[Archived] Rovers Vs The Pool Fa Cup

[Neal]

What do we do Stuart. I went to the last supporters meeting. There was 13 people their and we voted for an advert to be placed in India. That was it. 13 people. We donated to the mural months ago. Where is it. has the advert been placed ? Has anyone been to India. It was supposed to be after the ipswich game or the cricket. No one has been. I try to keep up to date but know nothing. Please don't take that to heart because the people at this end are doing way more than myself or anyone else. At the other end I got a train to Preston then to Blackburn to do the walk that never happened and had to get the train back. People won't boycott one FA cup game were all the money goes to venkys, oyston and the FA. If there is ever the perfect time to boycott and get a message across its now. Equally in front of the sky camera for the 1875 protest boycotters wouldn't come back for one game. If thousands more would of done the 1875 it would have had a larger impact and helped with media coverage. Coventry, Charlton even Leyton Orient have all been mentioned via the media this week alone. Rovers never get a look in. I suggested the u23 protest for the not a penny more brigade. I can't even remember what rubbish the reason that was a no go. People won't do a walk from the town centre and on top of that I sit in the away end of away games with the people behind me shouting venkys/coyle out and the people in front shouting sit down and shut up (obviously less politely than that). I have seen fans literally fighting each other. 6 years later the debt increases our league position spirals as does the quality of football. The further we fall the less the media care and still we are having the same pointless debates. So sorry stuart. I hope your lad gets to have some of the cherished moments we have had the pleasure of seeing but I can't do it anymore. It's making me hate the one thing I love more than anything.

Agreed mate. I did the pre season Blackpool protest and the lack of support and general treatment knocked the stuffing out of me. Since then the 'owners' have repeatedly said they're commited and that was all I needed to hear to make up my mind about it all. Its turned into resentment, with their refusal to leave my attitude is now I want to see them fail, I want to see them lose money, perhaps even relegation. There was a point where I didnt think this way for the sake of the fans that still chose to go (like my dad) but now I simply don't care because where were these people to back me upon the protests before?

For me supporting Rovers was feeling part of something and now there what's more depressing is that I'll feel more part of something with the Blackpool fans than I will with our own. I see people questioning people's attitude for boycotting, I see people with the 'what will it change?' Attitude, where are these peoples principles FFS? I also see people questioning wether fans will return... I good portion of my mates have stopped going, if you ask any of these why they would probably respond with 'what's the point?' Whilst that might seem a throw away answer its also pretty valid... What is the point in supporting a cheap imitation of Rovers, with a bunch of underperforming mercenary players, a dingle clown manager, scum like Cheston and yes men like Senior and the worst owners in sport? What is the point l? Where is the value? I know 100% that most of these lads would return if that mob left and we got ourselves sorted out, these are your a average rovers fans. Like the Pool fans have done with NAPM it's time Rovers fans pick a side, it's simple question of right and wrong, to be part of the problem or not.

I look forward to the Pool protest, hope to see you there.

[Neal]

You couldn't be further from the truth, low attendance has a huge impact, but not on our delightful owners.

The main impact I think boycotting has is further cuts in spending. Search "Cov chairman cuts" into google. This is not to excuse the bad decisions made by the owners or managers, this isn't to put the responsibility on the fans - this is about being a "custodian" of the club.

If everyone walks away, what reason do they have to keep it open?

Shut it down then, we'll restart it, support it and at least it will be ours, in my view we'll have won.

[JBiz]

How does low attendance have a huge impact?

Watch the Cov chairmans quotes and get back to me

[den]

Eh? A caveat? I'm asking for clarification on what boycotting and low attendances will bring. Of course, I have my own answer but it's important to try to understand why people think it is a positive action.

Heck, I can understand why people don't want to go, as rigger said the product is at an all time low. I just don't understand why boycotting is seen as the "positive" method of protesting.

Again.......

What have you done that makes a statement to the owners?

[onlyonejackwalker]

It's loose change jbizzle taken in the wider context. We have accrued over 100 million debt under these clowns.

If all our fans had continued attending over the last six years we might now only be 90+ million in debt...ie up the swanny / no change at all.

When we had 25,000 plus in the PL with 50 million turnover and 20+ million debt, losing 3 million a year, few were interested in buying us. Yet we must have had 50 million worth of players then as well and the new tv deal pending.

The argument that 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8000 more fans currently attending will help immediately attract a new buyer doesn't really stack up for me when you consider the above. Although I get the general point of course that the business is healthier and a tad more attractive in that instance.

This game represents the perfect opportunity for everyone to not go. It won't change anything, but would be newsworthy and keeping our plight current is the best we can do for now with hugely divided fans.

As someone who protested in marches and also at matches I was told that I was damaging the team and on-field results making feelings known at the games. But now you are suggesting a full house of angry fans on all sides berating their owners?

What a shame a good cup draw like this is now totally irrelevant.

[OJRovers]

Watch the Cov chairmans quotes and get back to me

JB you can't have it both ways, on one hand you say that boycotting has no impact, then on the other you say it has a big financial impact.

If it hurts them financially that's ok with me. Otherwise you're just prelonging the regime. The sooner the money runs out the sooner they will go.

[JBiz]

JB you can't have it both ways, on one hand you say that boycotting has no impact, then on the other you say it has a big financial impact.

If it hurts them financially that's ok with me. Otherwise you're just prelonging the regime. The sooner the money runs out the sooner they will go.

The impact on the club, and an impact on the owners decision to stay are two seperate things. The money ran out in 2012 - that didn't see their resolve change. The dwindling revenues are now the perfect excuse to cut the playing staff cost and replace the cheap replacements, with even cheaper.

[Rover_Shaun]

There is no good outcome imo. Both timelines result in virtual destruction.

The quicker we forcd them out the quicker the journey back to respectablity can start. Waving pom poms at Ewood will slow down the process and see this club stricken for a lot longer.

Club death is inevitable . Its what happens after that matters

[OJRovers]

The money ran out in 2012 - that didn't see their resolve change. .

Since 2012 we've sold over £40 million of players.

That's a clue as to why they have stuck around. It can't last forever, its administration or sell the club in the near future.

[donnermeat]

The impact on the club, and an impact on the owners decision to stay are two seperate things. The money ran out in 2012 - that didn't see their resolve change. The dwindling revenues are now the perfect excuse to cut the playing staff cost and replace the cheap replacements, with even cheaper.

It's not like that won't happen anyway, with the inevitable relegation. An extra 8k fans isn't going to have them get the chequebook out.

[arbitro]

The impact on the club, and an impact on the owners decision to stay are two seperate things. The money ran out in 2012 - that didn't see their resolve change. The dwindling revenues are now the perfect excuse to cut the playing staff cost and replace the cheap replacements, with even cheaper.

Didn't Cheston in his PowerPoint presentation say they had invested £11.6m this season? I took this 'investment' to be wages committed to contracts for players like Graham, Stokes, Williams, Mulgrew, Greer, Brown and the loanees. I would have thought that the outgoing players like Hanley's and Duffy's wages would have been less than this. Of course they pocketed the fees which are no doubt subsidising the new players wages but in terms of the wage bill I haven't seen too much difference.

[JBiz]

Since 2012 we've sold over £40 million of players.

That's a clue as to why they have stuck around. It can't last forever, its administration or sell the club in the near future.

Probably not quite the same but I'd hazard a guess that they've spent nearly that amount on pay offs for players and managers alike.

[Exiled in Toronto]

That is a question neither you or I can answer with absolute certainty so it boils down to opinions. Clearly there is little financial impact but the embarrassment a virtually empty stadium would cause them would, I believe cause them to think about selling up. As I said it's down to the individual whether or not they go and spend their hard earned money. From your post it seems you believe there will be no impact, I think there would.

I'm not sure people that wealthy can feel embarrassment about anything in life, Tony. They live in a completely different world and are surrounded 24/7 by an army of sycophants reassuring them of their infallibility and exaulted status. Anything that goes wrong is someone else's fault and/or being exaggerated by their enemies. Look at Trump's bankruptcies - nothing to do with him and he wears them as a badge of honour as him gaming the system. If the Rao's have an ounce of humility between them, they have kept it very well hidden for six long years.

Staying away out of protest is a perfectly reasonable course of action, I am doing the same with McDonalds Canada due to their recent decision here to sell nut products (my daughter has severe nut allergies), and, if enough of us do it, they will change course because their top and bottom lines come under scrutiny and they have to answer to their shareholders. But enough with McDonalds will probably be 4-5% of top line sales, which is a disaster in their world and conceivably achievable.

However, we have none of those levers with the Raos, the losses at BRFC are not part of Venky's quoted Indian business. Mercerman was predicting they would imminently run out of money four years ago and here they still are: stubborn, pig-headed, completely impervious to the harm they do - typical 1%-ers in other words.

Unfortunately my view is that the act of selling up would cause them more embarrassment than anything that might happen to the club in the meantime as that would be an unequivocal admission of failure. It's interesting that the so-called leading businessmen such as Wild and the Two Ians aren't leading from the front on protests and whatnot, I think they see it's a long waiting game and are keeping out of the limelight now to be in a better position to pick up the pieces when the inevitable happens.

[arbitro]

I'm not sure people that wealthy can feel embarrassment about anything in life, Tony. They live in a completely different world and are surrounded 24/7 by an army of sycophants reassuring them of their infallibility and exaulted status. Anything that goes wrong is someone else's fault and/or being exaggerated by their enemies. Look at Trump's bankruptcies - nothing to do with him and he wears them as a badge of honour as him gaming the system. If the Rao's have an ounce of humility between them, they have kept it very well hidden for six long years.

Staying away out of protest is a perfectly reasonable course of action, I am doing the same with McDonalds Canada due to their recent decision here to sell nut products (my daughter has severe nut allergies), and, if enough of us do it, they will change course because their top and bottom lines come under scrutiny and they have to answer to their shareholders. But enough with McDonalds will probably be 4-5% of top line sales, which is a disaster in their world and conceivably achievable.

However, we have none of those levers with the Raos, the losses at BRFC are not part of Venky's quoted Indian business. Mercerman was predicting they would imminently run out of money four years ago and here they still are: stubborn, pig-headed, completely impervious to the harm they do - typical 1%-ers in other words.

Unfortunately my view is that the act of selling up would cause them more embarrassment than anything that might happen to the club in the meantime as that would be an unequivocal admission of failure. It's interesting that the so-called leading businessmen such as Wild and the Two Ians aren't leading from the front on protests and whatnot, I think they see it's a long waiting game and are keeping out of the limelight now to be in a better position to pick up the pieces when the inevitable happens.

Which begs the question John why they even denied receiving a bid from Seneca which could have been a salvation for them and saved them from being total failures in the eyes of their peers. I had very few dealings with Indian businesses but I recall several people on here who have saying admitting failure is not really acceptable in their business culture. But if that is the case then we could be lumbered with them for the foreseeable future by which time we could well be playing in League Two or National Conference.

[blue kiwi]

And if boycotters got banned, they wouldn't be able to support their club when Venkys left would they?

Own goal?

you will not get a life ban

[blue kiwi]

It's loose change jbizzle taken in the wider context. We have accrued over 100 million debt under these clowns.

If all our fans had continued attending over the last six years we might now only be 90+ million in debt...ie up the swanny / no change at all.

When we had 25,000 plus in the PL with 50 million turnover and 20+ million debt, losing 3 million a year, few were interested in buying us. Yet we must have had 50 million worth of players then as well and the new tv deal pending.

The argument that 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8000 more fans currently attending will help immediately attract a new buyer doesn't really stack up for me when you consider the above. Although I get the general point of course that the business is healthier and a tad more attractive in that instance.

This game represents the perfect opportunity for everyone to not go. It won't change anything, but would be newsworthy and keeping our plight current is the best we can do for now with hugely divided fans.

As someone who protested in marches and also at matches I was told that I was damaging the team and on-field results making feelings known at the games. But now you are suggesting a full house of angry fans on all sides berating their owners?

What a shame a good cup draw like this is now totally irrelevant.

in my eyes venkys bought rovers for 23 million sold jones for 21 million ,money virtually back in one transfer.the debt we have occured in there tenure is there debt not the clubs debt they appointed the charlatens who have raped the club not the fans.

[JBiz]

Shut it down then, we'll restart it, support it and at least it will be ours, in my view we'll have won.

You can't take memories away, but you can lose heritage. If BRFC folds, the stadium is knocked down to be sold, Burnley buy Brochall... I won't be starting again, that will be it for football.

It's not like that won't happen anyway, with the inevitable relegation. An extra 8k fans isn't going to have them get the chequebook out.

8k season tickets is approx £2.5m. Look at the club revenues in the recent accounts, would I be correct in saying that is nearly half? Total club revenue of 5.5m? Apologies if I'm wrong.

In the prem, this was negligible but the sponsorship money for being out of the league is about 1/100th. It makes a big difference to the near future, not to mention what it says to potential new owners.

[RevidgeBlue]

Shut it down then, we'll restart it, support it and at least it will be ours, in my view we'll have won.

But it won't be the same Club, it will be a totally different entity.

In those circumstances they would have won.

The only way the fans will win is if Blackburn Rovers Football Club formed in 1875 playing at Ewood Park and operating from Brockhall in honour of Jack is still here when Venky's have gone.

[JAL]

#OperationEmptyEwood

If you have bought a ticket already then please return it for a refund.

https://mobile.twitter.com/KnightTangerine/status/822830420161155072

Weel done AndyW !

The FA knew ...but did nothing !

Heard theres something like 800 referees going on strike something is definitely not right with our English game.

[Amo]

I won't be starting again, that will be it for football.

As if people needed anymore motivation to boycott.

[donnermeat]

You can't take memories away, but you can lose heritage. If BRFC folds, the stadium is knocked down to be sold, Burnley buy Brochall... I won't be starting again, that will be it for football.

8k season tickets is approx £2.5m. Look at the club revenues in the recent accounts, would I be correct in saying that is nearly half? Total club revenue of 5.5m? Apologies if I'm wrong.

In the prem, this was negligible but the sponsorship money for being out of the league is about 1/100th. It makes a big difference to the near future, not to mention what it says to potential new owners.

Yes but what you seen from Venky's to suggest that money would be invested wisely? They clearly want to cut costs and wind things down, a few extra thousand tickets won't change that.

If that gives them an 'excuse', so what? It's going to happen anyway. It will be comforting in a way, put us all out of our misery.

[JBiz]

Yes but what you seen from Venky's to suggest that money would be invested wisely? They clearly want to cut costs and wind things down, a few extra thousand tickets won't change that.

If that gives them an 'excuse', so what? It's going to happen anyway. It will be comforting in a way, put us all out of our misery.

The "wisely" part is another question entirely, but as many point out - we are now run by an accountant (Mike Cheston)

X comes in the coffers, so Y is the budget. The more x, the less to cut from Y. I know there are other elements to take into account BUT this is the obvious one.

Do I think they would've hired Warnock if we'd sold more tickets? No, I'm not that stupid, but It's easier for MC to justify cheap managers and players when the revenue is dropping.

[donnermeat]

The "wisely" part is another question entirely, but as many point out - we are now run by an accountant (Mike Cheston)

X comes in the coffers, so Y is the budget. The more x, the less to cut from Y. I know there are other elements to take into account BUT this is the obvious one.

Do I think they would've hired Warnock if we'd sold more tickets? No, I'm not that stupid, but It's easier for MC to justify cheap managers and players when the revenue is dropping.

Whether or not it makes it easier to justify, that's semantics at this stage as it's inevitable that's what they want to do. At least with less revenue coming in it gives him a harder job to do.

Sounds petty and I don't like being that way, especially about a club I love so much.

[JBiz]

Whether or not it makes it easier to justify, that's semantics at this stage as it's inevitable that's what they want to do. At least with less revenue coming in it gives him a harder job to do.

Sounds petty and I don't like being that way, especially about a club I love so much.

That's the real issue for fans, it's like losing a relative.

I always thought the scenario would change if we didn't return to the profits and good PR of the prem quickly, I thought they would've sold by now.

The Cov chairmans comments just hammered home that this could be exactly what is happening to us.

As if people needed anymore motivation to boycott.

[blue kiwi]

what have coventry got to do with it?