Vincent Vega
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Posts posted by Vincent Vega
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22 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:
One bit of news. Not City or EFL related. May have already been covered in different ways?
UEFA protecting their cash cow ?
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26 minutes ago, Nbafc said:
Radio 5 live now discussing among other things Premier league players wages.
Seems the club captains are already discussing details of pay cut but want some control/assurances of what happens to this large pot, how does it get used for good.
Was Jack Grealish part of this .
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8 minutes ago, MarcusX said:
One PL team has suggested finishing the season in China...
The level of stupidity around this idea sums up how out of touch with the real world some people are
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12 minutes ago, Lanterne Rouge said:
Slagchat might be worth a read a bit later on once they`ve had a chance to digest this bombshell!
Dial up internet is much better after 7pm
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1 hour ago, zombie said:
From the EP:
Bristol Rovers director resigns claiming he has "no confidence or trust" in how the club is being run
The Supporters Club representative on the board had been suspended since January
Ken Masters (Image: Ryan Hiscott/JMP)
Long-standing Bristol Rovers director Ken Masters has resigned from the board in a lengthy statement in which he expresses concern at the governance and transparency of the football club.
Masters, who has served as Supporters Club representative on the board and has been a director since 2006, was suspended in January for reasons that have never been made public, and was banned from the directors box at the Mem.
The matter has since been in the hands of solicitors but after the publishing of the club's accounts last week for the financial year 2018/19, in which Rovers detailed a loss of £3.4m and debts approaching £25m, Masters has decided to step down.
In a lengthy statement published on the Supporters Club website and sent to Bristol Live, Masters reveals he was first asked to leave the board in November - the same month when the club "parted company" with former chairman Steve Hamer - and claims he has "no confidence or trust in any corporate governance going forward".
"I have today resigned as a director serving on the board of Bristol Rovers Football Club," Masters said. "I have taken this decision after a good deal of thought and much soul searching. I have not taken the decision lightly.
"It is with deep regret that I could not in all good conscience approve either the Bristol Rovers (1883) Limited accounts or the Bristol Rovers Football Club Limited accounts for the financial year through June 2019.
"I have not been given access to a current budget July 2019 through June 2020. I have been given no introduction to newly appointed auditors to ask questions or to express my concerns. I have not been invited to attend a Board Meeting since March 5 2019.
"I have been suspended and effectively excluded from all Board matters with no good reasons being substantiated and no response to communications in relation to these matters since January.
"I was asked to stand down in November. I was told the reasons were confidential with no further explanation given and relayed to me by former club director Mike Turner by telephone call and reiterated by the present CEO during a face to face conversation in a public place at the stadium prior to a game.
"There has been no adequate and sufficient response to questions asked firstly by Supporters Club Chairman Jim Chappell and subsequently when lawyers representing me requested the confidential reasons.
"My suspension and banning from directors seating and areas at football matches home and away, was relayed to me by being copied in to an email from the Club’s lawyers to Jim Chappell.
"I am in no position to assess the current financial well-being of the Company or otherwise. I am in no place to assess, predict or forecast the financial state of the Company going forward. I have been given no comfort that the company will necessarily be supported as a going concern.
"I have no confidence or trust in any corporate governance going forward under the proprietary operational methods now employed by the Club. My position is therefore untenable.
"As a consequence I have informed the club’s lawyers I am standing down as a director of the football club I have supported for all of my life. It has been a considerable honour and privilege to serve."
Confirmation of Masters' departure leaves Rovers' board as president Wael Al-Qadi and chief executive Martyn Starnes, with the expectation now that a new Supporters Club representative will be elected, as they own 8% of the football club.
As Masters details, lawyer Mike Turner has also now left the board. Turner was first appointed in May 2016 in a non-executive role to offer legal expertise to Dwane Sports.
Bristol Live understands his decision has been for "personal reasons" and he still remains close to the Al-Qadi family.
Ken Masters at the Mem.
Masters' exit brings some sense of conclusion to a power struggle that has been waged in the Rovers boardroom for the best part of a year with growing distrust between Wael Al-Qadi and Starnes and Hamer and Masters.
In February, the Supporters Club issued a statement accusing Starnes of making "factually incorrect and false statements" in an interview broadcast on BBC Radio Bristol in which he briefly discussed Masters' exit.
Masters continues: "I have always done my best to be honest and open and to talk face to face with many supporters. However, being a director of a company, any company, comes with confidentiality and communication restrictions.
"Supporters Groups elected directors of football clubs and other sporting clubs find this to be difficult at times and many step down from the role after a relatively short period of time.
"I have given many years service to the club I love and I’m sure the vast majority understand that as a good honest man I have remained in the role not for any personal gain but to protect the generous shareholding that I have been proud to represent.
"We owe a great deal of gratitude to share-scheme members, past and present, for their commitment and generosity to the cause. A further £120,000 has been raised over the past four years. It is disappointing that not a single share certificate has been issued over that time despite numerous requests.
"Other groups too, Helpline Members and the President’s Club not least who have also contributed generously. I have developed a strong bond with the Presidents Club and I have the greatest of respect for their work and for their financial contribution over the years. Bristol Rovers supporters are simply the best.
Part of Masters' remit on the board was to oversee the Community Trust and he was chairman of trustees assigned with growing the project which has since become an award-winning aspect of the club under CEO Adam Tutton.
"I am proud of the progress and work of the Youth Academy," Masters adds. "When I joined the Board the Under-18’s group were under the auspices of Filton College.
"The Board led by Geoff Dunford and then Ron Craig supported my proposition that the group be brought in house as paid apprentice professionals. I asked the Supporters Club Committee for financial sponsorship in this regard. The committee led by Jim Chappell agreed and remain proud sponsors to this day.
I am proud of the work of the Community Trust. When I joined the Board the education element was in mothballs and the community work comprised the then well respected Football in the Community.
Ken Masters with Adam Tutton at the Mem in 2018
"Ron Craig asked me to take up the reigns and I readily agreed. Education has been re-established and student numbers are in excess of 50 full-time extending to degree level. The work in the community has grown massively with the aims of inclusivity, diversity and widening participation and inclusivity.
"Building on the good work with Women’s and Girl’s Football project the highly successful Bristol Rovers Women’s Football Club has been formed. Once again I asked the Supporter’s Club Committee for financial sponsorship and once again they supported me; my grateful thanks. The work of the Trust has been recognised with five major awards over the past two years.
Follow Bristol Rovers Live on social media
Keep up to all the latest from the Mem via our Facebook page dedicated to the Gas
You can also follow us on Twitter @BristolLiveBRFC
Our Rovers reporter Sam Frost will also keep you up-to-date with all the goings-on at the club @frosty920
"I take immense pleasure from the work of the Community Trust over time. It has been an immense pleasure to lead a dedicated group of Trustees and I thank them with all sincerity for their contribution and for the support they have given me to demonstrate the standards required for capability, good governance and sound financial management.
"I wish to thank staff and volunteers at the Football Club, at the Community Trust and at the Supporters Club, past and present, for their considerable help, cooperation and friendship over the years; so very much appreciated.
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Bristol Rovers top stories
"I wish to thank my family for their, support, sacrifice, tolerance and understanding. The past year, especially, has been as difficult for them as it has been for me.
"I will remain a proud supporter of the famous blue and white quarters, front and back, through thick and thin and always. I have no affinity to any other football club. Along with thousands of good and true I love the Club, its long tradition, its place in our city and it’s place in our region.
"Please keep safe and well until we are able to come together again to enjoy our football. FTG."
Wally running out of people to blame.
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15 minutes ago, Tinmans Love Child said:
Honest question, why would a football club furlough non playing staff but not the players? Is the reason they don’t want to annoy the players (god forbid), or is it because of contracts (or bad contracts), just seems massively unfair
Great question.
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6 hours ago, wendyredredrobin said:
Not impressed with footballers still taking their 15/20k a week when everyone else is suffering TBH.
I've totally put this in the wrong thread.
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14 minutes ago, BS2 Red said:
I can’t see it ever happening. There’s nothing in it for City, we don’t need them.
And for Rovers? They would never want to support a club that plays at Ashton Gate owned by Steve Lansdown.
If the 15ers go bust, then they either disappear or a small phoenix club will be formed.
More of a shite hawk than a Phoenix actually.
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1 hour ago, Peter O Hanraha-hanrahan said:
And this is exactly why it could never work. You couldn’t trust them not to turn up in the Jesters uniform and belt out that shit anthem of theirs at every opportunity (those that would actually attend).
The result would be carnage, you’ll have ‘ex’ City support launching ‘ex’ Gasheads down the stairs of the Dolman and if we’re playing Leeds it’ll be 90 minutes of gobby ***** getting thrown down stairs all around the ground.
There would be a break though, how else would the Leeds fan have time to take a picture of his crying child to post on Twitter.
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33 minutes ago, Moments of Pleasure said:
They could be our away following - go to away games - and we'd cover the home games. We'd be huge! The envy of all ......
They're entire fanbase could fit in the Lansdown with 4000 spare seats
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1 minute ago, Maesknoll Red said:
Awful news.
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7 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:
Any link to this shutdown of the World economy...?
That's Greta out of a job then.
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8 minutes ago, RedRock said:
If that indeed is the case, I think in my lifetime I’m going to see China rise from a Fourth World Country to World Leader and then back again.
I’m no international lawyer, but assume there is a case for them to be sued for trillions. The case, I assume, would based on the administration allowed the continuance of activities that posed a known high risk to human health, added to that, the governance ‘system’ tried to suppress news of the current outbreak.
Think they deserve all they get, any Country that permits boiling dogs alive should not be part of the civilised world in my opinion.
Yet more than 1 poster on here has called me out on this, while defending this despicable regime.
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So after the SARS outbreak in 2004 the Chinese closed all wet markets . Only to reverse this decision 4 months later.
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4 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:
The argument of a simpleton some might say.
It wasn't a pandemic until the world ignored it.
Tune in to talk radio right now simpleton
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17 minutes ago, CotswoldRed said:
You might like to have a look at your own government, who deemed it appropriate to allow holidaymakers to gallavant all over the place until a couple of weeks ago.
That was reckless in the extreme. All for the sake of a bit of sun and ski. Ridiculous.
They knew it was coming weeks ago. I certainly did and made plans to move out of my home 5 weeks ago. I'm glad I did. I stopped all unnecessary movement 4 weeks ago including Ashton Gate. Except there were 20,000 idiots there well after me.
Blame the Chinese government if you have to. Not the Chinese. Our government are dangerous a**holes who care nothing for the poor, but I'm not having my name associated with them, any more than a chinese person should with their dictatorial government.
I can't blame my government for starting a worldwide pandemic. They have no responsibility for it . Sorry you don't like it, but I and many others blame China simply because it's their fault.
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2 minutes ago, bris red said:
It may well do but what are we going to do about it? China more a less run this planet right now and have a military and nuclear arsenal to match anyone. The west can moan all it likes but nothing will get done.
It's not what we can do about it that worries me. It's what Trump does about it .
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2 minutes ago, Super said:
Not sure anyone has said intentionally but that country has some serious issues.
I've said it intentionally and stand by it. The blame for this sits squarely at the feet of China.
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4 minutes ago, Kykoliko said:
The point here is that unless it was a manufactured virus then no one is "responsible". You can reduce the risk of viruses being created but never completely eradicate it here so playing the blame game here is utterly absurd.
Only thing absurd here is your defense of China, the country of origin of this virus that's pretty much ****** the world.
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2 minutes ago, wood_red said:
I don't agree with the whole crash and burn, but I also cannot see how this is not Chinas fault - unless the whole World are being lied to from where it originated. I will agree the Government(s) all around were not prepared, but if it didn't happen in the first place they wouldn't need to be prepared would they?
I accept I was harsh originally ( through anger ) but stand by everything else. Your point exactly backs me up but the clown above is not having any of it.
1 minute ago, Kykoliko said:Far from tears. You chaps are making this quarantine quite entertaining.
True colours shining through.
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8 minutes ago, Kykoliko said:
That is literally what you're saying
Typical, push me for a answer then start crying when you don't agree. Bless.
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2 minutes ago, Kykoliko said:
So, let me get this straight. You "hope China burns" because you think a virus was born because "some sick minded Chinese person" ate a bat or lizard? What makes them sick-minded to you?
You claimed that this has been predicted by "the experts" for many years. Despite the warnings, you have nothing to say about the governments that failed to adequately prepare?
Nothing to say about the people ignoring governmental instructions when they finally came?
Nothing to say about the fact that the situation in China has been relatively well managed, compared to the rest of the world?
If you truly want what is best for the world as a whole, please keep your narrow-minded, bigoted and downright xenophobic thoughts to yourself. We don't need people like you.
Yes your so right about the government unable to prepare . Always someone else's fault. My heart bleeds for you .
The Coronavirus and its impact on sport/Fans Return (Merged)
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