Rovers / Birmingham City "Partnership" ??

**red_all_rover** · 03/11/2004, 11:44 AM

Quotes from Stuart Hall, head of Birmingham City's Youth Academy (taken from sligorovers.com)
�In the last twelve months we have revamped our recruitment policy overseas and we�ve looked at better cost effective ways to cover the World.

�We think that a good way to actually cover the world is to form partnerships with different clubs so that they can become our eyes and ears on the ground in their part of the World

�I would be looking for Sligo Rovers people from the first team manager Sean right down to the under-age team manager to be our eyes and ears on the ground.

�They might have a player in their own system in their set-up that they think could make the grade in England. If so we want to know and we�ll have a look.

�Also they might go out and play their games on Saturdays and Sundays and they might see what they think is an exceptional player playing against them so again we want to know."

So, what exactly is in this for Sligo Rovers then? There's no talk about their players supplementing out team. It appears to me, from what this guy is saying, that this arrangement is one way traffic and will benefit Birmingham City only. I see how we are to become their "eyes and ears" in Ireland but there is no mention of how this will benefit Rovers. Bearing in mind that this is the first part of a two part interview, I would expect to see a little more on how this benefits rovers in the second installment.

**gustavo** · 04/11/2004, 9:04 AM

but its very negative for us to be looking at our best players and thinking welll you could make it in england so of you go boyo dont worry about us we should be thinking about moving this club forward and that involves us keeping our best players .

**red_all_rover** · 04/11/2004, 10:19 AM

In_da_red, that's fair enough, I accept many of your points. However, I wouldn't say that I have a "glass-is-half-empty attitude." As gustavo points out, we should be trying to move this club forward and it certainly is not clear, from the article on the sligorovers.com website (albeit taken from the Weekender), how this arrangement is going to move "our" club forward... only Birmingham City's. That is why I said in my original post that "I would expect to see a little more on how this benefits rovers in the second installment" of the article in the Weekender on Nov 9th.

Of course I realise that there are opportunities for Rovers with the partnership but these should also have been pointed out to the journalist, whether by the Youth Academy director or, in a communication from the club.

I realise that you are keeping a close ear-to-the-ground with the initiatives that Sean Connor's has been putting in place and so I'm fairly sure that you're based in Sligo. However, it's not easy for those of us in exile (Dublin for me) to get to know about these things.

A few suggestions then:
1. Any chance some of the guys from sligorovers.com could organise one of the on-line sessions with our new manager to update supporters on ongoing progress? Perhaps even a weekly "Managers View" article on the website or on foot.ie. This would be especially useful in the coming close season.
2. Those forum members "in the know" could post updates on progress to the forum so all exiled supporters are up-to-date on what is happening with the bit-o-red. I'm sorry to say this but many of the posts are b1tchy and destructive... how about some constructive posts with any positives from what Sean C is trying to do?
Finally, Communication, for any organisation including football clubs, costs very little but goes a long way towards building consumer / supporter loyalty.

My 2 cents worth!

ps. See ye in Belfield tomorrow night.

**jimhacker** · 04/11/2004, 1:17 PM

These links with U.K. clubs are all fine and dandy but I think you'll find that , after a bit, theEnglish clubs simply lose interest and stop putting in the resources needed.

Cork City had a tie-up with Leicester a few years back which only resulted in them poaching our manager even before the season had begun.

Two years ago Nottingham Forest got involved with the Cork Schoolboys league but after a few coaching evenings, they scrammed as well - a foolish move because i don't think they realised what a tasty well of talent they were sitting on.

**Paraic** · 04/11/2004, 1:55 PM

Re the on-line chat, it was the first thing I spoke to the new manager about when appointed and he is very willing to go online. Since sligoweb.com went down, we haven't had a chat room, but we've just created one on bravenet and are testing it and it seems ok. I hope to have Sean on-line sometime next week or the following week at the latest. I just need to arrange a time with him. When I know, I'll post here and send out a mail on the mailing list also.

re Sean doing a piece every week for the site, I can speak to him on that too. He does one for the programme every home game, but it will really depend on his time.

Thanks for the suggestions

Paraic
sligorovers.com

**jimhacker** · 04/11/2004, 3:13 PM

Lads-don't mind your manager getting involved in on line stuff- tell him to concentrate on the on-pitch stuff and get your selves back to the premier pronto- we nedd you, Galway, and Limerick here urgently

**1 9 2 8** · 04/11/2004, 4:42 PM

Originally Posted by jimhacker

Lads-don't mind your manager getting involved in on line stuff- tell him to concentrate on the on-pitch stuff and get your selves back to the premier pronto- we nedd you, Galway, and Limerick here urgently

All very true except for the Galway bit

**sligoman** · 04/11/2004, 6:26 PM

Originally Posted by Paraic

Re the on-line chat, it was the first thing I spoke to the new manager about when appointed and he is very willing to go online. Since sligoweb.com went down, we haven't had a chat room, but we've just created one on bravenet and are testing it and it seems ok. I hope to have Sean on-line sometime next week or the following week at the latest. I just need to arrange a time with him. When I know, I'll post here and send out a mail on the mailing list also.

re Sean doing a piece every week for the site, I can speak to him on that too. He does one for the programme every home game, but it will really depend on his time.

Thanks for the suggestions

Paraic
sligorovers.com

Cheers Paraic,should be good.Are you the paraic fella that does the interviews with him on Rovers website?

**redrov2005** · 04/11/2004, 11:24 PM

Yeah i think it would be great if we could hear more of Sean Connor's plans for the club on the official website,but is there any chance that the site could organise a public meeting with the manager featuring a question and answer session with the manager ?

I know there is a danger that fans can use such forums to vent frustrations,but they generally have a positive effect.

Any chance ???

**A face** · 04/11/2004, 11:47 PM

Lads, i'd like to say it is good for Rovers but history tells me otherwise. Rarely will you find a smaller club benefit in these deals, i could be corrected but right thats the way i see it. Just as long as the club weight up the value of it and if they see it to be of no value, then to take action straight away. Maybe, it might be OK if you are getting tangible benefits from the deal ... but if not then it is mad to continue. If anything the traffic should be the other way round if it is only going one way.

Just like to agree with jimhacker .... get your �sses up here quick smart !!

**Paraic** · 05/11/2004, 8:47 AM

Originally Posted by sligoman

Cheers Paraic,should be good.Are you the paraic fella that does the interviews with him on Rovers website?

Don't know if i should admit to it, but no-one else will do it !!

Re redrov2005's suggestion, I don't know if the club has anything along those lines planned. If there is, I'll publicise it here and on the site.

Paraic