[Archived] Ewood Park All Time Top Attendances

[thenodrog]

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.

Citeh went on to win the cup too.

[Florida Rover]

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

Based on his profile it has been over 4 years since he was here.Gone the way of Peter Cucumber and Cheshire Blue I guess

Spenny

2nd Division

Age Unknown years old

Gender Not Set

Location Unknown

Birthday Unknown

Interests

No Information

Statistics

Joined: 8-March 01

Profile Views: 1*

Last Seen: 26th April 2005 - 05:20

[Threepenny Bit Foot]

Cletus

I wonder what the top 10-20 would look like for the 'lost years' ie 1970-1990. Anything over 20,000 was a big thing for us regulars back then. From memory, we used to get big gates for the Burnley games (Xmas and Easter) in the old Second Division.

[philipl]

Cletus

I wonder what the top 10-20 would look like for the 'lost years' ie 1970-1990. Anything over 20,000 was a big thing for us regulars back then. From memory, we used to get big gates for the Burnley games (Xmas and Easter) in the old Second Division.

Except for 20,000 for the visit of Nottingham Forest in 1980 (League Champions and going on to win the European Cup twice) and 21,000 for two FA Cup visits by Liverpool, I don't think there was a single 20,000+ attendance at Ewood from the start of the 1980/1 season- by the time interest revived with Archibald and Ardiles, the Riverside had fallen down and the capacity limit was down to 18,000. Man U only brought a gate of 16,000 to Ewood for a live televised FA Cup tie.

The late '70s saw quite a lot of 20,000+ crowds.

The biggest was 30,000 for the Aston Villa 5th round cup tie (that was probably early 1980 thinking about it!) followed by 28,000 when Bolton won promotion in 1978.

There were 24,000 for the visit of PNE Boxing Day 1974 in the third division. Other 20,000+ crowds were for two visits by the dingles, another Bolton game, Sheffield Wednesday (26,000 in the third division), Coventry City (FA Cup) and I think a Sheff U game as well. The dingles games in the 1980s didn't reach 20,000 either at Ewood or Turf Moor if I remember correctly.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Rovers vs Bolton was the big crowd puller in the 1970s at both grounds. I remember being on the Railway End in a 33,000 crowd, dodging the flying bricks and then enduring the race back to the railway station. For the home games, living in Tockholes, the Trotters fans would pour through the village in their thousands, making it an exciting walk down Heys Lane. They were flying high then and we had finally halted the slide under Furphy, Lee and Smith.

I also was at the City cup tie and it was definitely the equaliser from 'Jim. Jim, bang one in' Fryatt, soon followed by a very near miss from the same man on a free-kick by Meccy taken right in front of me near the Riverside touchline. After that though it was a masterclass from one of the decade's great teams.

[Neil Weaver]

Except for 20,000 for the visit of Nottingham Forest in 1980 (League Champions and going on to win the European Cup twice) and 21,000 for two FA Cup visits by Liverpool, I don't think there was a single 20,000+ attendance at Ewood from the start of the 1980/1 season- by the time interest revived with Archibald and Ardiles, the Riverside had fallen down and the capacity limit was down to 18,000. Man U only brought a gate of 16,000 to Ewood for a live televised FA Cup tie.

The late '70s saw quite a lot of 20,000+ crowds.

The biggest was 30,000 for the Aston Villa 5th round cup tie (that was probably early 1980 thinking about it!) followed by 28,000 when Bolton won promotion in 1978.

There were 24,000 for the visit of PNE Boxing Day 1974 in the third division. Other 20,000+ crowds were for two visits by the dingles, another Bolton game, Sheffield Wednesday (26,000 in the third division), Coventry City (FA Cup) and I think a Sheff U game as well. The dingles games in the 1980s didn't reach 20,000 either at Ewood or Turf Moor if I remember correctly.

I was prompted to consult Mr Jackman........... not bad if you did that from memory PhilipL! Apparently 29.5k for that Villa game (and it was indeed Feb 80), I remember looking from the Riverside and it was rammed, hard to believe there was room for another hundred let alone twice as many for the record attendance. Apparently over 22.5k for that MU game in 85. One or two peculiar ones eg over 21k v Wrexham in a Div 3 game in 1975.

[Ozz]

Except for 20,000 for the visit of Nottingham Forest in 1980 (League Champions and going on to win the European Cup twice) and 21,000 for two FA Cup visits by Liverpool, I don't think there was a single 20,000+ attendance at Ewood from the start of the 1980/1 season- by the time interest revived with Archibald and Ardiles, the Riverside had fallen down and the capacity limit was down to 18,000. Man U only brought a gate of 16,000 to Ewood for a live televised FA Cup tie.

Man Utd, Leeds and Man City all had 20,000 Plus on in the same season, 84-85-Read on from here.

[only2garners]

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.

I was there too and all I can remember was I could hardly see anything stood at the back of the Riverside - no chance of seeing the jumpers they used for goalposts back then.

[philipl]

I was prompted to consult Mr Jackman........... not bad if you did that from memory PhilipL! Apparently 29.5k for that Villa game (and it was indeed Feb 80), I remember looking from the Riverside and it was rammed, hard to believe there was room for another hundred let alone twice as many for the record attendance. Apparently over 22.5k for that MU game in 85. One or two peculiar ones eg over 21k v Wrexham in a Div 3 game in 1975.

Yes it was from memory and explains the lapses which are now being pointed out.

I think the Wrexham game sealed promotion with the Championship won at the ploughed field aka Vale Park.

[MCMC1875]

I was one of the 29,000+ that witnessed the FA Cup 5th round tie against Aston Villa in 1980 - and there was bags of room left on the Riverside terrace (restrictions here and on the Blackburn End due to the age and strength of crush barriers. The Darwen End had new barriers and was more densely packed.

[MCMC1875]

My Grandad was one of the 62,000+ at the Bolton cup tie. Lots of supporters were packed on the terrace facing Kidder Street at the back of the Blackburn End with no view of the pitch and could only listen to the action. He said loads of people used to walk from Ossy to Ewood past the Britannia. There were 60 turnstiles on the old ground just like the new ground - that's over 1000 through each turnstile. God knows how they all got in?

[AggyBlue]

Cletus, you missed one out of the top 5

Anyone?

[thenodrog]

Rovers vs Bolton was the big crowd puller in the 1970s at both grounds. I remember being on the Railway End in a 33,000 crowd, dodging the flying bricks and then enduring the race back to the railway station.

A 3rd Div record crowd then. Only beaten a few years later by a Sheffield Derby.

God only knows hoe we won that day, Notlob murdered us.

[AggyBlue]

God only knows hoe we won that day, Notlob murdered us.

A thirty yarder from Faz. I was level with him in the main stand when he hit it.

[cletus]

Cletus, you missed one out of the top 5

Anyone?

Have i missed one? which one?

[AggyBlue]

Have i missed one? which one?

Bear in mind the thread title is 'Ewood Park all time top attendances'

I'm not sure of the of the exact figure, I think it was 53k and a bit.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=84919

The description is obviously wrong.