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[Archived] Did the weekend 'protest' work?

Stuart

By Stuart
in Football Messageboard Archive

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Stuart World Cup

Stuart

Posted
Posted

Genuine question.

If fans intend to use boycotting as a way of protesting, do we feel that it was effective?

Saturday's gate of 5504 was our lowest gate since 1991, yet apart from on here, and a couple of Rovers fans who read the LT, I've heard no mention of it. Even a Burnley supporting colleague didn't mention it!

Therefore, was Saturday's boycott effective? Did we hurt Venkys - even reputationally?

I haven't seen any adverse publicity against the club's owners or fans which suggests no one cares now that we aren't in the PL.

Is this still the best option? Will ongoing boycotts grind Venkys down or wind Rovers down?

If it's not the best option what happens next? Should we be fighting for our club by ignoring Venkys and vocally getting behind the team?

An orchestrated effort to create singing areas and player tribute songs?

Defy The Apathy.

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Gav

Gav

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I don't think a boycott was planned for Saturday was it? CLB advised people to watch Darwen instead of going to Ewood, but that's hardly a boycott is it?

Make no mistake about this though, the drop in attendances earlier in the season DID make the owners sit up and take note, they understand loss of revenue that's for sure.

So if the need arises to actually plan a boycott that's certainly the way to go.

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Bundesburn Premier League

Bundesburn

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If the point of a boycott is to garner media attention, people simply not turning up wouldn't work. I believe it's been suggested on here before that there should be fans outside the ground, but not entering. That gives something tangible for media to pick up on. If a tip-off was given to the BBC, for instance, I could easily see it being picked up as a feature for Football Focus or MOTD2.

During a strike, the footage and stories come from the picket line. Creating an event that's similar to that would get people's attention.

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CapeTownRover Uefa Europa League

CapeTownRover

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Its a tough one right now. The team is doing okay under Gary and Terry, so why should fans want to boycott right now? They have done nothing wrong, so the fans support could give us that extra lift. Its really unfortunate, but Venkys have done loads of harm to this club. When good things start to happen, the fans are already in 2 minds as to what to do, which doesn't help at all.

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bellamy11 Uefa Europa League

bellamy11

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If Saturday was indeed some sort of semi-deliberate boycott with the intention of catching the eye of the media and unsettling the owners into positive action, then it was always doomed to failure. Nationally, an unusually poor attendance (at Ewood or anywhere else) on 3rd round weekend is recognised as "the decline in popularity of the FA Cup". It's seen as a statement about the competition, not the individual circumstances of a particular club. Almost every year we're subjected to feature articles in the national media and "investigations" on Football Focus on this phenomenon.

To truly make a statement through boycott, people will have to suck it up and miss the Burnley game. Which, of course, they won't do.

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den

den

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What boycott?

Precisely Paul.

I can only guess that Stuart doesn't understand BRFC and it's fans, otherwise he wouldn't ask the question. Historically, when the Rovers fans are so angry [i.e. 1960 cup final], or so despondent [i.e. continually selling their top players resulting in relegation] about the goings on at the club, they walk away and they don't come back. That's why I and other, mainly long standing supporters find this self imposed hurt so difficult to take. While others believed it might just be a blip and promotion back to the top league, with fans following in their thousands wouldn't be too difficult to achieve, history tells us quite the opposite.

Silly question Stuart. Take your anger out on the Raos.

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Roost Uefa Europa League

Roost

Posted
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Genuine question.

If fans intend to use boycotting as a way of protesting, do we feel that it was effective?

Saturday's gate of 5504 was our lowest gate since 1991, yet apart from on here, and a couple of Rovers fans who read the LT, I've heard no mention of it. Even a Burnley supporting colleague didn't mention it!

Therefore, was Saturday's boycott effective? Did we hurt Venkys - even reputationally?

I haven't seen any adverse publicity against the club's owners or fans which suggests no one cares now that we aren't in the PL.

Is this still the best option? Will ongoing boycotts grind Venkys down or wind Rovers down?

If it's not the best option what happens next? Should we be fighting for our club by ignoring Venkys and vocally getting behind the team?

An orchestrated effort to create singing areas and player tribute songs?

Defy The Apathy.

You have lost me Stuart - what protest?

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Andy Champions League

Andy

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To be fair, I would have expected 5-10k at home to Bristol in the 3rd round of the cup.

Unless you can 1) promote it properly and 2) get less than 5k for a proper (league) game, it's all a bit pointless.

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Stuart World Cup

Stuart

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Sorry I must have misunderstood the purpose of the "Boycott Bristol City Cup Game - AFC Darwen instead" thread.

Clayton's Left Boot's post - although there were others - including someone who had posted about a boycott on the LT thread.

There was a similar topic a couple of weeks ago but it has more meaning now.

I, like the vast majority of our support, am sick to the back teeth of Venky's and the way they are systematically destroying our club.

When there were protests in the attempt to get Kean out of the manager's seat, I thought this was the way to go. Unfortunately only a very small percentage of Rovers fans bothered to get involved and the real hurt for Venky's was the fact that thousands of our supporters simply decided to stay away.

I am suggesting that en masse we boycott the Bristol City 3rd round FA Cup game and turn up at AFC Darwen instead.

In the long term I am not really sure what this will achieve, probably nothing, but short term it will show the buffoons in India that they have no backing whatsoever for their current way of doing things.

In short it will simply make me feel better seeing an empty Ewood Park and a bumper crowd at The Anchor Ground, especially if the press get wind of this with reports and photographs etc. Wear blue and white, take flags and Venky's Out banners.

Never has a local club been so hurt as Darwen following the last twenty odd years of success down at Ewood. It would be a great gesture from the Rovers support. A gate of 50-80 at Darwen is the norm so if a few hundred extra turned up they would be absolutely delighted.

If this gains momentum, Darwen would have to be informed as they may have to put on extra staff, get more food and drink in etc.

Anyone up for this?

Now, all of a sudden "what protest?", I "don't understand BRFC or it's fans", and (wow) "twisting of history" (cheers abs).

If there wasn't an unofficial 'protest' (in inverted commas - in the title too, actually to emphasis it's non-official nature) then what was it? Where did those other 5000 people disappear to and why? I'm not having it that it's only down to it being January and being skint - not when you compare to some of the other games on - including League One matches.

Not attending due to a perceived or real slight by the club is a form of protest in my book - whether it be co-ordinated (obviously it wasn't, not consciously anyway) or down to individual protests, is irrelevant to the term.

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Rover_Shaun World Cup

Rover_Shaun

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I took no notice of the lets attend Darwen bloody FC thread

I no longer go because I'm fed up. Venkys/Kean/Shaw/Agnew/Singh/Berg/Crap heartless players, have poured water on my interest to attend for now. However that does not mean I no longer care about Blackburn Rovers.

I am sure I am not alone, whilst some were not willing to pay £15 for a cup that clubs no longer take seriously.

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JAL World Cup

JAL

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I took no notice of the lets attend Darwen bloody FC thread

I no longer go because I'm fed up. Venkys/Kean/Shaw/Agnew/Singh/Berg/Crap heartless players, have poured water on my interest to attend for now. However that does not mean I no longer care about Blackburn Rovers.

I am sure I am not alone, whilst some were not willing to pay £15 for a cup that clubs no longer take seriously.

Can I stop you on the heartless players bit as that aint right. Everyone involved on saturday was totally focused on the game in hand.

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