The Ospreys management are burying their heads in the sand. It is simple they did not want to hear the truth about the shambolic way we are being run.
It would be interesting to see what their web site traffic is like as I would bet that the most people that looked at the site are those of us that visited the forum!
there is more atmosphere in ads than at liberty, promised world class coach and then a team that could get in to latter stages of competitions, at moment, we have no chance of either.
I enjoy away trips better as more atmosphere, we need things to alter and soon
1. What is the basis of the advice that the forum should be closed.2. Who at OSC said the forum was toxic. What basis do they have for those comments, What qualifies them to say it's no longer needed?3. Why state the forum had a potential to be misused. In what way that other social media channels can not?
4. They want to lower supporter age. To what level? How is dropping 1 platform going to achieve this?Some stats to ask if they're aware of: - as at Feb 2019 around 84% of Facebook users were over 25. - as of July 2019 around 62% of twitter users were over 25. - as of July 2019 around 63% of Instagram users were over 25.5. " this new technology is one way to engage a new family orientated supporter base" What new technology? It's a simple website re-design. It didn't need the closing of the forum to complete a website re-design. How is closing the forum going to engage a new family oriented supporter base?6. With the fan base dwindling how is alienating a proportion of your exiting fan base going to improve things? They need to concentrate on communicating with fans and giving honest answers when questioned instead of treating them as if they're thick. We shouldn't be hearing news about the O's from other outlets first!I'd also put to them that the best way to improve a fan base is to sort out the rugby matters. Something that's only got worse under Millward.
If they claim the new tech gives a family orientated environment then what about some of these "Chris.. talking shite mate" from a well-known member of the OSC on the "80 minutes" post on the Osprey Facebook page or "🛎🔚... bell end" and similar offensive insults to anyone who dared point out that the team had lost by four tries to one and by a twenty nine points margin.
I have the reply from Andrew Millward to our very own Nidum who wrote to him asking why the original Forum was shut down.
He writes that the Ospreys were concerned that they had no control over the Forum but at no time did they ask Peter Owen for his OM5 log in so they would have had control.
He writes that both the previous and current web provider/technology team confirmed that the forum should be removed but offers no justification for this apart from the above reason and that the forum had the potential to be misused.
He confirms that the Ospreys had discussions with the OSC who fed back that the forum had become toxic and was no longer needed seeing as only a few people contributed to it.
He further writes that the aim of the Ospreys is to increase the supporter base, reduce the average age of the supporter and improve the playing squad so they can reach the latter stages of competitions on a regular and continuous basis. He also writes that this new technology is one way to engage a new family orientated supporter base.
Discuss......I would like us to form a coherent strategy to present to the OSC to take to Whapham and Millward.
Thank you OSC and @Grant Berni for taking this to Millward. I already feel the statement is just insulting fans intelligence. the forum was up. I checked it the day before it was taken down. Not having access is a nonsense. Could you please ask them WHY they didn't have access? If it's because they'd already ended the contract then that's just not good enough. The other option is they don't have anybody with the skills to get access - again just not good enough!They'd get far more respect from fans if they just came clean and told the truth. If they decided they didn't want a form any more then stand up and tell the fans why.
I wonder if this "abuse" was the comments made about a former prop who has been over-promoted or secondly criticism that a new staff member was not updating the website with injury/team news as quickly as Peter Owen used to do?
Hi all. I've talked to Paul Whapham (Ospreys Business General Manager) today about the old forum. We (OSC Officers) have arranged a meeting next week with Paul and Andrew Millward and in the meantime, Paul has asked me to share this statement from the O's.....
‘The Ospreys understand that we should have notified supporters on the forum that it would be closing down within a sufficient time. However, since the end of June there were changes made by the company who developed the Forum leaving the Ospreys with no way of accessing any information. The Ospreys were unable to post, moderate or add new users to the forum, rendering is unusable from our end’
It looks like the OSC has been manipulated by Osprey management to give a public perception that they supported the axing of the forum. I appreciate the work the OSC has done over the years but digs about the forum being "old-fashioned" is tosh. It was well-moderated by Peter before he left the organisation and allowed detailed and thoughtful contributions in a way that Twitter and Facebook really don't.
....and in terms of the headstone on the story I wrote on the OSC website......I just thought that the forum deserved a proper burial and not just be lost in action or at sea. I found the remnants of the forum via a friend and that's where I got the stats from about posts, users, etc...half eulogy, half info about us being informed of the forum going and what people's options were about other ways to interact with other supporters and the Ospreys.
We're all surprised that there was no announcement from the O's put on the forum before it went - and again, good on @ospreysfanforum for filling the void that its become ever apparent formed after the event.
Yes it is the match at the Gnoll. I will be more than happy to see you there. Will there be members of the OSC in the Riverside Bar before the game, or do they meet somewhere else please? There is some chicanery going on here and I think some people need to be called out on this.
Thanks for the offer. Unfortunately I will miss the Munster game as I'm attending a work related AGM in LLandudno - genuinely! If the offer remains open, then the next home game is OK by me. Not got a calendar and fixtures at the moment. Is that the game at Neath?
In response to Dai , I have sent an e-mail to one of the OSC committee in order to meet up on Saturday sometime before the match. I have on several occasion stated that I have the highest regard for the OSC and it's members who put in a lot of effort on a purely voluntary basis. I will be more than happy to meet up with you and/or anyone from the OSC on Saturday to provide the information I have received.
Can't help but notice the negative remarks being levied against the OSC on this forum.
Are any of the contributers/posters members of the OSC? , it seems to me that they have fantastic (supposed) inside knowledge to their meetings. Did any of them attend the meeting where the OSC were complicit in the making of the decision to close down the "forum"? and which one of them, allegedly, deemed it to be "Toxic"?
As far as I am aware, not a single one of the OSC has a seat on the Ospreys Board, not one of them can make decisions on how the Ospreys are run and not one of them has a say on any business decisions they make.
Some of you on here, some that I previously had much respect for, seem to attribute to the OSC an ability to make decisions that will change the way that Ospreys plc is heading. Well wake up and smell the coffee! The OSC has no input, whatsoever, in the day to day running of the Ospreys. Very occasionally, they are asked "How do you think people will react to..........?".Notice.....no input, just a request for comment. The decision has been made prior to they being informed about it.
The OSC is a Supporters Club, run by Ospreys supporters for Ospreys supporters. They raise money for Charity, they organise buses for away games, host Q and A events and organise events at the Riverside bar and run an alternative supporters website. They also try to create links with other supporters clubs. That is all they do. Some of the members put in a significant amount of hours every week towards the OSC - social media, supporters website, organising buses and travel etc. etc.
Not a single OSC member gets paid for what they do - no "perks" what-so-ever. NO free tickets, no preferential seating, no freebies at all. They do it, and are happy to do it, to hopefully make the match day experience a better one for the supporters.
Every year there is an AGM. If you don't like or are opposed to what the OSC does, then why don't you attend and stand for the committee. You can then run things the way you want it to be. That is the way democracy works. Don't throw slurs and insults at people whilst hiding behind a keyboard. If you can't or won't stand up and be counted, don't knock those that do.
With regards to the Forum, they were TOLD (about four days before) that it was not going to be supported on the new website, NOT "do you want it to be terminated?". The official who informed of its impending demise also let them know that he was receiving lots of personal abuse on the said forum, to which a reply was made "Yes, it was a bit Toxic". That's a world apart from what has been, both, implied and written on here.
Perhaps, some of you might want to apologise for the "slurs" that you have posted.
Somehow, and I won't hold my breath, I don't think that will happen.
I have tried to send a message to the OSC via their website expressing my displeasure regarding the way they have behaved regarding this matter. I appreciate that they are volunteers and give up their time for the group, bit I don't recall giving them my mandate to make decisions on things such as the forum. In addition I think they trivialised the whole thing by heading their comments with a picture depicting a grave and a headstone raading "RIP Forum". Unfortunately the post "failed to send" and I don't know how else to contact them. If I see anyone at the match I will have a gentle word!
The Ospreys management are burying their heads in the sand. It is simple they did not want to hear the truth about the shambolic way we are being run.
It would be interesting to see what their web site traffic is like as I would bet that the most people that looked at the site are those of us that visited the forum!
there is more atmosphere in ads than at liberty, promised world class coach and then a team that could get in to latter stages of competitions, at moment, we have no chance of either.
I enjoy away trips better as more atmosphere, we need things to alter and soon
A few questions to put back to them:
1. What is the basis of the advice that the forum should be closed. 2. Who at OSC said the forum was toxic. What basis do they have for those comments, What qualifies them to say it's no longer needed? 3. Why state the forum had a potential to be misused. In what way that other social media channels can not?
4. They want to lower supporter age. To what level? How is dropping 1 platform going to achieve this? Some stats to ask if they're aware of: - as at Feb 2019 around 84% of Facebook users were over 25. - as of July 2019 around 62% of twitter users were over 25. - as of July 2019 around 63% of Instagram users were over 25. 5. " this new technology is one way to engage a new family orientated supporter base" What new technology? It's a simple website re-design. It didn't need the closing of the forum to complete a website re-design. How is closing the forum going to engage a new family oriented supporter base? 6. With the fan base dwindling how is alienating a proportion of your exiting fan base going to improve things? They need to concentrate on communicating with fans and giving honest answers when questioned instead of treating them as if they're thick. We shouldn't be hearing news about the O's from other outlets first! I'd also put to them that the best way to improve a fan base is to sort out the rugby matters. Something that's only got worse under Millward.
If they claim the new tech gives a family orientated environment then what about some of these "Chris.. talking shite mate" from a well-known member of the OSC on the "80 minutes" post on the Osprey Facebook page or "🛎🔚... bell end" and similar offensive insults to anyone who dared point out that the team had lost by four tries to one and by a twenty nine points margin.
I have the reply from Andrew Millward to our very own Nidum who wrote to him asking why the original Forum was shut down.
He writes that the Ospreys were concerned that they had no control over the Forum but at no time did they ask Peter Owen for his OM5 log in so they would have had control.
He writes that both the previous and current web provider/technology team confirmed that the forum should be removed but offers no justification for this apart from the above reason and that the forum had the potential to be misused.
He confirms that the Ospreys had discussions with the OSC who fed back that the forum had become toxic and was no longer needed seeing as only a few people contributed to it.
He further writes that the aim of the Ospreys is to increase the supporter base, reduce the average age of the supporter and improve the playing squad so they can reach the latter stages of competitions on a regular and continuous basis. He also writes that this new technology is one way to engage a new family orientated supporter base.
Discuss......I would like us to form a coherent strategy to present to the OSC to take to Whapham and Millward.
Thank you OSC and @Grant Berni for taking this to Millward. I already feel the statement is just insulting fans intelligence. the forum was up. I checked it the day before it was taken down. Not having access is a nonsense. Could you please ask them WHY they didn't have access? If it's because they'd already ended the contract then that's just not good enough. The other option is they don't have anybody with the skills to get access - again just not good enough! They'd get far more respect from fans if they just came clean and told the truth. If they decided they didn't want a form any more then stand up and tell the fans why.
I wonder if this "abuse" was the comments made about a former prop who has been over-promoted or secondly criticism that a new staff member was not updating the website with injury/team news as quickly as Peter Owen used to do?
@Fiddler @Nidum @Grant Berni I have heard that the Ospreys just did not want a forum anymore. Perhaps that can be put to Millward and Whapham?
Well, i noticed "ospreys moderator" on there a few times so someone clearly had access
Hi all. I've talked to Paul Whapham (Ospreys Business General Manager) today about the old forum. We (OSC Officers) have arranged a meeting next week with Paul and Andrew Millward and in the meantime, Paul has asked me to share this statement from the O's.....
‘The Ospreys understand that we should have notified supporters on the forum that it would be closing down within a sufficient time. However, since the end of June there were changes made by the company who developed the Forum leaving the Ospreys with no way of accessing any information. The Ospreys were unable to post, moderate or add new users to the forum, rendering is unusable from our end’
It looks like the OSC has been manipulated by Osprey management to give a public perception that they supported the axing of the forum. I appreciate the work the OSC has done over the years but digs about the forum being "old-fashioned" is tosh. It was well-moderated by Peter before he left the organisation and allowed detailed and thoughtful contributions in a way that Twitter and Facebook really don't.
@grantberni thank you for the little write up and plug on the OSC website.
Are you able to answer the two questions that I posed to @daiophillips at all?
....and in terms of the headstone on the story I wrote on the OSC website......I just thought that the forum deserved a proper burial and not just be lost in action or at sea. I found the remnants of the forum via a friend and that's where I got the stats from about posts, users, etc...half eulogy, half info about us being informed of the forum going and what people's options were about other ways to interact with other supporters and the Ospreys.
We're all surprised that there was no announcement from the O's put on the forum before it went - and again, good on @ospreysfanforum for filling the void that its become ever apparent formed after the event.
Yes it is the match at the Gnoll. I will be more than happy to see you there. Will there be members of the OSC in the Riverside Bar before the game, or do they meet somewhere else please? There is some chicanery going on here and I think some people need to be called out on this.
Thanks for the offer. Unfortunately I will miss the Munster game as I'm attending a work related AGM in LLandudno - genuinely! If the offer remains open, then the next home game is OK by me. Not got a calendar and fixtures at the moment. Is that the game at Neath?
In response to Dai , I have sent an e-mail to one of the OSC committee in order to meet up on Saturday sometime before the match. I have on several occasion stated that I have the highest regard for the OSC and it's members who put in a lot of effort on a purely voluntary basis. I will be more than happy to meet up with you and/or anyone from the OSC on Saturday to provide the information I have received.
Can't help but notice the negative remarks being levied against the OSC on this forum.
Are any of the contributers/posters members of the OSC? , it seems to me that they have fantastic (supposed) inside knowledge to their meetings. Did any of them attend the meeting where the OSC were complicit in the making of the decision to close down the "forum"? and which one of them, allegedly, deemed it to be "Toxic"?
As far as I am aware, not a single one of the OSC has a seat on the Ospreys Board, not one of them can make decisions on how the Ospreys are run and not one of them has a say on any business decisions they make.
Some of you on here, some that I previously had much respect for, seem to attribute to the OSC an ability to make decisions that will change the way that Ospreys plc is heading. Well wake up and smell the coffee! The OSC has no input, whatsoever, in the day to day running of the Ospreys. Very occasionally, they are asked "How do you think people will react to..........?".Notice.....no input, just a request for comment. The decision has been made prior to they being informed about it.
The OSC is a Supporters Club, run by Ospreys supporters for Ospreys supporters. They raise money for Charity, they organise buses for away games, host Q and A events and organise events at the Riverside bar and run an alternative supporters website. They also try to create links with other supporters clubs. That is all they do. Some of the members put in a significant amount of hours every week towards the OSC - social media, supporters website, organising buses and travel etc. etc.
Not a single OSC member gets paid for what they do - no "perks" what-so-ever. NO free tickets, no preferential seating, no freebies at all. They do it, and are happy to do it, to hopefully make the match day experience a better one for the supporters.
Every year there is an AGM. If you don't like or are opposed to what the OSC does, then why don't you attend and stand for the committee. You can then run things the way you want it to be. That is the way democracy works. Don't throw slurs and insults at people whilst hiding behind a keyboard. If you can't or won't stand up and be counted, don't knock those that do.
With regards to the Forum, they were TOLD (about four days before) that it was not going to be supported on the new website, NOT "do you want it to be terminated?". The official who informed of its impending demise also let them know that he was receiving lots of personal abuse on the said forum, to which a reply was made "Yes, it was a bit Toxic". That's a world apart from what has been, both, implied and written on here.
Perhaps, some of you might want to apologise for the "slurs" that you have posted.
Somehow, and I won't hold my breath, I don't think that will happen.
Thanks. I know this person.
I have tried to send a message to the OSC via their website expressing my displeasure regarding the way they have behaved regarding this matter. I appreciate that they are volunteers and give up their time for the group, bit I don't recall giving them my mandate to make decisions on things such as the forum. In addition I think they trivialised the whole thing by heading their comments with a picture depicting a grave and a headstone raading "RIP Forum". Unfortunately the post "failed to send" and I don't know how else to contact them. If I see anyone at the match I will have a gentle word!
They have shown utter contempt for its fans