[Archived] Pne. Early Ko 12.30

[Lancs Rover]

Just wondering what this game might look like if we had some terraces back at Ewood.

The atmosphere at Brentford was enjoyable partly for that reason in my opinion. Banter with the players in the warm up and the mayhem after the goal.

I can see both sides of the argument. It is easier to manage and even identify! If need be 7k supporters in seated areas. But seating contains some of the excitement as well.

A small standing area would surely improve the atmosphere at derby games without giving would-be hoolies a licence to roam.

[VinjayV4]

Apparently Preston North End have virtually sold their entire allocation. Can anyone recall whether they sold that many in 1997 (League Cup first leg was at Ewood) or 2001?

Bit unusual if not considering Rovers were a "bigger scalp" for likes of Preston NE then.

[Ben-2000]

I'm sure the stand was shared in the past

[tomphil]

Apparently Preston North End have virtually sold their entire allocation. Can anyone recall whether they sold that many in 1997 (League Cup first leg was at Ewood) or 2001?

Bit unusual if not considering Rovers were a "bigger scalp" for likes of Preston NE then.

All the DE upper and half the lower for the cup game, approx. 5k. They had all the end for the league game a few years later and brought c5,900, they used to print the aways in the programme back then as well.

There's a bit of a feel good factor around them at the min after a ropey start to the season but if they were struggling they'd never have sold it out. Fair play to em though they think it's a big day out

Let's just hope we spoil it.

They'll soon be peddling the old 'we'll be all over the home stands' soon. It's started already on one of their boards in reference to last time. Apparently 300 Nob End fans jumping around in the JW, which just did not happen end of because everyone was looking around for it after the myths of taking over home ends was floating about lol Might have been 2 or 3 but I don't remember any movement at all. Not saying there wasn't any in there but they weren't going 'mental' when they scored. Don't you just love football myths, these lot can outdo the modern day dingles hands down.

Up yer game Burnley !

[had.e.nuff]

Joe Garners quote from their web site

“We might have a few more fans than them with us taking 7,000!” He continued. “I am sure the fans will try and make it a bit of a home game for us.

Read more at http://www.pnefc.net/news/article/joe-garner-preston-north-end-blackburn-rovers-3022041.aspx#DmI3WPyUIseXRvtl.99

[VinjayV4]

All the DE upper and half the lower for the cup game, approx. 5k. They had all the end for the league game a few years later and brought c5,900, they used to print the aways in the programme back then as well.

There's a bit of a feel good factor around them at the min after a ropey start to the season but if they were struggling they'd never have sold it out. Fair play to em though they think it's a big day out

Well 2001 wasn't exactly a "feel bad" season for them under Mr Moyes! At least until the playoff final...

Joe Garners quote from their web site

“We might have a few more fans than them with us taking 7,000!” He continued. “I am sure the fans will try and make it a bit of a home game for us.

Read more at http://www.pnefc.net/news/article/joe-garner-preston-north-end-blackburn-rovers-3022041.aspx#DmI3WPyUIseXRvtl.99

Must have hurt being a Rovers reject and never (aside from Forest) being at a big club since. He was actually born in Blackburn but chose to watch Preston...what a bizarre individual.

[Baz]

I see 8 (yes eight) threads about Rovers on that pne-forum.

Looks like they are nearly sold out too, wonder what it's like to take nearly as many fans away to your more successful rival, than you get on your home games?

[tomphil]

One wonders where these seven thousand fantastic fans where when they were floundering around the old 3rd and 4th divisions, yet they call us the plastics !!!!!!

They really do think they are something special because of 1 season with big away support it's hilarious to read that board. Must be a lot of excitable (middle aged) kids around their way

Well 2001 wasn't exactly a "feel bad" season for them under Mr Moyes! At least until the playoff final...

Must have hurt being a Rovers reject and never (aside from Forest) being at a big club since. He was actually born in Blackburn but chose to watch Preston...what a bizarre individual.

I think they virtually sold out what was available for that one to be fair. The first 8 rows or so were netted off in the DE and it was on the box.

As for Garner I hope the little gobshite gets sent off and I wouldn't be surprised if he did. Pity big Grant is suspended, that could prove costly but if I was Lambo I'd be telling them to target this lad.

[VinjayV4]

I think they virtually sold out what was available for that one to be fair. The first 8 rows or so were netted off in the DE and it was on the box.

Don't want to seem pedantic but I'm sure it wasn't.

[tomphil]

Well it was a Friday night game and I seem to recall it was but maybe not. Not that it matters one iota now.

[ABBEY]

What an obnoxious little dog turd he is .

[Truefan]

Pne were still very well supported when floundering around in the lower divisions. I started watching football in 1987. At the time rovers were in the old second division (now known as the championship) and Pne were in the old 4th division (now known as league 2). Pne had finished second from bottom of the 4th division in 1986 and had to apply for re election to the football league. Pnes average attendance the year after, in 1987, was over 8,000. Rovers average attendance that same season was about 5 or 6,000. The rest is history. Success on the pitch and nice new stands attracts more fans. Pne didn't like to see rovers turn into a "big club" virtually overnight. Despite this, a large number of pne fans (and Burnley fans for that matter) stayed loyal to their clubs during those very dark days for our "traditional" local rivals (and similar sized clubs) as rovers. Rovers of course went from strength to strength (until the relatively recent nose-dive) and the gates kept going up as the gates at Ewood went up and man it'd etc became the new rivals. I happen to know a lot of Preston fans and I still work in the city. What gets a lot of their fans backs up about rovers is that they are of the opinion rovers bought the title and not only that, but that they "stole" a lot of fans from the Preston area (from the city itself and from what they believe to be their catchment area). That's why they call rovers "the plastics". I am aware that rovers did indeed deliberately target school children in the Preston area for example with visits from players to schools, free coach travel for children to Ewood with free packed lunches, cheap match day deals, advertising on local buses, in newspapers and on radio stations, etc. And Rovers even played their reserve games at deepdale for a while too, and this really rubbed their noses in it. All this means it should be a good atmosphere next week. I believe they have sold out their 7,000 allocation. Fair play to them. Hope it's a good day out for them.

[BlueMonday]

Pne were still very well supported when floundering around in the lower divisions. I started watching football in 1987. At the time rovers were in the old second division (now known as the championship) and Pne were in the old 4th division (now known as league 2). Pne had finished second from bottom of the 4th division in 1986 and had to apply for re election to the football league. Pnes average attendance the year after, in 1987, was over 8,000. Rovers average attendance that same season was about 5 or 6,000. The rest is history. Success on the pitch and nice new stands attracts more fans. Pne didn't like to see rovers turn into a "big club" virtually overnight. Despite this, a large number of pne fans (and Burnley fans for that matter) stayed loyal to their clubs during those very dark days for our "traditional" local rivals (and similar sized clubs) as rovers. Rovers of course went from strength to strength (until the relatively recent nose-dive) and the gates kept going up as the gates at Ewood went up and man it'd etc became the new rivals. I happen to know a lot of Preston fans and I still work in the city. What gets a lot of their fans backs up about rovers is that they are of the opinion rovers bought the title and not only that, but that they "stole" a lot of fans from the Preston area (from the city itself and from what they believe to be their catchment area). That's why they call rovers "the plastics". I am aware that rovers did indeed deliberately target school children in the Preston area for example with visits from players to schools, free coach travel for children to Ewood with free packed lunches, cheap match day deals, advertising on local buses, in newspapers and on radio stations, etc. And Rovers even played their reserve games at deepdale for a while too, and this really rubbed their noses in it. All this means it should be a good atmosphere next week. I believe they have sold out their 7,000 allocation. Fair play to them. Hope it's a good day out for them.

We didn't turn into a big Club overnight, we've been building it since 5th November 1875.

[Mattyblue]

What about their average crowds of 3000 in 85 and 86?

We can all be selective with statistics.

They are a really odd bunch that have a strange obsession with BRFC.

They hate the fact that a very small percentage of locals are Rovers fans, but have seemingly no issue with the fact there are literally thousands of United and Liverpool fans knocking about.

[Truefan]

http://mobile.pnefc.net//news/article/preston-north-end-tickets-blackburn-rovers-ewood-park-3023958.aspx

It's their second biggest away following this millennia, apparently (play off finals excluded)..

[Mattyblue]

Why join the site and start banging on about Preston bloody North Ends support?

[Truefan]

Like I say, I know a lot of Pne fans and their main gripe with rovers is quite simple really. It's the fans who used to be Pne fans and then changed their allegiances. That's what gets to them. The way Pne fans see it, rovers DID change virtually overnight.. One minute Pne fans were putting money into buckets to help fund the new stand at Ewood, and the next minute the club had millions of pounds invested and became champions of England (with one of the best modern stadiums and facilities in the country). There has been and always will be Man Utd and Liverpool fans in Preston (as there are in Blackburn and any other town). To a certain extent that is why it is reluctantly accepted.. But what happened with rovers still hurts them. A lot. It annoyed them that Pne fans from Preston and the Preston area suddenly ditched their Pne season tickets and swapped them for season tickets at Ewood. EVERY club which is successful will attract this type of fan. Pne would if they were successful! But the fact that there was hardly a rovers shirt to be seen in Preston one minute, and suddenly loads of rovers shirts all over the place in the preston area the next minute, (and in such a short space of time) is why, so I am told, rovers fans ended up with the name "plastics"..

Thought you might find my inside knowledge interesting?! I won't bother if you would prefer me not to? I am very excited about this match and have quite a few pints riding on the outcome..

[Mattyblue]

They need to get a grip by the sounds of it.

[VinjayV4]

Like I say, I know a lot of Pne fans and their main gripe with rovers is quite simple really. It's the fans who used to be Pne fans and then changed their allegiances. That's what gets to them. The way Pne fans see it, rovers DID change virtually overnight.. One minute Pne fans were putting money into buckets to help fund the new stand at Ewood, and the next minute the club had millions of pounds invested and became champions of England (with one of the best modern stadiums and facilities in the country). There has been and always will be Man Utd and Liverpool fans in Preston (as there are in Blackburn and any other town). To a certain extent that is why it is reluctantly accepted.. But what happened with rovers still hurts them. A lot. It annoyed them that Pne fans from Preston and the Preston area suddenly ditched their Pne season tickets and swapped them for season tickets at Ewood. EVERY club which is successful will attract this type of fan. Pne would if they were successful! But the fact that there was hardly a rovers shirt to be seen in Preston one minute, and suddenly loads of rovers shirts all over the place in the preston area the next minute, (and in such a short space of time) is why, so I am told, rovers fans ended up with the name "plastics"..

Thought you might find my inside knowledge interesting?! I won't bother if you would prefer me not to? I am very excited about this match and have quite a few pints riding on the outcome..

Yeah but unlike most towns Rovers have had serious battles with United. You would expect the Blackburn public to be more opposed to it than the Swindon public for example.

Already pointed out (and I don't want to shove it down people's throats) that Jack saw the club as being Lancashire. Though certainly not to the extent of advocating a "Lancashire merger" as Thenodrog says he should have attempted. The plan with targeting Preston schools was probably to get them to Rovers instead of the likes of United/Liverpool. I'm not sure "converting" older fans was so much the aim though certainly the entire Blackburn public had to be targeted. Including those who only go if the club is in the top flight.

Yes I know certain people will call me a hypocrite but I'm tired of explaining and refuse to do so again.

[Truefan]

I think we will win next week. Seems like their fans have been looking forward to this match for about 15 years! I'm not counting my chickens yet though (so to speak!). They have a good away record but I still think we will turn them over. Just. I'm going for one nil to rovers.

[Truefan]

I don't think Burnley was targeted to the same extent (if at all)??. I think it made perfect sense to target central Lancashire. And like you say, the adverts billed rovers as "lancashires Premiership club". I suppose targeting fans from lower league clubs (at the time) like Preston was only the same as Preston targeting fans from non league teams/areas of Preston? The problem was that Preston (and Burnley) fans never accepted that they were a second tier club to rovers. Not the ones that stayed loyal to their team anyway!! Ha ha

[VinjayV4]

I don't think Burnley was targeted to the same extent (if at all)??. I think it made perfect sense to target central Lancashire. And like you say, the adverts billed rovers as "lancashires Premiership club". I suppose targeting fans from lower league clubs (at the time) like Preston was only the same as Preston targeting fans from non league teams/areas of Preston? The problem was that Preston (and Burnley) fans never accepted that they were a second tier club to rovers. Not the ones that stayed loyal to their team anyway!! Ha ha

Probably because there would have been more vandalism but Rovers did bring in kids from schools there as well. As Rovers should have done like I've said before they have one of the most unmarketable names in football. Why would kids there (or within their so called catchment area) want to support a club with such a boring name? I've heard of fans having converted from there in 90's as well though evidently not to the same extent as Preston.

I know this is repetitive again (though its not like fanbase figures have never been discussed!) but the Lancashire marketing was clearly lessened after Jack died. Indeed all we kept hearing about was the "punching above our weight" remarks and certainly Williams didn't say "we must see things as being Lancashire" again. The "pride of Lancashire" tagline seemed a hell of a lot more prominent to me in the late 90's than later on. I know the slightest criticism of Saint John is frowned upon but it has to be questioned. Certainly the trustees were to blame but Williams should have questioned this bizarre shift in policy. He questioned the Allardyce sacking (and certainly the replacement) so why not question this? Might not have been title challengers after getting promotion but it was still an established Premier League club for several years.

[tomphil]

Fromm what I remember the Nobbers gates got inflated near the end of the season back then during the Beck era when they were going for promotion. Something like 17k v Northampton and what true fan has pointed out is what the Nobbers & Bolton & Burnley used to sling at Rovers. Whenever any of them hit a spell of doing well they got gates on a par or better than us bumbling around in the old Div 2.

It just doesn't stack up to their crowing though because it only ever happened when they had good spells. When they were on their way down and really struggling the gates were dire at all 3 clubs. I'm not saying we'd have been any different because we wouldn't but if you have great support most of it sticks with you, non of us have that in numbers and history has proven that. Also if we were in the same position as them then when doing well we'd have got good gates and followings also, again history shows that if you look at our gates having good spells in the old 3rd.

There is no doubt our support in the early/mid 80's was embarrassing at times for whatever reason there must have been huge apathy around the town towards the club. All these local rivals clubs fans always always judge us on those crowds and say that is the real size of Rovers like a Bury or a Rochdale and that's what infuriates me about these gits. Wiping out Rovers history before that whilst at the same time airbrushing over their own fanbases many shortcomings. Apparently they're all real fans because they've had spells in the lower reaches and nearly gone out of business whilst we aren't because we stayed in the old 2nd but didn't average 9 or 10k every week.

Get real, look at the crowds Leicester/WBA/Stoke/Wolves/Pompey/Palace often used to get around that time when they were just plodding along. Might have been a bit more than us but not bloody many.

[Baz]

I don't think Burnley was targeted to the same extent (if at all)??. I think it made perfect sense to target central Lancashire. And like you say, the adverts billed rovers as "lancashires Premiership club". I suppose targeting fans from lower league clubs (at the time) like Preston was only the same as Preston targeting fans from non league teams/areas of Preston? The problem was that Preston (and Burnley) fans never accepted that they were a second tier club to rovers. Not the ones that stayed loyal to their team anyway!! Ha ha

You sure you are a Rovers fan, strange for someone to turn up a week before the PNE game and only post on the PNE thread, and talk about attendances?

The solid fact for all the PNE fans is this, Rovers are more successful and better supported, end of the story.

[Truefan]

I work in Preston and have many Pne fans as friends. It doesn't mean I am a Pne fan myself. Some very good and interesting comments on here tonight. For the record I don't think there is much difference between the support at all the clubs in Lancashire that have been mentioned. It depends on success on the pitch at the end of the day.