[Archived] What are the true costs of the protests?

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

The answer to the opening post is "The fans haven't lost the team any points"

Close thread.

[Veevs]

Spurs at home, lost 1-2, protest before the game and in the ground after the match.

Chelsea at home, lost 0-1, plane flying overhead had a definite effect on the atmosphere and players.

Wigan away 3-3, protesting in the ground at any point Wigan took a lead.

West Brom at home, lost 1-2. Again fans protesting in the ground during the game when West Brom took the lead.

Bolton at home, lost 1-2, almost every fan went nuts as soon as the first goal went in.

So, yeh, it might look like I've just pulled out a few results that didnt go right for us but in everyone of those games significant fan disharmony had an affect on the results.

I think 8 points might have been too little. I mean, there were 14 points lost in those games.

Cue the responses!

Conversely does that mean that the games we protested at and won should of been huge victories? And that all the games we did not protest at didn't exist... I see you did not reply to the post showing the stats... and made no mention of the last three games that didn't have a protest yet saw us get mauled.

Sadly it is this divided attitude rather than the protests that has got us to this point, surely if we had all joined in the protests then something might of been done by now.

What were you anyway Will during this season (that looks like our last for a long while in the premier league) did you protest? Did you sit on your hands and do nothing? Or did you join in with those shouting for the protestors to shut up (Which gave ammo to the media to say it was sections of the crowd)?

[Baz]

So, yeh, it might look like I've just pulled out a few results that didnt go right for us but in everyone of those games significant fan disharmony had an affect on the results.

and where's your proof that we would have won those games?

[Stuart]

47er, I don't hate the protesters at all, I applaud the efforts by all those involved. I never felt that there would ever be enough of a movement for it to be a success.

The press have loved it, watched how the club they loath slowly self implode.

Fair do's exploring a different angle. Will. However, this post - particularly the bit in bold - sums up the problem, and the majority of our fanbase.

"I didn't like what was going on any more than the next fan but I couldn't be bothered joining the protests, I'd rather just grumble to my mates and leave it to someone else to do something about it".

Sadly, too many people thought exactly the same - it's someone else's problem.

If they had succeeded in getting Kean removed, everyone would have become honourary protesters - and the numbers saying they protested would have made it sound like a Bumley away match - but because our club is rotten (something no-one new at the time) everyone says "I knew they wouldn't work".

However, they also didn't work because Kean was able to smirk and say "it's just a minority".

[Mattyblue]

I'll say it again, Bolton at home wasn't a 'protest'.

It was just a football crowd losing it when faced with a 2-0 scoreline, at home, to the side bottom of the table- the manager will get it.

It would have been the same at any club. Plus I take it if we'd just sang 'gerrin to em' at two nill, we'd have won?

[glen9mullan]

These are the stats when we have protested.

Everton Lost- No protest

Wolves- Lost No protest

Arsenal won. pre match protest

City Lost protest post match

Spurs Lost Protest pre match

Chelsea Lost protest post match

Swansea- Won protest pre and post

WBA- Lost No protest

Bolton- Lost no protest

Stoke Lost- No protest

Fulham Won pre match protest plus 24 hour protest

Newcastle Lost protest pre match

QPR- Won no protest

Villa- Drew Pre match protest

Sundeland-Won No protest

United-Lost No protest

Liverpool-Lost No protest

NO AWAY GAME PROTEST has taken place

Home game record with no protest

won 2

Drew- 0

lost- 7

Goals for:12

Goals Against:17

6 points from possible 27

with protest

Won- 3

Drawn 1

lost-4

Goals for 12

Goals Against 15

10 points from possible 24

In addition the two non match day protest, 24 hour was followed by home win against Fulham, and the brockhall protest was followed by a draw at anfield and a win at Old Trafford.

I personally do not think protest have gained us any points, but at the same time they have certainly not lost us any, especially with the defeats being against

City 2nd in league

Spurs 4th In league

Newcastle 5th in league

Chelsea 6th In league

Couple these with non protest matches

Losses to

United 1st

Everton 7th

Liverpool 8th

WBA 13th

Stoke 14th

Bolton 19th

Wolves 20th

If you can find 8 points or 11 as some have stated in those 4 losses, you are a good un

[jim mk2]

These are the stats when we have protested.

.....

An excellent rebuttal of the nonsense title of this thread and statistical proof that we have gained more points in matches at which protests have taken place than matches at which there were no protests.

The conclusion therefore is that the protests have not cost us any points and we might now have a greater points total had there been more protests.

Please close the thread.

[Will]

Great Responses guys, just what i wanted. Now do i march on Saturday or not, lol.

[Gav]

Great Responses guys, just what i wanted. Now do i march on Saturday or not, lol.

All hope of staying up has gone Will, the players don't care anymore, the owners have never cared and the manager cares only about his pay packet.

So yes you march on Saturday.

[rovers11]

Lets kill this myth now. The protests have had no detrimental affect on the team whatsoever. Any fans who think we are getting relegated because fans have been protesting all season are completely misguided. If the players and management were good enough to stay up then the club would have stayed up regarless of protests. They are not and this is this was the reason for protests in the first place.

The club wants you to think that protests have a negative affect on the team and the club as a whole. Some will be fooled by the media propoganda and smear campaign against the supporters (and I don't think it can be denied their is a smear campaign) put out by the club but I, for one, am not. I look at the facts and draw my own conclusions.

[Will]

All hope of staying up has gone Will, the players don't care anymore, the owners have never cared and the manager cares only about his pay packet.

So yes you march on Saturday.

And has been for weeks Gav, i've never seen more heartless performances of late. When you see the likes of Wigan playing for the club and the fans it makes it even worse.

[ABBEY]

And has been for weeks Gav, i've never seen more heartless performances of late. When you see the likes of Wigan playing for the club and the fans it makes it even worse.

And that my friend can't be down to protesters can it.

[Will]

The performances of late have most definatly not been affected by any protests.

Infact the crowd has already been defeated.

[Stuart]

The performances of late have most definatly not been affected by any protests.

Infact the crowd has already been defeated.

So not the protests, now fan apathy that has caused our relegation. I see. What next? Not enough fans wearing blue and white shirts in the crowd?

Face it Will, our situation has been CAUSEd by the owners, the manager they backed and the players they sold/"bought". The fans reaction is simply that - the EFFECT.

You (and others, like Ewood Spark) seem to be trying to convince people that it's the other way around.

I can see why ES does but I don't understand your determination. What did you get?

[Will]

So not the protests, now fan apathy that has caused our relegation. I see. What next? Not enough fans wearing blue and white shirts in the crowd?

Face it Will, our situation has been CAUSEd by the owners, the manager they backed and the players they sold/"bought". The fans reaction is simply that - the EFFECT.

You (and others, like Ewood Spark) seem to be trying to convince people that it's the other way around.

I can see why ES does but I don't understand your determination. What did you get?

Far from trying to convince anyone, just wanted to know peoples thoughts. There were some good points put forward and some that i expected.

I think everything about the club is to blame, the sale of the club by the Walkers, the sacking of Sam, the Venkys ripping the heart out of the club and appointing a baffoon. But i also think that the supports are not completely innocent in our results.

That is my opinion, you have yours and i have mine.

[Mattyblue]

To be fair wo Will, I think he has listented to what people have said and now largely agrees.

As for Ewood Spark, there's no saving him.

[Will]

Matty, unknown to most on here, i am far from being against the protesters. I just wondered what peoples thoughts were.

I got that idea in multiple replies.

[Stuart]

But i also think that the supports are not completely innocent in our results.

That is my opinion, you have yours and i have mine.

Well it's one we will agree to disagree on because, if anything, the atmosphere for matches where there has been a protest (before and/or after) has been massively better than the matches with no protest. Fans just seem more "up for it", more vocal.

It's also been proven - many times - that results have not been worse when there have been protests - quite the opposite in fact.

Fans react to what is going on on the pitch - none more obviously than Rovers fans at Ewood. When we score the atmosphere is fantastic, otherwise, it can be VERY quiet. The fans reacted to the Bolton game - and the protests have been blamed from that point onwards.

I expect (although don't like) the kicking we get in the press - they don't like us, I dont' care - but I don't expect it from fellow fans. We've been done up like kippers by the club's PR and contacts - yet some fans nod along in agreement.

[Athlete]

Far from trying to convince anyone, just wanted to know peoples thoughts. There were some good points put forward and some that i expected.

I think everything about the club is to blame, the sale of the club by the Walkers, the sacking of Sam, the Venkys ripping the heart out of the club and appointing a baffoon. But i also think that the supports are not completely innocent in our results.

That is my opinion, you have yours and i have mine.

The supporters are innocent !

the supporters spend thousands of their hard earned !

The supporters of any club pay their money into clubs week in week out and deserve to be treated with more respect , are entitled to voice opinions , entitled to protest,etc ....without supporters there'd be no clubs , no owners , no overpaid overpriviliged players ,managers , etc....

[neekoy]

it is obvious all losses are down to supporters and all wins are down to kean's management, when are you dumbasses going to work that out?

[bypass06]

If it wasn't for the protests,

Our fate would have been sealed weeks back.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

If it wasn't for the protests,

Our fate would have been sealed weeks back.

Sorry - how do you work that one out ?

[Pedro]

I would have been interested to see if the wasted energy and focus given to the manager (who is going nowhere until the owners say so) was transformed into vocal support for the players on the pitch, perhaps they would be driven to give their all in order to win. The players don't seem to want to win for the fans who show/have shown very little support for them. We are at our most vocal when informing Pedersen how ###### he is and other than "Feed the Yak" (post goal) we don't actually pipe up with anything positive or creative. I've loved the club for over 25 years but for one reason or another, I feel as disconnected from a large portion of my fellow fans as I am for what is left of the club itself.

[gumboots]

I would have been interested to see if the wasted energy and focus given to the manager (who is going nowhere until the owners say so) was transformed into vocal support for the players on the pitch, perhaps they would be driven to give their all in order to win. The players don't seem to want to win for the fans who show/have shown very little support for them. We are at our most vocal when informing Pedersen how ###### he is and other than "Feed the Yak" (post goal) we don't actually pipe up with anything positive or creative. I've loved the club for over 25 years but for one reason or another, I feel as disconnected from a large portion of my fellow fans as I am for what is left of the club itself.

So waht exactly do you think the majority of fans have been trying to do for the majority of the season? Every march has ended with a rallying cry to get in the ground and support the lads, but when you know it's not a matter of if we concede but when, and will we then score the 3 goals needed to ensure points, the crowd are naturally nervous so when mistakes are made people do get on players backs and when a goal is scored is the only time that any enthusiasm creeps in because we know we only need another 2. It's very hard to motivate yourself to cheer, chant etc when you have this awful feeling in the pit of your stomach that we are going to lose and whilst you may be able to think positive, your stomach can't - it just reacts instinctively. There are others - I'm not one - who have loved the club for longer than you, but who find it increasingly hard to cheer as they don't feel anything but sick apprehension on entering Ewood.

[Stuart]

You've described my match day experience perfectly gumboots.