rigo-drfc

We had Jan Budtz at Donny a few years back. Absolutely hopeless keeper who drogged clanger after clanger after clanger. The guy couldn't catch a cold if he tried!!!!

If the stadium was run by Rovers, then we would allow cash on the turnstile I reckon. We never had a problem with it, at Hell Vue. Because the stadium is run by an SMC though, they dictate every little thing. For instance we don't run our own ticket office, the SMC acts as a ticket agent for us - and sells our tickets. When you have a look at your stub on Monday, you'll notice it doesn't have the clubs badge on.

Don't start talking about developing the Deepthroat. That's another issue in itself, but basically to cut a long story short if we wanted to extend the capacity, we'd have to physically knock down a stand, and start again from scratch. If you've been (or if you're going next week), you'll notice the roof is flat all way round, rather than floating like it is at the Galpharm for instance. That was one of the cutbacks the council made as originally it was going to be a 32 million complex, with the stadium easilly extendable to 20,000 if need be, and with the floating roof. Short sightedness? I'll let you decide... As for building our own stadium it was considered, but only briefly really. We wanted to move stadium for years but with a lack of money around the town and club for years, we just couldn't afford it. As it worked out, by the time we'd have acquired the necessary land, built the stadium and other stuff, the cost would be pushing on for what the council paid for the whole complex. The general concensus around the town now (and around most Rovers fans) is the council have served their purpose in getting the stadium, now the SMC - still basically the mayor's good mates who he couldn't get a job for in council, can f*** off.

To put a few things straight. Rovers owned Belle Vue. When we left Belle Vue, one of the coniditions of moving to a new stadium was that it was run by an SMC (Stadium Management Company), whether thats down to a control freaky type council I'll let you decide. Anyway, first few months after it opened, the SMC seemed to set up against the Rovers and all tenant clubs, with OTT stewarding, ridiculous pricing etc etc - they refused to co-operate with the clubs basically, and at one point wanted to charge our own FITC something like 15k per annum for one little office. They had two concerts last summer (Groover from Vancouver and McFly) and lost something like 500k on them, then the SMC sold alcohol to kids and lost the license - and more money. Now, they'v lost between 2 and 2.5 million since the stadium opened in January 2007. However, for the place to be sold, the council has to agree to sell it, as they still kinda have the final say on activity there - the SMC was set up by a load of ex council people. Jobs for the boys if you get my drift ;) They've already had a few emergency meetings to discuss activities involving the SMC, and if it does come up for sale at some point, DRFC will be interested in buying it, and can afford to buy it. The SMC's incompetance has nothing to do with Rovers. Yes, we are paying effectively a pittance for using the stadium, but that was what the council agreed to let us pay and there's watertight documentation for us to pay that for another 23.5 years. The only thing Rovers related about the Deepthroat Stadium is we play there. We have no running in it to do whatsoever, so the empire built on sand statement is complete tosh.

Name? Rigo Location? Hell Vue, Doncaster How Long Supporting the Tics? Never Best away match you've been to? Swans 1-1, 2004 All Time Greatest Player? Ritchie Wellens :P Biggest Rivals (in your eyes)? Scunny.

Cheers.