Not a good time to support Bristol Rovers

[robf]

Not only have they dropped out of the league for the first time but these two events have now happened:

 

1. A bizarre delay to their new stadium plans:

 

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Rovers-face-new-delay-tries-register/story-21094099-detail/story.html?

 

2. Furore over their fans forum

 

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-Rovers-ve-closed-fans-forum-website/story-21090890-detail/story.html?

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Slightly bizarre that the clubb run the forum, normally these are run independently aren't they?

 

Surely thats far better as in most cases the majority of posts regarding football matters and ownership matters will always be negative.

[robf]

It is unusual for a club to run the forum but it does happen on a handful on occasions.

 

I personally think it's a monumental own-goal.

 

There is a strong suspicion that they are using legal/libel issues as a poor excuse to simply stop debate and I think it will backfire on them.

[Fosse69]

Also bizarre in a way for me, my daughter shared a flat overlooking the ground, when attending UWE, where they are hoping to move to.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

It is unusual for a club to run the forum but it does happen on a handful on occasions.

 

I personally think it's a monumental own-goal.

 

There is a strong suspicion that they are using legal/libel issues as a poor excuse to simply stop debate and I think it will backfire on them.

 

I see what you are saying but they offered it to the SC club and they turned it down. Surely one of those who are complaining about it or a group of them could take it on. As you say on the other thread forums need to be monitored and if they don't have the ability to deal with it then it needs to be transferreed to someone who can.

 

I would have thought a better option would have been to filter out all potentially dangerous words if they can't monitor or to give the supporters a month to find someone to run it.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Also bizarre in a way for me, my daughter shared a flat overlooking the ground, when attending UWE, where they are hoping to move to.

 

What are her thoughts, should it remain an entire heritage site?

 

Surely the gates are protected regardless?

[robf]

I see what you are saying but they offered it to the SC club and they turned it down. Surely one of those who are complaining about it or a group of them could take it on. As you say on the other thread forums need to be monitored and if they don't have the ability to deal with it then it needs to be transferreed to someone who can.

 

I would have thought a better option would have been to filter out all potentially dangerous words if they can't monitor or to give the supporters a month to find someone to run it.

 

I think it would be the costs that the SC would baulk at.

 

The club could have still hosted it and simply added Ts and Cs that said it was operated by the SC. But they didn't...

[robf]

What are her thoughts, should it remain an entire heritage site?

 

Surely the gates are protected regardless?

 

I think Fosse means she overlooks the new ground, not the existing Memorial stadium. ;)

 

I'm a fellow UWE graduate and they plan to put their new ground within the campus of the University (just out on the edge of the city near the M32/M4 junction)

[Rampant Zebra]

Maybe the clue is in the name? I like the Memorial Ground and it is probably more pleasant on the eye than a new Sainsburys.

[robf]

Maybe the clue is in the name? I like the Memorial Ground and it is probably more pleasant on the eye than a new Sainsburys.

 

But I suspect it could be a trouble-making City fan. The name may be the "Memorial Ground" but on that basis is Liverpool's Kop (or any other Kop) a war memorial in honour of the Spion Kop battle? The fans really do really hate each other down there so it could just be someone looking to frustrate their rivals.

 

I also really like the Memorial Ground but I guess for a club to survive, a purpose-built, multi-sports facility built for use by football club and University makes more financial sense than a quirky old ground with limited ability to expand.

[Yukon]

I saw the forum was shut the other day when the story of the possible signing of their captain came up. It smacks of censorship and the powers that be not liking the truth

[Rampant Zebra]

But I suspect it could be a trouble-making City fan. The name may be the "Memorial Ground" but on that basis is Liverpool's Kop (or any other Kop) a war memorial in honour of the Spion Kop battle? The fans really do really hate each other down there so it could just be someone looking to frustrate their rivals.

 

I also really like the Memorial Ground but I guess for a club to survive, a purpose-built, multi-sports facility built for use by football club and University makes more financial sense than a quirky old ground with limited ability to expand.

 

Fair point but I am not sure they need the capacity at the moment. Their first priority should be getting back into the football league rather than playing in a shiny new ground in the Conference with 125 people and a dog watching.

[Shropshire_Valiant]

Hasn't the Memorial Ground been a rugby stadium for a lot longer than Bristol Rovers have played there? I know nothing about it but I assumed they moved there after the closure of Eastville(which was probably decrepit) and then playing at Twerton Park for a few years in Bath(which although not far isn't in Bristol so it's not really fair on them) as a temporary measure until a new purpose built ground was finished? I don't dislike the Memorial Ground but I don't think it was ever meant to host football for as long as it has.

[robf]

Fair point but I am not sure they need the capacity at the moment. Their first priority should be getting back into the football league rather than playing in a shiny new ground in the Conference with 125 people and a dog watching.

 

It's been planned for a long-time - back in 2011 if I remember right - certainly long before this season and the threat of non-league football came around. I would suspect it would cost more to drop out of the deal than to continue.

[robf]

Hasn't the Memorial Ground been a rugby stadium for a lot longer than Bristol Rovers have played there? I know nothing about it but I assumed they moved there after the closure of Eastville(which was probably decrepit) and then playing at Twerton Park for a few years in Bath(which although not far isn't in Bristol so it's not really fair on them) as a temporary measure until a new purpose built ground was finished? I don't dislike the Memorial Ground but I don't think it was ever meant to host football for as long as it has.

 

That's pretty much it. The old Eastville stadium/greyhound track became an Ikea so once that happened they could never return to their old ground. However, although Rovers were tenants at first, then joint-owners then financial problems with the rugby team saw Rovers buy the ground for a "nominal fee" - about a quid, I think it was. I think it's fair to say that it was never seen as a permanent place for Rovers as it's not great for redevelopment, transport links and so on...

 

By the way, my fact of the day... "The stadium was built on an area of land called Buffalo Bill's Field, after Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show was held there in 1891..."