[Archived] Darwen end exit blocked off by the police

[John Howarth]

5 minutes before the end of the game today, there was an announcement that due to the icy conditions, the exits at the back of the Riverside were closed and that supporters were asked to exit by the side. So whose clever idea was it to then block the exit at the Darwen end of the Riverside to existing supporters because someone decided that for both sets of supporters to meet on the concourse was a safety issue to Rovers fans. This is not the first time that the club/police make a hasty decision without having the decency to even announce it. So, all the Rovers fans then have to do a complete circuit right round the back of the ground to get back where they should be, regardless of the icy conditions that had just been announced. The police as usual were hiding behind their own ineffectiveness by quoting "A decision has been made to protect the Rovers fans being attacked by the opposition fans on the outside concourse".

What is so amusing and quite frankly quite pathetic is that after trailing all around the ground, you meet up with the Stoke fans on Bolton Road heading back to theie own cars. So what did all this achieve apart from further alienate even more Rovers fans against the club. A letter will be sent to John Newsham and Stuart Caley and the Police Match commander to again ask whose crazy idea this was, and no doubt I will receive the same standard reply saying it was a last minute decision. The last time this happened was the Manchester United game. Do Stoke fans cause any real reason for this recurrance? With the current situation with the owners making monumental mistakes in the running of the club, any more decisions like this will quickly lose even more support.

[J*B]

I stood there for around 3 minutes moaning, they eventually let us all go past. What a moronic idea that blockade was.

On the subject of the Darwen end, can someone expand on the chicken walking around at the front of the stand with the rovers dangles on?

[Ozz]

It was a pheasant, and was the only decent game I saw today.

[roverwhelmed]

I think it was a cockeral.

Absolutely hilarious!!!

[adopted scouser]

I think it was a cockeral.

Absolutely hilarious!!!

Hilarious alright. The whole club set up is a joke these days.

[Plastic Head]

They have tried this before and all that happens is that a load of Rovers fans meet the away fans at the same time and trouble occurs where they would have been none.

I have never seen any incidents behind the Darwen end.

I got through by the way by telling the fuzz I had a wooden leg! Easy.

When I nick the Mona Lisa and they find me I'll tell 'em I got it in Argos.

[Plastic Head]

On the subject of the Darwen end, can someone expand on the chicken walking around at the front of the stand with the rovers dangles on?

Don't know but maybe we will re-sign Robbie Fowler, (or Martin Fowler for our older readers).