[Archived] 'taking Back' The Darwen End

[tony gale's mic]

I think a similar initiative before the half season tickets are up for grabs next year/around the Xmas period next season might be an idea.

[Silencio]

I think a similar initiative before the half season tickets are up for grabs next year/around the Xmas period next season might be an idea.

The Christmas period would be a great time to do it. People don't have much money and the ground can be quiet at that time...

[eddiewac]

Sad reflection of the current attendance problems that everyone is popping the champagne corks because there were 25,000 in Ewood yesterday.

Watched a video of the Rovers - Charlton match at the end of the 2001-02 season last week (don't ask why). Nothing match, unattractive opposition, about 500 away fans, and there were 27,000 in the ground.

It was the first season back in the premiership mind and according to the website there was only 23,000

[MarkBRFC]

It was the first season back in the premiership mind and according to the website there was only 23,000

I think Jim means the season after.

[AndyNeil]

Well, I would have suggested the JWL/Darwen end area as a first choice myself - but assumed that the proximity of the suggested area to NO1 which is the most vociferous singing are at the moment was the reason for choosing JWL/Blackburn End. Those in the Fraser Eagle who sit at the Darwen End who sing to taunt the opposition possibly could be enticed to move to the JWL/Darwen End if their season ticket price is matched and assumedly there would be less concern from the police as they don't have the excuse of the wide walkway of the Fraser Eagle. The part of the Darwen End Lower used to work reasonably well in itself apart from the shifting around when the 'Big' clubs came.

The reason given as mentioned on several previous posts is the number of season ticket holders it would disrupt, 88 was the figure given for that area - this coupled with the link to the BBE lower meant this was the best option available to the club, and more importantly it would seem the police.

[roversmum]

Yes, I assume in WO6, but my concern is the possible eventual decision to take over the whole of the JWL/BBE should it prove successful, for the reasons I have already given.

[1864roverite]

After Sundays atmosphere generated some serious noise, I wonder if the club have considered putting away fans in the Riverside (aka walkersteel Stand) ? By filling behind the goals with Rovers fans there is some serious atmosphere whereas normally the darren end is a dead duck.

I would like to know the view of "Riversiders" and how would they feel about moving behind the goal.

It has worked at clubs like Wolves so why cant it work at Ewood ?

[bob fleming]

I'll take a guess 1864. "I've been coming in here since 1907 and sat in the same seat, if they make me move I'm not coming again, they can shove it. I'm certainly not going behind the goal either I can't see a thing other than that bloody Robinson. It's like those 1960 FA Cup Final tickets all over again."

The police might not like away fans in the Riverside either. I prefer the away fans up in the Gods of the Darren End upper - out of the way and quiet. That has to be the future.

[AndyNeil]

I don't think it would be a 'goer' with all the spare space at the front of the stand ... could you imagine 5000 pissup mancs charging towards the pitch if they scored?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

My mate made a comment about this yesterday, he would rather see ticket prices reduced around the ground to encourage more fans to come down, especially when times are comparatively hard, and fill the ground rather than see swathes of empty seats. I agree completely, I buy a season ticket every year and I'm perfectly happy to see offers like this that fill the ground and create an atmosphere that is as good as it was yesterday. It was really nice to see a lower Darwin End full of Rovers fans cheering and waving those noise stick things around. I'm sure it helped the BBE a lot and created a lot of noise.

Absolutely spot on but why not give the season ticket holders a further price reduction too...everyone happy!(or you really would think so )

The problem with Rovers is that we are far too 'away fan friendly' lets have these buggers in the top tier next season for most games and out of sight out of mind.

[1864roverite]

I see your point.

How about putting away fans in the lower Darwen Tier of the Jack Walker stand then ? In particular when we have such small amounts of away fans from the lesser supported away clubs.

As for marketing next season.

Well for me, if Rovers can keep the tickets at this seasons prices great.

They could, as soon as our safety is guaranteed, look at a marketing ploy to secure the extra fans early.

What I mean is that there is clearly an opportunity to get more fans into Ewood Park.

For instance, Rovers v Bolton and Wigan could be a £15 entry with the same reciprocated at their grounds.

Full houses aare guaranteed at home to Manure, Liverpoo, Everton and City, with good away followings from Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal, not to mention Wolves,Stoke and the winner of the play offs.

The club can easily identify 3 home games to make a similar offer, they could even stretch it to 5 games say for £40-£45. That produces a mini season ticket scenario which may well benefit supprters who dont want to lay out £350 at the beginning of June.

As for rewarding the season ticket holder - it can easily identify at least two gmes where free travel and a reduced travel fee could be employed, such as for example, Fulham and Stoke.

There is now a chance for Rovers to exploit the feel good factor with prices unimaginable to clubs in the Premiership.

Rovers are almost guaranteed 24k crowds at home for the last two games. I dont expect many to come from Portsmouth but I think we will see 2500 baggies bouncing up and down as they take the drop so again there is a chance to offer say any other tickets for 2 for £18 adult tickets. Again, it might just add a few more to the data base and might just be a tempter for the wavering fan for next season.

As I head off to work, I just hope I can tune into a barcode defeat just to make my weekend complete

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Quite right Hughesy. Leeds for example, with a population fives times that of Blackburn, would have had to have had 125,000 on (with 115,000 home supporters) to be comparable.

The racket the Rovers fans made, both on Sunday and at Stoke the week before, was second to none.

In fact, our support for the size of the town is also second to none. These facts should be rammed down the throats of all the socalled media 'experts' none of whom, with the odd exception, seem to have 'owt good to say about us.

Onward and upward.

Another good post.I have said it many a time that Ewood park when full can match any ground for noise in the country.I am still enthused about the atmosphere created yesterday and my only wish is that the club finds someway to replicate this at EVERY home game.

[thenodrog]

After Sundays atmosphere generated some serious noise,

It might not have had Valencia's 2nd minute effort gone in!!

[JAL]

After Sundays atmosphere generated some serious noise, I wonder if the club have considered putting away fans in the Riverside (aka walkersteel Stand) ? By filling behind the goals with Rovers fans there is some serious atmosphere whereas normally the darren end is a dead duck.

I would like to know the view of "Riversiders" and how would they feel about moving behind the goal.

It has worked at clubs like Wolves so why cant it work at Ewood ?

Absolutely no chance 1864!

If Rovers want to create a purely home front then the top of the Darwen end is fine, out of sight out of mind.

Rovers should go for ALL four ends if possible, maybe extend the top of the Darwen end to fit more away fans in this could be the most feasible option to developing the ground but no way put away fans n the riverside.

As for the riverside I know of TWO supporters who've stopped going because of the smoking ban, surely theres plenty of open spaces around the riverside to accomodate these fans like Coventry did in their new stadium.

[thenodrog]

As for the riverside I know of TWO supporters who've stopped going because of the smoking ban, surely theres plenty of open spaces around the riverside to accomodate these fans like Coventry did in their new stadium.

Tell em that if they think giving up smoking is difficult then how difficult do they expect giving up lung cancer will be.

[Paul]

Can't understand why there is a big debate about this. It worked on Sunday. Just keep it the same. The JWLers are happy, the away support is put where it should be, the Riversiders are happy, presumably the DELers are happy, end of discussion.

What's the big deal?

[JAL]

Getting back to the 3 games for Twenty quid and the sort of response on TV to it.

Does this initiative not pose a threat to the finances of other premier league clubs in that it actually challenges them to charge their supporters a lower price, if they are dependent on peviously high incomes generated one would think that if their supporters start to demand similar charges to what Blackburn Rovers are charging their supporters would Rovers not be posing a big financial threat to the other premier league clubs.

If I was an owner of another premier league club you wouldnt want this type of scheme publicised outside of its intended area were it could impact on your own income stream would you ?

The wider implications are great especially for local clubs like Accy, Preston, and Burnley they must be livid so well done to all at Rovers for implementing the scheme in the first place.

[Stuart]

Getting back to the 3 games for Twenty quid and the sort of response on TV to it.

Does this initiative not pose a threat to the finances of other premier league clubs in that it actually challenges them to charge their supporters a lower price, if they are dependent on peviously high incomes generated one would think that if their supporters start to demand similar charges to what Blackburn Rovers are charging their supporters would Rovers not be posing a big financial threat to the other premier league clubs.

If I was an owner of another premier league club you wouldnt want this type of scheme publicised outside of its intended area were it could impact on your own income stream would you ?

The wider implications are great especially for local clubs like Accy, Preston, and Burnley they must be livid so well done to all at Rovers for implementing the scheme in the first place.

Exactly, it's called competition JAL. However, football is a "funny old game" as someone once said, and supporters don't shop around for the cheapest deal around before deciding which game to go to at a weekend. If Rovers doubled their season ticket price, I wouldn't be off to watch Burnley.

That said, our target market might be the United or Arsenal shirt wearing types who don't have a 'proper' allegiance to a local team and might be lured by the promise of live top flight football for the price of a cinema ticket. These kind of promotions may get them on the hook, the real challenge is getting them into the keep-net!

[Guest Vinjay606]

That's why there needs to be more emphasis on disliking Man United to potentially stop youths in the area from supporting them. They are a massive threat to local support not the local championship clubs.

[JAL]

Exactly, it's called competition JAL. However, football is a "funny old game" as someone once said, and supporters don't shop around for the cheapest deal around before deciding which game to go to at a weekend. If Rovers doubled their season ticket price, I wouldn't be off to watch Burnley.

That said, our target market might be the United or Arsenal shirt wearing types who don't have a 'proper' allegiance to a local team and might be lured by the promise of live top flight football for the price of a cinema ticket. These kind of promotions may get them on the hook, the real challenge is getting them into the keep-net!

Agree with you about hard core suporters Jisty not looking to watch another team but then after this group theres probably another who probably dont attend many games but equally wont watch another team but then after this I think there is an open market that will tempt people.

It a day out, its something different, somewhere different. If theres plenty of action like sundays game coupled with a good atmosphere, i'm sure if there were some neutrals in that Darwen end on sunday they'd have been swayed into being Rovers supporters for the rest of their lives. So long as Rovers can maintain a positive media image and stay in the media spotlight this initiative can only have positive implications not justy now but for the future of the club.

After all the three local clubs arent exactly pulling in many fans are they, so their locals arent exactly swayed into watching them. Surely now in the new millenium Lancashire folk are a bit more open minded and travel conscious. Rovers could provide some attractive alternatives to the above with this very tempting initiative.

I like the thought of how the initiative has been taken up and its wider implications which are only positive for Blackburn Rovers football club.

[Stuart]

Agree with you about hard core suporters Jisty not looking to watch another team but then after this group theres probably another who probably dont attend many games but equally wont watch another team but then after this I think there is an open market that will tempt people.

It a day out, its something different, somewhere different. If theres plenty of action like sundays game coupled with a good atmosphere, i'm sure if there were some neutrals in that Darwen end on sunday they'd have been swayed into being Rovers supporters for the rest of their lives. So long as Rovers can maintain a positive media image and stay in the media spotlight this initiative can only have positive implications not justy now but for the future of the club.

After all the three local clubs arent exactly pulling in many fans are they, so their locals arent exactly swayed into watching them. Surely now in the new millenium Lancashire folk are a bit more open minded and travel conscious. Rovers could provide some attractive alternatives to the above with this very tempting initiative.

I like the thought of how the initiative has been taken up and its wider implications which are only positive for Blackburn Rovers football club.

I agree with most of that but whilst, yes, it does make an alternative entertainment form for the casual supporter, this only works if people are entertained every time they watch Rovers. I think we are all a little drunk on the atmosphere yesterday. It was fantastic, yes, and I'm sure the players responded, and hopefully it'll be repeated against Pompey and West Brom, but it doesn't happen every week and we won't win every match - not even just the ones at Ewood!

"Sustainable football supporters" go because they feel a sense of allegiance and pride to THEIR team. They happily to walk in to school or work, even after a heavy defeat and say, yes they lost but they're still MY team. Your casual supporter won't do this and is purely in it for the entertainment factor. It'll take more than one game to have them hooked, and a lack of consecutive games played like yesterday will see the novelty wear off quickly.

Fully support your last sentence though, it's how we take it forward that's the key!

[JAL]

I agree with most of that but whilst, yes, it does make an alternative entertainment form for the casual supporter, this only works if people are entertained every time they watch Rovers. I think we are all a little drunk on the atmosphere yesterday. It was fantastic, yes, and I'm sure the players responded, and hopefully it'll be repeated against Pompey and West Brom, but it doesn't happen every week and we won't win every match - not even just the ones at Ewood!

"Sustainable football supporters" go because they feel a sense of allegiance and pride to THEIR team. They happily to walk in to school or work, even after a heavy defeat and say, yes they lost but they're still MY team. Your casual supporter won't do this and is purely in it for the entertainment factor. It'll take more than one game to have them hooked, and a lack of consecutive games played like yesterday will see the novelty wear off quickly.

Fully support your last sentence though, it's how we take it forward that's the key!

Taking it forward I'm sure theres going to be a bit of trial and error, but its a positive start. I mentioned that the largest group of local people into football are now available to attend as their local amateur football seasons draw to a close.

Imaginative signings staged managed at different intervals is one way to keep the interest going strong.

[Stuart]

Imaginative signings staged managed at different intervals is one way to keep the interest going strong.

Amen to that!

[Jordan]

Sad reflection of the current attendance problems that everyone is popping the champagne corks because there were 25,000 in Ewood yesterday.

Watched a video of the Rovers - Charlton match at the end of the 2001-02 season last week (don't ask why). Nothing match, unattractive opposition, about 500 away fans, and there were 27,000 in the ground.

I am sure it was kids for a quid in the Darwen upper for that game.

[Tris]

Sad reflection of the current attendance problems that everyone is popping the champagne corks because there were 25,000 in Ewood yesterday.

Watched a video of the Rovers - Charlton match at the end of the 2001-02 season last week (don't ask why). Nothing match, unattractive opposition, about 500 away fans, and there were 27,000 in the ground.

I'm pretty sure you've got your seasons mixed up. We played Fulham at the end of 01-02 with 30,500 on Ewood - it was billed as a celebration of a good season - winning the league cup and staying in the league (finishing 10th in the end) and sold out two days before the game - I think it was a tenner to get in as well. There was dancing / fireworks / Worthy Cup lap of honour.

The following year we did play Charlton at Ewood towards the end of the season but it was hardly a nothing game. With the incredible memories of the Celtic UEFA ties fresh in the memory, Rovers were gunning for Europe again via the league, and less than a month after Charlton came to Ewood, Rovers sealed that aim with a 4-0 win away at Spurs.

So not that surprising we were pulling in the numbers at the time.

Back to this season, the club should be congratulated on this initiative to boost the crowd for these three key home games - and the players responded superbly. The number of home fans through the gates on Sunday v Wigan was the highest for any game at Ewood since Bayer Leverkusen in Feb 2007 - 26 months ago. Even if there was some displacement from other areas into the Darwen end, that's a fantastic achievement in the current financial climate.