[Archived] Can A Empty Seat Sing

[Paul]

the problem is we are not attracting the fans,less than 20k home fans in the premier would have been disasterous a few years back,but now tv money is the biggest earner for most off the premier teams.season ticket holders are being selfish if they do not realise the club need to explore every avenue to get more fans through the door,

It's not selfish it's just realistic. Give one good reason why an unemployed person should be let in for free? If you let the unemployed in for free where do you stop? Sooner or later this will end up with everyone being allowed in for free and there would still only be 20,000 turn up

like you say £249 for a season ticket is fine,but my £249 season ticket is a ###### view,half of the darwen end half is obliterated by a post.on wednesday it is £10 for a nothing game against brum,yet against larissa it is £5 in a european game that will no doubt be on tv,the club have got it wrong.

Why is Birmingham a nothing game? It's more important than Portsmouth and Sunderland. The one thing which just might bring fans back in is success on the pitch. I said elsewhere I'll take a defeat on Saturday if it means we win tomorrow. Same goes for Larissa. We aren't going to win the PL, a top four spot is unrealistic so the three cups are the best chance of success. Winning a bit of silverware will do more for the gate than any marketing campaign.

What have the club got wrong? £10 to watch PL opposition on Wednesday. £5 to watch a UEFA game. What price should these be? Free?

While I think we have to wait till Christmas to really judge things I think the simple truth has to be faced. Probably half the town and surrounding area will claim to "support" Rovers. The truth of the matter is there are probably only 22 - 23,000 are sufficiently interested to go to a game. The club say 10% of ST holders are always missing which neatly explains why our gates stick at around 20,000. That's our gate and we have to live with it.

[den]

I think Waggy would find something else to blame rovers for, if we didn't sell out for every game, even if admittance was free.

[waggy]

It's not selfish it's just realistic. Give one good reason why an unemployed person should be let in for free? If you let the unemployed in for free where do you stop? Sooner or later this will end up with everyone being allowed in for free and there would still only be 20,000 turn up

well i think the unemployed have less money than most people.

Why is Birmingham a nothing game? It's more important than Portsmouth and Sunderland. The one thing which just might bring fans back in is success on the pitch. I said elsewhere I'll take a defeat on Saturday if it means we win tomorrow. Same goes for Larissa. We aren't going to win the PL, a top four spot is unrealistic so the three cups are the best chance of success. Winning a bit of silverware will do more for the gate than any marketing campaign.

i disagree the premier league wins us a place in europe,the big 4 take the carling cup serious now so we have as much chance off winning that as we have the premier.

What have the club got wrong? £10 to watch PL opposition on Wednesday. £5 to watch a UEFA game. What price should these be? Free?

i would have had them the other way round,there will be more agianst larissa than brum

While I think we have to wait till Christmas to really judge things I think the simple truth has to be faced. Probably half the town and surrounding area will claim to "support" Rovers. The truth of the matter is there are probably only 22 - 23,000 are sufficiently interested to go to a game. The club say 10% of ST holders are always missing which neatly explains why our gates stick at around 20,000. That's our gate and we have to live with it.

not having that,most season ticket holders pass there ticket on if they cannot make in.

[Sandiway Blue]

i thought every club got a massive amount every season,plus extras for live games.

I am not sure on exact figures,but the bottom team in the premiership receives approx £30m whilst the winner receives approx £50m.But this does not include individual match fees.

[Roaming Rover]

It's not selfish it's just realistic. Give one good reason why an unemployed person should be let in for free? If you let the unemployed in for free where do you stop? Sooner or later this will end up with everyone being allowed in for free and there would still only be 20,000 turn up

Why is Birmingham a nothing game? It's more important than Portsmouth and Sunderland. The one thing which just might bring fans back in is success on the pitch. I said elsewhere I'll take a defeat on Saturday if it means we win tomorrow. Same goes for Larissa. We aren't going to win the PL, a top four spot is unrealistic so the three cups are the best chance of success. Winning a bit of silverware will do more for the gate than any marketing campaign.

What have the club got wrong? £10 to watch PL opposition on Wednesday. £5 to watch a UEFA game. What price should these be? Free?

While I think we have to wait till Christmas to really judge things I think the simple truth has to be faced. Probably half the town and surrounding area will claim to "support" Rovers. The truth of the matter is there are probably only 22 - 23,000 are sufficiently interested to go to a game. The club say 10% of ST holders are always missing which neatly explains why our gates stick at around 20,000. That's our gate and we have to live with it.

Great Post Paul.

[Sandiway Blue]

not having that,most season ticket holders pass there ticket on if they cannot make in.

Well me,my mate and my son couldn`t go on sunday,as me and my mate were in amsterdam for the weekend.

I couldn`t even give our tickets away...

[waggy]

I think Waggy would find something else to blame rovers for, if we didn't sell out for every game, even if admittance was free.

i am trying to resolve the problem off poor gates,im sorry if that gets up your nose

[Paul]

not having that,most season ticket holders pass there ticket on if they cannot make in.

Came straight from John Williams or Tom Finn, I forget which. My lad didn't make it Sunday as he was working. I couldn't find anyone who wanted a free seat in the BBE.

[Claytons Left Boot]

We don't do too badly for a town of 105k with 28k Asians. In fact it's exceptional, even though a little disappointing in view of the reduction in home fans over the last few seasons.

As a comparison, Leeds would have had to get 97,500 through the turnstiles to match our 19,500 given that Leeds is approx five times the size of Blackburn. And yes I know Leeds aren't currently in the PL.

I have championed the unemployment issue and honestly wouldn't mind a few out of work coming on two or three times a season for 'nowt but realistically we should be looking to the school kids and various schemes around them. It's been done before and let's hope it will be done again this year. Say six games each season bussing them in and trying to fill one half of the bottom Darwen End. They are the future.

[AggyBlue]

We don't do too badly for a town of 105k with 28k Asians. In fact it's exceptional, even though a little disappointing in view of the reduction in home fans over the last few seasons.

Throughout the clubs history we haven't drawn big crowds on a regular basis.

Yes, we've had odd games in the 30k, 40k even 60k but our regular gates have always been mid to low twenty thousands, before any asains settled in the town.

Wasn't the season after we won the league, 95/96 season hailed as our best ever average, at around 28k.

Does anyone fancy working out our average attendances over the last century :ph34r: or are these figures available somewhere?

[den]

Now I'm pretty sure this is correct, but in 1964 which saw one of the best attacking rovers teams in modern history, [7-2 at home v Spurs, 8-2 away v West Ham and rovers going top of the first division following a 2-1 away win at Anfield] the average home gate was 21000.

What was the admission price then? In real terms, nowhere near as costly as now.

[Dingle Basher]

I persuaded my mate from work to go to the pompey game with his son. I explained to him that his son was growing up without watching one of the top ten teams play in the greatest league in the world. I said that all these kids that walk around with Liverpool and United shirt won't get to see football on a regular basis yet their mates who are Blackburn fans get to see it week in week out. For some reason he actually enjoyed watching the pompey game and is already planning to go to the next few home games.

I think that with the current ticket prices there is little excuse for the part time supporters to stay away. I predict we have 18,000 consistent supporters (looking at attendance figures against weaker teams) who have remained mostly from the promotion season in the 1st division under Souness. We could have around 5000 fans who turn up for the big games eg Fa Semi, Man Utd etc. I'm sure most of us know people who turn up for the big games but don't turn up weekly often the excuse is that it is too expensive (the excuse I hear the most). Maybe a little persuasion like I used could be the key. Ok I only got 2 people to attend but if most people did it then the seats may fill up. If it is ever going to work then now is the time due to our performances (excluding the last 2) and ticket prices.

I used to go with school now and again and think it is great idea to give kids free tickets but maybe not in the local area. Look to Cumbria or North Lancashire (Morcambe, Lancaster, Barrow, Kendal even Penrith).

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

we will never know,i reckon 8k tomorrow and 12k next thursday

Its cheap enough Waggy,so who is really responsible for their own non-attendance?

Stop moaning at the club FFS they are doing their best!

[sussexrover]

They have done pretty much everything they can - the offers for season tickets and walk-ons are very reasonable. The majority of people now not going are for logistical reasons (having to work, distance from ewood etc.) or because they simply have other things they would rather spend their money on.

[blue phil]

Instead Im going to put in extra hours to pay for yet more football later in the season.

I would be bothered, if the players on the pitch who earn hundreds of thousands every week could be arsed.....

Don't blame you , Stu .

I've a funny feeling tomorrow's game will be a lethargic affair . The game against Larissa is far more likely to be a decent game with the players up for it .

If the players can seemingly pick and choose which matches they want to "turn up" at , why not the fans who pay their wages ?

[Beta Ray Bill]

i am trying to resolve the problem off poor gates,im sorry if that gets up your nose

No you are not. You are just stating the same rather stupid idea over and over again.

[waggy]

No you are not. You are just stating the same rather stupid idea over and over again.

well lets here your great idea

[Sandiway Blue]

well lets here your great idea

In all honesty Waggy i think you are trying to flog a dead horse here.

There are too many people (and i`m one of them !)who would resent spending their hard earned cash watching Rovers,while layabouts get in at a discounted rate.

I still say the solution is in persuading kids to come and watch Rovers.Especially targeting ages between 8 & 14 when they are most likely to choose their allegiance once and for all.

[BRFC4EVA]

It would have been interesting to see how many would have attended had the game been made free entry to all.

I don't think the ground would have been full.

I honestly think that even if entry were free and you got £10 cash in hand with each ticket (ie paying you to come) we still wouldnt get a full house for Brum and Larissa.

[Hasta]

on wednesday it is £10 for a nothing game against brum,yet against larissa it is £5 in a european game that will no doubt be on tv,the club have got it wrong.

I really don't get that at all. It is £10 for a game against Birmingham in, as Paul has said, the one competition we really have a chance to win. When we were in the Championship cup games were no cheaper than that then 7 years ago.

Against Larissa it's even better. It's £5 for season ticket holder. Only a tenner for non-season ticket holders and kids for a quid.

What exactly have the club got wrong. Wrong would have been charging full price for both games, a move which would have led to outcries from most of us, a much reduced attendance but quite possibly the same if not more revenue for the club.

What we see is what we get with our support now. I've a mate who picked and chose his games last year. This year he's been to every one as he himself says that his argument about being too expensive isn't there any more. In my mind he is the kind of fan the club can and hopefully will bring back with the pricing policy. However to expect 23,000 home fans for most league games and big crowds for the supposed 'smaller' games is a dream.

[waggy]

WHAT I MEANT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FIVER TONIGHT AND A TENNER NEXT WEEK

[bellamy11]

So if the game next week will "no doubt be on tv" why is it better to charge a tenner for it?

[Hasta]

WHAT I MEANT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A FIVER TONIGHT AND A TENNER NEXT WEEK

Depends how you look at it. I'm looking forward to tonight, it's a one off knockout game against a club that I dislike and really want to knock out. If they play theres the Savage / Dunn angle and it's not on the box. i think a tenner is right.

For Larissa as you say the chances are that it will be on TV somewhere which inevitably reductes the gate by a certain percentage. I don't know their players, they'll bring about 20 fans. I'd have paid a tenner but a fivers even better.

Obviously being a season ticket holder I'd have liked them both to be free!

[Hughesy]

I think £10 for tonight, compared to £5 Larissa is fair. Look at the opposition quality for starters. Prem vs Prem or Prem vs Relatively unknown (even if they did beat us on a bad day).

As Hasta said there is the savage & Dunn factor, + the bad blood between the two clubs.

Does anyone have any idea on how ticket sales have been going? I hope they bring a few for some banter!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Its apparent Waggy that you possess the kind of mentality the club faces in its push to get people down at Ewood for games......moan for moanings sake and will pick fault at every possible opportunity,never happy.

The club will lose money hand over fist on the no doubt paltry gate tonight and it will be the same against Larissa,over to the Jack Walker trust to bail us out the shyte again eh?

Rovers are p1ssing into the wind whatever they do, there's just NO justification for you Waggy or ANYONE to be moaning about the prices.