Given the constant reassurances over the last year that everything was on track, Tuesday’s statement by the Board of Bristol Rovers that the Memorial Stadium regeneration project was to be put on hold for 12 months has rightly infuriated huge numbers of Gasheads. However, for a great many others it was simply further confirmation that the club needs to radically change the way it deals with supporters and other key stakeholders if it is ever to progress and attain its potential.

All well run businesses recognise that their key stakeholders are critical to their success and hence one of the fundamental beliefs of the Gas Trust is that supporters need to have a strong voice in the club’s decision making process. In practical terms, this should mean:

• Supporters’ views are used to underpin the club’s medium/long-term plans
• There is regular and effective communication from the Board on progress in achieving the goals set out in these plans
• Effective channels exist by which the fans can monitor progress, provide challenge and be consulted on key issues affecting the club).

Unfortunately, little if any of this is currently happening at Bristol Rovers and we believe that it is having a hugely detrimental impact on the development of the club. The events of the last few days serve to highlight this, with the discontent from a clear lack of regard for supporters’ interests only being compounded by shockingly poor communication.

In the case of the former, the Board’s statement on Tuesday let it be known that the club were aware of Opal’s decision to pull out of the stadium regeneration project a week before the news was leaked last Friday (May 30th). In spite of that, three days earlier the club’s official website had issued a reminder to fans about the May 31 st Cheltenham Open Day and how it offered supporters the chance to visit “the club’s temporary home for the next two seasons”. As if that wasn’t bad enough, a day later the official site carried an article entitled “Summer Thoughts From The Chairman” in which Ron Craig said the following: “

“Our ambition is Championship football in a brand new 18,500 all-seater state-of-the-art stadium. This is currently being worked on, and we should achieve our aim for the start of season 2010/11. In the meantime we need to face another shorter period in exile so that the new stadium can be built on the old site. My feeling after going through the last 22 years is that, with the help of our magnificent fans, we can do two more years standing on our head”.

Continued here