Supporters Board where are you?

[Filo]

Are you questioning the direction of travel of the club?

We never seem to hear from you, is everything discussed secret?

Are you as a board concerned at the current situation?

And if so what noises are you making regarding the situation?

[keith79]

They ask the questions but are not allowed to tell you the answers.

[pib]

To be fair the meeting minutes are published here: https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/club/shadow-board/meeting-minutes/

Whether they discuss the topics you feel should be discussed is a separate matter.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Still no March minutes though. I do feel like it's kind of hidden away though and not communicated at all.  How do us regular fans get their thoughts in to these meetings?

[Filo]

Still no March minutes though. I do feel like it's kind of hidden away though and not communicated at all.  How do us regular fans get their thoughts in to these meetings?

To be fair the March minutes won’t be available until after the April meeting when they have been passed as a true record of the meeting

[ForsolongaRover]

On 29/03/23 I wrote:
"Can a member of the Shadow Board provide answers to the questions then?"

I then wrote "I may be wrong, but it strikes me that the provision of information and the effective involvement in the conduct of the club’s management of the fans does not seem to be happening below the level of their representatives. Surely they should be passing on what they learn, otherwise “involvement” is just a one-way process."

What I would say now in comment on this thread is that on the matter of the Minutes, yes that is the official record, but members are not forbidden to informally disclose what they know.

It is surely a question of involving the punters and it is the primary duty of those who get elected to these bodies to fulfil that duty. If we have to wait until formal approval of Minutes take place a lot of things are history by then.

[selby]

  Put a bit back into the club and put yourselves forward for election to the shadow board, you would then get to know first hand what is discussed and would be putting something back into the club including your time for free like the present and past members have been willing to do, but be prepared for the flack that will come your way, and in some cases the inclination by some that you are just a convenient figure head and puppet of the main board, or just in it for your own self gratification.
  If you are not willing or don't have the time or inclination, or the support when elections take place, then like the rest of us the minutes of the last months meeting will be posted when passed a true record for everyone to mull over and you will have to be satisfied with that.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

How do you do that Selby? I don't remember there being an advert as such?

[selby]

Don't know mate but they re-elect or replace periodically so it doesn't become stale and the same people, and obviously people leaving of their own wishes.
  As with most things involving voluntary work when things are going well most people are quite willing for others to take up the slack and do the work, most interest is usually Stirred up when things are not working quite right in peoples minds and some have an axe to grind or think other people are not representing them the way they want them to.
   

[scawsby steve]

I might be wrong, but I believe Lincoln Rover is on the SB.

Maybe he can enlighten us.

[Campsall rover]

I might be wrong, but I believe Lincoln Rover is on the SB.

Maybe he can enlighten us.

All the current members of the SB are on the Rovers web site SS

[ForsolongaRover]

  Put a bit back into the club and put yourselves forward for election to the shadow board, you would then get to know first hand what is discussed and would be putting something back into the club including your time for free like the present and past members have been willing to do, but be prepared for the flack that will come your way, and in some cases the inclination by some that you are just a convenient figure head and puppet of the main board, or just in it for your own self gratification.
  If you are not willing or don't have the time or inclination, or the support when elections take place, then like the rest of us the minutes of the last months meeting will be posted when passed a true record for everyone to mull over and you will have to be satisfied with that.

That’s the sort of thing I’ve said to people who have been critical of Committees that I’ve been in my time and I think the point is that those who are young enough and not 200 miles away should get involved. They can share their knowledge of what comes out of the club and see what the reaction is from those they represent, so they can go back with some consensus of views. The younger element are the future of the club.

As far as I am aware the Shadow Board has not sought or conveyed information on the present crisis. Is that not why people want to hear from them?



 

[Lincoln Rover]

To say the SB don’t seek the views of the fans:supporters is ridiculous. We are fans & talk to almost everyone we meet. All ages, all stands & we feed this into every meeting.
I assume that those who wish to know more, would like to join the Shadow Board ?
Now if someone wishes to ask a sensible question in a polite manner then I’m willing to listen.

[EasyforDennis]

To say the SB don’t seek the views of the fans:supporters is ridiculous. We are fans & talk to almost everyone we meet. All ages, all stands & we feed this into every meeting.
I assume that those who wish to know more, would like to join the Shadow Board ?
Now if someone wishes to ask a sensible question in a polite manner then I’m willing to listen.

I have never been approached by anyone and I am a season ticket holder. I have no idea who the members of the SB are so wouldn't know who to approach to ask a question. In fact if it hadn't been mention of the forum I wouldn't have known we had a shadow board and what it does.

[ForsolongaRover]

To say the SB don’t seek the views of the fans:supporters is ridiculous. We are fans & talk to almost everyone we meet. All ages, all stands & we feed this into every meeting.
I assume that those who wish to know more, would like to join the Shadow Board ?
Now if someone wishes to ask a sensible question in a polite manner then I’m willing to listen.

Exiles only have these threads to seek and gain information, so the Shadow Board could raise issues on here.

Not everyone one on here is impolite in raising their concerns, but the desperation at zero response at the present crisis is obviously utterly frustrating. Right now it would be be a relief to know that club management recognise how bad and upset people feel and are doing something about it. Copps recent interview was seen by some as a slap in the face.

[Lincoln Rover]

Ok, we use the club’s website to promote it.
We use you tube via Dapper18 to do interviews. The last one was only last Sunday. I answered every question asked of me.

[WarwickRover]

Shadow Board is not a role I would want. Fair play to those that volunteer and commit. The only thing I would say Filo, and don’t take this the wrong way, for someone who has posted circa 28000 posts on this forum I think you would be a model candidate for the Shadow Board. 28000 posts is a staggering amount of posts and at, let’s say, 10 mins each posts (reviewing other posts and then composing) that equates to 4666 hrs or approximately 194 Days!  You are a passionate supporter bud and put me in the shade for sure. Perhaps you could channel that commitment back into the Shadow Board. I would support you

[Lincoln Rover]

To answer Filos questions.
Yes we challenge the direction.
No it’s certainly NOT secret. The minutes are published as soon as they’re agreed. This is standard practice.

[Lincoln Rover]

Every person on the SB is a volunteer as you’d expect. The role can become very time consuming, dependent on how much you wish to commit. I’ve been chatting to James the vice chair of the SB & we reckon at this time, we are putting in 15/20 hours a week.
Vacancies will soon be announced on the SB. A lot of the time is spent answering questions from fans of the club.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Could you give an overview of the most recent meeting (assuming you have the time)?

Waiting for the next meeting minutes feels a little bit long.

[Lincoln Rover]

Yes of course YP.
We discussed the election process, ticket allocations for away matches ie Harrogate …more looking towards next season.
Safeguarding, H & S.
An update operationally from the club.
The latter covers a huge subject. Yes, we do ask about any changes of approach by the owners.
Gavin & Shaun are very much willing to listen & answer all our questions. Does that help?

[Lincoln Rover]

BFYP.
I can get your frustration on agreeing the minutes, but this is standard practice.
We also meet in between each SB meeting…we call it a surgery ( me as chair, James as vice ) & we meet with Shaun & sometimes Gavin to receive updates & to raise questions.

[anton123]

Look on YouTube on 18 dappers page he did an interview with a shadow board member and looking at making it a regular piece to keep people updated with the ongoings of the meeting ect

[Campsall rover]

Every person on the SB is a volunteer as you’d expect. The role can become very time consuming, dependent on how much you wish to commit. I’ve been chatting to James the vice chair of the SB & we reckon at this time, we are putting in 15/20 hours a week.
Vacancies will soon be announced on the SB. A lot of the time is spent answering questions from fans of the club.

Derek,
I have just sent you a personal message.
Thanks.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Yes of course YP.
We discussed the election process, ticket allocations for away matches ie Harrogate …more looking towards next season.
Safeguarding, H & S.
An update operationally from the club.
The latter covers a huge subject. Yes, we do ask about any changes of approach by the owners.
Gavin & Shaun are very much willing to listen & answer all our questions. Does that help?

Thanks appreciated.

[SydneyRover]

Thanks for the input Lincoln. Most questions re the shadow board are answered here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ4Cs4pAejQ

[eastender]

Thanks for the input Lincoln. Most questions re the shadow board are answered here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ4Cs4pAejQ

Excellent ,thankyou well worth a watch.

[WarwickRover]

Many thanks, enjoyed watching

[ForsolongaRover]

Thanks for the link and of the commitment of those who represent the fans comes over strongly. Listening to this you realise how many things which directly affect that relationship depend on careful consideration of what people need and how supporters and the club benefit by mutual understanding.

As with a lot of aspects of life, as a customer, you often take for granted what is going well and how efficiently you are catered for until it starts going wrong and the fan engagement is working well with the reps working hard to ensure it remains so.

When you serve on representative bodies in your own time, trying to do your best for people, it is really annoying to receive abuse especially when it is ill-informed. It extends to those on the “other side” and my own experience is that as an organisation DRFC staff are without any doubt the most helpful people I encounter in taking to businesses etc. Thus you feel for them as well as yourself when the good work you are doing and doing successfully in partnership is not appreciated.

The problem is that not everyone can isolate their opinions from their emotions. Even those who are generally cool-headed and rational have a boiling point when there is a serious crisis and no one seems to care. Then you have to ask yourself whether you ignore them because you do not like their attitude or whether they are so upset because they feel desperate and helpless as a result of what is happening.

The question then is whether it your duty to represent all your members/constituents or just the polite ones? When things get really bad and clearly the Shadow Board members are feeling the pain like the rest of us, they have obviously made Messrs Lockwood, Baldwin etc., very much aware of the unrest. However after listening to the You Tube dialogue, there was not much about what is being done to rectify matters.

I recognise that team tactics is outside the terms of reference of the SB, but the effect on morale right now is nothing short of devastating and faith in the clause is the glue that sustains the support of the body they represent. Thus, whatever the undisputed strength of the community bonds, if the team are playing atrociously badly, that, and the Board’s remedy, is surely the number one priority. Without enduring faith in the team on the pitch those the SB represents will dwindle.

Paul Goodwin’s DFP article makes that unmistakably clear. If Copps recent interview was the considered response it missed the target - to put it mildly and there is no doubt whatsoever that the consensus on here is that the Chairman should be expected to provide some explanations.

In this context it seems a little odd that the CEO is so prominent as a contact when I have frequently been told by SM that he is no longer involved in the football club operation? Is this still the case?

[ForsolongaRover]

Based on the assumption that the SB would need to consult internally and beyond, I have not pressed for a response until now.

Can one be expected soon?