[Archived] The Old Gate Debate

[thenodrog]

They might be ahead of budget in January, but the club certainly wouldn't have that money to spend!

362048[/snapback]

..........without selling someone.

[Harrier7]

I genuinely want to see Accy Stanley do well but they went top of the Conference last night and surely their tiny crowds (1,500 last night) will grow if they keep their push towards automatic league promotion going.

Be very afraid, Philip.

When people realise what a star Accy have in Rommy Boco you'll be "encoached upon" even more! Shades of Rovers gates being dependent on whether or not Duggie was playing in the old days.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The myth that Accy 'two-bob' Stanley doing well significantly affects the gates of either Rovers or the Dingles is complete and utter bull.

End of.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

NOT PLEASENT READING but lets hope matters improve with the 'big clubs' still to come to Ewood.

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Lets hope

[FourLaneBlue]

The myth that Accy 'two-bob' Stanley doing well significantly affects the gates of either Rovers or the Dingles is complete and utter bull.

End of.

362081[/snapback]

Our fall in attendances has coincided with their rise. You're right in that it doesn't significantly affect the gates but they may get a few converts. I've heard of a few ex-season ticket holders at Ewood who now go along to see Stanley instead solely because it is so much cheaper.

[Ozz]

25,000+ at Carrow Road for the visit of Luton

30,000+ at St Marys for the local derby with Leeds

Whats going on?

[jim mk2]

One ting effort is being directed towards Yorkshire given the poor state of football over there?

362039[/snapback]

It's an old issue .... there has always been a floating support in Lancashire. Burnley's good attendances in the late 60s/early 70s contained many Rovers fans who wanted to watch first division football when Rovers had dropped out of the top flight. We always supported the opposition of course.

There is no doubt that Rovers' attendances in the Jack Walker era were artificially inflated by fans from other clubs wanting to watch top-class football and players and a suddenly-fashionable nouveau-riche club that was the talk of the whole country. Perhaps now attendances are reverting to their mean average.

Either way, the club cannot continue in the Premiership with attendances in freefall as at present. Hughes is ambitious and will leave and so will the best players. I will stick my neck out and say that unless attendances do not improve, we will be relegated possibly next season but certainly the season after. The task for the highly-remunerated Mr Williams is to find a solution before it is too late.

Edited November 20, 2005 by jim mk2

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Whatever positive is going on elsewhere regarding attendances Ozzie it certainly has by-passed Ewood.

Its quite correct to say that the decline in attendances seems to have hit East Lancashire clubs more than most for some reason,its quite marked.

I have to admit that to find clubs like(with due respect) Fulham,Wigan and Pompey all above us in the attendance league is a bitter pill to swallow personally,embarrassing and some when you take into account our recent success compared to these outfits!!!!

Edited November 20, 2005 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[philipl]

There were some chunky gates in the Third Division as well at Swansea, Forest and Huddersfield.

I cannot see good news for Gav in the near term.

Even if Wigan drop off in form, their games are entertaining and I bet Whelan/Jewell will go for the big signings in January they were frustrated from making in the Summer. The egg chasing pie eaters have found their way to the JJB for the round ball and are going to keep going.

Their average will be aided and abetted by Rovers selling out their 5,000 allocation at New Year- that is exactly the sort of fixture (new venue close by and possible UEFA place at stake) which the Blackburn support gets excited about. In fact, don't be surprised to see 7,000 make the short trip.

There is a ray of light in the current recovery in interest in going to away games which usually preceeds Rovers' home gates picking up- eventually. Going back to pre-Premiership days, Rovers had good seasons with dismal home crowds which then suddenly stepped up dramatically with a high profile game or two. I guess it is a similar scenario now...

Well we have Bolton (without their five African players tee hee) and Man U in succession at Ewood in January- either side the FA Cup 4th round week-end.

BUT, after 10 December, the next 3pm Saturday Premiership kick-off is Arsenal at the end of February and if Rovers have become interesting for the TV boys again, make that Villa on 10 March before a 3pm appointment!

This means that lower clubs which always bring good followings- Sunderland and Pompey- will be bringing next to nobody because of the time shifts whilst the armchair brigade can watch the Bolton and Manc games... from their arm chairs.

Whilst we on this board know we are doing pretty well, the casual supporter will look at 11th place (perhaps 12th) this afternoon and not notice there are as many points between us and 3rd as there are between us and 14th. We are going to have to make those "kind" fixtures in December produce lots of points to get the place buzzing again by pushing up the table well into the top half for my scenario to kick in.

Its going to be a case of on your knees Gav in the hope we are going great guns for the Chelsea, Liverpool Citeh games at the season end to fill Ewood.

Edited November 20, 2005 by philipl

[waggy]

Our fall in attendances has coincided with their rise. You're right in that it doesn't significantly affect the gates but they may get a few converts. I've heard of a few ex-season ticket holders at Ewood who now go along to see Stanley instead solely because it is so much cheaper.

362166[/snapback]

it is so much cheaper to go to accy stanley WRONG when stanley first got in the confrence it was £10 a ticket,now i believe it is £12.my season ticket works out about £13 a game

[Mattyblue]

By the way Jim I this myth about Burnley's gates being so impressive in the 60s and 70s has now been blown away by a new segment in the Times on Monday's that picks a top division Saturday from yesteryear, showing scores and gates. Every home gate of Burnley's in that period has been sub 20k. Cup games maybe but not on a regular basis.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

You should have a look at some of our 'crowds' the season we were relegated from the top flight 65/66......EEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!

Home games against Blackpool,Sheff Wendy,West Brom and Spurs all saw,wait for it........

just over 7,000 each.

Incredible,can any of the older posters on here put some meat on the bones as to what the hell happened that season?

Edited November 20, 2005 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[Hughesy]

I think the main reason for our decline in attendances is simple - for the last 2 1/2 years we hve been dull & crap at home.

Hopefully, how we played against charlton is a sign of the things to come.

[MCMC1875]

You should have a look at some of our 'crowds' the season we were relegated from the top flight 65/66......EEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!

Home games against Blackpool,Sheff Wendy,West Brom and Spurs all saw,wait for it........

just over 7,000 each.

Incredible,can any of the older posters on here put some meat on the bones as to what the hell happened that season?

362263[/snapback]

SG

Polio epidemic in Blackburn. Nuff said.

[philipl]

Those were the gates towards the end of the season when we were looking doomed. What a depressing time that was- defeat after defaet after defeat.

[thenodrog]

25,000+ at Carrow Road for the visit of Luton

30,000+ at St Marys for the local derby with Leeds

Whats going on?

362193[/snapback]

Obvious to a blind man on a galloping horse imo......

They aren't on tele are they?

Got back last night (after spending £41 on two tickets plus petrol, pies etc) and went for a take away curry, the bloke behind the counter said it'll be 20 mins mate, so I went for a pint or two in the pub across the road. Guess what Man City v BRFC was on Sky!

What chance has a small town with a depressed economy got of competing with that? Sure the committed fans in the 5-10 category will still go but the fans in the 0-5 level of committment will take the soft option every time. We simply do not have enough fans in the 5-10 category.

[cletus]

**update*

Rovers average att 19467 (6 games)

Wigan average att 20377 (7 games)

Rovers next home game vs Everton

[thenodrog]

You should have a look at some of our 'crowds' the season we were relegated from the top flight 65/66......EEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!

Home games against Blackpool,Sheff Wendy,West Brom and Spurs all saw,wait for it........

just over 7,000 each.

Incredible,can any of the older posters on here put some meat on the bones as to what the hell happened that season?

362263[/snapback]

1. Polio

2. We were relegated with the record lowest points total of 19! (2 points for a win in those days rem).

3. Because of the abolition of the maximum wage we had been unable to keep our 1958 crop of youth team cup winners and had become a supreme selling club.

btw I rem Jeff Astle scoring the winner for WBA which relegated us. Strange contrast for all BRFC fans with what we were to witness just 2-4 months later.

[Shaddy]

btw  I rem Jeff Astle scoring the winner for WBA which relegated us.  Strange contrast for all BRFC fans with what we were to witness just 2-4 months later.

 

362297[/snapback]

What was that theno?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Obvious to a blind man on a galloping horse imo......

Sure the committed fans in the 5-10 category will still go but the fans in the 0-5 level of committment will take the soft option every time.  We simply do not have enough fans in the 5-10 category.

362292[/snapback]

I agree entirely theno and the figures above,polio epidemic or no polio epidemic just go to prove that.

Some 23 years later we were still getting around 7,000 for games.

[Manchester Blue]

**update*

Rovers   average att 19467 (6 games)

Wigan average att 20377 (7 games)

Rovers next home game vs Everton

362293[/snapback]

Everton have the whole Darwen end but haven't sold out yet, they are on general sale. Hopefully it will be the biggest crowd of the season so far.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Everton have the whole Darwen end but haven't sold out yet, they are on general sale.  Hopefully it will be the biggest crowd of the season so far.

362303[/snapback]

There is one sad comparison between Rovers and Wigan ........ we are both dependent on having massive away followings for us to get a half decent crowd on.

Edited November 20, 2005 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[colin]

2.  We were relegated with the record lowest points total of 19!  (2 points for a win in those days rem).

I think it was 20 points, rather like the Latvians in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Sunderland dropped a couple of years ago with 19 points which is the record lowest for the Premiership, and they had the treat of 3 points for a win.

[philipl]

As usual in debates with the 'drog, you are correct Colin.

It was a record low number of points and record high number of defeats at the time but the Wearsiders relieved us of both unwanted records. Fortunately we came nowhere near Darwen's record of goals against.

Unfortunately, the gates that season set the pattern for the next 25 years.

[pg]

A few home grown players coming through the Academy would work wonders in that respect as well.

361199[/snapback]

I think this factor is largely under-estimated, and IMO is one of the major reasons that people started to leave after one of our best ever seasons.

No Dunn and no Duff = less of a care factor.