Blackpool moved, STAR disappointed

[STAR Liaison]

Surprised to be the first with the news here but another Bank Holiday fixture has bitten the re-arranged dust.

Blackpool away has moved from Bank Holiday Easter Monday 3pm to the following day at 7.45pm. There doesn't seem to us to be any particularly good reason for this and STAR has written to the club to express its disappointment in this matter.

There is also a statement on the STAR website making the case for Bank Holiday football for the fans' benefit.

In unrelated other fixture shenanigans we are also missing a Saturday trip to Millwall because - for some reason - Championship matches are now arranged on the date of the FA Cup 4th Round. Without trying to be precise about this there's probably a 50% likelihood of any such fixture falling through - which is why this was never done back in the good old days.

[WoodleyRoyal]

apparently the clubs agreed to move it so they had longer to recover from the Saturday game - not helpful for the fans mind you, but on the other hand who wants to go to shitty Blackpool on a bank holiday? tbh i think they've done us a favour

[bloody Volvo driver]

I did

[Squelchy2507]

Fortunately, I have a training course in our Blackpool office on that day, so just means I will travel back Wednesday morning instead.

[From Despair To Where?]

Blackpool will be absolutely heaving over the Easter Weekend, chock full of pissed up Glaswegians. Not the best atmosphere in which to have a football match

Think Govan with rollercoasters.

[gazzer, loyal royal]

not surprised by this? not the first time this has happened, didn't we move Brighton away the year we went up from Monday afternoon to Tuesday evening?

[RoyalBlue]

Very disappointed that the clubs don't appear to give a toss about the fans. I'm sure a fair number of the home support will be unhappy too.

Both teams are playing on the Saturday so, assuming levels of fitness etc. are relatively equal, they will be equally tired as each other whether they play on the Monday or the Tuesday evening. They might argue injury risk is increased when players are tired but is it increased significantly?

Fixture should have been left where it was and STAR should grow some bigger balls and teeth and do a bit more than just write to the club to express disappointment. A request for a face to face meeting to discuss would be a good starter.

[Forbury Lion]

My missus is making my life a misery because we have a game on valentines day...... I think the FA would be doing most of us a favour by making this a no game day every year.

As for Blackpool Away, If I was going it would have been because it was a weekend / bank holiday game - Are refunds available to those unable to make the revised fixture?..... and what about those who booked advance train tickets?

[Green]

Very disappointed that the clubs don't appear to give a toss about the fans.

You must be new around here.

[STAR Liaison]

Very disappointed that the clubs don't appear to give a toss about the fans. I'm sure a fair number of the home support will be unhappy too.

Both teams are playing on the Saturday so, assuming levels of fitness etc. are relatively equal, they will be equally tired as each other whether they play on the Monday or the Tuesday evening. They might argue injury risk is increased when players are tired but is it increased significantly?

Fixture should have been left where it was and STAR should grow some bigger balls and teeth and do a bit more than just write to the club to express disappointment. A request for a face to face meeting to discuss would be a good starter.

We very much expect we will raise it face to face when we have the next senior management meeting with RFC. But I can't see that us at STAR all taking time off work to bang on their door this morning is going to change minds. Did you read our website statement? What else can you suggest - bearing in mind that we also want and need to work constructively with the club for the benefit of fans and members?

[Green]

I'd like to see an organised boycott of a home fixture.

But maybe hold that joker back for something slightly more serious though.

[STAR Liaison]

I'd like to see an organised boycott of a home fixture.

But maybe hold that joker back for something slightly more serious though.

I have a vague memory that we (RFC fans in general / STAR) didn't manage much of a boycott away at MK Dons / Wimbledon in 2003 when that first kicked (I don't know, I wasn't there ). Doing visible stuff inside the stadium is more likely to be effective than boycotts. There are more fans willing to boycott boycotts than to boycott matches.

[RoyalBlue]

Very disappointed that the clubs don't appear to give a toss about the fans. I'm sure a fair number of the home support will be unhappy too.

Both teams are playing on the Saturday so, assuming levels of fitness etc. are relatively equal, they will be equally tired as each other whether they play on the Monday or the Tuesday evening. They might argue injury risk is increased when players are tired but is it increased significantly?

Fixture should have been left where it was and STAR should grow some bigger balls and teeth and do a bit more than just write to the club to express disappointment. A request for a face to face meeting to discuss would be a good starter.

We very much expect we will raise it face to face when we have the next senior management meeting with RFC. But I can't see that us at STAR all taking time off work to bang on their door this morning is going to change minds. Did you read our website statement? What else can you suggest - bearing in mind that we also want and need to work constructively with the club for the benefit of fans and members?

Ah yes, that one again. But just what has working constructively with the club achieved for the benefit of fans and members so far? I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that the business management side of the club treat STAR with as much, if not more disdain, as they do their fans in general.

As for STAR members taking time off work to bang on the senior management's doors, perhaps the latter should show the STAR members a bit more respect by offering to meet with them outside of normal working hours. Maybe they would, if they received an email requested a special meeting, outside of normal working hours, to discuss fixture switches and the impact they have on supporters.

Do STAR still pump money into the club? If so, given that times are apparently now so hard, the club might actually sit up and listen a bit more if there was a risk that money might be no longer so readily forthcoming.

[RG30]

It's the second away game this season fans have been shafted with after Cardiff away was put forward to the Friday night instead of Saturday because of the rugby. Not sure why they just didn't play it on the Sunday.

And all those moaning about traffic..we managed to play Blackpool successfully on Easter Monday in 2009.

[Green]

I'd like to see an organised boycott of a home fixture.

But maybe hold that joker back for something slightly more serious though.

I have a vague memory that we (RFC fans in general / STAR) didn't manage much of a boycott away at MK Dons / Wimbledon in 2003 when that first kicked (I don't know, I wasn't there ). Doing visible stuff inside the stadium is more likely to be effective than boycotts. There are more fans willing to boycott boycotts than to boycott matches.

Fair point.

[Geekins]

I did

That's because you're a bloody Volvo driver with nothing better to do!

[Sutekh]

Do wish they'd stop being allowed to move games because players might be a bit tired after exertions 2 days previous. All teams should be told they have to play Saturday and Monday and like it or lump it in the FL. Same at Xmas.

[STAR Liaison]

RB: Ah yes, that one again. But just what has working constructively with the club achieved for the benefit of fans and members so far? ...

WE'VE PUT OUR RECORD ONLINE AT http://star-reading.org/index.php/star/

WE'RE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN WHAT OTHER TRUSTS / ORGANISATIONS IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS HAVE MANAGED TO ACHIEVE - HAPPY TO LEARN FROM PEOPLE DOING IT BETTER THAN US, EVER WILLING TO TRY TO AND EMULATE

RB: Do STAR still pump money into the club? If so, given that times are apparently now so hard, the club might actually sit up and listen a bit more if there was a risk that money might be no longer so readily forthcoming.

NO, IT'S JUST A TRICKLE NOW, A LITTLE BIT OF SPONSORSHIP (GOLDEN GAMBLE).

apologies for the caps chaps

[Ian Royal]

Very disappointed that the clubs don't appear to give a toss about the fans. I'm sure a fair number of the home support will be unhappy too.

Both teams are playing on the Saturday so, assuming levels of fitness etc. are relatively equal, they will be equally tired as each other whether they play on the Monday or the Tuesday evening. They might argue injury risk is increased when players are tired but is it increased significantly?

Fixture should have been left where it was and STAR should grow some bigger balls and teeth and do a bit more than just write to the club to express disappointment. A request for a face to face meeting to discuss would be a good starter.

We very much expect we will raise it face to face when we have the next senior management meeting with RFC. But I can't see that us at STAR all taking time off work to bang on their door this morning is going to change minds. Did you read our website statement? What else can you suggest - bearing in mind that we also want and need to work constructively with the club for the benefit of fans and members?

Ah yes, that one again. But just what has working constructively with the club achieved for the benefit of fans and members so far? I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that the business management side of the club treat STAR with as much, if not more disdain, as they do their fans in general.

As for STAR members taking time off work to bang on the senior management's doors, perhaps the latter should show the STAR members a bit more respect by offering to meet with them outside of normal working hours. Maybe they would, if they received an email requested a special meeting, outside of normal working hours, to discuss fixture switches and the impact they have on supporters.

Do STAR still pump money into the club? If so, given that times are apparently now so hard, the club might actually sit up and listen a bit more if there was a risk that money might be no longer so readily forthcoming.

Ignore him STAR you're taking the right and sensible approach on this one.

[STAR Liaison]

Thank you for your support, Ian, but I disagree, in that we feel we should engage our critics, within reason, not ignore them.

If someone comes along and says, look, Melchester Rovers Supporters Trust have done this, this and this and STAR hasn't, then we should a) know about it and b) try and do something about it as we believe - looking objectively at membership numbers, benefits and engagement with club and fans - we are one of the stronger trusts of clubs in our division.

But please don't expect this number of posts from starliaison every day!