Maybe the site was down on purpose.......

[Lornelounger]

...or just deal with the facts once we know them - or is that a bit radical?

As said on another thread, I don't think Rob should have to say sorry for something that spiralled out of control and wasn't his fault. Give the man a break - he does an excellent job.

[geosname]

A scenario...

 

We all know Rob F is a generally a 'together' chap.

 

As we all know the breaking exclusive didn't quite match the hype and maybe this happened due to a last minute change of plan.....

 

The Mo interview could of been, and seemed like something that was thrown together in the 'down' hour to possibly cover up the real breaking news

 

Maybe... the announcement was potentially 'a shareholder' backing the bid and after a re think the bid team decided to hold onto their ace card until a later date

 

Like I said Rob F doesn't get many things wrong on this great site and the earlier headline hype didnt match the eventual release

 

I think we were all expecting more

 

Thoughts anyone?

 

I think you need to get out more

[Ainsworth]

I think you need to get out more

 

Probably :D

[Trentham Lakes Valiant]

Sorry, much as I have great respect for Robf, I feel he's caused all the bother on this. He stated at app. 5pm yesterday (to the effect of) "95% of you will be delighted" by the 9pm announcement. That is a pretty bold claim to make. No wonder there were so many different theories bandied about; each more ludicrous than the last. To find that it was merely a rebuttal of the nonsense spouted by the Board was, to me, a huge let down. I was expecting Fireworks: I got sparklers.

OVF has given me the chance to make friends of people I may never have, ordinairily, spoken to and for that I will always be grateful. As robust an outlet as it is, however, I do not believe it to be the medium that Mo Chaudry should be using to get his message across.

[tubthumped]

I like the imagination of some of you on here though... what other OVF conspiracy theories do you want to air?

 

I thought you were going to announce you had killed Bin Laden.... How wrong was I!!

[Princey]

Sorry, much as I have great respect for Robf, I feel he's caused all the bother on this. He stated at app. 5pm yesterday (to the effect of) "95% of you will be delighted" by the 9pm announcement. That is a pretty bold claim to make. No wonder there were so many different theories bandied about; each more ludicrous than the last. To find that it was merely a rebuttal of the nonsense spouted by the Board was, to me, a huge let down. I was expecting Fireworks: I got sparklers.

OVF has given me the chance to make friends of people I may never have, ordinairily, spoken to and for that I will always be grateful. As robust an outlet as it is, however, I do not believe it to be the medium that Mo Chaudry should be using to get his message across.

 

****** hell.

I agree with you !!...

I need a drink...

[robf]

Sorry, much as I have great respect for Robf, I feel he's caused all the bother on this. He stated at app. 5pm yesterday (to the effect of) "95% of you will be delighted" by the 9pm announcement. That is a pretty bold claim to make. No wonder there were so many different theories bandied about; each more ludicrous than the last. To find that it was merely a rebuttal of the nonsense spouted by the Board was, to me, a huge let down. I was expecting Fireworks: I got sparklers.

OVF has given me the chance to make friends of people I may never have, ordinairily, spoken to and for that I will always be grateful. As robust an outlet as it is, however, I do not believe it to be the medium that Mo Chaudry should be using to get his message across.

 

So in short, I'm being castigated for not matching people's unreal expectations.

 

I'm sorry if this reads like a rant because it is...

 

For goodness sake, I teased an OVF exclusive. I have already dealt with the "whys" earlier in this thread. I have even apologised for going a little over the top with the use of the word "Major". I definitely haven't caused any "bother" apart from the inconvenience of a free website being down overnight and some people's rumours being proven to be untrue.

 

There is a simple reason why I promoted the story that way - the exclusive landed on my doorstep at the end of my dayjob and I had to get home. I couldn't do it at 5pm because I had an hour and a half commute home.

 

It was either keep quiet about it until I published it later on or tell people I had an exclusive. I opted for the latter as I thought people may like being cheered up with a robust response to the board.

 

I think the one key thing I did wrong was use the word "Major" - all the other factors - Robbie Williams rumours sweeping round the POTY awards event were unfortunate timing. I was in Aylesbury nursing my sick boy, and then spending an hour when I could otherwise be relaxing typing up the Mo Chaudry story - so how on earth do I stop them coming out?

 

I actually said "I think the majority of people will like it" at the time. When I putting news up I am hardly going to promote it as "This is exclusive but not that interesting, in fact don't even bother reading it" If I can persuade just one or two shareholders of the merits of the B&G, anti-board message then my site news is worth it. Hence why all journalists put a positive spin and a bit of hype on their stories.

 

It is NOT my fault people's imaginations ran away with themselves and thought it was a bigger story than it was. They are the ones that caused the site to crash, not me.

 

If I hadn't have been subject to train delays I would have been online shooting down the silly rumours, well the online ones at least, but I wasn't as my train was late and my son was poorly. So the rumour mongers were allowed to run wild.

 

As to OVF being an appropriate outlet for Mo Chaudry's press releases... An exclusive airing of Mo Chaudry's response to the board is pretty big news in my book. It is very relevant to OVF as it concerns a potential investor in this club, who is very relevant to a forthcoming EGM, who is responding to a document sent to several hundred shareholders by the board, having a right to reply and whose views are often shut out by other local media.

 

It also continues to justify OVF as a real alternative to the other local media outlets with our own stories and exclusive. But you don't have to read it if you don't want to. No-one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to read OVF's news.

 

It's not easy being in my shoes, you should try doing it for 16-odd years and wonder where all your mornings, lunchtimes and evenings go... I've apologised for a bit of over-hype of the story and that's it. I think it's probably the third or fourth apology for a story I've given in the last five or six years so considering there are 10/11 stories every week, I can't be that bad at generally publishing the right thing from time-to-time.

 

And in closing, I definitely won't apologise for a website that I set-up, funded (quite significantly in its early days) and have operated for 16-odd years crashing and denying a bunch of people who pay nothing to access this information a few hours of being able to access it.

[Family Stand Terrier]

I think its Rob's fault that we weren't promoted this season.

 

I also think Rob put jermainne holwyn off when he was attempting to head the ball out against QPR, so ultimately its Rob's fault we drew 4-4.

 

Thanks for nothing Rob ;-)

[valiantmonkey]

Rumours on the message board and people letting their imaginations run away with them. Surely not!

[leek.Valiant]

A scenario...

 

We all know Rob F is a generally a 'together' chap.

 

As we all know the breaking exclusive didn't quite match the hype and maybe this happened due to a last minute change of plan.....

 

The Mo interview could of been, and seemed like something that was thrown together in the 'down' hour to possibly cover up the real breaking news

 

Maybe... the announcement was potentially 'a shareholder' backing the bid and after a re think the bid team decided to hold onto their ace card until a later date

 

Like I said Rob F doesn't get many things wrong on this great site and the earlier headline hype didnt match the eventual release

 

I think we were all expecting more

 

Thoughts anyone?

 

I have to say that this also crossed my mind, sorry to doubt you Rob

[big carlos]

keep up the good work Rob.........FU!!!NG cracking web site!!. the only thing we've got to be proud of at the moment.