My best ever investment

[graingrover]

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 .

[GazLaz]

Great gesture Brian.

[graingrover]

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!

[Ldr]

Great work mate

[RoversInSpain]

That’s a lovely and very thoughtful thing to do.

[sf9944]

Nice one Brian!!!

[graingrover]

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 !

[BVB]

Well done Brian for your gesture and your supportive comments. 

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

[Spud]

What's the cost of player sponsorship, out of interest?

[Ho]

What's the cost of player sponsorship, out of interest?

145 + VAT

[rover-n-out]

An extremely kind and thoughtful gesture Graingrover. That will make some young football aspiring girls an absolute joy of a day. Kudos to you.

[RoversInSpain]

Well done Brian for your gesture and your supportive comments. 

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.

[graingrover]

I recommend the book ‘ I lost my heart to the Belles ‘ only now available second hand and probably via e bay .A tremendous read !

[BobG]

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.

[graingrover]

This is the book

[graingrover]

Contents