[Archived] The Old Gate Debate

[Ste B]

I appreciate that its useful and may stop people asking the ticket office daft questions. It took all of 20 seconds to get my united ticket once I got through, but you can bet that there will be some who were ahead of me who didnt have their account numbers, credit cards, or brains to hands holding the queue up.

[Paul]

I booked Utd tickets last week. What I don't understand is why we are always asked to have the account numbers ready but the TO staff often ask for Block, Row and Seat No? Why can't we just give the account number which should immeadiately bring up all the necessary info.

On Wednesday I offered my account numbers and the TO lady refused these but requested Block, Row and Seat. Then got it wrong and had to re-do the transaction three times.

Anyone know when Utd away will go on sale?

[Paul]

Still think we need a decent internet booking facility not the shambles we have now,

371151[/snapback]

Absolutely. I don't understand why ST holders can't just log in, buy their tickets and that's an end to it. I never book on-line because the club never make my seats available to me online.

[cn174]

I booked Utd tickets last week. What I don't understand is why we are always asked to have the account numbers ready but the TO staff often ask for Block, Row and Seat No? Why can't we just give the account number which should immeadiately bring up all the necessary info.

On Wednesday I offered my account numbers and the TO lady refused these but requested Block, Row and Seat. Then got it wrong and had to re-do the transaction three times. 

Anyone know when Utd away will go on sale?

371160[/snapback]

I asked the woman and she said that Man U are still finalising ticket pricing details.

[stuwilky]

Anyone know when Utd away will go on sale?

371160[/snapback]

Nothing announced yet.

[roversmum]

Got our tickets for QPR and first leg semi last night after the match. Very helpful young lady who sorted our seats out in no time.

Drawback was as we left some of the players were leaving and had to drag Miss Roversmum away as she wanted to lurk and accost MGP!

[waggy]

what is really sad is that there are 10 championship teams with better average gates than us

[USABlue]

what is really sad is that there are 10 championship teams with better average gates than us  

371182[/snapback]

and of those 10 Waggy, how many have similar size populations and a similar competition for Premiership Dollars within the region??

[blue phil]

It will be interesting if the attendance last night was "significantly" higher than would normally be expected - and if BRISA intend to push the kids for a quid experiment more often . Personally I'm convinced that this is the only way forward long term for a club our size .

[BRFC4EVA]

Im a season ticket holder in the bbe lower, but unfortunatly, i was ill from about when i got home from Wigan to this morning, which meant that i missed the pompey game, but watched it on sky. I thought a crowd of 19,600 was excellent, sky said pomp had around 300 travelling fans so that means around 19,500 home fans. Considering we have alot of games on and its a expensive period in general and it was unglamourus opposition, at night on sky, it was a pretty decent effort.

The attendance seemed about right on tv, cos there was the usual massive gaps in the JW upper (we really must review the pricing up there), gaps all over the riverside, upper Darwen closed and only a total of about 2,500 in that whole end.

I rang up y'sday to secure my season ticket seat for the semi and as someone else mentioned it was the first time ive had to queue since the burnley cup tie! Cmon Rovers

[West Aussie]

It will be interesting if the attendance last night was "significantly" higher than would normally be expected - and if BRISA intend to push the kids for a quid experiment more often . Personally I'm convinced that this is the only way forward long term for a club our size .

371215[/snapback]

Totally agree there blue phil, if you want to attract that few thousand more that would have stayed home it's worth perservering with.

I know my brother and his mate took their kids along because of the offer and I believe also went earlier in the season on a similar offer.

My point besides inflating the gate in numbers & vocal support is the hope that one day in the future some of these kids will be season ticket holders and dragging their dads along.

The only way to improve attendances besides winning games regularly is for some of the schemes being seen and improved on with a marketing style pricing.

I do feel sorry for the season ticket holder who stumps up season in season out feeling aggrevied at discount pricing for these floating fans, but it is a must to get bums on seats and give Mark Hughes the support he deserves.

Season ticket holders as we know are the back bone of this club as I used to be back in the seventies, but we must if we are to survive get those lost/floating fans back.

Your Alan Shearers probably only come once in a life time so we must support Hughesy and back him to the hilt. Enough from me I'll get me coat as others put it better than I ever could. Come on you Blues the signs are positive the future Blue & White

[Ozz]

It will be interesting if the attendance last night was "significantly" higher than would normally be expected -

371215[/snapback]

Same game last season drew 20,647 on Saturday 18th September-Hughes first match in charge. A few more came up from Portsmouth though I seem to recall.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I am all for getting the kids in the ground - and kids for a quid seems a good intiative for games like Pompey where the ground would be half emtpy anyway.

But the club really need to better advertise the fact that normally this match would have only been £5 for kids - which I feel is an excellent deal anyway - but they don't seem to advertise it particularly well.

Personally I would like to see a get a free Junior ticket with every adult ticket. Not a huge difference - but may help boost adult attendance as well.

[Hughesy]

Phoned up yesterday for my tickets for QPR & Man United.

Im a young adult ticket holder.

QPR seats had gone - so i have to sit elsewhere

Man United seats hadnt - so i get my seats. Now thats unusual!

Whats wierd though is that QPR ticket cost me £12 while Man United cost me £10 - How does that work!!

[sparky12]

ROVERS SUPER ROVERS

[Rovermatt]

I'm sorry but what on earth are you on about?

[modes98]

I'm sorry but what on earth are you on about?

372090[/snapback]

Mod's are like buses. Theres none when you need one and then 3 come along at once... So where are the mod's?

Edited January 6, 2006 by modes98

[greggyk]

Great article- all Rovers fans (mainly locals) MUST READ

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Great article- all Rovers fans (mainly locals) MUST READ

373165[/snapback]

If only the national press gave us as much credit as this article - then maybe the fans would come flocking back

I msut admit - even a couple of seasons back we could have expected 17k+ for this match. To me it adds merit to including Cup matches as part of the season ticket deal.

[Paul]

Great article- all Rovers fans (mainly locals) MUST READ

373165[/snapback]

Excellent article, the truely relevant bits are below:

- The Ground

The house that Jack built is still an impressive facility, and a decent place to watch football. The views are good from every seat, with only the older Walker Steel stand suffering from any obstructions. The concourses are bright and clean with television monitors showing Sky Sports and one of those handy machines that pours 6 pints at once to cut down on queuing. They have bookies, which are open (Hull and Stoke take note) and good, clean toilet facilities. There's a big screen in the corner which shows instant replays of every incident though I'm sure that's against the rules incase the referee sees he's made a massive mistake or something - anyway it's a daft rule if it does exist and well done Blackburn for ignoring it!

Points lost, as always, for not having the corners filled in, but at Ewood Park it's a pretty minor complaint.

Such a shame therefore that there's so little interest in the football team from the people of Blackburn. I'm not daft enough to think that a cup game with QPR is a massive draw, but Rovers have endured sub-twenty thousand crowds six times this season. Only games with Spurs and Everton have seen more than twenty two thousand people come through the gates.

Ewood Park is a facility many towns and football clubs would kill for, and it was handed to them on a plate with no lasting debt like other clubs with shiny new warehouse structures have suffered. The ticket prices are affordable and the team is good to watch. To see half of the home end not even open on Saturday, and the ground not full once this season, is a terrible shame.

9/10

5 - Atmosphere

Same complaints as outlined in the previous section. Just ten thousand home fans turned up for the game, and those that were there sat down, quietly and said nothing. It was surreal when Blackburn scored because there was just no reaction around us. The QPR fans sang for good long periods of the match and the atmosphere in the Darwen End was jumping at times. QPR spent some time mocking the home "support" but there was nobody there! Just rows and rows of empty seats and people sitting still. Like I say, I don't expect thousands to turn out to see them play QPR, but they're not turning out for the big games either!

The people of Blackburn have a wonderful facility in Ewood Park. In addition, now Mark Hughes has had 18 months to mould the team as he wants it, the have a terrific side, packed with international, quality players. There's a good home nations base to the squad as well. After getting so much stick for their style of play under Hughes last season Rovers have really opened up this term and with players like Pederson, Bellamy, Thompson, Reid and Bentley to call on, have turned into a pacy, attacking, entertaining outfit.

But there's nobody there to be entertained! People should be falling over themselves to get into Ewood Park and watch this entertaining young side go up against the best the rest of the country has to offer at great prices( half season ticket for £150, we're paying more than £200, £20 to watch them play Man Utd on Wednesday while we pay £30 to watch QPR v Southampton) and yet they're not! FA Cup semi final last season, league cup semi final this season, top half of the league - what do they have to do!? Where are the people that filled the ground when they won the league in the nineties? Shame on them.

Further points lost for the eejit with the drum who must have followed us up from Crewe - surely there aren't two people in the North West who think banging incessantly on a drum for ninety minutes is appreciated by the rest of the crowd?

5/10

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

What more is there to say,good article but rightfully damning on our so called 'support' at the moment.

[philipl]

For all those who moan about the stewarding at the Blackburn End- read that article's comments about how a Rangers' fan found our stewarding at the Darwen End.

Really embarassing for Rovers.

[blue phil]

What more is there to say,good article but rightfully damning on our so called 'support' at the moment.

373193[/snapback]

I suppose it's pointless arguing about the number of games , the price of games and the fact that a large percentage of the people who actually realise we have a football team do attend in relatively considerable numbers . Two more home games this week I believe .....

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The piece was clearly written from a 'away fans' perspective Phil.......not always true, but first impressions last a long time unfortunately.

[blue phil]

True ; and a very good piece as well I might add . He was definitely right about the drummer !