[Archived] Blackburn 3-2 Dingles

[Clitherover]

I'd like to thank you all for your nice comments following the sudden death of Alan Boys, it is good to see that we can rise above our rivalries and see the people and their families behind the football fan.

Now onto the game. Dunn, mmmmmm. Saw the Arsenal game and have to say Dunn looked to be at his very best, he will need to be watched very very carefully. Let us hope that whoever is asked to watch him (likely Bikey and/or Alexander) can keep a lid on him. As for his lack of pace - well we don't have the quickest back four so that will be less of a hinderance than it was against Arsenal and he did pretty damn well in that game.

Though I realise you will know little about most of our players we are not without a threat, but first to deal with the Mears situation. Yes he was part of that disasterous Derby side but so far for us he has looked a steal. Seems pacey, gets forward well and defends well. And so who, if anybody, should you be watching out for? Well I'd offer 3 names. First up is Wade Elliot, quick feet, can score from anywhere with either foot, though admittedly not blessed with lightening pace, dismiss him at your peril. Next up is Fletcher, we have yet to see the best of him but he does have bags of skill in that left foot of his and getting off the mark at the weekend just MIGHT be the boost he needed. Finally I think Nugent could cause you problems. Although he failed to make an impact at Portsmouth we have seen plenty of him in his PNE days and I think he has a point to prove, he is stronger than I remember him being and much better with his back to goal than many think.

I will happily accept that you are clear favourites. Your squad and manager have far more experience at this level than we do and I guess one or two of your players cost more than our entire squad, they earn far more and as such you'd assume they are much better players. You are at home with a passionate, full house behind you. But this is football, its a derby, the derby and at the end of the day it starts 11 against 11 so nothing is guarenteed.

Another post to suggest you're not all empty headed morons like Sam Dingle.

[Ben-2000]

Mr Williams - to echo the many other posts - tickets in the Darwen End need to be made available now.

BRFC Fans have proved their worth here with ticket sales so far and with a week and-a-half before the game there is just the odd seat available here and there!

Do the right thing, allow as many Rovers fans as possible to see THE derby. Obviously there will have to a certain amount of segregation, but 4,000 empty seats is excessive to say the least... Is 1,000 extra tickets in the Darwen End asking too much? even 500 would be better than nothing!

[cletus]

couldn,t agree more,u could still put another 1000 rovers fans in there and still be a mile from them dingles but i don,t think they will untill we sell every available seat then start to email the club to release more seats

The Darwen End Lower will be split in half. It`s designed to be split & has a steel gate in the concourse. I don`t ever recall seeing a steel gate in the top tier concourse, & i`ve been up there several times. I might be mistaken though

So, if the bottom tier is split, there will be approx 2500 seats either side of the barrier. There will be 2000 retards in the away end, probably with a buffer-zone of empty netted-off seats at the front & between home & away fans. I wonder if the home area will be netted off at the front too? If not, there will be 1200 Rovers ST holders & approx 1300 empty seats (this includes the 10% they cannot sell, due to the unreserved seating rules.......so an 250 of the 2500 seats cannot be sold in there. That makes it approx 1050 seats they could 'possibly' sell in the DE lower.

If the upper tier cannot be segregated by either turnstyle entrance or barriers inside the concourse, then there will be 1000 retards in the upper right hand side of the DE. They will probably have a couple of rows of seats netted off at the front & across the middle of the stand.

1500 seats above the Rovers fans will then be left empty for segregation reasons.

All in all, there will be approx 1050 'sellable' seats in the Darwen End that won`t affect segregation concerns. If the upper tier can be split safely then another 1500 seats could possibly become available for sale.

If the demand for tickets is there, then people should contact the club. The club won`t contact them.

I seriously doubt the club will release these seats though.....but you can nay-but-try

[Ben-2000]

The Darwen End Lower will be split in half. It`s designed to be split & has a steel gate in the concourse. I don`t ever recall seeing a steel gate in the top tier concourse, & i`ve been up there several times. I might be mistaken though

So, if the bottom tier is split, there will be approx 2500 seats either side of the barrier. There will be 2000 retards in the away end, probably with a buffer-zone of empty netted-off seats at the front & between home & away fans. I wonder if the home area will be netted off at the front too? If not, there will be 1200 Rovers ST holders & approx 1300 empty seats (this includes the 10% they cannot sell, due to the unreserved seating rules.......so an 250 of the 2500 seats cannot be sold in there. That makes it approx 1050 seats they could 'possibly' sell in the DE lower.

If the upper tier cannot be segregated by either turnstyle entrance or barriers inside the concourse, then there will be 1000 retards in the upper right hand side of the DE. They will probably have a couple of rows of seats netted off at the front & across the middle of the stand.

1500 seats above the Rovers fans will then be left empty for segregation reasons.

All in all, there will be approx 1050 'sellable' seats in the Darwen End that won`t affect segregation concerns. If the upper tier can be split safely then another 1500 seats could possibly become available for sale.

If the demand for tickets is there, then people should contact the club. The club won`t contact them.

I seriously doubt the club will release these seats though.....but you can nay-but-try

The turnstile layout will not affect segregation as the upper and lower entrances (on both halves) are next to each other and seperate from the other half.

Like the Lower Tier, there is a metal fence which seperates the upper tier seating in half, if there is no steel gate in the concourse then that was a pointless excersise, besides I am sure I have been in the upper tier many years ago with away fans on the other side.

As for segregation, I believe the middle block will be completely netted off along with the first few rows of the dingle half leaving 2,000 seats available on each side. With just over 1,000 season ticket holders there is room for plenty more unless there the segregation is more than one block and on the Rovers half of the stand, that is when the upper tier comes in to play... however it is currently set up there is room for more Rovers fans in the Darwen End whether it is in the Upper or Lower (or both?!).

[bubblerrovers]

What should i do, i really really really wana go, live in london so could get up really early and drive there and back, but i wana get hammered with all the Rovers fans, if anyone is driving up a lift would be much appreciated. I may have to pull a sickie

[stuwilky]

What should i do, i really really really wana go, live in london so could get up really early and drive there and back, but i wana get hammered with all the Rovers fans, if anyone is driving up a lift would be much appreciated. I may have to pull a sickie

There is a National Express overnighter departing Victoria at 1130pm on Saturday, getting into Preston about 7.15am for a fiver!!

And another one back from Preston at 2230 on the Sunday at 1030pm for a tenner!

[Friarsnig]

I am almost certain that I was in the top tier at the Darwen End when we beat Man U 2-1, when Shearer scored them both (94 was it?), with the United fans in the other half of the top deck. There was plenty of heated animosity then, but I don't recall any trouble in the stands. There was loads outside later though, but there's little chance of that on the 18th with every one of them due to be herded on to a bus back to Burnley.

[Rovers0411]

Is there any other derby game in the UK that has seen 4000 empty seats as a 'no mans land' for what otherwise would be a sell out crowd. The recent United-City derby saw fans segregated by a single row of stewards and a low fence. Even the Old Firm clash last week only had the same segregation as in the Manchester derby and were in the world is there a more bitter rivalry than exists between Rangers and Celtic?

With only around 1200 Rovers fans in the DE it begs the question why there even needs to be any seats left as a no mans land in the Burnley half of the DE. They have been allocated 2880 tickets in a part of the ground that will accommodate alnmost 4000. If the excessive segregation at Ewood is necessary why is it only necessary to leave 500 seats as a no mans land between Rovers and Burnley fans at Turf Moor in the CFS?

We could argue all day with Burnley fans about the respective allocations in the DE, the bottom line is that 4000 FOOTBALL fans will miss out on the most eagerly awaited derby in the PL this season. So many empty seats, with completly empty blocks, will also take an edge off the atmosphere. A lot of the good work that has been done with the 'Taking Back Ewood' campaign will be lost. Casual fans missing out on this fixture in the full knowledge that there are 4000 empty seats in Ewood are hardly likely to return for another game in the near future - an lost opportunity to try to persuade casual fans to become regular fans again. It also fuels the Black Market increasing the possibility of Burnley finds getting tickets in the home sections.

I can see the logic of holding back DE tickets until it was known whether the BBE, RS, & JW stands could sell out. Now that will happen in the next few hours lets hope that has been Rovers intention all along. Unless anyone can put forward an argument that the Rovers-Burnley derby represents a significantly greater threat of public disorder occuring than any other derby game such as the Old Firm games; United-Liverpool; the Manchester derby; the Birmingham derby etc etc then there is no justification to leaving so many seats empty. Do the right thing Rovers, release more tickets in the DE!

[mhead]

Where are these 4000 rovers supporters gonna come from to fill the Darwen End?

And could we even sell 1000 more tickets risking the knuckle-heads getting them.

If supporters were keen they would have been organised for this long before Oct 8th.

And no 'black market'....you can buy a Season Ticket for 150 pounds and sell it on.

The best thing is for the Rovers to release 500 more Season Tickets in the DE at 125 pounds

with good control over purchasers.

[Mike Graham]

I think that Rovers have taken a very sensible approach. they could have gone for the big money option and fill the DE with dingles, loose very few seats to a "buffer zone" and fleece the dingles with overpriced ale once inside.

What JW and Rovers have done is a balanced approach which is look after the home fans and focus on security which is important for all including our Yorkshire cousins.

I guess that there is some flexibility for some more seats for Rovers fans; this will only happen if there is demand. I see no signs of demand on this MB as all those wanting to go seem to be sorted (as would be expected). If we do want more tickets then we need evidence of a real, not perceived, demand.

Finally thanks to those sensible posters who brought to task the poster who posted the item on the death of a Burnley fan.....please there is no room for that sick attitude on BRFCS. I feel sorry for his family and friends.

COME ON YOU BLUES

[Hughesy]

People moaned that the Dingles were getting too many seats (if they got it all) - so the club slashes it in half.

Now they are getting grief for not releasing more....I agree they could probably release a few more - however people have had plenty of time to get tickets on open sale over the last couple of weeks.

31 tickets left on the online planner - although im sure the top end of the Blackburn End wont be sold out yet!

[philipl]

We are 12 days from the game and we have neither seen any post saying somebody has failed to get a ticket through unavailability nor is there any indication that tickets are being sold at any great pace at present.

There are probably tickets available in the Family Stand for family groups which are not on general sale over the internet and if push comes to shove, there are season tickets available for sale- particularly in the Darwen End.

The other thing to bear in mind is that IF Darwen End tickets go on sale, they will have to be priced at £35- the same price as I believe the dingles are being charged.

I don't see there is any case for the club opening up more availability at the moment. Just imagine how bad it would look if the open tier were opened up at £35 a ticket and we end up with 200 Rovers up there!

Longsider has made a good post. Mears is undoubtedly a better player now than the rabbit who played with Derby but where does he rank amongst Prem full backs? He is not one to wake up in a cold sweat about is he? Elliot is betrayed by the phrase "lacks pace" ie may beat one player but has to pass it well to really hurt the opposition and I don't think he looks the type to bulldoze through with a combination of trickery and strength in the way Dunn can. Nugent does bother me but the trick with him is deny him service and get him to go deeper and deeper looking for the ball which he will willingly oblige.

Overall, Burnley are only dangerous if you let them get up a head of steam playing as a complete unit. That is why I think this game is all about Rovers- press and disrupt the dingles the moment they get posession and quite honestly we could play 4-6-0 (this is not a recommendation by the way) and score from the mistakes they will inevitably make. I agree the Beast could/probably will have an inspired game but again he is not in the list of the ten most agile keepers we will see at Ewood this season.

If we decide to try to protect a lead and allow the dingles time and space we could quickly see a 1-0 score turn to 1-2 which to be honest is my biggest concern. Again, this is all about the way Rovers are set up.

This game is Sam v Coyle more than anything else but with Sam having the much better team and squad available to him.

[Hughesy]

This game is Sam v Coyle more than anything else but with Sam having the much better team and squad available to him.

True....but dont forget they have more points, much more confidence and nothing to lose.

Its not as black and white as you paint it. HOWEVER - WE MUST WIN THE GAME!!! No matter how we do it!

[AndyNeil]

Due to the restrictions on the BBE Upper then in effect there are 31 tickets left with over a week to go ... I am sure they could make another 500 or so tickets avilable in the DE Lower - however, if they did how long before people moan they had to buy a ticket in the JW stand when they could have got one in the DE

[Tris]

This game is Sam v Coyle more than anything else but with Sam having the much better team and squad available to him.

Coyle played 73 minutes in the number 9 shirt for their reserves against Liverpool last night ... maybe he fancies himself for a tussle with Samba on the 18th

[Ricky]

He was probably the best player on the pitch Tris.

Seem to recall a clip of him scoring a screamer in training. Think he flicked it over the defender and vollyed it into the top corner....... it was just like watching a young Ricky Clarke

[sloth_frattelli]

This one?

Owen Coyle scores for Bumley ressies

[joey_big_nose]

Longsider has made a good post. Mears is undoubtedly a better player now than the rabbit who played with Derby but where does he rank amongst Prem full backs? He is not one to wake up in a cold sweat about is he? Elliot is betrayed by the phrase "lacks pace" ie may beat one player but has to pass it well to really hurt the opposition and I don't think he looks the type to bulldoze through with a combination of trickery and strength in the way Dunn can. Nugent does bother me but the trick with him is deny him service and get him to go deeper and deeper looking for the ball which he will willingly oblige.

Overall, Burnley are only dangerous if you let them get up a head of steam playing as a complete unit. That is why I think this game is all about Rovers- press and disrupt the dingles the moment they get posession and quite honestly we could play 4-6-0 (this is not a recommendation by the way) and score from the mistakes they will inevitably make. I agree the Beast could/probably will have an inspired game but again he is not in the list of the ten most agile keepers we will see at Ewood this season.

Wade Elliot is a very good player when I have seen him (although 30 years old and a journeyman! Looks a lot younger than that). What Coyle has got out of him and Robbie Blake is quite phenomenal.

What has happened to Chris Eagles - looked their best player by a margin this time last year but now rarely gets that much of a look in?

Agree with you Phillipl that we need to outfight them and press them. Sort of game where Reid would be useful, although he is not currently fit enough.

Hoilett has to play. I think him and Diouf would cause a relatively static dingle back line a few issues.

[Steg]

Trains are @#/? on Sundays. Not arriving in Blackburn 'til 12:30. Should be reyt though.

[Shabani]

had my first pre match nightmare last night

we lost 1-0

[Ricky]

This one?

Owen Coyle scores for Bumley ressies

That'll be the one.

[Cocker]

WE MUST WIN THE GAME!!! No matter how we do it!

In a strange and twisted way it would be funny for us to get played off the park only to score a penalty or something at the death to win the match.

That would make some of them explode

On saying that though it would be really nice to hammer them good and propper and bring them back down to earth with a bump.

[NEARREY]

Rovers should really have released a statement saying why there are no tickets available in the Darwen end to people on the database. I suspect that they have agreed with the police that it can only be season ticket holders to be able to split the stand as is the case at the Turd.

Which begs the question, why can't exsisting season ticket holders transfer to the Darwen end to release some tickets?

On a side note as a Darwen seasonticket holder I was contemplating transferring my seat to another part of the ground and buying two or three extra tickets for friends. But Rovers draconian methods of selling tickets for this match has stopped that as no one could take my place as they couldn't sell it! So one less supporter would see the game.

[philipl]

I think Rovers did explain all this when the tickets first went on sale.

We might not agree with it, it is inconveniencing supporters and discouraging some sales, but I think it has been placed on the website and in the press.

[NEARREY]

Sorry Philip, you misunderstood my point. Rovers told us they weren't selling tickets in the Darwen end but they didn't explain WHY they weren't (or couldn't). All they've done is irritate a lot of Rovers fans with the selling of tickets and not explained why. Poor communication leads to disgruntled fans (customers),not a way to encourage people to come back is it?