jc

[ckn]

Adminsitrative note: No-one will complain about robust debate and criticism but we draw the line when it starts to include playground levels of abuse.  1 post deleted.

[Bulldog Days]

I'm neither happy clapper nor anti-KN and his board. Like most folk on here, I'm a dyed in the wool fan who is distressed at the way things have gone of late. I would expect that real fans would want to get behind the team, even in the tough times, rather than cutting their noses off to spite their own faces by baling out. Those suggesting such action are, in the main, long-serving loyal fans. Don't destroy the club without thinking what that would actually mean. The club, as a whole, is bigger than any individual or group and we need to fight to preserve it.

Absolutely OD, but the Club is also a business with paying customers. If those customers (including sponsors) are not getting value for money, and seeing the main assets sold without adequate replacements, with no sign of a business plan to improve the situation( in nearly 3 seasons), those customers will take their business elsewhere. The Club is bigger than any individual or group, and that includes Kevin Nicholas. As owner of the Club, that is where the fight to preserve it should start, but the evidence of the past 3 years would suggest the opposite.

[TheTerminator]

Absolutely OD, but the Club is also a business with paying customers. If those customers (including sponsors) are not getting value for money, and seeing the main assets sold without adequate replacements, with no sign of a business plan to improve the situation( in nearly 3 seasons), those customers will take their business elsewhere. The Club is bigger than any individual or group, and that includes Kevin Nicholas. As owner of the Club, that is where the fight to preserve it should start, but the evidence of the past 3 years would suggest the opposite.

I'm assuming/hoping that neither Leatherbarrow nor Southernwood will be retained for next season -along with Craven and at least two of our three hookers who don't cut the mustard. I'd like to think that, with a view to ensuring that we are more competitive next season, rebuilding our team in key areas (with a view to 2016) will have been a focus for the club over the past few weeks/months.

Given our dwindling fanbase, perhaps we should be negotiating with existing club sponsors to part-fund a couple of high profile signings we can regenerate some interest around?

[Bulldog Days]

I'm assuming/hoping that neither Leatherbarrow nor Southernwood will be retained for next season -along with Craven and at least two of our three hookers who don't cut the mustard. I'd like to think that, with a view to ensuring that we are more competitive next season, rebuilding our team in key areas (with a view to 2016) will have been a focus for the club over the past few weeks/months.

Those are short term focus issues that can be resolved Terminator, but the real issues are the long term strategy of the Club in a structure that can sustain the Club's growth and improvement for the future. On the evidence of the past 3 seasons, such a plan does not exist, nor is there an appetite to put one in place . What does that say about the Club's owners?

[billybulldog]

Those are short term focus issues that can be resolved Terminator, but the real issues are the long term strategy of the Club in a structure that can sustain the Club's growth and improvement for the future. On the evidence of the past 3 seasons, such a plan does not exist, nor is there an appetite to put one in place . What does that say about the Club's owners?

absoluetly spot on

[grumpyoldram]

Agree wholeheartedly with these comments.

If JC Has gone to dewsbury then thats me done with watching batley for the foreseeable future.

This smacks of the pre-Stephen Ball days.

The club has gone back 30 years in 3 seasons.

But on the bright side the remaining supporters can look forward to an over the hill journeyman replacement who nobody else wants, that no doubt will be a cheap option.....

#daretodream.........What a joke.

 

Not trying to stir it on here, but it doesn't seem so very long ago that Batley lured Ayden Faal, away from the club that not only paid for a private operation to rescue his career, but stood by him following personal issues. Here was a player who bailed out on us after giving us less than a full season after his op, to join our bezzie mates over the valley, much to the delight of the dogs fans, and the discomfiture of the rams faithful. I also recall a few posters rubbing their hands over who the dogs might pinch next. If the news about JC is true, then there will be a certain irony about it don't you think ? FWIW though, you have sod all chance of being relegated - nailed on.

[Bulldog Days]

Not trying to stir it on here, but it doesn't seem so very long ago that Batley lured Ayden Faal, away from the club that not only paid for a private operation to rescue his career, but stood by him following personal issues. Here was a player who bailed out on us after giving us less than a full season after his op, to join our bezzie mates over the valley, much to the delight of the dogs fans, and the discomfiture of the rams faithful. I also recall a few posters rubbing their hands over who the dogs might pinch next. If the news about JC is true, then there will be a certain irony about it don't you think ? FWIW though, you have sod all chance of being relegated - nailed on.

......and in hindsight was it such a good 'steal'! There is a world of difference in the class of the 2 players, and I think most Rams supporters were glad to see the back of Mr Faal

[Bill H]

Sadly the reality is that we get Championship 1 crowds and have done for many a year.  If I have a criticism it is that we haven't been able to build those crowds.  That is not to say, of course, that I have any answers as to how crowds could have been increased. 

 

There seems to be a lot of initiatives at the Mount that involve youngsters but whether we can remain competitive and build interest and in the long term attract more young supporters is the big question.

 

This forum hardly encourages youngsters to take an interest either.  Despite some terrific positives such as the player sponsorship initiative and the community website the overwhelming reaction to a disappointing season has been the sort that makes a deep hole deeper.

 

As to players moving across the valley; they always have moved in either direction and for various reasons.  After all, you don't have to travel any further to train.  At the moment momentum is with Dewsbury and they have more income and hence I would assume would be able to top our offer to any player that was considering moving (as would a majority of teams in the division I would guess).  Sometimes we are lucky and money isn't the only incentive.

[Bulldog Days]

Sadly the reality is that we get Championship 1 crowds and have done for many a year.  If I have a criticism it is that we haven't been able to build those crowds.  That is not to say, of course, that I have any answers as to how crowds could have been increased. 

 

There seems to be a lot of initiatives at the Mount that involve youngsters but whether we can remain competitive and build interest and in the long term attract more young supporters is the big question.

 

This forum hardly encourages youngsters to take an interest either.  Despite some terrific positives such as the player sponsorship initiative and the community website the overwhelming reaction to a disappointing season has been the sort that makes a deep hole deeper.

 

As to players moving across the valley; they always have moved in either direction and for various reasons.  After all, you don't have to travel any further to train.  At the moment momentum is with Dewsbury and they have more income and hence I would assume would be able to top our offer to any player that was considering moving (as would a majority of teams in the division I would guess).  Sometimes we are lucky and money isn't the only incentive.

Some fair points Bi11, and some positive points you have made. It does however look like the current BOD have taken us as far as they can, with some decent success and ground building along the way, but we now need owners who can address issues such as marketing the Club to the Heavy Woollen& fringe areas, building a Club structure that can generate the necessary income to compete at Championship level to build a squad with strength in more depth. It is now time to move the Club forward into the next phase of its great history and heritage, and look at more positives rather than contemplation of navels!

[billybulldog]

Not trying to stir it on here, but it doesn't seem so very long ago that Batley lured Ayden Faal, away from the club that not only paid for a private operation to rescue his career, but stood by him following personal issues. Here was a player who bailed out on us after giving us less than a full season after his op, to join our bezzie mates over the valley, much to the delight of the dogs fans, and the discomfiture of the rams faithful. I also recall a few posters rubbing their hands over who the dogs might pinch next. If the news about JC is true, then there will be a certain irony about it don't you think ? FWIW though, you have sod all chance of being relegated - nailed on.

take him back

[London Dick]

I think that fan who got a squad number for buying a shirt has had more game time than Faal since he signed for us.

[graham fisher]

take him back

A big fat NO

[grumpyoldram]

......and in hindsight was it such a good 'steal'! There is a world of difference in the class of the 2 players, and I think most Rams supporters were glad to see the back of Mr Faal

I would add to that, that if his commitment was half as big as his undoubted talent, and his bones half as fragile as his ego, he would be playing Superleague by now. It could be, of course, that you assumed that the lure of playing under a top coach at Batley would sort out his errant ways and turn him into the player we all know he could be - just like we did in fact.