[Archived] fans NOT going to Burnley - please read.

[McClarky]

I live in Edinburgh and have to get the bus at 6.10 to catch the 6.50 train to get there just about in time. I'm going because it's B***ley away though. Would rather the travel was less hassle and less early but hey ho. Can see the cost arguement for not going but people complaining about the quality of the buses and the ground being unconfortable are just excuses for not being bothered imo.

[MrT]

I'll be there

Not buses for me though I've managed to blag a corporate ticket

COYB

[Rover_Shaun]

I live in Edinburgh and have to get the bus at 6.10 to catch the 6.50 train to get there just about in time. I'm going because it's B***ley away though. Would rather the travel was less hassle and less early but hey ho. Can see the cost arguement for not going but people complaining about the quality of the buses and the ground being unconfortable are just excuses for not being bothered imo.

Do you holiday in Pyongyang too?

[thenodrog]

Look before you leap.

The no doubt well intentioned initiative begun in 2000 has created a monster. No one likes it but no one dare drop it now despite almost a century of previous encounters.

[chaddyrovers]

Don't personally understand why the extra slight hassle with transport arrangements is a problem big enough to prevent fans from cheering on Rovers in the local derby, especially considering the apparent dramatic change from last year when the situation was the same.

firstly, Having to be at Ewood Park 3 hours before a game that is 20 mins drive at best is farcical and is a major hassle for a lot of fans

Plus the game being a dinner time kick off is a problem with fans that work Saturday morning.

Plus not everybody lives in Blackburn and people have to get home after the game and so people will get home after 5/6pm that full day being spend going to a game when people have families to be with and other things to do after games.

[Kenwoo]

Thing is, if the police action protects one innocent person from being hurt then it is completely worth it.

Let the scrotes fight themselves into the ground, but if innocent members of the general public are at risk of being caught up in it, then I couldn't care less how many officers it takes.

Ludicrous statement for obvious reasons. On top of that I honestly feel more threatened by the police after the last few fixtures. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqPz-xd94z0

Last game at Ewood was a joke- baton charges in the Riverside etc. After the game a small group of us walking up towards The Brown Cow minding our own business were followed by a larger group of officers. A young teenage lad on his own behind us was thrown to the ground and we were all threatened with arrest when we challenged their behaviour, called c**ts and so on. Unsurprisingly the Independent revealed Police have financial incentives to place banning orders which would explain this inflammatory behaviour.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-paid-to-seek-football-banning-orders-8772746.html

This fixture has become an exercise for the police, a chance to flex their muscles and to justify their overtime.

[tomphil]

Don't personally understand why the extra slight hassle with transport arrangements is a problem big enough to prevent fans from cheering on Rovers in the local derby, especially considering the apparent dramatic change from last year when the situation was the same.

The thing is a lot who went last year found it all a ballache and have decided to give it a miss this year because of that.

[AggyBlue]

I'm not spending £120 for three of us to spend 8 hours in police custody. I want a good day out for that sort of money.

Is this a police strategy to stop people going?

[ElTwis]

None of those options apply to me, I'm not going because I'm embarrassed by away supporters who go, basically, to get drunk and impress their mates with how hard they are. In my opinion there's very little enjoyment to be had at away games for your average football fan, its been spoilt by idiots.

[Tom]

None of those options apply to me, I'm not going because I'm embarrassed by away supporters who go, basically, to get drunk and impress their mates with how hard they are. In my opinion there's very little enjoyment to be had at away games for your average football fan, its been spoilt by idiots.

Again like with Gordon earlier I fully agree

You often get criticised for this viewpoint but its true

Its clearly not everyone or even the majority but the chav element does seem in higher concentration at away games

[Leonard Venkhater]

Ludicrous statement for obvious reasons. On top of that I honestly feel more threatened by the police after the last few fixtures. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqPz-xd94z0

Last game at Ewood was a joke- baton charges in the Riverside etc. After the game a small group of us walking up towards The Brown Cow minding our own business were followed by a larger group of officers. A young teenage lad on his own behind us was thrown to the ground and we were all threatened with arrest when we challenged their behaviour, called c**ts and so on. Unsurprisingly the Independent revealed Police have financial incentives to place banning orders which would explain this inflammatory behaviour.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-paid-to-seek-football-banning-orders-8772746.html

This fixture has become an exercise for the police, a chance to flex their muscles and to justify their overtime.

I agree. Hitting the targets, missing the point.

It doesn't seem to matter because the young teenage lad was "only a football fan."

[K-Hod]

It's once a season, and though I think the methods are very OTT, I wouldn't miss the game for the world.

Every club has its fair share of clowns amongst the away support, but they can easily be avoided.

[majorstyre]

i think the police reaction is way over the top....

but on the flip side, if people were allowed to make there own way there, and things got nasty, innocents caught up with the pond life fighting, then the police would quite rightly get it in the neck

they are unfortunately in a lose-lose situation.....

never-the-less i wil be there on saturday ;-)

[thenodrog]

Again like with Gordon earlier I fully agree

You often get criticised for this viewpoint but its true

Its clearly not everyone or even the majority but the chav element does seem in higher concentration at away games

That cos you can't get away from the knuckle draggers like you can at Ewood. You are bloody well penned in with them

[OJRovers]

Agreed with tomphil above; last year was especially annoying compared to the previous games. I chose to get on at Accy, thinking it would be quicker than Ewood, but it was actually slower. Nearly missed kick off and it was sooooooooooo sllllllllllllllooooooow on the bus (what happened to the luxury coaches of 2000??) So 8 hour trip without the chance to get any food/drink.

[AggyBlue]

Every club has its fair share of clowns amongst the away support, but they can easily be avoided.

How do you do that if you're placed on a coach full of them?

You have no option but to spend four hours in their company

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Again like with Gordon earlier I fully agree

You often get criticised for this viewpoint but its true

Its clearly not everyone or even the majority but the chav element does seem in higher concentration at away games

I don't disagree but I do think it could be a lot worse than what we get at Rovers. At a lot of clubs away matches seem to be the sole province of 20-40 year old men, with the entire following standing up throughout and with some clubs a realistic, if minor, threat of real violence.

Our away followings are fairly unusual in that the demographic is similar to our home followings (quite a few families, women, older folks). In the PL I was struck by how many indistinguishable skinhead/balding blokes wearing no colours would turn up from Man U, City, Liverpool, Newcastle, Bolton etc, and how unusual it was when Blackpool visited Ewood and their away fans looked a normal mix like ours. I've also been to Wigan away with friends who supported the opposition who were struck by how many "fit birds" we have following us away, again an indication of a higher than average female percentage in our away following.

Apart from Burnley our whole end is never forced to stand up. There might be occasions when more civilised fans decide they need to sit further forward than their assigned seat to avoid the raucous lot who stand at the back, but as we rarely fill away ends I don't see how its much of a problem and it leads to a fairly accommodating situation of all fans being around ones of a like-minded attitude.

And yeah our "idiots" do a fair amount of opposition baiting, swearing, and too many negative attacks on our own players for my liking, but I've never seen them get up to the kind of antics that could put normal fans in danger, as everyone has seen with the equivalents at Burnley, Millwall, Leeds, Cardiff, England etc.

[K-Hod]

How do you do that if you're placed on a coach full of them?

You have no option but to spend four hours in their company

Headphones ;-)

[AggyBlue]

Headphones ;-)

And close your eyes

It doesn't bother me but obviously it bothers some

[McClarky]

Do you holiday in Pyongyang too?

Maybe if all the stay aways were to be sent there for a couple of weeks they might realise that it isn't that bad really.

I do think the police resources would be better used to actually address anti-social and criminal behaviour rather than blocking every inch of the M65 though. it seems that as long as no-one breaks thriough the cordon of steel people can get away with anything, hence the mindless vandalism that goes on at these games. I would love to go on the train but can't so will get the bus instead as it's not really that much of a hassle to stop me going to a game like this.

[speeeeeeedie]

Not sure what the game being on TV has to do with supporting the team?!

OK.

You place a much greater importance on a football team than I ever will then. I certainly wouldn't curtail a wedding do to be herded like cattle to a game and back.

i think the police reaction is way over the top....

but on the flip side, if people were allowed to make there own way there, and things got nasty, innocents caught up with the pond life fighting, then the police would quite rightly get it in the neck

they are unfortunately in a lose-lose situation.....

never-the-less i wil be there on saturday ;-)

What would happen a few cars full of lads decided to drive to Burnley with the sole intention of causing havoc? Are the buses and trains still running as normal?

[Majiball]

I wonder what all this police action costs the clubs? 50-60K+ probably more.

[T.J.Newton]

So it seems its just the general all around hassle that puts most off, which is the reason for me also,

I go to the football to unwind, let of a little steam, forget about everyday stresses and enjoy(hopefully!) the game after a hard weeks work, the only stress I'll accept is from what's happening on the pitch.

[Leonard Venkhater]

So it seems its just the general all around hassle that puts most off, which is the reason for me also,

I go to the football to unwind, let of a little steam, forget about everyday stresses and enjoy(hopefully!) the game after a hard weeks work, the only stress I'll accept is from what's happening on the pitch.

Absolutely. Well put.

[tomphil]

I wonder what all this police action costs the clubs? 50-60K+ probably more.

That would probably explain the higher than usual ticket prices. I think it was about £34 in the BBE end last season when a normal Cat A game is £25 so it would seem the fans are paying for the farce after all.