[Archived] Boycott

[Exiled in Toronto]

To my mind, staying away or not is a purely personal decision: you either cannot stomach watching the club while the owners are here or you are able to put your love of the club ahead of disgust at the owners.

I see no evidence or logic that a couple of thousand either way on the gate will have any bearing on what the owners decide to do. In fact, I couldn't imagine a set of owners more immune to how full Ewood is, and there is an argument that a Rovers unattractive to own would be equally unattractive to prospective buyers. Of course the riposte to that is that the missing thousands would come back, but history suggests otherwise: the post 1960 stayaways never came back nor did the thousands who were supposed to flood back when Kean left.

It's a matter of principle, and everyone will decide what works best for them. While staying away may well seem the best action one can take, I can't think of too many unpopular regimes that have been overthrown by shopping in Aldi once a fortnight.

[Stuart]

It's got to be all or nothing in my view. Only a 100% boycott (or close to zero attendance) would make any waves.

Yes, they may still not do anything but it's the only thing we haven't tried. It didn't make any difference to Venkys when we DID have 20,000 Rovers fans in the ground. They carried on destroying the club.

A 100% boycott will never ever happen though - certainly not without the hardcore on board. So we will just continue to leak a couple of thousand fans each season, making it look like a natural evolution back to the 80s, and the split fans will continue to blame each other for not doing one thing or the other - collectively.

There is currently no reason for fans who have left to rally behind the club. The source of the problem remains and the football is fire and worsening. There is a compelling case to attempt a full boycott or a staged walkout.

But it will never happen. We have to accept that we are a divided fanbase for as long as Venkys remain. Funny thing is the boycotters blame Venkys and have taken action. The attenders (and I include myself) blame Venkys and have not - aside from a small number who DID do something and were shouted down.

I now attend only for family reasons, inspire of Venkys, Coyle, the crap team and fellow fans. We are just being made mugs of so I'll go because my lads want to go and that's it. But we'll all join in the next organised protest - including a match boycott if that's what it takes.

[booth]

To play the devil's advocate, I think the boycotters are trying to force the non boycotters to boycott hoping that the boycott will somehow magically make the Venky's boycott the club.

If the boycotters went to a match, just one, to see what they were up against and have a look around at who they are trying to convince to vacate Ewood, they'd see how futile it is.

[den]

If we dropped the word "boycott" - because the majority of the 10000 lapsed fans wouldn't describe themselves as boycotters, we would have a far easier discussion.

I haven't renewed this season, but would never consider myself to be boycotting anything. For me I simply can't understand how people can sit there and watch what's happening on and off the park. I hate what's happening and get no enjoyment out of any of it. For me, at the moment I'm better off without "it". "It" being the farce that's currently BRFC.

Will I come back? Who knows?

[Neal]

If we dropped the word "boycott" - because the majority of the 10000 lapsed fans wouldn't describe themselves as boycotters, we would have a far easier discussion.

I haven't renewed this season, but would never consider myself to be boycotting anything. For me I simply can't understand how people can sit there and watch what's happening on and off the park. I hate what's happening and get no enjoyment out of any of it. For me, at the moment I'm better off without "it". "It" being the farce that's currently BRFC.

Will I come back? Who knows?

Funny you mention that Den. Going to start a new thread and a new angle.

[den]

Funny you mention that Den. Going to start a new thread and a new angle.

We'd finish up in the same place

[JBiz]

Neal, if it's worth anything I think the idea about having a national or global movement is a better idea and I agree with you.

For instance, I suggested (a while back) a go fund me or similar to get money in case of football clubs going into admin. So people would get to give a bit to stop this happening, buy the club and then give it to the fans.

Would take a lot of money and a lot of people world wide, but excluding the English examples (us, leeds, forest, pool, etc etc) we also have clubs like Rangers, Santander - I'm sure there are loads more!

[Neal]

Neal, if it's worth anything I think the idea about having a national or global movement is a better idea and I agree with you.

For instance, I suggested (a while back) a go fund me or similar to get money in case of football clubs going into admin. So people would get to give a bit to stop this happening, buy the club and then give it to the fans.

Would take a lot of money and a lot of people world wide, but excluding the English examples (us, leeds, forest, pool, etc etc) we also have clubs like Rangers, Santander - I'm sure there are loads more!

Good idea!

[arbitro]

I have been thinking about the whole situation with many who have opted not to renew and I know it is a really difficult thing for many to do. My personal pledge is that whenever I go back, however long it is I will pay the cost of what I haven't spent on season tickets to Blackburn Rovers. That is conditional on the Indians going and never coming back. I then will have a clear conscience that my money will not go to them and in a small way help new owners.

Is there anybody else willing to do this?

[Neal]

Now this is how to Boycott...

https://twitter.com/KnightTangerine/status/763096949604114437

[Dunnfc]

Now this is how to Boycott...

https://twitter.com/KnightTangerine/status/763096949604114437

Do we even have a similar twitter page?

[Stuart]

Now this is how to Boycott...

https://twitter.com/KnightTangerine/status/763096949604114437

Yet because they are in League Two it has had no national media coverage.

One thing I would say though, I've not heard a single person blame the Blackpool fans for their demise. So at least their protests have shone the spotlight on the owners. In our case there are still plenty of Rovers fans who don't know what has gone on.

Even though it seems futile, it's funny though if you think about the reverse scenario. Imagine crowds of 20,000-plus at Bloomfield Road every other week. Then try to explain how their owners are ruining the club. "But you all still go, so it can't be that bad". It's an interesting staring contest. What will last longer the owners money and belligerence or the club's league status and the fans' resolve...?

[Mike Graham]

I have been thinking about the whole situation with many who have opted not to renew and I know it is a really difficult thing for many to do. My personal pledge is that whenever I go back, however long it is I will pay the cost of what I haven't spent on season tickets to Blackburn Rovers. That is conditional on the Indians going and never coming back. I then will have a clear conscience that my money will not go to them and in a small way help new owners.

Is there anybody else willing to do this?

Yes Tony. Count me in.

Mike

[chor808]

Do we even have a similar twitter page?

Seems like we have BRFCKnights now. Is that someone from here?

[Neal]

Seems like we have BRFCKnights now. Is that someone from here?

Was going to start something myself, simply called 'Rovers against Venkys'but happy for someone else to lead.

Yet because they are in League Two it has had no national media coverage.

One thing I would say though, I've not heard a single person blame the Blackpool fans for their demise. So at least their protests have shone the spotlight on the owners. In our case there are still plenty of Rovers fans who don't know what has gone on.

Even though it seems futile, it's funny though if you think about the reverse scenario. Imagine crowds of 20,000-plus at Bloomfield Road every other week. Then try to explain how their owners are ruining the club. "But you all still go, so it can't be that bad". It's an interesting staring contest. What will last longer the owners money and belligerence or the club's league status and the fans' resolve...?

No they seem to get good backing from other fans but I think it could be down to having more people committed to the cause and having well formed organisations as a reference point for other fans to see how they're united against their owners. We have none of these things.

[Mike Graham]

The "Blue n White Saviours" or

The "Blue n White Football Recue Service"?

[tomphil]

The goings on at Bolton were well documented ages before it really hit the fan and the same with Blackpool. I seem to remember the tough times at Barnsley being highlighted right from the off the season they slipped out of the Championship.

No mention of the goings on here and quite the opposite in some quarters, I wonder why ? This is being kept out of the media on the quiet.

[Stuart]

Was going to start something myself, simply called 'Rovers against Venkys'but happy for someone else to lead.

No they seem to get good backing from other fans but I think it could be down to having more people committed to the cause and having well formed organisations as a reference point for other fans to see how they're united against their owners. We have none of these things.

Probably down to having owners who are more visible and with a local postcode.

Venkys don't even turn up and so they can just watch the football on Arab and ignore everything else. I guess the RoversTV commentary doesn't have much crowd noise.

[Mike Graham]

Probably down to having owners who are more visible and with a local postcode.

Venkys don't even turn up and so they can just watch the football on Arab and ignore everything else. I guess the RoversTV commentary doesn't have much crowd noise.

Lots of pre recorded laughter (happy) and applause (clappers).

It was probably taken from Dads Army or an Alf Garnett comedy show.

[tomphil]

Lots of pre recorded laughter (happy) and applause (clappers).

It was probably taken from Dads Army or an Alf Garnett comedy show.

Just like Kean out became KeanO on the beam backs to India, allegedly

[1arC]

Do we even have a similar twitter page?

Sky had a reporter there last Saturday, who commented on the crowd being low. He didn't bother expanding on that and saying why, which I thought was poor. Fair play to the Blackpool fans, as they have certainly stuck together, for what is hopefully a longer term gain for them.

[alexanders]

Just a quick question. Do we think that this boycott and fans staying away makes us an attractive Club to buy? Its like a girl wearing ed hardy cap and a thumbring on date.

[tomphil]

Just a quick question. Do we think that this boycott and fans staying away makes us an attractive Club to buy? Its like a girl wearing ed hardy cap and a thumbring on date.

I think it's irrelevant because anyone looking at the stats will see the crowds have been there up to now and no doubt a lot would return should a new owner come in and start moving us in the right direction. It's not like buying a club who's been averaging 10k for the past ten years and gambling that you can pull more in. It's guaranteed here if the belief is there.

[JHRover]

Any potential buyer/investor would, in theory, do a lot of homework prior to putting their money in. They would look at where this club has been, where it was performing successfully on no investment with good management, and investigate the reasons as to how and why it has ended up in this state. They would quickly realise the only reason this club is in this situation - financially, fanbase, on the pitch - all stem from the owners.

A potential investor into Rovers as a Championship club would have all the foundations in place - no money need for Ewood or Brockhall, no real publicising of the club needs to be done because most have already heard of the club after our success and prolonged spell at the top table.

Drop down to League One and the chances of attracting someone with the finance to rebuild the club becomes less. As Sheffield Wednesday nearly did last year - promotion can be achieved with sensible managed investment very quickly. They jumped from a dull bottom half team going nowhere to a play off final team in one summer just by changing manager and making 6-7 astute signings. Rovers could have done the same, and could do again, provided we are in the Championship.

That's why I don't believe they are looking to sell the club, because if they were it would be in their interests just as much as ours to try and offload the club now, in the Championship with a few decent players left, before it drops to League One and the task becomes infinitely more difficult and the price drops massively.

[BlooBoy]

Any potential buyer/investor would, in theory, do a lot of homework prior to putting their money in. They would look at where this club has been, where it was performing successfully on no investment with good management, and investigate the reasons as to how and why it has ended up in this state. They would quickly realise the only reason this club is in this situation - financially, fanbase, on the pitch - all stem from the owners.

A potential investor into Rovers as a Championship club would have all the foundations in place - no money need for Ewood or Brockhall, no real publicising of the club needs to be done because most have already heard of the club after our success and prolonged spell at the top table.

Drop down to League One and the chances of attracting someone with the finance to rebuild the club becomes less. As Sheffield Wednesday nearly did last year - promotion can be achieved with sensible managed investment very quickly. They jumped from a dull bottom half team going nowhere to a play off final team in one summer just by changing manager and making 6-7 astute signings. Rovers could have done the same, and could do again, provided we are in the Championship.

That's why I don't believe they are looking to sell the club, because if they were it would be in their interests just as much as ours to try and offload the club now, in the Championship with a few decent players left, before it drops to League One and the task becomes infinitely more difficult and the price drops massively.

Football has changed dramatically in the last five years or so. There are lots of emerging clubs that have greater potential than what we have.Where once only a handful of clubs would be considered for a takeover now the list is endless. Sadly i think we re well down that list.

Every season that goes by we re getting left further and further behind. I dont think where our club has been in the past will have much bearing on someone buying us out. Football has changed again ..just look at the new Sky deal..