[Archived] Increase Our Young Fan Base

[Mattyblue]

Glory hunting is a bizarre thing, just imagine being a born and bred Blackburner with the accent to boot and with a straight face going 'Aye, I'm Liverpool me'

I've found that they are often quite sad individuals looking for a bit of reflective glory on their own lives.

They are also missing out on so much, Rovers/Dingle matches for example, it means a hell of a lot to the area, local pride, it goes back to the beginning of the sport, part of the area's heritage, all the buildup, then you can go to the matches with mates, family, neighbours, lads from the pub, whoever, you win and WHAT A NIGHT! you lose, oh the pain! but what a sense of belonging either way... OR you can say you're a Liverpool fan, stay at home on your own and maybe watch their game when they are on Sky at 4pm.

Pity them really.

[BlueMonday]

To be honest I was a Liverpool 'Fan' when at primary school, wearing Liverpool kits to play footy and used to love watching the European games on telly. That was down to the fact they were THE team in the 70's early 80's and there was no Rovers fanatic in the family. But I grew out of the Fandom, and when you go to High School you become more tribal and identify with your Peers. Our High School had a split of Rovers and Burnley so I quickly identified with Rovers. Then once you've been to a game you've got the bug.

The problem is Premiership football is at saturation levels on TV, and the negative and often anti Rovers media coverage makes The Club uncool to the up and coming football fan, unless you have a Rovers family member to guide you. So long term programme of cheap kids season tickets, limited Free tickets through schools, and Visits to Schools and coaching sessions with Rovers players will help to promote the Club in the area.

[Mike E]

I didn't get the bug (even after being taken to the Worthy Cup Final) until I went to QEGS. Nothing to do on the 30mins drive home, so read the LET. The back pages were more exciting than the front.

Don't get me wrong, I went to matches with my dad but it was only after the 5-1 win vs Wolves in 2003 that I truly truly got into ROVERS rather than just football.

[pk1875]

From experience of bringing young kids through via the U8s scheme, it is difficult keeping them interested in football when they're 4 or 5 etc and maybe would have a better impact having free season tickets for say U11's. Then wean them onto discounted tickets building up to about 21 before paying full price.

[Rover_Shaun]

kids get the football bug by experiencing positive, upbeat atmospheres.

You're joking? I started in the mid 80's and there was none of that. Attention spans of a gnat is the issue. If its not a tablet with ninja turtles on they don't give a stuff.

[gumboots]

This is in part true. Many of today's youngsters expect frequent breaks in action to be able to get more stuff to eat - none of the stay at the table till we've all finished that I grew up with. Lessons in school are about interesting and involving the kids, not givine them info, as it was when I was a kid. They are used to being the centre of attention, not having mum or dad annoyed at having to stop watching something to deal with them. When I was a kid if you breathed loudly when the news was on TV, my dad would go mad. It does mean that what happens on the pitch has to be stimulating enough to grab and hold attention because if not, your kids may be put off. I was lucky. My kids grew up late 80s early 90s.

[Guest]

To be honest I was a Liverpool 'Fan' when at primary school, wearing Liverpool kits to play footy and used to love watching the European games on telly. That was down to the fact they were THE team in the 70's early 80's and there was no Rovers fanatic in the family. But I grew out of the Fandom, and when you go to High School you become more tribal and identify with your Peers. Our High School had a split of Rovers and Burnley so I quickly identified with Rovers. Then once you've been to a game you've got the bug.

So basically, you're a retired glory hunter.

[yoda]

Rovers (and almost every other club in England) are massively up against it with this. Televised football and the rise of the gloryhunter may well destroy football for good. Whenever i play up at the Soccerdome and see a kids game going on, usually none of them are wearing a Rovers shirt. It's all Manure, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or City.

And as I said in another thread, the relentless negativity and profanity spouted by many fans at football now is not something that I'd imagine appeals to kids. Unlike some of the petulant morons in their teens/early 20s that grumpily support/insult us, kids get the football bug by experiencing positive, upbeat atmospheres.

My 1st game was at home to manure, we got beat 1-5 !

Well my lad never had a choice. He was always going to be a Rovers fan. His room has been decked out in all manner of Rovers memorabilia since he was a baby. There was a brief fixation with Man City but I soon explained the why’s and wherefore’s and he understood. You can’t underestimate how much they’ll take in at a young age. That and the threat of a sound thrashing. He has Madrid, Barca and Munich shirts – but he’ll grow out of all that. Especially if I keep putting them in the drier for far longer than necessary. My daughter however is a lost cause (although she did go to Preston with me – and she had the option not to go) having first started going during the Kean debacle which was, with hindsight, a bloody stupid idea. She doesn’t like any other teams though so not all bad. I’m sure she’ll come round in time for all the wrong reasons.

As for the swearing. Good as gold. I’ve not heard him swear once yet, however I’m confident that he now knows them all. Most of which have been learnt on the Blackburn End. Now I’m not suggesting that Rovers use this in their promotional material but he’s going to hear them at some stage so he might as well know what they mean and have them explained by a responsible adult, or in my lads case, me.

As for yoda’s suggestion that “more sex is the answer” – good God man! He’s 10!!

lol,

as you know I meant the parents with Blue Blood

[speeeeeeedie]

To be honest I was a Liverpool 'Fan' when at primary school, wearing Liverpool kits to play footy and used to love watching the European games on telly. That was down to the fact they were THE team in the 70's early 80's and there was no Rovers fanatic in the family. But I grew out of the Fandom, and when you go to High School you become more tribal and identify with your Peers. Our High School had a split of Rovers and Burnley so I quickly identified with Rovers. Then once you've been to a game you've got the bug.

I was too. My grandad supported them and he encouraged me to join him. My dad wasn't that bothered. I started with Rovers when I was about 9. I moved house and the lad round the corner had a Rovers season ticket so I changed.

[BlueMonday]

So basically, you're a retired glory hunter.

Not quite. Cut my teeth at Ewood from mid 80's, then away games from '87, which before the Full Members Cup were hardly the glory years.

Good times non the less

[the original david brent]

To be honest I was a Liverpool 'Fan' when at primary school, wearing Liverpool kits to play footy and used to love watching the European games on telly. That was down to the fact they were THE team in the 70's early 80's and there was no Rovers fanatic in the family. But I grew out of the Fandom, and when you go to High School you become more tribal and identify with your Peers. Our High School had a split of Rovers and Burnley so I quickly identified with Rovers. Then once you've been to a game you've got the bug.

.

I can relate to this - one of my best mates grew up as a Liverpool fan. His dad wasn't really into football. Fortunately he grew out of it, he got to the age of 14-15, like you say the tribalism effect kicked in, he started going rovers games with our group and you will not meet a more staunch rovers fan. It's rubbed off on his young lad who now has a season ticket.

I was fortunate that my dad took me at a very early age and I haven't looked back. I'm doing the same with my 2 kids and making sure they are brainwashed to support rovers!

[BlueMonday]

I can relate to this - one of my best mates grew up as a Liverpool fan. His dad wasn't really into football. Fortunately he grew out of it, he got to the age of 14-15, like you say the tribalism effect kicked in, he started going rovers games with our group and you will not meet a more staunch rovers fan. It's rubbed off on his young lad who now has a season ticket.

I was fortunate that my dad took me at a very early age and I haven't looked back. I'm doing the same with my 2 kids and making sure they are brainwashed to support rovers!

Im educating my youngest. Rovers is his team even though we live in Scotland. Hopefully by the time he's in his teens He'll keep the Blue Flag Flying High.