[Archived] Rovers Might Have Been Sold?

[nicko]

I think I know how and where this story has come from.

The facts are that Rovers are not involved.

I'm starting to think there are two stories on this subject out there.

One of them - at least - will be in the paper tomorrow.

Hopefully it will shed a little light.

[Bobby G]

All this mystery seems a bit of an anti-climax. I think whatever it is, it has nothing directly to do with the future of Blackburn Rovers. Maybe someone involved with the club now or in the past is part of something else.

[yoda]

I'm starting to think there are two stories on this subject out there.

One of them - at least - will be in the paper tomorrow.

Hopefully it will shed a little light.

Salesman to the end!

brownie points for that

[thenodrog]

Not strictly true Gordon ... as you well know there is a large, local demographic that is currently under-represented at Ewood. With a little bit of patience and imagination I think this can be rectified.

They've more affinity to Man Utd. Take note when a camera pans around OT.

Forest already have a rich backer and fortunes to spend if needed.

Fine but one day they will have to pay the piper.

[broadsword]

Forest are a huge club with twice the potential we have in fanpower alone. QPR is in London and Reading has potential for a relatively large fan base.

Really? What were Forest getting through the turnstiles at the height of their powers? (Or even in their last season in the Premiership?)

QPR is in London, yes, well done for noticing that dear. They're competing for fans in an area that also has Fulham and Chelsea. Being in London means diddle squat if you're not one of the big boys. Brentford's in London (just about), I couldn't see them being taken over and dragged up the leagues to become a club worth owning. It's the same problem that Blackburn has, a limited constituency because there's a high concentration of clubs in the region.

Reading, as I said, never struck me as a hotbed of football, and in any case, only 20 minutes from London Paddington, I bet you there's a lot of Chelsea fans live in Reading.

[T4E]

Regarding Brentford - couldn't you have said the same thing about Fulham 10-15 years ago.

[broadsword]

15 years ago - Chelsea weren't doing so great, don't think there was any other West London team in the top division then.

There was potential there for Fulham, and it cost less to get them up the leagues than it would now. They also had a core supporter base that was significant since they are a club with heritage, Brentford have traditionally been lower league, where would they get their fans from?

The essential point is that it's not really worth taking over a club which has a lot of competitors nearby. It's got to be better to take a club like Newcastle over, no?

[MeanGreenMachine]

Really? What were Forest getting through the turnstiles at the height of their powers? (Or even in their last season in the Premiership?)

Forest have move season ticket holders than us and they cost about 3 times as ours. Forest have a huge potential fanbase.

[ewoodpo]

Forest have move season ticket holders than us and they cost about 3 times as ours. Forest have a huge potential fanbase.

Forest are bigger than us and have a lot of potential . They are owned by a billionaire who is also a Nottingham boy if they were to come up they would start spending. Their fan base is bigger than ours .

[broadsword]

If they had that big a fanbase, then why haven't they built a stadium with a bigger capacity than 30k?

[Parasyte]

How many is this now? The Russian, the-guy-from-the-USA-who-was-originally-from-Blackburn, numerous Fred Walker rubbish stories, Chowdery... and Nicko's hinted that this Saudi thing (if his story is regarding Saudi's, anyway) won't happen either.

I think I'll give up holding my breath on this one. As people have said, we could look an attractive proposition, but people don't buy football clubs on attractive propositions, it just means they dig deeper to see if it's a VIABLE one, and with our fan base and other failings, I can't see any serious invester/buyer laying any money onto Rovers. We're a Championship/League One club punching well above our weight anyway.

Besides, I've been using the bull**** line of "It's more exciting supporting a club that's good (sic) and bad every other season than boring always-winning clubs like [insert appropriate Big Four™ team]" for so long now I'm actually beginning to believe it. I'm not saying I don't want success, but then rich owners don't guarentee that anyway. It's far easier to be a QPR or a Portsmouth than a Man City... and they havent shown they can sustain it.

[ewoodpo]

If they had that big a fanbase, then why haven't they built a stadium with a bigger capacity than 30k?

Got this from Wiki they have the potential to be massive .

Nottingham is a city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, and is one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group. Whilst the City of Nottingham has a historically tightly drawn boundary which accounts for its relatively small population of 288,700, the wider Nottingham Urban Area has a population of 667,000 and is the seventh-largest urban area in the United Kingdom, ranking between those of Liverpool and Sheffield.[2] Eurostat's Larger Urban Zone listed the areas population at 825,600 as of 2004.

[BlueWhiteDynamite]

and if england get the world cup in 2018, their ground will hold 45k

http://www.investinnottingham.com/clientimages/Nottingham-stadium(2).jpg

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from a quick look through i couldn't see it but on the LT site, with the 4 lines of the takeover denial, somebody said about a proposed £500,000 x 100 shareholders, but i could never see that idea working.

Looking forward to hearing what this is about though.

[Fife Rover]

In these days of 'globalization of the beautiful game' ... local catchment areas mean 'diddly squat'. If you can be successful (investment required), peddle a bit of history (tick), and have a distinctive shirt design (tick) ... the world's your oyster!

In 1995 we ticked all those boxes; and then some!.........where was the further investment?

[1864roverite]

I am more concerned in collecting my ticket for the Burnley game.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

Got this from Wiki they have the potential to be massive .

Nottingham is a city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, and is one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group. Whilst the City of Nottingham has a historically tightly drawn boundary which accounts for its relatively small population of 288,700, the wider Nottingham Urban Area has a population of 667,000 and is the seventh-largest urban area in the United Kingdom, ranking between those of Liverpool and Sheffield.[2] Eurostat's Larger Urban Zone listed the areas population at 825,600 as of 2004.

With respect, you didn't really answer the question there.

and if england get the world cup in 2018, their ground will hold 45k

So Forest will increase the modest capacity of their stadium only if England host the World Cup? Not to house their "huge" support?

[philipl]

In the days of standing, crowds of 40,000+ were not uncommon at the City Ground if I remember correctly.

[broadsword]

Not according to this site Phil:

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/aveeng80.htm

26k average the season they won the European cup for the second time.

[deryck guyler's spoon]

In the days of standing, crowds of 40,000+ were not uncommon at the City Ground if I remember correctly.

Not sure about that. When Forest were at their pomp I dont remember them attracting mammoth gates to match their status. I dont have the stats and have no intention of finding them however!! I dont have anything against Forest and, as a kid, I enjoyed them giving the establishment a bloody nose under the guidance of the one and only Brian Clough. What gets my goat is posters on here posting, again with respect, bullshine about them in order to hammer home how small we are, how little potential we have and how no investor in their right mind would put their money into us.

We know. We are constantly reminded by the media and followers of other clubs.

[philipl]

Not according to this site Phil:

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn/archive/aveeng80.htm

26k average the season they won the European cup for the second time.

Fair enough but you ave picked the grim '80s when the divisional average was often below 20,000 and even the Mancs, Liverpool and Arsenal were averaging a lot under 40,000 some seasons. That 26K figure was a 10% DECREASE on the previous season pointing to much higher average crowds earlier although Forest under Cloughie had gone Div 2 promoted, Div 1 champions, European champions, European champions in four successive seasons after half a dozen seasons in Div 2 pre-Clough.

[broadsword]

Seventies:

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn.htm

Peak of 32k.

If you look at the nineties attendances they're very similar to us:

http://www.european-football-statistics.co.uk/attn.htm

Albeit they had less to cheer, I really don't get where the massive potential is.

[PAFELL]

In the days of standing, crowds of 40,000+ were not uncommon at the City Ground if I remember correctly.

They used to have a good away following also - though also had a lot of thugs with them. I remember once when they invaded the pitch and tried to get into the blackburn end. There is the famous account when Brian clough clipped a fan around the ear following the pitch invasion.

[philipl]

A 32k average in those days meant 40K crowds for big city club visits and sub 20k crowds for lesser clubs.

In terms of potential, there are 1.1m people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire with just Forest and County within the League structure. It is a footballing area and there are no big city clubs within 30 miles of the county boundaries.

Lancashire (as currently drawn) has 1.4m people with Morecambe, Blackpool, PNE, Rovers and Accy (oops forgot the dingles) within the boundary and six Premier League clubs including the Mancs and Scousers within 30 miles of the county's edge. There is also much more of a rugby tradition (both codes).

So that certainly spells potential for Forest to my way of thinking. Go back 25 years and Newcastle attracting a 42k average playing in Div 2 would have been laughable and Rovers averaging comfortably over 20,000 every season for a whole decade beyond the imagination.

That list of average and biggest gates this season is interesting. By my reckoning there are representatives of six countries left in European competitions whose biggest club average gates are smaller than Rovers' average this season. Also goes to show how lop-sided the Spanish and Italian leagues are when you look at the gulf between the best supported average and the small league overall averages.

By comparison, Germany averaging 42,000 is awesome especially considering Hoffenheim are in the Bundesleague.

[broadsword]

I always thought that Clough was lauded for his achievements because forest were a small provincial team.

They might have massive potential, but that doesn't really mean anaything until it's fulfilled.

[Parasyte]

As I was driving past, I saw there must have been about 60 people at a local school game the other week.