Kelty Hearts

[rosythpar]

10 minutes ago, GG Riva said:

I don't doubt Kelty has a good, friendly match day atmosphere. Do we not have one at EEP? Perhaps this season has seen rumblings of discontent - and with good reason - what do you suggest the Pars should do to improve the match day experience for fans? Not being a smartass, but if we were up there challenging for promotion, most fans would be perfectly happy with the pre-match experience, which probably explains the atmosphere at NCP. 

I think the new CEO will be looking at ways to improve the match day experience, legends has been on the decline for a while and I know a few fans who now go in to town for a pint instead. 

 

[parsforlife]

1 hour ago, Grant said:

Because we haven't been very good at football, but that's the crux of the matter. 

We've had a succession of poor and underwhelming seasons, outwith a bright start under AJ it's never felt like we were going to challenge for promotion from the championship, if we were to appoint a decent manager, get a good team together and look likely to win the title you could guarantee there'd be no talk or complaints about the connection between the fans and the club. 

I 100% agree with this.

However that doesn't mean the disconnect between fans and club isn't very real and that wouldn't be as severe had the board handled things better. The doubling and tripling down by the board in their defence of grant did nothing but add fuel to the fire.  I have little doubt they had good intentions, but they got alot wrong.

I like many things the club do through pars foundation, especially the work of Eddie martin,  I do wonder how well this work is advertised/marketed(which seems a cynical way to few community engagement, but its a reality) Motherwell are rightly hailed as a fantastic community club, the peak of it in Scotland IMO,  but not only do they do their great work, everyone knows about it.  I hear just about as much about work of a club in another division, which I make no attempt to engage with than my own club where I am a season ticket holder, until recently a CC contributor(until I felt the disconnect between board and fans become too much)  and follow on just about every platform possible.  Why is that?  Yes they are a league above us and have more budget,  but things are nowhere near as apart to justify that.

Anyway, focusing on our club abit there.  As for Kelty,  they do well on and off the pitch but clearly when it's 1 mans money funding it there's a danger that it all comes crumbling down, I hope not and that appropriate protocols are in place if(or more likely when) that money stops. 

[kelty_par]

1 hour ago, GG Riva said:

I wouldn't use match attendance as a barometer for measuring the Pars success as a community club. I was thinking more along the lines of how well the club engages with the local community. I know you're well aware of the different initiatives in the Schools Engagement Programme, given you were involved at the outset and the stadium tour was your idea.

Match attendance is always likely to mirror success - or lack of it - on the pitch.

Think you have me confused with someone else, as I’m not involved with any of the stuff you’ve listed GG

[Rossmcno1]

2 hours ago, GG Riva said:

I don't doubt Kelty has a good, friendly match day atmosphere. Do we not have one at EEP? Perhaps this season has seen rumblings of discontent - and with good reason - what do you suggest the Pars should do to improve the match day experience for fans? Not being a smartass, but if we were up there challenging for promotion, most fans would be perfectly happy with the pre-match experience, which probably explains the atmosphere at NCP. 

I think the engagement piece is the overall package about how the club directly communicates with its fan base and displays its attitude, along with all the community activity.  There are some brilliant initiatives that the club supports, mental health, education and the Disability group come to mind as three things that stand out as positive.

However, as others have pointed out, there has been a bit of a feeling that’s been allowed to fester, that the current board or members of it, view a number of our fans with disdain.   Evidence?   Several board statements and their tone.  For me, just because a couple of folk have been out of order behaving like idiots, don’t tar us all with that same brush.   The communication from the club well pre the investment had, in my opinion, been lacking.  sadly this has not improved over the last few months.  The optics, don’t look good.  
 

Now i accept that performances on the park exacerbate the situation, but ultimately we are reaping what we sewed some time ago in terms of results and output.   what is not helping is there seems to be an information vacuum about the clubs future plans, and has been for quite a while.
 

[GG Riva]

7 hours ago, Rossmcno1 said:

I think the engagement piece is the overall package about how the club directly communicates with its fan base and displays its attitude, along with all the community activity.  There are some brilliant initiatives that the club supports, mental health, education and the Disability group come to mind as three things that stand out as positive.

However, as others have pointed out, there has been a bit of a feeling that’s been allowed to fester, that the current board or members of it, view a number of our fans with disdain.   Evidence?   Several board statements and their tone.  For me, just because a couple of folk have been out of order behaving like idiots, don’t tar us all with that same brush.   The communication from the club well pre the investment had, in my opinion, been lacking.  sadly this has not improved over the last few months.  The optics, don’t look good.  
 

Now i accept that performances on the park exacerbate the situation, but ultimately we are reaping what we sewed some time ago in terms of results and output.   what is not helping is there seems to be an information vacuum about the clubs future plans, and has been for quite a while.
 

The trouble with written statements is that they can be interpreted in different ways by different readers, so the writer must be exceedingly careful to ensure that any misinterpretation is kept to an absolute minimum, if not avoided altogether. I'm aware of the statements you allude to, Ross and I can tell you that those who wrote them were very angry at the loutish behaviour of a small number of Pars fans at the time. I'm sure you'll agree that writing a diplomatic or conciliatory statement when emotions are high, is well nigh impossible. I don't believe it was ever the intention of any Pars director to "tar us all with the same brush."

I certainly wasn't offended by the statements, but I recognise that they were poorly worded. Should these directors be vilified for that? They're only human, just like you and me.

"Think you have me confused with someone else, as I’m not involved with any of the stuff you’ve listed GG"

Are there two Kelty Pars? I'm fairly sure we've met a couple of times - once in the East Port Bar, where I very kindly bought you a pint, when I judged you the winner of a wee competition on daftnet about England's World Cup exploits. Yours was so hilarious, my sides were sore with laughing. The second time was in the Boardroom at EEP where 4 of us met with Ross McArthur to discuss ideas for a Schools Engagement Programme. You came up with the idea of a stadium tour for upper primary children. This was carried forward by Dave Dawson, a retired colleague and huge Pars fan, as you were unable to do so since you are still working - serves you right for being so young!  😀 

If you're not the man I think you are, please accept my apologies. 

[Grant]

1 hour ago, GG Riva said:

. I'm aware of the statements you allude to, Ross and I can tell you that those who wrote them were very angry at the loutish behaviour of a small number of Pars fans at the time. I'm sure you'll agree that writing a diplomatic or conciliatory statement when emotions are high, is well nigh impossible

Surely GG, the answer is to not write a statement then? To wait until they've calmed down etc? 

[GG Riva]

38 minutes ago, Grant said:

Surely GG, the answer is to not write a statement then? To wait until they've calmed down etc? 

Correct, Grant. The trouble is, when we're emotionally charged, we're not thinking calmly and rationally, so we bash right on and do it anyway. 🙁

[parsforlife]

1 hour ago, GG Riva said:

Correct, Grant. The trouble is, when we're emotionally charged, we're not thinking calmly and rationally, so we bash right on and do it anyway. 🙁

Yes, and if it was just a director making an angry rant on Facebook then there would be more justification.  Board statements surely have to go through several channels before being released to the public you would have thought? That helps emotions to be calmed and wording to be cleared up. 

[GG Riva]

11 minutes ago, parsforlife said:

Yes, and if it was just a director making an angry rant on Facebook then there would be more justification.  Board statements surely have to go through several channels before being released to the public you would have thought? That helps emotions to be calmed and wording to be cleared up. 

I can't argue with any of that, parsforlife. Clearly, the statements Rossmcno1 alluded to, were not vetted before being released.

[Rossmcno1]

1 hour ago, GG Riva said:

I can't argue with any of that, parsforlife. Clearly, the statements Rossmcno1 alluded to, were not vetted before being released.

Correct.  
 

And it wasn’t just one.  It’s been a collection of several statements over the years that I think has collective impact.  As for the “vilification” you allude to GG, behaviour breeds behaviour, continual negative tones from board statements to fans over time will just add cumulative effect.   Personally I know that the folk at EEP are doing their best, and that passion becomes an issue at difficult times, but you were asking the Q about engagement overall.  I feel this is a big part of the answer about why some feel a disconnect between the club and supporters.  You may disagree and that’s cool, we shall agree to do so.  It’s a shame that I think that general feel has eroded the impact of some of the tremendous community work supported by the club. 

As for mistaking Kelty for someone else, you’ve got previous, I still haven’t got over your email some time ago asking me to fix central heating somewhere 😉

[GG Riva]

6 hours ago, Rossmcno1 said:

Correct.  
 

And it wasn’t just one.  It’s been a collection of several statements over the years that I think has collective impact.  As for the “vilification” you allude to GG, behaviour breeds behaviour, continual negative tones from board statements to fans over time will just add cumulative effect.   Personally I know that the folk at EEP are doing their best, and that passion becomes an issue at difficult times, but you were asking the Q about engagement overall.  I feel this is a big part of the answer about why some feel a disconnect between the club and supporters.  You may disagree and that’s cool, we shall agree to do so.  It’s a shame that I think that general feel has eroded the impact of some of the tremendous community work supported by the club. 

As for mistaking Kelty for someone else, you’ve got previous, I still haven’t got over your email some time ago asking me to fix central heating somewhere 😉

I'm aware there was more than one statement which upset you, Ross, which is why I used the plural in my earlier post and without going over old ground, I completely understand where you're coming from and I agree that any poorly worded statement from the BoD merely serves to alienate otherwise loyal fans who feel targeted. Personally, I've never felt that way, but that doesn't mean I disagree with the points you make.

Where you hit below the belt is when you more or less have me pass for a dottery old fart because I once asked you if you were my son's pal, who is also called Ross, is a Pars fan and posts on the forums. Kelty_Par has then thrown petrol on your fire by adopting the same username as another native of the sprawling northern metropolis on the shores of Lochore Meadows. (He posts on dotnet but has also posted on here.)

I mean, can you guys not use a bit of grey matter and choose a unique username to avoid any confusion? 🙁 How many GG Rivas have you identified on the Pars forums to date? 🤔

I rest my case, m'lud.....

[Grant]

I lived in Kelty for a bit.

 

 

 

Been fancying a name change for a while aswell tbf. 

[GG Riva]

29 minutes ago, Grant said:

I lived in Kelty for a bit.

 

 

 

Been fancying a name change for a while aswell tbf. 

Behave yersel, Grant. I know some good guys who come from/ have lived in Kelty, but it's not anything to brag about. 😃

[scottyboy]

Non plussed about them. Seen them years ago, when in the Juniors. Cannae mind much, apart fae the ref telling some aged gentlemen tae pipe doon auld timer. Fantastic. 

[Rossmcno1]

1 hour ago, GG Riva said:

I'm aware there was more than one statement which upset you, Ross, which is why I used the plural in my earlier post and without going over old ground, I completely understand where you're coming from and I agree that any poorly worded statement from the BoD merely serves to alienate otherwise loyal fans who feel targeted. Personally, I've never felt that way, but that doesn't mean I disagree with the points you make.

Where you hit below the belt is when you more or less have me pass for a dottery old fart because I once asked you if you were my son's pal, who is also called Ross, is a Pars fan and posts on the forums. Kelty_Par has then thrown petrol on your fire by adopting the same username as another native of the sprawling northern metropolis on the shores of Lochore Meadows. (He posts on dotnet but has also posted on here.)

I mean, can you guys not use a bit of grey matter and choose a unique username to avoid any confusion? 🙁 How many GG Rivas have you identified on the Pars forums to date? 🤔

I rest my case, m'lud.....

😂

there’s deffo only one GG Riva 😃