[Archived] 'taking Back' The Darwen End

[Hughesy]

JC - The multi colour seat isnt the answer - we need fans, not empty seats of different colour.

[bozrover]

The main bonus for me on Sunday wasnt so much the finacial spin off but the sight of the Darwen End being a riot of blue and white and the effect this had not just on the team but on everybody else in the ground. I`ve not seen the crowd as together as we were on Sunday for a long time.

The task for JW and his think tank is to come up with a plan which can tap into the support and make sense from a business point of view.

I have thought about this today and I`m sure there are many faults with it but I have a plan which I would like to offer.

There are in my opinion 7 games a season when it makes sense to give the Darwen End to visiting fans; Man U, Liverpool,Everton,Man City, Newcastle(assuming they stay up!)Chelsea and Arsenal. That leaves 12 matches whose support could be restricted to the Upper tier of the Darwen End about 3,500 fans.That would leave the lower tier to Rovers.

This "Darwen End Dozen"could be marketed as a separate ticketing strategy for a price of say £180 @£15 per game with concessions or "a kid for a quid" or whatever it takes to make it attractive. The other 7 games would have to be at the match day price sitting in the home areas.

This would not penalise the regular season ticket holders who are the life blood of the club and have been for many years. I would price next year`s price at £285 for BBE and Riverside which works out at £15 per game more in the other areas which has always been the case at Ewood.

I`m sure there are faults with this plan but it means that regular fans wouldnt need to move; a fair amount of income is generated, the match day experience would be improved greatly from what we have been used to and crucially we could increase our fan base.

its good to see four sides of the ground full with rovers fans but the season ticket holders always miss out , the club make you get your tickets early to get your seat then sell all the good players then give all the deals to non season ticket holders . why not make season tickets £200 all round with two free cup games like it used to be and match day tickets £10 after all most of the money rovers make comes from sky

[b12_simon]

its good to see four sides of the ground full with rovers fans but the season ticket holders always miss out , the club make you get your tickets early to get your seat then sell all the good players then give all the deals to non season ticket holders . why not make season tickets £200 all round with two free cup games like it used to be and match day tickets £10 after all most of the money rovers make comes from sky

So you'd rather the Darwen End was empty on Sunday and remains empty for the following 2 games?

When I had a season ticket I was always happy when the club had deals on because it's good to get more supporters in.

[Hughesy]

Im all for filling the stadium that why I was delighted with the Darwen End initiative. Next step should be free for kids all games.

Even if it worked out cheaper by say £20 over the course of a season to buy the individual matches & packages, id still buy my season ticket. Too much messing around phoning up and booking etc. Call it Lazy but I think others feel the same.

£200, £300, £400, £500 - Il be buying one again whatever the price.

[Claytons Left Boot]

There might only be 4 times when it has been packed, however there has been a number of other times when they have sold well over 3000, i.e. Tottenham, Everton, Arsenal.

We cant afford to lose out on their money, therefore we need to find ways to accomodate them, yet still make it 'Fortress Ewood'.

For these games split the end right down the middle like they have done previously. 2500 Rovers fans/2500 away fans in the Darwen End lower and 1500 Rovers fans/1500 away fans in the Darwen End upper.

[Hughesy]

Agree with that Clayton - also adds that bit of banter and spice to that area of the ground.

[Blue n White Rover]

All this talk of moving the away fans to different area of the ground is nonsense.

Shove the fu**ers top of the Darwen End, regardless of whether we sell out there or not.

Hughesy mentioned Blackburn End and I see where you are coming from atmosphere wise, but the Police wouldn't allow it, with home and away fans colliding. Secondly, why give our main stand away to them? Would Liverpool let away fans sit in The Kop?

Jack Walker is a no go aswell, Why give them a good view aswell, next we'll be laying out the red carpet for them!!

Riverside again it's a no, due to the distance between the stand and the pitch, could you imagine 7000 robbing Scousers running forward when they score? Mayhem!

[Hughesy]

Realistically we cant afford to miss out on the revenue that the bigger followings bring - simple as that!

[Guest Vinjay606]

Agree with that Clayton - also adds that bit of banter and spice to that area of the ground.

No it means fans focus too much on the away supporters and spend half the match staring at them. The players should get all the attention.

[JAL]

Wrong Jal. 'Traditionally' Before segregation of fans, away supporters used to congregate in the Blackburn End before the match with the rovers fans in the Darwen End. We moved around via the cinder track on the Riverside at half time and I can tell you there were many hairy moments on that journey.

Didnt realise it was so long ago since you last visited Ewood thenodrog

[JAL]

Agreed with the majority on here that the Wigan game was the best for ages in terms of atmosphere. 25,000 was a great attendance for a not exactly glamorous fixture like Wigan which was already on Sky. Rovers fans being in the Darwen End lower was definitely a success. Made it feel like we had home advantage again.

I think we should introduce a lowest price first-come first-serve scheme for every home game with the Darwen End Lower being perhaps a tenner with juniors a fiver. Unreserved seating. If that brings the 'wavering fans' back in who miss games because of the cost it's worth it.

And where is it written that when we play the so-called 'big clubs' we have to give up the entire Darwen End? Is it an obligation? Why not restrict them to the Darwen End upper? If we can find 24,000 Rovers fans (can't have been more than 1000 away fans) for a game against Wigan I'm sure that if it's cheap enough we'd have 30,000 for the games against the likes of ManU & Liverpool, in which case there's not much revenue to be lost in not allocating them more tickets than just the Darwen Upper. Charge them 40 quid a ticket for the privilege, like they do when we go there! Most of the games against the 'Big 4' end up on Sky/Setanta anyway so their fans dont exactly get starved of seeing them and without the obligatory sea of standing fans packing the Darwen End we might have a chance of reasserting home advantage & getting the odd result against them.

Hopefully we can get a full house for the final game of the season, the club have thrown down an incentive to all season ticket holders to bring a friend for what is a more than fair price so hopefully this can be achieved and then we can all say farewell to what has been a very poor season and give a big, big, thank you to Tugay for all his efforts in the famous blue and white shirt.

[Hughesy]

I thought the bring a friend deal was for Pompey not West Brom?

Vinjay - it adds to the atmosphere, like it or lump it!

[JAL]

I thought the bring a friend deal was for Pompey not West Brom?

Vinjay - it adds to the atmosphere, like it or lump it!

Its for both games Hughesy.

[Hughesy]

Cheers Jal - Have to work on a few people for the 2nd one now....

[JAL]

Cheers Jal - Have to work on a few people for the 2nd one now....

Ive got two casual walk on tickets to get, plus am trying to sell the final game to a newcomer who wants to go with another newcomer so if all season ticket holders could attract or sell just one ticket per season ticket then Ewood simply wouldnt be big enough to pack them in one would have thought.

I know not every season ticket holder is going to bring in new support but if it could average out at around one walk on ticket per season ticket holder then that would be agreat achievement but the entertainment has to be good on the ground.

[gumboots]

Ive got two casual walk on tickets to get, plus am trying to sell the final game to a newcomer who wants to go with another newcomer so if all season ticket holders could attract or sell just one ticket per season ticket then Ewood simply wouldnt be big enough to pack them in one would have thought.

I know not every season ticket holder is going to bring in new support but if it could average out at around one walk on ticket per season ticket holder then that would be agreat achievement but the entertainment has to be good on the ground.

Bring back the cheerleaders then?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JAL]

Bring back the cheerleaders then?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Preferably over eighteens though not the kids.

[only2garners]

I know not every season ticket holder is going to bring in new support but if it could average out at around one walk on ticket per season ticket holder then that would be agreat achievement but the entertainment has to be good on the ground.

You need to save up some effort for when season tickets go on sale

[thenodrog]

Preferably over eighteens though not the kids.

And not that lad either!

[SAS]

its good to see four sides of the ground full with rovers fans but the season ticket holders always miss out , the club make you get your tickets early to get your seat then sell all the good players then give all the deals to non season ticket holders . why not make season tickets £200 all round with two free cup games like it used to be and match day tickets £10 after all most of the money rovers make comes from sky

Its still worked out cheaper to buy a season ticket though hasn`t it?

It has for me anyway

[Hughesy]

For those ST holders concerned about the devaluation of their ticket with special offers, I've just done a quick sum. If you had bought a ticket in the Blackburn End for every home game (except the last 3 taking the £20 Darwen End offer) you would have paid £450 (4 games at £35, one at £15 (Bolton) 3 for £20 and the rest at £25), compared to £299 for the early bird ST. (I've ignored the slight discount for the VAT reduction). So you would have had to miss 5/6 games to have been worse off, plus the hassle of actually buying the tickets every fortnight and being in different seats.

SAS - See post above. Around £150 saved by having a season ticket this year.

[SAS]

SAS - See post above. Around £150 saved by having a season ticket this year.

Didnt think it would be that much, but that just justify`s the point that these pricing initiatives are irrelevant to the value of a ST.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

I've read some crazy,crazy ideas on here ...away fans in the Riverside! away fans in the BBE!!.....has Sundays atmosphere sent some of thee daft.

Its a simple and straight forward plan:

Liverpool and Utd to have the whole of the Darwen end......they will sell out and it will be enforced by the Police.

Everton,Man City,Arsenal,Spurs,Chelsea and Bolton half the Darwen end....... as in line with CLB's idea.

The rest the top of the Darwen end like it or lump it.....target these games for the cheap ticket promotions.

[JAL]

I've read some crazy,crazy ideas on here ...away fans in the Riverside! away fans in the BBE!!.....has Sundays atmosphere sent some of thee daft.

Its a simple and straight forward plan:

Liverpool and Utd to have the whole of the Darwen end......they will sell out and it will be enforced by the Police.

Everton,Man City,Arsenal,Spurs,Chelsea and Bolton half the Darwen end....... as in line with CLB's idea.

The rest the top of the Darwen end like it or lump it.....target these games for the cheap ticket promotions.

When it comes to Man United the club should limit their allocation to the top of the Darwen end 3000 maximum as their fans are a disgrace with their misbehaviuor and sickening chants.

Williams along with the club should take the financial hit of lost revenue when it comes to playing Manchester United at Ewood the way the club open the doors for these scum bags is an absolute disgrace something that I feel very strongly about. As for the other teams no problem.

[Ben-2000]

When it comes to Man United the club should limit their allocation to the top of the Darwen end 3000 maximum as their fans are a disgrace with their misbehaviuor and sickening chants.

Williams along with the club should take the financial hit of lost revenue when it comes to playing Manchester United at Ewood the way the club open the doors for these scum bags is an absolute disgrace something that I feel very strongly about. As for the other teams no problem.

Agreed. They are scumbags.