[Archived] The Old Gate Debate

[BRFC4EVA]

Must say i was slightly supprised and disappointed at last nights crowd. I thought Sunderland might have brought more and people would have kept their tickets from the original match. Unfortunatly cat A prices on a wed night against the bottom placed team has backfired on us. Gav is struggling now, really depends on Wigans remaining gates, they have a lot of potential small crowds, pompey, west ham, b'ham, villa etc.

I dont think we will have much over 22k or arse, as they dont have great away support and its a cat A+ match which affects our crowd!

[FourLaneBlue]

* online booking is now cheaper than phoning for a ticket. There are NO Booking Fees, these have been removed to encourage online sales

384564[/snapback]

Why have booking fees at all? Fans should be able to buy them by whatever means is available and not be penalised. Why should someone who can't make it down to the ground have to pay extra on the phone?

The Kid for a quid against Villa? is a good idea however. Maybe letting in kids for a quid for all Category B games would be worth looking into - hopefully the parents will be coaxed into getting tickets for those. They are cheap tickets anyway for those games but maybe the 1quid option could be used in a marketing campaign.

All this will be a losing battle however as most Rovers home games seem to be being shown in local pubs live. The pubs must be making a hell of a lot more money on matchdays...as opposed to the club. Some way to blank out the foreign TV coverage?

[stuwilky]

Why have booking fees at all? Fans should be able to buy them by whatever means is available and not be penalised. Why should someone who can't make it down to the ground have to pay extra on the phone?

384720[/snapback]

Because the club have to post the tickets out. Could they absorb this small extra cost per ticket?

The question perhaps should be, WHY is the booking fee £2 per order? Last time I checked a stamp was 21p.

[FourLaneBlue]

Not sure about this but can't tickets also be booked over the phone then picked up from the ground on the night? Yet booking fee still applies???

I know it seems like only a couple of quid but a booking fee when you buy something as simple as a ticket is a bit much. Amazon may charge postage but they deliver the product to the door. With Rovers you have to still take the ticket and make your own way to the club to get the product.

No big deal or anything, just a minor quibble.

[Paul]

Why have booking fees at all? Fans should be able to buy them by whatever means is available and not be penalised. Why should someone who can't make it down to the ground have to pay extra on the phone?

384720[/snapback]

It's the same with virtually all organisations were you book by phone. I think there are charges made by the credit card company for authorisation, card not present, if your card is absent the CC company have to be called, issue an authorisation code etc. plus there is the cost of envelopes, postage, staff to prepare envelopes, organise post etc. Go to the ground and you just sign, I suspect the arguement should be with Mastercard or Visa.

It was £1 per ticket until 2-3 years ago, now it's £1 per ticket to a maximum of £2.

[RevidgeBlue]

[Kids for a quid against Villa[/url]? is a good idea however. Maybe letting in kids for a quid for all Category B games would be worth looking into - hopefully the parents will be coaxed into getting tickets for those. They are cheap tickets anyway for those games but maybe the 1quid option could be used in a marketing campaign.

384720[/snapback]

No problem with the Villa promotion, however I was thinking of taking my 2 daughters to the Arsenal game until I saw it was 15 quid for juniors.

I don't think so at that price!

I have always argued the club do this the wrong way round. First and foremost we need to get BLACKBURN fans into the big games. Only then if they like what they see will they be tempted to go and see the Charlton/Fulham fixtures etc.

Another opportunity lost.

[FourLaneBlue]

I have always argued the club do this the wrong way round. First and foremost we need to get BLACKBURN fans into the big games. Only then if they like what they see will they be tempted to go and see the Charlton/Fulham fixtures etc.

Another opportunity lost.

384787[/snapback]

It's been said many times but I cannot remember a promotion to any decent game. The board seem to try 'kid for a quid' against the likes of Villa...why not try it against a bigger side as a big one-off? People say these deals don't attract many fans...why not try it properly for once? Kid for a quid against Arsenal is a worth a try. Why bother with half-arsed promotions? Do it for a good game and then see if it works or not, as opposed to a dull-seeming fixture which won't even get the die-hards particularly worked-up. So these promotions get to see Ewood at its least vibrant. Smacks of shooting oneself in the foot to not promote Ewood in its best light. At least then they would know for sure.

[cletus]

***GAV`S £50 BET UPDATE***

After Blackburn Rovers 2nd highest league gate of 22504 against Real Madrid conquerers Arse-nil (geddit? )...here`s how it looks:-

Rovers average attendance is 20242 after 13 home games. (up 188)

Wigan`s average attendance is now 20868 after 14 home games.

(Rovers are an average of 626 behind Wigan)

Rovers total attendances are 263149

Wigan`s total attendances are 292152

(Rovers behind by 29003 but have 1 game in hand)

...both teams next 3 home games are:-

Rovers ... Aston Villa, Boro & WIGAN!!

Wigan... Man Ure, West ham & the big club (i`d say 1 guarranteed sell-out there & 2 average gates)

Q...How many tickets will Rovers offer Wigan?? 8k???

[Paul]

Q...How many tickets will Rovers offer Wigan?? 8k???

386517[/snapback]

Probably but the really bad news for GAV is the game is now on Monday night Sky. I doubt if it will be more than 23000, when the Saturday game would have been nearer 26 or 27000.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Villa home...... kids for £1 should see a bigger than normal gate.

We stand 5th in the Premierleague.......the Blackburn public must respond now.

[waggy]

but it's the nightmare 5.15pm kick off,this is by far the worst kick off time the premier league have dreamt up

[greggyk]

how many Arsenal fans where there today btw?? I know we gave them 2,500 tickets, but they didnt sell out. Lee??

[waggy]

i'd say about 2968

[Blueboy Downunder]

just over 22,000 was extremely ###### poor and dissapointing again. a team vying for a spot in the top 5, playing at home and against an arsenal team that have 1 foot in the champs league semi finals. will the gate thing change next season if we have a good end to this one and make a european spot?? only time will tell.

[Exiled_Rover]

The attendances are a joke right now, we need those 3k or so floating fans back. I can't believe they've gone to Bolton, European football or not they play some absolute sh!te week in and week out, whereas Hughes is molding the Mighty Rovers into a quality team.

Sometimes I just think we don't deserve Premiership football.

[stuwilky]

how many Arsenal fans where there today btw?? I know we gave them 2,500 tickets, but they didnt sell out. Lee??

386604[/snapback]

Somewhere between 3000 - 3300 or so.

[waggy]

there must be posters on here who do not go any more,lets find out the real reasons why they do not go any more.the lads i know who do not go anymore,would rather spend the ticket price in the pub,so come on folks tell us your reasons

[Exiled_Rover]

there must be posters on here who do not go any more,lets find out the real reasons why they do not go any more.the lads i know who do not go anymore,would rather spend the ticket price in the pub,so come on folks tell us your reasons

386643[/snapback]

And we're not accepting the old "well I live in a different country" routine

[waggy]

i reckon there were a good 2,500 more rovers fans than the utd games,with the arse only having 3k fans to utds 8k.with 3 very good home games coming up before the end off the season chelsea/liverpoo/citeh we may attract a extra 5k before the season ends,especially if europe is on the horizon

[roversWASmylife]

there must be posters on here who do not go any more,lets find out the real reasons why they do not go any more.the lads i know who do not go anymore,would rather spend the ticket price in the pub,so come on folks tell us your reasons

386643[/snapback]

Two guys I know from town don't bother at all anymore. Yesterday was there first game they've been to for well over a year.

They've been everywhere following Rovers years ago etc, both said they will not pay lots of cash for games when it's on a dodgy channel somewhere, that ticket money goes on beer.

Also they mentioned it's been s*** etc.

But, people pay good money for quality stuff, not for average/poor stuff.

[berkshireblue]

Thought yesterday's home area attendence was the biggest of the season...Arsenal following was poor..

If we keep on winning the rest of the season will see a home increrase!

[Billinge End Blue]

From Exiled Rover

< Sometimes I just think we don't deserve Premiership football. >

Why do I not deserve my team to be in the Prem just because you are a bit miffed that gates aren't at some theoretical level you deem appropriate for our current success?

There was a fairly good home crowd on yesterday (seemed more kids than the Man U game with it being a 3pm kick off).

However, how many Blackburn pubs were screening the game on their dodgy satellite again and how many potential Rovers fans chose to watch it on TV there rather than actually pay, attend and support?

I'm not necessarily blaming them, I just think it is a choice that shouldn't be available (unless Ewood's home areas were full to capacity).

Another bugbear I have is with those who keep decrying the Blackburn public - are we fussy where our success-seeking, glory-hunting fans who come down to Ewood actually live? Personally, I'm not bothered where the person who might fill the empty seat next to me hails from. Every floating fan attending Ewood's home stands is a potential diehard in the making. We have to be able to convert spectators into supporters and can most easily achieve this by allowing more choice of matchday experience for fans.

[blue phil]

just over 22,000 was extremely ###### poor and dissapointing again.

386622[/snapback]

Disappointing - but entirely predictable . So why didn't the Rovers have kids for a quid for yesterday's game . Come see the conquerers of Madrid for a quid ; sounds a bit better than come see Villa for as quid . In fact when are they going to start offering kids for a quid at every game ?

[bellamy11]

Disappointing - but entirely predictable . So why didn't the Rovers have kids for a quid for yesterday's game . Come see the conquerers of Madrid for a quid ; sounds a bit better than come see Villa for as quid . In fact when are they going to start offering kids for a quid at every game ?

386712[/snapback]

It's a difficult one, Phil. It's something I've thought for a long time - certainly the long term benefits are there if some of these kids stick around for the rest of their lives as future season ticket holders.

However, think about what it does to revenue. We need cash now to stay in the league. Players like Bellamy don't pay themselves. If kids tickets are a tenner (I don't know if they are to be honest) then 10 kids need to come for every one who comes anyway, just to make the same. Kids for a quid definitely boosts attendences, but I don't think it does anything like that to the numbers.

I'm not sure Rovers could afford to do it for every game, as you've suggested. It's sad but true. We need people in the ground long-term, but we need money in the bank short-term even more. It's catch 22.

[stuwilky]

Disappointing - but entirely predictable . So why didn't the Rovers have kids for a quid for yesterday's game . Come see the conquerers of Madrid for a quid ; sounds a bit better than come see Villa for as quid . In fact when are they going to start offering kids for a quid at every game ?

386712[/snapback]

It cost me £16 to take my four year old yesterday.

Still we've got a 100% record whenever he has been.