Latest news with #HussainAlSaeed
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Clarke 'perfect choice' for Rovers return
Former Bristol Rovers midfielder Chris Lines says Darrell Clarke is the "perfect choice" to get the club back into League returned to the club this week after Inigo Calderon was sacked following relegation this his first spell at the Gas, between 2014 and 2018, he secured successive promotions, taking Rovers from the National League to the third tier. He went on to manage Walsall, Port Vale, Cheltenham and Barnsley, who he left in March."He's the best manager I ever worked with and got on with as a friend and manager," Lines, who himself enjoyed two spells at Rovers and played under Clarke for three years, told BBC Radio Bristol. "It is the perfect choice."He's got a tough job ahead of him, but he did last time. He's got serial success, he's a serial winner. He will eliminate the negativity around the place. Everyone loves him."Lines suggested Clarke's appointment may be a way for chairman Hussain AlSaeed to get fans back onside after a dismal campaign."It happened so quickly; maybe they had a plan in mind," he added."[It is] a lift for the club and supporters, they are the main people who need positivity at the minute, and something to look forward to for next season. For them it is brilliant."It'll get supporters who have been cynical or sceptical slightly back on side. It could be a masterstroke from that perspective." 'We're backing him fully and completely' On Thursday, AlSaeed wrote an open letter to the club's fans explaining the decision to bring Clarke back to the club."Darrell's history with this club, combined with his energy and experience, made him the clear choice to lead the team into the next phase," he said. "We're backing him fully and completely; with resources, with structure, and with time."He added that Calderon and he did not share a vision for the future of the club ahead of a battle for former Brighton & Hove Albion Under-18 coach was appointed to succeed Matt Taylor but managed just six wins from his 26 games as Rovers plunged from a position of safety - nine points clear of the bottom four - into relegation."While his passion was evident, the outcomes didn't align with the direction we need to take. We thank him for his efforts and wish him well in the next stage of his career."
BBC News
13-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
AlSaeed 'confident' in Rovers' development plans
Bristol Rovers owner Hussain AlSaeed said he understands fans have been disappointed by broken promises in the past but that he is "confident" in the club's work so far to redevelop the Memorial Kuwaiti businessman purchased a majority 55% stake in the club's holding company in 2023 before acquiring the full shares last November from Wael and Samer Al Qadi."I always said you guys are the fans, you've been promised so many times but then nothing was delivered," AlSaeed told BBC Radio Bristol."We're not going to promise, but even until now, we have not shown the plans for the Memorial because of that. "We're not sure what the council will approve and will not approve, so we don't want to get their [fans] hopes up and then have them disappointed again."We are confident that we are doing the work as we should be, and we're going with the right people, and once that is approved, we are going to show it to the fans."The proposed work at the Mem, which Rovers has called home since 1996, includes upgrades to stands to increase capacity from 12,500 to 16,500 and also change the capacity from majority standing to club are preparing to submit a second pre-application to Bristol City Council in March for approval, AlSaeed confirmed, after making amendments recommended following their first application. "We are hopeful that soon after that we will get the approval for it," he added. AlSaeed said he expected the work, when it does begin, to take "at least a season or two".The plans also include changes to the training ground, known as The Quarters, which will see the men's team, women's team and academy all based "in one place" rather than separately.A covered pitch is being built with the aim of moving the academy up a level from category three to two."Now we have only two pitches there, and we will make them six; that will allow the academy, and it will allow the first team and the women's team to train at the same time," AlSaeed said."We really feel the academy is very important, and we really feel this is the best thing for the club to have a good academy and to advance in that side, and the best way to do it is to do it in-house and to have them all in one place."
