[Archived] Season tickets again!

[ABBEY]

The Lunes in Pune don't give a crap even if crowds drop to 3000.

Lets hope they are on a layer of the FBI Fifa onion.

[Waggy76]

We can but hope Abbey!

[Rover_Shaun]

I reckon the reduction in ST renewals won't be that much.

[Gav]

I reckon the reduction in ST renewals won't be that much.

I tend to agree, it'll be interesting to see how many come through the gates. I think we're at the bottom now in terms of numbers.

[Rover_Shaun]

How many were sold last season, 9000? That's a good figure considering what's on offer. People are creatures of habit.

[BlooBoy]

I tend to agree, it'll be interesting to see how many come through the gates. I think we're at the bottom now in terms of numbers.

I think 8000 will probably be the figure we ve flatlined out to.

Those who think FFP wont have a bearing on attendances i disagree.The last two seasons we ve had a "chance" of getting out of this league.FFP has now completely bolted that door (barring a miracle). Fans look to what signings clubs bring in.We will not be bringing anyone in.Fans recognise this and will now be swayed by this.

The last two seasons some fans have attended in the hope we could get promotion..they wont be bothering now.

[Jimmy612]

How many were sold last season, 9000? That's a good figure considering what's on offer. People are creatures of habit.

£18 a game and you can sit right in the middle of the JW next to the press box if you want Shaun - £11 if you go and sit in the Riverside. Compared to most ST's in the top 3 divisions that's an incredible deal.

I'm starting to think the media were quite right all these years about not deserving a top flight club - most of us turn our backs as soon as the going gets tough. In fact, even during our PL years we still had to offer 3 games for £15 to get folk through the door!

Perhaps during the Kean/ Kentaro/ destruction of the club stage there was absolutely an argument for people to stop attending as a protest against the pillaging of the club. Now, I just think people can't be arsed and hide behind the 'I won't go back until Venkys have gone' veil because they don't want to stump up £11 a game anymore.

Imagine Leeds and Newcastle fans turning their back on the club like we have - a sad fact but perhaps our fan base aren't quite as loyal as they might have you believe - it stems in my opinion from being spoilt for the best part of 20 years by Jack's money. God bless that man for giving us our dream!

[Rover_Shaun]

Is that the same Leeds and Newcastle who had nowhere near the attendances they now have during the 80's? I remember when I was little being on Sid James's Park with 17k on it (think Keeley scored)

£11 is cheap. But I'm one of those you mention and it's not price. Yes I can easily fill my Saturdays with other things but the day 'they' leave I will be back. Even if that does mean sitting by myself again because the Outlaw ha moved to the JW upper morgue.

Until that happens I'm going to stick to my guns (derided for having and sticking to principles....only on BRFCC's)

[BlooBoy]

£18 a game and you can sit right in the middle of the JW next to the press box if you want Shaun - £11 if you go and sit in the Riverside. Compared to most ST's in the top 3 divisions that's an incredible deal.

I'm starting to think the media were quite right all these years about not deserving a top flight club - most of us turn our backs as soon as the going gets tough. In fact, even during our PL years we still had to offer 3 games for £15 to get folk through the door!

Perhaps during the Kean/ Kentaro/ destruction of the club stage there was absolutely an argument for people to stop attending as a protest against the pillaging of the club. Now, I just think people can't be arsed and hide behind the 'I won't go back until Venkys have gone' veil because they don't want to stump up £11 a game anymore.

Imagine Leeds and Newcastle fans turning their back on the club like we have - a sad fact but perhaps our fan base aren't quite as loyal as they might have you believe - it stems in my opinion from being spoilt for the best part of 20 years by Jack's money. God bless that man for giving us our dream!

A good post.

Anyone thinking we could consistently attract 15000-16000 season ticket holders are deluded. Whoever was running the club.Whatever the division.

Just a shame when the ground was re developed they didnt give this a thought. Quite easily could have been re developed into a 20000-22000 stadium including the Riverside in the process. Ample for what we require.

[DE.]

Times they are a changin'- how long til we are saying 'it's not that long ago we had a thriving football club...'?

I fear we're already at that point. Take out the 'thriving' in that sentence and it probably gives a more accurate assessment of the future under Venky's.

[Rover_Shaun]

Blooboy. If Jack had that level of ambition we would have never won the league.

Yes the ground is too big now but that's because of those C**ts from Pune. Prior to them we were averaging 24k and noobody complained about the ease of getting a ticket. An extra 6k seats if needed was a perfect buffer

[K-Hod]

£18 a game and you can sit right in the middle of the JW next to the press box if you want Shaun - £11 if you go and sit in the Riverside. Compared to most ST's in the top 3 divisions that's an incredible deal.

I'm starting to think the media were quite right all these years about not deserving a top flight club - most of us turn our backs as soon as the going gets tough. In fact, even during our PL years we still had to offer 3 games for £15 to get folk through the door!

Perhaps during the Kean/ Kentaro/ destruction of the club stage there was absolutely an argument for people to stop attending as a protest against the pillaging of the club. Now, I just think people can't be arsed and hide behind the 'I won't go back until Venkys have gone' veil because they don't want to stump up £11 a game anymore.

Imagine Leeds and Newcastle fans turning their back on the club like we have - a sad fact but perhaps our fan base aren't quite as loyal as they might have you believe - it stems in my opinion from being spoilt for the best part of 20 years by Jack's money. God bless that man for giving us our dream!

No they weren't, and they haven't been right about anything to do with Rovers since. I'm surprised any Rovers fan would even agree with the media on that- points win prizes, not attendances. With our catchment area and fanbase, we do ok getting on the number we do!! (But I'm sure you knew that!)

How were our attendances the following seasons when we went down in 98/99? Folk seem to be happy to re-write history, I still go on each week at home, and whilst it's not as toxic as it was in the Kean era, it's still dreadful!

[joey_big_nose]

Either bad luck or just because this is our "natural position" and relegation was inevitable no matter what they did.

Which of course is nonsense, but there are many who seem very keen to forgive and exonerate Venky's, which I find baffling. They are the cause of our decline, the cause of our debt and the cause of our depleted fanbase. The buck stops with them and the blame rests entirely on their shoulders.

I keep reading that they've learned from their mistakes, which again to me seems like nonsense. The boardroom is still a mess, the manager is still a rookie with no track record (beyond achieving mid table with a 40+ goal strike force), the squad continues to get weaker, the financial situation continues to get worse and the crowds continue to dwindle.

But we brought out the new kit in good time, so forget all of that...

All they've learned is to shut up and pay as little attention to us as possible. They can't/won't even arrange a post-season review with the manger. They're as much a joke now as they were when they got here, the only difference is we're out of the national spotlight and SEM/Kentaro have been forced into the distant background.

I think the situation has gone on so long now you either walk away, get angry somehow and shake things up or draw a line under it and try to find some sort of new base to work from.

All of the options are valid. But our circumstance is very very unique in that the venkys are so so distant. Its hard to get large numbers of people angry when they stay away and do f all. There's no focus.

Its like a seige where they are starving the fan base out. Sapping the will power. And to be honest its working a treat. A few will draw a line under it (and I don't blame them for that. Some people just want to move on) but many more will walk away.

But for the fact it means they have less customers, so devalue their asset and lose even more money its a great strategy.

They are such idiots.

[den]

Someone reassure me........

We aren't now seeing fans who have backed the sacking of a good manager, appointment of an academy coach with the ensuing mind numbing football criticising fans - for walking away from the club are we? What did they expect would happen? Did they really believe that everyone would hang around flag waving? Maybe they should have thought about the outcome when these owners started to rid the club of virtually all the talent it had.

Touch of reality needed here. Team wins games - gates rise. Teams lose games - gates fall ......... EVERYWHERE.

This day has been coming from the moment they set foot here. Yet some think it's our natural position and you're not a proper fan if you don't accept it.

[Rover_Shaun]

Like the time we had gone 21 games unbeaten and loaned Steve Archibald. We beat top of the league Villa (with new signing David Platt from Crewe ) to go top ourselves. The place was buzzing.......though we fell away again

Good football, good results encourage good crowds.

[BlooBoy]

Blooboy. If Jack had that level of ambition we would have never won the league.

Yes the ground is too big now but that's because of those C**ts from Pune. Prior to them we were averaging 24k and noobody complained about the ease of getting a ticket. An extra 6k seats if needed was a perfect buffer

Theres ambition Shaun to win something thats fine.

But to build a 31000 stadium which even l when having success only averaged 24000 was stretching it imo. A Quarter empty ?

And nobody complaining about the ease of getting a ticket is a good thing ? I would say a smaller capacity would make people more willing to keep up their seats regardless of how well the team is doing on the presumption they may struggle getting a ticket IF success did come around. Ala Man Utd but on a smaller scale. Make the ticket a prized asset .

[K-Hod]

Theres ambition Shaun to win something thats fine.

But to build a 31000 stadium which even l when having success only averaged 24000 was stretching it imo. A Quarter empty ?

And nobody complaining about the ease of getting a ticket is a good thing ? I would say a smaller capacity would make people more willing to keep up their seats regardless of how well the team is doing on the presumption they may struggle getting a ticket IF success did come around. Ala Man Utd but on a smaller scale. Make the ticket a prized asset .

The thing is, the Jack Walker stand was built too big, if it had been less tall and the Riverside increased slightly, it would have made sense, especially if the capacity was circa 25k!

[thenodrog]

Anecdotally this seems to me like we are going to have a big fall in renewals, a la summer 2012.

Difference being this time is we won't drop from 15000 to 10000, but say 10000 to 6/7000, and it is getting to the stage where even being able to compete at this level will become very difficult.

Lets just hope some of the returning thousands for the Liverpool game step up and replace those dropping off

Very very depressing and so avoidable, but at least an online mock up of our new kits is out.

Indeed I see not one single reason for our decline to fail to continue. We are destined (God willing) to return to the club that we were 30 years ago and likely worse through vastly changing demography.

The owners brought this on through a combination of poor judgement, inexperience and stupidity but now it's only them that stands between the club and complete oblivion imo.

The Lunes in Pune don't give a crap even if crowds drop to 3000.

How could you know that Abbey?

.

Lets hope they are on a layer of the FBI Fifa onion.

We can but hope Abbey!

Turkeys voting for Christmas.

In your own words could you explain what would happen to the club then waggy76?

[BlooBoy]

The thing is, the Jack Walker stand was built too big, if it had been less tall and the Riverside increased slightly, it would have made sense, especially if the capacity was circa 25k!

Which is exactly what im saying.Rather than three new huge stands the whole three sides could have been done,smaller capacity which would have been more than adequate for what Rovers could attract come rain or shine.

[Rover_Shaun]

When the ground was built the average was increasing to it's peak of around 26k. You always need room for expansion. It's easy with hindsight to say we should have built the ground 5k smaller but who was to know that Kenny would step down. Harford would sign just Matty Holmes and our place in the top echelons of the Premier league would evaporate? Jack quite rightly had the idea that the club would be competing at the top for a lot longer. Even he didn't envisage the increase in money for failure through a bloated Champions League that has effectively shut off the top 6 for generations.

IF we get back into the top flight and gates go back to 23-24k then the extra capacity for big games, or even any future fanbase increase will be needed.

Ewood was built to last us another 100 years. It made sense to build it once rather than regret building a smaller one and have to rip parts down to expand at great cost (a bit like the moron who designed the M65 extension as 2 lanes)

PS. The Riverside was rightly left because it would cost a lot of money to culvert the River

Lets not be ungrateful to Jack. He did what he thought was best.

It's another damning indictment of the mess the owners have put us in and the paucity of the team on the pitch that it is being mentioned again. When a club is playing well and winning nobody (but kids who like to tease) gives a toss about attendance percentage of capacity and all the other irrelevant @#/?

[ABBEY]

£18 a game and you can sit right in the middle of the JW next to the press box if you want Shaun - £11 if you go and sit in the Riverside. Compared to most ST's in the top 3 divisions that's an incredible deal.

I'm starting to think the media were quite right all these years about not deserving a top flight club - most of us turn our backs as soon as the going gets tough. In fact, even during our PL years we still had to offer 3 games for £15 to get folk through the door!

Perhaps during the Kean/ Kentaro/ destruction of the club stage there was absolutely an argument for people to stop attending as a protest against the pillaging of the club. Now, I just think people can't be arsed and hide behind the 'I won't go back until Venkys have gone' veil because they don't want to stump up £11 a game anymore.

Imagine Leeds and Newcastle fans turning their back on the club like we have - a sad fact but perhaps our fan base aren't quite as loyal as they might have you believe - it stems in my opinion from being spoilt for the best part of 20 years by Jack's money. God bless that man for giving us our dream!

I have been on St James for a 0-0 draw and 8000 on !

[thenodrog]

I tend to agree, it'll be interesting to see how many come through the gates. I think we're at the bottom now in terms of numbers.

I don't. In fact nowhere near. As attendances drop the atmosphere does also, and without atmosphere the entire match day experience is spoiled. To all the people that are abandoning the club in it's hour of need the message is an emphatic 'use it or lose it'.

Of course when the club wraps up and the hand wringing and gnashing of teeth starts in earnest it'll be nobodies fault other than the Indian owners will it? There'll be lots of of "BRFC was my club and I'll never forgive the venkys for ruining it. I was a ST holder from 95-98, I went to Wembley in 91, Cardiff and even went to the FA Cup quarter finals v Liverpool and it's all gone now!".

[ABBEY]

Er it will be no ones fault other than venkys .!

Gord please stop ripping those who have turned or are going to stop attending . It's very hypocritical ,

[BlooBoy]

When the ground was built the average was increasing to it's peak of around 26k. You always need room for expansion. It's easy with hindsight to say we should have built the ground 5k smaller but who was to know that Kenny would step down. Harford would sign just Matty Holmes and our place in the top echelons of the Premier league would evaporate? Jack quite rightly had the idea that the club would be competing at the top for a lot longer. Even he didn't envisage the increase in money for failure through a bloated Champions League that has effectively shut off the top 6 for generations.

IF we get back into the top flight and gates go back to 23-24k then the extra capacity for big games, or even any future fanbase increase will be needed.

Ewood was built to last us another 100 years. It made sense to build it once rather than regret building a smaller one and have to rip parts down to expand at great cost (a bit like the moron who designed the M65 extension as 2 lanes)

PS. The Riverside was rightly left because it would cost a lot of money to culvert the River

Lets not be ungrateful to Jack. He did what he thought was best.

It's another damning indictment of the mess the owners have put us in and the paucity of the team on the pitch that it is being mentioned again. When a club is playing well and winning nobody (but kids who like to tease) gives a toss about attendance percentage of capacity and all the other irrelevant @#/?

Of course we re thankful for JW and the stadium.

But its too big.Even at our most successful we wasnt filling it. And most probably never will.Cheapest tickets ..free tickets to schools ..you name it we didnt fill it.

We play Burnley ..our so called big derby and get nowhere near filling it.

Now we give opposing teams 8000 tickets and turn a home game into an away game atmosphere...and still nowhere three quarters full.

We had a very successful period lets hope it happens again but theres no way that ground will be a sell out im afraid.

[thenodrog]

Blooboy. If Jack had that level of ambition we would have never won the league.

Yes the ground is too big now but that's because of those C**ts from Pune. Prior to them we were averaging 24k and noobody complained about the ease of getting a ticket. An extra 6k seats if needed was a perfect buffer

There was an ongoing campaign by increasing numbers of fans to get the manager out though. 'the more things change the more they stay the same' eh?

Have any lessons been learned do you think Shaun?