Quote Double Movement="Double Movement"I hope the club are reading comments like yours, Gerry. I think it sums up many people’s gut feelings for the game (and the Dons) at the moment.
I’ve got rugby running through my veins. I can’t ever see me giving up on the Dons but the league format is a big turn-off. It’s not a quality issue for me though. I just want to see competitive games where the outcome isn’t known before the kick-off. Blow out scores and one-sided games don’t attract anyone. It certainly helps if we, as fans, believe we have a genuine chance of going up. We’ve probably all lacked that belief this season.
Carl answered my question with regards to the league format in his last In The Dugout saying the clubs will be getting together in October to discuss these and other issues. The attendance at Rochdale last Sunday was 392. The game can’t survive on crowds like this. Surely the clubs must be able to see that change must be made to try to win the fans back over before it’s too late.
I can fully understand why even the most loyal of supporters will prefer to pick and choose which games to attend in future rather than buy a season ticket. Fixtures, fixture dates, quality of opposition, whether the club shows ambition with its signings are all unknowns at the moment.
I enjoy reading everyone’s posts on here as I like to understand why people feel the way they do. The club need to understand everyone’s feelings too.
What do others fans want from the club in order for their interest to be rekindled?
For what it’s worth, here is my 12 point plan to put things right:
1) The Dons must do everything they can to get the awful structure of Championship One changed.
2) Split the league into two divisions – top eight called Championship One, bottom eight called Championship Two.
3) Play each team at home and away twice to make a 28 game season (similar to the number of games played in the Championship now).
4) All fixture dates will be known from before the start of the season.
5) Each club will play 28 competitive games against opposition of similar ability.
6) Scrap the iPro cup as it gets in the way of a proper league season being possible.
7) The Dons need to set a target of promotion, not just aim to reach the play-offs.
Signings need to be of sufficient quality to excite the fans and make everyone believe promotion is a realistic possibility.
9) We need to have a bigger squad to cover for injuries.
10) The DR with Hull should either be scrapped or made to work better for both parties. When we’ve needed help this year it seems to have been missing. We either have to be able to rely on Hull to plug our gaps or make sure we can plug the gaps ourselves with a bigger squad.
11) The squad players who are not getting regular games need to go out on loan to Championship Two sides to help their development and to keep them match fit, or else they will get fed up of not playing and leave.
12) The top team in Championship One should be promoted automatically to the Championship.
13) The second placed team in the league should be at home to the winners of a Three v Four match at the end of the season for the second promotion place.
14) The bottom two should be relegated to Championship Two with two teams being promoted from Championship Two.'"
Responding to your point 10 D/R
You should ask your coach why he is not using D/R to its potential with Hull.
He did exactly the same when he was at York and several promising Hull Players at the time including Jamie Shaul couldnt get a game.
Hull terminated the agreement and may do the same at Doncaster with this coach in charge now the under 23 competition is due to be expanded next season with several more clubs fielding under 23 teams
