Questions for Richard Batho

[Linz]

Not that there's anything to stop you emailing him on [email protected]

But, I had a chat with Richard earlier and asked if it was alright for us to pop a sticky thread up with questions you lot want aiming at his and the club's direction. I haven't caught up with everything from the weekend yet, but saw RB's name mentioned a few times.

This isn't a formal Q&A type thing, but we'll pop an email through to Richard every week or so over the summer with a summary of the questions and post his response (or encourage him to actually come on here and do it himself... now he's grasped Twitter!)

If we can try and keep this thread limited to questions please, not a discussion into the worthiness of his role... I'm sure you've got that covered in alternative threads.

Cheers chaps.

 

[lenners]

What has he, as fans' rep, said to the club about the decision to commit commercial suicide by alienating thousands of fans next season?

 

[bricktop]

What kind of sauce does Richard Batho prefer on his Bacon Sandwiches, Tomato Ketchup or Brown Sauce?

 

[Tuns]

Would the club consider a complete re-think on ST/matchday prices and launch some dynamic packages (taking clubs like Bradford for an idea of what is possible) before it is too late and the club loses up to 10,000 ST holders in a year - the majority of whom will be very difficult to get back or to pay on the day regularly once the habit is broken.

Does the club realise how alienated and apathetic many hardcore fans are and that drastic positive action is needed (not price freezes and threats of price increases) and if it has so obviously failed to pick up on the mood for the second year running then how can it start to reconnect with the lifeblood of the club so it can start to get the big decisions, the communication and the marketing back on track and towards what it was a few years ago?

 

[lenners]

Think they've shot their load on that one Tuns.
They've made a complete balls up of it and like the series of on-pitch ferk-ups, they haven't got the guts to apologise.
It looks like they done it to cover anticipated cashflow difficulties and ballocks to the longer-term future of the club.
I would like to know what was said to Batho and what he said to the club about what they were doing, particularly increasing match-day prices for League One football.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Bradford are a spectacularly bad example of a road to follow economically. They are very close to being inadmin, and possible liquidation.

 

[BaldeRunner]

I would like to know if Richard's role is to represent the club's view to fans, the fans' view to the club or both of these. How does he propose to communicate with fans, how frequently and by using which medium?

 

[lenners]

Bradford are a spectacularly bad example of a road to follow economically. They are very close to being inadmin, and possible liquidation.

Not because of their season ticket policy though.

 

[Vancouver]

Not because of their season ticket policy though.

But it would suggest that maybe they've not got the best financial brains and therefore their ST behaviour could also be less than ideal. I guess you don't have any evidence that their 'near-admin' status hasn't been impacted by the ST policy.

Anyway; this is getting off topic.

I do have a question; does he feel the role is useful and what benefits has it brought to the average fan's experience?

 

[SwissBlade]

How has he viewed the fans reaction of his role? There have been some quite scathing comments which I've seen omn the forum, none of whoch carries substance and he seems to be the scapegoat for everything. Have these fans also approached him in the same way?
What are the key improvements/ achievements that he thinks he's made so far?
What areas which have been more "challenging" than perhaps he thought?
What is the plan going forward, for the summer and next season? As we're down to 3rd Division it seems like an even greater task he has, because fans are now alienating themselves from the club
What can be done to get fans back?
What happened to getting rid of Tom Hark? It seemed to have gone but now its back

Finally, thanks for taking the time to engage with the fans again! Some of us appreciate it

 

[Micalijo]

Is he a paid employee of the club or is a self employed 'consultant' as Jansky said a few months ago. Surely a paid employee will only trot out the club line or be removed from his post?

I believe the 'appointment' was on a temporary basis. Will it be continuing?

Is he aware that thousands of longstanding, loyal, devoted Blades have a deep and growing sense of loathing towards McCabe and Birch?

 

[SwissBlade]

Is he aware that thousands of longstanding, loyal, devoted Blades have a deep and growing sense of loathing towards McCabe and Birch?

Is he aware that some of us don't, some of us care more about the football than the boardroom?

Whats been done to improve the awful Official Website to have footballing matters and not so much advertising for 3rd parties?

 

[lenners]

But it would suggest that maybe they've not got the best financial brains and therefore their ST behaviour could also be less than ideal. I guess you don't have any evidence that their 'near-admin' status hasn't been impacted by the ST policy.

Anyway; this is getting off topic.

I do have a question; does he feel the role is useful and what benefits has it brought to the average fan's experience?

I think the major problem tbey have is with the owner of the stadium and a fallout with him - he was previously on the club's board.
Not sure of all the ins and outs but they've retained excellent levels of support despite being near the bottom of League Two.

 

[Linz]

Seeing as my request not to turn this into a personal tirade against him hasn't been heeded, I'm afraid I'm going to be closing this thread seeing as it's descended into a carbon copy of many others.

If you have questions you want answering, you know what to do. I won't be acting as middle man for those who seem intent on agitating.

I'm sorry for the rest who had genuine questions rather than a desire to discuss the ins and outs of someone's employment.