[Archived] The Old Gate Debate

[thenodrog]

JW wasn't anywhere near full. But Notlob brought plenty though, they outsung and outcheered us through the match and it prob helped inspire their players enough to get a good result. How does that equate with the cheapo ticket idyll guys?

Edited October 22, 2006 by thenodrog

[Quack]

The outer tier of the family stand was sparsely populated but I agree, I would not have said there were 4K empty seats.

[grizfoot]

The outer tier of the family stand was sparsely populated but I agree, I would not have said there were 4K empty seats.

I had a quick glance at trying to count them and I could only spot roughly 750 - 1,000. Can't see where the 27k fiqure came from then.

[BlueMonday]

JW wasn't anywhere near full. But Notlob brought plenty though, they outsung and outcheered us through the match and it prob helped inspire their players enough to get a good result. How does that equate with the cheapo ticket idyll guys?

Why do you even get out of bed in the morning ?!

[colin]

Cue.........People moaning then about supporting BRFC since childhood and not being able to get a ticket cos of all t' Johnny-cum-lately's!

Anyway it's all rubbish this initiative! I'm not looking forward to a full house at all ........... parking the car will be absolutly sh1t...........£30 a ticket with gates of 15000 is a far more attractive option imo!

So, has that's killed off your "Lancashire United" idea?

JW wasn't anywhere near full. But Notlob brought plenty though, they outsung and outcheered us through the match and it prob helped inspire their players enough to get a good result. How does that equate with the cheapo ticket idyll guys?

Yes, it would have been a lot better with only 15,000 on wouldn't it? We would have won.

[Gav]

So, has that's killed off your "Lancashire United" idea?

Lets face it, anyone who thinks Lancashire United is a good idea is a complete and utter nugget of the highest order.

Anyone for bringing back hanging?

[cletus]

Cletus & buddies were in the JW upper (towards the Darwen end)

The 1st 3rows of seats in the darwen end were left empty, probably for security reasons. The Blackburn end upper was empty at the top corners, but the rest of the ground (as we could see) looked pretty full.

I said to my mate (yes i do have one ) I reckon about 28k on today.....so i wasn`t that far wrong.

[Paul]

Good response all round I thought to the pricing initiative, I saw plenty of folk walking to the ground or in the stand that I haven't seen for a long time. There was a buzz walking to the ground, it felt like a football crowd arriving instead of the usual wander down and watch a game of footie

Three people in front of me at the turnstiles didn't know how to get into the ground. How long is it since they've been to Ewood?

took twice as long to get home though

[Hughesy]

There was spare seats in the lower JW areas.

Good crowd. 10k up on last season so the club cant say it doesnt work.

I think the rovers should try another option. Under 16s go free with adult tickets. Celtic used to always do it.

[only2garners]

Good response all round I thought to the pricing initiative, I saw plenty of folk walking to the ground or in the stand that I haven't seen for a long time. There was a buzz walking to the ground, it felt like a football crowd arriving instead of the usual wander down and watch a game of footie

Three people in front of me at the turnstiles didn't know how to get into the ground. How long is it since they've been to Ewood?

took twice as long to get home though

If you live in Chorley, Paul, you need to try a different way home - I was back in Penwortham at 5.35, 20 minutes after getting in the car.

[daveoftherovers]

And the chances of Bolton returning the favour are?

[cn174]

And the chances of Bolton returning the favour are?

Not that hopeful about that really!

I was listening to some of the bonehead Bolton fans on the train last night arguing with this Rovers fan saying that even if the tickets had been £35 they'd have still filled the whole end

[den]

Not that hopeful about that really!

I was listening to some of the bonehead Bolton fans on the train last night arguing with this Rovers fan saying that even if the tickets had been £35 they'd have still filled the whole end

Hmm, so why did they only bring 2000 last year?

Plonkers.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Much to my surprise, as they had been season ticket holders for yonks (I stood with them in the Plymouth 5-2 epic) I met my two cousins outside the ground who informed me that this was their first game for over 2 years - citing cost - and it was only the 15 quid offer that had got them down.

Personally, I thought the game was terrific value for money - where else can you get such an emotional roller coaster for 15 quid? However, given that most games are not that intense, I would blanche at paying double that price for half the entertainment on a regular basis. Not because I don't have the money, but because the typical game doesn't give enough value.

Also, will all the posters who have spent the last year saying that prices don't impact attendances please recant now. I reckon the club must have taken around 40% more on the gate than last year.

[thenodrog]

Also, will all the posters who have spent the last year saying that prices don't impact attendances please recant now. I reckon the club must have taken around 40% more on the gate than last year.

Hold hard there EiT. I guess I am one of those and I would dearly like to see the figures on here once the veneer provided by novelty has been stripped away. You opine "I reckon the club must have taken around 40% more on the gate than last year." but I assume you mean there was a 40% increase in attendance.

Consider these points EiT......

1. 13000 are ST holders and have already paid so no difference there except the prospect of BRFC having to chuck oodles of money away on that deal next season if parity is to be maintained.

2. 7000 from Bolton. If we were to continue would the attendance v the likes of Fulham, Pompey Watford etc have been anywhere near as high? The ticket:cost of travel ratio would mean the benefits would not have been as great. Also MU would fill it whatever the cost, so to discount that fixture would be chucking dosh away.

Furthermore if all games were £15 the novelty would agin wear off with the same people and given time, a poor run, cold weather etc they would find another excuse to spend it in the pub.

3. 7000 from Bolton means approx 20,000 from Blackburn. We would surely expect 17000 home fans for a local derby normally so (disgracefully imo) only approx 3000 extra BRFC fans thought the cheap tickets worthwhile. . So (foolishly but to save time) leaving concessions out of the equation we have 4000 @ £30 = £120,000 whereas 7000 @ 15 is £105000. Hardly good business eh and certainly not worth the extra sales of a few pies / bovrils etc.

4. It appears our immigrant population still deem £15 to be too much so bar playing some Salim Kickaball at centre forward in boots with no socks we may just as well (do as many wise men already had anyway) and write them off now.

I do not expect the finances to stack up correctly after this experiment so Prem clubs really need to look at subsidising supporters from the Sky pot if they want to provide a good TV atmosphere. Negotiations really need to be between Sky, the Prem and the clubs.

over to you EiT

Edited October 23, 2006 by thenodrog

[1864roverite]

united have already sold 8000 tickets for Ewood as is stated in their last match day programme.

that almost guarantees another 28000 fans at that game, quickly followed by a sell out Boxing day game at home to Liverpool thieves, I would say a better than expected return on those two games thatn last year.

Rovers now have an ideal opportunity with a game such as charlton/watford/fulham to seek the school kid element with parents as long as the team is still doing well. They have got the right attitude with european games and i am sure we will see 20000 plus crowds for those 2 home games.

The old gate debate will rumble forever, it will only ever reach the proportions of 1994/95/96 should we eveer attain a new buyer/investor. I think Rovers have finally listened to their fans and are addressing the problem with various options.

i only hope they dont forget the good old ST Holder

[thenodrog]

So, has that's killed off your "Lancashire United" idea?

Lets face it, anyone who thinks Lancashire United is a good idea is a complete and utter nugget of the highest order.

Anyone for bringing back hanging?

So to the CGBBC (Colin and Gav barnstorming brainstrust corporation) lets have your alternative suggestions for taking professional football in this area forward and giving us a chance to compete for the title again, to provide regular Champions League football, and for the chance to stop being a bloody small arsed small town feeder club and having the media take the p1ss regularly, and continually lose our best managers and players to the proper BIG clubs. And if you say that you would rather watch BRFC in the Lancashire combination then I trust you will be good enough to resign from this board forthwith.

[AggyBlue]

being a bloody small arsed small town feeder club

You forgot the 'IN EUROPE'

[thenodrog]

i only hope they dont forget the good old ST Holder

I'm sure JW has already lined up a series of meetings in the near future with all the players agents to explain what a rip roaring success the price reducing scheme has been and to see if they will agree for their players to take an immediate large drop in their wages to accomodate implementing the reduced admission prices on a permanent basis and of course include all the ST holders next season too.

Pity nobody on this mboard can use an effin calculater as well as they can use a keyboard!

Edited October 23, 2006 by thenodrog

[AggyBlue]

to see if they will agree for their players to take an immediate large drop in their wages to accomodate implementing the reduced admission prices on a permanent basis

We don't need to do that. Sacking Matteo would save the difference

[roversmum]

Oh Good Heavens, I'd forgotten he was still around.

[Exiled in Toronto]

3. 7000 from Bolton means approx 20,000 from Blackburn. We would surely expect 17000 home fans for a local derby normally so (disgracefully imo) only approx 3000 extra BRFC fans thought the cheap tickets worthwhile. . So (foolishly but to save time) leaving concessions out of the equation we have 4000 @ £30 = £120,000 whereas 7000 @ 15 is £105000. Hardly good business eh and certainly not worth the extra sales of a few pies / bovrils etc.

I don't buy your numbers old boy. Last season we had 18,000 for the game with at least 2,000 from Bolton; that leaves 16,000 from B'Burn. Given the further declines seen this year, we'd have been lucky to see 15,000 at A+ prices IMO. That would have left more like 2,000 home fans paying versus 7,000, compared to current trend, who turned up on saturday. Many poster said repeatedly that NO-ONE extra would turn up if prices were lowered.

Who knows what would happen at 15 quid for every game next season, plus other schemes to put bums on seats for the less glamourous matches, it's never been tried? A+++ pricing however has been tried and has turned the ground into an embarrassing morgue that will not attract fans, sponsors, corporate guests or live match fees. It's the entire revenue stream of 30m+ that would suffer under your plan to fleece the dwindling band of loyal diehards.

[joey_big_nose]

How much of our actual revenue comes from gates? I think it probably pales in comparison to SKY money. There could be the argument that the club bites the bullet and lower prices at the cost of a million or so a year off the transfer budget and instead gets a near full stadium.

We could have a pricing policy of £ 15 a ticket for all games save Liverpool, Everton, City, Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle.

TND has got a very valid point however that we will still get no more than 20-23k for most teams outside the NW.

[Exiled_Rover]

We should just drop ticket prices to £15 for the rest of the season. As Joey says, the revenue loss would probably equate to £1m in transfer funds. A full, or near full stadium every week would more than make up for that though in my opinion.

Sure the season ticket holders will complain, but you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. As one myself I'd much rather watch the team play in a full stadium and just accept that not everyone can pay £25-£30 quid a match.

[colin]

So to the CGBBC (Colin and Gav barnstorming brainstrust corporation) lets have your alternative suggestions for taking professional football in this area forward and giving us a chance to compete for the title again, to provide regular Champions League football, and for the chance to stop being a bloody small arsed small town feeder club and having the media take the p1ss regularly, and continually lose our best managers and players to the proper BIG clubs.

I don't think that Gav or I have "alternative suggestions", quite simply because we don't want them. I'm happy to support Blackurn Rovers. I'm sure he will post himself if he wants.

And do try and cut out the petty sarcasm.

And if you say that you would rather watch BRFC in the Lancashire combination then I trust you will be good enough to resign from this board forthwith.

Neither of us said that we "would rather watch BRFC in the Lancashire combination," so your post was fairly pontless.

then I trust you will be good enough to resign from this board forthwith

"Gazzooks sirrah, I'm orft to the conservatory with the loaded pistol to do the honourable thing,