[Archived] Season tickets again!

[Exiled in Toronto]

Sorry blueboy but I was a season ticket holder for years including the two years we were in the first division, I sat through dross week after week but then we had an owner who cared and later in the season we got a man called souness who I could believe in now we have none of those things

You actually stuck it out watching Friedal, Berg, Dunn, Duff, Jansen, Bent and Berkovic?? I salute your dedication!

[Bucksrover]

I think this coming season, more than any other year, I will be renewing to help support the club as much as because I think I will enjoy the matches.

Have read a few posts on this thread about people not renewing because the product isn't what it was. On other thread people are ranting and raging at venkys again.

I get why people are frustrated. One thing that really irks me is that it will be a struggle to pay the season ticket money this year, and yet that grinning, dopey Shaw will take his 170k for not navigating us around ffp.

The reason I don't rant and rave, and do feel a responsibility as a supporter to buy a season ticket, is that it seems our club is in a very precarious state and needs our support more than ever.

Venkys, shaw, myers, leon best etc will all be gone in time. But if our gates continue to dwindle then jack walker's legacy gets eroded away and we settle in leagues 1 or 2.

I see the fans as custodians of the club, and though it is not any supporter's fault we were screwed over, increased and sustained support is the only way to get Rovers healthy again and avoid it dying on our watch.

[thenodrog]

I do.

I know. The advice was general.

[gumboots]

I think this coming season, more than any other year, I will be renewing to help support the club as much as because I think I will enjoy the matches.

Have read a few posts on this thread about people not renewing because the product isn't what it was. On other thread people are ranting and raging at venkys again.

I get why people are frustrated. One thing that really irks me is that it will be a struggle to pay the season ticket money this year, and yet that grinning, dopey Shaw will take his 170k for not navigating us around ffp.

The reason I don't rant and rave, and do feel a responsibility as a supporter to buy a season ticket, is that it seems our club is in a very precarious state and needs our support more than ever.

Venkys, shaw, myers, leon best etc will all be gone in time. But if our gates continue to dwindle then jack walker's legacy gets eroded away and we settle in leagues 1 or 2.

I see the fans as custodians of the club, and though it is not any supporter's fault we were screwed over, increased and sustained support is the only way to get Rovers healthy again and avoid it dying on our watch.

I can see your point. I almost certainly won't renew but that doesn't mean I won't be there. I'll probably be there as much as now. I just won't put my money in up front, and I'll choose to pay for matches on days when I'm here and want to attend. Probably won't make much difference financially to me or to the club.

[mhead]

Gumboots,please read the message behind Bucksrover's excellent post.

Its about riding out the current storm and being a true loyalist(cannot use the word supporter).

This is the 'down' we have to remember when the 'up' eventually comes.

[DE.]

It's a nice notion, but even a sellout of Ewood for every home match won't come close to solving our problems. We're £120m in debt and rising, we're losing between £1m and £2m a month. We have owners who seem to have forgotten they own us, a boardroom consisting of Derek Shaw and lifelong Rover Gandhi Babu, and a manager who cannot get the best out of the team and is essentially in charge by default as Venky's gave up on appointing a proper manager 2 years ago. No amount of fan support will change any of this, unfortunately.

The fans will be needed when and if Venky's leave. Right now we're all helpless to do anything but watch and hope that a benefactor with more money than sense appears out of nowhere to bail us out of this tragic mess.

I'm not casting any judgement upon anybody, renewing or not, and I think it's wrong to try and apportion any responsibility or blame on the fanbase for any decisions made individually. It's never been the fans fault, as long as Venky's are in charge and running the club into the ground the blame will always rest squarely on their shoulders. They hold all the cards, and until they sell up or run this club properly, we are going to continue to decline.

[Bucksrover]

It's a nice notion, but even a sellout of Ewood for every home match won't come close to solving our problems. We're £120m in debt and rising, we're losing between £1m and £2m a month. We have owners who seem to have forgotten they own us, a boardroom consisting of Derek Shaw and lifelong Rover Gandhi Babu, and a manager who cannot get the best out of the team and is essentially in charge by default as Venky's gave up on appointing a proper manager 2 years ago. No amount of fan support will change any of this, unfortunately.

The fans will be needed when and if Venky's leave. Right now we're all helpless to do anything but watch and hope that a benefactor with more money than sense appears out of nowhere to bail us out of this tragic mess.

I'm not casting any judgement upon anybody, renewing or not, and I think it's wrong to try and apportion any responsibility or blame on the fanbase for any decisions made individually. It's never been the fans fault, as long as Venky's are in charge and running the club into the ground the blame will always rest squarely on their shoulders. They hold all the cards, and until they sell up or run this club properly, we are going to continue to decline.

If the club goes under I won't take any comfort from the fact it wasn't my fault.

We may not be able to save the club, but the attendance at the liverpool match shows there may be enough support out there to make a difference. Even if attendances go up by 1000 next season it will show there might be a future for the club. We have shed a lot of big wages in the last two years, so extra income will make more of a difference.

Waiting until Venkys go assumes there will be another rich owner to step in. I would say to fans who are in a position to support that we are needed now. Not to support venkys, but to keep the club alive until it can be saved.

[RevidgeBlue]

I think this coming season, more than any other year, I will be renewing to help support the club as much as because I think I will enjoy the matches.

Have read a few posts on this thread about people not renewing because the product isn't what it was. On other thread people are ranting and raging at venkys again.

I get why people are frustrated. One thing that really irks me is that it will be a struggle to pay the season ticket money this year, and yet that grinning, dopey Shaw will take his 170k for not navigating us around ffp.

The reason I don't rant and rave, and do feel a responsibility as a supporter to buy a season ticket, is that it seems our club is in a very precarious state and needs our support more than ever.

Venkys, shaw, myers, leon best etc will all be gone in time. But if our gates continue to dwindle then jack walker's legacy gets eroded away and we settle in leagues 1 or 2.

I see the fans as custodians of the club, and though it is not any supporter's fault we were screwed over, increased and sustained support is the only way to get Rovers healthy again and avoid it dying on our watch.

One of the best posts I've ever read on here.

Bravo Sir.

[DE.]

If the club goes under I won't take any comfort from the fact it wasn't my fault.

We may not be able to save the club, but the attendance at the liverpool match shows there may be enough support out there to make a difference. Even if attendances go up by 1000 next season it will show there might be a future for the club. We have shed a lot of big wages in the last two years, so extra income will make more of a difference.

Waiting until Venkys go assumes there will be another rich owner to step in. I would say to fans who are in a position to support that we are needed now. Not to support venkys, but to keep the club alive until it can be saved.

As I said, I'm not casting judgement on anybody for anything - but attending matches isn't enough if we as fans want to make a difference. In the past we've seen the likes of BRFCAG, the Fans Forum and the Trust taking various initiatives, but that all seems to have gone very quiet lately.

Judging from recent media coverage, the general consensus seems to be that we are now a stable, well-run club again under Bowyer, when we know that is not the case. We're not a circus in the media any more, but the club is still being abused and mismanaged by those in power.

Something needs to be done, but Venky's have never listened to a word the fans have said, and meetings with Shaw and Myers seem to be worthless exercises where everything is "under review". If we want to make a difference, it has to be in demanding change at the highest levels of the club and not letting the likes of Shaw and Myers have an easy ride. We've plunged into an embargo and are sure to see further decline in the summer as we desperately try to scramble out of this mess. People need to be held accountable for what has happened and solutions need to be raised. Buying season tickets is fine, but observing our team in decline week after week won't help save the club. We need change throughout the club, that is the only way we are going to avoid entering an unescapable tailspin.

[Stuart]

If the club goes under I won't take any comfort from the fact it wasn't my fault.

We may not be able to save the club, but the attendance at the liverpool match shows there may be enough support out there to make a difference. Even if attendances go up by 1000 next season it will show there might be a future for the club. We have shed a lot of big wages in the last two years, so extra income will make more of a difference.

Waiting until Venkys go assumes there will be another rich owner to step in. I would say to fans who are in a position to support that we are needed now. Not to support venkys, but to keep the club alive until it can be saved.

I don't see how the club can be saved. Not at Championship level. The only thing that will do that is promotion, followed by relaxation, clearing all of the debts. Even then, at nil debt, day 1 of the following season we all need parachute payments just to pay the wages. The hope is that on the back of that we yo-yo until we can become a PL team again.

The alternative is that once the parachute payments run out we will be back in the same boat. The fact is that we do not have the natural (non-TV-backed) income to sustain a competitive Championship team. It's PL (with the self-sustainability that the money provides) or League One with the money the fans have.

Barring a miraculous sale to rich owners who are prepared to challenge and find ways around FFP.

Jack saved us from the slide last time, there is very little chance of such a rescue this time around.

[gumboots]

Gumboots,please read the message behind Bucksrover's excellent post.

Its about riding out the current storm and being a true loyalist(cannot use the word supporter).

This is the 'down' we have to remember when the 'up' eventually comes.

what makes you think I didn't read it? I'm going to miss about 10 matches for various reasons. Previously I'd have still bought a season ticket knowing someone else could probably use it. Now I can't give my season ticket away if I can't use it so what's the point? I'm not walking away from the club. Just not giving them cash for matches I won't see

[thenodrog]

Assuming that you will go to the other 13 wont a ST still be cheaper? Also it will definitely be hassle free.

[Bucksrover]

I don't see how the club can be saved. Not at Championship level. The only thing that will do that is promotion, followed by relaxation, clearing all of the debts. Even then, at nil debt, day 1 of the following season we all need parachute payments just to pay the wages. The hope is that on the back of that we yo-yo until we can become a PL team again.

The alternative is that once the parachute payments run out we will be back in the same boat. The fact is that we do not have the natural (non-TV-backed) income to sustain a competitive Championship team. It's PL (with the self-sustainability that the money provides) or League One with the money the fans have.

Barring a miraculous sale to rich owners who are prepared to challenge and find ways around FFP.

Jack saved us from the slide last time, there is very little chance of such a rescue this time around.

You may well be right. We may be too far gone.

But Jack's legacy means we have a couple of sources of hope that we didn't have when he saved us - a cracking stadium, and an academy. It is up to the club to get the most out of the academy, but it is up to the supporters to get down ewood.

We may be p'ing in the wind, but if attendances pick up even a bit it might make us more attractive to a potential owner, or at the very least keep us alive a little longer to pro-long hope of rescue.

[gumboots]

Assuming that you will go to the other 13 wont a ST still be cheaper? Also it will definitely be hassle free.

Not sure we'd get to as many as13. The missing 10 is the current estimate. Well be away quite a lot this coming year and there are always offers, friends who can't use their tickets etc. well hold on and have a look at costs but to be honest I can't see it being worth our while this coming season at least, if nothing changes at ewood

[thenodrog]

After finishing 9th surely there isn't all that much that needs changing?

[gumboots]

Wind up Gordon? Finishing 9th might not look bad but a glance at the points difference says there's a lot needs changing, and the view from the stands says there's even more in terms of winning fans confidence and raising enthusiasm levels. Now I know venkys don't see matches or read anything that isn't spun to them direct from ewood, but I do and so do you.

[Mattyblue]

If the club goes under I won't take any comfort from the fact it wasn't my fault.

We may not be able to save the club, but the attendance at the liverpool match shows there may be enough support out there to make a difference. Even if attendances go up by 1000 next season it will show there might be a future for the club. We have shed a lot of big wages in the last two years, so extra income will make more of a difference.

Waiting until Venkys go assumes there will be another rich owner to step in. I would say to fans who are in a position to support that we are needed now. Not to support venkys, but to keep the club alive until it can be saved.

The custodians of the club angle is one I personally believe in.

It is vital that we keep hold of a robust amount of ST holders, a base of ST holders is the cornerstone of any football club.

I often read on here that 'I won't renew and I won't be back until these owners do one'. I don't doubt the sentiment, however if you do stop attending in 2015 and find other things to do with your life, when Venkys finally 'do one' in 2019, with the club a League 1 shell with 7000 crowds, are we going to see a surge of fans returning? Some, of course, many of those coming back will be the type of fan that posts on here, people who spend much of their free (and work!) time discussing the club, however 90% of those that have packed it in, won't be seen again.

So I can only hope that when the renewal packs arrive, most fans can keep the faith and we have a base to work from in the coming years.

[ABBEY]

KEEP the faith? that bus has well and truly left the station.

[Parsonblue]

KEEP the faith? that bus has well and truly left the station.

For some Abbey maybe, but it's in times of trouble that the club needs the fans. It was true in the early seventies when we were rock bottom of the Third Division and deep in debt and it's still true today.

[ABBEY]

Hand on heart parsons ...Do you really really have faith in Venkys.?

[tomphil]

The custodians of the club angle is one I personally believe in.

It is vital that we keep hold of a robust amount of ST holders, a base of ST holders is the cornerstone of any football club.

I often read on here that 'I won't renew and I won't be back until these owners do one'. I don't doubt the sentiment, however if you do stop attending in 2015 and find other things to do with your life, when Venkys finally 'do one' in 2019, with the club a League 1 shell with 7000 crowds, are we going to see a surge of fans returning? Some, of course, many of those coming back will be the type of fan that posts on here, people who spend much of their free (and work!) time discussing the club, however 90% of those that have packed it in, won't be seen again.

So I can only hope that when the renewal packs arrive, most fans can keep the faith and we have a base to work from in the coming years.

A big lump of that 90% suddenly find it easy to put their hatred to one side when Liverpool come to town though !

[Mattyblue]

Was ever thus Tom, PNE saw it this season with the Man Utd game.

Lapsed fans of lower league clubs will always come to one off cup ties against top sides, they won't buy STs for lower league football after 5 years of doing other things with their leisure time.

Took us years to build up the fanbase and 18 months of Kean madness to lose it.

[Parsonblue]

Hand on heart parsons ...Do you really really have faith in Venkys.?

I have faith my club will survive their ownership and come through the other side. I have hope that they will continue to prop it up until they either find a buyer or improve its running.

[thenodrog]

Wind up Gordon? Finishing 9th might not look bad but a glance at the points difference says there's a lot needs changing, and the view from the stands says there's even more in terms of winning fans confidence and raising enthusiasm levels. Now I know venkys don't see matches or read anything that isn't spun to them direct from ewood, but I do and so do you.

No wind up at all. A glance down our squad list should tell you that gumboots and especially when you compare it to the squad that got promoted the last two times. View it from that perspective and a 9th placed finish isn't bad.

Here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991%E2%80%9392_Blackburn_Rovers_F.C._season#Squad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000%E2%80%9301_Blackburn_Rovers_F.C._season#First-team_squad

Still think I'm on a wind up gumboots?

[thenodrog]

Was ever thus Tom, PNE saw it this season with the Man Utd game.

Lapsed fans of lower league clubs will always come to one off cup ties against top sides, they won't buy STs for lower league football after 5 years of doing other things with their leisure time.

Took us years to build up the fanbase and 18 months of Kean madness to lose it.

thats why the Lpool tickets should have been part of a bundle.

Hand on heart parsons ...Do you really really have faith in Venkys.?

If we want a club at all then we have no choice. Show me an option abbey.