Ric Flair Live & Direct on BSLB Podcast

[Lad1966]

10 minutes ago, Tuna said:

Great pod and a much needed cathartic listen in response to recent results.

 

Loved the Chicken Kevs anecdote 

 

It's depressing though that we're still talking about those responsible for relegation and there have been no consequences whatsoever a year later after we all thought relegation would purge us of the failures within the hierarchy.

 

I agree with Jordan that if we lose tomorrow, that's it, we've definitely ****ed it.

 

We're looking at becoming Portsmouth or Bolton if we don't go up and it's a terrifying thought.

If we don’t go up this season, we have to accept and plan to stay in the championship until we sort our finances out, as this has been the source of all our recent problems. We have money, but our current wage structure is so bad that we have clear out some of our high earners (most of which will be gone at the end of the season) in order to move forwards.

and spend some that money!

[RYM]

5 hours ago, niyaminski said:

Can you take the fan engagement role at our club pal 😂?

Haha, i’ve offered help for years but beyond Jim as an SLO, none of the fan engagement team are visible or respond. FE isn’t Jim’s role but he’s a great guy. 

 

It’s strange really. I did many talks for the EFL, FIFA, UEFA, The Rugby league , the Estonian and Danish Premier Leagues and with a risk of sounding very arrogant I was one of the leading fan engagement practitioners out there. 
 

My biggest blessing and curse was being a proper fan and therefore a threat to the suits. A disruptive kind to the yes men, which ironically is what the game needs.

Edited 31 March by RYM
Spelling

[Daggers]

[cruzFOX]

What a fantastic and insightful episode - bravo guys! All venting aside and it was all totally justifiable as it’s exactly how I feel as a fan right now. However, can someone burn this pod into a CD and mail one to every exec at the KP? Those lot need to hear this truth whether they want to or not. 
The club is in a perilous position and no one at the top seems to have any real control.

[Nolucklcfc]

2 hours ago, RYM said:

Haha, i’ve offered help for years but beyond Jim as an SLO, none of the fan engagement team are visible or respond. FE isn’t Jim’s role but he’s a great guy. 

 

It’s strange really. I did many talks for the EFL, FIFA, UEFA, The Rugby league , the Estonian and Danish Premier Leagues and with a risk of sounding very arrogant I was one of the leading fan engagement practitioners out there. 
 

My biggest blessing and curse was being a proper fan and therefore a threat to the suits. A disruptive kind to the yes men, which ironically is what the game needs.

You’re exactly what we are missing mate … that said, I think even if you was working for us, you’d get zero done because those in power aren’t arsed one bit about the atmosphere 

[Daggers]

1 minute ago, Nolucklcfc said:

You’re exactly what we are missing mate … that said, I think even if you was working for us, you’d get zero done because those in power aren’t arsed one bit about the atmosphere 

It’s way beyond atmosphere - all of those managing the club fail to understand the simple nature of being a fan. All they can see it as is in terms of being a consumer, and that’s why the club is irredeemably lost. 

[Nolucklcfc]

4 minutes ago, Daggers said:

It’s way beyond atmosphere - all of those managing the club fail to understand the simple nature of being a fan. All they can see it as is in terms of being a consumer, and that’s why the club is irredeemably lost. 

Yep completely agree 

[Stadt]

2 hours ago, Daggers said:

It’s way beyond atmosphere - all of those managing the club fail to understand the simple nature of being a fan. All they can see it as is in terms of being a consumer, and that’s why the club is irredeemably lost. 

They’re not even good at that, e.g ticketing 

[Daggers]

11 minutes ago, Stadt said:

They’re not even good at that, e.g ticketing 

Yep. It’s what makes those continuing to support them even more galling to me. 

[PAULCFC]

@RYM Great insight.......just show's that it doesn't take much to get the fans onside!.......Unlike our lot at the moment!

[Dan LCFC]

10 hours ago, RYM said:

Haha, i’ve offered help for years but beyond Jim as an SLO, none of the fan engagement team are visible or respond. FE isn’t Jim’s role but he’s a great guy. 

 

It’s strange really. I did many talks for the EFL, FIFA, UEFA, The Rugby league , the Estonian and Danish Premier Leagues and with a risk of sounding very arrogant I was one of the leading fan engagement practitioners out there. 
 

My biggest blessing and curse was being a proper fan and therefore a threat to the suits. A disruptive kind to the yes men, which ironically is what the game needs.

Think that tells you everything about this club to be honest.

[RYM]

5 hours ago, PAULCFC said:

@RYM Great insight.......just show's that it doesn't take much to get the fans onside!.......Unlike our lot at the moment!

Thank you. It’s so easy to get it right. There’s a massive issue in football with people saying “no” and wanting to fight change (I had so many battles) or new ideas, but honestly if the messaging from the top is that the fans are the most important thing (and if it’s genuine) you can make such a difference.

[RYM]

1 hour ago, Dan LCFC said:

Think that tells you everything about this club to be honest.

We need to see how this new head of fan engagement rolls out. It’ll take time but there’s easy wins out there for sure. If they have the desire and are allowed to get their hands dirty by working with all fan groups, not just the easy and obvious ones, then you can start to make change.

 

You need to also be prepared to upset other fans inside and outside of any groups if you are to start reorganising a stadium and putting people in the right places etc. You have to have so many awkward conversations. It’s hard but if the plan is there and transparent to all then it can work.

If they are prepared to rock a few boats internally for the betterment of the fan experience short, mid and long term then great, that’s what you need to force change, however they need to understand the emotional attachment of this game and that this club is more than a 5000/1 season and a tragic loss of it’s owner.

 

My fear is though (based on types I have met in my time) that they could be more focussed on the KPI’s, bonuses and protecting their £80,000 a year rather than pushing and upsetting those above. 

Time will tell.

 

Edited 1 April by RYM
.

[CosbehFox]

Certain people at the club will absolutely hate hearing that podcast or sections of it 

[CosbehFox]

1 hour ago, RYM said:

We need to see how this new head of fan engagement rolls out. It’ll take time but there’s easy wins out there for sure. If they have the desire and are allowed to get their hands dirty by working with all fan groups, not just the easy and obvious ones, then you can start to make change.

 

You need to also be prepared to upset other fans inside and outside of any groups if you are to start reorganising a stadium and putting people in the right places etc. You have to have so many awkward conversations. It’s hard but if the plan is there and transparent to all then it can work.

If they are prepared to rock a few boats internally for the betterment of the fan experience short, mid and long term then great, that’s what you need to force change, however they need to understand the emotional attachment of this game and that this club is more than a 5000/1 season and a tragic loss of it’s owner.

 

My fear is though (based on types I have met in my time) that they could be more focussed on the KPI’s, bonuses and protecting their £80,000 a year rather than pushing and upsetting those above. 

Time will tell.

 

The CV isn’t hopeful but never judge a book by its cover 

[westernpark]

2 hours ago, RYM said:

We need to see how this new head of fan engagement rolls out. It’ll take time but there’s easy wins out there for sure. If they have the desire and are allowed to get their hands dirty by working with all fan groups, not just the easy and obvious ones, then you can start to make change.

 

You need to also be prepared to upset other fans inside and outside of any groups if you are to start reorganising a stadium and putting people in the right places etc. You have to have so many awkward conversations. It’s hard but if the plan is there and transparent to all then it can work.

If they are prepared to rock a few boats internally for the betterment of the fan experience short, mid and long term then great, that’s what you need to force change, however they need to understand the emotional attachment of this game and that this club is more than a 5000/1 season and a tragic loss of it’s owner.

 

My fear is though (based on types I have met in my time) that they could be more focussed on the KPI’s, bonuses and protecting their £80,000 a year rather than pushing and upsetting those above. 

Time will tell.

 

They really on 80k for that job?

[RYM]

One thing you have to do as a club is to react. One day I got hammered with messages on my Twitter about a boy with Down Syndrome who had behavioural issues and was chucked out of a football club. The mum mafia were going wild!

 

It was the morning of a match and I had to make a decision. Because Brentford had this identify and because we could act from the heart and not think of the wallet of how much a mascot package would cost etc, we made Woody mascot for the day.

 

His story since is incredible, you may have seen Thomas and the players go over to him on the TV etc but he is a superstar at BFC now. Google it if not.

 

I don’t believe this would happen at many clubs because of a commercial and retail department moaning about the money lost of the mascot package, the cost of a kids kit going out for free etc, but here’s the thing.

Away from the unbelievable good this has done for Woodys development and life, they are now fans for life. Natalie and Woody now have season tickets as do two of their friends. So for an act of kindness to create a moment of magic, the club lost probably £200 but long term they’ll make £1,000s from that relationship with this adorable boy in season tickets forever and 2 or 3 shirts a season!

 

And that in a very big nut shell is fan engagement, the right people behind the scenes, the right culture and a fan centric club. Easy innit ?

 

 

[RYM]

Just now, westernpark said:

They really on 80k for that job?

Yes that’s the salary I was told by Dan, the recruiter when we spoke of the job.

[westernpark]

Just now, RYM said:

Yes that’s the salary I was told by Dan, the recruiter when we spoke of the job.

Christ. I am so out of touch with private sector roles, having seen the initial advert I didn’t think it warranted that much. Maybe a 45k sort of salary? Thanks for the info though!

[dillonpanthers87]

Incredible pod. Agreed the fk out of it. Love to hear the passion 

[Stadt]

41 minutes ago, westernpark said:

Christ. I am so out of touch with private sector roles, having seen the initial advert I didn’t think it warranted that much. Maybe a 45k sort of salary? Thanks for the info though!

Nice sinecure because it might be as well be a ceremonial position  

[westernpark]

30 minutes ago, Stadt said:

Nice sinecure because it might be as well be a ceremonial position  

For me it will certainly want the individual to side with the club and not shake the boat.

[Haywood_6]

Brilliant episode lads. Couldn't agree more with Ryan about club culture and fan engagement. The role of fans is not to just to be a consumer, it's to create the experience that makes the club watchable and help contribute to the success of the team.

[Voll Blau]

Safe to say Ryan isn't just a loss to the deadheads at LCFC, but to English football in general, judging from that podcast.

 

The sport needs way more people with his thought process and creativity in positions of real power.

[TJQuik]

Posting for the first time in a while just to say again how much I appreciate this podcast. I love the great guests you have on, the chemistry between the hosts and your consistency in putting it out.

 

I understand you may want a break but would love it if you could continue it over the summer to cover the shitshow at LCFC and cover the euros. I want to hear you all moan about England being shite too

 

Cheers