Newsletter - January 2024
Our latest ‘We Are The Rovers’ Supporters Trust Board Meeting took place on the evening of the 23rd January. This newsletter records the key outcomes of the discussions from that meeting.
January 29, 2024
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We had a full discussion on fan takeovers, and it was agreed that the atmosphere at both the Girona pre-season friendly and the Watford league game were the best at Ewood for some time; this was achieved due to the initiative of the Supporters Trust. The Trust welcomed the support and commitment from Club staff for the Watford and Girona games and the excellent support from 4000 Holes, brfcs.com, Proud Rovers, Her Game Too, and the South Asian Supporters group.
The Board reiterated its own commitment and resources for future fan takeover events as building new support, retaining existing support and re-engagement of lost support is a key part of our remit as a Trust.
The Board also wanted to see what the Club’s medium to long term plan is for the building support base and improving what we believe to be a very poor match day atmosphere.
The Board reiterated its commitment to the MoU. It is an important agreement, a unique line of engagement with the Club, and is a precursor to a Shadow Board. The next MoU is on 15th February and the Board agreed our representatives for that meeting. Our agenda items to be shared well in advance with the Club presently are:
* We will express our concerns regarding the ongoing 1/4’ly Delhi High Court applications for essential funding to ensure statutory payments re maintained and staff are paid. Of particular concern to us is that we believe we are subject to the agreement of a Court many thousands of miles away; Court documents (31/10/2023) state ‘the inquiry which is going against the Petitioner is only at the nascent stage’, thus suggesting to the Trust Board the process of High Court applications could continue for a lengthy period of perhaps some years.
We will also be asking for agreed minutes of the MoU meetings to be published on the Club’s website.
If members have any suggestions as to additional agenda items, or points you wish us to stress then please email us via: chair@roverstrust.co.uk
Our Heritage led Steve Williams is making a presentation at Blackburn Library on ‘Rovers Past & Present’ on the evening of the 8th February; this is supported by ‘We Are The Rovers’. We are also looking to repeat the event in the spring at a venue in Chorley as part of our outreach work to supporters outside of BwD.
The Supporters Trust Annual General Meeting will take place on the evening of 26th June 2024. We are presently sourcing a cost-effective venue. Members will be advised in advance. A signed and framed Rovers 2023/24 shirt has been donated by a Trust Board member as a raffle prize. We will also look at the possibility of live streaming the event.
Steve Williams will be making a presentation on Rovers Heritage and History to the SAS launch event at the QPR game on Saturday 3rd February 7.00 pm and entry at Blackburn Library is free.
Mike Graham
Chair
