I have been running the club for 33 years now, and from what I can remember, I got on quite well with most of our players during the 70's, 80's & 90's.
However, since I launched the website in 2001 (I think ?), things have gone rapidly downhill in that respect, and the reason for that is undoubtedly because I suffer from Asperger Syndrome.
I didn't realise I had this condition until a couple of years ago, but having read up on it since then, it explains why I have no idea that I am continually pissing our players off...unless I am told by them that I am doing so ! Thankfully, a prominent club member told me this morning of his annoyance at something, and to be honest, the more club members let me know, the better ! I honestly do not realise I am doing it.
Unintentional insensitivity, a lack of empathy and difficulty in socialising are just three of the things I have a massive problem with, and all of these things come out in my Match Reports, the Video Notes and on Forum messages when I am trying to explain why players are not available.

I am only guessing here, but there is a strong possibility that a large number of our 40 currently registered players no longer enjoy playing for the club because they don't fancy being criticised in my Match Reports or in the Video Notes, so they therefore prefer to do other things on a Sunday morning instead and are only prepared to come along and play to help us out when we are short.
All I am trying to do is describe what happened in our matches, but it seems that because of my condition, I cannot do that without upsetting somebody. The same things are said by the players themselves to each other in the changing rooms afterwards or down the Pub, but they can do it 'jokingly' using facial expressions and tone of voice and I can't. I use a keyboard and it is then seen as 'sniping' and callous. I wish I knew why, but somebody will have to tell me as I honestly don't understand.

From tomorrow's match onwards (if we play), I will therefore no longer be doing any Match Reports or any Video Notes, and if players are unavailable for a match, it will say on the Fixtures page and the Forum just 'unavailable'...nothing else. No explanation (or speculation) as to why players cannot play.
Trevor's brief Manager's Report will have to suffice (unless anybody else wishes to do a Match Report every Sunday night and e-mail it to me like Murf used to do ?), and as far as the Video Notes are concerned, if anybody wants to know what happened, they will just have to buy a match DVD or the 20-Minute Highlights compilations.
Having said that, I now have one of those portable 7-inch screen DVD players that I will bring with me to matches, so if players get to the matches early enough they can have a quick look before the kick-off or down the Pub afterwards.
I am absolutely gutted that I can no longer do Match Reports and especially the Video Notes, but it is just far too risky....unless somebody (e.g. Trev ?) is prepared to read through them and 'vet' them first before I send them out ?
There is a very real danger that the club will fold at the end of the season if I continue to criticise players myself.

I would imagine that all players who have played for us for any length of time probably appreciate what I have done for them in terms of doing the Secretary's job, filming the matches, doing the website, putting the nets up and washing the kit (amongst other things), but as far as I am concerned, I do not deserve any praise whatsoever for all that when I have been such a 'kant' for certain players in my Match Report, Forum & Video Notes comments.

you complete arse, just fucking get on with it!

Cheers mate.
No need for the anon.

dont be ridiculous the reports are legendary

i actually find the match reports both really quite funny and almost acurate. It has to be said though that Lol does seem to call it as it is. He has quite rightly blamed me for some of the goals that have gone past me but he has also pointed out where i have been good in a game which was easliy forgotton. I think the main reason people do not want to play is because they may not be in the starting 11 and do not want to be sub. It would also help if we won every now and then, but some of the games we've lost this season, we have played really well. There has not been any real training for years where we can ALL attend (we all have genuine reasons why we can't make it) and from there try and earn a place in the squad/starting 11.
I hope you do carry on writing the match report and if people are easily offended, don't bloody read it. On the other hand, Lol has often increased players marks out of ten and praised a lot of players and team performance.

For what its worth I totally agree with DJ & Dan. The reports are the only reason the wife allowed me to pay £25 subs as she enjoys reading about how unfit Gav is and how poor my corners are.

Personally Monday mornings would never be the same again if i couldn't look up the player ratings and moan in the office that i was orignally a 7.5 but as i didn't go to the pub have been downgraded to a 4.

Long live reports, abuse & moans about why Stu doesn't play 7-a-side

I completely agree, even though in the past i may have felt hard done by, regardless of any condition i think it is generally a great thing for this club. We are in a ubique position of having games analysed after a match and anything you may have thought you could get away gets caught on camera.

End of the day you want players with the character to be able to deal with a bit of banter and if they are consistantly getting the arse with match reports perhaps they should take a look at themselves rather than having a go.

Long live the match reports !!!!

Deej, exactly...I 'call things as I see it', and I am never going to change because A.S. sufferers CAN'T, basically. There is no cure for the condition !
It has got me into loads of scrapes in the past in all walks of life, not just with Rovers players, so if the opportunity is there to keep my mouth (or rather keyboard) shut, then unfortunately I will have to do so.
The biggest problem is my tendency to criticise somebody in a Match Report or the Video Notes where it makes them look as if they have some sort of grudge against one or more of their team-mates, and that's obviously bang out of order me 'setting them up' like that, even though I don't mean to. That's what appears to have happened on this occasion.
In fact I have undoubtedly done it before to other individuals, but I have been fortunate that they have turned a blind eye to it and presumably taken it as banter.
Even if the player(s) who are 'easily offended' by my Match Reports & Video Notes 'don't bloody read it' themselves, they will be worried that others will read things in there that make them look like a 'kant'.

Believe it or not, I hate upsetting people, and I do get pretty shaken up when I receive e-mails from players I have known for years where they are so incensed, they either challenge me to throw them out of the club or threaten to leave of their own accord.
There have been three players do that already this season and another one (a very long-serving player) who is no longer replying to e-mails and texts, which I suspect may be because I 'named and shamed' him recently as being amongst a group of overweight, unfit players (which of course was accurate but meant more as 'banter').

Thanks for the messages of support, but I am still of the opinion that the best way round this is for Trev to vet all my Match Reports and Video Notes before they are published/circulated, and if he has not got time to do that, then they don't go out at all.

It is good to see some positive support for the match reports.

I agree that Laurence often writes things that are inappropriate and I am quite happy to vet and edit the reports. However, this may diminish the entertainment value for the sake of not upsetting the more sensitive members of our squad.

I think the portable DVD which will show the video evidence will assist in getting players to agree with the marks they are given and hopefully improve performances for the following week.

in the words of Jacko....just do the fackin reports Lol and don't be a kant.

most of us know Lol enough to know what he's about. There's bound to be more negative stuff than positive if we're losing anyway. I'm surprised the marks are as high as they are.......especially Jim's.

Keep up the hard work Lol.....we'd have to find someone else to have a go at in these desperate times

Can you play 7 a side this summer Stu - you don't really have to head the ball.

(sorry - Barnard isn't here to make fun at)

Trev, are you saying that players are going to turn up 'early' to matches (i.e. at 10.00.a.m.) and/or go down the Pub afterwards to watch the 'highlights' (ahem) on the portable DVD player ?!!!

Oops, sorry...I'm having a go at our players again. Forgot.

i would jim but the sand gets in my bum

that should make the crabs feel at home!!

My two pennies worth:

The match reports and videos are one of the reasons this club stands out from the rest.

I know plenty of lads from other clubs that check your website and even some that are interested in joining because of the attention to detail that goes in to it all.

Without meaning to further upset the players who have been upset by Lol's comments, liven up will ya! Tad too oversensitive if you ask me.

As Deej says, don't read it if you don't like it. You will no whether you've played shit so you will know whether you're going to be ripped to shreds.

The best response to being cunted off in the video notes is to go out and stick two fingers up in the next match by putting 10% more effort in instead of sulking about it.

If we showed a bit more arsehole and less moping about we may not be near the bottom of the bloody league.

So to sum it up: Lol, can you carry on as before please, whether Trev checks them or not.

What I can't understand is why some players...and it is only a small minority...have to throw their toys out of the pram so much when they disagree with something I have put in the Match Report, Video Notes and when I 'assume' reasons for unavailability when listing the squad on the Forum.
If they have their own opinion on something I have written in the Reports/Notes or want to correct me regarding the reason for their unavailability for matches, what's wrong with just posting a light-hearted reply on the Forum or in reply to the Video Notes via e-mail for everyone to read ?
Surely that's better for team spirit and a better way of discussing things than having a major private bust-up over something that most of us would probably deem to be rather trivial ?

It also goes without saying that the thing that annoys me the most (and Trev as well) is when players refuse to admit they have made a mistake and look to blame others (especially the Lino) when it doesn't even NEED the video to prove they were at fault.
Thankfully, the large majority of our current players DO hold their hands up and apologise, but there are still one or two who don't. Some do afterwards in the changing rooms (apparently), but not while the game is going on (or when I have pointed it out in the Video Notes).
However, it used to be a lot worse in the 70's and 80's. Our First Team played our Reserve Team once and the game had to be abandoned after a mass punch-up !

good points well made Rob. couldn't have put it better myself

Bit worried about players running over to the camera sticking two fingers up at me if they score a goal though.
Not sure if I'll be able to put THAT on Clip Of The Week !

Lol I've probably been on the wrong end of your match reports quite a lot but even I want you to continue doing them. Most of the time they're a good read and tells players where they are going wrong - gives the kick up the arse what Trev lacks in all due respect.

As so many have said, the organisation, website, match reps & DVDs is what makes this club stand apart. So what if you always gave me 6.5 out of 10, come wind, rain, shine or a barnstormer of a performance, I still tuned in every Monday morning just in case you didn't.....

.....and you were never disappointed

i totally agree with the comments that lol should carry on doing what he does best

everyone should be open to a little critisim and be man enough to take it on the chin, and use this to improve their own game

keep up the good work lol

i agree with tem 100%, trev as a manager you are too nice, when things are not going right you should slam your foot down and express yourself, be more hard on us when things arent going well. when we are losing and not playing well take your hat off and throw it to the ground and start bollickin to liven us up and get us going. thats the only fault with this team we are far to nice and gentlemenly which i why i think we lose oftenly we need that nasty side to us to take teams by the scruff of the neck and let them know we aint going to get bullied. i do really enjoy playing for rovers but id enjoy it a lot more if things toughened up

I do agree with Tem and Danny that I should give a b*llocking more often - we certainly deserve it.
It has always been my management style to pick up on the positive aspects of our play and encourage people. However, this does not seem to be working for many of the current players looking at our recent results.

Lets hope we play well this Sunday or I might start getting angry.

One of the main reasons I do the Video Notes is because we don't have an Assistant Manager, and obviously I cannot shout out things when I am filming. If I did, it would probably piss players off anyway and they would end up walking off the pitch !?

I have said for some time that we need a 'motivator' to do that job...someone who is not playing and is on the touchline shouting encouragement, running on to attend to injured players (and then motivate them), and giving a more forthright opinion at Half-Time in addition to Trev's tactical team-talk when necessary.
We don't have any ex-players willing to do that though, mainly because they think they will end up as Lino...or because they now live in Manchester !

Yes, our players need motivating to be more competitive, but what we don't want to do is get an outsider in who we don't know who then turns us into a team of thugs...like we were when we first joined this League in the late-80's (until Trev took over as Manager).
We ended up at the bottom of Division 5 because of that. We need to play good football and use our brains first and foremost.

It is always good to have someone on the side motivating but come on there are plenty of experienced guys in this side. Surely we should not need a kick up the arse at half time if we are not playing well we can tell that for ourselves. I do agree that Trev does always look for the positives but that is better than having the opposite and just looking for negatives.

I reckon we should get training back up and running again and people MUST make an effort where possible to turn we need to get to know each others game a little better and the extra fitness will have a direct impact on our performances. There must be something in the fact that we were the better side at ahlf time in a lot of ours games this year and have struggled in the second half.

Come on fella's we cannot expect to just turn up on a Sunday and evrything to be great and enjoy it. Enjoying it will come from winning games and playing some good football which we can definately do but we do need to put some work into it. I cannot quite believe that the 1 person who puts more into the club than anyone else is feeling that they need to hold back. If only we put in 1 10th of the time or effort i am sure things would be better.

Loveday...Training is definitely going ahead on Thursday 22nd Jan (once Barney is back from Oz).
I will be there, and how about some others showing the same commitment instead of following each other like sheep and hiding behind the 'working late' excuse ?
I know full well that the majority of our players think to themselves 'If he's not going, I won't either then. It will be a crap turnout'.
Others give in to the missus too easily when it comes to babysitting duties on a Thursday night.

Count me in for training on the 22nd

Lol! Although I can't post on the forum from work, I can still view it and I would be very dissapointed if you stop playing Bad cop to Trevor's Good(!?) Cop.

And take a leaf out of Murph's book...say no to censorship! You cant let Trev Veto the reports as he hardly pays attention to the game