The Future Of The Dons : Fri Jul 03, 2015 8:12 am  

The 2015 season has been awful. The club has lost all of the momentum it had worked hard to build up over recent seasons.

The supporter base is getting smaller on a week-by-week basis as defeat follows defeat. Championship 1 is staring us in the face with all its financial implications. What can the club do to turn things around?

I believe they need to make a statement of intent for next season as soon as possible. They need to reassure those of us who are left that sufficient funds will be made available to make us very competitive in the league below, and that we won't be relying on season ticket sales, sponsorship money, or RFL money (however small that may be) to fund the team.

The poor judgement of the club got us into the mess we're in and they need to show that they're prepared to invest to get us out of this mess.

If we are to operate on a self-funding basis, without extra investment by the club owners, next season is likely to be very grim and the road back to the Championship will be a slow and potentially painful one. Losing to Leigh and Bradford is one thing. Losing to London Skolars and Hemel Stags would be something else. Yes, things can get worse than they already are.

We can't allow that to happen. The club needs to show an intent to halt the decline now. They need to tell us they are prepared to invest money in the club, over and above the money generated by other income streams. This may mean supporters are prepared to give them another chance. If not, lost supporters may only return when we have a winning side again, and some may never come back at all.

I love the Dons and I love rugby. I want us to be successful. I don't want us all to endure the pains of this season ever again. To the club, I ask, "What lessons have you learned? And what are you going to do from here on to make sure we don't get it wrong again next season?" I would suggest we need a plan that goes beyond words and gestures.

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Fri Jul 03, 2015 8:42 am  

The question was asked,I believe, about investment should the club go down, and the answer was the club would invest to come straight back, then continue it's plan to be full time within a certain timescale, until we get to the off season and see what investment is indeed put forward as regards player recruitment etc, I'll believe what I'm told. If it doesn't appear, that's another matter.

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:15 am  

donny hkr wrote:

The question was asked,I believe, about investment should the club go down, and the answer was the club would invest to come straight back, then continue it's plan to be full time within a certain timescale, until we get to the off season and see what investment is indeed put forward as regards player recruitment etc, I'll believe what I'm told. If it doesn't appear, that's another matter.

I'm not disbelieving anything that has been said before. I think we've got to a point in the season where the club needs to try to stop the loss of more fans and restore some confidence by dealing with these issues in a more positive manor now.

It's not me that the club needs to win round, as I'll be there next season come what may. But if the club want to limit the damage from this season I believe they need to do more to reassure fans now, rather than wait until later. The situation will only get worse with time if not dealt with.

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:48 am  

A good solid post and I agree we need a strong statement of intent from the club to try to prop up what has been a disaster of a season.

Signing players for next year is part of it, but something concrete from the club a join statement from Carl and "Club Doncaster" would go some way towards that.

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:59 am  

Don't think we will see many signings till end of season, but I hear what your saying. Gary Thornton will have an idea of who he wants to retain, maybe we start there.

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:30 pm  

Spot on DM.
The club should make their intent now as you say. Before anymore decide not to come back next season.
They need to build a squad good enough to go through the season next [Champ 1] year to be unbeaten, that may
help towards the debacle this season, and come back up as champions.
Keighley did it a couple of seasons ago.

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:28 pm  

Some good posts from DM.

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:02 pm  

weighman wrote:

Some good posts from DM.

Thanks Weighman - much appreciated.

Some Super League clubs are already starting to sign people for next season. We need to be getting involved in sorting next season now too or else we could get left behind.

I know it may be difficult because players are under contract to other clubs at the moment and that may forbid approaches from being made but I would think many of the players we'll be looking to recruit will be youngsters who aren't going to make the grade in Super League and are going to be released by their clubs at the end of the season. (Types like Luke Gale and Kyle Briggs, hopefully.)Should we be trying to get in first to sign them now, like London Broncos did with James Cunningham? That seemed like a smart move on their behalf.

Whitehaven have recently signed some French players as they continue to build. I hope we're seriously looking at recruiting now with next season in mind.

[Wanderer]

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Sat Jul 04, 2015 11:05 am  

Double Movement wrote:

The 2015 season has been awful. The club has lost all of the momentum it had worked hard to build up over recent seasons.

The supporter base is getting smaller on a week-by-week basis as defeat follows defeat. Championship 1 is staring us in the face with all its financial implications.

Sad to admit but I've now stopped travelling to away games, whereas up to this season I'd turn up wherever we were playing even if I'd left home on Saturday lunchtime to go to a Bolton football match and wouldn't get back home until Sunday evening via wherever the Dons were playing.

I've spoken to a number of people recently who used to go home and away who now only go to home matches and worse still a number who used to go to home games who have either already stopped going or won't be attending next season - many of these have followed the Club for many years.

Double Movement wrote:

What can the club do to turn things around?

I believe they need to make a statement of intent for next season as soon as possible. They need to reassure those of us who are left that sufficient funds will be made available to make us very competitive in the league below, and that we won't be relying on season ticket sales, sponsorship money, or RFL money (however small that may be) to fund the team.

The poor judgement of the club got us into the mess we're in and they need to show that they're prepared to invest to get us out of this mess.

If we are to operate on a self-funding basis, without extra investment by the club owners, next season is likely to be very grim and the road back to the Championship will be a slow and potentially painful one. Losing to Leigh and Bradford is one thing. Losing to London Skolars and Hemel Stags would be something else. Yes, things can get worse than they already are.

We can't allow that to happen. The club needs to show an intent to halt the decline now. They need to tell us they are prepared to invest money in the club, over and above the money generated by other income streams. This may mean supporters are prepared to give them another chance. If not, lost supporters may only return when we have a winning side again, and some may never come back at all.

In terms of bums-on-seats, the only chance the Club now has of home crowds in excess of 300 - 350 next season is to invest heavily in the playing staff and go on a long winning run at the start of next season. Anything less and I seriously cannot see any reason to open the Keepmoat Stadium on match day. Call me negative but I am speaking honestly and from the heart.

Double Movement wrote:

I love the Dons and I love rugby. I want us to be successful. I don't want us all to endure the pains of this season ever again. To the club, I ask, "What lessons have you learned? And what are you going to do from here on to make sure we don't get it wrong again next season?" I would suggest we need a plan that goes beyond words and gestures.

Sentiments shared by many Dons supporters and you are correct, the recovery plan needs to be robust, transparent and communicated honestly to the Club's stakeholders.

Re: The Future Of The Dons : Sat Jul 04, 2015 12:11 pm  

I agree with DoubleMovements post, well put.
I have been one of those who have stayed away recently. I think some like me don't mind paying and see your team loose, are beaten by a better team, but seeing players looking out of their depth or devoid of ideas and basic skills, makes me, and possibly others, question if I ought to be spending my money in this way.
I hope things can be turned round and hope GT and PG can do this and we can bounce back from a single season in Championship 1.