-table
(b) Challenge for promotion
(c) Win the league

4) What are the match day attendance targets for next season?

5) Hull have announced they will be running a second team in 2016. Will this affect our Dual Registration with them?

6) At the end of last season, we were told we had a plan to get the Dons into Super League and become full-time. Do we still have this ambition? If so, what is the time frame? What attendance levels would be needed in order to sustain a Super League team in Doncaster?

Thanks for asking the questions. I’ll look forward to hearing the replies.

Mike

Re: Fans committee meeting : Fri Sep 04, 2015 1:43 pm  

I think in theory that these kind of meetings ought to be fruitful, but in practice I am not so sure.
As a vehicle to let the club know the concerns of the fans I think they serve a purpose, if the club then listens, considers and reports back in a measured way and the liaison person (Baz) then gets back to us with the responses.
Instant responses are useless, just as fans forum questions and answers are useless.

What you get is stock answers like ... we are thinking big, going for it, are committed etc etc .....just words basically to keep people sweet.
Meaningless drivel really.
But I like Baz and wish him well.

Re: Fans committee meeting : Fri Sep 04, 2015 2:01 pm  

Stand-Offish wrote:

I think in theory that these kind of meetings ought to be fruitful, but in practice I am not so sure.
As a vehicle to let the club know the concerns of the fans I think they serve a purpose, if the club then listens, considers and reports back in a measured way and the liaison person (Baz) then gets back to us with the responses.
Instant responses are useless, just as fans forum questions and answers are useless.

What you get is stock answers like ... we are thinking big, going for it, are committed etc etc .....just words basically to keep people sweet.
Meaningless drivel really.
But I like Baz and wish him well.

I've tried to frame my questions so we get proper answers. I agree, it's easy to give sound bite answers that sound good but lack substance,. Hopefully, the club will see this as a proper opportunity to address our concerns.

Baz is a good guy. I think we all appreciate what he does.

Re: Fans committee meeting : Wed Sep 09, 2015 12:09 am  

When G Thornton was in charge of York City Knights in 2014, there were really only three teams capable of fighting for promotion from Championship 1 – York City Knights, Oldham and Hunslet Hawks.

In 2015, there are eight strong teams in League 1; Oldham Roughyeds, Keighley Cougars, York City Knights, Swinton Lions, North Wales Crusaders, Rochdale Hornets, Barrow Raiders and Newcastle Thunder.

For 2016, two of the five top teams will be promoted. Donny and one of Hunslet Hawks or Whitehaven or Batley will come down. Also, Toulouse may enter League 1.

Clearly, there will be some movement of players and coaches. The financial status of some clubs may be better than others allowing them to offer more competitive financial deals to get better players. So some teams may strengthen and others may weaken. Given that our financial position is good, let’s hope that the club spends the money wisely.

However, this year we struggled to compete with Hunslet, Whitehaven and Batley. We were soundly beaten by North Wales Crusaders – currently fifth in League 1.

If Donny’s aim is to come straight back up to Championship, then it is clear that Donny needs to build a team that can compete for the top slots in League 1. This year, Donny’s management admitted to making mistakes. The management problems of this year must be resolved fully so that they are not carried forward as a burden into 2016.

It will be good to see the complete player picture when it is released. Given the numerous comments of the importance of the spine of the team, it will be of particular interest to know which players will fill the 1, 6, 7 and 9 positions.

Only by selecting good players who can be moulded by the coaches into a strong competitive team, will we have a chance of succeeding in achieving promotion.

The challenges of League 1 should not be underestimated.

Re: Fans committee meeting : Wed Sep 09, 2015 7:45 am  

Tee Man wrote:

When G Thornton was in charge of York City Knights in 2014, there were really only three teams capable of fighting for promotion from Championship 1 – York City Knights, Oldham and Hunslet Hawks.

In 2015, there are eight strong teams in League 1; Oldham Roughyeds, Keighley Cougars, York City Knights, Swinton Lions, North Wales Crusaders, Rochdale Hornets, Barrow Raiders and Newcastle Thunder.

For 2016, two of the five top teams will be promoted. Donny and one of Hunslet Hawks or Whitehaven or Batley will come down. Also, Toulouse may enter League 1.

Clearly, there will be some movement of players and coaches. The financial status of some clubs may be better than others allowing them to offer more competitive financial deals to get better players. So some teams may strengthen and others may weaken. Given that our financial position is good, let’s hope that the club spends the money wisely.

However, this year we struggled to compete with Hunslet, Whitehaven and Batley. We were soundly beaten by North Wales Crusaders – currently fifth in League 1.

If Donny’s aim is to come straight back up to Championship, then it is clear that Donny needs to build a team that can compete for the top slots in League 1. This year, Donny’s management admitted to making mistakes. The management problems of this year must be resolved fully so that they are not carried forward as a burden into 2016.

It will be good to see the complete player picture when it is released. Given the numerous comments of the importance of the spine of the team, it will be of particular interest to know which players will fill the 1, 6, 7 and 9 positions.

Only by selecting good players who can be moulded by the coaches into a strong competitive team, will we have a chance of succeeding in achieving promotion.

The challenges of League 1 should not be underestimated.

My thoughts entirely ....
If the calibre of the incomers is not exceptional, and I am talking of the likes of players with the abilities of Briggs, Gale, Wood, Sammut, et al, then Donny can forget it!
They need to know that!

One good thing is that Rovers sacked their useless manager very quickly this season, so Thornton beware!

Club Doncaster can't trumpet high ambitions and put up with this kind of mediocrity....
... only the Belles are performing ... the soccer side and the rugby side are SERIOUSLY UNDERPERFORMING!

There is a dichotomy even a numpty could see, never mind a board member.
In other words let's have some action, words are cheap ... as cheap as the ethos demonstrated thus far!

Re: Fans committee meeting : Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:13 pm  

Minutes from the meeting will be posted as soon as Jackie Green types them up.

Re: Fans committee meeting : Wed Sep 09, 2015 8:17 pm  

Thanks Baz.

Re: Fans committee meeting : Wed Sep 09, 2015 9:04 pm  

No problem. Let this season finish and start fresh next year.

Re: Fans committee meeting : Wed Sep 09, 2015 10:51 pm  

Very good meeting tonight and the future looks good.Several signings already made and names released at the meeting,yes they are young players who have been at Super League clubs but they are better than those signed by Cooke at the start of this season.Seen videos of three of them and they all look good especially the winger Foggin- Johnston who looks a real gem and will quickly become a fans favourite. Scrum half signed and again a youngster but he is highly rated and the Dons have beaten several Championship clubs for his signature.His name and those of others in the bag cannot be named for contractual reasons.Some overseas players also possibly lined up.So as yet no big names signed or if they have details cannot be released again for contractual reasons.Let's draw a line under this season and look to the next because from what I have seen and heard tonight , the future is beginning to look very promising.