[Archived] 2,025 Empty Seats ?

[Paul]

My dad is disabled and not able to go through the turnstiles. He shows his season ticket and is allowed through a gate. There must be more who do this (wheelchairs etc.) and I'm not sure how these are added to the gate. May account for some of the 'missing' 2000.

Total ST sales are counted in the gate, not just those who attend.

[MCMC1875]

The attendance was originally just that - bums on seats or turnstile clicks. I think it changed in the 90's when clubs wanted to inflate their support (Newcastle rings a bell) and now the 'gate' figure is tickets sold including season tickets which aren't used.

[stuwilky]

How many gates of 30,000+ have there been at the new Ewood?

Around 15

United - 94/95, 96/97, 97/98, 98/99, 02/03

Liverpool - 94/95, 95/96, 97/98, 03/04

Newcastle - 94/95, 95/96, 96/97

Spurs - 95/96, 97/98

Bolton - 95/96

[joey_big_nose]

Don't know why, but I have always assumed that all clubs routinely report their attendance figures a few K short for income tax purposes.

Poular theory this but I can't see how the IR would let that get past them. If all clubs did it routinely thenthe government would be missing out on millions and millions of pounds and it would not be difficult for auditors to rumble them very quickly.

[Billinge End Blue]

I've asked this before but never received an answer from anyone who might know someone who might know...is there any advantage to BRFC in swiping my daughter's season ticket for matches (mainly night games) she doesn't attend? According to some, she's added to the gate by default anyway!? Incidentally twice I've brought her season ticket wallet instead of my own and used it successfully to get into Ewood ie never been challenged on entry

[Paul]

I've asked this before but never received an answer from anyone who might know someone who might know...is there any advantage to BRFC in swiping my daughter's season ticket for matches (mainly night games) she doesn't attend?

I can't think of any benefit to Rovers. As I understand it the club very carefully analyze attendance for each game, including non-attendance by ST holders, usually around 10%. If you were to swipe your daughter's card you would actually be corrupting, be it very slightly, the Rovers captured data.

According to some, she's added to the gate by default anyway!?

I understand gate figures include all ST holders, present or not. So the published figure will probably always be higher than the actual attendance, apparrently for any game around 10% of ST holders will be missing.

Incidentally twice I've brought her season ticket wallet instead of my own and used it successfully to get into Ewood ie never been challenged on entry

Either luck or commonsense by the stewards on the gate, recognising you. On our gate if it's the regular crew we never get a bag search, if the stewards have been swapped around we always get a bag search.

[Billinge End Blue]

Cheers for that, Paul.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I have never been asked to show my season ticket card to anyone......the chances of an adult getting into Ewood on a childs season ticket must be very high.As I understand, there is no way the system can differentiate.

[Al]

May be wrong but I believe that there is a system of green and red lights that indicate to the steward inside the gate as to wether or not the ticket scanned is a 'concession' ticket. If the steward feels that the person coming through the turnstile should not be using that ticket they can be challenged.

Can anyone confirm this?

[stuwilky]

I have never been asked to show my season ticket card to anyone......the chances of an adult getting into Ewood on a childs season ticket must be very high.As I understand, there is no way the system can differentiate.

Watch the coloured lights on the way in.

I get checked every week by the stewards on the BBE turnstiles.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The 'coloured lights' only mean the season ticket is valid or not....not the person using it!

[Al]

I'm sure I read somewhere that a green light is a full price ticket and red and green indicates a 'concession'.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Maybe Al....I'll take a closer look come Saturday.

[Al]

I'll take your word for it mate, but next season when I get my first 'senior citizen's' season ticket I won't be able to resist a quick glance at the lights when I go in.

[Timmy]

Looking on from the Jack Walker Upper the big problems with empty seats were:

1. BBE Lower: there were a lot of empty seats especially near the front corners, I expected the BBE Lower to be full but sadly not;

2. BBE Upper: a big gap to the left of centre as you view the stand;

3. JW Upper: quite a few in the top areas of the more expensive seats;

4. Darwen End Upper first one, or two, rows empty for safety reasons (the Rovers Hd of Safety John Newsham says it is to stop suicides after Rovers score).

we thinks somebodies got to much time on their hands...I didn't think the game was that bad!

[stuwilky]

The 'coloured lights' only mean the season ticket is valid or not....not the person using it!

No they dont, the turnstile wont let you in if it's invalid. The coloured lights (on the inside wall - above the turnstile) flash different colours for Adult and Concession tickets.

[Ninjathunder]

I've been in on a concession ticket before (the light flashed a different colour) but the stewards couldn't differentiate who was who due to the large volume of people going through the turnstiles.

[only2garners]

On Boxing Day I inadvertently brought my old card from two seasons ago and it obviously wouldn't let me in, but there were no lights...

[thenodrog]

On Boxing Day I inadvertently brought my old card from two seasons ago and it obviously wouldn't let me in, but there were no lights...

I don't think that you can see the lights from the turnstile itself. Or at least you can't on the Riverside.

[stuwilky]

I don't think that you can see the lights from the turnstile itself. Or at least you can't on the Riverside.

They are on the inside of the turnstile, above the wall.

So anyone who can see them from outside has x ray vision.

[American]

I'll take your word for it mate, but next season when I get my first 'senior citizen's' season ticket I won't be able to resist a quick glance at the lights when I go in.

I didn't know they made you be that old to be considered a senior citizen.

I figured you'd have had the senior ticket for the past 5-10 seasons!!

[Al]

I didn't know they made you be that old to be considered a senior citizen.

I figured you'd have had the senior ticket for the past 5-10 seasons!!

And I thought you were a friend of mine.

[Jordan]

I have a young adult season ticket and initally the Green light comes on but after a second the red light turns on. I have on a couple occasions been asked for identification when going into the ground to prove my age.

[RevidgeBlue]

I have a young adult season ticket and initally the Green light comes on but after a second the red light turns on. I have on a couple occasions been asked for identification when going into the ground to prove my age.

eh? How old are you? You look about 45!

[Jordan]

eh? How old are you? You look about 45!

Oh God...hear we go. Aachen all over again.