BPAS PODCAST SEASON 2: 16th Aug '21 Episode 45: Picking A Scab

[BPAS]

It was the first away day of the season and in some 18 months, over 17,000 fans inside Valley Parade for a L2 game, over 1,100 Oldham fans in fine, fine voice. What could possibly go wrong...

 

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Title music is by Manchester DJ and producer Starion find out more at https://redlaserrecords.bandcamp.com/

 

 

[JoeP]

Interest point made there about the owners taking us to bankruptcy rather than selling.

 

Boycotting might mean they just take us there faster…

 

They’d definitely be more uncomfortable if fans were present and vocal about their displeasure, I reckon.

[lookersstandandy]

That assumes the owner is present though. He’s not been seen in the country for months.

[redlion]

I think it would be a lovely gesture if all supporters turned up for the next home game in a clown's outfit and when Mo took to his seat, all turned their backs to him and bared their arses. I'm sure he'd get the right idea. If only.

[JoeP]

Mo has, though (who is arguably the main problem) and being vocal is likely to bring more attention to our situation than slipping away quietly, surely?

[League one forever]

49 minutes ago, JoeP said:

Interest point made there about the owners taking us to bankruptcy rather than selling.

 

Boycotting might mean they just take us there faster…

 

They’d definitely be more uncomfortable if fans were present and vocal about their displeasure, I reckon.

I know where you’re coming from, but in effect you’re asking people who don’t currently go to pay money to come and shout at people.  The ones that still go have no interest in that- they just want to watch the football. 
 

So we’re stuck as a fanbase. 

[PeteG]

37 minutes ago, lookersstandandy said:

That assumes the owner is present though. He’s not been seen in the country for months.

11 months to be precise. The last game he attended was the League cup game at Morecambe

[Chaddyexile84]

7 minutes ago, PeteG said:

11 months to be precise. The last game he attended was the League cup game at Morecambe

 

TBF if that is the case I don't blame him for getting straight on a plane and never coming back

 

That game was absolutely awful

 

Though Kewell thought it was excellent 

[Lee Sinnott2]

26 minutes ago, PeteG said:

11 months to be precise. The last game he attended was the League cup game at Morecambe

In fairness to the great man, I don't blame him. That was a dreadful performance...

[Dave_Og]

1 hour ago, PeteG said:

11 months to be precise. The last game he attended was the League cup game at Morecambe

 

We'll  ever know if he would have been here if there wasn't a global pandemic going on.

 

In the meantime I've had a midge bite on my leg from when I was painting the shed late in the evening months ago and I just can't stop picking it

[JoeP]

1 hour ago, League one forever said:

I know where you’re coming from, but in effect you’re asking people who don’t currently go to pay money to come and shout at people.  The ones that still go have no interest in that- they just want to watch the football. 
 

So we’re stuck as a fanbase. 

I fear we’re certainly getting to that stage, so there has to be some compromise.

 

As I’ve said elsewhere, I think PTB or whoever should just pick one match and call it a “Boycott match”, against someone rubbish midweek. Get the gate as low as possible just for one game. Surely the current attendees can give up one game for the greater good? Asking all fans to do it every home game is a massive ask, in reality.

 

After that, everyone should be encouraged to be as vocal as possible about it at home games. It’s pretty irrelevant if the owner isn’t in the country - you can guarantee he’ll hear about it and it might bring some more media exposure to our plight.

[GlossopLatic]

7 minutes ago, JoeP said:

I fear we’re certainly getting to that stage, so there has to be some compromise.

 

As I’ve said elsewhere, I think PTB or whoever should just pick one match and call it a “Boycott match”, against someone rubbish midweek. Get the gate as low as possible just for one game. Surely the current attendees can give up one game for the greater good? Asking all fans to do it every home game is a massive ask, in reality.

 

After that, everyone should be encouraged to be as vocal as possible about it at home games. It’s pretty irrelevant if the owner isn’t in the country - you can guarantee he’ll hear about it and it might bring some more media exposure to our plight.

 

You know full well all that will happen is that they will hand out loads of freebies for that one match.

[JoeP]

8 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

You know full well all that will happen is that they will hand out loads of freebies for that one match.

Probably. And count them even if they don’t turn up!

[PeteG]

18 minutes ago, JoeP said:

I fear we’re certainly getting to that stage, so there has to be some compromise.

 

As I’ve said elsewhere, I think PTB or whoever should just pick one match and call it a “Boycott match”, against someone rubbish midweek. Get the gate as low as possible just for one game. Surely the current attendees can give up one game for the greater good? Asking all fans to do it every home game is a massive ask, in reality.

 

After that, everyone should be encouraged to be as vocal as possible about it at home games. It’s pretty irrelevant if the owner isn’t in the country - you can guarantee he’ll hear about it and it might bring some more media exposure to our plight.

What will 1 match do? They have the st revenue and will just think they will all be back next week

[the_mighty_bosh]

I've just read the Foundation's statement withdrawing their previous critical statement of the club.

 

Was it due to a legal reason?  If not then it's an awful statement and consolidates the view that the Foundation is representing the owners more than the fans.

[JoeP]

52 minutes ago, PeteG said:

What will 1 match do? They have the st revenue and will just think they will all be back next week

A starting point for uniting the fans.

 

At the moment not enough want to boycott permanently to make it noteworthy. One game would, at least, show the owner that the message from the vast vast majority is the same.

[GlossopLatic]

37 minutes ago, the_mighty_bosh said:

I've just read the Foundation's statement withdrawing their previous critical statement of the club.

 

Was it due to a legal reason?  If not then it's an awful statement and consolidates the view that the Foundation is representing the owners more than the fans.

 

It was pretty spineless wasn't it. So far our Trust representative has refused to take the petition to the board because he doesn't want to chase the owner out of town. He has written a grovelling apology. He has been absolutely silent on the transfer embargo, the ticketing shambles at Bradford and the current situation with the Goalkeeper in the stands. 

 

Their is no point the Trust/foundation having a representative on the board if he just going to be a boot licker. So I hope Matt is going to try and get him on because their is alot of things right now he should be trying to address with the board.

[Andy b]

5 hours ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

It was pretty spineless wasn't it. So far our Trust representative has refused to take the petition to the board because he doesn't want to chase the owner out of town. He has written a grovelling apology. He has been absolutely silent on the transfer embargo, the ticketing shambles at Bradford and the current situation with the Goalkeeper in the stands. 

 

Their is no point the Trust/foundation having a representative on the board if he just going to be a boot licker. So I hope Matt is going to try and get him on because their is alot of things right now he should be trying to address with the board.

I think the trust need to explain the statement. What prompted it and who? 
 

The trust wont win fans over if it functions as a faceless business (much like the club) with rigid and legalistic statements like that. Get off the fence and show some personality Trust. It might endear people to you. 

[LightDN123]

9 hours ago, the_mighty_bosh said:

I've just read the Foundation's statement withdrawing their previous critical statement of the club.

 

Was it due to a legal reason?  If not then it's an awful statement and consolidates the view that the Foundation is representing the owners more than the fans.

It honestly is pointless.

[League one forever]

As usual, all spoke with great passion. 
 

However we need to move the thinking away from what we can’t affect. 
 

Andy- you understandably want apologies from people at the club who have shown a complete disregard for the fans, to do about turn and hold their hands up. But it’s never going to happen. No amount of impassioned pleas will change that. You want answers from people at the club who don’t want to communicate, and have no obligation to. Again- never going to happen. 
 

Adam mentioned that all clubs do well with a unified fanbase. And in my humble opinion this where all the effort should be placed. 
 

The questions shouldn’t be at the club anymore, we all know the contempt in which we’re held. And the harsh truth is- they don’t have to tell us damn thing. And don’t.  (As Matt alluded to with the PTB burnout, it’s draining)  The question/movement should be, how do we convince the die hard fan that what they are witnessing is not ok. And not only is not ok, that they would consider not going. Until that is more unified, then we’re only going one way. 

Listening to the pod is a perfect example. 

 

Bradders wants his fix, his gets the club is knackered but he’ll still go when he can, even though he wants the owners gone. 
 

Andy, is audibly heightened and says- well let’s do something about it then!? 
 

Do what though? When at the minute there is a large number who go with family, aren’t into the politics of the club, or get the owners are bad but still want their fix? PTB organise/discuss potential boycotts, but need to step back, when the feedback is- we miss the football. 
 

We know the club is a shambles but we are in danger of preaching to the converted, and as in politics - it’s about convincing the people who don’t normally vote for you where true power lies. 
 

 

[Andy b]

6 hours ago, League one forever said:

As usual, all spoke with great passion. 
 

However we need to move the thinking away from what we can’t affect. 
 

Andy- you understandably want apologies from people at the club who have shown a complete disregard for the fans, to do about turn and hold their hands up. But it’s never going to happen. No amount of impassioned pleas will change that. You want answers from people at the club who don’t want to communicate, and have no obligation to. Again- never going to happen. 
 

Adam mentioned that all clubs do well with a unified fanbase. And in my humble opinion this where all the effort should be placed. 
 

The questions shouldn’t be at the club anymore, we all know the contempt in which we’re held. And the harsh truth is- they don’t have to tell us damn thing. And don’t.  (As Matt alluded to with the PTB burnout, it’s draining)  The question/movement should be, how do we convince the die hard fan that what they are witnessing is not ok. And not only is not ok, that they would consider not going. Until that is more unified, then we’re only going one way. 

Listening to the pod is a perfect example. 

 

Bradders wants his fix, his gets the club is knackered but he’ll still go when he can, even though he wants the owners gone. 
 

Andy, is audibly heightened and says- well let’s do something about it then!? 
 

Do what though? When at the minute there is a large number who go with family, aren’t into the politics of the club, or get the owners are bad but still want their fix? PTB organise/discuss potential boycotts, but need to step back, when the feedback is- we miss the football. 
 

We know the club is a shambles but we are in danger of preaching to the converted, and as in politics - it’s about convincing the people who don’t normally vote for you where true power lies. 
 

 

Agree. Fans need to be unified to one end - to raise the cash to step in and/or secure a meaningful stake in the club. Admittedly, bucket shaking and donations won’t get us far (it will need fans to bring in some proper investment) but the more fans which put their hands in their pockets for a common cause, the better.

 

PTB was set up to be a single, louder and more impactful voice and has gone some way to unified fans under a common purpose and perspective. Things need to move on to the next stage of that. 

[League one forever]

2 hours ago, Andy b said:

Agree. Fans need to be unified to one end - to raise the cash to step in and/or secure a meaningful stake in the club. Admittedly, bucket shaking and donations won’t get us far (it will need fans to bring in some proper investment) but the more fans which put their hands in their pockets for a common cause, the better.

 

PTB was set up to be a single, louder and more impactful voice and has gone some way to unified fans under a common purpose and perspective. Things need to move on to the next stage of that. 

100%

[al_bro]

15 hours ago, League one forever said:

As usual, all spoke with great passion. 
 

However we need to move the thinking away from what we can’t affect. 
 

Andy- you understandably want apologies from people at the club who have shown a complete disregard for the fans, to do about turn and hold their hands up. But it’s never going to happen. No amount of impassioned pleas will change that. You want answers from people at the club who don’t want to communicate, and have no obligation to. Again- never going to happen. 
 

Adam mentioned that all clubs do well with a unified fanbase. And in my humble opinion this where all the effort should be placed. 
 

The questions shouldn’t be at the club anymore, we all know the contempt in which we’re held. And the harsh truth is- they don’t have to tell us damn thing. And don’t.  (As Matt alluded to with the PTB burnout, it’s draining)  The question/movement should be, how do we convince the die hard fan that what they are witnessing is not ok. And not only is not ok, that they would consider not going. Until that is more unified, then we’re only going one way. 

Listening to the pod is a perfect example. 

 

Bradders wants his fix, his gets the club is knackered but he’ll still go when he can, even though he wants the owners gone. 
 

Andy, is audibly heightened and says- well let’s do something about it then!? 
 

Do what though? When at the minute there is a large number who go with family, aren’t into the politics of the club, or get the owners are bad but still want their fix? PTB organise/discuss potential boycotts, but need to step back, when the feedback is- we miss the football. 
 

We know the club is a shambles but we are in danger of preaching to the converted, and as in politics - it’s about convincing the people who don’t normally vote for you where true power lies. 
 

 

Bradders was right in one sense though. If ALMo walk away and the club goes into administration. We would be lucky to stay in L2 with the points deduction. The administrators would have to run the club, but who would be paying the day to day bills and wages?

[League one forever]

Just now, al_bro said:

Bradders was right in one sense though. If ALMo walk away and the club goes into administration. We would be lucky to stay in L2 with the points deduction. The administrators would have to run the club, but who would be paying the day to day bills and wages?

While league status is important. It’s not the be all and end all IMO.  Getting the soul of the club back - is.  If we tumbled out of league, but they were gone. I am almost certain we would see 5/6k crowds again. And most importantly hope would be back. 
 

Who would pay the bills? 
 

Any one of the number of vested interested parties that PTB have said are interested and continue to be so. In the long run- Administration would be the best thing that can happen IMO. 
 

 

[Dave_Og]

3 minutes ago, League one forever said:

 If we tumbled out of league, but they were gone. I am almost certain we would see 5/6k crowds again

 

 

 

I'd say not a cat in hell's chance of that in the short term