[Archived] The Old Gate Debate

[Florida Rover]

Thanks Lee but I guess my point in a roundabout way was that I'm not sure that the cost alone is the driving force behind ST sales as you still have to have somebody who wants to go.

[Jan]

Thanks Lee but  I guess my point in a roundabout way was that I'm not sure that the cost alone is the driving force behind ST sales as you still have to have somebody who wants to go.

390912[/snapback]

That's the actual point. There are so many people who make excuses (and whinge incessantly) but actually the bottom line is they simply don't want to go. If they did, they would.

How to make them want to go? Truthfully- paying THEM to attend is the only way you'd motivate them. I know there's a lot of twaddle talked about affordability, and local wages etc, but as Lee has said- there are season tickets which cost £250- about £13 a ticket. (Of course they're not in the Jack Walker central or the lower Blackburn End- "how DARE they not be exactly where I want to sit at exactly what I'm willing to pay" I hear them ask)

*£250 a ticket = £6.25 a week over a 40 week season. For an adult. for 2 hours entertainment. How much is the cinema in Blackburn now..........??

[Ozz]

I am a wealthy, wealthy man and I cannot think of anything better to spend my dosh on than watching Rovers.

[Neil Weaver]

I am a wealthy, wealthy man and I cannot think of anything better to spend my dosh on than watching Rovers.

390921[/snapback]

Are you Chesh

Are you Chesh

Are you Cheshire(blue) in disguise?

[OJRovers]

You've just said a lot of pubs put on coaches. NOT BWFC.

390783[/snapback]

Yeah? And.

I know i didn't say that. Doesn't take away from it being an idea.

Cracking argument though - if Bolton don't do it, its OBVIOUSLY not worth considering. They also don't win anything.

[JAL]

Just got to say it folks, Blackburns currently has a lot of 'Asians' who are only in interested in pound notes - thats taking them, ....not.....paying them out, unless theres a return of more pound notes .....which is something Rovers dont provide.

Viewing this messageboard and reading the letters in the LET on Rovers, it looks like a lot of our supporters live a fair fair distance away.. which says to me the support we currently acheive is probably close to Rovers maximum at the moment regardless of price.

Local leaders, the jocks, the Asians and Jack Straw have failed miserably along with the local grammar school in resurecting Blackburn.......the 17 k that do go stand together ........please give a middle finger salute to the rest of the town you know they deserve it!

[Ozz]

Just got to say it folks, Blackburns currently has a lot of 'Asians' who are only in interested in pound notes - thats taking them, ....not.....paying them out, unless theres a return of more pound notes .....which is something Rovers dont provide.

Viewing this messageboard and reading the letters in the LET on Rovers, it looks like a lot of our supporters live a fair fair distance away.. which says to me the support we currently acheive is probably close to Rovers maximum at the moment regardless of price.

Local leaders, the jocks, the Asians and Jack Straw have failed miserably along with the local grammar school in resurecting Blackburn.......the 17 k that do go stand together ........please give a middle finger salute to the rest of the town you know they deserve it!

391001[/snapback]

JAL, you're typing what everyone in C18 is thinking.

'Asians' who are only in interested in pound notes - thats taking them,

looks like a lot of our supporters live a fair fair distance away

Local leaders, the jocks, the Asians and Jack Straw have failed miserably along with the local grammar school in resurecting Blackburn

please give a middle finger salute to the rest of the town you know they deserve it!

Give this man a Grooby, classic post.

[RevidgeBlue]

Just got to say it folks, Blackburns currently has a lot of 'Asians' who are only in interested in pound notes - thats taking them, ....not.....paying them out, unless theres a return of more pound notes .....which is something Rovers dont provide.

Viewing this messageboard and reading the letters in the LET on Rovers, it looks like a lot of our supporters live a fair fair distance away.. which says to me the support we currently acheive is probably close to Rovers maximum at the moment regardless of price.

Local leaders, the jocks, the Asians and Jack Straw have failed miserably along with the local grammar school in resurecting Blackburn.......the 17 k that do go stand together ........please give a middle finger salute to the rest of the town you know they deserve it!

391001[/snapback]

Chuckling along with most of your post but what exactly is your beef with QEGS?

[bellamy11]

Chuckling along with most of your post but what exactly is your beef with QEGS?

391007[/snapback]

I thought that. It's not like we played polo there or anything.

[JAL]

My beef with QEGS is ...as a grammar school its supposed to produce the cream of the crop and progress the whole area.....what the **** has been going on their for the past x generations that to me....fails progress of the area.

Love Blackburn to bits, but you have to be self critical when its not going right unless your happy with shyte.

[RevidgeBlue]

I'm sure it's not turning out juvenile delinquents.

It probably turns out a lot of people who go on to be successful but move away from the area.

Not the school's fault.

[JAL]

So whose the school govenors ...whats their vision ... yes i can fully understand the... go out and take on the world but where's the vision concerning creating and delivering a better Blackburn a better Britian, a better world.

To me thats not the case its just a limited vision of the modern day me, me, me and i, maybe we should all be in the boxing ring under the banner of natural selection in order to accomodate brawn over the govenors and local dignatories brain.

[RevidgeBlue]

Obviously you're encouraged to go to University. Beyond that there's no agenda encouraging people to either leave the area or stay local but you can't stop people following the better paid jobs/doing what they want to do at the end of the day.

Not everyone can earn 25k p.w. playing for Rovers.

Edited March 16, 2006 by RevidgeBlue

[joey_big_nose]

So whose the school govenors ...whats their vision ... yes i can fully understand the... go out and take on the world but where's the vision concerning creating and delivering a better Blackburn a better Britian, a better world.

To me thats not the case its just a limited vision of the modern day me, me, me and i, maybe we should all be in the boxing ring under the banner of natural selection in order to accomodate brawn over the govenors and local dignatories brain.

391020[/snapback]

I think most people when they are in their 20s and just out of university are going to move to a major city. Thats where the jobs are, thats where the action is. I am not sure you can blame schools for that.

[FourLaneBlue]

You may be right but the word "apathy" surely also extends to someone who has made a conscious decision to move to a location from where they will no longer be able to attend future games.

Not a criticism per se, just a fact.

It's odd how the most vociferous critics of the attendances / Blackburn Public(apart from SG  ) are generally the ones who are not  actually in the position where they have to make a choice as to whether to shell out season ticket money and/or make the effort to attend a game which is invariably televised anyway. 

It's the easiest thing in the world to sit back and criticise when it doesn't directly concern you.

390652[/snapback]

Excellent post.

There is nothing more annoying to read on here than an ex-pat trotting out the tired old line "If I could, I'd love to be at Rovers every game...". To which my response would be "well you can't, so shut up you windbag".

It is almost as annoying as the "Blackburn doesn't deserve a Premiership team." Why not? If we win enough points to remain in the league then why shouldn't we have as much right as any other team to be there...since when were attendances the be-all and end-all?

I'm thousands of miles away and so can't make it to Ewood. Yet why on earth does that give me the right to have a go at those who are nearer but also choose not to go?

As the saying goes...either put up or shut up.

I can't put up in this case so if comes to criticising the locals then I shut up. Hell...the last time I saw Rovers was only last month but I still don't think it is right of me at this time to blame other people for not going when I don't either.

To be fair to Dave Birch though - he was just stating that with thousands of spare seats it isn't the fault of those who do go, be they businessmen, labourers, workers or even millionaires!

[jim mk2]

The ex-pats on here couldn't even be arsed to come over for the Worthington Cup final at Cardiff - Rovers' first significant final for more than 40 years.

And they even had the gall to moan about the cost of flights.

Edited March 16, 2006 by jim mk2

[Yorick]

Well its probably a bit dearer now than their £10 ticket out Jim.

[dave birch]

FLB, this is the statement by Gazsimm:

Most matches these days are watched by up themselves buisness men who know nothing about football, who are keeping the real football fans away.

390492[/snapback]

To which I replied:

Given that the Rovers have close on 10000 empty seats, how do you justify your comment?

To my mind, the only thing that's keeping the "real football fan" away is their own apathy.

390498[/snapback]

I don't believe I criticised any "real fans", because they would have gone anyway, as for those frightened away by the "Businessmen", do you consider those to be fans?

The only thing I questioned was his statement. It was patently wrong, even from this side of the earth.

It has nothing to do with where you live, how many time a year you go to see the Rovers, though I do note that one or two of my critics have, in the past admitted to not going to every home game. I presume they use the same excuse as me.

From some of the comments, some posters would like to see the Rovers support shrink to within the shores of the British Isles, because you can't be a "real fan", a "real supporter" if you don't see every home game. I wonder if those that go to all(home and away) games feel more superior to those that just see home matches.

I would love Rev to find those posts belong to those overseas posters that critisise attendences and the Blackburn public, if only to back up his statement. I don't know whether he's right or wrong.

Two final points:

1. We know Mr mk2 dosen't attend all games, should he be allowed to comment?

2. Yorick, it is indeed, a lot more.

[Lee]

*£250 a ticket = £6.25 a week over a 40 week season.  For an adult.  for 2 hours entertainment.  How much is the cinema in Blackburn now..........??

390915[/snapback]

£5.95 at the new Vue Cinema for a Saturday afternoon/night

[AggyBlue]

£5.95 at the new Vue Cinema for a Saturday afternoon/night

391057[/snapback]

Do they show the Rovers matches?

[FourLaneBlue]

Dave - my reply wasn't about you. As can be seen by the last bit where I mentioned that you were just saying what you...er...just said back to me. Actually Rev was wrong to use as an excuse to air his remarks but nonetheless his remarks were spot on.

There are however some ex-pats on here who bemoan about the locals not going and suggest that if they only lived nearer then they would go every week. Well...that's not a lot of use is it? It is those who are complaining about others for not going while similaraly not going themselves that I thought have no right to crtiticise others as after all everyone has an excuse not to go. It wasn't aimed at you so no need to defend your point whatsover. You were correct. So while I was agreeing with Rev's points I wasn't including you in them.

Everyone who doesn't go has an excuse. Plenty. They still don't go though and one excuse isn't much better than another for Rovers. They still don't sell that empty seat. Just because someone doesn't go doesn't me they aren't a "real fan" or a "proper fan" but it does mean they shouldn't have a go at other fans who also don't go. I don't go much, I'm a 'real' fan but I don't think it would be right of me to criticise others who don't go for whatever reason.

PS - I could find some of those posts from overseas members if I wished (and there isn't that many) as I remember a view of them and who posted them but I've no desire to have any personal attacks. None were from you though, that wasn't a point I was making

Edited March 16, 2006 by FourLaneBlue

[RevidgeBlue]

£5.95 at the new Vue Cinema for a Saturday afternoon/night

391057[/snapback]

Not the most helpful example from Jan originally, the season might stretch over 9 months, but you only go through the turnstiles 19 times.

The equivalent nineteen lots of 90 minutes entertainment at Vue costs just 114 quid. For an adult. On a Friday/Saturday. It's less any other time of the week and for kids.

Just emphasises how hard Rovers have to work to compete for the "Leisure pound" these days.

[ihateburnley]

Let's deal with big Amo first.  He made a massive contribution in the run which kept us up - whatever his faults.  Injuries have destroyed his time at the club.  The Premier League is littered with failed signings and always has been - the 20 managers can't all sign Rio Ferdinand for £27 million.  I'd argue that in value for money terms Amo was the better investment given some of Rio's antics.

390756[/snapback]

What!?!

Amoruso is one of the biggest wastes of space we have had in recent years! The guy signed for £1.4m almost three years ago, and has played......wait for it.....16 games for the Rovers.

A massive contribution? Why what did he actually do? So he scored against Wolves, and he scored against City - other than that I can't think of any impact he made, because his defending certainly was VERY suspect. So ok, he has had a few injuries but more often than not he has not been picked even for the bench because he is just not good enough.

Many a time he has been seen boozing it up in Clitheroe - if he has been so unlucky with injuries surely he would be busting a gut to be fit again, and maybe shed a few pounds? Christ knows what we're paying him, but just think how many season-tickets we could reduce if we got rid of Amoruso alone?......

If he's on £20k p/w that means he's on £1.04m p/a.

If we sell 13,000 season tickets at approx £350 each that means £4.55m p/a.

By getting rid of Amoruso we could knock £80 off the price of a season-ticket.

Now imagine how cheap we could make season-tickets if we get rid of the likes of Matteo and Gresko, without really weakening the squad all that much???

Edited March 16, 2006 by ihateburnley

[gazsimm]

I am a wealthy, wealthy man and I cannot think of anything better to spend my dosh on than watching Rovers.

390921[/snapback]

can you send me some money my way then i am very poor

[RevidgeBlue]

By getting rid of Amoruso we could knock £80 off the price of a season-ticket.

391068[/snapback]

Put another way getting Amoruso alone off the wage bill is like having the income from another 3,000 adult season ticket holders available.

His 16 appearances have cost the club about 4.5 m in wages and transfers over the last 3 seasons. Nearly 300k per game!

Then again it was a similar story with Grabbi.

Getting Amoruso, Gresko and Matteo off the wage bill is like suddenly "finding" another 9,000 adult season ticet holders.