"The singular achievement of the SMC to date has been to provide the impetus for the formation of StadiumWatch. This the SMC managed through staggering ineptitude and stupefying indifference to the needs of its largest customer group" - StadiumWatch January 2007

This site has been established as a source of information for users of the Keepmoat Stadium. The site is currently under construction, so not all links are active, though most are. Please return for news of the aims of the user group as it seeks to provide scrutiny and feedback over the performance of the Lakeside Sports Complex LLP trading as the SMC.

The Doncaster Lakeside Sports Complex:

The Doncaster Lakeside Sports Complex LLP is registered at Companies House (under number OC315175) with two designated members, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council ("DMBC"), and Dearne Valley Leisure Trust ("DVLT"). The LLP trades as the SMC, and at no cost has been granted a 50-year lease by the DMBC and charged with the responsibility of raising revenue to provide a sinking fund for the future maintenance and repair of the stadium, and fund the day to day expenses of the SMC while managing the Lakeside Sports Complex.

DMBC Minutes 3 plus one partnership arrangement: link

The LLP as currently configured represents a breach of an original agreement by the DMBC to vest the complex in a 3 plus one partnership arrangement with the sporting clubs, (Rovers, Lakers and Belles), and the DMBC.

Since taking operational control of the stadium complex in December 2006, the SMC have been lambasted by sports fans for excessive secrecy, high prices, poor service, broken promises, in-fighting over club use of facilities, ticketing gaffes (including, double selling and misreporting of attendances), heavy stewarding, and heavy handed treatment of club officials. Calls for an independent audit of the ticketing arrangements at the stadium have been ignored. Accountability is a word not well understood by the SMC.

It could have been so different:

During the 5 year long planning and construction stages of Doncaster Community Stadium, (later renamed the Keepmoat Stadium after the £1m sponsorship deal from Keepmoat PLC), Andy Liney, the Doncaster Rovers FC designated Fans's director participated in the conception, design and strategy meetings with the DMBC.

During the 5 year long planning and construction stages of Doncaster Community Stadium, (later renamed the Keepmoat Stadium after the £1m sponsorship deal from Keepmoat PLC), Andy Liney, the Doncaster Rovers FC designated Fans's director participated in the conception, design and strategy meetings with the DMBC.

Andy Liney is considered by StadiumWatch to be custodian of all the promises and commitments made by the Mayor and working groups leading up to the opening of the stadium. Since the opening in December 2006 until very recently, he has worked tirelessly trying to get the SMC to learn from Rovers' experienced professionals, and trying to get them to fulfil the earlier commitments of Mayor Winter, with scant progress but many promises to do better.

Mayor Winter, with an eye on the next election, assiduously cultivates a positive image in the press. However, he has failed to inject as much effort in ensuring that the many promises he was party to are fulfilled. Promises such has the sporting clubs being provided with a permanent, themed sports bar at the stadium, and the stadium being run as a partnership between the three sporting clubs and the DMBC, have been spectacularly broken. Winter's placeman on the SMC, the executive board of the LLP, is Ian Spowart, former political ally, advisor and councillor.

The Dearne Valley Leisure Trust:

Mayor Winter reneged on the commitment to put into effect the 3 plus one partnership arrangement and instead co-opted a sleepy backwater charitable trust, the Dearne Valley Leisure Trust, as the other partner in the Doncaster Lakeside Sports Complex LLP. For a once only investment of £1, (yes one pound) the DVLT became the stooge in the DMBC's attempt to put the Community Stadium Management, the SMC, theoretically beyond the reach of public accountability under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The DVLT is to be subject to an investigation by a special unit of the Charity Commission in response to allegations of acting beyond its charitable aims and irregularities in its statutory accounts.

Spowart and his Stadium Management Company:

Like Winter, Spowart has been ineffectual at delivering on the prior agreements made between the DMBC and the sporting clubs. Spowart has made a number of commitments to StadiumWatch but has also failed to deliver on those. The widely held perception is that Spowart is either intellectually incapable of delivering on those earlier commitments, or is now deliberately seeking to bury them, and with it the very concept of a stadium at the heart of the community, as he leads his SMC into a headlong rush to make money at the expense of community interests.

The SMC, with Andrew Nicholl at the helm, as Chief Executive Officer, has seemingly allied itself with Spowart's mission to bury those prior commitments. Unably assisted by Jeremy Milnes, Commercial Director, and Phillip Gilliat, Finance Director, they have been invisible when called to face their critics and have steadfastly refused to respond to StadiumWatch's calls to develop a customer charter. Gilliat may yet face censure for unprofessional conduct as StadiumWatch seeks a hearing with the relevant accounting institute.

The StadiumWatch Charter is presented to the SMC:

Model Charter: PDF Version: Link

Given that SMC have spectacularly demonstrated their complete ignorance of the concept of public service, and having ignored calls from StadiumWatch to develop a customer charter, StadiumWatch have written one for them. Even with this document as a source of direction and inspiration, they have made scant progress in the field of customer service.

SMC Spin and More Spin:

While the growing mounting of complaints go unanswered, the SMC make public pronouncements about how well they are doing. Spowart has spun some story about the SMC successfully delivering 66,000 visits to the stadium in January 2007. On further analysis the true figure actually handled by the SMC ticket office proved to be half of that number.

The Fans are United: "Solid Are We, No SMC!":

Affirmative Action: Link

While the SMC bury their heads in the sand and hide behind their £1 stooge, the DVLT, the fans have been observing a campaign of affirmative action, that is staying away from the SMC's Lakeside Suite and Concourse bars and refreshment counters, and eschewing the official car parks. The SMC strategy of ignorance is winning them no friends as the press have picked up on the fury of fans. Life is getting decidedly unpleasant for them as they begin to realise, you can exploit some of the people some of the time, but you cannot ever exploit all of the people all of the time.

Notes:

The LLP is registered at Companies House (under number OC315175) with two designated members, Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council ("DMBC"), and Dearne Valley Leisure Trust ("DVLT"). The LLP trades as the SMC, and has been granted a 50-year lease by the DMBC and charged with the responsibility of raising revenue to provide a sinking fund for the future maintenance and repair of the stadium, and fund the day to day expenses of the SMC while managing the Lakeside Sports Complex.

Principally, the £32m sports complex provides a state of the art stadium, occupied by Doncaster Rovers FC, The Doncaster Belles Womans' Footall team, and the Rugby League club, Doncaster Lakers, and a number of other sporting amenities, including all-weather pitches, a number of full-sized football pitches, and an athletics track.

Disclaimer: The views expressed herein are those of StadiumWatch and in no way are represented to be associated with or by the Doncaster Sporting Clubs, their officers or employees.

SOLID ARe We NO SmC