[Archived] Season Ticket Prices 2016/17

[Tom]

3rd time lucky

[K-Hod]

I'll tell you what would improve the atmosphere- Venky's clearing off!

[JHRover]

I actually think that this isn't about saving money or compacting the support to improve the atmosphere, or that nonsense in the letter about making the family zone better by being closer to the action and complying more with the League's recommendations.

I think this is a driven initiative from India to 'improve' the look of the ground on TV. Lets be honest, the sight of Ewood with a half empty Riverside is dreadful. So their plan is to put the cameras on the other side to 'showcase' the best stand and hide the worst. Only to do this they need to fill up as much of the JW stand as possible, and the people in the Family Stand are the ones who have been selected, because that area can be shut down quite easily.

I heard about the TV gantry moving several months ago. I think someone in India is worried about the look of the ground on TV and is trying whatever they can to improve the image, apart from filling Ewood up by giving fans a reason to be excited.

[K-Hod]

I suppose in their backward mind, putting the camera on one side showing a big stand partially full is preferable to the camera showing the oldest stand partially full....

Obviously easier than backing an experienced manager they appoint or even hiring an executive board to run the club.

Those @#/? never cease to amaze me

[gumboots]

Did you expect consultation gumboots? They consulted with their lapdog - sorry, the Fans Forum - and that appears to be it. When a Fan on the forum tells the rest of us how it is they are hung out to dry by their colleagues on the Forum because keeping in with the club is far more important than giving fellow supporters information. As you say, no mention of consultation with the people who sit in the stand just a statement that they are moving to inferior seats, open to the elements in the front rows and seemingly paying more for the inconvenience. As the Strikers Lounge is remaining open as a pre-match facility I wonder just how much is actually being saved? I loved the line in the letter with regard to fan engagement that one of the attractions for moving was to be able to see 'Rover the Dog'. You really couldn't make it up.

I expected a cosmetic exercise at least. I accept theyd not have taken the blindest bit of notice of my opinion because it's apparently just come to their notice that I and lots like me have carried on quite happily sitting there despite the fact that our familiy is long gone because we like the view and the atmosphere. We like the fact we don't get wet if it rains. we like the fact we can see the action clearly. I know of at least a dozen people who sit in my area of the ground who do not have children with them, and that's just a very small area. Ill not be there next year. If I was excited by the club generally the move would bother me far less. If I could stay where I am I'd be more inclined to look at buying a ticket if things looked like they might improve, such as getting a decent manager in or bringing in one or 2 decent players (not worldies or anything but a bit more exciting than recently) As it is the 2 factors together - poor team, no manager and poorly run club + having to move stands just absolutely guarantee that this year I won't be changing my mind

[MCMC1875]

I actually think that this isn't about saving money or compacting the support to improve the atmosphere, or that nonsense in the letter about making the family zone better by being closer to the action and complying more with the League's recommendations.

I think this is a driven initiative from India to 'improve' the look of the ground on TV. Lets be honest, the sight of Ewood with a half empty Riverside is dreadful. So their plan is to put the cameras on the other side to 'showcase' the best stand and hide the worst. Only to do this they need to fill up as much of the JW stand as possible, and the people in the Family Stand are the ones who have been selected, because that area can be shut down quite easily.

I heard about the TV gantry moving several months ago. I think someone in India is worried about the look of the ground on TV and is trying whatever they can to improve the image, apart from filling Ewood up by giving fans a reason to be excited.

Ha. The 2nd and 3rd last home games, I estimated 700 and 500 in the whole JW Stand. Forcing the remaining families in there that renew wont make any difference after you take out JW supporters not renewing.

[gumboots]

3rd time lucky

Your letter is different from mine, Tom. Mine includes no price info at all but basically tells me off for being in the wrong place for the last 10 years

[Mike Graham]

And a good number of us JW ST holders will not be returning next season.

This master strategy from Chesterton, or whatever the plonker is called, is going to fall flat flat on it's face.

If they gave you an ST for nothing would you go to Ewood Gumboots?

I wouldn't.

[Tom]

In case anyone wanted to see the exciting other side - premier league pledge is back....

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Just to put another slant on this - Kamy has a survey on his twitter feed where only 23% are against moving the family stand (547 votes).

I think it has been handled really poorly - but still think the idea has merit. As Ben mentioned - it looks like the price increase would have happened anyway - but for the sake of £20 it would have been good PR to not apply the price increase for anyone being forced to move.

For those moaning about moving the cameras - I have seen a few comments over the years where people have commented the camera position doesn't show the ground at it's best - again the whole thing has been poorly handled.

[Mike Graham]

Now that was funny Tom, the best laugh I have had all week.

These people are con merchants 😱

In case anyone wanted to see the exciting other side - premier league pledge is back....

[AndyNeil]

Who is that aimed at?

I would of thought it would of been pretty obvious by this "Still some either don't seem capable or prepared to let these instances from the past go" so let me put it another way. Posters on here who can't seem to let things lie, and if truth be told generally with the Fans Forum who for the record haven't come out of this week at all well.

Like I said to somebody on Twitter, I have a feeling they were leant on to make the statement they did however giving it some more thought, whoever posted the statement on the FF account may well of made an almighty error of judgement and tried to hand Savio out to dry?

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Now that was funny Tom, the best laugh I have had all week.

These people are con merchants

I know where you are coming from - but they do seem to be "damned if they do, damned if they don't". People rightly keep saying we should be doing more to attract fans - indeed it is one thing a few mentioned to do rather than closing the BBE Upper. The same really applies to moving the cameras to make the ground look better - poorly sold as initiative - but if the ground looks better etc surely it may tempt down the odd additional fan ?

[tomphil]

Kamys poll wasn't directly asking FS members so it was pointless. Others not affected might well vote for it to be moved as they think it'll look better. Nothing to do with them really, a pointless poll.

If the 500/600 are reduced by half then yeah isn't that great and 300 or so in the already empty JW will make no cosmetic difference. Then we have the bizarre move in these financially tight times of spending money moving the TV stuff over when there is already state of the art facilities built in.

I'll tell you why, because the Riverside will be next to be shut, they'll find an excuse for it. This club is absolutely gearing itself for a tiny budget and league 1.

Venkys, Cheston and all who apologise go @#/? yourselves !

[gumboots]

Just to put another slant on this - Kamy has a survey on his twitter feed where only 23% are against moving the family stand (547 votes).

I think it has been handled really poorly - but still think the idea has merit. As Ben mentioned - it looks like the price increase would have happened anyway - but for the sake of £20 it would have been good PR to not apply the price increase for anyone being forced to move.

For those moaning about moving the cameras - I have seen a few comments over the years where people have commented the camera position doesn't show the ground at it's best - again the whole thing has been poorly handled.

I dont do twitter

[A cup of beans]

Did you expect consultation gumboots? They consulted with their lapdog - sorry, the Fans Forum - and that appears to be it. When a Fan on the forum tells the rest of us how it is they are hung out to dry by their colleagues on the Forum because keeping in with the club is far more important than giving fellow supporters information. As you say, no mention of consultation with the people who sit in the stand just a statement that they are moving to inferior seats, open to the elements in the front rows and seemingly paying more for the inconvenience. As the Strikers Lounge is remaining open as a pre-match facility I wonder just how much is actually being saved? I loved the line in the letter with regard to fan engagement that one of the attractions for moving was to be able to see 'Rover the Dog'. You really couldn't make it up.

I hope they keep 'Rover the dog' away from us in The Riverside. The bloody thing restricts views more often than not.

Shows, yet again, those involved in decisions about fans 'matchday experiences', are as out of touch as the rest.

A man in a dog suit never has, and never will have, increased the atmosphere.

Concerning to hear your views on the 'closed shop.' We cant even rely on our own fans to be anything but selfish.

[dinglebasher]

Just to put another slant on this - Kamy has a survey on his twitter feed where only 23% are against moving the family stand (547 votes).

I think it has been handled really poorly - but still think the idea has merit. As Ben mentioned - it looks like the price increase would have happened anyway - but for the sake of £20 it would have been good PR to not apply the price increase for anyone being forced to move.

For those moaning about moving the cameras - I have seen a few comments over the years where people have commented the camera position doesn't show the ground at it's best - again the whole thing has been poorly handled.

Yes but any poll is meaningless unless you only surveyed the people who currently have season tickets there - if you sit in the Riverside why would you care? For those of us who want to take young children to the game the upper tier is perfect - the view is superb and the atmosphere still decent.

Moving to the lower tier makes no sense - the view is much worse and so is the atmosphere. If it's so much better for families, why have they not already chosen to sit there? I cannot understand the logic of this when the club is in such dire straits - why would they want to alienate a significant chunk of the loyal (and future) support by imposing this on them?

Everyone knows the only way to improve attendances and the overall atmosphere is to have a successful team - so why the club aren't 100% focussed on achieving that, and are instead concentrating on this kind of Kean is beyond me.

[Hasta]

Is the letter unsigned at the bottom? It looks like it just says "Blackburn Rovers" at the bottom.

They know this is going to be very controversial and upset many people (and I'd they didn't then I'm sure the FF told them this) so obviously no 'official' has decided to stick their name under this.

[JHRover]

In case anyone wanted to see the exciting other side - premier league pledge is back....

Its almost a sick joke to include the Premier League pledge.

We've sold Gestede, Cairney, Rhodes and King, appointed a manager who wanted promotion before leaving him out on a limb and letting him walk away after 6 months, and we're now at the end of May with no manager, soon to be only 15 players on the books, no board, and are into week 7 of finding and appointing a new manager. Yet these people have the brass neck to try and sell season tickets with a Promotion Pledge. What a joke.

If they want to do a pledge it would make more sense to refund all season ticket holders if we drop down to League One next season.

[Mike Graham]

I know where you are coming from - but they do seem to be "damned if they do, damned if they don't". People rightly keep saying we should be doing more to attract fans - indeed it is one thing a few mentioned to do rather than closing the BBE Upper. The same really applies to moving the cameras to make the ground look better - poorly sold as initiative - but if the ground looks better etc surely it may tempt down the odd additional fan ?

Fair comment. My issue (or rather outrage) is that everything to do with my Club, that I have followed for 50 years) is a joke.

We are a laughing stock. 🐓🐓

[Mattyblue]

Ha. The 2nd and 3rd last home games, I estimated 700 and 500 in the whole JW Stand. Forcing the remaining families in there that renew wont make any difference after you take out JW supporters not renewing.

Indeed, peeing off 800 fans (potentially losing the majority) just to try and make the Jack Walker 20% full instead of 15% seems a rather bizarre approach.

But par for the course at Ewood,

[Mike Graham]

I hope Mike Chestefield reads this MB.

[perthblue02]

I think it has been handled really poorly - but still think the idea has merit. As Ben mentioned - it looks like the price increase would have happened anyway - but for the sake of £20 it would have been good PR to not apply the price increase for anyone being forced to move.

Had experience of moving from one area of a ground to another last season (unfortunately not at Ewood but at Perth Glory) as the section we were sat in was going to become an "äctive fans area". *

We were informed a good month or so before season end and given the option in the remaining home games to try out other areas of the ground.

If we wanted to move to another area of the ground for the new season they would upgrade our membership (season ticket) at no extra cost from silver to gold membership (a $200 difference) and freeze any price increase and we would be able to choose seating in any gold area and given a free programme each home game and free entry to cup games.

So you are right with a bit of thought and better PR it could have been done a lot differently.

Most of the regulars who we sat with moved to the same area of the ground and there was only one or two grumbles, so done right it can be achieved without annoying a fair few.

* Ironically the active fans area was boycotted for most of the season by those that wanted it because of a falling out and issues with the club.

[Speedie Dived]

To justify all this, they are reducing prices in the JW stand, but still making it more expensive for family stand members, and moving the cameras to the WS stand so that the 5,000 fans that are left will look impressive! Unbelievable after all we have had to endure over their fantastic tenure!

How are they going to move the camera? There are pillars in the way.

[gumboots]

They say move the gantry. and to whoever asked - the letter isn't signed. It just says Blackburn rovers.