[Archived] The Sick Malaise Over Ewood Park

[rigger]

The best two slices of 'terrace humour' I ever experienced were both on the old kop terrace at Anfield.

.

United fans singing, sit down Pinocchio, to Phil Thompson, made me laugh.

[Speedie Dived]

The one thing that I think would improve the atmosphere would be the return of safe standing in the Blackburn end, followed by the Darwen end mob returning to the Blackburn end.

The team are genuinely bang average, but try, I would watch them in any division. But the attitude of some of the crowd has me considering stopping going.

Not a Rovers Fan as it's a natural reaction to moan sometimes but it should not be the only reaction. As a kid a fellow fan offering some positive support used to inspire you.

[Rover_Shaun]

As a kid a fellow fan offering some positive support used to inspire you.

All I remember throughout the 80's were the oldies moaning....and like today there were the players that inspired it

[Speedie Dived]

All I remember throughout the 80's were the oldies moaning....and like today there were the players that inspired it

But there was some positive comments too. I used to have a wry grin on my face, as a naive kid, at some of the comments Atkins used to get.

My one bug bear is the crowd moaning when the ball goes backwards.

[Jock]

Maybe a banner with- 100% effort please our precious little darlings.

Not aimed at an individual or nasty.

[tomphil]

But there was some positive comments too. I used to have a wry grin on my face, as a naive kid, at some of the comments Atkins used to get.

My one bug bear is the crowd moaning when the ball goes backwards.

I was watching the Brighton v Boro game a few weeks back and the commentators were moaning about the Brighton crowd moaning about the ball going backwards. I don't think these TV guys should ever criticise any crowd when they've turned up to watch their team despite it being on telly but the over expectation of the home crowd was touched on. Also the fact they were trying to keep possession from a good team.

The thing that does get me about that though is the pace of it being so slow and no one looking to do any pass and move forward at all despite retaining possession. It's a fine line and sometimes you've to put up with it and others I think it's fair enough to get frustrated. Some though just sit and wait for the first backwards pass and kick off, same ones who kick off at the first aimless hoof

[scotty_beam_me_up]

I don't think the ironic cheering for Brown was that bad. Just a bit of gallows humour on another limp evening at Ewood. It was no where near as bad as the abuse some have had. I remember nearly coming to blows when someone was having a go at Tugay during the Celtic home game.

If Brown had scored on Tuesday the roof would've come off and could go on to become a cult hero if he gets a few.

I like him anyway as he gives me a bit of hope I could still make it.

[rigger]

The one thing that I think would improve the atmosphere would be the return of safe standing in the Blackburn end,.

Agree 100%

[sambo]

I have been a huge advocate of the Darwen End having their own section, but I think perhaps it's time to close that section to home fans.

With higher crowds it worked, but with the swathes of empty seats it feels weird having pockets of fans dotted around the ground.

However, would the DE's return to the BBE or to the Riverside/JW corners? And what effect would that have? In a perfect world they'd free up a block in the BBE but the fans sitting there currently would be reluctant I'd imagine.

[K-Hod]

There's barely anyone in the corner of the Riverside next to the Darwen End, I think that would be a great location for them, though not sure how well the sound would travel! Would be best at the BBE, but like you say, it would be difficult to implement with people dotted about and unwilling to move.

[sambo]

There's barely anyone in the corner of the Riverside next to the Darwen End, I think that would be a great location for them, though not sure how well the sound would travel! Would be best at the BBE, but like you say, it would be difficult to implement with people dotted about and unwilling to move.

In a perfect world we would have a raucous and noisy Blackburn End cheering the teams on. The fans in the corner of the Riverside may just slightly decrease the current problem in truth.

It's very difficult to see what they will do, but it's clear Lambert wants them to move to the BBE - his recent interview about having all the fans behind one goal showed his thoughts. He may well have some influence on it.

[K-Hod]

I think he will, you're right.

Wasn't it Big Sam that wanted fans behind both goals 'on the ends', as it were? I think it's stayed that way ever since, by default, rather than by design.

[sambo]

I think he will, you're right.

Wasn't it Big Sam that wanted fans behind both goals 'on the ends', as it were? I think it's stayed that way ever since, by default, rather than by design.

No idea to be honest, but that may well have been part of the motivation. Maybe he helped bang the drum for the 'Taking Back Ewood' move that saw the Darwen End filled for a few key games in the 2008-2009 season?

It was a success for a time after, but the numbers now are relatively low. I'd even consider closing the BBE upper in order to bring our fans closer together.

[gumboots]

You might. I wouldn't. I like sitting up there

[Mattyblue]

I think he will, you're right.

Wasn't it Big Sam that wanted fans behind both goals 'on the ends', as it were? I think it's stayed that way ever since, by default, rather than by design.

It was great in the Taking Back Ewood era, two packed ends.

Now you've got a few hundred in the DE, and even they seem to be quieter this season and a few singers dotted around different blocks of the Blackburn End (who mostly do anything but sing) and thousands upon thousands of empty seats in between.

All in all, a 30000+ capacity stadium for modern day BRFC is a nightmare to create any kind of atmosphere in, so surely closing parts of stands has to be considered?

[Mike Graham]

It was great in the Taking Back Ewood era, two packed ends.

Now you've got a few hundred in the DE, and even they seem to be quieter this season and a few singers dotted around different blocks of the Blackburn End (who mostly do anything but sing) and thousands upon thousands of empty seats in between.

All in all, a 30000+ capacity stadium for modern day BRFC is a nightmare to create any kind of atmosphere in, so surely closing parts of stands has to be considered?

Even Leeds closed stands, and they still remain closed.

[Mike E]

The best two slices of 'terrace humour' I ever experienced were both on the old kop terrace...

I quite liked recent between Chelsea and West Ham. Chelsea chanting for Kurt Zuma, met with the reply from West Ham:

'Would you let him on the train?'

[Baz]

What about "DJ, DJ, what's the score?" Before the game, after his alleged involvement.

[old darwen blue]

Im quite happy in the Darren End and have no wish to go back to the Blackburn End.

[Stuart]

I think that there is a collective responsibility for our home form, and it's partly down to the lack of trust between players and fans. We have seen some awful players and some mercenaries and some sulkers and some workshy players and personally I'm tired of watching half-assed "performances". By the same token, players are jeered, booed, laughed at, and have the pee taken out of them. It can hardly be an inspiring place to play. Every misplaced pass is greeted with more frustration than the last. Radio Rovers after the game today were suggested that the wingers need to take more responsibility for getting past their man, and I agree they should, but are they likely to when they know the reaction they will get for failing? Some of them are like rabbits in headlights and the number of times out wingers turn around and pass back is telling.

The dying embers of a PL team are barely cold and we are struggling to adjust to life as a midtable Championship side. This is clouded by having very wealthy but absent/careless owners who we can only think must want PL football - or why else are they still here. There is a major lack of trust between the fans and owners to say the least. If we were owned by people who we knew cared deeply about the club and were trying their best with meagre funds then we could probably accept that we are where we are (although that could also be said about Bolton and Eddie Davies and I wouldn't swap with them). But our owners, if they wanted could probably make us competitive by spending cash in the same way that other clubs are managing to. They have seemingly stopped the rot (ignoring current form) by replacing a sequence of pretenders with a seasoned manager and back room team but at the same time they were the ones who got us into this mess in the first place, and they haven't gone far enough.

I remember very well the last time I left Ewood happy after a match. It was 3rd October 2015 and a 2-0 win against Ipswich. Since then we have had little or nothing to cheer after a game. The only way to get the fans back on side (let alone back in the ground) is to provide some excitement or at least some real quality - winning will follow. For all the graft that a Brown can put in, it does not inspire anyone, and isn't particularly productive. It's all well and good blaming Rhodes but we need reinforcements.

If we are to lift the gloom that has descended along with 3 months of low cloud and precipitation - and now snow and ice - then we need something that gets us out of our seats. At the moment we are barely getting agricultural goals let alone cultured football and, at present, going to Ewood is a mixture of disappointment, misery and frustration.

[K-Hod]

Nail on head Stuart.

[tomphil]

Such is the frustration now that a few sideways passes and the crowd start groaning yet when we started off hoofing it forward quickly it gets the same reaction. We just need to scrape a couple of wins from somewhere somehow otherwise Ewood will resemble the toxic hole it was before Bowyer was appointed.

That will just make things worse.

Noticable today though that there was a lot trying to get behind them from the off. One section of the BBE chanted PL's blue & white army non stop for about 8 mins. Nobody else joined in

[Mike Graham]

Good post Stuart.

I actually thought the fans were better today with very little slagging off of individual players, applause for CB getting MOTM and the half-time draw managed about £25.

Yes plenty of boos at full-time but that was expected.

Rovers, at present, are collectively going down the pan, the players are like rabbits in the headlamps and I can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Does anyone else remember the Blackburn End chanting "We've got the worst team in the land", as the team came out for the second half?. I think it was just after Christmas in the 69-70 season after we turned to complete sh1te ...maybe the home FA cup tie when we conceded four against Swindon. Now that is malaise and yes, I think we are back to a similar feeling in the crowd.

Actually, I still don't know why the crowd aren't really going for it. Maybe we are all like Napoleon's beaten army trudging back from Moscow...

In a week of David Bowie, I am thinking "Five Years"