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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 9:24:27 GMT
I went along to the Trust meeting last night. I’ll keep it brief:
• John Brogan is a nice guy – but nice guys don’t win football games. • The BOD have reviewed JB’s performance and still think he is “the right man” for the club. • The Chairman believes John Brogan is “the perfect fit” for ARFC and “understands the club and its ethos”. • The BOD believe that the club would survive relegation to The Lowland League. • The BOD are pretty much unified in their belief that John Brogan should be given “time” to save our season. • There is a growing obsession (best way I can put it) with the Reserves. Lots of time spent discussing their progress and positives. Perhaps in an effort to deflect from the first team’s failings? • PJ Morrison is cup-tied for Saturday. • In his absence our GK who is at Gartcairn would be first choice. • But John Brogan isn’t keen to recall him because “he wouldn’t do that to Gartcairn”. • I challenged this later in the meeting (after JB had left) after realising how preposterous a statement this was. • In a game that could define our season, JB is more concerned about upsetting Gartcairn. • If he genuinely believes this, the lad at Gartcairn should recalled immediately. • The BOD resolutely defended John Brogan on this point – the mind boggles! • A member of the BOD said we must bear in mind that when appointed, JB had only two players signed. I retorted that this has pretty much been the case for the last 20+ years at the club. • The Annan game “should have been a win” according to John Brogan and the BOD. • The new striker, Jones, was unattached because he is injured. An ongoing problem with his groin. Good piece of business? Not convinced. But, hey, he’s doing well for the reserves and that’s all that matters…isn’t it? • No costs whatsoever are assosicated with the Reserves. Negligible if anything. • John Brogan and The A&C advertiser – not JB’s fault. A&C advertiser didn’t contact his Assistant for interviews. JB has tried to return their calls – to no avail. • The Club, according to the Chairman, is in a better position than it was in 2016. • ARFC is financially a junior side.
These are my notes – as accurate as they possibly can be. It was an open meeting, so I hope no one has an issue with this posting. I hope all that was discussed will be reflected in the official minutes. I have posted this in the General Discussion area of Message Board as very few actually read the trust area.
Happy to clarify any points as required.
Jordie.
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Post by Rovergrant on Oct 19, 2018 9:30:14 GMT
Thanks, Jordie, as you say.......the mind boggles.........
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Post by samtennentjnr on Oct 19, 2018 9:37:19 GMT
Cheers for this Jordie !
Interesting stuff
Cant believe the keeper situation, the amount of times a bigger team has pulled the rug from under us in terms of loans and we cant do it for a vital cup tie!
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Post by shakey on Oct 19, 2018 9:46:27 GMT
Great summary Jordie - seems to me we are resigned to the plunge though. Maybe someone who knows how to do these things could start a poll:
Would you still support Rovers in the Lowland League? - Yes or No
Would be interesting to see the results and if we really would be viable were that to happen.
As young Sam says above - can't believe we are not giving ourselves EVERY possible chance to get through this cup tie!
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Post by Roy of the Rovers on Oct 19, 2018 9:54:42 GMT
As for Keeper PJ Morrison they did say that he’d be unable to play on Saturday anyway as he’s injured.
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Post by Roy of the Rovers on Oct 19, 2018 9:58:37 GMT
It was myself who asked could Rovers survive in the Lowland league. I do wonder as costs couldn’t be reduced by much and income would certainly drop - admission in that league in £6-8 and who knows if our crowds would decrease. The payment from the SPFL to relegated teams is £40k in year 1 & £20k in year 2 and nothing thereafter.
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Post by Rovergrant on Oct 19, 2018 9:59:41 GMT
If what Jordie says (and I have no reason to doubt him)that the BOD are resigned to LL football next season...I find their attitude appalling
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 10:02:44 GMT
If what Jordie says (and I have no reason to doubt him)that the BOD are resigned to LL football next season...I find their attitude appalling Ronnie seemed very confident that we would survive the drop. Someone in attendance asked if we have budgeted for LL football and the Chairman replied “Yes” almost instantly. Says it all for me.
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Post by robert67 on Oct 19, 2018 10:21:37 GMT
All well and good saying we would survive the drop but for how long ? Unless we would automatically come back up after one season LL then im personally not so confident. Not good.
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Post by Rovergrant on Oct 19, 2018 10:27:43 GMT
Unless we would automatically come back up after one season LL then im personally not so confident. Not good. East Stirling thought that.....now look at them....
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Post by robert67 on Oct 19, 2018 10:32:30 GMT
Exactly. i dont get it, are these people watching a different game to what im watching week in week out ? Things are not all rosy in the garden, seems to be a lot of clutching at straws going on.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 10:39:57 GMT
Seems they are resigned to life in the lowland league. Ridiculous. How can we afford to keep the ground going or would it be sold to pay off the debts. Where would we play? I thought it was just the manager who was deluded but it seems the whole lot of them are. Appalled. As for supporting them in the lowland league, which I don't believe is sustainable anyway, No. We are done for. Remember some time ago speaking to someone who thought the ground with its Reigart sponsorship on the outside was a demolition site. He may have been right.
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Post by tommysermanni on Oct 19, 2018 12:00:55 GMT
Thanks for sharing Jordie.As painful as it to read this it confirms what I have felt for a few months.
We are being let into the abyss by a manager and BOD who are clueless and spineless and they are being aided and abetted by the apathy of the majority fan base who are kidding themselves that we have no option other than to stick by JB.
At least when the inevitable happens we can't throw our hands up and say we never saw it coming. We did but we choose to look the other way.
Let's be clear on 2 points here:-
a)There are some ambitious Clubs in the LL and if we end up there we are never coming out. b)The fall in income and crowds in the LL couple with escalating ground maintenance costs will see Rovers cease to exist in 3 years tops.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 12:09:34 GMT
Anyone who believed that the manager would get the chop was delusional. The financial impact of sacking him and his staff, given the club's capability to suffer the cost of honouring contracts, would almost certainly rule that out as a first option. I would doubt whether he is likely to resign.
Regarding surviving the drop.........
Having attended several East Kilbride fixtures over the past 3/4 seasons, I don't believe that the level of opposition supporters who travel to watch LL fixtures would in any way be of financial significance to ARFC at our home matches. A game which could be used as a gauge of this is the recent East Kilbride v Edinburgh City Challenge Cup match, played on a Saturday in fine weather, where I reckon there was only about 30 or so EC supporters in attendance (remember that they currently sit atop of Div2).
The 'parachute payments' of £40k & £20k referred to above seem on the face of it an opportunity to underwrite a push for an immediate return to the SPFL. Unfortunately, the bank would almost certainly protect itself by taking the £40k to clear all or some of the overdraft existing at the end of this season (I'm assuming that we still have an overdraft, given the last set of accounts to June 17).
It is no secret to anyone who can read that the SFA and SPFL payments are important to the smaller clubs in Scottish football's divisions 1 & 2. Given that the SPFL payments during next season would cease and a SFA payment would depend on our advance through the preliminary rounds of the Scottish Cup, it is clear that gate receipts from home support and sponsorship would be the main sources of income in the LL. In these circumstances it is difficult to envisage how the club can put a viable team on the park that is capable of mounting a serious challenge (remember to get back to Div2 we would need to win the LL then 2 ties against Highland League and Div2 teams).
The club would survive as Ronnie has said, but in what form or at what level is definitely open to debate. Only time will tell, should the worst happen. God forbid.
It is vitally important that the team wins on Saturday and also the following round of the Scottish Cup, with a money spinner hopefully then coming our way. That might enable a couple of January signings of the standard that could help avoid bottom spot and all that goes with it. Failure to win on Saturday against what appears to be a middle of the road HL team will give some indication of what to expect should a playoff against the likes of Cove Rangers come along.
For those who haven't checked, Formartine started the season on fire, scoring 4 in each of their first 4 league games, winning 5 of first 6. They then hit a sticky patch second half August to mid September (possibly due to injuries) and are now about 6th. Recent form is decent, but not spectacular against teams below them in the league. They have acquired a forward from Aberdeen FC who has bolstered an already good attack that is capable of scoring plenty. They also ship some dodgy goals which could be our saving grace.
So do we, so get your dosh on 4-4 draw.
Good luck the Rovers on Saturday.
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Post by charlestheoptimist on Oct 19, 2018 12:35:39 GMT
I think that the acceptance of life in the lower league is a potentially fatal decision. When you gauge the ambitions of the top ranking sides in that league, then we would be very much up against an instant return. This league is becoming stronger and like their English counterparts there could be a current crop from Division 2 languishing in there within the next 10 years. The cup can be a short term salvation if we can take advantage of our fortune and get some big gun in the future rounds. This may allow some experience in to avoid the dreaded bottom spot come April.
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