[Archived] Anyone Miss The Old Ewood ?

[No Nay Never]

At half time on Saturday i found myself looking round ewood and picturing the old "ground" was nearly in tears, obviously being a young un i cannot picture it pre - walkersteel stand, although i did go. Does anyone know if the pitch was moved at all during the reconstruction because i always thought it was closer to the Nuttall St than it is to the JW stand. To be honest some of my best rovers memories are of the old ground, being stood on the Blackburn End when garner smashed that into the net in the cup v Liverpool being one of them!

[mjs]

Yes

I definitely miss standing on the Blackburn End.

[3rdpillar]

Yes, miss the feeling of the place as it was. Are there any links to clips of incidents in the Early 90's 80's 70's. Has anyone got old video they could upload to youtube etc ?

Would be appreciated.

[No Nay Never]

Felt like a proper football ground, that feeling has definantly gone now.

[the original david brent]

agree I miss the old ewood park. It had character. The novelty of these new stadiums has worn off as far as Im concerned. Basically there all the same. In recent years Ive enjoyed going to ninian park and hilsborough because there older, unique and have a more of a traditional football atmosphere.

The atmosphere is crap on ewood nowadays (as it is also at a lot of the newer designed grounds)

[Will]

I really miss it, I hate Ewood as it is now. Ok it's a decent ground with fantastic facilities.

It just isnt the same anymore.

I took about 300 pictures of the old ground before/during/after construction. I'll try and post some.

[USABlue]

I do totally. But never been on the new one. the old ground has so much character. I don't however miss the men's bogs in the middle of the riverside. Have an aerial view photo of the old ground, love it.

[Manc Rover]

This link gives a pretty good idea as to what it was like back in the great days of terracing and today's comparison. Quite emotional footage and there's a great shot of outside the Blackburn end.

[LWX]

my first ever experience of football was standing in the nuttall street stand (i was 9) and seeing simon garner hit a shot in the last minute against portvale (89 i think).......but i didnt see if the shot went in....well, i mean, i know it did.....coz everybody stood up and i could see sh*t....fantastic....every one cheering my dad waving his arms in the air............oooohhhhh........memories ill never forget till the day i die.......i used to love it....we used to go stay with my grandad and grandma.....go and drink sasparella.....get a pie....walk round town....go back to my grandparents...and walk down from pritchard street, from the back down the grass behind the river side......i did enjoy going to to the 'new' ewood, i was a teenager and excitable.....but looking back i feel privelaged to have experienced football as its meant to be.......but lets not slag off the new ground too much......for jacks sake!!!!.......we may well be playing div 2 football now...........so maybe its better this way....we play european football this week...so....u know what im getting at!!!

Edited December 11, 2006 by elwaxo

[yorkblues]

the old blackburn end good old days .but we did need to move with the times

[AggyBlue]

I took about 300 pictures of the old ground before/during/after construction. I'll try and post some.

Looking forward to seeing some. Hurry up

[bb3]

I miss the characters,the old songs and terracing in general of the old Blackburn End.

The bloke with the Burnley hat on with a turd on top....

Don't miss the bogs.

Aye come on with them pics Will.

[BigDom]

I see the old ground most days....I have one of those nice pencil drawings framed on my spare bedroom wall.....I miss the good old days !

[RevidgeBlue]

I might be in a minority of one here, but do I miss the old Ewood? The answer to that has to be a resounding no! It was hardly Highbury or Anfield or Goodison was it?

I do however miss my old seat sat directly behind the manager, Bill Fox, Bill Bancroft, and latterly Uncle Jack.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The atmosphere and camaradiere of the old standing Blackburn End is very,very much missed.Quite frankly there is more atmosphere on the moon than the current BBE now.

In years past the BBE was the focal point for the more partisan support,predominantly male and vocal.Old Granny fiddlesticks with her 5 year old grand kids in tow would sit in the old Nuttal st stand....Its far too diluted now with people who cant even be bothered to sing in support of the club.

'YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE' and the big surge...........memories too good to ever forget,I pity those not old enough to have had the experience.

Edited December 11, 2006 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[cletus]

I miss it with a passion

[USABlue]

I do however miss my old seat sat directly behind the manager, Bill Fox, Bill Bancroft, and latterly Uncle Jack.

I dated Bill Bancrofts daughter. Or so I was told, I stood her up outside the Blackburn Mecca after only a few dates. I was crushed when I was told the Bancroft name was not mere coincidence, what could have been eh.

The atmosphere and camaradiere of the old standing Blackburn End is very,very much missed.Quite frankly there is more atmosphere on the moon than the current BBE now.

In years past the BBE was the focal point for the more partisan support,predominantly male and vocal.Old Granny fiddlesticks with her 5 year old grand kids in tow would sit in the old Nuttal st stand....Its far too diluted now with people who cant even be bothered to sing in support of the club.

'YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE' and the big surge...........memories too good to ever forget,I pity those not old enough to have had the experience.

I'd argue that some the middle of the Riverside where I stood could be quite vocal, and without doubt nuts, the Forest fans would not come in after they had cleared the BBE. Loved the BBE in my early teen years but loved the Riverside late teens

[BRFC95]

I'd argue that some the middle of the Riverside where I stood could be quite vocal, and without doubt nuts, the Forest fans would not come in after they had cleared the BBE. Loved the BBE in my early teen years but loved the Riverside late teens

Hadn't the bulk of the Blackburn End lads moved to the Riverside\Darwen End corner the season Forest went in for a rumble?

[Al]

Standing 3rd pillar along on the Riverside fills me with nostalgia but I have to admit that the new all seater stadium is far superior.

[Jack]

I used to love being on the Blackburn End. They had no choice but to go all seater after Hillsborough, pity.

[Fife Rover]

Yes, miss the feeling of the place as it was. Are there any links to clips of incidents in the Early 90's 80's 70's. Has anyone got old video they could upload to youtube etc ?

Would be appreciated.

If you think the decades that you have quoted were good ( and I am not saying they weren't) you should have seen the 40's, 50's and 60's. I dont know if any of you can remember seeing the outwards bulge in the old Kidder St. wall (Blackburn End). I was once standing in the massively long queue extending all the length of Kidder St, and happened to remark on the bulge. One guy next to me told me it was due to the huge crowd that they got in the cup-tie against Bolton before the war. There were so many in the ground that day that the BBE retaining wall began to bulge outwards. Well so he said anyway.

Edited December 11, 2006 by Fife Rover

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

There's still nothing like that walk from the station up to the ground, even now the feeling as you approach the ground is great. I loved the old ground but nothing's forever and facilities wise the new ground is superb. Things I miss are standing by the low wall on the Riverside, being able to change ends at half time, the cantilever stand at the Blackburn end. Hopefully when I go to the great changing room in the sky my ashes will be scattered in the goalmouth at the Blackburn end.

[Billinge End Blue]

As an ex-Blackburn Ender and Riversider, I miss the cameraderie, banter, vocal and active supporting of both terraces at Ewood Park. Even though the Div 3 and Div 2 Rovers teams of the '70s and '80s were not always fantastically skilful, as a fan you felt closer to them and that there was a shared endeavour. "Arte et Labore", in varying ratio over time, is a superb club motto for my town's team.

My support of BRFC was forged in the old Ewood...I respect completely younger fans who conjure loyalty to the club (not necessarily the current bunch playing for or running the club) from their experiences at today's Ewood - I don't know whether I would be able to (if I was a sixteen year old lad today).

Someone will point out how smelly the bogs were etc etc, but the positive, unique and intrinsic history of the old Ewood has gone with our new ground. Even the fear factor as a young lad when Chelsea or Bolton fans came into home areas were part of what bound us to the club. Loyalty too, 'oh if you're going to <insert next away game>' sung loudly towards the end of a heavy defeat (and meant too!).

Said it before but the baby was thrown out with the bathwater upon the ground's redevelopment and imposition of subsequent regulations - I'm sure fans of most clubs can empathise with this.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful to Jack and his successful masterplan (it would've happened anyway) - just sharing my view.

Edited December 11, 2006 by Billinge End Blue

[thenodrog]

What tosh! Do I miss the old ground? NO. It was fast becoming an embarrassment. Every year the capacity was being whittled down and we had no bunce to correct the situation.

Yes it had a feeling as a child waiting for KO on the Darren End, zigga zagga, rattles, Aye Aye Yiy aye Else is better than Yashin, changing ends on't cinder track. But like anything else it had gone well past it's sell by date and I am hugely proud of the 3 rebuilt sides of Ewood now. The quality of work and the finishing touches ooze quality and show up the concrete crap of the likes of Pride Park, Deepdale, t'Turf and the Breezeblock no end.

I remember Everton coming on our first season up chanting '###### ground' at us. How nice to see that we now make Goodison look like a shabby air raid shelter.

Everything comes to an end and old Ewood's time had long passed. I'll go along with the suggestion of making the BBurn End lower terracing again but feeling nostalgia for anything else is for losers.

btw I'd wager Leamington Road wit back yard door oe'r puddle was prob best of all

Edited December 11, 2006 by thenodrog

[FourLaneBlue]

btw I'd wager Leamington Road wit back yard door oe'r puddle was prob best of all

Aye but Leamington was nothing compared to the grandaddy of Rovers home grounds; Oozehead just off from St Silas Church.

How many grounds these days have a ditch in the centre of the pitch where livestock can graze and slop up the rainwater when the team isn't playing? Eh?

OK...I'll grant you Turf Moor...but not many more!

Edited December 11, 2006 by FourLaneBlue