Fans

[silent majority]

Yes it has always been the case in football.
I’m not saying it is right but it is usual for it to be like is now for a failing manager.
No one is suggestion it is banter either.
How else can supporters make their feelings known to the club.

Do you not think the club already know how the fans feel?

Do you think people like me don't express our opinions when we talk to them? Or does it have to be shouted in an abusive manner?

So, what your saying is that it's not right and it's not banter, shouldn't it be called out for what it is then?

In some ways that makes me feel worse though, because if the club know how the vast majority of our fans feel, then they are choosing to ignore us. Maybe the club don't rely on season ticket income as an important revenue stream, but it's a very very dangerous game for a business to ignore a massive section of its customers. So what are our options as fans now? The club have heard us but are ignoring us - where left is there to go?

So, you want the club to let the fans make the decisions then, because essentially that's what you're asking for. Of course a business doesn't ignore its customers, but they still have a club to run, they're the ones negotiating with sponsors, players, staff members, and if you think about it potential new owners. How do think that would play out if a potential new owner can see that the supporters are the ones deciding who the manager should be or when his times up?

We're at the end of a very poor season, I fail to see how a few weeks is going to change anything.

PS - I'm not saying we are talking to new owners, just how would it look if we were?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Yes it has always been the case in football.
I’m not saying it is right but it is usual for it to be like is now for a failing manager.
No one is suggestion it is banter either.
How else can supporters make their feelings known to the club.

Do you not think the club already know how the fans feel?

Do you think people like me don't express our opinions when we talk to them? Or does it have to be shouted in an abusive manner?

So, what your saying is that it's not right and it's not banter, shouldn't it be called out for what it is then?

In some ways that makes me feel worse though, because if the club know how the vast majority of our fans feel, then they are choosing to ignore us. Maybe the club don't rely on season ticket income as an important revenue stream, but it's a very very dangerous game for a business to ignore a massive section of its customers. So what are our options as fans now? The club have heard us but are ignoring us - where left is there to go?

So, you want the club to let the fans make the decisions then, because essentially that's what you're asking for. Of course a business doesn't ignore its customers, but they still have a club to run, they're the ones negotiating with sponsors, players, staff members, and if you think about it potential new owners. How do think that would play out if a potential new owner can see that the supporters are the ones deciding who the manager should be or when his times up?

We're at the end of a very poor season, I fail to see how a few weeks is going to change anything.

PS - I'm not saying we are talking to new owners, just how would it look if we were?

Not even "fans".

A mouthy subset of the fan base.

[Retdon1]

Yes it has always been the case in football.
I’m not saying it is right but it is usual for it to be like is now for a failing manager.
No one is suggestion it is banter either.
How else can supporters make their feelings known to the club.

Do you not think the club already know how the fans feel?

Do you think people like me don't express our opinions when we talk to them? Or does it have to be shouted in an abusive manner?

So, what your saying is that it's not right and it's not banter, shouldn't it be called out for what it is then?

In some ways that makes me feel worse though, because if the club know how the vast majority of our fans feel, then they are choosing to ignore us. Maybe the club don't rely on season ticket income as an important revenue stream, but it's a very very dangerous game for a business to ignore a massive section of its customers. So what are our options as fans now? The club have heard us but are ignoring us - where left is there to go?

So, you want the club to let the fans make the decisions then, because essentially that's what you're asking for. Of course a business doesn't ignore its customers, but they still have a club to run, they're the ones negotiating with sponsors, players, staff members, and if you think about it potential new owners. How do think that would play out if a potential new owner can see that the supporters are the ones deciding who the manager should be or when his times up?

We're at the end of a very poor season, I fail to see how a few weeks is going to change anything.

PS - I'm not saying we are talking to new owners, just how would it look if we were?

Fans decide the future of pretty much every very manger in the country. As soon as they lose the support of the fan base then it’s pretty much time up

[ForsolongaRover]

SM: I can see that you feel that you must give the Owners' perspective, but I wonder whether you always get the balance right. Suggesting that the fans should not be allowed to dictate policy and that a new owner might believe that to be the culture at DRFC is to take the current situation out of context. One might make a counter argument that on recent evidence, this is a club that paid little attention to the views of its customers, the fans. 

Schofield does not help himself when he talks to the media. The DFP's main quotation from his pre Stevenage press call make no reference to the fans and their obvious continuing disappointment. He might show that he cares for their feelings too.

[tyke1962]

Well I think you lads deserve better than you've had served up this season and last to be fair .

It's a culmination of the last two season's which probably contributed to yesterday's events .

Fans can be brutal but given what you've endured of late I find it perfectly understandable to be honest .

The fans care passionately about Rovers , you would have to care passionately about Rovers to even go to Harrogate yesterday given it was a dead game in an awful season  and they are frustrated , rightly so .

How on earth are fans meant to show their frustration ?

Of course it's not going to be pleasant , they are extremely pyssed off .

That show of frustration yesterday may well be the trigger that rids you of DS and points to a brighter future next season .

If DS is upset then tough , if he hasn't worked out the reality of football failure and how fans frustration can boil over maybe he's in the wrong job .

Plenty of the folk that attend games done care passionately about the club, they’re just there for the booze and the aggro.
Every manager we’ve had over the last 3 years have got similar abuse, they’re just idiots

that is absolutely nonsense

Plenty of people there yesterday who don’t care about the club, not even watching the game, singing for harrogate to win, booing before we’d even kicked off.

Well I'd be thankful they are angry and frustrated if I was you because it means they still care .

It's to be hoped what comes after anger doesn't materialise .

It's called apathy and that's way worse than anger .

You can't normalise that level of abuse tyke, no matter what results are like.

In all the years of supporting this club I have never heard anything even approaching that level. No wonder the players couldn't perform as I'm convinced they were struggling with it as well.

There's a major movement afoot to ban 'tragedy chanting', i.e. Hillsborough, Munich air crash, etc and this, in my mind , falls into the same category.

I don't really have to normalise something that is in essence normal .

A club has a very disappointing couple of seasons of major under-achievment including a relegation to the lowest tier .

The football on display isn't working and you are losing games left , right and centre .

The manger doesn't seem capable of a change in tactics or formation .

Things have come to a head with the manager getting dogs abuse .

There really isn't anything in the slightest that's unusual about that other than I'm personally surprised it's taken this long .

To put it in the same box as Tragedy Chanting is pretty poor with all due respect to yourself .

It's an emotional game and that emotion can go two ways and right now it's going in a direction you clearly don't like .

Tell you what SM , how's about the critics stay away and starve the club of finance , would that be a better option for you ?

These fans pay their money and they are entitled to vent their anger , I draw the line at having a go at DS's family or his kids and stuff like that but if they are calling him out on his managerial record , his teams performance and so forth in no uncertain terms then that's reasonable .

As I say the next stage is apathy and staying away altogether .

Be thankful they care enough to still be angry .

I've been involved in more football campaigns than I care to mention, but I can guarantee that you never make progress if this is how you rely on getting your point across. there are lines you don't cross, and for me those lines were crossed on Saturday. And I wasn't the only one, the people staying away in future will be people like me, those who care enough to be upset by the vilification of the staff at DRFC.

That's not support, not in the slightest.

How's that worked out these last two years SM ?

[NickDRFC]

Is anyone able to provide context about what the abuse actually was for those of us who weren’t there? I said the other day that Schofield must have gone into the job with his eyes open about how things can get if it goes badly, by which I meant booing, shouts of things along the lines of “this is shit Schofield”, “you deserve to be sacked Schofield” or “you don’t know what you’re doing”. Stuff beyond that, to me, is over the line, but it’s difficult to know whether our fans have crossed that line or indeed equivalence should be drawn with racism/homophobia/tragedy chanting without actually knowing what’s being shouted!

[normal rules]

I’d like to know what “personal abuse” ds received at Harrogate from anyone that was there.
Criticising his football ethos, process, decision making around tactics and subs etc I have no issue with. Or the widely regarded perception that he doesn’t know what he is doing based on lack of experience. I’m ok with that.
Anything aimed at his family though is bang out of order. It has been suggested that this was the case, can anyone who was there and bore witness testify ?

[Lincoln Rover]

Well to suggest the club don’t listen to fans is stupid.
The VSC through SM talk very regularly.
The supporters club through, Len, Paul & Melanie are always chatting to Shaun & Gavin.
Then there’s the Shadow Board which I’m proud to be part of. We have meetings with GB & SL & constantly talk to these gents just about every other day.
These people who in the main are elected & are volunteers. If we reacted to every call to get rid of a manager, sign a player or extend a contract, then I’d never be off the phone.
If anyone thinks that they can make the club listen “ more” or react quicker, then come & join us on the respective boards.
By yelling & screaming “ abuse” won’t win you any favours.
EVERYONE is against the football we are watching & the club totally gets that.
I can’t wait to see you all apply for the Shadow Board when it’s announced shortly.

[Reg of the Rovers]

Is anyone able to provide context about what the abuse actually was for those of us who weren’t there? I said the other day that Schofield must have gone into the job with his eyes open about how things can get if it goes badly, by which I meant booing, shouts of things along the lines of “this is shit Schofield”, “you deserve to be sacked Schofield” or “you don’t know what you’re doing”. Stuff beyond that, to me, is over the line, but it’s difficult to know whether our fans have crossed that line or indeed equivalence should be drawn with racism/homophobia/tragedy chanting without actually knowing what’s being shouted!

It was a wide range of dissent, some of it 'your football is shite' type chants, some of it individuals shouting direct and personal insults e.g. you useless c*** etc. It was a definite majority voicing issues and the whole atmosphere was really toxic for the whole game - made worse by the fact the away dugout was right next to the loudest section of the away fans - so Schofield was only a couple of meters away from the shouts. The content / suitability aside, I think the message (i.e. the most fans are unhappy with Schofield and want him gone) is really really clear, and even where fans seemed to be disagreeing with the content of chants, where I was stood most still wanted him gone. It wasn't a few daft kids, it was a large section of the crowd which was made up entirely of season ticket holders.

[Rovers Return]

Bit of a point being missed here.

The fans, especially on Saturday, were not as one singing songs of discontent with the way things have been going over however long. The chants were neanderthal, abusive, not very imaginative and split the fan base. Most of the fans know what our position is but will not at any point join in with the banal hounding of another human being. Come up with something constructive that gets the point across at least.

The guys that were chanting were half cut and virtually stood behind the bench. It was very uncomfortable especially when we 2-0 up and at that point cruising. For anyone there that spent good money and time off work to support the team during the 90 minutes it completely took away any enjoyment with a few vowing to not return.

As a travelling support we sounded and looked awful especially in front of our newest rivals. Good day out totally spoilt!

[tyke1962]

I’d like to know what “personal abuse” ds received at Harrogate from anyone that was there.
Criticising his football ethos, process decision making around tactics and subs etc I have no issue with. Or the widely regarded perception that he doesn’t know what he is doing based on lack of experience. I’m ok with that.
Anything aimed at his family though is bang out of order. It has been suggested that this was the case, can anyone who was there and bore witness testify ?

Family ,  kids etc etc is way way unacceptable .

The thing is sometimes dialogue and the so called doing the right thing doesn't work and you have to show some teeth .

Who was it that was instrumental in getting rid of the threat of the European Super League ?

The Man Utd fans who broke in to Old Trafford and got the Liverpool game abandoned ?

The thousands of fans protesting outside Stamford Bridge , The Emirates or Anfield complete with pyros etc etc .

Or was it dialogue ?

[Reg of the Rovers]

Well to suggest the club don’t listen to fans is stupid.
The VSC through SM talk very regularly.
The supporters club through, Len, Paul & Melanie are always chatting to Shaun & Gavin.
Then there’s the Shadow Board which I’m proud to be part of. We have meetings with GB & SL & constantly talk to these gents just about every other day.
These people who in the main are elected & are volunteers. If we reacted to every call to get rid of a manager, sign a player or extend a contract, then I’d never be off the phone.
If anyone thinks that they can make the club listen “ more” or react quicker, then come & join us on the respective boards.
By yelling & screaming “ abuse” won’t win you any favours.
EVERYONE is against the football we are watching & the club totally gets that.
I can’t wait to see you all apply for the Shadow Board when it’s announced shortly.

I respect and applaud the time and effort of all the volunteers supporting the club, and advocating for fans. But at the moment either a. you're advocating for Schofield to stay, or b. you're being ignored. We're paying customers of a business providing a single product, which at the moment is unacceptably poor - using any measure it's diabolically bad. The only solution shouldn't be to join the shadow board or similar, the voice of the majority should be heard, and there has to be a way to tell the club directly that this manager is destroying our club and needs to be gone. I agree that there is no justification for abuse, but the club keep wheeling him out in front on fans the majority of whom want him gone - what do they think is going to keep happening?

[jmt23]

That’s a massive problem, we have been playing some good stuff in the last few games, and his playing style is looking like it is starting to work, and whilst missing the so called better players.

To be getting that abuse even when you’re winning and playing quite well is appalling.

We do not need these types of people at the club. That is not passion for the club or team, you are not supporters - just brain dead morons who are enjoying their time in the sun as pied pipers to the youth, fuelled by drink and drugs - sad.

[Lincoln Rover]

It’s part of the contract to place DS before the media/press pre & post match.
Show me one fan that likes what we’re seeing at this time & id be stunned.
We feed all the information to the likes of Gavin & Shaun.
They in turn relay this to David Blunt. I’ll be bold enough to suggest the latter who has the final say. That’s why I’ll defend Gavin, as he’s the one keeping the club going on a daily basis. 

[Alan Southstand]

I would add, Reg, the product is bad for a number of reasons, not just Schofield. We certainly have quite a few issues and these have been gradually getting worse or, at least, not getting any better!

The owner has suggested one thing to correct the ongoing slide, whether that alone works remains to be seen, but there’s more to it than that, I believe.

[jmt23]

Tyke, I don’t see it as good or bad “fans”

These people seem incapable of normal and decent behaviour- there is a line where the odd comment can be accepted, but an onslaught as reported on here is just out of line.

These are the same people who can be a real asset when times are great, but when times are bad…

Then there is those who have had an agenda for a couple of seasons, they are incapable of gaining any traction, so use the youths voice to try and gain some form of backing and this is fuelling the hatred.

[drfchound]

Yes it has always been the case in football.
I’m not saying it is right but it is usual for it to be like is now for a failing manager.
No one is suggestion it is banter either.
How else can supporters make their feelings known to the club.

Do you not think the club already know how the fans feel?

Do you think people like me don't express our opinions when we talk to them? Or does it have to be shouted in an abusive manner?

So, what your saying is that it's not right and it's not banter, shouldn't it be called out for what it is then?

I’m saying nothing of the sort SM (that it shouldn’t be called out) and it isn’t me or you who are doing the shouting.
There are many who are doing the shouting though.
I truly hope that the club know how the fans feel but in all honesty we don’t know because no one from the club talks to the fan base about it.

[adamtherover]

That’s a massive problem, we have been playing some good stuff in the last few games, and his playing style is looking like it is starting to work, and whilst missing the so called better players.

To be getting that abuse even when you’re winning and playing quite well is appalling.

We do not need these types of people at the club. That is not passion for the club or team, you are not supporters - just brain dead morons who are enjoying their time in the sun as pied pipers to the youth, fuelled by drink and drugs - sad.

is this a joke? Starting to work? Aside from a couple of decent strikes by Barlow we have been dire ffs

[adamtherover]

I’d like to know what “personal abuse” ds received at Harrogate from anyone that was there.
Criticising his football ethos, process, decision making around tactics and subs etc I have no issue with. Or the widely regarded perception that he doesn’t know what he is doing based on lack of experience. I’m ok with that.
Anything aimed at his family though is bang out of order. It has been suggested that this was the case, can anyone who was there and bore witness testify ?

I was close to the dugout, the worst I heard was "we've got shitty Danny Schofield ", instead of super etc...

[idler]

I’d like to know what “personal abuse” ds received at Harrogate from anyone that was there.
Criticising his football ethos, process, decision making around tactics and subs etc I have no issue with. Or the widely regarded perception that he doesn’t know what he is doing based on lack of experience. I’m ok with that.
Anything aimed at his family though is bang out of order. It has been suggested that this was the case, can anyone who was there and bore witness testify ?

I was close to the dugout, the worst I heard was "we've got shitty Danny Schofield ", instead of super etc...

I was there as well but nearer to the fence between the sets of fans.
I heard far worse for most of the first half. It was sheer hate coming from some fans.

[Rovers Return]

I’d like to know what “personal abuse” ds received at Harrogate from anyone that was there.
Criticising his football ethos, process, decision making around tactics and subs etc I have no issue with. Or the widely regarded perception that he doesn’t know what he is doing based on lack of experience. I’m ok with that.
Anything aimed at his family though is bang out of order. It has been suggested that this was the case, can anyone who was there and bore witness testify ?

I was close to the dugout, the worst I heard was "we've got shitty Danny Schofield ", instead of super etc...

I was there as well but nearer to the fence between the sets of fans.
I heard far worse for most of the first half. It was sheer hate coming from some fans.

The thing was, it was relentless for 90 minutes

[idler]

The chants didn't help the team at all.
The individual abuse was just sick in a lot of cases.

[normal rules]

That’s a massive problem, we have been playing some good stuff in the last few games, and his playing style is looking like it is starting to work, and whilst missing the so called better players.

To be getting that abuse even when you’re winning and playing quite well is appalling.

We do not need these types of people at the club. That is not passion for the club or team, you are not supporters - just brain dead morons who are enjoying their time in the sun as pied pipers to the youth, fuelled by drink and drugs - sad.

starting to work?
are you watching tonights game??

[jmt23]

Yes, we are really poor tonight, but that is not how we have played in the last few games is it - the problem is people are so entrenched in their opinions they can’t see when we have started to play better, they cannot accept it.

I am not saying he deserves to keep, or stay in his job. I do think it would be fair to see him have a crack with his own players. He has inherited a s?!. group of players that can’t play any style.

What I don’t think he deserves is the abuse.

[silent majority]

I’d like to know what “personal abuse” ds received at Harrogate from anyone that was there.
Criticising his football ethos, process decision making around tactics and subs etc I have no issue with. Or the widely regarded perception that he doesn’t know what he is doing based on lack of experience. I’m ok with that.
Anything aimed at his family though is bang out of order. It has been suggested that this was the case, can anyone who was there and bore witness testify ?

Family ,  kids etc etc is way way unacceptable .

The thing is sometimes dialogue and the so called doing the right thing doesn't work and you have to show some teeth .

Who was it that was instrumental in getting rid of the threat of the European Super League ?

The Man Utd fans who broke in to Old Trafford and got the Liverpool game abandoned ?

The thousands of fans protesting outside Stamford Bridge , The Emirates or Anfield complete with pyros etc etc .

Or was it dialogue ?

Tyke, I could write a dozen pages on how we dealt with the ESL and in the end, as always, it was dialogue that did it.

We knew at least 12 months in advance that this was coming and therefore we prepared the ground. We'd discussed this with UEFA, the EPL and FA, on top of that we'd prepared our APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) where we act as secretariat, and therefore had immediate access to the PM. That triggered the FLR that the Tory Government promised and had the PM threatening the leading clubs that should they attempt it he would legislate.

[silent majority]

I see most of the people on here defending the abuse dished out weren't actually at the game, or in some cases not even supporters of DRFC.

I have no intention of defining what was said, however for those who do acknowledge that chants involving family etc are wrong then rest assured there was a lot of that, some of it way beyond the pale.

[Alan Southstand]

I wasn’t at the game and I’m not condoning whatever bad behaviour went off.

All I will say is that it should not deflect attention away from what is going on at the Club right now. We are in a truly shocking state and it appears to be getting worse by the day. I can very much understand the level of frustration felt by the majority of supporters.

Please can someone assure, at least those of us still left that are bothered, that something major is going to be done to stop the free-fall. And I don’t mean tinkering, it’s going to take some monumental changes to sort this out and get us back on the upward curve.

[jmt23]

I am hoping it will not distract, but bring it perfectly in focus.

Danny is showing the board that the level of investment has not been enough, coupled with poor player identification, and this has led to the current squad we have.
 It is also saying that if you want me to play the style you employed me to implement, you need to invest.

[Canadian Rover]

I see most of the people on here defending the abuse dished out weren't actually at the game, or in some cases not even supporters of DRFC.

I have no intention of defining what was said, however for those who do acknowledge that chants involving family etc are wrong then rest assured there was a lot of that, some of it way beyond the pale.

That's disgusting behaviour and shouldn't be tolerated.

[rich1471]

I was at the game and not far from the dugout which was close to the away fans  not good for Scofield but most of the comments I heard was ,your football is shit and Garry mcsheffery was better than you and get out of our club ,nothing personal about his family or brother who died which was mentioned on Facebook which as a fan did not even no about and if this did happen the fans should be banned for life , the atmosphere was toxic even at 2 nil up and never stopped from start to finish ,never seen a rovers manager get so much abuse since weaver was in charge under uncle Ken , I understand he is the manager but he is never going to win the fans around and nobody wants him to fail but it's just not working , I would have more respect for him if he was honest and said yes it's not good enough but he doesn't,I think he must watch a different game to me most weeks as I see nothing positive in what he is trying to achieve