Tell Me I'm Wrong

[oggycompton]

The stadium looks tired. The wall art up between the ticket office and West Stand looks tired and sun-bleached, just looks poor. Not maintained or looked after.

Notice that the 'fan park' has gone now which is a shame, the little girl used to like that, a bit of music and entertainment and to be honest usually more than you get inside.

Go upstairs into the stadium and decide to get a drink and food, yet again the people behind the tills are like people who are having their first day on the job, one card machine between 4 tills. A special offer that is more expensive than buying the items separately and just a general malaise and unprofessionalism being served up, I expect the same thing is being dished up to the away fans also. The standard of food...again awful. The hot dogs etc just shocking. If you are making such a massive markup on food and drinks, why are they not ready? If you have to throw away 10 cups of coffee which in real terms is a total of about £2 and you are charging £20, what does it matter? You literally haven't done anything in the past 10 years to halt the slide that catering has been on, in fact every change that has been made has clearly been with a view to save money and actually exacerbate the situation. This isn't fan engagement if you simply refuse to hear or act on the information your fans give you.

Gets your goat up straight away when a fan survey is announced for food, you feel like shouting ' just come along at halftime and watch the certain debacle', and sure enough chaos. They haven't got a clue.

Into the stadium we go, still, a half-arsed situation, music blaring, microphone far too quiet, can't hear what the guy is saying unless you stand in the toilets...blocked sinks, leaking urinals. The scoreboard is still not fixed despite endless promises to 'the people in the know', who by the way clearly aren't in the know.

Now for the game. Expecting a reaction after last week's results, surely they come out of the blocks firing against a team who have won once in three months (against us by the way), but no. The tactical highly skilled positive Danny Schofield has managed to get sleeping tablets mixed in with the pre-match drinks. What is this guy doing to motivate (or not) his players? Yet again they come out, with no fire, no commitment, straight on the back foot as Hartlepool stroke the ball around like 2013 Barcelona with zero press or clear tactics from our team. In fact, the only tactic that appears to be in force today is Williams passing it into Anderson who then walks forwards 20 yards and knocks a hopeful diagonal ball into either a) their goalkeeper's hands b)out for a throw-in or goal kick or c) straight down their centre halves head.

Hartlepool miss 2 glorious chances and the game is 0-0 at halftime with zero shots on target from Rovers, lucky. Catering a massive shambles as you'd expect. Long queues, no sense of urgency or awareness that there is a possibility that people will be coming to buy drinks be that hot or cold and to maybe have them prepared a few minutes before half time?

The second half starts and to be fair, much improved we are pressing, we are playing well, we are creating chances. Time for a tactical masterclass. Every single change that DS made yesterday made us worse. Every time we were on top he tinkered and changed it and gave Hartlepool more hope. Not one of the substitutes bar Lakin maybe looked even remotely likely to take the game by the scruff of the neck. I'm afraid to say Mr Schofield hasn't got a clue. 3 at the back versus a team conceding 51 before Saturday (still 51 by the way). 1 win in however many it was at Huddersfield and looking like a massive duff here too. Queue the usual 'signs of positivity', 'we were brave to give it a go', it's Hartlepool Danny, literally the perennial whipping boys of the league. It's not brave, its standard. If he speaks like that to those players its no wonder they come out in games looking like they've just had 3 doses of diazepam each.

Also...read the room Donny FFS. We have just gone 1-0 down (great effort Roshaun by the way) and you decide to announce who the man of the match is. I mean honestly whoever thought he was good must have been on Danny's diazepam. People were literally laughing around me, embarrassing.

The quality of players worries me massively. I don't doubt there was effort yesterday and a lot of huffing and puffing, but there is zero creativity, Tom Anderson isn't the next Andres Iniesta. What is the tactic? Whats the plan? I haven't seen one yet, it's slow, boring, it's negative from the start. We won't score by creating, we will score from defensive errors.

I can imagine Keith Curle this week sat down with his team asking who it is on the Donny team they need to keep quiet, and who is it that they need to keep off the ball? The answer is...nobody. Keep working hard and press and wait for them to make a mistake and we will capitalize. We have fallen so far from the Stock, Wellens jesus.......... even Martin Woods days. Its awful.

And how in gods name is Roshaun Williams getting a game? How can any of the players on the bench be a worse player than this guy? He can't run, can't head, and doesn't want to tackle, and that goal yesterday... MAKE HIM DO SOMETHING.He's simply not arsed. He just ran past him like he wasn't there. 40-yard run with no pressure at all. Then the whistle goes and down the tunnel, he goes. Get him out of our club. Faulkner on loan, while this fraud plays every game, is baffling. The thing is you'd forgive Faulkner if he did that because of his age but I can cast iron guarantee that Faulkner would have got the ball or him. Would have been 0-0.

Recruitment for as long as I can remember is embarrassing. Coppinger I am afraid is also clueless, yes a legend but all of this 'We want our own players' rubbish then the inevitable unproven 18-year-olds come in on loan, and we have had a great window', is absolute rubbish. Stop lieing, we have eyes, we can see what's going on. Also, another embarrassing thing is these young unproven's look better than what we've got. nelson looks like a player but of course, will hear in the next few days he will be out for a few weeks with a hamstring or whatever it is he did yesterday.

I have nothing but praise for Bramall etc and what he has done for this club historically but it's time to go. He has to go. It's failing on and off the pitch, it's ok having a chairman and owner with money but you know what, honestly I would rather have someone in that position with less money but who actually cares or has interest on the operations and playing side of my football club. Put it up for sale and go, just go. The disinterest from all within the elevated positions in the club is staring us all in the face, they simply don't care. Now the usual suspects can come on here and say Club Doncaster this and engagement this but its just utter rubbish. Everything is done on an ever-dwindling budget. If you need to rely on your attendance to maintain that budget then you're screwed. An ever-increasing death spiral of lower attendance, less budget, and less quality and we are gone.

What a massive fall from grace this club is experiencing. People may laugh but unless something changes I can 100% see us being involved in some sort of relegation battle next season and the following year disappearing out of the football league. Year upon year the football gets worse, our best players leave the club also saying what the majority of us are saying and that they hope for better for us and they are replaced with reserves from Burton and 3rd choice keepers at bottom dwellers. I'm sick of it. Top to bottom..appalling.

At least we have a profitable car boot though, thats about the only positive.

[Daniel_Smith]

Just made a comment about this on another thread.

Baldwin lamented the amount the club were spending on a matchday vs how much revenue they were bringing in.

One example was the amount of staff they employed on a matchday - this has been reduced to minimal levels. Lot's of matchday staff are just volunteers now.

A lot of this could be due to playing in a lower league though - as available funding obviously falls due to that and due to smaller gates. Not an excuse, just an explanation.

[pib]

OC - post of the year already. Agree with pretty much every word except the catering which I haven’t bothered going anywhere near for years.

[roversdude]

Wasn’t there supposed to be a survey regarding the catering yesterday?

[Glyn_Wigley]

A lot of this could be due to playing in a lower league though - as available funding obviously falls due to that and due to smaller gates. Not an excuse, just an explanation.

A lot more of it is down to how much more the cost of energy needed for a matchday has risen over the last 18 months. Not just for us, but all football clubs in every division. And it's a fixed cost, meaning it's the same no matter how many people turn up.

[Prez]

I have to agree with the original post. Some well made points. I said it on another thread as much as I’m truly grateful to what Terry has done sadly it’s time to go.

I have heard there are interested parties just how seriously thought remains to be seen.

The club needs a fresh start.

[Michael Shaw]

OC, very articulately put what many of us have been trying to say for 2 years as we have watched our club decline. Continuing the current trend we are heading for the National League. We need a reboot but I can’t see how it will happen with the current owners and manager who think they are doing a great job.

[5minstogo]

Excellent post. Its the culmination of letting a lot of things slide. We're heading to the bottom of the slope.

[tyke1962]

Just about every football league ground serves up crap food and warm beer thrown at you by staff who couldn't give a toss and it isn't even worth it at half the price with the quality you get .

Your a football punter inside a football ground and primed to be ripped off and treat like shyte because that's how you are viewed by the football industry .

Different story at non league level and a real effort is made to not only make you feel welcome but to put on decent food and decent beer which you can drink watching the game .

I make an exception for the Accrington club who are shining beacon when it comes to looking after the football punter .

Friendly , courteous and their fan zone outside The Wham stadium complete with pie n peas , low priced beer and a live band is second to none .

A superb club that every fan should visit if you can .

[roverstillidie91]

If people just voted with their feet and didn't buy the stuff served up then maybe something would be done.

I do have sympathy with the staff on the kiosks who may be casuals and possibly new to the role. I'd imagine there will be a high turnover of staff I.e. if they are only doing it on a temp basis whilst trying to fine a job, at college/University etc

[tyke1962]

If people just voted with their feet and didn't buy the stuff served up then maybe something would be done.

I do have sympathy with the staff on the kiosks who may be casuals and possibly new to the role. I'd imagine there will be a high turnover of staff I.e. if they are only doing it on a temp basis whilst trying to fine a job, at college/University etc

There's many things I could say about US sport but looking after the punter isn't one of them .

They wouldn't put up with what we do over here , you don't even have to leave your seat to buy a beer or a hot dog as they come to you .

[Campsall rover]

The stadium looks tired. The wall art up between the ticket office and West Stand looks tired and sun-bleached, just looks poor. Not maintained or looked after.

Notice that the 'fan park' has gone now which is a shame, the little girl used to like that, a bit of music and entertainment and to be honest usually more than you get inside.

Go upstairs into the stadium and decide to get a drink and food, yet again the people behind the tills are like people who are having their first day on the job, one card machine between 4 tills. A special offer that is more expensive than buying the items separately and just a general malaise and unprofessionalism being served up, I expect the same thing is being dished up to the away fans also. The standard of food...again awful. The hot dogs etc just shocking. If you are making such a massive markup on food and drinks, why are they not ready? If you have to throw away 10 cups of coffee which in real terms is a total of about £2 and you are charging £20, what does it matter? You literally haven't done anything in the past 10 years to halt the slide that catering has been on, in fact every change that has been made has clearly been with a view to save money and actually exacerbate the situation. This isn't fan engagement if you simply refuse to hear or act on the information your fans give you.

Gets your goat up straight away when a fan survey is announced for food, you feel like shouting ' just come along at halftime and watch the certain debacle', and sure enough chaos. They haven't got a clue.

Into the stadium we go, still, a half-arsed situation, music blaring, microphone far too quiet, can't hear what the guy is saying unless you stand in the toilets...blocked sinks, leaking urinals. The scoreboard is still not fixed despite endless promises to 'the people in the know', who by the way clearly aren't in the know.

Now for the game. Expecting a reaction after last week's results, surely they come out of the blocks firing against a team who have won once in three months (against us by the way), but no. The tactical highly skilled positive Danny Schofield has managed to get sleeping tablets mixed in with the pre-match drinks. What is this guy doing to motivate (or not) his players? Yet again they come out, with no fire, no commitment, straight on the back foot as Hartlepool stroke the ball around like 2013 Barcelona with zero press or clear tactics from our team. In fact, the only tactic that appears to be in force today is Williams passing it into Anderson who then walks forwards 20 yards and knocks a hopeful diagonal ball into either a) their goalkeeper's hands b)out for a throw-in or goal kick or c) straight down their centre halves head.

Hartlepool miss 2 glorious chances and the game is 0-0 at halftime with zero shots on target from Rovers, lucky. Catering a massive shambles as you'd expect. Long queues, no sense of urgency or awareness that there is a possibility that people will be coming to buy drinks be that hot or cold and to maybe have them prepared a few minutes before half time?

The second half starts and to be fair, much improved we are pressing, we are playing well, we are creating chances. Time for a tactical masterclass. Every single change that DS made yesterday made us worse. Every time we were on top he tinkered and changed it and gave Hartlepool more hope. Not one of the substitutes bar Lakin maybe looked even remotely likely to take the game by the scruff of the neck. I'm afraid to say Mr Schofield hasn't got a clue. 3 at the back versus a team conceding 51 before Saturday (still 51 by the way). 1 win in however many it was at Huddersfield and looking like a massive duff here too. Queue the usual 'signs of positivity', 'we were brave to give it a go', it's Hartlepool Danny, literally the perennial whipping boys of the league. It's not brave, its standard. If he speaks like that to those players its no wonder they come out in games looking like they've just had 3 doses of diazepam each.

Also...read the room Donny FFS. We have just gone 1-0 down (great effort Roshaun by the way) and you decide to announce who the man of the match is. I mean honestly whoever thought he was good must have been on Danny's diazepam. People were literally laughing around me, embarrassing.

The quality of players worries me massively. I don't doubt there was effort yesterday and a lot of huffing and puffing, but there is zero creativity, Tom Anderson isn't the next Andres Iniesta. What is the tactic? Whats the plan? I haven't seen one yet, it's slow, boring, it's negative from the start. We won't score by creating, we will score from defensive errors.

I can imagine Keith Curle this week sat down with his team asking who it is on the Donny team they need to keep quiet, and who is it that they need to keep off the ball? The answer is...nobody. Keep working hard and press and wait for them to make a mistake and we will capitalize. We have fallen so far from the Stock, Wellens jesus.......... even Martin Woods days. Its awful.

And how in gods name is Roshaun Williams getting a game? How can any of the players on the bench be a worse player than this guy? He can't run, can't head, and doesn't want to tackle, and that goal yesterday... MAKE HIM DO SOMETHING.He's simply not arsed. He just ran past him like he wasn't there. 40-yard run with no pressure at all. Then the whistle goes and down the tunnel, he goes. Get him out of our club. Faulkner on loan, while this fraud plays every game, is baffling. The thing is you'd forgive Faulkner if he did that because of his age but I can cast iron guarantee that Faulkner would have got the ball or him. Would have been 0-0.

Recruitment for as long as I can remember is embarrassing. Coppinger I am afraid is also clueless, yes a legend but all of this 'We want our own players' rubbish then the inevitable unproven 18-year-olds come in on loan, and we have had a great window', is absolute rubbish. Stop lieing, we have eyes, we can see what's going on. Also, another embarrassing thing is these young unproven's look better than what we've got. nelson looks like a player but of course, will hear in the next few days he will be out for a few weeks with a hamstring or whatever it is he did yesterday.

I have nothing but praise for Bramall etc and what he has done for this club historically but it's time to go. He has to go. It's failing on and off the pitch, it's ok having a chairman and owner with money but you know what, honestly I would rather have someone in that position with less money but who actually cares or has interest on the operations and playing side of my football club. Put it up for sale and go, just go. The disinterest from all within the elevated positions in the club is staring us all in the face, they simply don't care. Now the usual suspects can come on here and say Club Doncaster this and engagement this but its just utter rubbish. Everything is done on an ever-dwindling budget. If you need to rely on your attendance to maintain that budget then you're screwed. An ever-increasing death spiral of lower attendance, less budget, and less quality and we are gone.

What a massive fall from grace this club is experiencing. People may laugh but unless something changes I can 100% see us being involved in some sort of relegation battle next season and the following year disappearing out of the football league. Year upon year the football gets worse, our best players leave the club also saying what the majority of us are saying and that they hope for better for us and they are replaced with reserves from Burton and 3rd choice keepers at bottom dwellers. I'm sick of it. Top to bottom..appalling.

At least we have a profitable car boot though, thats about the only positive.

It pains me to say this but a lot of what you say I have to agree with.

Everything you say about the facilities, condition and catering in the stadium is true.
Yesterday even the TV wasn’t on before the game or H/T or at F/T

With ref to the playing side well it all went down hill when Grant McCann up sticks and we appointed DM who decided having 7 loan players was the way forward.  He then had his head turned when we were in a position to mount a very serious top 2 promotion challenge. He upped sticks after losing 5 games in a row & left us with a load of players who had lost confidence and loan players who all but downed tools.
We then proceeded to appoint 3 managers who messed up. Yes the budget reduced but so did many other clubs budgets after Covid and vastly reduced income streams that resulted.

We are in a mess on the field because Butler, McSheffrey and now it would seem after yesterday DS inability to set a team up to play winning football.  They have been proved to be very poor appointments.
I feel for Butler & McSheffrey because they simply should never have been asked to take the job.
 
Wellens obviously can manage as he proved at Swindon & Leyton Orient.  He just miss managed the budget he had been given at Rovers imo.  ( we were told it was top half League 1 )  Now if it wasn’t then someone has lied to all of us.  We were expected to finish mid table at least.  He badly man managed several of the players he himself recruited. 
Destroyed their confidence and hung them out to dry.

Now DS has only been in the job a few months and all managers / coaches need time but apart from the Grimsby game away and Carlisle at home we have been nothing short of awful.
Yesterdays 1st half non show was nothing short of criminal v a team with 1 away win in 23 over this and 2nd half of last season.
Yes our players looked as though they had been given sleeping tablets.

If things don’t improve on the field very soon then even I will consider whether to renew my season ticket.
I can accept losing but what we are seeing is not acceptable. We do have quite a number of players who are more than capable at league 2 level to be in a team around the top 3/4 in this league
The underperformance is now consistent and has become alarming.
Over to you DS. Sort it quickly or do us a favour & resign.  Then maybe just maybe we can bring in an experienced manager who knows how to set up a team and motivate footballers.

[i_ateallthepies]

I can pretty much agree with all you've said there, Campsall... but I struggle with the idea that DS would wait until now to sort it if he was actually capable of doing so.

[Bessie Red]

Just about every football league ground serves up crap food and warm beer thrown at you by staff who couldn't give a toss and it isn't even worth it at half the price with the quality you get .

Your a football punter inside a football ground and primed to be ripped off and treat like shyte because that's how you are viewed by the football industry .

Different story at non league level and a real effort is made to not only make you feel welcome but to put on decent food and decent beer which you can drink watching the game .

I make an exception for the Accrington club who are shining beacon when it comes to looking after the football punter .

Friendly , courteous and their fan zone outside The Wham stadium complete with pie n peas , low priced beer and a live band is second to none .

A superb club that every fan should visit if you can .

Barrow have got a good set up aswell. Maybe because the have been non league quite recently!

[Campsall rover]

I can pretty much agree with all you've said there, Campsall... but I struggle with the idea that DS would wait until now to sort it if he was actually capable of doing so.

That’s what worries me. Is he capable?

[BigH]

Just about every football league ground serves up crap food and warm beer thrown at you by staff who couldn't give a toss and it isn't even worth it at half the price with the quality you get .

Your a football punter inside a football ground and primed to be ripped off and treat like shyte because that's how you are viewed by the football industry .

Different story at non league level and a real effort is made to not only make you feel welcome but to put on decent food and decent beer which you can drink watching the game .

I make an exception for the Accrington club who are shining beacon when it comes to looking after the football punter .

Friendly , courteous and their fan zone outside The Wham stadium complete with pie n peas , low priced beer and a live band is second to none .

A superb club that every fan should visit if you can .

Accrington; my kind of sustainable football model

[Campsall rover]

Just about every football league ground serves up crap food and warm beer thrown at you by staff who couldn't give a toss and it isn't even worth it at half the price with the quality you get .

Your a football punter inside a football ground and primed to be ripped off and treat like shyte because that's how you are viewed by the football industry .

Different story at non league level and a real effort is made to not only make you feel welcome but to put on decent food and decent beer which you can drink watching the game .

I make an exception for the Accrington club who are shining beacon when it comes to looking after the football punter .

Friendly , courteous and their fan zone outside The Wham stadium complete with pie n peas , low priced beer and a live band is second to none .

A superb club that every fan should visit if you can .

Accrington; my kind of sustainable football model

No words needed. Just a name. John Coleman. The best manager in the EFL
He has to be on the budget he works with at Accrington.

[tommy toes]

Great Post oggy. Well done, you put more work into that than that lot on the pitch yesterday.

[ravenrover]

I read post after post slagging the catering off, I refuse to use it unless it's an odd cup of tea if I've had leave home in a rush,  but as you enter the concourse there are queues of people for drinks and food as well as those standing around chatting having already bought. Same at half time the exodus at 40 mins to get whatever it is, probably beer, they crave and the usual return to their seat 5 or 10 mins into the 2nd half.
 Tell me if things are as bad as is stated why this occurs week in week out at home games?

[i_ateallthepies]

The queues are because the service is so slow, raven.

[Campsall rover]

The queues are because the service is so slow, raven.

Why don’t people vote with their feet. Boycott the catering.

Simple. Bring your own snap with you and a flask or cold drink in warmer weather.

I have bought some chips for my grandson twice. They were almost cold and like rubber.
Anyone buying that rubbish at those inflated prices week in week out needs their head looking at.
Never mind the queues. Don’t even get me started on them.

If no one buys anything then maybe, just maybe, something might get done about it.

[Thorney]

Anyone know the reason why the 'fan park' has been  stopped

[Padge_DRFC]

Find it ridiculous how upset people get about the food as though those you can't go 2-3 hours without eating

[oggycompton]

Find it ridiculous how upset people get about the food as though those you can't go 2-3 hours without eating

Thats not the issue at all. Done right it would generate money and increase footfall rather than just polarise the polarised fanbase even further. Its crap, amateur and totally unacceptable. Burying your head in the ground doesnt make it go away.

[ravenrover]

The queues are because the service is so slow, raven.

Nothing to do with actual numbers queuing then?  If the numbers weren't there it wouldn't matter how slow the service is

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Find it ridiculous how upset people get about the food as though those you can't go 2-3 hours without eating

Not so easy on a Tuesday night if you've next to no time after work to get anything. Or as is my case, try telling a 5 year old they have to wait.

It should be easy to pick a quick simple average burger. Yet it's not.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Find it ridiculous how upset people get about the food as though those you can't go 2-3 hours without eating

Thats not the issue at all. Done right it would generate money and increase footfall rather than just polarise the polarised fanbase even further. Its crap, amateur and totally unacceptable. Burying your head in the ground doesnt make it go away.

Selling more doesn't generate money for the club, it's a franchise.

[Pside]

Great post oggy. Nail on the head in all aspects

[donnybez]

Honest question: Do the board know/see/understand the fanbases feeling at the moment?

[mushRTID]

Honest question: Do the board know/see/understand the fanbases feeling at the moment?

I believe they all heard the chants at Mansfield so they must know the score.