MEETING WITH CLUB REF PROGRAMME

[retford rover]

Got a meeting with the club today re the match day programme for next season
if you would like anything bringng up  please reply to myself  or text on 07961-727769
thank you
paul  retford rover

[MrFrost]

The number of pages seemed to be cut quite drastically half way through last season.

[Bessie Red]

In depth interviews with past players would be nice. Bit of nostalgia for us oldies and an insight into our history for the young uns!

[The Red Baron]

Are they looking at the same format? I have to say I like the smaller size and the old programme reproduction.

The only thing is I don't think there is much content when you look at other clubs. They really need some historical stuff and this season is an excellent opportunity. It's the 70th anniversary of the 1946-7 team.

[The Red Baron]

PS. Happy to contribute something re 46-7. I mentioned this to Ryan but he may have forgotten.

[Filo]

A kind of noticeboard/whats happening page would be nice, we probably have lots of fans out there that don't use the internet much, ticket news and upcoming promtions could be put there

[retford rover]

looking to keep the size of the programme as that was popular, but add better content and more interesting reading

[Donny Exile in York]

I have to say i think the change half way through the year was very much a downgrade in quality and i stopped getting the new version as it looked a cheap imitation of the previous version and seemed much less value for money. I dont know if it was a change of printers apparantly but the version in the first half of the season was miles better.

Appreciate some are saying the smaller version was better but to me it was a cheaper imitation and it would be interesting to know if programme sales decreased after the change in style. Sorry dont mean to criticise (only feedback constructively of how the latest version appeared in contrast) but think your asking for feedback and for me the previous version was far better style and quality wise and had more and better content.

[bobjimwilly]

looking to keep the size of the programme as that was popular, but add better content and more interesting reading

Hi Paul. Glad to hear the club are involving you on this. Would be interesting to know how the club know the new format is popular? It seems to have less content overall and I know the VSC and Supporters Club had their space drastically reduced without notice.

[MrFrost]

looking to keep the size of the programme as that was popular, but add better content and more interesting reading

Hi Paul. Glad to hear the club are involving you on this. Would be interesting to know how the club know the new format is popular? It seems to have less content overall and I know the VSC and Supporters Club had their space drastically reduced without notice.

The number of pages reduced by a third I think.

[GlennKirkwoodFanClub]

It is also 10 years ago this season since the move from Belle Vue. Not sure how you would commemorate that except for perhaps special features around the actual anniversary dates.

[The Red Baron]

I'm probably a bit left-field on this but I'd be happy if it was a lot smaller. I look back with fondness on the programmes from the 70s and 80s.

Needless to say you'd want a lower price. No more than £2.

[RoversAlias]

I have to say i think the change half way through the year was very much a downgrade in quality and i stopped getting the new version as it looked a cheap imitation of the previous version and seemed much less value for money. I dont know if it was a change of printers apparantly but the version in the first half of the season was miles better.

Appreciate some are saying the smaller version was better but to me it was a cheaper imitation and it would be interesting to know if programme sales decreased after the change in style. Sorry dont mean to criticise (only feedback constructively of how the latest version appeared in contrast) but think your asking for feedback and for me the previous version was far better style and quality wise and had more and better content.

I agree with this. I have collected the programmes from games since my very first, my dad has bought them even longer and we actually stopped buying them towards the end of this season as they just were not worth it anymore.

[Filo]

I'm probably a bit left-field on this but I'd be happy if it was a lot smaller. I look back with fondness on the programmes from the 70s and 80s.

Needless to say you'd want a lower price. No more than £2.

What? Even the newspaper style ones?

[The Red Baron]

I'm probably a bit left-field on this but I'd be happy if it was a lot smaller. I look back with fondness on the programmes from the 70s and 80s.

Needless to say you'd want a lower price. No more than £2.

What? Even the newspaper style ones?

No, not those. They were pants. I liked them in the mid-70s and those from about 1984 onwards.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Try not to make every page an advert. Articles on past seasons and players from well back, maybe stories not that well known. Interview former players, ones the fans remember but it's at the back of the mind.
Accurate statistics. Team opponent write ups that look as though some thought has gone into it. You could do worse than get a few of the fans who write for the fanzine, writing articles. Offers at that time from the clubshop, say buy a shirt, get something much smaller free, maybe things that are gathering dust in a stockroom.

Interviews from past managers on their time at the club, plus since they left, and what are their thoughts on the way the club is run compared to when they were there.
Articles on past years when we were doing well, carried on in the next issue, to encourage more to be bought, if the article is interesting. Little known facts on our team and the opponent, players who link both teams etc.

[BobG]

Some bloody good ideas in there Sammy. Like it.

My suggestion is occasional articles by those we all know and love about key or interesting matches from the past. One that sticks in my mind, for example, is the night game when Villa came to BV in the old 3rd div and we won 2-0. I think Andy Lockhead was playing for them. Or the 0-8 versus Forest, (or whatever it was - I 've tried to expunge it from my memory banks), would be another one to where some intelligence could be employed. That 2-0 at home against Malcolm MacDonald and Luton Town was another one that sticks out too.

Cheers

Bob

[Sammy Chung was King]

Some bloody good ideas in there Sammy. Like it.

My suggestion is occasional articles by those we all know and love about key or interesting matches from the past. One that sticks in my mind, for example, is the night game when Villa came to BV in the old 3rd div and we won 2-0. I think Andy Lockhead was playing for them. Or the 0-8 versus Forest, (or whatever it was - I 've tried to expunge it from my memory banks), would be another one to where some intelligence could be employed. That 2-0 at home against Malcolm MacDonald and Luton Town was another one that sticks out too.

Cheers

Bob

Bob has you're internet been taken over by somebody else?, you just said  some of my suggestions are good, i don't usually drink, i think i need a beer , cheers .
The only one out of them that i remember was the forest game, the other two were before i was born. I take it Malcolm McDonald was winding down his career at this point?, after playing for newcastle and england etc.

[BobG]

Ha ha ha!!

I've never subscribed to the pol;icy of a disagreement in one area dictating behaviour in another. I think you've had some belting ideas there and I'm chuffed you chose to share them.

As for Malcolm Mac, no. I don't know if he started off at Luton, but he certainly made his name there before moving north to St James Park. He was scoring plenty of goals that season. Luton, I think, were top of the table at the time. We were second or third. Big crowd that day - about 20,000 I think. And Malcolm didn't get a sniff all match. Trouble is, my memory doesn't tell me who was playing in our defence. I just remember it being a good game.

Lol. I've just looked it up. 3rd division match on 11th October 1969. Ye Gods. I haven't found the teams though.

The Villa game would have been after that Luton match. All I can remember was it a night match, the crowd was comparatively 'large' (though nothing like in absolute terms) and we won! Maybe Mike Elwiss time? I don't know tbh. That's why an article would be good

Bob

[The Red Baron]

11/10/69. Attendance: 17,380. Rovers 2 (Alan Slough og, Steve Briggs) Luton Town 0.
Ogston, Wilcockson, Gray, Flowers, Robertson, Haselden, Watson, Regan, Briggs, Johnson, Usher.

26/3/71. Attendance: 7,879. Rovers 2 (Stuart Robertson, Peter Kitchen) Aston Villa 1.
Glen Johnson, Branfoot, Adamson, Flowers, Robertson (sub Rabjohn), Haselden, Irvine, Kitchen, Gilfillan, Watson, Usher.

[BobG]

Lol John!

The most amazing, reliable and informative guy on this forum!

Many thanks indeed.

BobG

PS some good players in both those teams too - even though I was never a fan of Brian Usher. Bizzarely though, I always had a soft spot for John Haselden. Remember when he had to play up front for half a dozen matches or so? He couldn't stop scoring!

[The Red Baron]

The line-up in the 0-8 v Forest was:
Ingham, Darren Esdaille, Sanders, Warren, Gore, Brookes, Ireland (sub Cunningham), McDonald, Mike, Moncrieffe, Pemberton.

[knockers]

I can remember walking to the ground that night telling my mates how rubbish Van Hooijdonk was. I think he scored at least three that night. 

[The Red Baron]

Lol John!

The most amazing, reliable and informative guy on this forum!

Many thanks indeed.

BobG

PS some good players in both those teams too - even though I was never a fan of Brian Usher. Bizzarely though, I always had a soft spot for John Haselden. Remember when he had to play up front for half a dozen matches or so? He couldn't stop scoring!

Thanks Bob, you're too kind!

The Luton game was just before I started going to Donny games. I seem to think Laurie Sheffield played for them and a few weeks later he moved back to Rovers. My first game was his first game back at home, against Bristol Rovers, and we won 3-1.

I was at that game against Villa. It was a Friday evening and I think they anticipated a bigger crowd. We were struggling and although we won the game we still went down. Villa were hot favourites to go up but ended up finishing 4th- only the top two went up and there were no play offs.

I liked Brian Usher but he was a frustrating player. John Regan, Steve Briggs and Stuart Robertson were big favourites of mine and then Kitchen and Elwiss.

Happy days- or perhaps not, because apart from a couple of seasons under Stan Anderson there were some lean times in the 70s.

[The Red Baron]

I can remember walking to the ground that night telling my mates how rubbish Van Hooijdonk was. I think he scored at least three that night. 

The best bit was dear old Ken Avis trying to pronounce his name over the tannoy.

[nice one rovers]

I was impressed with the programme away at fleetwood. It was small,compact , had just enough content and was just £1. That would do for me. I stopped buying them at home this year, as it saves seventy-odd quid a season.

[idler]

11/10/69. Attendance: 17,380. Rovers 2 (Alan Slough og, Steve Briggs) Luton Town 0.
Ogston, Wilcockson, Gray, Flowers, Robertson, Haselden, Watson, Regan, Briggs, Johnson, Usher.

26/3/71. Attendance: 7,879. Rovers 2 (Stuart Robertson, Peter Kitchen) Aston Villa 1.
Glen Johnson, Branfoot, Adamson, Flowers, Robertson (sub Rabjohn), Haselden, Irvine, Kitchen, Gilfillan, Watson, Usher.

Lol John!

The most amazing, reliable and informative guy on this forum!

Many thanks indeed.

BobG

PS some good players in both those teams too - even though I was never a fan of Brian Usher. Bizzarely though, I always had a soft spot for John Haselden. Remember when he had to play up front for half a dozen matches or so? He couldn't stop scoring!

Thanks Bob, you're too kind!

The Luton game was just before I started going to Donny games. I seem to think Laurie Sheffield played for them and a few weeks later he moved back to Rovers. My first game was his first game back at home, against Bristol Rovers, and we won 3-1.

I was at that game against Villa. It was a Friday evening and I think they anticipated a bigger crowd. We were struggling and although we won the game we still went down. Villa were hot favourites to go up but ended up finishing 4th- only the top two went up and there were no play offs.

I liked Brian Usher but he was a frustrating player. John Regan, Steve Briggs and Stuart Robertson were big favourites of mine and then Kitchen and Elwiss.

Happy days- or perhaps not, because apart from a couple of seasons under Stan Anderson there were some lean times in the 70s.

I was on nights at Rockware and went to the Villa game before work.
We had Lew Chatterley on loan from Villa and I was gutted when they wouldn't let him play against them but we still managed to win in a very disappointing season.

[craigdrfc]

The prog from the 84-86 years was the best the club have produced IMHO.

[BobG]

Gosh Idler! I'd forgotten that was the time Lew Chatterley was with us. He was a bit of alright wasn't he?! Must have been niot that many years after we had the never to be forgotten Ernie Hunt from Coventry too? What an awesomely amazing goal that was.....!

BobG

[bobjimwilly]

how did the meeting go, Paul?