ariotofmyown

Easy solution here: any issues you have with the letter representing your own views can be clarified with an additional letter from yourself representing your own views.
(This post may or may not represent my own views)

Great questions to be fair and why I personally chose to decline the invitation to co sign, reading the replies has justified my position.
I'm not sure how the supporter groups handle this issue of speaking on behalf of their members, be it votes, meetings or what and to be honest it is't any of my business either. 
The way I look at it is if you are a Labour member, vote Labour, this doesn't mean you agree with every point on their manifesto. You simply agree with what they are trying to achieve.
We're never going to agree on every aspect of the club from pitch to boardroom, 1 day on this forum will show that, but why knock others for having different opinions, strong opinions that they felt the need to act? 
Having read the letter and despite not signing it, I never felt once that they were trying in anyway speaking on behalf of myself personally, which the topic is getting lost in and the "who do they think they are". They are Derby fans. 
Would it not be a far better discussion if it focused on the points in the letter and why you agree or disagree, the forum is a platform designed to hold discussions, was never intended as a battle base to throw stones at other supporter groups or fans from other platforms.

Full transparency from me (Ryan) on this one: I was approached to offer some thoughts about what could be done and signed this purely from my personal viewpoint that the club is in disarray and we've spent over a year now not being communicated to whilst seeing the name of the club dragged through the mud.
As just an individual, I felt comfortable doing so because I agreed with the points made, but more importantly because I think that going forward, there needs to be a more united voice for supporters as a whole, rather than the array of random splinter groups which appear when crisis arises every few years. 
I'm not a member of RamsTrust or any supporters groups for that matter, just someone who is looking to try and do something. And I know that we all are but hey, every little helps I guess. And one thing I just want to make clear - absolutely, 100% don't think my name would hold anymore weight than any other individuals would. I live hundreds of miles from PP at the moment in a tiny studio flat, and had to wait until 2018 until to get my first season ticket. I've even been known to cancel Rams TV during the off-season. I'm just a Derby County supporter who was approached and is happy to try and help, all with the best of intentions. 
Understand that in the past supporters groups have been divisive and often don't speak necessarily on behalf of supporters whilst all battling against each other. Maybe this is one of those times, and if so I hold my hands up.

I guess that's the point, if you sit on your jacksie not being involved you remove your ability to do anything other than grumble when you see the outputs. Your right, no debate, but that's all it will ever be unless you take the time to join the discussion. Until then you (not you personally, but in general) choose to exclude yourself from what is said on your behalf*. 
* - resists temptation to make comment on the parallels to so much else happening in society

I think you actually meant that as a serious post didn't you? A whole collective should cease putting forward statements for no other reason than they don't represent your personal views.

Jeez, our club is in the poop, nobody knows what going on and the thing that animates more than most posting in this thread is that they weren't consulted, we've got a poet signing it and someone who signed it blocked a poster on this forum or they think the tone is a bit aloof.
It's a request for info, written by a group of fans who - collectively - have a fair claim to represent more than a single point of view. If you care enough then join Ramstrust (trust me, they will happily take all the help they can get) or set up your own group. I might get on my hind legs at Nick claiming to speak for the fans but at least he's making the effort to do so, not sitting behind some keyboard going 'well they didn't ask me before sending it'.

Then phone Radio Derby and speak to them. I'm going to leave it here as I don't want to derail the thread but what I will say is that over the years most of the times when I've seen people take a pop at Rams Trust it has nearly always been because they feel RT are so self important that they didn't take time to listen to one fan and put their views forward on their behalf. The irony!

It's open, anyone can join, I'm a member (take of that what you will). Honestly, they're not the anti-Christ but just some decent fans trying to open up dialogie with the club. To repeat, I think they go a bit far on where they want that dialogue to take place but they are not some sort of militant group trying to infiltrate our transfer policy. Just fans, that's all.
https://ramstrust.org.uk/wp/

I joined a few days ago, as I wanted to join an official group. They are a registered , formal supporters trust which has a couple of membership options, including full membership with a share in the trust, for £2. I personally had not seen them as being as an active group for some time and not been as active as they can and should be. 
 

That's a bit harsh, they have done everything they can to put as many representative signatures to the letter as possible. I don't feel they are trying to speak for me but they are trying to say that the views presented in that letter are shared beyond any one group. I don't agree with all the points (particularly the one on board meetings - that is them using this situation to reignite their agenda) but the bulk of what is asked for is pretty level and fair. If nothing else, at least they took the time to put it together and register with the owners the general concern of the club - I don't find that self important as an aim.

Actually quite funny. For once. 

They are a splinter faction of the Derby fanbase. Their modus operandi is to tie the limbs of a Ram together tightly and roughly with rope to prevent them from moving or escaping and to then inflict their views on them.

Well done in Ramstrust typing out the letter and moving on from using crayons. 

Full transparency. I was invited to this meeting, but chose not to put my name or the forums to this.
Reason being as I have previously stated, this forum is a platform for fans views, I am not an elected chairman/spokesman to speak on behalf of you all, simply the creator of this platform for fans views which can already be openly seen by the club.
I did not feel comfortable signing on behalf of the forum without consulting you all, and felt my name without attaching dcfcfans.uk held no weight.
My own personal views are that this letter has been created out of concern for the clubs future and regardless of how you feel towards any of the groups that have signed off on it, do not see this as an opportunity to attack supporters groups for speaking on behalf of Derby County fans.
We all love this club. ?

Signed by:
Jim Wheeler, Elaine Dean, Malcolm Turner (RamsTrust)
Lynn Hemsworth (Derby County Supporters Clubs)
Gary Dempsey (DCFC Disabled Supporters Clubs)
Punjabi Rams
Nick Webster (Flagman)
Paddy Breslin (84 club)
Jimmy Gregory (Rams Group)
Ollie Wright (Derby County Blog)
Chris Parsons (Steve Bloomer’s Washing podcast)
Jamie Thrasivoulou (Poet)
Ryan Hills (‘Pride’ author)

To be fair, I think Billy's situation has only got worse since us. As loved as he seemed to be by the squad, he was polarising in equal measure with them as well - some of which didn't make it into the final book.
Been trying to get an interview with him for three years - we persevere.

Think the Bill Davies revelations were my favourite part...the revelations of how he built that band of brothers style squad.
My opinion of him definitely went up after reading it, whilst wondering if he went on to suffer with illness. That paranoia didn't sound healthy.

Definitely not expecting top 6....wouldn't even if he had 10m to spend. I'm also not pretending it must have been easy for him this past season but to his credit, he didn't complain about the unpaid wages or failed takeovers.
I'm a big advocate of youth development & attractive football and on both scores, we've regressed under his reign. I look at how Sibley, Knight & Bird have gone backwards under him and am concerned that this is just his style of management. Added to the style of play, it seems to run counter to everything I thought we stood for. You mention him leveraging his contacts for Prem loans...this to my mind is just creating another Lampard situation, a squad built on sand. It also tallies horribly with my belief that he will leave the moment we start doing well & a Prem club flutter their eyelids. No long term plan & no legacy if he left.
We obviously won't agree on Rooney but I do agree with the sentiment of your post. Given he is likely to stay for the reasons we all know about, get behind the team, no negativity at PP & hope to goodness there is something more about him than he has shown to date. Also not the type to want results to prove I'm right....I hope he builds this club back up, shows commitment if we do start doing well & rams the critics' words back down their throat. We all want heroes ultimately & to feel proud of our club again.

Here goes.
I think it's time to draw a line under last season, and get behind Rooney giving him a break for next season. Put your pitchforks down, give me a chance before you smash the keyboard.
I'm not suggesting giving him a free pass for what was a poor end to the season, but we can't dwell on the past and must understand the position we are in financially, even if you cannot get on board with the hand Rooney was dealt with was not the greatest, look at it from the financial point of view.
Rooney walks? Entirely different situation, if he receives the assurances that he can bring players in and compete, I just don't see him walking, I wouldn't be surprised if he's not fired up even more to prove himself. 
Sack him? Now this is the question, how much will that cost, can we afford it?
The reply to that will be, but we can't afford to drop into League 1, no we can't, but with a summer of recruitments using his contacts is a risk worth willing to take in my opinion, even if you give him until October to not have us in any kind of relegation battle.
Things don't work out, we may at least have some decent players at the club to work with. Lampard with Tomori, Mount and Wilson for example to then bring in an experienced disaster fighter to keep us up.
Would you give Rooney a couple of months in exchange for extra funds to purchase a player or two than showing him the door now?
What even are the expectations for next season? Please don't tell me we have any fans sat here thinking top 6 minimum, in my mind a 10th to 16th unspectacular season would be acceptable as a building block. 
Is Rooney capable of that? I don't see why not, let's not forget the weeks we were up there with the best in the form table before Bielik got injured, now if he has the players, the squad, I don't see that as being a totally unrealistic target. 
What Cocu would have done with Bielik and CKR for that matter is irrelevant now, we'll never know.
Fans will hopefully be back next season, let's not walk into the opening game with a toxic atmosphere booing and calling for the blokes head, look at the scenes outside Pride Park pre Sheffield Wednesday game, the players didn't deserve any of that really, but right now we need to play our part however hard that maybe for some of you. 
There is a huge negative cloud above this club right now, I just feel that by adding to that with weekly demands for Rooney's head will offer nothing positive to the current situation we find ourselves in.
Give him a chance, couple of months that's all. Regardless of who the owner is, I don't see him being afford much longer than that if we look to be heading into trouble once again.
 

Might be close...neither side has done anything great since the late 90s.

This Indian strain is a great concern. Why are Indians over here not getting the Punjab? Tragic case down here, where someone not only lost their naan, but caught the virus themselves whilst caring and is now in an induced korma. 

Might be close...neither side has done anything great since the late 90s.

Might be close...neither side has done anything great since the late 90s.

Might be close...neither side has done anything great since the late 90s.