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I would like to say a big Thank You to Graham Dawe for all that he has done at the club and wish him well in the future.

It is a big shame he did not retire on his own accord at the end of last season rather than ending his illustrious rugby career by being forced out of the club he loved.

Graham. Thank you for everything you have done for PARFC. Good luck.

Hello Pete. Welcome to the Brickfields.

I echo that.


[news.bbc.co.uk]

Graham
Thanks for all of the hard work you put into the club - both on and off the field. A true legand.
All the best for the future.

The king is dead. Long live the king. Thank you graham. You took us as far as you were able. Thank you for all the work you did behind the scenes. P diddy welcome to brickfields this time you're on our side. We don't expect miracles, but we want to out of the relegation zone, please.

"How many more times,Ref?"

i personalie think mr dawe should stop coaching but not leave the club all togther, because all he as done for the club finding young and up coming players

Goodbye Graham, you have done a lot for this club and I regret that you could not leave on a happier note.

Farewell

Graham,

Thanks for all your hard work for the club, with some great memories both home and away. I wish you all the best of look with your future.

Thanks for all you have done over the years sorry to see you leave the club.

Graham Dawe was without doubt the best hooker in this country for his generation, as a coach his tenacity and never say die attitude has won Albion many a game. You have just let the best part of your club walk through the door, what a massive loss for Albion, as a Pirates fan I hope he finds another spot on a coaching bench. Maybe the even the Pirates in the future

Good luck Graham

Sorry to hear the news but I sincerely hope you will still be involved in some way. As some have said you were very good for us until recently, but sadly could not keep up with modern trends.
Thank you Graham.

Welcome Peter to Brickfields, I well remember when you played for Exeter, to see you belting down the wing was a joy to see. unfortunately we only saw that when you were playing for Exeter aganst us. One thing I hope you will do is to remember there are 2 wingers in every team. At the moment our wings are wearing thermals to keep warm.
Good luck Peter, welcome aboard.

thankyou Graham for all you have done for the club on and off the pitch shame it had to end like it has but the fans will never forget what you have done.

Good luck to Peter hopefully he can rebuild Albion and get us back pushing for the premiership

A very sad day indeed. I am really saddened by the departure of Graham. He must have been under immense pressure from the doom merchants and the players I feel have let him down to a certain extent.

One of the best forward coaches around imo.

I fear the worst for Albion now with a coach that has been sacked by Exeter coming in.

I think its an insult to Graham to be replaced by someone who has not got a particularly good track record.

Not happy!!!!!

Get over it BB1 and support your club and its new coach!!!

Sorry to hear the news but I think the time had come. However, I'd like to say a big thank you to Graham for his dedication to the club and all the hard work he has put in over many years. I for one will miss him prowling round the ground on match days. All the very best for the future Graham, you won't be forgotten.

Welcome to Plymouth Albion RFC Peter, looking forward to seeing what you bring to the club.

A sad day yes, but also one where fans like myself who do not remember the years before dawe (even though I have been a regular for 8-9years, which shows how much we owe dawe for his services) can now look forward to the possibility of something different. Ok we no not whether its a good decision, but the club was stagnating and everyone should now throw their support behind Drewitt and with the fans this club had we can again get ourselves back to where we were 5 years ago and maybe even higher. Just no double headers please Pete.

Firstly,its a sad shame it went to this, but thank you for all the work you have done both on and off the field,and all the best for the future wherever it takes you.
secondly @bb1.give the new man a chance before you go slating him.and if your not happy with it do as i did and stay away,

crouch........touch...........pause..........engage

He took us to two twickenham finals and two second places. He put things in place at Exeter that made us more professional and eventually allowed us to enter the premiership. He made 1 mistake by making a game at Moseley a double header and decided not to call back players from sevens duty. BB1 why so pessimistic? It's not like coaches of PD track record would be banging the Brickfields door down to take the Albion job!

sad new that graham has been sacked a true gent, who has worked both in front and behind the scenes.
i for one hope he does not bsimply walk off into the dusk but offers his welth of knowledge to the new director.
would have been better he resigned rather than be sacked but needs must.
all the best graham.



come on albion now lets kick off as the season began

As a Pirate fan i would like to wish him well for the future. Mr Dawe has done a good job at Albion on a small budget.He always surprised me how he managed to find unknown players who then went on the other clubs. Matt Hopper is one who played a full match for Quins last weekend.Dawsey was a character and i hope he stays in Rugby.

A sad day to see Graham go. I echo the nice comments made on here for a man whom has done so much for the club and players alike over the years. How many coaches have taken Championship level players and not we are not just talking about one player but several of them and turned them into players snapped up by premiership clubs. Alot of people owe a big thank you to this man for wihout him we wouldnt be where we are today, it may be at the bottom end of the table but in the championship and thats what counts.

Good luck for the future Graham

A new chapter has started in Albion's history. PD is a good coach and back room organizer, I think he will give you your best chance to reach the play-off not relegation mine field.

Mr Dawes did his job well, especially finding you new talent who all seemed to move on. I think his main problem was that his style of play did not evolve as the championship evolved so became less effective.

All the best Albion.

Quote:

beerbarian1
A very sad day indeed. I am really saddened by the departure of Graham. He must have been under immense pressure from the doom merchants and the players I feel have let him down to a certain extent.
One of the best forward coaches around imo.

I fear the worst for Albion now with a coach that has been sacked by Exeter coming in.

I think its an insult to Graham to be replaced by someone who has not got a particularly good track record.

Not happy!!!!!

Are you serious?
I'll never question his determination and motivation to make the club a success, they're the same qualities that made him the player he was. He got where he did because of refusal to give-in not because of his skill and rugby smarts(he didn't get the nickname "lightning" for no reason).

His many flaws were becoming more and more evident as the years rolled on. As a coach he's limited to forwards (but i doubt he accept just a fwd coaching role as the dictator in him wants total control) but thats good enough for the lower leagues where the solid foundations on consistent low-risk rugby were good enough for part-time rugby, this is partially why his usefulness for devon outlasted the peak of his success for Albion, Devon was part0time rugby built on his solid foundations while the championship was becoming more and more professional and his effect was waning.

If anybody thinks this is some sort of knee jerk reaction then think about this way. Heres how Albions last 7 seasons have finshed starting with 04/05(end of the DWS era)
3
5
6
8
11 (5 teams below)We're looking over our shoulder at this stage
8 (4 teams below)new 12 team league
9 (3 teams below, 2nd last in play-off)
this year not too good so far.

The club was/is in constant decline. He needed to go, a long time ago. The failure to gain promotion with the 04/05 squad was still one of his biggest failings though a lot of supporters who'd never known any better and only had the scary days of hanging on in Nat 3 as refernce were happy enough not to question his failing. That was as talented a squad as there has been in the championship(earning a lot salaries that woiuldn't be out of place in the premiership today) but they struggled because they were shackled by a coach who couldn't coach beyond his ultra conservative, basic gameplan but wouldn't release the power to have it devloped upon by someone else.

After all that, Thank you for your efforts Graham.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:21:20:56:44 by narranarra.

Graham,

Thanks for all you have done for the club.

Best wishes for whatever the future holds.

BFM

A well thought and informative reply narranarra.

There are many who are unaware or do not believe the reality of the very expensive players and squads that GD put together. That is why there is nothing left from the sale of Beacon Park or the sponsorship and large gates we enjoyed.

All of this money and more failed to take us to the Premiership. Mainly I would suggest due to our inability to score tries and rarely get the necessary win bonus point. We thus found ourselves each year being overtaken in the league by sides that had lost matches but had scored tries and often won with bonus points.

I beggars belief that Beerbarian would consider Pete Drewetts career at Exeter a failure and believe it to be an insulting appointment. Yet views GDs time at Albion as a success.

Thanks Graham for all the good things you did for Albion, a pity you didn't take a back seat earlier then it would not have come to a sacking.
Best of luck to Peter and I hope people don't expect miracles, I think it will take three or four matches before we see improvement in the way the team perform.

I spoke to Graham after the recent fixture at Headingley Carnegie and his love for the game of rugby shone through and I am sorry to see such a personality being shown the door after such an a long and intense period of involvement. Having referred to his qualites above, I am sure it will not be long before we see him surface in some other capacity. Good Luck Graham, you deserve another chance to serve this great game of ours!

Thankyou Graham, I have had many afternoons entertainment only with Graham in charge so it's a shame it has come to this and don't expect i'm the only one who is feels some emotion about this. All he will want us to do is keep on supporting the team and we will.

Can't believe Graham has been sacked, he has done so much for the club, have often seen him on the pitch after matches checking the place out and even picking up litter. The club won't be the same without him. Maybe if there had been more money in the pot for him to get some more talent in then the results would have been different. Having said that, every king has to step down as some point I just feel he deserved better than this, was there really any need to sack him? Couldn't you have agreed terms and done a Johnno? It's left a bad taste I can tell you.

Dawsey,if I may,

Thank you for everything you have done for the Albion during the last twelve years or so, bringing the club back to something like it's glory days of the early years of a century ago, quite a feat when you think about it.

It was the success you were having in 2000/2001 that drew me to Beacon Park and at Brickfields since then, and I thank you for that as it's given me a lot of pleasure over the years and an extra social outlet as well.

Apart fom the things already mentioned above I salute your what seemed like a total effort and dedication in the after hours work you have done for the good of the club by way of improvements around the ground, I can't think of anyone else who would have done that and of course the support you must have from home to achieve that.

I now look foward to a successful new era at Brickfields, the only constant thing in life is change.

Good luck for the future.

Tim.

Semper Sersum.

Jeff?

To me seeing as batman begins is on my tele the old saying you can either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

I fear this is what happen to Graham he should have moved on 2-3 years ago and left on a high instead of witnessing the decline in fortunes on the pitch. Got nothing but respect for him and his knowledge of game the 12 years he has been at the head of our club will never be forgotten its such a shame its end like it has.

I certain he will appear on someone's coaching staff soon maybe a return to Bath?? as he is one of the best forwards coaches around today.

The past was yours. But the future's mine. You're all out of time ...

To Graham

All I would like to say is thank you.
I was at the Brickfields the day after the Leeds game when Graham took a terible stunner and had to be take to hospital. Well we arrived for the end of season dinner and some guy was driving around the pitch dragging chains behind his pick up. I said to Mrs SJand Scoreboardender "If Graham was here he would be going off his nut" The pick up stopped infront of the tent and geuss who got out Graham.
This shows the mans dedication to this club. It was like I have said on here many times who was going to step forward and say hay Graham thanks but now is the time to sit back an enjoy what you have done. I personaly would like to see him involved with scouting as he is outstanding at this.

THANK YOU GRAHAM

To Peter

Welcome aboard. You have so big boots to fill and I am sure you will be able to take us on.

All the very best of luck

Take Care SJ

P.S I'm back my abscence did not last long sorry
Ianbol watch out

Tauranga Branch
New Zealand

AAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLBBBBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNN

Dawesy achieved great things during the 12 years getting Albion up the leagues, developing players and getting silverware with Devon. For me his greatest legacy was making Albion a community club, getting players into the schools coaching, nothing was too much for Graham.

However they say rugby coaches have a shelflife of 5 to 6 years max with any team and GD's time was up a few seasons ago I feel. On the day Wales won the Grand Slam in 2005, Albion really should have beaten Bristol and made their way into the premiership.

With the help of Nat Saumi they have tried to change the style this year but the problem is we are not attracting or keeping players of sufficient calibre.

I think Drewett has an excellent pedigree and was unlucky at Exeter, I believe he will do a good job.

I think ' sacked ' is perhaps one for the media. The Board had given Graham an ultimatum at the start of the season, so both they and he were very aware this was coming.

Well its the day after the news and I am still depressed by this decision. Graham has always givn 100% and imo is like the heart of Albion. I know the club is bigger than one man but I hope this isn't the beginning of an implosion.

For the first time ever I am not even looking forward to Albions next game and hope I can muster the enthusiasm to attend.

I personally do not like this new familiarism with Exeter, having their loan players and now their sacked coach.

Btw does anyone know what Drewitt has been up to since he was booted out of Exeter what seems like an age ago now?

I am fully aware that something needed to change to get us heading back in the right direction but I don't think the dismissal of GoD is it.

BB, What happened to your glass always being half full?

Get over it, let's see what the new era brings.

Come on Albion!!

Yes it was time for a change. GD has been a great asset to PARFC, and a brilliant advert for rugby. He is unique and it is great to know the man.

But the results speak for themselves and whilst others have changed and moved on, Albion has not, and this is the fifth season we have been propping up the table.

I was thinking maybe that Albion's slide coincided with GD's playing career. He won many games for us in the last 10 minutes.

I don't know anything about PD, but good luck to him. It will be interesting to see how a former No. 9 interprets the game.

The only reason Graham Dawe should have left Albion would be to take up a position in the England Elite Management Team !
Albion will regret this day - a man who has given so much to the club and in turn has produced so many high class players throughout the country - many now playing for Exeter Chiefs !
I think it is disgusting the way such a hero of the game is treated after year's of faithful service. They should be erecting a monument in his memory.
To me Graham Dawe was Plymouth Albion and without him the only way will be down.
Thanks for all the enjoyment Graham and all the very best.

Interesting report in WMN today, clearly one-eyed dawe fan suckered like rest of Plymouth into thinking he did a great job on limited budget. Even lauds the fact that GD 'kept' PARFC in Championship for so long! With only one team relegated congratulations to GD for making it anywhere above last! Along with previous letter implies Plymoputh fans should be grateful for mediocrity. No-one knows exact budgets but certainly been greater than relative league positions (same for gates); and if budget is low then who is to blame anyway? Success in a City (in a rugby hotbed) brings investment,gates and thus budget - and no excuses please about 'sugar daddies', PA had a backer but lost him because he could see it was going nowhere.

Agenda also clear in WMN statement such as 'despite fact that he (PD) has only had experience at Exeter' - and them making a big deal of his sacking. PD was sacked by Exeter when they were second in the league but journo wants GD to stay for achieving second from the bottom!

Gulliver, Hopper etc all left for a Championship club with no more budget. PA also has advantage of a City to lure young players, however CP left us behind for one reason. Lets be grateful he has gone and let the sleeping giant awake,

Great servant to rugby.
He will be missed.
Get him coaching the England pack.At least he might be able to give them the devil that they are so sadly lacking.
Best of luck in the future Dawsey.

Clive Ritchie I do not know where you come across the things you write however I do know that being as a lot of it is rather vague it is more than likely because you have dreamt it.
There are many things that be written about the finances of PARFC, whether it had a backer, has a backer, whether they paid this much to this player, this team has this budget. it isnt correct to make statements though unless you know them to be correct and if you do know them to be correct then thats because your involved with the club and therefore shouldnt be discussing them anyway.
lets not look back but forward, which is ironic because I hope drewitt looks more to the backs than the forwards for a change.

come on albion!!

Quote:

beerbarian1
Graham has always givn 100% effort doesn't stand for much on its own. Intelligent effort = quality, Albion haven't had the intelligent bit for a long time
For the first time ever I am not even looking forward to Albions next game and hope I can muster the enthusiasm to attend. What have you been looking forward to in the past for few years, the demise of the club?



I am fully aware that something needed to change to get us heading back in the right direction but I don't think the dismissal of GoD is it. what hasn't changed over the years? Albion must have one of the highest turnovers of players in the leagues, the fitness staff have changed, the doctors involved have changed, the physio's have changed, even some of the board has changed under the radar. Dawe was the only constant. What would you have changed?

For those saying the club will now go down. Lets wait and see what happens. I know we have had people calling for this and we have all remained silent but to write off Peter Drewett when his sacking was also a surprise is wrong.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:22:18:20:32 by hills22.

What are you on? intelligent effort won't equal quality without ability. A lot of our losses this season appear to have come from basic player errors. I have no idea how efficiently they have worked within the game plan, have you?

I have been looking forward to Albion reaching and staying in the Prem, why would I want to see their demise? I don't know or care how Sidmouth are doing in their relative division but how much demand has Drewett been in since being booted out of Exeter? Is he good enough? It won't take long to find out.

I would have changed the voice on the tannoy firstly. There is a need to develop the commercial viability of the club and people with particular skills in this field should have been brought in years ago instead of bumbling along on a wing and a prayer. This would have provided Graham with sufficient funding and additional personnel to assist him in his cause.

One other thing that will certainly suffer his loss also is the input into community rugby, or are you going to attempt to belittle him in his efforts there too.

BB1 Graham Dawe has left Plymouth Albion. We now have a new coach who could do with all our support.

Quote:

beerbarian1
What are you on? intelligent effort won't equal quality without ability. Its becoming clearer what i'm dealing with here. I'll try break it down for you and use an analogy, A team of U-12's could put 100% in in a match, would it be quality rugby? NO, because they all run around the pitch together chasing the ball and you could, metaphorically speaking, throw a blanket over the whole team. They're putting 100% effort in but the efforts are misguided,they're not making best use of resources, the same as the team that was shackled by its limited coach who has at times done such things as leave the team waiting on the pitch for a trainig session while he got diesel for a tractor working on the pitch, suspend a training session so that the team can move a marquee and Bar equipment around the ground.....the list could go on. Graham Dawe had all his success in part-time rugby. As the game has gotten more and more professional his gameplan and appraoch to training has become more and more obsolete.
I have been looking forward to Albion reaching and staying in the Prem, why would I want to see their demise? You said for the 1st time ever that you're not looking forward to an Albion game which implies that you've been looking forward to Albion games all along, games that have the club slipping towards level 3. Therfore, its not unreasonable to surmise that you're looking forwardto the demise of the club, it would fit in with your delusion that Dawe exiting is in anyway hasty. Do you care to comment on the descent of the club over th last 6/7 years?


I would have changed the voice on the tannoy firstly. There is a need to develop the commercial viability of the club and people with particular skills in this field should have been brought in years ago instead of bumbling along on a wing and a prayer. This would have provided Graham with sufficient funding and additional personnel to assist him in his cause. Now i've heard it all, the club dying,"Sack the PA Lady"

One other thing that will certainly suffer his loss also is the input into community rugby, or are you going to attempt to belittle him in his efforts there too.The chiefs had a good community rugby programme under P.D too so don't go thinking that was exclusively G.D's initiative. Bear in mind ALbion players have been late for training and missed physio appointments in the past because of their community commitments, very professional don't you think? Also don't forget that a lot ALbion's community work was attached to Sportsmatch programme, so they were getting grants for doing it, its not all for the benefit of he community

Hi redski,

and welcome. Took you a long time to find us. Now get registered.

Graham,
you have, and will always be, a gentleman, your commitment to Albion and your behind the scenes ground work often went un-noticed. I am truly sorry to see you go, but it is always said as one door closes another one opens and I hope that you return to rugby in some form, as you have so much knowledge and passion it would be a shame to see it go. GoD Bless you Sir

and to GoD's replacement...

you have a lot to live up to, and I for one wish you all the best in your new role and please dont ever go for any 'double header' games looking forward to seeing you on saturday


ONWARDS AND UPWARDS ALBION!

Don't let anything get in the way of a good game of Rugby

Cheers Dawsey. If it were not for you we would be in Western Counties today.

The rugby story from initial Beacon Park years and the journey upwards was a pleasure to follow.

I really do wish that you had evolved your coaching, or moved upstairs and could still be at the club.

Thank you.

P.D.

Get in and crack on.

He's gone get over it.

crouch........touch...........pause..........engage

You've had your say S.B.E. let the others have theirs.

Semper Sersum.

sorry frank didnt realise i was allowed 1 post a day.

crouch........touch...........pause..........engage

Prattle on as much as you like narranarra, relish your little victory over GoD getting sacked. You are welcome to you opinion, as am I.

It will become clear soon enough as to whether it was a bad decision or not to get rid of him. However you view it, it was a most unpleasant way for the club to dispose of the hingepin that he was.

It leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth, I for one will not be attending this weeks match for that very reason and as a mark of respect for Graham, even though it is his stated wish to support the team.

Lets hope you and the anti GoD cronies have something to enjoy this weekend

Lets put this into perspective.
1.Graham Dawe did a bloody fantastic job at P.A.R.F.C both on and off the field(for which we are all grateful for),but his style of rugby's shelf life ran out.
2.The anti G.D. cronies as you put it,have the club at heart and not a jot would it matter who is/was in charge the same outcome was needed for the better for P.A.R.F.C.
3.I for one take no pleasure in the recent developements at brickfields,but the club needed a change of direction.
4.We are now in transition where this club may/may not go forward only time will tell.


so lets stop all this petty rubbish and get behind the team and look forward not BACK.

crouch........touch...........pause..........engage

Ye I have to agree with most of your thoughts on this SBE but it is difficult to get your head around it when you read things like this [www.thisisplymouth.co.uk]

It just re-iterates what I believe regarding the limited budget he had to work with and did a great job with what he had to work with.

Thats your belief for what you are entitled,but dont knock it until see have seen how it works,and then your point of view may be changed,so remember saturday 3pm is kick off come along support the team and who knows we may all be pleasantly surprised.

crouch........touch...........pause..........engage

As someone who has only recently had the good fortune to meet with Graham Dawe and see what he has done for Plymouth Albion I have the greatest respect for him as a man and as a contributor to the wonderful game that we all love.It was the same bloody doggedness that he brought to everything he did that failed him in the end. "Change" is inevitable in rugby and those who fail to prepare properly must prepare to fail.Graham must not be lost to Plymouth Albion as he has a huge amount to contribute both on and off the field. While a split like this is never pleasant, when the dust settles, Graham could and should be encouraged to stay involved with the club as his energy, drive, and ability to spot emerging talent should not be lost to another club or even worse to the game. It's now time to get behind the new Coach and the team and support them fully through the next couple of weeks and months. The team must find a "never say die" attitude and we must find the voice to instill that in them. Out of adversity comes courage and out of courage comes the man.

Beerbarian

I think it has been said before; if budget is small in a City - located in a rugby hotbed then who is to blame? DOR because success brings investment and gates. Dont forget GD had a huge budget 3/4/5 seasons ago but didnt generate success.

Last year I believe he had an average gate of over 2000, and was neck and neck with against Bees, Moseley and the like with averages under 1000.

How long can you go on finding excuses for him? He spent all Albion's money and the club was on a downward spiral until some brave individuals took this brave step. GD comment in the paper that he was 'shocked' shows just how impregnable he thought he had become. Who else would have been shocked by this? And as for BB disapproving of the way it was done, other suggestions on a postcard please - I believe he was offered the chance to resign by the way.

Beerbarian

I think it has been said before; if budget is small in a City - located in a rugby hotbed then who is to blame? DOR because success brings investment and gates. Dont forget GD had a huge budget 3/4/5 seasons ago but didnt generate success.

Last year I believe he had an average gate of over 2000, and was neck and neck with against Bees, Moseley and the like with averages under 1000.

How long can you go on finding excuses for him? He spent all Albion's money and the club was on a downward spiral until some brave individuals took this brave step. GD comment in the paper that he was 'shocked' shows just how impregnable he thought he had become. Who else would have been shocked by this? And as for BB disapproving of the way it was done, other suggestions on a postcard please - I believe he was offered the chance to resign by the way.

Quote:

beerbarian1
Prattle on as much as you like narranarra, relish your little victory over GoD getting sacked. You are welcome to you opinion, as am I. You can attempt to be patronising as you like if that makes you feel better but how about you actually reply with something with a little substance. I can see you've tried that with the community rugby issue but i've already highlighted that, surprise surprise, thats not exclusively an Albion initiative. I'll ask again, where do you lay responsibility for the decline of the club since 2005? Did it all start when Louise took control of the tannoy?
It will become clear soon enough as to whether it was a bad decision or not to get rid of him. However you view it, it was a most unpleasant way for the club to dispose of the hingepin that he was.

It leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth, I for one will not be attending this weeks match for that very reason and as a mark of respect for Graham, even though it is his stated wish to support the team.

Lets hope you and the anti GoD cronies have something to enjoy this weekend

If I knew the answer to that I'd be advising the Board of Directors how to run a successful rugby club.

Btw when your head becomes that firmly wedged a crowbar and some vaseline should do the trick nicely.

Lively thread this !! BB1, Is it the word "Sacked" that is your sticking point after all Dawsie has done for PARFC ? It was my reaction at first, but I can imagine the show down of him being told. He would not have done a Johno and I've no doubt he was offered to tender his resignation, so sacked it is.
Albion's game had become same old same old and a new brain was needed. Lets hope the right brain has been chosen, only results will proove one way or the other.
I hope now that it has happened we can all throw our support behind the team, it can't be reversed now.
I would also like to see a new coaching team who are going to suit PD style. Did anyone notice that at half time and Albion behind Nat would stroll off sometimes 5 minutes later after a chat on the sideline (often with GD). Who is in the changing room coaching and saying where it's going wrong ?

Just had the thought come to me having read the posts on here over the last few months. It's the one about the fact that 1% of the population are the leaders who make the decisions and lead the way, another 4% help the 1% impliment those decisions, he next 10% back the decision makers and those that help them and the remaining 85% don't know what the hell is going on anyway.

It brought a smile to my face. hey ho !!!

Semper Sersum.

Its the shareholders who appoint Directors to run a company on their behalf. With 10% of the equity vote, it is quite possible for GD to drum up enough support to sack the Directors who sacked him !!

Quote:

beerbarian1
If I knew the answer to that I'd be advising the Board of Directors how to run a successful rugby club.

I'm not asking you for the answer, i'm asking for your opinion. To have the answer you'd have to be privy to the intricate running of the club. Your opinion is at odds with almost everyone else(to varying degrees) and arguments opposed to yours have been put forward with some basis to back them up. (the falling league position, crowd numbers etc, listless displays by a great number of different players, some who've gone to excel elsewhere)


Lets try this then:

If Graham Dawe was not the main problem with the decline of the club since '05, what, in your opinion, is to blame?

You seem to think he's almost faultless in the clubs demise. ON what have you based your opinion ?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:23:20:27:11 by narranarra.

Is BB1 related to Sara Raine? (the Dawes voice of the Herald.) She also is unable face the reality of the last few seasons and appears to be unable to offer a rounded and just view of what has been happening at the club.

In her eyes also GD can do no wrong and she goes out of her way to find weak and flacid excuses.

I have to say, SttT, that I think that's a snipe too far. Sara is a good friend of Albion, She is a reporter of what she sees, of facts and what the club tells her in interview. She does not report her "views".

Well he is top of the whingeometer. Usually comes out of the woodwork when Albion are doing badly. Likes to get his big stirring stick out.

Oh dear Narranarra, clearly you have not used enough vaseline as it appears well and truly stuck there.

I shouldn't respond to your demands but hell, as long as I am amused by you, why not.

I have felt that the main reason for our decline over the last few seasons is mainly down to financial constaints, now remember this is MY opinion, not a handful of suitable statistics to try and give some creedance to my opinion.

When you say my opinion is at odds with the majority are you talking the handful who post on this forum, the total average weekly attenders at matches or Mori Poll?

Replies only in tidy little boxes and in red please.

beerbarian1 and Narranarra - may I say how wonderful it has been to read all your comments thoughout this thread

can I leave you both with this comment:

GoD, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, And wisdom to know the difference.

nothing can change what has happened, the past is the past, the future is yet to been seen, so make the most of today as it is the present and should be treated as a gift

hope to see you both in the supporters bar on saturday and will drink to the past, the present and the future of Albion

Don't let anything get in the way of a good game of Rugby

I will drink to that.

Having read this thread with great interest and the opinions of all supporters,especially BB and NN,the most important matter is.
Has the Scoreboardend/North Terrace reopened yet?

UH no mate.

crouch........touch...........pause..........engage

@#$%&!!!

Will see you on saturday stranger?

crouch........touch...........pause..........engage

Quote:

beerbarian1
Oh dear Narranarra, clearly you have not used enough vaseline as it appears well and truly stuck there. Try not to drag down the respectibilty of the forum with such crude references. That coupled with your attempts at being patronising just expose your struggle to find something to say to win the debate.
I shouldn't respond to your demands but hell, as long as I am amused by you, why not. I don't remember demanding anything, THe question marks at the end of what i've asked would give it away to most people that have a fair grasp of english that you were being asked something. Requests not ''demands''!

I have felt that the main reason for our decline over the last few seasons is mainly down to financial constaints, now remember this is MY opinion, not a handful of suitable statistics to try and give some creedance to my opinion. A handful? Really? Even if it was metaphorical handful, they were fairly significant issues but at least you're recognizing how to contribute correctly to a debate. Next question then. Why do think Albion have consistently outperformed by clubs with smaller playing budgets? And surely you'd agree money wasn't the issue 04/05 then when the Beacon Park money was blown?

When you say my opinion is at odds with the majority are you talking the handful who post on this forum, the total average weekly attenders at matches or Mori Poll? This discussion forum being medium through which we're communicating, i had assumed that it was implied that it was the forum(even just this thread). I really shouldn't expect you to figure that bit out though given your approach to debating and comprehension of whats written in front of you, so you can that little victory if it makes you feel better.

Replies only in tidy little boxes and in red please. [color=#FF0000]Again, the output of a man clutching at straws struggling to gain a grip on a debate. You'd have a bit more credibility if you could stick just to the subject matter. As for using the tools that the helpful web designers gave us, well it just helps me in picking apart your argumsnts piece by piece.[/color]

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:26:11:57:22 by narranarra.

Can we close this now its getting really boooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggggg.

crouch........touch...........pause..........engage

Time to move on, remember the good times under GoD and respect the commitment he made to the club and the community. Now we have to hope the club can get the investment it needs for success and PD can achieve at Albion what he faield to do up the road.

Get it off your chest I say.

If you watch the posts over a long enough period you will find that quite often some posters change thier stance on a particular subject, I wonder why that is ?

Semper Sersum.

I'm not bored at all, i'm just struggling to comprehend how someone could still, after all the dross that been thrown up at brickfields for so long, still think its such a travesty that their rugby saviour ('GoD') could be sacked.

After attacking the idea that he's sacked and having a swipe at the new D.O.R before he's even had a training session with the players the poster has come in here with a fairly aggressive opinion thats opposed to what most others (on the forum, i need to put that in for him) hold so i've simply asked it to apply some logic to his opinion in the spirit of good old fashioned debate. Although he's struggled to grasp that it is actually a debate and behave's like a child in a school yard with his sarcasm,patronising and unrelated wit.

As for this being boring, i'm glad BB1 is engaging to a certain extent as thats what makes the discussion forum. If everyone came on here and one person from each view point put their opinion at the top of the thread, then everyone else might as well just quote the one they support and put 'hear hear' after it if they're not going to debate it. Now that would be boring.

hear hear.

Semper Sersum.

Well played, Sir.

We are going to watch the game today at Albion but we feel very strongly that the way Graham was dismissed was appalling. It has left a bad taste in the mouth all round. If 'they' the group who engineered this wanted rid so much, why did they not have the balls to give Graham notice? Why do what they did and then ban him from coming back to the ground to get his gear and say goodbye to people he has known for years? Because they are scared, that's why. They didn't have the balls and decency to do the right thing and now they reap what they sow. Our hard earned money is only going in the pot today for the lads that put their necks on the line on the pitch. Totally sickened - and the press think what's happened at the RFU stinks? Disgusted. As for the new bloke, be afraid, if you want to know your future, look to the past mate and whilst you are doing it, get your dirty gear on, you have jobs to do round the ground and sponsorship to get out of hours, lads to put up who have no where to live and talent to spot.... crack on then.

It has been very interesting reading these posts and I've been amazed that so many people appear to know all the Why's and Wherefores of what has happened.Let's face it the only people who really know what and how things happened won't be ( as it's a business matter shouldn't be) posting on this site so any speculation is pretty pointless and only serves to raise hackles and stifle constructive debate. Rugby at this level is a business and sometimes bad things happen in business.
Come folks what's past is past. Let's look to the future;give our full support to the new set up and stop criticising what we don't really know.

Some of you guys don't seem to appreciate the ' normality ' of GD's departure. This happens in business all the time. One day you have a secure job, next morning the boss gives you the sack and ' security ' escorts you off the premises. Yes, it happened to me, two days after my high powered job was ' guaranteed '.

I have watched similar events over the years and there never is a ' right ' way. It is painful, all your mates are ' shocked ' and ' horrified ', they all complain about ' injustice ' and ' we can't manage without him '.

I learned that lesson very young. My Dad was ill. His boss said to me ' Your Dad will be OK - in any case, the business just cannot manage without him '.

Well, Dad died, and the business carried on. @#$%& happens.

It's very odd that all these G.D. supporters have suddenly appeared for the 1st time, unregistered, on this site to bemoan he way he was treated.

For the avoidance of doubt, Dr. Graham Stirling acted with the utmost propriety in the manner the board handled the situation. Even The Herald took a slanted view, based, of course, on what they thort [hi Balion] they knew. NO-ONE knows the REAL conversations that took place.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:27:18:03:12 by ianbol.

Good point ianbol. We shall never know what was said at THAT meeting ( nor in the previous months for that matter )but the headlines might have looked better with ' resigned ' instead of ' sacked '.

I'm still puzzled by DV's resignation.

Hey ho. Time to move on.

Jethro, as I understand it, DV wanted "change" and then met G.D.