Graham Rodger Demoted

The nhs still use them but they are getting phased out

After 9 boring pages I have yet to see any actual proof offered to any claims by Pen other than "we know who I'm talking about" *nudgenudge winkwink*....I don't know so please enlighten me with names and evidence. Why they are taking their problems to you I don't know but if you were part of the old regime/a family member and talking to somebody from the old regime who has been replaced then I doubt you as a credible source for anything.

Even if you can't manage that I'd love to hear how the current CEO or owners have done something worse than

1. Firing the guy who played the club mascot for years simply because he expressed disagreement with how the club was being run. Then replaced him by selling the mascot position on matchdays to make a few pennies.

2. Tried to take down The Fishy as the biggest GTFC forum to control the narrative and silence his critics. Then went on to demand the personal information of anyone who uses the site so he can summon them to his office for a chat where he prints off forum screenshots and tries to silence them by threatening legal action. Kept coming on The Fishy to harass and threaten their critics and make longwinded speeches even after selling the club.

3. Put the groundskeeper on furlough to save a few pennies leaving the pitch in a horrible state, did work on the ground themselves to save a few pennies instead of hiring professionals, cheaped out on completing much needed work on replacing old floodlights leaving us with weird Frankenstein floodlights stuck together. Underinvested so badly in training facilities that Hurst and the coaches found that balls were under inflated and much of the training facilities were in poor condition.

4. Put assistant manager on furlough and then refused to pay him his wages to come back to save some pennies, changed a contract bonus agreement as the player is driving over to sign the contract and telling him to turn around if he doesn't like it.

5. Hired personal friends and associates in business and club positions when they have no knowledge of how to run a football club or even experience running a company nor did they invest a single penny into the club in almost all cases. Got caught trying to do business with a convicted fraudster and still doesn't admit to any wrongdoing. While saving pennies by refusing to pay others or to the detriment of the club, spunked money up the wall on a stadium vanity project in the hopes he can boost his political career by tying it into local regeneration and schmoozing up to dodgy politicians like notorious right-wing nut, tax dodger and noted hater of EU tax laws Nigel Farage.


I'm sure I could think of more but I feel like even proving they did something worse than one of these things that happened under the watch of the previous board and staff no longer at the club would be good. Demoting or replacing the staff that have not provided any results in 30 years at the club isn't worse.

Quoted from Kris2

After 9 boring pages I have yet to see any actual proof offered to any claims by Pen other than "we know who I'm talking about" *nudgenudge winkwink*....I don't know so please enlighten me with names and evidence. Why they are taking their problems to you I don't know but if you were part of the old regime/a family member and talking to somebody from the old regime who has been replaced then I doubt you as a credible source for anything.

Even if you can't manage that I'd love to hear how the current CEO or owners have done something worse than

1. Firing the guy who played the club mascot for years simply because he expressed disagreement with how the club was being run. Then replaced him by selling the mascot position on matchdays to make a few pennies.

2. Tried to take down The Fishy as the biggest GTFC forum to control the narrative and silence his critics. Then went on to demand the personal information of anyone who uses the site so he can summon them to his office for a chat where he prints off forum screenshots and tries to silence them by threatening legal action. Kept coming on The Fishy to harass and threaten their critics and make longwinded speeches even after selling the club.

3. Put the groundskeeper on furlough to save a few pennies leaving the pitch in a horrible state, did work on the ground themselves to save a few pennies instead of hiring professionals, cheaped out on completing much needed work on replacing old floodlights leaving us with weird Frankenstein floodlights stuck together. Underinvested so badly in training facilities that Hurst and the coaches found that balls were under inflated and much of the training facilities were in poor condition.

4. Put assistant manager on furlough and then refused to pay him his wages to come back to save some pennies, changed a contract bonus agreement as the player is driving over to sign the contract and telling him to turn around if he doesn't like it.

5. Hired personal friends and associates in business and club positions when they have no knowledge of how to run a football club or even experience running a company nor did they invest a single penny into the club in almost all cases. Got caught trying to do business with a convicted fraudster and still doesn't admit to any wrongdoing. While saving pennies by refusing to pay others or to the detriment of the club, spunked money up the wall on a stadium vanity project in the hopes he can boost his political career by tying it into local regeneration and schmoozing up to dodgy politicians like notorious right-wing nut, tax dodger and noted hater of EU tax laws Nigel Farage.


I'm sure I could think of more but I feel like even proving they did something worse than one of these things that happened under the watch of the previous board and staff no longer at the club would be good. Demoting or replacing the staff that have not provided any results in 30 years at the club isn't worse.

ooooh - i can see Getyourfactsright sending you one of his famous p.m.'s , or hopefully a Malbec fuelled reply on here. Rubbing my hands together already !  

Very interesting things occurring by the looks of it  

Oh well as long as it's for the better, then that can only be a positive.

Interesting too that the women's team is also in the process of moving out of GTSET into Neil Woods' Academy set up. That too can be a real positive for the women's team, as the Academy is an outstanding and really well managed and man-managed set up. They deserve the best.

Quoted from DaleH

Very interesting things occurring by the looks of it  

Oh well as long as it's for the better, then that can only be a positive.

Interesting too that the women's team is also in the process of moving out of GTSET into Neil Woods' Academy set up. That too can be a real positive for the women's team, as the Academy is an outstanding and really well managed and man-managed set up. They deserve the best.

Where have you seen that Dale and what does being in the academy setup entail compared to now?

That broom really is sweeping through the organisation it seems.

A set of new people come into the club and run it professionally.

We couldn't wish to have two better people than JS and AP at the helm. Not only are they successful businessmen in their own right, they're from Grimsby and they love the club. We're also very lucky to have DC as CEO. Loads of experience, recognised by JS and AP as the best person to improve us off the field.

They've taken over a non-league club - and you don't fall into non-league from where we were if everything's okay. We were an absolute shambles. Lots to sort out, loads of tough conversations to have, of course there are going to be some very difficult decisions to make (many we won't be privy to).

But the one thing we can all be sure of is that they're doing it for the good of the club and the community. They're not doing it for their mates, their family or their own bank balance/political standing.

They're not arguing with the media, closing down message boards, calling managers fruit loops, trying to control the narrative, snapping flags, being petulant, etc. They'll simply be looking at things and if something wasn't working (and plenty wasn't) then they'll change it. Standard practice.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

Where have you seen that Dale and what does being in the academy setup entail compared to now?

That broom really is sweeping through the organisation it seems.

Well the information came to me about two - three weeks ago, through a reliable source (don't you just hate it when people say a "reliable source"). I don't think it was any big secret or anything. Somebody at Blundell Park made it known that there had been meetings held with Neil Woods, and that they were in discussions about picking up the women's team, lifting it out of GTSET, and putting it under the umbrella of the Academy. Believe me, if this had been a possibility when I was there, then I wouldn't have jacked the job in, as I have a great deal of respect for the Academy and the people in it.

It isn't a big secret or anything as far as I know. My daughter is a player for the women's team, and Neil Woods and Colin Walker from the Academy attended training last Thursday, for an introduction to the players. I have to say, that I have got a great deal of respect for Colin (and Neil too of course), who has had a good deal of experience in the women's game previously at a high level. He is a super nice guy too bye the way.

I cannot answer your question about what being in the academy set up entails compared to now. Other than to say, that, the my daughter was suitably encouraged by the introduction they made on Thursday night, especially with regard to things like having a physio available to them, which is something I struggled to get for the players. Plus of course, there are some splendid coaches in the Academy, and the players are crying out for an improvement in coaching. Since I left in November, my previous assistant, and Graham Rodger, took over team affairs and training sessions. There has been a lot of instances where management and coaches haven't been attending training, and sessions have had to be put on by the captain and another player. That is far from ideal, since the players need to be fully in the session as participants, not as coaches. I did actually hint at wanting some additional coach resource during pre-season, as I had done in previous seasons, as I recognised that we needed it. Whilst I am pretty happy with my own offering as a coach, I was always conscious of the fact that we was devoid of other coaches of the level that the players needed and deserved. Especially when I look at other teams forging ahead like Lincoln City, Lincoln United, Chesterfield, Northampton and Notts County etc. They have huge teams of resource available to them, including multiple outfield coaches, goalkeeper coaches, physio, video analysis people etc. Some of these people are college and uni students, that clubs are able to tap into for work experience. Chesterfield pitched up with the very latest VEO match analysis camera system. There is one of these at GTSET used for the boys college teams, but when I asked if we could also utilise this, it wasn't made available to us.

Last summer I actually contacted Neil and another person in the Academy, to see if they knew of anyone that would be willing to volunteer to help out. I really wanted an additional outfield coach, in addition to a goalkeeper coach. There wasn't anything or anyone forthcoming at that stage, but hopefully, now that it is becoming part of the Academy, these things will fall into place nicely, The girls' really do deserve it. There is so much more that can be done for the women's team, and I am really quite excited at the prospects for them now.

I'll sign off at that. I've had a little read back on what I have written. I don't genuinely think I've written anything here, where I have disclosed things that I shouldn't, or that isn't public knowledge.. It's all pretty much common knowledge. It's peculiar that I find myself contributing to a discussion on a topic of "Graham Rodger", but naturally when I saw the subject title, it sparked my intrigue. I have no idea whether or not he has been demoted, but as far as I was concerned, all correspondence I received from him was signed off as him being the Chief Executive of GTSET, and that is what I always understood him to be on a day to day basis. I did hear a few weeks ago, that it was likely that the club was going to recruit a new CEO, and wondered then why that would be the case.

Keep positive everyone and #UTM  

Thanks for that Dale. Great to hear information from someone really in the know. Glad to hear there are positive moves afoot for the women’s team.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Thanks for that Dale. Great to hear information from someone really in the know. Glad to hear there are positive moves afoot for the women’s team.

This. I don't even know Dale (or the circumstances around his departure). However, I am sure GTFC would benefit from his involvement in some capacity somewhere.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Thanks for that Dale. Great to hear information from someone really in the know. Glad to hear there are positive moves afoot for the women’s team.

I cannot really say I am on the know. Just stuff that is fairly public anyway, or is certainly openly discussed.