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CLARIFICATION BY ANDY LINEY REGARDING HIS NEW ROLE AT THE CLUBIn view of some recent uninformed speculation, I would like to make the following clarifications in relation to my new position as a permanent board member at Doncaster Rovers: 1 I am NOT, never have been, nor ever will, being paid in any way as a director, not even any expenses or other disbursements. 2 I am NOT a substitute fans' director. I have no specific role, any more than any other director, and will contribute whatever I can whenever I can, and whatever John or the board asks of me I will deliver if I can. 3 Clearly, I will, in the absence of an elected fans' director, input the fan's perspective on issues, and naturally, continue the communication role whenever possible (although not on a daily commitment basis as before, so not all fans' questions, especially trivial ones, will be answered by me personally). 4 There has been a strange suggestions that the VSC should now be "wound up" simply because I have stepped down, and that moneys could somehow be returned to the members. The constitution of the VSC is such that it's main objective is to help the club, including the raising of funds to donate to the club and/or purchase shares. Those shares are not, and have never been, tradable or saleable, and could only even in theory be sold to other directors or a third party by notifying the board and with the entire board's authority. In such circumstances, there is no rule or precedent as to what might happen to any funds produced, and certainly the company (Patienceform) in which the shares are held are under no obligation to refund any investment at any time whether on request or otherwise. The return of money would, of course, fly in the face of the purpose for which it was originally given in any case. Of all the money given to the club in various ways, that which has been used for share purchase now stands at exactly £100,000. 5 I am now a permanent director, and would not be under any obligation to stand down if the VSC nominated a fans' elected director to the board, nor would there even be any connection between the two events. 6 The position of there being the opportunity for a fans' elected director remains unaffected by my election to the board. What is currently missing is a willing candidate. No-one sought nomination (nor for the immediately more important position as VSC Chairman) although all members were invited to do so in writing prior to the AGM. It remains possible for this to be achieved by co-option as a VSC director followed by nomination by the VSC board should a suitable candidate come forward. 7 The suggestion that the VSC and the DRSC merge is a good one, and has been raised by me in the past, even as far back as when Chas Walker was DRSC Chairman. However, this has been voted on by the DRSC committee and rejected (twice now). 8 Apart from the loss of my active input, the position at the VSC is unchanged. If it does not survive my leaving in the longer term then that could only be the result of a decision made by the remaining board and the members and as a result of lack of voluntary help. I can, however, confirm at this time that Ken Fear, Company Secretary, and the other directors are keen to see the VSC survive and continue, so currently this concern does not arise. They do, of course, urgently need help. 9 If VSC members feel disenfranchised as a result of the loss of a direct voice at Rovers' board level, then that is a matter for them to find a willing volunteer as soon as possible from among their ranks. However, it should be pointed out that the position of a supporters' director is the "icing on the cake" of any supporters' trust (most still do not have one), is not constitutionally obligatory, and indeed the role does not even exist within our own constitution. The fact that I have offered myself for election every two years (as well as, and at the same time as, for the constitutional position as Chairman) was my personal choice in the sense that I could have obtained and/or remained in the role purely on the basis of the support of the VSC board. The (hopefully temporary) absence of a VSC main board director has no bearing otherwise on the VSC, it's constitution, or it's role as a contributor to forwarding the club, either by financial donation, share purchase, voluntary help, or otherwise. Again, I would emphasise that there has been, and remains, many other facets to the VSC's activities other than purely the role of supporters' director, how ever valuable that has been. 10 I do not understand the suggestion that my voice will now be ignored at board level, indeed the opposite is likely to be the case. The board actively sought my presence among their number because they wanted my continued input on a wide variety of matters, rather than accepting me as the fans' nominee. To the extent that I had influence before, then that influence remains, perhaps enhanced by the fact that I now represent nobody specific, so am no longer obliged to argue any specific case as I did as supporters' director. That does not, and will not, prevent me, as a fan, no more no less, having the opinions of a fan, understanding the views of our fans, and wanting to actively help our fans individually and collectively, as I have done in the past. We did not operate fans' input on a referendum basis hitherto, and fans, on the whole, trusted me to use my judgment based on my understanding of their needs. That is the same pair of eyes that I will view issues through in the future. 11 The Rovers' board operates on the basis of challenging discussion and consensus agreement. That remains unchanged. If a supporters' director joins the ranks once again, his views will be listened to, especially if carefully thought through and well presented, and the consensus judgment will then be made on the basis of the discussions as a whole. If such a director proposed things I agreed with, I would do so. If he came up with ideas and suggestions that I felt were impractical, I would equally say so. There is no conflict there. Incidentally, the consensus method works so well within our existing board that formal votes are almost unheard of other than directly constitutional issues. 12 I have been honoured that
John and the board chose to ask me to stay as a director. I have, nevertheless,
not done so to join some gravy train or advantage myself, but because
it enables me to help both the club and it's fans as before, but at a
less intense and directly obliged way. In other words, when I want to
go on holiday - I now can! August 23, 2007 |
Andy joins the DRFC BoardAndy Liney has been appointed a full director of Doncaster Rovers Football Club. After years of sitting on the Board of Directors as the elected supporter's director, Andy Liney has been appointed a permanent member of the board of Doncaster Rovers Football Club. Andy has been the chairman of the Viking Supporter's Co-Operative since its establishment and after years of campaigning was given a seat on the Board to represent the views of the supporters. His move from supporter's director to full member of the Board comes after an incredible amount of work and dedication, amassing various contributions that have gone directly into the club. On his instalment, Andy said: "I'm honoured that John Ryan saw fit to offer me this extraordinary opportunity. When I took a seat on the Board as supporter's director, I had no personal motive other than to see Doncaster Rovers moving forward." "I believe that the working relationship I have with John Ryan is one that is first class and as such has been a big help to achieving things for the benefit of the club and the fans." "When I came in as supporter's director, there was the start of a great link of communication between the supporters, the directors and the club and that communication I feel has been responsible for oiling a lot of wheels." "I enjoyed my time as supporter's representative but I realised that I couldn't continue to do it on a flat out basis, so this new opportunity allows me to continue my work with the ability to take an occasional backseat. This opportunity allows me to continue the work that I started without a huge amount of obligation. I believe that John Ryan feels the same as I do and now I look forward to continuing working for the fans and Doncaster Rovers without the intensity I felt before." In addition, Andy has also made the following comments on the appointment: "I hope the appointment remains as universally welcomed as it has been so far (and I've had loads of supportive and congratulatory e-mails as well). I feared that there may be some supporters who would choose to view this cynically, which is why I asked John to delay the announcement (the board voted me on a few weeks ago) so that I was back before it was published and I could field any criticism (none so far, thankfully) and thank everyone for their congratulations. In that latter context, I will struggle to reply to all the e-mails individually, and, since many messages were from forum members, I would like to thank them en bloc. One comment on here that I would like to slightly amend, though - I will now be working equally both for the fans AND the board, without really taking, or having to take, or even try to appear to take (as an official fans' representative did) "sides". What this does give me is room to manoeuvre, freedom to do the "job" as I see fit, freedom to take time out when I need it, and remove the direct responsibility and commitment that I had in being an elected representative. I am also, as is correctly said, free of the criticism that I am "John's man" at the expense of being the "supporters' man". For all that, John was at pains to point out that he saw this appointment as a reward and honour and nothing more in terms of what I was expected to do or provide, although obviously he welcomes the ongoing opportunity to consult me, get the "fans' perspective", and communicate through me. It gives me the opportunity to do what I have been doing at a lower key, less intense level, which is what withdrawing from VSC office was all about in the first place. I should also emphasise that this came as bolt from the blue, albeit welcome, and was never the intended or expected outcome of my resignation. Given the preceding explanation, the appointment therefore does not prejudice the rights of the VSC to propose a suitable candidate as a supporters' director, should one come forward, as this is an entirely different role. There is, unfortunately, one (completely coincidental) counter-acting issue at the moment, which is that I have recently been ill and was obliged to miss the first two home games, which is why I have also had a stand-in as "Donny Dog". I will remain absent for a little while yet, so the fruits of this new appointment in terms of continuing some elements of my previous roles will be equally delayed for a while. Accordingly, I ask for your patience in the meantime. August 21, 2007 |
Volunteers still required July 23, 2007 |
OPEN MEETING FOR ALL ROVERS' FANS! A public
open meeting for Rovers' fans will be held at the Dome on Saturday, 4
August, starting at 11.00 am. Supporters' will be able to ask questions
of a fantastic panel comprising John Ryan, Mickey Walker, Dave Morris,
Sean O'Driscoll, and Richard O'Kelly. The meeting will double as the Viking
Supporters' Co-operative AGM, but the business associated with that will
only take a few minutes, after which fans will be able to hear all bout
the plans for the new season and the new players, indeed anything they
need to know. Although all fans are welcome to attend, voting in the elections
for the VSC board will only be open to members. Members will also be able
to renew their £10 annual subscriptions, due as of 1 August, at
the meeting. July 22, 2007 Statement from Andy LineyThe following are Andy's programme notes from Saturday's match: A WORD FROM YOUR DIRECTOR These will be my last notes to you as Supporters’ Director as I will not be standing again for this position, or that of Chairman of the Supporters’ Co-operative, when my current terms of office end in August. After over six years, I have become stale in the job, and it is time for some fresh blood and new ideas to give the Co-operative a much-needed impetus. As many of you know, on a matter of principle I will not deal with SMC, who I consider to be operating the stadium in an unethical manner. Whatever the rights and wrongs of this stance, it clearly inhibits my ability to attend to fans’ problems in relation to the stadium, and this is another reason I can no longer perform my job as I should be doing. A fresh face may be able to work with the people concerned without this “baggage”. Hopefully, this early announcement will allow time for a new candidate to be found from among the ranks of our membership. I say “candidate”, but it could in fact be “candidates” as the roles could be split to lessen the burden on the individuals concerned. If you feel you have the time and interest to take on one or both of these roles, or would like more information about what the jobs entail, please feel free to contact me at any time. Although I have let the job slip to some extent in recent times, I remain proud of what the Co-operative has achieved under my stewardship. Not least, of course, we have obtained the very seat on the Rovers’ board I will be vacating, which was one of the main purposes for which the Co-operative was created. This has created unprecedented transparency and opened channels of communication between the board and our fans, with the club benefiting from the ideas, suggestions, and general input of a huge knowledge base, while John Ryan has been able to reach out directly to fans in a very personal and direct way through me to communicate his feelings and explain his plans and ambitions. The Fans’ Focus group also contributed such significant improvements to the club as the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, although it is fair to say this has not yet fully borne the fruit for which it was originally conceived. Fans were also able, through my role in various stadium committees and steering groups, to directly influence the design of our new home here at the Keepmoat, as well as benefit from the only regular source of news and information about the project as it developed. Although the ultimate move to the stadium turned sour for me personally, it has been the single biggest step in Rovers’ 128-year history and truly gives us the opportunity to reach the Championship and sustain ourselves there. On the day of our first match here, we were also proud to present John with a giant ceremonial cheque for £100,000, a magnificent sum raised by us fans as our contribution to Rovers’ bright new future. So, as I look back on the poor relationship that fans had with the club at the time of our founding, and the personal acrimony between myself and John exposed at the public meeting at the Earl when it was agreed to form a co-operative, it gives me great satisfaction to see where we are today. Not only has the club moved on unrecognisably, its closeness to its fans, and my excellent relationship with John, are testimony to the way we have all been able to work together, and hopefully that is the biggest legacy I have contributed to. I recognise that I have not achieved everything fans wanted, and that I have my detractors among them, this is inevitable after such a long term in office. I have also not always been right, but at least I can put my hand on my heart and say I did my best! Enjoy the summer break! Andy Liney May 6, 2007 Tuesday night is Millennium Party Night!
Come along to the big Doncaster Rovers' Night at Skellow Grange Working
Men's Club on Tuesday 24 April and have your photo taken with the Johnstone's
Paint Trophy! There will be several Rovers' players in attendance, as
well as Donny Dog, for even more photo opportunities and autographs. Kids
are more than welcome (accompanied by an adult). It will cost only £1
to have your photo taken by a professional photographer, the photo will
be available on the spot, and everyone who has one will be entered into
a FREE prize draw to win a signed Rovers' match ball! April 22, 2007 Brian Makepeace Testimonial Programmes Due to popular demand,
we have now reprinted a limited number of programmes from what was the
last ever match at Belle Vue, on 28 December 2006. Due to running out
on the day, these have since changed hands on eBay for as much as £15
each. However, anyone interested in purchasing copies can have them at
the original cover price of £1.50 by contacting Andy Liney through
the normal channels. Andy Liney April 3, 2007 See England play Israel LIVE after Saturday's home match!By popular request, the new Rovers Return at the Dome will be staying open late after Saturday's match against Bristol City to show the Israel vs.. England Euro Qualifier, live and exclusive on Sky TV Plus. Why not come and join the other Rovers' fans enjoying the occasion and start the build up towards Cardiff in their company? With beer at only £2 a pint, it's got to be the place to see the match (which won't be available in the Lakeside Suite, as this doesn't have Sky TV Plus), especially as there are several TVs as well as a giant screen so you're guaranteed a good view in comfort. You can park free at the Dome (including in the small car park at the foot of the steps which lead direct into the Rovers return lobby), so why not park there for the day, and also enjoy a pre-match pint in the same convivial atmosphere, where many of your old friends from Belle Vue now congregate from 12.00 pm onwards? By the time you'd have got out of the Keepmoat car park after the match, you could be sitting with your first pint enjoying the build up to the match! See you in your new Home at the Dome? March 21, 2007 |
Urgent information for users of Rovers ReturnDue to a long standing function booked in the bar we now use as the Rovers Return, for one night only (tomorrow) the Rovers Return will be in the adjacent Ice Breaker bar. I am late announcing this as we were hoping to be able to relocate this function, and only just found out tonight we couldn't. Parking arrangements, beer prices, etc. will all be as normal. Sorry for the inconvenience, normal service will be resumed at the next home game. February 27, 2007 |
Fans launch new Rovers Return!Disgruntled Doncaster Rovers' fans, disappointed that the SMC has failed to provide them with a new clubhouse at the Keepmoat, have launched a new Rovers Return at the Dome, to replace the popular clubhouse at the old ground. "Many supporters are disgusted that the SMC failed to honour the long-standing Council pledge to give us a new home at the stadium in the form of a 24/7 themed sports bar at sensible prices" said supporters' director Andy Liney. "They have completely failed to understand that we were promised a new home, not just to replace the Rovers return, but the old clubhouse which we used to have at Belle Vue. Apart from the actual playing facilities, this was the most important provision we needed and had been assured we would get as long as five years ago when I first joined the stadium steering group. The joke at that time was that I wanted the whole stadium designed around a big supporters' bar, and I feel robbed by what they have done with the room that was set aside for the purpose. What we have ended up with is a soulless cocktail-style bar called the "Lakeside Suite" (it's very name tells you it's purpose) with expensive upmarket furnisings which we never wanted, and unfortunately at upmarket cocktail bar prices". The final straw came when the SMC reneged on an assurance given by their Chairman, Ian Spowart, that prices would be reduced after a five-week review of bar operations, whereas the SMC board decided at their meeting on 9 February to keep prices as they are. "The private briefing that prices would come down caused us to delay taking any action like boycotting the bar or arranging alternative facilities", said Mr. Liney, and meanwhile the SMC were able to take advantage of the lull to try to establish some trade at their venue. Andy liney added "I feel totally let down by this manoevre. I was told that the review was just a face-saving ruse - clearly it served no useful purpose as the period concerned was one during whcih we had high profile matches and huge attendances - so is totally unrepresentative in business planning terms anyway". However, generous Dome management have stepped in and provided a private bar on match days, exclusively for Rovers' fans, and at no cost whatsoever. The bar has its own access direct from its own car park (up the steps which face towards Bawtry Road, and it's on the left of the entrance lobby). Even the £2.50 match day car parking fee is fully refundable on any purchases made in the Dome on the day, including getting cash change, so it amounts to free match day parking! Drinks prices are considerably cheaper than the Keepmoat, with beer at £2 being a full 70p a pint less. The bar has full Sky TV Plus, including on a large screen, something which the SMC say they cannot afford to provide at the new stadium. Fans will also be able to display all their memorabilia in the adjacent Ice Breaker Bar (which is already popular with Rovers' fans). Pictures, shirts, or any other mementoes are more than welcome, and the old sign from the original Rovers Return, kindly donated by John Rush, who purchased it at the recent auction, has already been given pride of place. The bar is part of a function room suite which includes a 170 square metre conference room opening off the bar, ideal for supporters' groups AGMs and the like, and there is yet another smaller room which also opens off the Rovers Return bar, suitable for parties, Race Nights, etc. Unbelievably, all these are available by prior booking free of charge to Rovers' fans! The Supporters' Club has already taken advantage by deciding to hold their next Race Night in the premises. As a Supporters' Club spokesman was keen to emphasise, these are fund raisers, and the saving on the ludicrous £150 which the SMC wanted to charge makes a huge difference to the proceeds. February 20, 2007 |
The new "Rovers Return" opens today!Don't forget, the new Rovers Return opens today at the Dome. It is a private bar, just for Rovers' fans, with beer at £2 a pint, and effectively free all-day parking (you pay £2.50, but get a voucher to spend in the Dome). The bar is accessible through the lobby where the toilets are off the Ice Breaker bar, or can be accessed from outside up a flight of steps from its own private car park. The car park is accessed off the road that runs parallel to Bawtry Road on the side of the Dome facing Bawtry Road, and the steps are towards the corner at the main roundabout end. There is temporary signage up today, and next week it should be replaced by permanent neon signs. You can, of course, also use the main Dome car park, where there are places for 650 cars (bigger than Car Parks 2 and 3 at the Keepmoat put together). The bar will open today at 12.00 noon, although they are flexible and are happy to open earlier in future if there is demand for it. The bar will, of course, also be open after the match. It may be further to walk than parking at the Keepmoat and using the Lakeside Suite, but it will save you £5 on parking and 70p a pint on your drinks, plus food is considerably cheaper, there is full Sky TV Plus (not available at the Keepmoat) in the new Rovers Return (as well as the adjacent Ice Breaker bar), and you will have no traffic problems leaving the car park. Indeed, walking back to the Dome car park will get you home quicker than queuing to leave the Keepmoat even if you don't want a pint after the match. If you are still unsettled as to where to drink since leaving Belle Vue, give it a go! We welcome Rovers Return customers old and new! February 17, 2007 |
Commemorative bricksThe commemorative bricks in the Rovers Wall of Fame (located at the south west corner of the stadium) are starting to be installed today. Please note that the two special "Rovers Till We Die" plaques which will go in the centre of each half of the walls have not yet been manufactured so there will just be a space left for them at present. January 25, 2007 |
Meeting with SMC held on Thursday 4 January 2007A meeting was held between Andy Liney and Andrew Nicholl, recently appointed SMC Chief Executive, who was later joined by Ian Spowart, Chairman of the SMC. Among matters discussed were issues raise by fans, particularly in relation to Monday’s opening game, and the following agreements were reached. 1 Website The website will have a special Ticketing page, with up to date ticket office opening hours, regular updates on tickets which are currently on sale, and the status of currently selling tickets (how many left, when sold out). This last one will mean that we can rely on tickets remaining available until they are notified as “sold out”. The ticketing page will be directly linked from Rovers’ official website (to be agreed with Rovers). The site map on the directions page (which is out of date in terms of the Lakeside/Stadium Way area) will be supplemented with a map of the locality I have suggested to them. The site will be made accessible for the blind, by liaison with Rob Arrowsmith (who has the necessary technical information). 2 Ticket Office The ticket office will be open after matches and on evenings as required as soon as staff can be arranged. It was accepted that several seats were double-sold on Monday, including season ticket holders’ seats. It is believed that this problem has now been rectified. It was agreed that more information on ticket status (what tickets are on sale, how many left, when sold out) will be publicised using all available local media as well as the websites. Information on up-coming fixtures etc. will be displayed on hoardings at site entrances, but this will require planning permission, so will not happen immediately. On-line ticketing will be introduced as soon as the problems with the SMC’s bankers have been resolved. There are no technical problems with this, it is an issue of indemnity, and it is hoped that this will be resolved within days now. The suggestion that the South concourse be opened to allow fans to queue for the ticket office in periods of high demand and bad weather, and also use the facilities, was well received. However, the concourse is not currently capable of being isolated from the rest of the building, posing security issues, and the stadium contracted caterers (EMC) are contracted to specific days and areas and ad hoc operation of the kiosks would be difficult, so this will require further consideration. 3 Access issues 3.1 Pedestrians The footpath from Sandy Lane is not in SMC control, but the issue will be looked at with the Council. The security fence problem is recognised, but this is the contractor’s responsibility to remove, and it will be removed now they are back from Christmas break. Issues of some lights not working (mainly at the north end of the stadium as reported by the police) will be looked into. 3.2 Buses The delays of shuttle buses in other vehicle traffic will be looked at in conjunction with an re-examination of all the traffic management issues. The control of traffic on Stadium Way is outside SMC’s hands as their stewards are not allowed to control traffic outside the car park perimeter. Suggestions put forward for alternative ways of managing traffic on Stadium Way were well received (splitting all traffic north from Number 1 car park and south from Number 2, with twin-lane one-way in those directions, and with the road in between acting as a balance road as required, and the shedding of traffic down Carriage Drive as required, was the main element of the proposal). 3.3 Cars It was accepted that problems occurred with disabled fans on Monday due to communications issues. The policy was agreed that all disabled fans registered with the Rovers and holding disabled season tickets will be allowed free use of the 63 disabled car parking spaces on a first-come first-served basis. The failure to issue tickets for the £5 payments taken from some fans (including several disabled fans) is to be investigated and steps taken to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. (All paying fans should ensure they receive a proper ticket). It was accepted that refunds of the £5 incorrectly paid by disabled fans should ideally be made, but would now be administratively difficult especially given that many fans didn’t receive tickets to use as evidence of payment, and the SMC apologise for this. Disabled fans should have their season tickets and blue badges available as evidence of entitlement to show car park attendants. They should access the disabled area via the barrier at the top end of Car Park 2. The short-term grid-lock on exiting the car park should be alleviated by traffic management measures as discussed above in due course. It was noted that these were issues for the police and local authority, but would be pursued by the SMC through those channels. 4 Concourses 4.1 Toilets Complaints had been received about hand dryers not working in toilets. We examined and tested all these and could find none out of order. There are no hand dryers in the main concourses (these were not originally specified) but these will be installed. As a short term measure, all concourse toilets will be provided with paper towels and bins. The lack of toilet rolls was attributed to uses as towels, as 380 toilet rolls were used on the day. This should be alleviated by the availability of paper towels. 4.2 Kiosks It is recognised that there are training issues with kiosk staff, which will be pursued with the catering contractor, EMC. This relates to language difficulties, lack of understanding of product availability, systems, and till operation, in turn leading to slow service. A shortage of milk and sugar was reported, but our inspection proved that these were available on the side counters in small baskets of long-life cartons. Despite agreement being reached with a major national bookmaker, they pulled out of the deal to operate in the concourses due to commercial reasons. A reputable local chain is now to be approached to operate this franchise. Stanchions causing a safety issue for kiosk staff were identified in two kiosks, and the safety issue has been reported to the catering contractor, EMC. 4.3 Egress The lift in the West concourse was tested and found in order. All fire exits are now unlocked and operable. 5 Tannoy The problems with the tannoy were caused by attempting to link the PA system with Rovers’ own sound system, and other unauthorised operations. These issues will be resolved, and the systems were being tested while I was present in the building. 6 Flags Flag mounting arrangements will be installed in the South Stand on the wall behind the seats. The actual design is at the discretion of the SMC, but possible suggestions include multiple “pegs” at various heights and spacing or weldmesh strips for universal string tying. One issue which needs to be resolved is the actual mounting, as it is mostly an outside wall with only occasional structural components. More importantly, several customers have been identified for advertising hoardings (like the current John Smiths ones). These will need to be installed first to ensure flag mountings do not interfere with them and so that flags can fit under or between them. Fans should not ideally purchase specially made flags in the meantime. A suggestion was made that fans might like to rent a hoarding themselves to display something like “The Home of Doncaster Rovers”. This would require a fund-raising exercise. External flags or other match-day “identification” will be considered to indicate Rovers’ match-day “ownership”. A “Home of Doncaster Rovers” (as well as of the other users) type sign will be installed at the entrances but again will require planning permission. 7 Supporters’ Bar The bar becoming more of a sports bar on match days, its very name, the décor, and Rovers (and other tenant) theming and memorabilia were discussed, as was the drink prices. Proposals were tabled and will be put to the SMC board today (Friday), and I will report back on this. 8 Customer involvement A tenants’/users’ group will be formed and regular meetings held to ensure future good communication, information exchange, and feedback, and resolution of any problems. 9 Summary Andrew and Ian stressed that they recognised many of the early difficulties that fans had had, and every effort would be made to sort teething problems out. The time available to take over the stadium and the very busy period when this occurred have not been ideal. Some patience on our (fans’) part is clearly required, and I am personally sure that rapid progress is being made already. What is more important is that there is a clear willingness on their part to listen and adapt, and both Ian (who I have known for some time) and Andrew (who is new to the area) are very obviously people who I feel personally I can do business with (and they are both smashing blokes as well!), which suggests that we will be able to maintain the necessary lines of communication in the future. January 5, 2007 Urgent information for disabled Rovers' fansThere were some misunderstandings about who was entitled to disabled parking at Monday's game. Please note that only those disabled fans who are registered with Doncaster Rovers and are disabled season ticket holders are entitled to use the disabled parking bays, accessible via the barrier in the No.2 Car Park. They should show the car park attendant both their disabled season ticket and their blue badge (for identification), and parking in the 63 available bays is then free on a first come first served basis. Holders of blue badges who are not registered with the club's scheme will not be entitled to use these bays.January 5, 2007 |
Supporters' Co-operative £100,000 share purchaseKen Fear, Secretary of the Viking Supporters' Co-operative, is pictured presenting Rovers' Chairman John Ryan with a commemmorative cheque for £100,000 for share purchases at the first ever Rovers' match at the Keepmoat Stadium. These shares are held in trust of behalf of our members. January 3, 2007 |
Important traffic/parking informationIssued by South Yorkshire Police The first football game for Doncaster Rovers at the new stadium is to be played on Monday 1 January 2007, with a 3pm kick off. This game is anticipated to sell out and it also coincides with the New Year sales at the nearby Lakeside Village, shopping outlet, therefore it is asked that football supporters should arrive early to avoid delays. This is also the first day of the new traffic regulations which have been implemented to minimise the congestion around the new stadium area. Football traffic is to turn left at Lady Bank roundabout onto White Rose Way and travel along to Middle Bank roundabout, stadium car parks can then be accessed from Middle Bank Road, Carriage Drive or Wilmington Road. This will be clearly signposted from the town centre and the M18 motorway. Inspector Bill Davidson, of the planning department said, "The first game at the new stadium is anticipated to be very well supported, therefore we would ask that supporters arrive early to ensure the events runs with the minimum of disruption to local residents." "Supporters attending the fixture should show due consideration to local residents when parking their vehicles and parking regulations will be enforced." Coin trailThe Coin Trail ended on a high note, with £609.13 collected at the game against Nottingham Forest (£366.93 in the Viking Supporters' Bar, and £242.20 in the ground). This takes the final total to £56,710.34. December 27, 2006 |
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