[Archived] Poll - Falling Attendances.

[Linny8]

  Why don't the club provide buses from the outlying towns like Chorley ?

With regard to the post about the buses from Chorley there is a bus - the 124 which you can get off at witton park but the problem with this is that it is a 20 minute walk through Mill Hill and on a night like tonight you have to leave 10 minutes early to catch it. This means that you are knackered from running from the ground to the bus stop and theres no time for a post match drink. Is there not a South Lancs supporters group around somewhere?

[Drunx2002]

Portsmouth game we came up - 28.000 home fans

Fulham game when we finished 10th - 29,000 home fans

Those two games in question:

Pompey - That was £5 a ticket if i remember rightly (I brought 2 North End Fans!)

Fulham - Last game of the season and celebration for the Worthy Cup.

I fully believe it's the price that keeps people away. If you have a season ticket you go to every game. If you dont, you go to a couple of early games, watch awful football and think "hang on - there's 101 better things I could have done with that cash" and next week you do one of those 101 things, and maybe catch one of the live games on Sky that day to satisfy your football craving.

Its as simple as that.

Last year my mate couldnt go to the Newcastle (h) game, I asked my dad (who used to go to about 8/9 games a season until about 3 years ago) if he wanted to come.

He said no!! And it was free!! Simply had better things to do. Eventually he did come - was a good match - managed to drag him to another couple of games after that.

I'm in Cambridge now, and actually quite enjoy not being angry and disappointed on saturday evenings!

[AndyC]

one other point regarding the cup comps under souness.

It only takes a fool to believe half of what souness said to the press. If you ever believed that he went into a game not wanting to win it - then you need your head reading.

[Flopsy]

Portsmouth game we came up - 28.000 home fans

Fulham game when we finished 10th - 29,000 home fans

Those two games in question:

Pompey - That was £5 a ticket if i remember rightly (I brought 2 North End Fans!)

Fulham - Last game of the season and celebration for the Worthy Cup.

I fully believe it's the price that keeps people away. If you have a season ticket you go to every game. If you dont, you go to a couple of early games, watch awful football and think "hang on - there's 101 better things I could have done with that cash" and next week you do one of those 101 things, and maybe catch one of the live games on Sky that day to satisfy your football craving.

Its as simple as that.

Last year my mate couldnt go to the Newcastle (h) game, I asked my dad (who used to go to about 8/9 games a season until about 3 years ago) if he wanted to come.

He said no!! And it was free!! Simply had better things to do. Eventually he did come - was a good match - managed to drag him to another couple of games after that.

I'm in Cambridge now, and actually quite enjoy not being angry and disappointed on saturday evenings!

didnt bother with a saeon ticket this season, it costs me at least £15-£20 to drive up to ewood (now that Chesh wont lend me his lear jet) so on top of tickets thats £40 for a cheap round trip to Ewood.

For teh newcastle game I bought 3 tickets, and paid £40 fuel thats £130 to go and watch us get tonked 3-0.

However when i am free at weekends i'll travel up to the game - although now my weekends are quite busy i cant really do that at the moment.

So the cost is a factor but its more other commitments and the people i usuallt travel up with arent anymore thats stopped me going.

[mattyboy6000]

so many things have changed.

pre-walker, i felt you could relate to the guys in the squad, all of them were grinding out a living, it was a working-class game, for both the players and fans. this was something which had existed for several generations, the guys you watched lived on the same road as you, shopped in blackburn market, ran the chippy / papershop, they were everyday people (albeit talented intelligent footballers more often than not).

the club, for better of for worse, has taken the step of running in the big money leagues. the players can set themselves up for life with a few smart moves, and I don't begrudge them that, but one of the side-effects of this is squads dominated by (for want of a better word) journeymen, 2 years here 2 years there.

i've set out my own case as an example of a lapsed blue for the purposes of the discussion of the dwindling attendance at ewood. not for discussion as to my status as a supporter or not, ironically coming from a bloody ex-pat!

"POT?"

"Yes?"

"We've got kettle on line one"

[CAPT KAYOS]

so many things have changed.

pre-walker, i felt you could relate to the guys

Good post MB6 and a point well raised.

I think it was Paul who has mentioned something along the same lines, and the reason it seems the situation is worse for us is because there is nobody waiting to replace the ones that have 'stayed away' for whatever reason.

The game is pricing itself away from the fans - on top of other factors that have to be taken into account attending a match nowadays all things included - it adds up to a very expensive day for what does for the majority of times leave you feeling so down for the rest of the weekend.

[cletus]

one other point regarding the cup comps under souness.

It only takes a fool to believe half of what souness said to the press. If you ever believed that he went into a game not wanting to win it - then you need your head reading.

Yeah, ok.....but it doesn`t exactly get the fans thinking of cup glory & waverers thinking "I`m going to buy a ticket for that cup game, cos it sounds like a great tie & we`ve a good chance of getting to the final!"

Instead of...."I`m not paying X amount of pounds to watch the reserves play in a game even the boss isn`t interested in"

....think about it????????

[Paul]

Yep it was me Capt. In firm agreement with what you say there. BTW my interest in televised football has increased since the return of MOTD which is worth watching.

As an aside which is vaguely related I learnt something about MU's marketing strategy yesterday. The corners are to be completed at OT, taking capacity to 75,000. None of these seats will be released to potential ST holders. Why? Utd do NOT want any more ST holders. utd have 50,000 ST holders

It's very simple really an ST holder goes every week to watch the game and not much else. Maybe buys the odd shirt or a hotdog. This leave potentially 25,000 people who will be able to buy a ticket by ballot for a home game. When these people visit OT, perhaps 2-3 times a season, they arrive hours early, do the tours, spend a fortune in the shop, etc.

Clever or what?

Means nothing to us other than to demonstrate the ever-widening gap

[CAPT KAYOS]

  Why don't the club provide buses from the outlying towns like Chorley ?

With regard to the post about the buses from Chorley there is a bus - the 124 which you can get off at witton park but the problem with this is that it is a 20 minute walk through Mill Hill and on a night like tonight you have to leave 10 minutes early to catch it. This means that you are knackered from running from the ground to the bus stop and theres no time for a post match drink. Is there not a South Lancs supporters group around somewhere?

There is S.Lancs group that meets at Standish in Wigan (forgot the name of the pub)

Not sure that it runs travel to the home games, but it does pick up for away games in Chorley where they have arranged transport for.

Don't have the contact details I have at the moment, but this is the contact from the Official Site - c/o GRAHAME WALKER TEL 01257 401005

[bob fleming]

There is S.Lancs group that meets at Standish in Wigan (forgot the name of the pub)

That's the Pie Eaters Arms - aka The Hesketh Arms.

[stuwilky]

As an aside which is vaguely related I learnt something about MU's marketing strategy yesterday. The corners are to be completed at OT, taking capacity to 75,000. None of these seats will be released to potential ST holders. Why? Utd do NOT want any more ST holders. utd have 50,000 ST holders

Not that I care especially about the corporate machine in Manchester (although I am goign to watch them next Tuesday - long story!) They are releasing 7000 new season tickets from filling in the corners.

[cravenblue]

anybody know how many tickets sold for tonight. cant see there being any more than about 6000.

[trueblue]

Why don't the club provide buses from the outlying towns like Chorley ?

why stop there ? why not send limos round or order cabs ?

Instead of riddiculing my post... why don't YOU come up with something contructive ??

[M-K]

pre-walker, i felt you could relate to the guys in the squad, all of them were grinding out a living, it was a working-class game, for both the players and fans.

And if tonight is 10,000 or less, that's definitely a pre-Walker attendance figure.

[mattyboy6000]

only if it's 7k. the gate only varied depending on how many opposition fans came. ie vs bournemouth, 7k + 100.; vs. oldham 7K + 5K.

another high risk strategy rovers have taken is dropping the 2-3 vouchers (sorry for talkin old paper season tickets here) in the season ticket you could redeem for the early cup games..

surely you'd make not much less from selling pies and pints to 14k with than £10 tickets to 6k

[Sparky Marky]

The only reason that people stay away is the price. Peple cannot afford £30 adult and nearly £20 child.....

I am not willing to pay £18 for my 5 year old to watch the match.....His attention span is not there for 90 mins and I can find much cheaper alternatives for a day out.......

Its all down to money.

I wouldnt mind if the quality on the pitch got somewhere near justifying it.

Over the last few years, our home grown stars(Duff, Taylor, Johnson, Dunn, Beattie) have left, only to be replaced with johnny foreigners who don't give amonkees and the price keep increasing to get through thr turnstiles.

Somebody is tekkin the p***

[CAPT KAYOS]

There is S.Lancs group that meets at Standish in Wigan (forgot the name of the pub)

That's the Pie Eaters Arms - aka The Hesketh Arms.

Knew you'd remember pie eater ... (whoops sorry slip of tongue there) Bobf

[stuwilky]

only if it's 7k. the gate only varied depending on how many opposition fans came. ie vs bournemouth, 7k + 100.; vs. oldham 7K + 5K.

another high risk strategy rovers have taken is dropping the 2-3 vouchers (sorry for talkin old paper season tickets here) in the season ticket you could redeem for the early cup games..

surely you'd make not much less from selling pies and pints to 14k with than £10 tickets to 6k

I dont remember that but then again have only held a seaston ticket since 1993.

The reason why they dont do that is because they have to give a proportion of the gate money for cup games to the opposition and the FA (for the FA Cup). The total income includes free admissions for any reason, including season ticket holders free admissions - worked out at the price of an adult ticket. So it owuld cost the club money.

[CAPT KAYOS]

NOT JUST US

As mentioned before - its not just us.

[ABBEY]

German football faced the problem of declining attendances a few years ago but is now booming with record crowds at many grounds.

The reason? Ticket prices were slashed, sometimes by as much as 50 per cent, and lo and behold, the fans came flocking back in. Pretty simple really.

Exactly ! I always make a point of asking ex-regulars why they don't go any more - 9 times out of 10 the answer is the price of the ticket . Link the cost with the effort put in by many players and the result is that the average working bloke will stop going. Lower the price and people will be more willing to watch the overpaid prancers. When people get fed up of watching games in half empty stadiums maybe market forces will work in our favour again.

Agreed Blue Phil/Jim

There was a similar thread last season, where I expressed my views on this along to what you are saying here. However, it is not cost alone but I would say it is probably the main percentage contributary factor of it.

As I mentioned there is far too much money taken away from the game by easy gain (eg agents/under achieving players wages etc) and until such costs are brought into control the game will continue in to a downward spiral and will result in many a team going under/amateur status/feeder trainee clubs and possibly only a European league in operation in 'USA style 'entertainment (anybody else see Wenger's wishes at the weekend).

Football will reach a 'break point' whereby fans will not pay the price of a ticket over a certain value unless it's a one off eg semi/cup final- as much as love Football I have already reached it and my level is £30 (I even refuse to pay it for the England games and go for the cheapest if possible)

I find it very interesting that once, MU v Liverpool one of ( if not the biggest) matches in the Uk football calendar is scoffed at as being just another match on TV, and agree with Jim in that I feel TV is killing Football regardless of the amount of money it injects - as this just leads to more being dwindled away rather than being invested into the game.

And yes - I couldn't be bothered to watch it either

kebabs and buses from chorley ...hope it sets off before 12!!

capn k....my cut off is 30 as well..STUFF THE GREEDY GITS IF THEY WANT MORE THEY AINT GETTING IT OFF ME......

OOOPS HE SAYS AFTER PAYING 60 for my bronco ticket lol

[Kiwiwannabe]

Sorry! Bus park created on the Triangle last season. Well used by approx 15 - 20 Rovers services every game.

I wasn't sure what the situation was this season when I posted. As I understand it there will be no bus parks on the Triangle this season, but it is a police decission. The club have/are considering park and ride schemes, etc, but with anything like that the police have to be consulted.

[Hasta]

Sorry but I'm going to hijack this thread for a moan after tonights game.

For a change from the Blackburn End I went in the Jack Walker Upper. I challenge anyone to give me an answer to the question.

Why oh why oh why, when there is only ONE bar open in the stand are there only TWO staff on it. I know it's an age old gripe but I went to the bar 2 minutes before HT and got served just as the second half kicked off. Lots of people werestood in the queue for 10 minutes before just giving up. They must have lost far more money than an extra wage and generated bad feeling to boot.

[colin]

Why oh why oh why, when there is only ONE bar open in the stand are there only TWO staff on it. I know it's an age old gripe but I went to the bar 2 minutes before HT and got served just as the second half kicked off. Lots of people werestood in the queue for 10 minutes before just giving up. They must have lost far more money than an extra wage and generated bad feeling to boot.

Hasta,

I'd guess that Rovers sell the right to sell burgers, beer, & hot dogs to a catering company which will have bid for the right to be able to sell to Rovers' fans on match days.

So if the Botulism Burger Company Ltd has staff off, they suffer by not being able to sell enough datchunds. The fans suffer by not being able to get fried datchunds but Rovers have the dosh.

Answer: buy your grub before you get into Ewood and, if you must, put the spirit of your choice in a hip-flask.

****************

Meanwhile, back on the subject, I agree with others that I am getting weary of football being forced upon us all as the greatest thing since sliced bread. The love of the game is being brushed aside by the sheer commercialisation of the whole thing.

Personally I blame Sky for its hijacking of the game and its "Tonight it's Derby County versus Coventry City, it should be one hell of a Midlands derby. Stay with us, it should be a great match" approach to the whole thing.

Then the final score is 0-0 and you realise that the washing-up remains, you never got to go for a game of darts at the pub, the lawn remains un-cut, and you never did get round to making that phone call to your Mum.

Like the rest of you I never bothered to watch The Scum v Liverpool. I'd rather do something else. Football is getting very sick and it will be interesting to look back in five years' time and see if anything has progressed.

[Paul]

Well that's ###### the attendance for the next home game - whoever it is!

[Alan75]

Very true Paul, it doesnt matter how good or bad the team plays, it's the result that matters. Anyone thinking of visiting Rovers can only go by reading the press. It doesnt matter how well the club or it's die hard supporters promote the club, results on the field is what influences the general public.

A bad result in more ways than being knocked out of the cup.