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Does Bristol City have an SLO?


Mr Popodopolous

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8 hours ago, BigAl&Toby said:


 

@BobBobSuperBob has it spot on. Where was the ****** in 82? I don’t recall him riding across the Downs on his white charger then....

 

Whilst I hanker for some of the 'old days' I think in 1982, Steve Lansdown was mortgaged to the hilt, less than a year into a new business venture with Peter Hargreaves, I doubt he could have bailed out a Sunday pub team at the time, so whilst criticism if accurate is valid, that is really an out there comment.

I realise that the stadium and other things had to change, to compete in the world of Championship (and maybe above) football, but the loss of the characters, who will never be replaced is a huge downside.  Could we have a worse owner, undoubtedly, could the club (or is it Bristol Sport?) handle the PR better, again, undoubtedly.  Do the people in charge have it right, probably if you look at the bottom line, but along the way there has been some disgruntlement or even alienation of some of the traditional fanbase.  Could a better balance be achieved?  No idea, its not my area of expertise, but I would imagine there could have been some way of creating a more harmonious move into the money driven world of modern football.

For me, I am no where near as enthusiastic as I used to be, still enjoy watching football, but its morals and greed have numbed my desire to be involved day to day, to feel part of it, shame really, as I have enjoyed some good times following football, hope I enjoy some more in the future, but it will be without the near fanaticism I had once.

 

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8 hours ago, BigAl&Toby said:

Thing is that’s exactly what we’ve become. Almost by stealth we are part of the Lansdown empire. 
 

@BobBobSuperBob has it spot on. Where was the ****** in 82? I don’t recall him riding across the Downs on his white charger then....

The club so many support is simply a cash cow to ultimately increase the family’s wealth. Be that financial or emotional and everlasting gratitude from they who he made proud.

The man at the top sets the tone throughout the organisation. And sadly we’re only engaged with when the organisation wants something. Rarely for any other reason.

Shameful. 

Pretty sure this club isn’t a cash cow. More likely a money pit I suspect.

Fully willing to acknowledge it if I’m wrong here but my presumption is that Lansdown’s investment over the years - not least of all the stadium development - has not left him money-up.

Anyone got figures to back this up / prove me wrong?

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3 hours ago, RedM said:

I think it might be a starting point for our SLO, bloody well at least identify yourself!!!

 

3 hours ago, phantom said:

He could actually be stood next to me at the ground and I wouldn't know him

Matt Parsons was good at putting himself around and ensuring people knew who he was

Helsingborg1-768x513.jpg.cb5f15bac0ae181caa9a7f4813be6604.jpg

Basically what the club are saying to a section of the fan base is mind the gap.

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11 hours ago, Dollymarie said:

I’d happily ruffle feathers, problem is the club don’t want someone who will do that. They have a named SLO to meet the UEFA requirement, but they have absolutely no interest in actually properly listening to fans concerns and comments, nor acting on them. Stuff the SC&T have been banging on about for years in some cases. They’re quite happy doing what they want, how they want, and don’t actually want to have any kind of meaningful liaison or interactions with the very fans who keep them in jobs.  Sad state of affairs really. 

Didn't you try to get someone from the fan base to get the SLO job after Dave Lloyd stepped down in 2016? But the club employed Matt Parsons instead. Hope you get some answers.

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35 minutes ago, T R said:

Didn't you try to get someone from the fan base to get the SLO job after Dave Lloyd stepped down in 2016? But the club employed Matt Parsons instead. Hope you get some answers.

Yes, in February 2016 we said the following:

Club & Trust call on Bristol City to appoint SLO from the fan base

Following the news that current Supporter Liaison Officer David Lloyd is to stand down at the end of the season, the board of Bristol City Supporters Club & Trust calls on the Football Club to see David’s decision as an opportunity to take a fresh look at the supporter liaison role, to work with us to define precisely what it should entail going forward and to seek applications for this important position from among the fan base.

“It is a Football League requirement that all clubs have a Supporter Liaison Officer and while the League itself does not specify in any detail what that person should actually do, UEFA have issued best practice guidelines, which we would like to see City follow,” said Club & Trust board member Jon Darch. “The SLO should ideally come from within the active fan base and be in constant dialogue with fans on the issues that concern them not only through supporter group meetings, social media, correspondence and face-to-face discussions between matches, but also by mingling with fans and being available as a point of contact before, during and after games both at Ashton Gate and away from home. David’s other duties as tannoy announcer and matchday hospitality host have unfortunately made it impossible for him to fulfil that latter part of the role.”

The concept of a Supporter Liaison Officer was born in European football, primarily in the German Bundesliga, where some clubs employ three or four fans in this role to represent supporters’ interests to club management, safety authorities and the police. It has been a requirement for clubs in England and Wales to have an SLO since the start of the 2012/13 season.

“Our understanding is that many of the best SLOs around the UK and abroad have a background in the active fan scene. They experience interaction with the club from the outside looking in, like any other fan, not from the inside looking out, like members of club management staff. Only by having such a background are they able to understand fully the concerns and issues of the ordinary fan and to convey these from a supporter’s perspective to the club’s executives,” explains Club & Trust chair Stu Rogers. “While we like to think that we at the Supporters Club & Trust do our best to represent fans on many issues, we are a group of volunteers and there are only so many hours in each day that we can devote to ensuring supporters’ interests are looked after properly. A Supporter Liaison Officer employed by the Football Club and fulfilling as far as possible the job specification set out by UEFA would supplement our own efforts and guarantee that the interests of supporters are at all times fully represented within the corridors and meeting rooms of Bristol City Football Club.”

The Club & Trust has taken the UEFA best practice guidelines for a Supporter Liaison Officer and drawn up an example job specification for the role at Bristol City. We urge the Club to review this, to work with us to refine it further and to seek applications from fans keen and able to take on this demanding role from season 2015/16 onwards.

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The having more than one person to carry out the role is an interesting point. If its done to an optimum level both online and offline, it may require more than one anyway.

@RedM mentioned how the current SLO may for example be fantastic online, but not so great in person.

Perhaps utilise it then. Have him exclusively deal with this forum and others, FB groups and of course Twitter and email. Phone too?

Have a second one to go and see fans on the day, pubs, liaise with groups etc. Have 2 fulltime employees in it, one online and one in the 'real world' I guess would be my suggestion here.

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11 hours ago, T R said:

Didn't you try to get someone from the fan base to get the SLO job after Dave Lloyd stepped down in 2016? But the club employed Matt Parsons instead. Hope you get some answers.

Between Dave Lloyd and Matt Parsons they gave the role to two club employees, Adam Baker ( who was at least a fan like DL) and Rachel Lamar who worked in ticketing I think. Neither had time for the role on a matchday, or during other times it seemed. Maybe the interest wasn’t there either. I believe the current SLO to be in a similar position, full time employee who has been handed the role with little time or interest, certainly not the role demands anyway.

Matt Parsons was appointed by the club with no fans involvement at all as far as I am aware. He was ok at the role but soon did must less liasing with fans as his time got more and more taken up with the players, travelling with them and staying in hotels when the fans were travelling on match days for example. He couldn’t be in two places at once I guess and the players needs were deemed greater than the fans, so he now has a PA type role with them on a full time basis.

Now we find ourselves yet again with a club employee, as I said with no time or interest in particular. Okay things are ticking over at the moment, no real dramas. But it only takes a big FA cup draw or people with problems due to disability access for example to need someone to liaise and help sort things. 

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26 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Wow, look at this!!

An SLO actually engaging on a platform with a wider issue that maybe just a little controversial for relations between club and official body.

Couldn't imagine Ryan Corrigan doing (or being empowered to do) this, could you! ?

"Hello Hello!

Who is our SLO!" :bounce:

 

81627D83-3B14-46C7-BCD0-340F26CB5A89.gif

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On 04/10/2019 at 15:29, RedM said:

This poor bloke is no doubt a lovely chap, but he looked scared to death that someone might speak to him. I actually felt for him as he has be placed into a role he probably doesn’t want and hasn’t got the people skills to do. He probably has fantastic IT skills, give him a PC and no people and that’s where he is comfortable. 

As for Matt Parsons, the role was only a stepping stone until he could get back to liasing with the players. He did similar for Arsenal before he took the role here apparently. 

I think all of the above with him being scared to talk to people etc. It’s a prime example of a job being forced upon someone who I highly doubt actually wanted it. 

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2 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

I know it's touched upon on another thread but we now have official confirmation it appears via @Blagdon red from the question being put at the SC&T that the SLO at the INSTRUCTION of the club, will NOT be joining this forum.

Wonder what the way forward now will be.

If the SC&T are unable entice a sufficient answer from MA

Its press and publicity time I’d suggest 

National Radio And Eve Post a starter

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34 minutes ago, BobBobSuperBob said:

If the SC&T are unable entice a sufficient answer from MA

Its press and publicity time I’d suggest 

National Radio And Eve Post a starter

Already done. I'll ask the fella if he's writing a piece.

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22 hours ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

Any movement or even any more news on this one?

Clearly we need to be patient but at the same time, not need to let it slip away to be forgotten.

There is a survey from the SC&T coming out imminently, we’ve asked SLO related questions in that. Hopefully the responses from that will give us a bigger picture of how fans feel about the current set up, that we can then take to the powers that be for discussion. 

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On 08/10/2019 at 09:38, Mr Popodopolous said:

Wow, look at this!!

An SLO actually engaging on a platform with a wider issue that maybe just a little controversial for relations between club and official body.

Couldn't imagine Ryan Corrigan doing (or being empowered to do) this, could you! ?

"Hello Hello!

Who is our SLO!" :bounce:

Who’s Ryan Corrigan?

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On 10/10/2019 at 11:26, BobBobSuperBob said:

slo@bcfc.co.uk

Is the email address for the lesser spotted SLO

I’d ignore him, he’s clearly under instruction & is ignoring us, so any issues I’d go above with. MA, JL or SL now & soon enough they’ll get pissed off with all the contact from us minions that it might make them act?

I find it all rather strange considering SL & Maggie were active members on here themselves!

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