[Archived] Season Tickets and Stand Closures

[old darwen blue]

I wouldn't be at all against not having home fans in the Darwen End as if they were moved to one of the home stands it would help improve the atmosphere.

No it doesn't. Why do you think the unreserved singing section was established?

I dont think we would. Our season tickets are so cheap now relative to every club in the football league (I'm sure we must be in the bottom 10%) and the attendance is what it is.

A difference between us and Dortmund is that they they have 50,000 odd people on their waiting list, Rovers dont.

If they did close the Riverside, they'd save themselves about £100 per game, considering there's just about 3 stewards and 4 people who can be bothered to serve beer. Tbh they could just get rid of everyone who works in the Riverside and let us run it ourselves....would probably make more money!

Yay, that's the spirit!

My personal suggestion would be to establish the first three blocks of the Riverside at the Darwen End into the unreserved singing section and move us Darwen Enders there and close half of the Jack Walker. In fact to take it a bit further move the family stand members form upper tier Blackburn End into the Jack Walker upper and close the upper tier of the Blackburn End.

There you go, instantly reducing the capacity for home supporters to about 15000 and leave the bottom quarter of the Darwen End for away fans 2500.

[Hughesy]

I dont think we would. Our season tickets are so cheap now relative to every club in the football league (I'm sure we must be in the bottom 10%) and the attendance is what it is.

A difference between us and Dortmund is that they they have 50,000 odd people on their waiting list, Rovers dont.

Yes but surely if season tickets were priced a ridiculously low price like say £80, it would entice back loads of those who have dropped off over the last few seasons....? Especially if we can keep our squad intact and stand a very good chance of being fighting near the top next season with one or two additions.

Take it a step further - make it FREE for kids up to say 12 years old (Future Rovers fans)

[West Yorks Rover]

No it doesn't. Why do you think the unreserved singing section was established?

Yay, that's the spirit!

My personal suggestion would be to establish the first three blocks of the Riverside at the Darwen End into the unreserved singing section and move us Darwen Enders there and close half of the Jack Walker. In fact to take it a bit further move the family stand members form upper tier Blackburn End into the Jack Walker upper and close the upper tier of the Blackburn End.

There you go, instantly reducing the capacity for home supporters to about 15000 and leave the bottom quarter of the Darwen End for away fans 2500.

Someone mentioned about ST holders not turning up for games, well it's happening everywhere, Bolton official att, today 15,845

my mate said more like 11,000 on this afternoon.

[old darwen blue]

Yes but surely if season tickets were priced a ridiculously low price like say £80, it would entice back loads of those who have dropped off over the last few seasons....? Especially if we can keep our squad intact and stand a very good chance of being fighting near the top next season with one or two additions.

Take it a step further - make it FREE for kids up to say 12 years old (Future Rovers fans)

Now that sir is not a bad idea at all.

[Hughesy]

More fans in the ground, bigger buzz, better atmosphere, more merchandise sales, more sales on the concourses, better performances on the pitch, better results, more corporates wanting to get back involved.... slowly get our club back to what it was!!

[scotchrover]

I think shutting the Darwen End would probably be the best solution, although I believe Derek 'Shelfie' Shaw said this wasn't going to happen, at the last action group meeting. From my understanding, there are rumours were floating around about the Blackburn End upper being shut.

Kind of the on the topic of ticketing; I was in a school in Blackburn last week. The school's year 6 teacher said none of he class could name our current manager. Does anybody know what the club's policy on school tickets is? It's obvious that we need to reconnect with younger fans again, if they can't even name our current manager. One suggestion for this is to give away free season tickets to under 16s, through school. I know a few lower league clubs have done something similar, like Walsall amd Preston (I think?).

Back to the stand closures; whatever's done has to improve the atmosphere. Apart from the Darwen End, Ewood could be mistaken for a library most home games. Other ways of improving the atmosphere include:

Music when we score (can't remember the last time we had that)

A new drummer/ trumpeter. Before anyone moans about sitting near them, there's plenty of empty seats areas they could be situated in!

Making everyone sit closer together by sectioning of seating, like they did against Burnley.

[West Yorks Rover]

Yes but surely if season tickets were priced a ridiculously low price like say £80, it would entice back loads of those who have dropped off over the last few seasons....? Especially if we can keep our squad intact and stand a very good chance of being fighting near the top next season with one or two additions.

Take it a step further - make it FREE for kids up to say 12 years old (Future Rovers fans)

Charlton built up a very decent fanbase doing something like that for kids years ago, remember how poor their support used

to be back in the 80s, 42,000 at Wembley in 1987 when we played them, 28,000 were from Lancashire, they only had 8 miles to travel.

[Paul]

I wonder whether they'll turn up for the Queen on Thursday though ?  bet they do !.

Is the queen at Ewood on Thursday?

[Paul]

Yes but surely if season tickets were priced a ridiculously low price like say £80, it would entice back loads of those who have dropped off over the last few seasons....? Especially if we can keep our squad intact and stand a very good chance of being fighting near the top next season with one or two additions.

 

Take it a step further - make it FREE for kids up to say 12 years old (Future Rovers fans)

I very much doubt we could fill the ground for free at the moment and to attempt to do so free or at very low cost simply devalues the product. As a sales manager I can promise you valuing a product incorrectly has an huge impact on sales. Free or cheap only represents a good deal when the product has an established high value.

As for free for kids I'm afraid this definetely creates support but doesn't guarantee a future crowd. As my kids grew up the family enjoyed fantastic concessions under JWs reign. My three boys plus our neighbour's son attended every game with me over a period of 15/16 years. All four are dedicated Rovers but three no longer go as they have left the area. I could list +/- 25 young adults of my kids age who grew up watching Rovers but no longer attend. Every one a Rover but all have left the area.

I recall posting about this 10 or more years ago. It was a generous but always flawed initiative by JW. In today's fluid society building a regular fan base in this way is very unlikely to succeed.

[Stuart]

Kind of the on the topic of ticketing; I was in a school in Blackburn last week. The school's year 6 teacher said none of he class could name our current manager. Does anybody know what the club's policy on school tickets is? It's obvious that we need to reconnect with younger fans again, if they can't even name our current manager.

A sad state of affairs but I suspect that's down to the fact that we aren't in the PL anymore. Even free tickets to "rubbish Rovers" probably wouldn't persuade them when they likely know City and Chelsea's entire squad.

My lad is definitely in the minority in his class. Not only does he know the manager's name and could pick our best first XI and subs but he understands the concept of only having one home town club and sticking with them through the bad times. I just hope, for his sake, that there will be some good times to come.

[Waggy76]

Well , I doubt I will be having a ticket next season ....

Pick my games , when I am not working ..

[T.J.Newton]

1 reason I doubt they could even consider closing the riverside is because that's the stand facing the cameras, how awful would that look seeing a completely empty stadium staring you in the face every time we where on tv.

unless attendances pick up though(which is unlikely whatever the price of an st) I do think they need to change something.

[tkturner]

1 reason I doubt they could even consider closing the riverside is because that's the stand facing the cameras, how awful would that look seeing a completely empty stadium staring you in the face every time we where on tv.

unless attendances pick up though(which is unlikely whatever the price of an st) I do think they need to change something.

I agree with this, The Riverside is a fair size to sit empty, cameras looking right at that would look awful and fans attending Ewood looking at that expanse of emptiness would be grim also...

I think moving the Darwen End home fans into the Blackburn end is the best option, then move the family tickets into the Jack Walker Upper and close Blackburn End upper.

If more is needed, close the wings of The Riverside and condense the fans more central?

I am going to renew next year (Blackburn End lower) for sure and am keen to find out prices.

The Dortmund model would be ace and probably would bring some people back, however, I doubt our club has the balls to do this...

I have often thought about us giving tickets away, better incentives etc to drive attendances but I guess we don't make the decisions...

On attendances, is this figure based on numbers sold as opposed to ticket barcodes actually scanned in?

[Baz]

Similarly to Claire, the economics of closing the riverside make little sense. Theres a thousand things that could save the club more money than that. If they where to go ahead, and say 200 people then decided they werent going to renew it would cost more than the saving anyway.

£80 season tickets i doubt would encourage more than our current attendance.

Free season tickets for kids, similar to Paul, guarantees you nothing in future revenue.

You want to improve attendances, you need a winning team, been proven many many times at Rovers over the years. Thats what John Williams focused on.

[K-Hod]

I agree with this, The Riverside is a fair size to sit empty, cameras looking right at that would look awful and fans attending Ewood looking at that expanse of emptiness would be grim also...

I think moving the Darwen End home fans into the Blackburn end is the best option, then move the family tickets into the Jack Walker Upper and close Blackburn End upper.

If more is needed, close the wings of The Riverside and condense the fans more central?

I am going to renew next year (Blackburn End lower) for sure and am keen to find out prices.

The Dortmund model would be ace and probably would bring some people back, however, I doubt our club has the balls to do this...

I have often thought about us giving tickets away, better incentives etc to drive attendances but I guess we don't make the decisions...

On attendances, is this figure based on numbers sold as opposed to ticket barcodes actually scanned in?

I think tickets are cheap enough already, the Dortmund model is a hell of a risk, and besides, they've a long waiting list and are one of the best sides in Europe!

And, it's tickets sold!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Back in the real world..what would be fan reaction to an increase in ST price?

I fear further cut backs on ALL levels as we struggle to maintain what is basically a Premier league set up on Puna Beer money.

Ewood and Brockhall must be costing Millions to just maintain on a regular day to day basis.....as many have stated we are so reliant on the Venkys we are literally cap in hand to them,yes,the same people most fans of the club despise for what we have become under their tenure....WHAT A SITUATION INDEED!

A very uncertain future.

[cn174]

Hughsey I honestly don't think it is price that is keeping people away.

Also with the Dortmund thing, the whole stadium isn't priced at £80, in fact their cheapest season tickets are €190, which works out about £160/170. That is the big Kop behind the goal which accounts for about half of the season ticket holders. The rest is priced far higher. But this year they sold out 54,000 season tickets and there are plenty more waiting on their waiting lists.

[glen9mullan]

Can't say id be best pleased if they shut the Darwen End as it generates most of the atmosphere in terms of singing .

I don't buy into the concept of £80 season tickets though , for a number of supporters price does not come into it , if they announced £500 season tickets I'd still be buying one and I'm sure many others would also still buy one .

As someone as already alluded to , if they gave them away it wouldn't bring back the 10000 or so who have disappeared through Venky's ownership and relegation .

At a time where we are losing massive sums of money daily , reducing tickets where we would need to sell 3 tickets for each 1 we currently sell just to generate the income we currently get would be a poor commercial decision .

Having a single price season ticket for all areas of the ground would be a better option.

Rovers are one of the best in the country when it comes to price and tickets will rise by about £15 next season on the cost of a season ticket , which needs to be done as a gradual measure to prevent a massive hike in seasons to come in one big hit

[Stuart]

Can't say id be best pleased if they shut the Darwen End as it generates most of the atmosphere in terms of singing .

I think that the entire ground has lost its atmosphere overall as a result of former BBE singers moving to DE. An unfortunate, accidental division between the fans.

[yoda]

edit!

nevermind.

Not like you to hold back

[thenodrog]

The JW Upper is the best view of the lot so why not allocate the JWUpper DE to the current Riverside ST holders and allow visiting fans the entire Riverside? A gate across the gap between the Riverside and the River Darwen will provide segregation and that will highlight poor visiting support and also visting fans leaving early. It's ludicrous that our own fans should have the worst stand whilst seats in the better stands empty.

Back in the real world..what would be fan reaction to an increase in ST price?

I fear further cut backs on ALL levels as we struggle to maintain what is basically a Premier league set up on Puna Beer money.

Ewood and Brockhall must be costing Millions to just maintain on a regular day to day basis.....as many have stated we are so reliant on the Venkys we are literally cap in hand to them,yes,the same people most fans of the club despise for what we have become under their tenure....WHAT A SITUATION INDEED!

A very uncertain future indeed.

As I've said often the fact is that Blackburn people are unwilling / unable to fund a top team.

[yoda]

The JW Upper is the best view of the lot so why not allocate the JWUpper DE to the current Riverside ST holders and allow visiting fans the entire Riverside? A gate across the gap between the Riverside and the River Darwen will provide segregation and that will highlight poor visiting support and also visting fans leaving early. It's ludicrous that our own fans should have the worst stand whilst seats in the better stands empty.

As I've said often the fact is that Blackburn people are unwilling / unable to fund a top team.

Great idea for the JW stand, that is the kind of thinking that the Rao's and shelfie etc are incapable off

re the support, don't think it will improve now while the Rao's are here, or they make some kind of effort to connect with the supporters

[MCMC1875]

The JW Upper is the best view of the lot so why not allocate the JWUpper DE to the current Riverside ST holders and allow visiting fans the entire Riverside? A gate across the gap between the Riverside and the River Darwen will provide segregation and that will highlight poor visiting support and also visting fans leaving early. It's ludicrous that our own fans should have the worst stand whilst seats in the better stands empty,

As I've said often the fact is that Blackburn people are unwilling / unable to fund a top team.

[McClarky]

The German model isn't as cheap as some seem to think and involves huge crowds turning up early to eat and drink at the numerous franchised stands around the ground. Can't do that here as the police wouldn't allow it.

[T.J.Newton]

I think at times some of the darwen enders need to have a word with themselves a little and remember that we are all supporting the same club