Rumour Mill

[The General Pat]

On 20/11/2023 at 18:48, Keep The Faith said:

Shirts might be down to waiting on new sponsors etc can’t be helped 

Club have an event on before Xmas with glen Tomlinson, maybe try and sell it out and support the club that way 

This happens every year ! Doesn’t seem to be any urgency, prime selling before Christmas 

[RogerT]

55 minutes ago, The scrim reaper said:

Moan moan moan! That's all it is on here at the moment! None of us know what the situation is at Oldham or Doncaster or any other team at the moment with there backing or sponsorship so leave them to there own devices , I'm sure kev and the board are doing what they think is best for the club and I'm also sure come the beginning of the season we will have a team ready to go  how ever it looks! Kev never spends money he hasn't got and never announces what's happening until he's sure everything is in place! It's been the same for the last 25yrs! And seeing as tho central funding has been reduced by £45k I guess it's going to be a tough year all round for everyone involved with the club! So give it a rest until we do know what's happening!! 

If people want to moan that's their prerogative and yes it does get boring hence I switch on the ignore button.

As regards Oldham and Doncaster I couldn't care too hoots my only concern is Batley and I've made my feelings known about that to a couple up at the club and some fellow supporters as to whether I'll bother with a season ticket again, War Chest and even doing the player stats, now that was hard for me to say as I only came back to rugby in 2009.

[toffeedog]

Moan moan sorry not a happy clapper just a supporter expressing frustration with the lack of information about anything from the club as per usual.feel like a mushroom being a batley fan at moment in time kept in dark covered in #### and hope we grow 

[Bill H]

11 hours ago, RogerT said:

If people want to moan that's their prerogative and yes it does get boring hence I switch on the ignore button.

As regards Oldham and Doncaster I couldn't care too hoots my only concern is Batley and I've made my feelings known about that to a couple up at the club and some fellow supporters as to whether I'll bother with a season ticket again, War Chest and even doing the player stats, now that was hard for me to say as I only came back to rugby in 2009.

We are in for a tough season Roger, it's clear that we don't have the means to replace some of the exceptional players that we have lost.  And people have a right to express concern.  But there has been a thread of constant nitpicking and denigrating the clubs efforts through good times and bad these last few years that stifles enthusiasm. 

On a plus note, and as a long term supporter that does very little other than attend home matches and the odd away match; I think that not only have KN and co done a wonderful job against the odds (can it continue forever?) but the club is lucky to have a hard core of really dedicated supporters who in various ways make huge contributions to the clubs success.  Wouldn't it be nice to have a "supporter of the year" to recognise this; although I think that the idea is unworkable.

 

[bromleybulldog]

27 minutes ago, Bill H said:

We are in for a tough season Roger, it's clear that we don't have the means to replace some of the exceptional players that we have lost.  And people have a right to express concern.  But there has been a thread of constant nitpicking and denigrating the clubs efforts through good times and bad these last few years that stifles enthusiasm. 

 

 

I think the major concern I have is the club's general lack of initiative in drumming up support to address the lack of money. Kevin stated the club was £30k down on last years reduced admission prices and was concerned that if the central distribution was more than a further £30k reduced next season we would have difficulties. We haven't heard a word on this although an earlier poster suggested this had been reduced by £45k.

So, something has to be done. Lots of good suggestions from other posters as well as myself but here is a list of things I think we should be doing-

Get season tickets advertised and on sale before Christmas

Get the new kit sorted, advertised and on sale before Christmas

Get a Christmas draw organised ( and a January draw and....)

Get the War Chest re-energised, advertised and do a regular update on winners of the weekly draw

If the lottery is still alive (last website update was Nov 2020) get it advertised

Get player sponsorships advertised

Get other sponsorship opportunities advertised

And I'm sure there are plenty of other things we could do.

 

As it is I see nothing coming out of the club to try to engage with the fans and try and raise funds. The website is a waste of time, out of date with old information. Use it. The recent ratings issued by the RFL/IMG are a sorry tale- we are ranked three places below a team which has just gone out of business for goodness sake.  None of the above ideas are radical but they just need a bit of effort putting into them. The fans want to help - hence all these messages of concern but we need to see some proactive input from the club too.

[Bill H]

Fair points fairly put and constructive.  You 

7 minutes ago, bromleybulldog said:

I think the major concern I have is the club's general lack of initiative in drumming up support to address the lack of money. Kevin stated the club was £30k down on last years reduced admission prices and was concerned that if the central distribution was more than a further £30k reduced next season we would have difficulties. We haven't heard a word on this although an earlier poster suggested this had been reduced by £45k.

So, something has to be done. Lots of good suggestions from other posters as well as myself but here is a list of things I think we should be doing-

Get season tickets advertised and on sale before Christmas

Get the new kit sorted, advertised and on sale before Christmas

Get a Christmas draw organised ( and a January draw and....)

Get the War Chest re-energised, advertised and do a regular update on winners of the weekly draw

If the lottery is still alive (last website update was Nov 2020) get it advertised

Get player sponsorships advertised

Get other sponsorship opportunities advertised

And I'm sure there are plenty of other things we could do.

 

As it is I see nothing coming out of the club to try to engage with the fans and try and raise funds. The website is a waste of time, out of date with old information. Use it. The recent ratings issued by the RFL/IMG are a sorry tale- we are ranked three places below a team which has just gone out of business for goodness sake.  None of the above ideas are radical but they just need a bit of effort putting into them. The fans want to help - hence all these messages of concern but we need to see some proactive input from the club too.

Fair points and well put. 

[phildog]

I read that the League season is expected to start mid-March. Prior to that will be round-robins for the 1895 Cup and early Challenge Cup rounds.

[Piggy's mate]

18 hours ago, RogerT said:

If people want to moan that's their prerogative and yes it does get boring hence I switch on the ignore button.

There's an ignore button... why am I just finding this out now!!

[BatleyBird]

6 hours ago, bromleybulldog said:

I think the major concern I have is the club's general lack of initiative in drumming up support to address the lack of money. Kevin stated the club was £30k down on last years reduced admission prices and was concerned that if the central distribution was more than a further £30k reduced next season we would have difficulties. We haven't heard a word on this although an earlier poster suggested this had been reduced by £45k.

So, something has to be done. Lots of good suggestions from other posters as well as myself but here is a list of things I think we should be doing-

Get season tickets advertised and on sale before Christmas

Get the new kit sorted, advertised and on sale before Christmas

Get a Christmas draw organised ( and a January draw and....)

Get the War Chest re-energised, advertised and do a regular update on winners of the weekly draw

If the lottery is still alive (last website update was Nov 2020) get it advertised

Get player sponsorships advertised

Get other sponsorship opportunities advertised

And I'm sure there are plenty of other things we could do.

 

As it is I see nothing coming out of the club to try to engage with the fans and try and raise funds. The website is a waste of time, out of date with old information. Use it. The recent ratings issued by the RFL/IMG are a sorry tale- we are ranked three places below a team which has just gone out of business for goodness sake.  None of the above ideas are radical but they just need a bit of effort putting into them. The fans want to help - hence all these messages of concern but we need to see some proactive input from the club too.

Excellent post. 

 

[toffeedog]

Just a suggestion could super impose players in santa outfits . Guess the player 5 pound ago winner gets signed shirt or a season ticket . Priced well could get some quick cash in to the coffers . 

 

[redditchbulldog]

[redditchbulldog]

Just now, redditchbulldog said:

see plenty of time to get shirts for xmas

[bromleybulldog]

20 minutes ago, redditchbulldog said:

see plenty of time to get shirts for xmas

One down, six to go!

[Blind side johnny]

56 minutes ago, redditchbulldog said:

That's the same night as Dewsbury's event. Coolie won't know what to do now.

[RogerT]

With Gibbon brothers (players) the average  age of the team is 27 not bad that.

[phildog]

With the new format of the league and Chalkenge Cup, that now means the end of amateur involvement which is an absolute disgrace.

[RogerT]

What do you expect this is the Rugby League your talking about.

[RogerT]

2 hours ago, phildog said:

With the new format of the league and Chalkenge Cup, that now means the end of amateur involvement which is an absolute disgrace.

No it doesn't read my post on the thread about rule changes.

[Blind side johnny]

2 hours ago, phildog said:

With the new format of the league and Chalkenge Cup, that now means the end of amateur involvement which is an absolute disgrace.

[coolie]

6 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

That's the same night as Dewsbury's event. Coolie won't know what to do now.

I'm superman

And can attend both events

[Batley Bob]

 

[phildog]

So Kev's interview intimates that barring a couple limping across the line we have signed 'the squad'. There must be a good number unannounced then, why? Good to see the club taking up some fans' suggestions on fund-raising but, as explained, it's going to bring in a drop in the ocean, 2,500 over 6 months? Is £2 a ticket enough? Should the cost go up as the prize money goes up? How about a 100 or 200 club monthly draw at a 5er a member or something similar? Monthly entertainment winter and summer in Ron's / outside, keep the beer sales turning over. Trying to help and prompt, not critcise, we want a club, we have to work.

[RogerT]

Wasn't it if fully backed £2,500 over 6 weeks.

[Blind side johnny]

2 hours ago, phildog said:

So Kev's interview intimates that barring a couple limping across the line we have signed 'the squad'. There must be a good number unannounced then, why? Good to see the club taking up some fans' suggestions on fund-raising but, as explained, it's going to bring in a drop in the ocean, 2,500 over 6 months? Is £2 a ticket enough? Should the cost go up as the prize money goes up? How about a 100 or 200 club monthly draw at a 5er a member or something similar? Monthly entertainment winter and summer in Ron's / outside, keep the beer sales turning over. Trying to help and prompt, not critcise, we want a club, we have to work.

Don't panic. You have 16 players signed up already. Rams only have 23 but many of them raw recruits.

We will probably be battling it out on a level playing field in 2024 for a change.

[RogerT]

8 hours ago, Blind side johnny said:

Don't panic. You have 16 players signed up already. Rams only have 23 but many of them raw recruits.

We will probably be battling it out on a level playing field in 2024 for a change.

Hi BSJ, you must have been tired when you counted Batley's players there are 18 signed on as per my PLayers signed on for 2024, I only put them on there once the club announce them. Just added Robbie Butterworth so that's 19 now.

At your place maybe at ours we both face an uphill battle.

Edited November 29, 2023 by RogerT