Berwick Rangers 2018/2019 Thread

[dougster]

35 minutes ago, Ducket Lodger said:

To be honest it went badly wrong for BRFC when the trust idea of club ownership launched, it produced a faction under Bell who wanted and still wants to take full control of the club, SC and ST buying shares has been the downfall, although they will not admit it, dissect the board and you will realise how the clash of opinions and personalities cannot take the club forward, Bell has in his mind set to where he wants to take the club and will not change, there is lack of investment on the playing squad, no wonder there is infighting, couple that with pish communications and you will understand it is a full blown royal shambles.

 

 

Your lack of irony is astonishing 

[Jason King]

1 hour ago, Ducket Lodger said:

Another load of pish from a trust supporter!

One worry is that I've heard that the best the SC have came up with is Mark Heston, the taxi driver, a relatively new member of the SC,  now call me cynical, but a cabbie is hardly gonna cut the mustard as the face of the supporters club with a seat on the board, a big step backwards I'm afraid.

To quote yourself old bean, thats a load of pish.

It doesnt matter what his day job is so long as he's the best person for the role, if he is or isnt is a totally seperate issue, but for you to denigrate him based solely on how he makes a living makes you out to be an egotistical dickhead. Sorry old chap but thats how you've come across.

Edited May 20, 2019 by Jason King

[Ducket Lodger]

Sorry Jason, I take your point I should have said Mark Heston WTF!

I stand corrected and apologise to all the cabbies out there!

[Alpha Gordini]

1 hour ago, Ducket Lodger said:

Another load of pish from a trust supporter!

Wrong! I'm not a member of the SC or the Trust. I do have shares in the club, though, and I do listen to what people say (whether I like and/or agree with them or not) and think about it before coming to an informed opinion.

[Jacksgranda]

16 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

 

Surely Cowdenbeath aren't having to compete with EF/Raith etc when it comes to attracting fans from Cowdenbeath? Know plenty of folk from Arbroath who support the OF, few that support Aberdeen/Dundee and United but never known anyone from Arbroath that would support Forfar, Brechin or Montrose

 

Aye, if they don't support Arbroath they're hardly going to support one of the other 3! 

[kebabs]

So who’s going to be manager to take Berwick into the lowland league? 

[OnTheDucketFence]

We need get our house in order, take stock and have a big reality check about our situation.  In that, we need to realise there is absolutely no chance of us going up next season, given what our 'new rivals' are doing. Kelty have already given themselves what some are calling a Championship quality team, while we currently have no permanent manager, eight players of LL quality (or lower) and five board members who have been asked by the club's biggest shareholder to consider their positions. To blow the parachute payment money (£40,000 is it?) on trying to compete with the likes of Kelty Hearts and East Kilbride would be idiocy of the highest order.

If we do have this ambitionless couple of years, what I feel is vitally important in that time is to re-engage and rebuild a completely fractured relationship with the local community and help to make it a club that people can be proud of.  The 'local laddie' argument did my head in while we were in SPFL2 - folk within the town who never go to BRFC games saying there were plenty local players good enough to compete at that level. They simply weren't.

Looking at it now though, I don't think we can comfortably say that and I think we'd be shooting ourselves in the foot if we didn't seriously consider how we go about our operations and considering moving training etc closer to home (although I'm aware facilities in Berwick are pish). Competition for players in the Edinburgh area has heightened significantly and with us not being able to blow fellow LL clubs out of the water financially, players are more likely to opt for a team in Edinburgh.

Personally, over the next couple of years, I'd much rather see a Berwick side with 2 or 3 local players, finishing top half/mid table and the club doing more in the community than a side still based out of Edinburgh, blowing a tonne of cash and trying, but failing, to win promotion due being up against teams with superior quality and budgets.

With every setback, there is an opportunity. This presents exactly that and it'll be interesting to see what happens...

[PELE]

1 hour ago, OnTheDucketFence said:

We need get our house in order, take stock and have a big reality check about our situation.  In that, we need to realise there is absolutely no chance of us going up next season, given what our 'new rivals' are doing. Kelty have already given themselves what some are calling a Championship quality team, while we currently have no permanent manager, eight players of LL quality (or lower) and five board members who have been asked by the club's biggest shareholder to consider their positions. To blow the parachute payment money (£40,000 is it?) on trying to compete with the likes of Kelty Hearts and East Kilbride would be idiocy of the highest order.

If we do have this ambitionless couple of years, what I feel is vitally important in that time is to re-engage and rebuild a completely fractured relationship with the local community and help to make it a club that people can be proud of.  The 'local laddie' argument did my head in while we were in SPFL2 - folk within the town who never go to BRFC games saying there were plenty local players good enough to compete at that level. They simply weren't.

Looking at it now though, I don't think we can comfortably say that and I think we'd be shooting ourselves in the foot if we didn't seriously consider how we go about our operations and considering moving training etc closer to home (although I'm aware facilities in Berwick are pish). Competition for players in the Edinburgh area has heightened significantly and with us not being able to blow fellow LL clubs out of the water financially, players are more likely to opt for a team in Edinburgh.

Personally, over the next couple of years, I'd much rather see a Berwick side with 2 or 3 local players, finishing top half/mid table and the club doing more in the community than a side still based out of Edinburgh, blowing a tonne of cash and trying, but failing, to win promotion due being up against teams with superior quality and budgets.

With every setback, there is an opportunity. This presents exactly that and it'll be interesting to see what happens...

Good luck. The parachute payment doesn't even cover what Kelty pay their manager. Never mind the squad.

[Stewie Griffin]

6 hours ago, Neilly said:

I find it amazing watching Berwick over the years with how much infighting there is with the board, trust, supporters etc. How can such a small club get it so badly wrong? Why isn't everyone pulling in the one direction? It can't be a coincidence you ended up so poor on the park with all the shenanigans going on off it.

For a club with 300-400 core support It just seems rather mental from the outside looking in.

Just a normal day at Shielfield 

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Right I'm going out on a limb here and given my lack of engagement in recent years for various reasons both personal and utter disillusion I'm probably the last person who should be doing this but hey ho.

Virtually every club seems to have a supporters Facebook group but we don't outwith the official club one, and the Supporters Club and Trust ones.  To that end I have created an independent group which obviously it would be good if people could contribute to it (there's also an affiliated Twitter).

The idea will be to move away from just discussing where we are now and where we are going, clearly PnB provides a forum for that, but also to give fans a chance to share memories - good and bad, updates on ex-players,  and anything else of interest to the Berwick fan.  As we enter a new era with no idea what lies ahead it will also be a chance to look at very unfamiliar opposition and to share experience and dare I say it adventure of the next season.  

Anyway, give it a go or don't, it can be found https://www.facebook.com/groups/428696671241007/

 

Yeah, not the greatest name, but it made sense to me

Edited May 20, 2019 by Stewie Griffin

[Redcar]

5 minutes ago, Stewie Griffin said:

Right I'm going out on a limb here and given my lack of engagement in recent years for various reasons both personal and utter disillusion I'm probably the last person who should be doing this but hey ho.

Virtually every club seems to have a supporters Facebook group but we don't outwith the official club one, and the Supporters Club and Trust ones.  To that end I have created an independent group which obviously it would be good of people could contribute to it (there's also an affiliated Twitter).

The idea will be to move away from just discussing where we are now and where we are going, clearly PnB provides a forum for that, but also to give fans a chance to share memories - good and bad, updates on ex-players,  and anything else of interest to the Berwick fan.  As we enter a new era with no idea what lies ahead it will also be a chance to look at very unfamiliar opposition and to share experience and dare I say it adventure of the net season.  

Anyway, give it a go or don't, it can be found https://www.facebook.com/groups/428696671241007/

Good effort. 

Was thinking about earlier posts regarding lack of 2-way communication between the club and the fans. I thought maybe a forum on the club website, but maybe this could do the job. 

It would need moderating to prevent it being a pie and bovril 2 - a repository for relentless negative slaggings, juvenile insults and personal agendas - and maybe you don't want to do that on this Facebook group. 

Anyway, I'm in and we'll see how it pans out. Cheers. 

[Back post Willie]

Just seen our illustrious Chairman and Walla on border news[emoji85]
Eyre- we need more people through the gate, he disputes the club have been run badly [emoji85][emoji85][emoji85]
We need investment £50k ? £100k for a start, who in the world would trust that mob with 50 bloody pence.
Walla- should have got rid of the manager sooner after we got beat 7-1 at QP - should have been sooner.
For the love of god you are a director.
I just can’t believe these people and we will go nowhere until some people who know about football and business and commercial nouse can get involved.
Sorry but you all need to leave immediately for the club to start climbing back up the football hill.
Unfortunately if you lot stay that hill is a bloody insurmountable mountain.

[A Believer]

Another load of pish from a trust supporter!

You are blinkered about Bell, he's already portraying himself as the chairman, which shows the respect he has for the current incumbent and authority of office.

No one in their right mind would back this attention grabbing clown, he's like a rat up a drainpipe when there are TV interviews to be had, remember JH was and still is,  his man, so lets have a new start, the SC are right in attracting new blood, and as they are majority shareholders, they have the ultimate say.

Someone said on this board that Walla and Lennie would be a piece of pish to remove, I don't think that is entirely right, but hopefully, whoever they introduce have the wherewithal to galvanise and get the club going in the right direction.

One worry is that I've heard that the best the SC have came up with is Mark Heston, the taxi driver, a relatively new member of the SC,  now call me cynical, but a cabbie is hardly gonna cut the mustard as the face of the supporters club with a seat on the board, a big step backwards I'm afraid.

I see the vultures are circling, each vying for a chance to grab control, tempers are getting frayed and rightly so, whoever takes this on, faces an almighty challenge, whilst there are many who think the club is dead and gone, others with shares realise they are beyond worthless, then there are the diehard fans who are passionate about the club and now realise the magnitude of the shambles that has been played out in front of them. A new start is the only option and time is ticking away, the club need to act fast to give the manager, whoever it may be, a decent chance to build his squad for the new season, that is only if a new board see the club as viable, otherwise, shut the door and switch off the lights, Goodnight Vienna.

 

 

 

Life and football is all about opinion. If I may, I'm wholeheartedly with Mr Gordini's views; all if them. Nothing to add, and nothing personal, it's just wholely reflective if my views.

 

[Kelheart]

Looking forward to trip to Berwick next season wish you guys all the best but doesn’t seem to matter if club is well run or badly run you just get slaughtered from all directions , footballs a funny old game 

[Whitburn Vale]

With Kelty Hearts making some unbelievable signings right now and EK signing up former Dundee and Celtic defender Darren o Dea can't see Berwick returning straight back.

Best of luck all the same and enjoy your away days,Dalbeattie and Gala are brill.

[DutchBorderer]

I hate to say it, but I don't think we will be returning to League 2. Not for the next 5, if not 10, years. The club needs restructuring from the ground up and serious investment/income, and even then we need to outperform clubs like Kelty and hope we can get through the gauntlet that are the play-offs.

It's really tough to see any hope or take any positives from our current predicament, but perhaps a start can be made with re-engaging townsfolk. Dropping ticket prices would help with that, to be quite honest.

[dougster]

On 19/05/2019 at 09:40, berwick-the-unbeatable said:

You don't half talk some bollocks, as illustrated by your desperate need to continue repeatedly making this point. The reality is that Lenny and Walla will be a piece of piss to get rid of. For fucksake, the SC has just released a statement that shows as much.

 

It's clear on the other hand however that John believes he's the right man for the job still. He's still busy banging on about how he's got a sustainable plan and can't understand why fans are calling him out on plans so idealistic they verge on dangerous. He thinks the same majority of fans questioning it will be the same putting more money into the club next season. There's a clear disconnect that needs to be highlighted.

 

And in any case as above, singing sack the board doesn't mean sack John. If you want to know why more frustration is aimed at John, it's because he's by far the biggest blocker to change at the moment. It's mental you'll happily defend any individual, but then you wear very similarly tinted glasses to those you'll happily accuse everyone else of wearing when it comes the pair you mention.

 

Ok I promised I would answer this,  the Statement from the supporters club was written by whom exactly? It looks a well prepared statement probably written before the game. You say that Lenny and Walla are easy to get rid off, I beg to differ as they are the supporters club representatives on the board. it's like a business owner writing to himself and saying 'you better resign or I'm calling an EGM and then i will sack myself' , it aint gonna happen.  As proved by the subsequent 'not our fault' interview on TV. 

And make no mistake, Len Eyre will always be known as  the Chairman of Berwick Rangers FC who took us out of  the SPFL after 64 years. 

 The major shareholder's board representatives should be as responsible as any other director for this complete and utter shambles in leadership. Which brings me to your next paragraph, where in my posts do i defend JB?  I actually said he is as much to blame as the others . It seems any comment made about the SC is taken as a defence of JB, far from it. They have a collective responsibility to the club and frankly they have ALL let us down.  So if you sack or ask one to resign, you have to ask them all and that means Walla and Chairman Len too.

So here we are 5 weeks before training starts with no leadership, no news on the management team, the players, signings, budgets, but hey that's a great excuse if it goes tits up, after all we got away with last summer remember?

As one supporter said to me at 5pm last Saturday, it's heartbreaking it really is

 

[Ducket Lodger]

1 hour ago, dougster said:

Ok I promised I would answer this,  the Statement from the supporters club was written by whom exactly? It looks a well prepared statement probably written before the game. You say that Lenny and Walla are easy to get rid off, I beg to differ as they are the supporters club representatives on the board. it's like a business owner writing to himself and saying 'you better resign or I'm calling an EGM and then i will sack myself' , it aint gonna happen.  As proved by the subsequent 'not our fault' interview on TV. 

And make no mistake, Len Eyre will always be known as  the Chairman of Berwick Rangers FC who took us out of  the SPFL after 64 years. 

 The major shareholder's board representatives should be as responsible as any other director for this complete and utter shambles in leadership. Which brings me to your next paragraph, where in my posts do i defend JB?  I actually said he is as much to blame as the others . It seems any comment made about the SC is taken as a defence of JB, far from it. They have a collective responsibility to the club and frankly they have ALL let us down.  So if you sack or ask one to resign, you have to ask them all and that means Walla and Chairman Len too.

So here we are 5 weeks before training starts with no leadership, no news on the management team, the players, signings, budgets, but hey that's a great excuse if it goes tits up, after all we got away with last summer remember?

As one supporter said to me at 5pm last Saturday, it's heartbreaking it really is

 

Mr Unbeatable and Mr Dougster are completely correct in their comments, the common denominator is that we are all seriously pissed off at the final outcome at Shielfield.

There are posters on P & B  that are critical of all the directors, some are just critical of some, others in the case of JB, defend their own. Truth is,  in reality, it wouldn't have taken mystic meg  to forecast this situation, it had been on the horizon  for years, FFS I went to the Bell Tower School and even I could see this coming.

Venting your spleen on P & B probably makes no difference whatsoever, but at least when the tinpot future chairman comments in his own name, you know the directors are looking to gauge the level of criticism being aimed at them, as for provoking a response, I'm the man!

This is where I understand we are at this time, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong; 

The club is a PLC it is owned by its shareholders, this are basically made up of the Supporters Club, the Supporters Trust and a number of individual Shareholders, the SC hold the majority of the shares and also own the Lease from Northumberland County Council, the ST are the next largest shareholder, then you have the individual shareholders. to force regime change, the largest majority shareholder needs to  either sell their controlling interest or agree new officeholders.

The majority shareholder is the organ grinder, whoever has this is in charge, end of story!

At this time, the club has its current bank balance, assets and the £40k parachute payment, nothing more, nothing less. There is no value in any shares apart from the group that holds the majority. Lennie and Walla represent the SC so as I have said, they won't be easy to remove, I would hope they will look to pass the SC mantel to others who they think can take things forward.

The statement suggesting an EGM could only be good for the club, even the majority of current directors will agree that changes need to be made, I'm afraid JB is not the man to lead the club forward, I am critical of him only because he doesn't listen and keeps going in his own direction, bollocks to boardroom opinion, that is not how a director operates, he needs to work constructively with his board members.

I do have some sympathy for the directors, there is no way they would have wanted the relegation to happen, but we are now where we are, yes the directors were in above their heads, they failed to act when it was glaringly obvious that they needed to do something, that makes them altogether culpable, the club is finished, unfortunately, I can't see any way back for them, there are clubs in the LL and HL who have bigger budgets and are run professionally, even if a new board comes in, how could they take this shambles forward, basically they will be wasting their time.

The club needs and investor or investor's but, who in their right mind would invest in a LL club without owning it outright, that means you need to ditch the fan ownership model etc, the only way this could happen is the club should be put into administration, accept the points deduction next season, then build for the following season, the cost of this would be the SC and ST plus individuals will loose the value of their shares, but as they are now worth F*ck all, is it such a bad thing.

 

[Coogs]

All this noise out the club is really deafening isn't it

[Redcar]

8 minutes ago, Coogs said:

All this noise out the club is really deafening isn't it

Think they said the next Board meeting is next Tuesday. Ridiculous to wait that long, given our predicament.