[Archived] Ewood Park All Time Top Attendances

[cletus]

....Whilst i`m at it, i`ve looked into the deepest darkest archives to see what it was like to be at Ewood Park when they used to have 'proper' crowds.

I`ve heard tales of standing on the Blackburn End & you just could not move. You had to pee on the guy infront. When the crowd moved, it moved in a ripple effect.

Those days must`ve been great.

Here`s the TOP 60 all time biggest Ewood gates.....

62,522 vs Bolton Wanderers (2nd Mar 1929).....FACup rd6

60,011 vs Blackpool (7th mar 1925).....FACup rd4

54,400 vs Huddersfield Town (9th mar 1939).....FACup rd6

53,839 vs Bumley (16th mar 1960).....FACup rd6

53,000 vs Everton (25th jan 1930).....FACup rd4

52,920 vs Bumley (8th mar 1952).....FACup rd6

52,656 vs Preston North End (26th dec 1921).....div1

52,468 vs Liverpool (7th jan 1950).....FACup rd3

51,223 vs Blackpool (30th jan 1960).....FACup rd4

51,177 vs WBA (23rd feb 1952).....FACup rd5

51,000 vs Liverpool (1st mar 1958).....FACup rd6

49,546 vs Liverpool (26th jan 1935).....FACup rd4

48,170 vs Tottenham Hotspur (26th feb 1925).....FACup rd3

48,000 vs Bumley (1st Jan 1914).....div1

47,248 vs Sunderland (16th feb 1939).....FACup rd5

46,874 vs Preston North End (4th oct 1947).....div1

45,710 vs Woverhampton Wanderers (24th feb 1912).....FACup rd3

45,521 vs Leicester City (16th apr 1954).....div2

45,410 vs Derby County (26th jan 1929).....FACup rd4

45,320 vs Hull City (2nd feb 1952).....FACup rd4

45,068 vs Huddersfield Town (18th feb 1922) FACup rd3

45,000 vs Fulham (8th Jan 1921).....FAC rd1

44,612 vs Preston North End (4th nov 1950).....div2

43,192 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (13th sept 1958).....div1

43,752 vs Bumley (28th jan 1959).....FACup rd4

43,700 vs Port Vale (18th feb 1928) FACup rd3

43,000 vs Bumley (22nd Jan 1921).....div1

42,891 vs Preston North End (7th apr 1950).....div2

41,789 vs Liverpool (22nd feb 1958).....div2

42,778 vs Bumley (8th march 1913).....FACup rd4

42,312 vs Manchester United (3rd mar 1928) FACup rd4

42,000 vs Bumley (16th oct 1926).....div1

41,830 vs Tottenham Hotspur (30th aug 1958.....div1

41,694 vs Preston North End (3rd oct 1959).....div1

41,635 vs Bumley (18th oct 1947).....div1

40,401 vs Manchestewr United (2nd mar 1959).....div1

41,250 vs Manchester City (21st feb 1914).....FACup rd3

41,115 vs Aston Villa (12th Oct 1912).....1st div

40,100 vs Bury (16th feb 1929).....FACup rd5

41,088 vs Preston North End (9th jan 1926) FACup rd3

41,000 vs Bolton Wanderers (11th jan 1936.....FACup rd3

40,059 vs Everton (25th dec 1931).....div1

40,000 vs Preston North End (25th dec 1920).....div1

40,000 vs Sheffield United (1st may 1920).....div1

40,000 vs Bolton Wanderers (20th Nov 1920).....div1

40,000 vs Manchester United (20th Nov 1909).....1st div

39,300 vs Everton (2nd jan 1928).....div 1

39,286 vs Manchester United (14th March 1912).....FACup rd4

38,388 vs Sunderland (2nd April 1920).....div1

36,195 vs Preston North End (1st Jan 1912).....1st div

35,987 vs Everton (26th dec 1932).....div1

35,516 vs Portsmouth (24th Apr 1928).....div1

35,334 vs Newcastle United (12th mar 1927).....div1

35,000 vs Cardiff City (2nd Jan 1922).....div1

35,000 vs Liverpool (4th Mar 1922).....div1

35,000 vs Preston North End (25th Dec 1923).....div1

35,000 vs Braford City (25th mar 1921).....div1

35,000 vs Newcastle (25th dec 1906).....1st Div

35,000 vs Preston North End (1st Jan 1907).....1st Div

32,685 vs Sunderland (11th sept 1920).....div1

Pick away guys!!

[Presty On Tour]

I wasn't born to go and watch any of them games. Thinking about it, neither was my old man.

I wonder if we will get 60,000+ ever again at Ewood Park for a football match. You never know what's around the corner, terracing could come back, billionaire owners, richest club, european champions. It could all happen in a few years.

[cletus]

....another breakdown or points of interest,

16 of the top 20 gates were FACup games

in all, 27 of the top 60 were FACup ties

29 were in the 1st division

4 were in the 2nd division

10 games featured Preston North End

8 Bumley

5 Liverpool

4 Everton

4 Manchester United

3 Bolton Wanderers & Sunderland

2 Tottenham Hotspur, Blackpool, Huddersfield Town, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Newcastle United

1 West Brom, Leicester City,Derby County,Hull City,Fulham,Port Vale, Man City,Aston Villa,Bury,Sheffield United,Bradford City, Portsmouth

Sadly the last proper 'bumper' crowd at Ewood was on 16th March 1960, when 53,839 watched Rovers beat their arch-rivals Bumley 2-0 in their FACup 6th round replay.

Rovers went on to reach the final, but lost out to Wolves at Wembley.

After that, the days of big crowds at Ewood were over. Gates of 20,000+ were few & far between....until Uncle Jack came along in the late 80s/early 90s.

[philipl]

Cletus, the list is missing Rovers v City in the FA Cup in 67/8. That was well over 40,000.

[Parsonblue]

Cletus, the list is missing Rovers v City in the FA Cup in 67/8. That was well over 40,000.

I remember it well phillipl. City's attack took us apart - John Coddington's lack of pace well and truly exploited by City - and we scored via the head of Jim Fryatt. Let's hope for better today! Attendance was 42,315 - the last 40,000+ attendance at Ewood Park. It was in February 1969.

[cletus]

Cletus, the list is missing Rovers v City in the FA Cup in 67/8. That was well over 40,000.

Sorry Philipl.....i must`ve overlooked that one

UPDATED.....

Here`s the TOP 60 all time biggest Ewood gates.....

62,522 vs Bolton Wanderers (2nd Mar 1929).....FACup rd6

60,011 vs Blackpool (7th mar 1925).....FACup rd4

54,400 vs Huddersfield Town (9th mar 1939).....FACup rd6

53,839 vs Bumley (16th mar 1960).....FACup rd6

53,000 vs Everton (25th jan 1930).....FACup rd4

52,920 vs Bumley (8th mar 1952).....FACup rd6

52,656 vs Preston North End (26th dec 1921).....div1

52,468 vs Liverpool (7th jan 1950).....FACup rd3

51,223 vs Blackpool (30th jan 1960).....FACup rd4

51,177 vs WBA (23rd feb 1952).....FACup rd5

51,000 vs Liverpool (1st mar 1958).....FACup rd6

49,546 vs Liverpool (26th jan 1935).....FACup rd4

48,170 vs Tottenham Hotspur (26th feb 1925).....FACup rd3

48,000 vs Bumley (1st Jan 1914).....div1

47,248 vs Sunderland (16th feb 1939).....FACup rd5

46,874 vs Preston North End (4th oct 1947).....div1

45,710 vs Woverhampton Wanderers (24th feb 1912).....FACup rd3

45,521 vs Leicester City (16th apr 1954).....div2

45,410 vs Derby County (26th jan 1929).....FACup rd4

45,320 vs Hull City (2nd feb 1952).....FACup rd4

45,068 vs Huddersfield Town (18th feb 1922) FACup rd3

45,000 vs Fulham (8th Jan 1921).....FAC rd1

44,612 vs Preston North End (4th nov 1950).....div2

43,192 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (13th sept 1958).....div1

43,752 vs Bumley (28th jan 1959).....FACup rd4

43,700 vs Port Vale (18th feb 1928) FACup rd3

43,000 vs Bumley (22nd Jan 1921).....div1

42,891 vs Preston North End (7th apr 1950).....div2

41,789 vs Liverpool (22nd feb 1958).....div2

42,778 vs Bumley (8th march 1913).....FACup rd4

*42,315 vs Manchester City (24th Feb 1969).....FACup rd5

42,312 vs Manchester United (3rd mar 1928) FACup rd4

42,000 vs Bumley (16th oct 1926).....div1

41,830 vs Tottenham Hotspur (30th aug 1958.....div1

41,694 vs Preston North End (3rd oct 1959).....div1

41,635 vs Bumley (18th oct 1947).....div1

40,401 vs Manchestewr United (2nd mar 1959).....div1

41,250 vs Manchester City (21st feb 1914).....FACup rd3

41,115 vs Aston Villa (12th Oct 1912).....1st div

40,100 vs Bury (16th feb 1929).....FACup rd5

41,088 vs Preston North End (9th jan 1926) FACup rd3

41,000 vs Bolton Wanderers (11th jan 1936.....FACup rd3

40,059 vs Everton (25th dec 1931).....div1

40,000 vs Preston North End (25th dec 1920).....div1

40,000 vs Sheffield United (1st may 1920).....div1

40,000 vs Bolton Wanderers (20th Nov 1920).....div1

40,000 vs Manchester United (20th Nov 1909).....1st div

39,300 vs Everton (2nd jan 1928).....div 1

39,286 vs Manchester United (14th March 1912).....FACup rd4

38,388 vs Sunderland (2nd April 1920).....div1

36,195 vs Preston North End (1st Jan 1912).....1st div

35,987 vs Everton (26th dec 1932).....div1

35,516 vs Portsmouth (24th Apr 1928).....div1

35,334 vs Newcastle United (12th mar 1927).....div1

35,000 vs Cardiff City (2nd Jan 1922).....div1

35,000 vs Liverpool (4th Mar 1922).....div1

35,000 vs Preston North End (25th Dec 1923).....div1

35,000 vs Braford City (25th mar 1921).....div1

35,000 vs Newcastle (25th dec 1906).....1st Div

35,000 vs Preston North End (1st Jan 1907).....1st Div

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Yeh, I went to the City cup tie. There was still quite a bit of room standing on the Riverside in the corner with the Darwen end stand, nobody ever seemed to stand there. City tore us apart that night, Summerbee, Lee, Coleman and Bell ran us ragged.Only Stuart Metcalfe played to his normal standard. On a sad note I remember the great Bryan Douglas coming on as sub and looking totally off the pace in what must have been one of his last games, very sad.

[cletus]

Did anybody on this site attend any of these big games?

If so, please tell us about it

I`d love to have been around in those days. My mum has often told me about when she was a lass, all the men of the family would meet up at their house (as it was closest to Ewood, near the Havelock).....then they`d all walk to the ground & took up the same spot on the Riverside every week.

Maybe Jim Mk2 & Al could tell us about some of the older games in the 20s & 30s

[Al]

Did anybody on this site attend any of these big games?

If so, please tell us about it

I`d love to have been around in those days. My mum has often told me about when she was a lass, all the men of the family would meet up at their house (as it was closest to Ewood, near the Havelock).....then they`d all walk to the ground & took up the same spot on the Riverside every week.

Maybe Jim Mk2 & Al could tell us about some of the older games in the 20s & 30s

Cheeky barsteward! I wasn't born till 1942. The biggest crowd I can remember was a cup replay between Preston and Bolton at Ewood.

Did anybody notice that the biggest gates were often FA Cup matches. The cup really was king in those days. It's a pity the magic has now gone due the Champions league being the be all and end all. It's time the FA cup winners (or runners up) qualified by right.

[IAN57]

That, cletus, was very good work.

I was at game No 4, Burnley 1960. That was a cup replay after the unforgettable 3-3 away draw. Coming back from 3-0 down with 13 mins to go.

In those days, the wall round the ewood pitch was higher and under 12's could sit on the low benches there. except behind the goal.

That game, we got in early as usual and plonked ourselves on the halfway line. Well, it got fuller and fuller and fuller, until the adults were spilling onto the pitchside until I finally found myself three rows back , so I had to stand up, well, until I go shouted at.

As for the match, I remember little, except it was 0-0 at full time and finally in the dying mins of the game we scored twice. 2-0 Peter Dobing and Ally Mcleod.

Yes the same Mcleod that managed scotland, Ally's army.

[Al]

That, cletus, was very good work.

I was at game No 4, Burnley 1960. That was a cup replay after the unforgettable 3-3 away draw. Coming back from 3-0 down with 13 mins to go.

In those days, the wall round the ewood pitch was higher and under 12's could sit on the low benches there. except behind the goal.

That game, we got in early as usual and plonked ourselves on the halfway line. Well, it got fuller and fuller and fuller, until the adults were spilling onto the pitchside until I finally found myself three rows back , so I had to stand up, well, until I go shouted at.

As for the match, I remember little, except it was 0-0 at full time and finally in the dying mins of the game we scored twice. 2-0 Peter Dobing and Ally Mcleod.

Yes the same Mcleod that managed scotland, Ally's army.

Yes I used to sit on the forms pitchside but by that game I was too old and was crushed up by the barrier, third pillar along on the Riverside. I don't remember a lot about the game except for the feeling of elation on the way home.

[Ben-2000]

I wonder if we would have got any 40,000+ attendances since the redevelopment if capacity had allowed... for example VE day and other sell outs against L'pool and United. We will never know!

[philipl]

Didn't 38,000 somehow fit into Ewood for the Championship celebration nght?

[TimmyJimmy]

Nice work Cletus.

I was at most of the games from about '57 onwards. Outstanding memory for me was as a kid being forceably moved around the ground when the crowd switched ends at half time, usually anticlockwise. I started off in the Blackburn End and ended up in the Darwen End via the enclosure. No choice about it.

Remember the City match well, yes we were stuffed, but that side had some real stars. Fist time I heard the term 'jack-knife' used to describe a header. Blackburn End again, Fryatt doubled up to head the ball into the net, if he had connected he would have dismantled it and the framework, unfortunately the ball was cut out on the left post to leave him hanging in mid air in the classic pose, would have made the cover of any magazine. I 'progressed' over the years to the enclosure then the Riverside then the JW Upper after the redevelopment where I am to be found to this day (the shrivelled one at the back covered in cobwebs). Hope you are gathering some good memories of your own, it's a great club.

[cletus]

Here`s what 52,920 at Ewood looks like.....

Rovers vs Bumley FACup tie in 1952

(btw.....we won 3-1 )

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Brilliant. I just spent the last half hour watching old footage. Nice one Cletus!

[Iceman]

Just a quick question or 3. 60 000 + back in those days. That must have been something special,but the kids who went with their dads and so on, are they still fans today, those that are still alive of course? To have had that many fans, most who might have passed on, but what happened to their kids and who did they support? Im guessing the war had much to do, with the loss of many Rovers fans. Am i confusing anybody with this question?

[bazza]

That clip of Rovers v Burnley in 1952 was marvelous. As a boy I used to watch that team play. I cannot remember if my dad took me to that game but my heroes were Bill Holmes, an amateur, and Albert Nightingale.

As a young man I went to the 6th round replay v Burnley in 1960 but made the mistake of leaving it late to get on the ground. I finished up on that terrace between the Riverside and the Darwen end but the crowd were packed like sardines and I could barely get onto the top step and had to keep jumping up and down to see.

In answer to Iceman, some people's history of watching Rovers may possibly be found on the Messageboard gold in the greatest ever rovers team discussion.

Briefly, my dad as a young boy was taken to Ewood by his uncle (his dad wasn't interested in football) and watched Rovers win the league in 1912 and 1914.

He started taking me to Ewood in about 1950 when I was seven.

I took my son when he was 5 in 1974 (v Cambridge Utd I think; third division) He used to post on this messageboard under the name of "Spenny".

And, to cap it all, he took his son, aged seven tomorrow, to his second game last Saturday v Man City. His first game was last Xmas v Stoke.

Stop rambling, bazza.............

[Seggie]

16 of the top 20 gates were FACup games

Bit off topic here

I wonder if we looked at the worst attendences since the re development, how many would have been FA Cup games?

This would show how little value we show the FA Cup in regards to football fans in the past.

[thenodrog]

Did anybody on this site attend any of these big games?

If so, please tell us about it

I`d love to have been around in those days. My mum has often told me about when she was a lass, all the men of the family would meet up at their house (as it was closest to Ewood, near the Havelock).....then they`d all walk to the ground & took up the same spot on the Riverside every week.

Maybe Jim Mk2 & Al could tell us about some of the older games in the 20s & 30s

I went to the much postponed Man City game and how the hell we had 20000 more on in the past beggars my belief. The terracing that became the Blackburn End must have really cut the size down. That night I was stood on the corner between the Blackburn End and the Riverside and I couldn't move my arms from my sides. Very claustrophobic and more than a bit frightening but it did help the crowd defy the freezing cold weather. Snow shovelled into heaps all around the perimeter of the pitch. I had the perfect view of Mekky skinning Glynn Pardoe to deliver the perfect cross for Jim Fryatt to head into the net. 1-0 up but it was all downhill after that.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Memory playing tricks there matey, Fryatts goal made it either 1-1 or 1-2, we were definately behind when he scored. Didn't really matter because they went straight down our end and scored again. You're right about Mekky giving Pardoe the run around though. If it hadn't have been postponed so many times Rogers and Wilson would have been playing and we'd have made more of a game of it. By the time the game was played they were both suspended. Me and my mate queued up all night in the freezing cold to get tickets, we were convinced it would be a sell out. I ended up with the flu. Another mate came along at 12.30 sunday afternoon, got his tickets and went home !

[thenodrog]

Memory playing tricks there matey, Fryatts goal made it either 1-1 or 1-2, we were definately behind when he scored. Didn't really matter because they went straight down our end and scored again. You're right about Mekky giving Pardoe the run around though. If it hadn't have been postponed so many times Rogers and Wilson would have been playing and we'd have made more of a game of it. By the time the game was played they were both suspended. Me and my mate queued up all night in the freezing cold to get tickets, we were convinced it would be a sell out. I ended up with the flu. Another mate came along at 12.30 sunday afternoon, got his tickets and went home !

Might indeed have been 1-1 but my initial feeling was 1-0. 40 bloody years ago Tyrone. Where's it gone?

[Fife Rover]

Sadly I missed the 1952 cup tie with Burnley as I was away serving Queen and Country at the time, but I was there for the 1960 6th round replay again against Burnley. It was a Monday night and I got down to Ewood about 5-30 for the 7 o'clock KO. It was as well that I did because if I had been much later I would not have got my favorite position at the very top of the BBE quite near to Riverside where there was a superb viewing position on a rail with a massive step down right in front of it, and it didn't matter if the people in front of you were all 8ft tall you could still see over them with ease.

As Cletus has shown that was the last truly massive attendance at Ewood, although there had been plenty of high 40k and low 50k attendances scattered about prior to that. But as we all know that was Rovers season for reaching the Final at Wembley. After beating Sheff W. in another sell-out match at Maine Rd in the semi-final, Rovers fans were all looking forward to a sporting chance of getting a cup final ticket from their allocation of 30,000. Alas it was not to be for the vast majority of regular die hard fans. Where all the tickets went to nobody really knows to this day. But it cost the Rovers very dearly in lost support. Many thousands of regulars swore never to set foot inside Ewood again and a large percentage of those have stuck to it. Hence the much lower average gates from then on until the advent of the Jack Walker years and the promotion to the PL brought a whole lot of new fans out of nowhere, or so it seems.

[jim mk2]

I went to the much postponed Man City game and how the hell we had 20000 more on in the past beggars my belief. The terracing that became the Blackburn End must have really cut the size down. That night I was stood on the corner between the Blackburn End and the Riverside and I couldn't move my arms from my sides. Very claustrophobic and more than a bit frightening but it did help the crowd defy the freezing cold weather. Snow shovelled into heaps all around the perimeter of the pitch. I had the perfect view of Mekky skinning Glynn Pardoe to deliver the perfect cross for Jim Fryatt to head into the net. 1-0 up but it was all downhill after that.

City went 1-0 up and Jim Fryatt headed the equaliser (early in the second half I think). Rovers had City on the rack for about 15 minutes after that with Metcalfe in top form but City fought back and were easy 4-1 winners in the end.

Many memories of that night. The match was postponed a few times becaise of the weather and was one of the most eagerly-awaited games in the town for years.

There were 42,000 on Ewood (according to official figures) and sitting in the Nuttall St stand I can still see crowd in the Riverside lower swaying back and forth. It looked downright dangerous and it would have been no surprise if one of the barriers had given way. Thankfully they held firm.

City were a fantastic side with Lee, Bell, Summerbee, Young, Doyle, Coleman etc in their pomp. Rovers had been relegated from the old first division three years before and with the club in inexorable decline the gulf in class was sad and painful to watch.

[Al]

That clip of Rovers v Burnley in 1952 was marvelous. As a boy I used to watch that team play. I cannot remember if my dad took me to that game but my heroes were Bill Holmes, an amateur, and Albert Nightingale.

As a young man I went to the 6th round replay v Burnley in 1960 but made the mistake of leaving it late to get on the ground. I finished up on that terrace between the Riverside and the Darwen end but the crowd were packed like sardines and I could barely get onto the top step and had to keep jumping up and down to see.

In answer to Iceman, some people's history of watching Rovers may possibly be found on the Messageboard gold in the greatest ever rovers team discussion.

Briefly, my dad as a young boy was taken to Ewood by his uncle (his dad wasn't interested in football) and watched Rovers win the league in 1912 and 1914.

He started taking me to Ewood in about 1950 when I was seven.

I took my son when he was 5 in 1974 (v Cambridge Utd I think; third division) He used to post on this messageboard under the name of "Spenny".

And, to cap it all, he took his son, aged seven tomorrow, to his second game last Saturday v Man City. His first game was last Xmas v Stoke.

Stop rambling, bazza.............

Whatever happened to Spenney. Come back pal you were a good contributor.