[Archived] Serious Question

[1864roverite]

Born in Norfolk Street in Mill Hill in the late 60's, a long stones throw away from the ground.

Grandad was season ticket holder number 1 in the Old Nuttall Street End.

Brother in law played for Rovers 1972/73.

Lived around the corner from Stuart Metcalfe and John Kenyon.

Have lived and breathed BRFC since 1971.

Have been here, there and everywhere following the blue and white shirt.

Have been reported missing from home and then found by Police coming away from The Old Blackburn End many moons ago !

Have never missed ANY important game for Rovers and only missed 1 home game since 1990 when my sister got married, that was Spurs and I ruined their video when Mr Shearer scored to secure the points !

I have blue blood coursing through my veins and was brought up to despise ALL things in claret and poo cause they stink like poo !

Oh the list is endless, but as someone else quite rightly points out I AM ROVERS TILL I DIE.

There is one guarantee in my family expenditure, my season ticket is always paid for by my lovely wife as she knows best

[Jordan]

The thrill of waking up in the morning knowing that your going to football and you are going to have a top day out with your mates, win lose or draw.

The alcohol helps as well.

[RovertheHill]

What with the cost, lack of entertainment on show, lack of player's committment, spiralling wages and general apathy around the place what keeps YOU at Ewood week after week?

I only ask because I sense a huge downturn in season ticket renewals regardless of how the season pans out.

Well, taking them one by one. I suppose that the cost is now a bigger chunk of earnings than it used to be 20 or so years ago, but then so are many things - and in relative terms I think Rovers are quite reasonable. If I include the anticipation before the match I get 4 or 5 hours worth out of a match. I even enjoy the drive to Ewood. In general, I think I get entertained more often than not. Some weeks are worse than others but even from last Saturday's game there were some sublime pieces of skill from Tugay and Pedersen's goal was great. I understand what you say about player commitment, but I think we have a relatively honest bunch, with particular ones like Sav who stand out. Spiralling wages is a big problem and one cannot but predict a general "bust" to come after the "boom" that has been players wages. My general apathy with football is not with Rovers, but with all the other matches on TV - I simply cannot get excited about them like I used to 10 years ago.

[trawdenblue]

I guess the real question should be what kept you going down to Ewood c 1971 -73 when there genuinely did appear to be no hope, it really was poor fare, facilities were appalling and gates dipped on occasion below the 4,000 mark?

No matter how poor the fare has been on occasion post Jack it can't even begin to compare with Rovers v Southport c 1972. Tony Field was a darn sight better than those two puddings we have up front at the moment though!

I believe that was a Sunday match and David Bradford scored a cracker in a 2-1 win. Tony Field was my hero!

Those were the days!!

[yorkblues]

for the last 6 years i tell the wife thats it never again but every year i still get a season ticket .now my 2 year old sings the clean rovers songs

[RevidgeBlue]

I believe that was a Sunday match and David Bradford scored a cracker in a 2-1 win. Tony Field was my hero!

Those were the days!!

Crikey, you've got a good memory! I can't remember the game specifically was just using it as a general example!

[AggyBlue]

Don Martin scored the other, the crowd was 10,634, not bad for a 1974 third division game.

Memory, pah, all you need is a good book

I would definately have been there, can't remember sod all though.

[mjs]

10614 according to my book. I think the crowd was up because of the novelty of it being a Sunday game, which was a rarity back then.

I remember going but don't remember why it was on a Sunday, was it experimental?

Edited December 12, 2006 by mjs

[thenodrog]

What with the cost, lack of entertainment on show, lack of player's committment, spiralling wages and general apathy around the place what keeps YOU at Ewood week after week?

I only ask because I sense a huge downturn in season ticket renewals regardless of how the season pans out.

Don't ask our lot cos we've still plenty of glory hunters. I would say eternal optimism and hope but you really need to be asking the proper supporters at the likes of Blackpool, Burnley and Rochdale etc. What keeps them going certainly mystifies me unless it is lashings of the former cos there is absolutely no hope for them.

[RevidgeBlue]

10614 according to my book. I think the crowd was up because of the novelty of it being a Sunday game, which was a rarity back then.

I remember going but don't remember why it was on a Sunday, was it experimental?

If memory serves me right, a few games were played on a Sunday back then because of the power cuts. How times have changed.

It also has to be remembered that, daft as it sounds now, games against the likes of Southport, Rochdale and Halifax were among the more attractive fixtures, being local derbies of sorts!

[gazsimm]

the pies and the drummers

[DP]

As much as anything else it's the buzz you get during the build up to the game.

I don't get back to Blackburn much but the main thing I miss is those Saturday afternoons. Meeting good friends and blokes you only see at the footy in the Fox n Hounds around 1pm. A good chat and a moan usually followed by a sing song. But, as soon as 2:30 approaches the beer is forgotten and all attention turns to the game.

For me I don't know how people can do the first bit but then stay in the pub to watch it on Al Jaseer (or whatever) knowing the game is going on only a few hundred yards away.

[herbergeehh]

The thrill of waking up in the morning knowing that your going to football and you are going to have a top day out with your mates, win lose or draw.

The alcohol helps as well.

I guess I can relate to that, even from a distance. Obviously I have that feeling every time I go over to see Rovers, but also when I'll have to settle for a ###### stream with no sound on the internet. When in England, it's going out for a few pints pre-match, whilst in Norway - it's preparing for a night out.

[AggyBlue]

10614 according to my book.

In mine too, I rechecked, this time with my specs on

[Al]

It would be harder to answer why would I not go. I've supported them for over 50 years. Maybe it's habit. Maybe it's loyalty but I couldn't envisage life without the Rovers.

Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I just have to do it.

[blue phil]

The alcohol helps as well.

It certainly does . I don't think I could manage without the post and pre match pints .

[colin]

I think it's some kind of addiction.

The feeling that I am there surrounded by people who are all feeling the same elation/depression as me.

It's a tribal thing?

[thenodrog]

It's a tribal thing?

There's no such instinct according to Paul.

[gumboots]

It's habit. It's the good times you've experienced, such as that feeling when we got promoted, thrashed Burnley, won the Worthington Cup.It's the feeling that this time we might win, see the goal of the season or at the very least a close contender. It's the fact that, even though you know that nowadays players don't play for the club they support in most cases, most players give 100% to the club that pays them even if it's only to secure a move to a bigger club and so you do see some exciting football. It's the fact that you are all in it together. It's because there's nothing better than live "entertainment", whether it's good or bad. I've watched some rubbish theatre just as i've watched some rubbish football. At home I'd switch it off but live there's something compelling that makes you stay. I'm not a lifelong Rovers fan but it was an adult choice and I don't see it changing now even if we are relegated and so I'll be there renewing my season ticket in summer and trying to persuade the impressionable young people of Blackburn that supporting your local team is a good idea just as learning a modern foreign language is, even though most of the time both are thankless tasks.

[thenodrog]

Just rem....... one thing is Tugay. He beat two Newcastle players in a twinkle of genius that brought the Riverside to it's feet, and then immedietly passed across the pitch right to the feet ..............of one of theirs!

[baxendenblue]

Main reason for me is that i take my 11 year old and have done for last 6 years as season ticket holders. He is proud now to be a rover when all his class mates are what he calls glory fans ie Man U and Chelsea.

Disappointed this year by the football served up but no doubt we will be there next year. Not be too long before lad is taking me !

[OscarRaven]

Guilt and misplaced Loyality.

Oh yeah and because once in while you look over a bouncing Ewood park and see the scoreline Rovers 3 - 1 Man Utd, and then when you thought it couldn't get any better number 4 goes in!

[spartans53]

To Maybe have the feeling we all did in May 1995 and hope we can come close again.

Roll on Glasgow in May 2007