The Albion Rovers Thread

[Yoda8]

46 minutes ago, The Pastmaster said:

Am hearing Rovers already meagre budget is already overspent which means there is nothing left in the kitty to `strengthen` the team. Brogan is now talking about bringing in loan players.

I’m hearing a 60k budget is already at 68. Not sure if any truth in it.

i don’t blame the manager, whoever made the appointment is to blame.

made point few weeks back, if club skint why were preseason friendlies against junior teams and closed doors. In past few seasons , Falkirk & Clyde and Well?? bringing in some funds.

The club seem as bad as the results 

[Diamond8]

I’m hearing a 60k budget is already at 68. Not sure if any truth in it.
i don’t blame the manager, whoever made the appointment is to blame.
made point few weeks back, if club skint why were preseason friendlies against junior teams and closed doors. In past few seasons , Falkirk & Clyde and Well?? bringing in some funds.
The club seem as bad as the results 

From the outside looking it seems that the club have been pretty reckless, decent income through cup draws and through decent travelling supports in recent years should really have you guys sitting sweet, or at least not in the mess you’re in.

I brought it up last year and didn’t really get an answer for whatever reason but I’d heard from an ex-player (who was treated pretty poorly by Kerr and co) that the club owed around 90k to St Ambrose school for training. There may not be any truth in it but it seemed pretty alarming.

Anyway, I genuinely hope it turns out not too badly for you guys and I’m sorry to see the state your club is in.

[Neilly]

This team could probably get a worse points total than the Shire 10 pound a week days.

You can't be getting a rake of low calibre junior shite and expect much else. 

[Vodka Vic]

12 hours ago, Diamond8 said:

 

 

From the outside looking it seems that the club have been pretty reckless, decent income through cup draws and through decent travelling supports in recent years should really have you guys sitting sweet, or at least not in the mess you’re in.

I brought it up last year and didn’t really get an answer for whatever reason but I’d heard from an ex-player (who was treated pretty poorly by Kerr and co) that the club owed around 90k to St Ambrose school for training. There may not be any truth in it but it seemed pretty alarming.

Anyway, I genuinely hope it turns out not too badly for you guys and I’m sorry to see the state your club is in.

 

 

Ironically our troubles started after that infamous Scottish cup run. We paid off a £200k overdraft which was the right thing to do,but the spending didn't stop there. The rest was spent on high wages for both players and manager to get the club promoted.

You could take this back to former Chairman John Devlin who has a lot to answer for, however the Chairmen that followed failed to act which culminated in tge club getting a £90k emergency loan where you would get better terms from a Glesga loan shark.  

By the time we drew Celtic that money effectively bought us some time and last year's relegation put us on the start of the slippery slope as the playing budget was slashed. 

I would say the outlook is bleak - relegation to the Lowland league will probably finish the club. It's going to be a difficult watch this year.

Edited August 5, 2018 by Vodka Vic

[NE63 exile]

Good frank interview in today’s Sunday Mail with John Brogan which is worth a read. I liked the bit where he said he’s told when going for jobs:
“there’s your budget can you manage on it” His answer I’ll strive to be as successful as we can with what we have but I’d never ask any club to gang themselves by the balls.
I watched yesterday’s game and I fear for Rovers this season. Absolutely no quality through the team and it looked as though the players confidence is already spiralling towards rock bottom.
Yet when you look at what Queen’s Park pick up and kick on with could Rovers effectively do the same.

[LongTimeLurker]

1 hour ago, Vodka Vic said:

I would say the outlook is bleak - relegation to the Lowland league will probably finish the club...

 

A lot of people said that about the Shire going down, but it hasn't worked out that way. If clubs like Bo'ness United, Linlithgow Rose, Clydebank and Bonnyrigg work their way into the Lowland League over the next five years or so it could strengthen considerably from what it is at the moment which already really isn't that bad where the top half dozen or so are concerned.

[Vodka Vic]

22 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

A lot of people said that about the Shire going down, but it hasn't worked out that way. If clubs like Bo'ness United, Linlithgow Rose, Clydebank and Bonnyrigg work their way into the Lowland League over the next five years or so it could strengthen considerably from what it is at the moment which already really isn't that bad where the top half dozen or so are concerned.

Fair point. Give it another 3 years or so and you could be looking at a Lowland league with a decent standard. I think the adjustment for Rovers will be too much. Cliftonhill is 100 years old next year with a list of repairs longer than your arm even to keep up with it's current dilapidated state.  

[The Pastmaster]

Rovers cause is not helped by a large shareholder (and SPFL senior employee) blocking any attempts to have a new share issue.  Why ? because that would dilute his holding.

[Aloysius Snuffleupagus]

14 hours ago, Diamond8 said:

I brought it up last year and didn’t really get an answer for whatever reason but I’d heard from an ex-player (who was treated pretty poorly by Kerr and co) that the club owed around 90k to St Ambrose school for training. There may not be any truth in it but it seemed pretty alarming.

 

 

You did bring this up before and you were told then it was wrong. Why post it again?

 

[Cowden Cowboy]

2 hours ago, The Pastmaster said:

Rovers cause is not helped by a large shareholder (and SPFL senior employee) blocking any attempts to have a new share issue.  Why ? because that would dilute his holding.

A perfectly valid viewpoint in terms of being a shareholder

[haufdaft]

Rovers cause is not helped by a large shareholder (and SPFL senior employee) blocking any attempts to have a new share issue.  Why ? because that would dilute his holding.

Is he a paid employee of the SFA?

Is his SFA role linked to his shareholding in the club?

Surely the monetary value of his shares cannot be high.

All shareholders in Scottish teams should always put the well-being of the club first.

[The Pastmaster]

Answers to your questions.

Yes - not SFA but SPFL

No  again not SFA but SPFL

They are not, but they can outvote  all the others put together. Also more than half of Rovers shareholding - issued in 1919 - belongs to deceased, their inheritors or otherwise untraceable owners.  This is why the current chairman two years ago wanted to legally restructure the share register leading to potentially a new issue. He mentioned this at the end of the 2016 AGM when the aforesaid shareholder said he would vote this down if it was made a shareholder resolution. I suspect he will want to waltz in and install himself as Chairman (as his late father was) when he leaves the SPFL. Of course that presupposes that the Club will still be in existence then

Agree....but that is not always the case....Mackin......`Shire.........for example

[Tutankhamen]

The actual present day shares must be worthless. When did Albion Rovers last pay a dividend?

[The Pastmaster]

Probably never...their value is in the voting rights at an AGM. I have a small number of shares inherited from my grandfather - the only value to me is I get a copy of the annual accounts and the right to attend and vote at an AGM

[Tutankhamen]

It's not over till the fat lady sings, as they say. Firstly you'd need to come bottom club on the final day followed by a home and away play off. So far only one Senior team has dropped down.

One worry in the event of a worse case scenario would be the ground. Would it be possible to keep it wind and water tight longterm in the event of dropping down? It ain't a compact Junior ground going by the size of it. Do Rovers have volunteers that help out with the stadium?

[The Pastmaster]

Yes, there is a hardy band who do try to keep the ground reasonably tidy......but long term, if major repairs were required / ordered, they couldn`t cope with that

[Yoda8]

2 hours ago, The Pastmaster said:

Answers to your questions.

Yes - not SFA but SPFL

No  again not SFA but SPFL

They are not, but they can outvote  all the others put together. Also more than half of Rovers shareholding - issued in 1919 - belongs to deceased, their inheritors or otherwise untraceable owners.  This is why the current chairman two years ago wanted to legally restructure the share register leading to potentially a new issue. He mentioned this at the end of the 2016 AGM when the aforesaid shareholder said he would vote this down if it was made a shareholder resolution. I suspect he will want to waltz in and install himself as Chairman (as his late father was) when he leaves the SPFL. Of course that presupposes that the Club will still be in existence then

Agree....but that is not always the case....Mackin......`Shire.........for example

I don’t think the person in question will have any intentions to be a chairman.

more likely that he will want the club to go under so he will profit from sale if the ground. 

 

 

[Yoda8]

8 hours ago, Vodka Vic said:

Ironically our troubles started after that infamous Scottish cup run. We paid off a £200k overdraft which was the right thing to do,but the spending didn't stop there. The rest was spent on high wages for both players and manager to get the club promoted.

You could take this back to former Chairman John Devlin who has a lot to answer for, however the Chairmen that followed failed to act which culminated in tge club getting a £90k emergency loan where you would get better terms from a Glesga loan shark.  

By the time we drew Celtic that money effectively bought us some time and last year's relegation put us on the start of the slippery slope as the playing budget was slashed. 

I would say the outlook is bleak - relegation to the Lowland league will probably finish the club. It's going to be a difficult watch this year.

How long would you give the manager Vic? 

And how do the board escape criticism for the shambolic state they’re in.

Penny wise pound foolish, had they replaced the keeper Bowman last winter rather then they would still be in League 1.

The decision to go with Brogan defies belief and shows whoever conducted interviews and thought it was a good idea to fill club with players from Juniors shouldn’t be allowed within a 2 mile radius of the stadium. 

[Aloysius Snuffleupagus]

12 hours ago, Tutankhamen said:

It's not over till the fat lady sings, as they say. Firstly you'd need to come bottom club on the final day followed by a home and away play off. So far only one Senior team has dropped down.

 

Aye, its the hope that kills your right enough. I wonder if the SPFL would mind us going into hibernation until late April and then throwing everything at the playoff

[Vodka Vic]

13 hours ago, Yoda8 said:

How long would you give the manager Vic? 

And how do the board escape criticism for the shambolic state they’re in.

Penny wise pound foolish, had they replaced the keeper Bowman last winter rather then they would still be in League 1.

The decision to go with Brogan defies belief and shows whoever conducted interviews and thought it was a good idea to fill club with players from Juniors shouldn’t be allowed within a 2 mile radius of the stadium. 

I don't know how long the manager should get all i know is an early sacking will only add to the current instability. The damage is already done I'm not sure what a new man can do until the transfer window opens in January. We are dead certs to finish bottom so the question now is can we conjure up a team that can win a relegation play off.

There are gems in the juniors - we have recently had Josh Mullin and Ross Stewart who have both gone onto better things, however you cannot fill a team of juniors from whatever level and expect for them to hit it off. Rovers have signed players from a mix of juniors, amatuers and players released from leagues higher up and want to rebuild their careers. Paul Martin got the club promoted with a budget of £100k so who ever got the current post had to work miracles.

The current Chairman reluctantly took on the position while the rats abandoned the ship- he has reluctantly stayed in place over the summer and that has reflected on the managerial appointment and have the greatest respect for Ronnie Boyd. I have been told that there are people outwith the club that care enough not to let the club disappear. Who they are and what they can bring I don't know.

As far as last years relegation it wasn't simply down to the goalkeeping situation , we had a defence that simply could not defend a cross ball - the same goals conceded week in week out- and that was with our two marqee signings Perry and Marr who where both on a pretty penny at Rovers. Brian Kerr could not see past playing his mates in the team. He was extremely slow to delve onto the loan market. 

It's heartbreaking to watch this but the club needs that spirit back that we used to have - on and off the park. There was an air of quiet resignation throughout the club that relegation was destined, that atmosphere has simply carried on inti the new season.