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Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: graingrover on September 11, 2025, 04:09:52 am

Title: My best ever investment
Post by: graingrover on September 11, 2025, 04:09:52 am
This is not a boast , it is  posted in the hope it might encourage someone else to contact Chris Wood Belles CEO in the same way .
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: GazLaz on September 11, 2025, 06:27:40 am
Great gesture Brian.
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: graingrover on September 11, 2025, 06:43:38 am
I was surprised it costs so little to achieve so much for so many young supporters. If I were richer, I would pay for them to accompany the players on the coach to home matches at Millmoor .
I bet there are some Rovers’  supporters would like to win a place on the Players' coach as well if such a thing were possible .
Fan engagement!
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: Ldr on September 11, 2025, 07:57:24 am
Great work mate
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: RoversInSpain on September 11, 2025, 08:44:30 am
That’s a lovely and very thoughtful thing to do.
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: sf9944 on September 11, 2025, 08:53:15 am
Nice one Brian!!!
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: graingrover on September 11, 2025, 09:46:54 am
I don’t want to be at all critical but feel the need to say something of the apparent  lack of enthusiasm for the Belles .
They fell from the very top to be cradled in our Clib Doncaster ‘ family’ .
We ( Rovers  fans ) could do so so much more to help them for not much money .I bought a season ticket for £ 40 quid that’s all and asked them to use it as they want .You see the response to my small gesture from the club ! Heartwarming , Community caring and in the line with what  Terry Bramall probably dreamed of when he and Gavin created Club Doncaster .
It’s something to show the cross caring which is deeper than cross selling !
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: BVB on September 11, 2025, 12:32:06 pm
Well done Brian for your gesture and your supportive comments.  :bscarf:

There are some Rovers fans who wish the Belles well and support them financially (season memberships, player sponsorships) and come along to games.

There are some Rovers fans who wish the Belles well and support them financially (season memberships, player sponsorships) even thought they don’t/ can’t get to games (such as yourself).

Then there is the majority of (overwhelmingly male) Rovers fans who are not interested/ not aware of the Belles (“what’s that yellow shirt in the club shop window?”), or only get interested and chip in with negative comments e.g. the move to Millmoor when it challenges their inbuilt preconceptions despite not much knowledge if any about the Belles.

So in the spirit of “cross-caring” (great comment), Belles leadership / Club Doncaster needs to continue to chip away at this group as well as continue to build presence on social media (particularly amongst girls / young women eg on instagram). This also builds on the success of the women’s national team and the increasingly wider coverage of the women’s game in general.
Of course what was lost behind the noises about Millmoor are the plans to build a permanent home ground for Belles at the EcoPower to give some stability for the club moving forward and which also hopefully builds on the relative current stability both on the pitch and in home-grown player development after two disastrous seasons of turmoil.

BVB
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: Spud on September 11, 2025, 03:29:42 pm
What's the cost of player sponsorship, out of interest?
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: Ho on September 11, 2025, 05:04:46 pm
What's the cost of player sponsorship, out of interest?

145 + VAT
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: rover-n-out on September 12, 2025, 09:58:37 am
An extremely kind and thoughtful gesture Graingrover. That will make some young football aspiring girls an absolute joy of a day. Kudos to you.
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: RoversInSpain on September 12, 2025, 12:38:19 pm
Well done Brian for your gesture and your supportive comments.  :bscarf:

There are some Rovers fans who wish the Belles well and support them financially (season memberships, player sponsorships) and come along to games.

There are some Rovers fans who wish the Belles well and support them financially (season memberships, player sponsorships) even thought they don’t/ can’t get to games (such as yourself).

Then there is the majority of (overwhelmingly male) Rovers fans who are not interested/ not aware of the Belles (“what’s that yellow shirt in the club shop window?”), or only get interested and chip in with negative comments e.g. the move to Millmoor when it challenges their inbuilt preconceptions despite not much knowledge if any about the Belles.

So in the spirit of “cross-caring” (great comment), Belles leadership / Club Doncaster needs to continue to chip away at this group as well as continue to build presence on social media (particularly amongst girls / young women eg on instagram). This also builds on the success of the women’s national team and the increasingly wider coverage of the women’s game in general.
Of course what was lost behind the noises about Millmoor are the plans to build a permanent home ground for Belles at the EcoPower to give some stability for the club moving forward and which also hopefully builds on the relative current stability both on the pitch and in home-grown player development after two disastrous seasons of turmoil.

BVB
It’s a real shame many are disinterested in the Belles. Fans of a certain age will remember their remarkable success. Formed by a group of women selling Rovers lottery tickets in 1969, one of whom played for 25 years until she was 41 years old, (James Coppinger eat yer heart out). They were a super team in the 80’s to 90’s reaching 11 out of 12 Women’s FA cup finals from 1983. So really something all Rovers fans can be proud of whether they’re keen on women’s footy or not.
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: graingrover on September 12, 2025, 01:09:36 pm
I recommend the book ‘ I lost my heart to the Belles ‘ only now available second hand and probably via e bay .A tremendous read !
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: BobG on September 12, 2025, 05:41:53 pm
One of the best sports books I've ever read. By Pete Davies. ISBN 0 434 00143 0.

Out of print now of course, but go look on Abebooks.co.uk. A fabulous place to find hard to get books. And very efficient too.

BobG

Later: The other stand out football book is 'Build a Bonfire'. Another stunning book. It looked at Brighton and Hove Albion during their time of troubles, and the huge, and hugely influential, popular uprising it generated. The advice and the stimuli this book gives is extraordinary. It's a bloody good story too. If anyone wants the ISBN I can dig it out.
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: graingrover on September 13, 2025, 10:10:37 am
This is the book
Title: Re: My best ever investment
Post by: graingrover on September 13, 2025, 10:12:20 am
Contents