[Archived] Burnlah 1 Rovers 0 - They've Done Us Again

[Claytons Left Boot]

My God, did you see those little imps on the pitch at the end of the Wigan game? The scallywags, the scoundrels. What were they thinking of - did they not realise it's breaking the law to get up onto that green stuff?

When we had a 'proper' support we used to go on the pitch on occasions. Forest at home the year they went up, Port Vale away, Wrexham at home when we were crowned Third Division Champions. When I say we, I mean several thousand.

We had a chance to 'invade' the pitch once it became apparent that the Raos and Steve Kean & Co were a set of shysters. Numerous times. When I say 'invade' that should read an organised, peaceful, protest. Where 5000 like minded folk could have slowly and calmly simply walked onto the pitch during a game at a predetermined time. A protest, done more than once, to make the Raos feel that it was just not worth the hassle of being involved in this club. To make them know they were not wanted. To make them and their agents find another buyer willing to take us on.

Before you ask, 'who,' well that's for another topic. The ownership thing has been done to death anyway. The point is the supporters should have acted. I'm not knocking the few that did act by the way. They were superb and it's just a pity there weren't a few thousand more. I remember standing on the Blackburn End for half an hour after one game when the Kean out banners went up etc. Hundreds and hundreds of those on the Riverside all filed out, walking forward but with their heads turned our way. They just kept on walking and I remember thinking, 'they don't give a flying one.

Had we gone on the pitch as indicated, not one person would have been arrested. Half a dozen doing it, yes, they would have been but five thousand, walking on in a peaceful manner, no way.

We had a chance to do something but just walked on by.

[ABBEY]

Plus million

[Andy]

A 'proper' support doesn't go on the pitch.

[ABBEY]

There were a few PROPER fans on the pitch v Wigan. If more had grown some then as OP says maybe just maybe something may have made the v's think .

Rovers rovers ra ra ra ra rovers rovers ra ra ra

[tomphil]

We even swapped seats with intention of going on the pitch at the end of the Wigan game but it was just one big crush in the bottom corner of the BBE. A few made it 'over the top' then cluttered over the advert hordings and unless you were prepared to scrap with plod and stewards then it was a no go. Seems a bit easier at the Turd to dive straight on the track, the stewards have held them back easy enough a couple of times v us but they were obviously ready to let it go v Wigan as you could tell by the way they all formed a barrier straight so quickly infront of the cowshed instead of being in front of the old longside at the whistle. that's the very first time they've managed a big crowd in the home sections all season. Tossers.

[JBiz]

In my eyes its stupid to think that criminal actions of fans could change the way in which a football club is run. The unrest within the fanbase was globally apparent at that stage and no pitch invasions, tennis balls or chickens in blue and white would of changed or made a difference to that whole period. The Owners either had their hands tied or got shocked into silence through the pillage and burning of their "baby".

The trouble is (still to this day) some of the main villains of the great con never even had to answer for their parts. The Premier League and the FA. Always the irony of being called FA. That is what they did to stop a founder member of the league be ransacked from within by a group intent on making 10%'s from transfers, contracts and mutual terminations. If we made money for the PL like the city clubs do, you can guarantee action would of been taken.

I still believe nothing could have changed the route that the walkers set us on when paying the famous agent to find the club a new owner. The FA have done nothing to stem agents and businessmen seeing a footballing situation and thinking "hold on, I could make a bucket out of this..." and until they do; more Portsmouth, Rovers, Coventry, Leeds etc stories will plague a so called "game" designed to entertain, enthral and encapsulate dreams of the common man.

Is it any wonder the average fan is less entertained by football these days?

[Claytons Left Boot]

A 'proper' support doesn't go on the pitch.

And that's why we're stuck with a useless bunch of chicken farmers. You see, to get something done, you've got to actually do something.

[Claytons Left Boot]

In my eyes its stupid to think that criminal actions of fans could change the way in which a football club is run. The unrest within the fanbase was globally apparent at that stage and no pitch invasions, tennis balls or chickens in blue and white would of changed or made a difference to that whole period.

For God's sake, no one is burning down a primary school or robbing a bank - a group of football supporters would have peacefully walked onto the pitch in a form of protest.

On what page of which manual does it say no difference would have been made?

[tomphil]

Same things being said on Blackpool forums. They've been trying to get protests, pitch invasions going v the Oystons but come the time no but a handful will do anything. They did lob tennis balls though so at least they learned something from us

[JBiz]

For God's sake, no one is burning down a primary school or robbing a bank - a group of football supporters would have peacefully walked onto the pitch in a form of protest.

On what page of which manual does it say no difference would have been made?

Entering the pitch is "crossing the line" in my eyes - and also they eyes of the law. That is not to say I think every law is to be abided by, I just feel a pitch invasion is a inappropriate for a protest. As history proves, it is impossible to guarantee all will be "pleasant" and that is the issue - its simple safeguarding of players and staff.

[Tom]

But there will always be a different approach and reaction to celebratory pitch invasions and protest ones with angry fans

[Claytons Left Boot]

But there will always be a different approach and reaction to celebratory pitch invasions and protest ones with angry fans

Yeah, a funny one that. It's like driving at 40mph in a 30 zone on your way into town, being stopped by the police and getting points on your licence. The following week you again do 40 in the 30 zone but get let off because you were taking your wife to hospital as she was in labour.

That's why any protest would have had to have been a peaceful one with everything coordinated. That's why I initially used the word invasion in italics. The word has been confusing people because they automatically assume a bunch of chavs, storming the pitch, giving the 'come on' hand gestures etc.

Anyway, it's all academic now. The lack of posts or any positive agreement to what I was trying to get across tells me everything I need to know about our current support. It has become mard. Once the writing was on the wall and we were soon to be relegated there was not one person who would have wanted Venky's to be in ownership of the club but apart from a very small percentage of our support, no one was prepared to do anything to rid ourselves of them.

I have an image of the Raos looking down from their box at Ewood, openly laughing as they turn on the sprinklers to send streams of sh!t over all and sundry knowing that 99% of the fans would just shrug their shoulders and turn their collars up.

We're stuck with them and there's nothing at all we can do. We know it. They know it.

[ABBEY]

the writing was on the wall when the happy clapping non tremblers wouldn't get behind any sort of protests

[Whyoy]

And how many of those valiant 5,000 protesters would be still attending games in 2013/14.

Fans will commit to action where they can envisage change can be achieved. With the Venky's owning 79.995m of the 80m shares in issue, having committed £25m to the share purchase with a commitment to spend £20m more at that time, they would have had far more worries about their investment on the day than would have been caused by loud vocal abuse.

Two years ago these extremely rich foreign owners still thought they knew it all and that their chosen one would lead us straight back to the premier league. If the likes of the experienced and respected John Williams couldn't persuade them that they were getting it all wrong then what chance would a vocal protest have had of changing their views.

[Neal]

the writing was on the wall when the happy clapping non tremblers wouldn't get behind any sort of protests

This.

Resent a lot of our fan base for not showing more passion. Spoon fed prem football for almost 2 decades and then had no spine to be counted and do what was right.

[had.e.nuff]

Should be deducted points for pitch invasions

[jim mk2]

Agree with everything in the first post on this thread and suggested the same course of action at the time of the Venkys "protests" only to be threatened with a ban by the usual moderator. Still, he's happy.