[Archived] Ewood Park`s All Time 20 Lowest Attendances

[cletus]

Thenodrog asked......

Whats the bottom 20?

....well, i`ve delved into the deep dark recessess of Ewood folklore & come up with these disturbing figures

EWOOD PARK ALL TIME 20 LOWEST ATTENDANCES (POST WAR).......

v Wimbledon (1985)......................2161.....Milk Cup rd2

v Wigan Athletic (1986).................2831.....Littlewoods Cup rd1

v Cardiff City (1984).....................3107.....div2 (last home game of season....6th)

v Wrexham (1974)........................3520.....div3 (last game of season....13th)

v Brighton (1986).........................3587.....div2

v Shrewsbury Town (1983)............3797.....div2 (last game of season....11th)

v Bristol City (1971).....................3971.....div2 (last game of season...relegated)

v Aldershot (1974)......................4016.....div3

v Willington (1973)......................4025.....FACup rd1

v Boro (1986).............................4049.....div2

....................................................................................................

......................................10

v Boro (1983).............................4083.....div2

v Brentford (1982).......................4137.....Milk Cup rd2

v Hull City (1986).........................4149.....div2

v Fulham (1984)..........................4301.....div2

v Millwall (1986)..........................4336.....div2

v Bolton W (1946).......................4444.....League North

v Cambridge Utd (1982)................4488.....div2

v Rochdale (1974)........................4517.....div3

v Brentford (1988).......................4606.....Littlewoods Cup rd1

v Crystal Palace (1983)................4635.....div2

....................................................................................................

.......................................20

Were you one of 'the few'????

[Dave S]

I was at the Wimbledon game.

We'd been hammered in the first leg. The score was something like 6-1 on agg.

The few die hards were very worried about the attendance, the club were at a turning point with many low turnouts at that time. The club luckily picked up at the end of the Eighties. Don MacKay and three playoffs saw a resurrection in attendances.

[Gav]

I was at the wimbledon game, think we'd been beaten 5-1 or 5-0 in the first leg.

[Hanks]

I can remember going to the game against bristol in 71 when we got relegated. Definitely remember missing the wimbledon game and have a feeling i missed the willington game, was it played during the day in midweek due to the three day week?. Should imagine i went to quite a few of the other games but cannot bring them to mind

[philipl]

Was at both the Boro games. Mark Patterson won one of them with a 30 yard screamer.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Without a doubt the late 70's and the 80's saw Rovers at probably their lowest point in their history.As commented on before, the survival of our proud club was on a knife edge at times.

It was character building if nothing else watching the blue 'n' whites in that era!

[tony gale's mic]

Whats been the lowest since the Walker era started?

[Ben-2000]

Whats been the lowest since the Walker era started?

I would guess at around 7,000 in a league cup game.

[The Prof.]

Thenodrog asked......

....well, i`ve delved into the deep dark recessess of Ewood folklore & come up with these disturbing figures

EWOOD PARK ALL TIME 20 LOWEST ATTENDANCES (POST WAR).......

v Wimbledon (1985)......................2161.....Milk Cup rd2

v Wigan Athletic (1986).................2831.....Littlewoods Cup rd1

v Cardiff City (1984).....................3107.....div2 (last home game of season....6th)

v Wrexham (1974)........................3520.....div3 (last game of season....13th)

v Brighton (1986).........................3587.....div2

v Shrewsbury Town (1983)............3797.....div2 (last game of season....11th)

v Bristol City (1971).....................3971.....div2 (last game of season...relegated)

v Aldershot (1974)......................4016.....div3

v Willington (1973)......................4025.....FACup rd1

v Boro (1986).............................4049.....div2

....................................................................................................

......................................10

v Boro (1983).............................4083.....div2

v Brentford (1982).......................4137.....Milk Cup rd2

v Hull City (1986).........................4149.....div2

v Fulham (1984)..........................4301.....div2

v Millwall (1986)..........................4336.....div2

v Bolton W (1946).......................4444.....League North

v Cambridge Utd (1982)................4488.....div2

v Rochdale (1974)........................4517.....div3

v Brentford (1988).......................4606.....Littlewoods Cup rd1

v Crystal Palace (1983)................4635.....div2

....................................................................................................

.......................................20

Were you one of 'the few'????

I was at most of them,,, (not 1946!)

I was at the Wimbledon game.

We'd been hammered in the first leg. The score was something like 6-1 on agg.

The few die hards were very worried about the attendance, the club were at a turning point with many low turnouts at that time. The club luckily picked up at the end of the Eighties. Don MacKay and three playoffs saw a resurrection in attendances.

Funtime with Bond and Waddle at Burnley helped in my opinion as I thought they might go to the wall!

[brightonrover]

I was at most of the early to mid 1980's matches.

Wasn't a great time to be a Rovers supporter but still managed to have a lot of fun particularly playing card games in the Blackburn end during some interminable passages of play.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

I was at the Shrewsbury match - don't remember much of the match - just what a poor attendance it was

[Gav]

Without a doubt the late 70's and the 80's saw Rovers at probably their lowest point in their history.As commented on before, the survival of our proud club was on a knife edge at times.

It was character building if nothing else watching the blue 'n' whites in that era!

I think on the whole the support was great considering we’d had very little success to speak of for decades.

[1864roverite]

I recall an Anglo Scottish cup game less than 2000 versus Hibernian I think.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Thenodrog asked......

....well, i`ve delved into the deep dark recessess of Ewood folklore & come up with these disturbing figures

EWOOD PARK ALL TIME 20 LOWEST ATTENDANCES (POST WAR).......

v Wimbledon (1985)......................2161.....Milk Cup rd2

v Wigan Athletic (1986).................2831.....Littlewoods Cup rd1

v Cardiff City (1984).....................3107.....div2 (last home game of season....6th)

v Wrexham (1974)........................3520.....div3 (last game of season....13th)

v Brighton (1986).........................3587.....div2

v Shrewsbury Town (1983)............3797.....div2 (last game of season....11th)

v Bristol City (1971).....................3971.....div2 (last game of season...relegated)

v Aldershot (1974)......................4016.....div3

v Willington (1973)......................4025.....FACup rd1

v Boro (1986).............................4049.....div2

....................................................................................................

......................................10

v Boro (1983).............................4083.....div2

v Brentford (1982).......................4137.....Milk Cup rd2

v Hull City (1986).........................4149.....div2

v Fulham (1984)..........................4301.....div2

v Millwall (1986)..........................4336.....div2

v Bolton W (1946).......................4444.....League North

v Cambridge Utd (1982)................4488.....div2

v Rochdale (1974)........................4517.....div3

v Brentford (1988).......................4606.....Littlewoods Cup rd1

v Crystal Palace (1983)................4635.....div2

....................................................................................................

.......................................20

Were you one of 'the few'????

Attended all the eighties games. The one that sticks in my mind was the Brighton match as I was dragged to it by my dad. He said it would be character building.

[Kiwiwannabe]

I was at the Shrewsbury match - that was my first ever match at Ewood. I don't remember much about the game, but I was only two and a half years old.

[berkshireblue]

was at the 82 Brentford game

I remember afterwards walking to Lower Darwen from ewood and there was an old lady in front of us with a knitted red and white Brentford scarf, she said to her son;

" Cor that was a cr@p game, Burnley were terrible.." to which we laughed and said you re not wrong there love

[Exiled in Toronto]

It's remarkable how few of the Div 3 games are in there, especially as we plummeted down to 19th in our first season down before the Messiah, John MacNamee was signed.

I must have been at quite a few of those, but the only one I remember was the 1971 one, which was when we had been relegated to the 3rd for the first time ever and was the lowest attendance for decades - one wondered where it would all end. Certainly not as Champions of England!

[waggy]

the willington one was during the miners strike,had to knick off school got detention for a week

[McClarky]

Just to add some contaxt, up the M65 they were drawing crowds of around 1,400 at around this time (mid 80s) although 50,000 now claim to have ben present against Orient.

In these really low crowds there were about 90% huddled in a small group under the BBE cantilever roof singing, them were the days eh?

I think from memory that the Cardiff game was an early experiment with Sunday football. Smallest league gate since WW2 so obviousely not a great success.

I wander if the Palace game was the 1 where Mickey Droy scored at the BBE and gave the loudest bellow you have ever heard. It echoed around the ground and scared everyone half to death.

[trawdenblue]

the willington one was during the miners strike,had to knick off school got detention for a week

You're right Waggy. I think it was a Tuesday afternoon with 1pm kick-off! The miners' strike led to power cuts - no floodlights allowed!

I sneaked off from St. Mary's College, there were about 6 of us, and nobody noticed!

We won 6-1 and John O'Mara got two. he looked like a world beater that day.

[Plastic Head]

Thenodrog asked......

....well, i`ve delved into the deep dark recessess of Ewood folklore & come up with these disturbing figures

EWOOD PARK ALL TIME 20 LOWEST ATTENDANCES (POST WAR).......

v Wimbledon (1985)......................2161.....Milk Cup rd2

v Wigan Athletic (1986).................2831.....Littlewoods Cup rd1

v Cardiff City (1984).....................3107.....div2 (last home game of season....6th)

v Wrexham (1974)........................3520.....div3 (last game of season....13th)

v Brighton (1986).........................3587.....div2

v Shrewsbury Town (1983)............3797.....div2 (last game of season....11th)

v Bristol City (1971).....................3971.....div2 (last game of season...relegated)

v Aldershot (1974)......................4016.....div3

v Willington (1973)......................4025.....FACup rd1

v Boro (1986).............................4049.....div2

....................................................................................................

......................................10

v Boro (1983).............................4083.....div2

v Brentford (1982).......................4137.....Milk Cup rd2

v Hull City (1986).........................4149.....div2

v Fulham (1984)..........................4301.....div2

v Millwall (1986)..........................4336.....div2

v Bolton W (1946).......................4444.....League North

v Cambridge Utd (1982)................4488.....div2

v Rochdale (1974)........................4517.....div3

v Brentford (1988).......................4606.....Littlewoods Cup rd1

v Crystal Palace (1983)................4635.....div2

....................................................................................................

.......................................20

Were you one of 'the few'????

I am proud to say I was at all of these apart from Bristol City game in 71 and the wartime game. Frightening really.

The Wimbledon game followed a heavy defeat in the first leg I think.

The Cardiff game sticks in my mind as well. Even half the Riverside regulars didn't bother going to boo at that one.

The Boro game was the dark days of the late Saxton era.

The Brighton and Fulham games were consecutive I think, 1-4 and 1-2 defeats. We lost 5 consecutive home games and then won 6-1 against Sheff U.

The Palace game was a good win, Garns and Lowey I think.

Many younger fans might think they were desperate and depressing times, desparate at times but always good fun, especially as you personally knew most of the attendance.

Good job Keith didn't play then, they heard every disparaging comment from the terraces in them days, and I remember running arguments going on between players and fans during the match.

[only2garners]

I recall an Anglo Scottish cup game less than 2000 versus Hibernian I think.

Not according to Mike Jackman, 1864. The only time we played Hibs at home was in the quarter final on 28/9/77, when there were 6,154 on. The lowest home Anglo Scottish Cup attendance was 5,074 on 6/8/77 against Blackpool. There was a crowd of 2,499 but that was away at Carlisle on 5/8/80.

[MCMC1875]

Went to all the 80's games.

For younger fans on here - these were some of my best times watching Rovers - low crowds but the number hardcore fans, ticket prices and pay on the gate arrangements, meant there were often big followings to away games all over the country and the sme people stood in the same place for each home match.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Went to all the 80's games.

For younger fans on here - these were some of my best times watching Rovers - low crowds but the number hardcore fans, ticket prices and pay on the gate arrangements, meant there were often big followings to away games all over the country and the sme people stood in the same place for each home match.

Pretty sure I would have been at the Cardiff, Palace and Brighton games but for some reason only the Shrewsbury one sticks in my memory. I seem to remember playing Fulham at Ewood on a Sunday (rare then) which was the last game of the season in the mid 80's. A viscious scrap broke out in the BBE, not a "left side/right side jape, but a real kick off. Dont think we'd been infultrated by Cottagers though

I'd forgotten just how shockingly poor our early/mid 80's gates were but we weren't alone, it wasn't a good era for the game. I do miss our terrace barrier at the top right of the BBE though (easy access/exit to/from The Albion )

Thank god for the late 80's and our mega away followings!