[Archived] Poll - Falling Attendances.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Another massive drop in attendance was in evidence yesterday....the club simply cannot carrry on like this for much longer I'm afraid to say,they must be losing money hand over fist.

I think I am right in saying the club would have been well below break-even point with that pathetic attendance.....9 CHAMPIONSHIP clubs had a bigger gate than us!

I stated a week before the game that a ticket promotion should have been done for this game(kids for a quid) as it was clear it was never going to be a crowd puller..the club seems to lack vision and dare I say even common sense.

The appparent lack of support should be a concern to everybody who has even the slightest vested interest In BRFC...the lifeblood of the club is slowly ebbing away I fear.

P.S.

Although Spuds have reportedly sold some 3,500 tickets for Wednesday I still cant see the crowd breaking through the 20K barrier.

[Manchester Blue]

I would feel a bit of a hypocrite slating anyone for not coming yesterday. I'm amazed you're surprised Preston Blue. You've told us all summer about how you know Preston have sold more season tickets, earn more from sponsorship etc etc. Just look around the league at the gaps in the crowds, it's not hard to work out why our crowds are low.

[waggy]

i have stated this before,i buy a extra junior season ticket every season to take along one off junior's mate's,i always make sure he takes someone whose parent/parents are not in a position to pay for their child,yesterday we could not get anyone to go,so i offered the ticket to anyone who was queueing,after some strang loks i found a grateful parent

[Paul]

....the club simply cannot carrry on like this for much longer I'm afraid to say,they must be losing money hand over fist.

340579[/snapback]

They can and will carry on but are quite clearly losing money. The problem shows/will show itself in the transfer market. We are in a vicious circle of fans staying away because they see no significant changes in the squad and, one presumes, the board being reluctant or unable to spend to strengthen the side. Without pre-judging next summer at least 2 from these 4(next season's ages), Dickov (33), Tugay (36), Flitcroft (33), Amoruso (35), will be at the end of their PL careers.

Losing support at any time is a problem, we desperatley need a good season to persuade the stay-aways to return. I'm not sure it will happen even then.

There were new faces around us in the FS yesterday, but I'm not sure what that tells us.

[promoted2001]

I swear there were more there but I guess they could have shut the Darwin end and the stadium still wouldn't be full! I did travel up from Maidenhead, berks which was a good 5 hour drive there and back plus I stopped at the services on the M6 toll road and there were about 50 dingles fans there and only one Blacburn fan (me). I decided to avoid eye contact.

It was a great game though, the best i've seen for years and considering we had a few major injuries this season shouldn't be too bad for us. Bring on Wednesday thats what I say, hopefully I wont bump into any dingles this time.

[Paul]

i have stated this before,i buy a extra junior season ticket every season to take along one off junior's mate's,i always make sure he takes someone whose parent/parents are not in a position to pay for their child,yesterday we could not get anyone to go,so i offered the ticket to anyone who was queueing,after some strang loks i found a grateful parent  

340583[/snapback]

That's excellent waggy.

We had a spare yesterday as one of the lads was away for the weekend. I asked my youngest if he wanted to take a friend, only to get the response, "None of my friends support Rovers." Not quite true as two of his friends are Rovers, but he doesn't know anyone else to ask.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Yesterday I took my 15 years old daughter for the first time in years. As my son and I have been season ticket holders for years, I wasn't sure what the price would be. Well it was £5 and that's excellent value. She enjoyed the game and hopefully I'll get her to come along on Wednesday. If say 5k followed waggy's example that would take home support up to around 22k as a base to work from.

[den]

Just looking on the positive side of the attendance, it should be one of, if not THE, lowest attendance of the season, for a variety of reasons.

The trend is very worrying though, but unless things improve on the pitch there is very little JW can do about it.

Kids must be encouraged to come along though. Maybe an ISA can talk to the club about this.

[SAS]

its a disgrace, no excuses really

opening home game we should have 18,000 home fans at least.

oh well, those that didnt go missed out

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Listened to one woman rant and rave on radio Lancs about the cost of attending Ewood.

I'm sorry but thats a shallow excuse now,she could have took herself and one child for just £20.....one adult ticket to Bolton £32!!!

Even the top bargain,ridiculously cheap £250 season tickets are not sold out.....APATHY.

[adopted scouser]

No wonder the gates are down, Tugay scores and tells the crowd to F**k Off !

[USABlue]

Without some sustained success on the field I am afraid we are in for some very bleak times.

[S15]

No wonder the gates are down, Tugay scores and tells the crowd to F**k Off !

340617[/snapback]

???

[hawaii501]

no wonder he told sections of the crowd to f**k off, because we have lousey supporters who are part timers and only turn out when theres a big game or £5 specials.

[cletus]

I went along to Ewood at 2pm on Saturday & queued for a ticket in the Riverside, "...as near to the halfway line, please" i asked.

The girl said "How about seat 101 on row 20something?"

I said "ok" & went in the ground.

The seat was exactly on the halfway line & was a brilliant view!

How many clubs in the premier league could you do that at? It just goes to show how far the popularity of the club has slipped in the last few years.

£25 for Fulham was a bit steep though.....in my view.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

You could have sat in the very same stand for £15 mate

[adopted scouser]

???

340619[/snapback]

You haven't seen the goal then.

[stuwilky]

You haven't seen the goal then.

340624[/snapback]

I dont think it was directly AT the crowd.

[adopted scouser]

  I dont think it was directly AT the crowd.

340625[/snapback]

Was his mother in law sat in the JW ?

Edited August 21, 2005 by adopted scouser

[The1mattjansen]

Ok, being realistic the best average gate we can hope for is 25,000 and everyone would be happy with that.

Say we get an average attendance this season of 17,000.

Thats 8,000 fans per week not coming, and therefore a lost revenue of...

£25 (average price) x 19 games x 8,000 fans = £3.8m

Now considering the current state of the transfer market, then granted that could get you a half decent player, but in past seasons we have wasted that at the drop of a hat, on players like Ward, Blake, Carsley etc etc.

We all know that our average attendance will NOT be 17,000, and will be at least 20,000. Thus leaving the lost revenue at:

£25 (average price) x 19 games x 5,000 fans = £2.375m

Now is that money REALLY that cruical to rovers? To be honest I don't think it is, and what we lose out there, we can easily make up by being a bit more shrude on other decisions around the club.

I.e. Ensuring that we appoint decent managers who are going to keep us in the league, and thus earn us £20m a year!

The attendance problem is one that nobody can solve over night, so lets concentrate on other aspects and Im sure it will sort itself out in good time.

[stuwilky]

£2.3m?

Thats our ENTIRE net spend this summer on transfer fees.

Id say it was pretty damn vital.

[S15]

You haven't seen the goal then.

340624[/snapback]

No I was just sat right in front of it....

I think in a spontanious action such as celebrating a great goal any words coming from his mouth would be in his native Turkish, but obvious you feel differently, and have used you lip reading prestige to notice something I haven't.

Well done.

[Timmy]

Ewood Park's dramatic drop in attendance should be of major concern for the club.

comparing yesterday's attendance with the opening day of the 1999/2000 season (circa 20K) and 2000/2001 (circa 18K) is very worring.

even when the club was playing in a lower level the gate were bigger.

one bright note, towards the end of the 00/01 season gates had risen to +25K. so if the cub is doing well on the pitch perhaps the crowds will return?

saying that I think the club needs to do some market research to find out way people are staying away, and what (if any) the club can do to ensure they return

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

'99/2000 SEASON V PORT VALE DIV1 20,530

[rog of the rovers]

Relax, people are away on holiday's at this time of the year, plus the Fulham fans came in a taxi so you can't read anything into it just yet.

Rovers fans are extremely fickle, if we start winning again then they'll come back in their droves.