[Archived] Away Sweet Away

[philipl]

Home record to date including league cup:

W1 D0 L3

Away record including beating two fellow promotion contenders:

W4 D0 L1

Many fans are saying the away game atmospheres are the best in years and they are really enjoying those trips. Yet there were several posts saying they didn't even particularly enjoy beating MK 4-1.

Seems like the players feel the same way about playing at Ewood as we feel about going there- alien territory. 

[Dreams of 1995]

10 minutes ago, philipl said:

 

Seems like the players feel the same way about playing at Ewood as we feel about going there- alien territory. 

Without a shadow of a doubt. I don't even recognise Ewood Park anymore. It's hollow and eerie. The Burnley game is a perfect example. Quite honestly the atmosphere wasn't even comparable to what it used to be like on a bang average category C game 10 years ago. It was an embarrassment. Subdued is an understatement.

Unfortunately the voices of the Darwen End don't travel very far and whilst they try to create an atmosphere it isn't reciprocated by the other stands. The JW has always been quiet but the Riverside and BBE has become frustratingly sheepish.

Any sort of fan led movement gets squashed by the club and the overzealous stewarding (just take a look at the police presence in the Darwen End whenever there's any sort of discontent) or by the dreary fans that sit in the JW upper with their flask of tea and blankets.

The atmosphere won't come back to this club unless success comes back or there's a change at board level. Until then, get used to your supporters enjoying a little natter with a coffee and the occasional "Barmy Army" chant fading to the sound of busy traffic or the McDonalds drive-thru speaker.

"Get behind the lads, ffs".

[Parsonblue]

3 hours ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Without a shadow of a doubt. I don't even recognise Ewood Park anymore. It's hollow and eerie. The Burnley game is a perfect example. Quite honestly the atmosphere wasn't even comparable to what it used to be like on a bang average category C game 10 years ago. It was an embarrassment. Subdued is an understatement.

Unfortunately the voices of the Darwen End don't travel very far and whilst they try to create an atmosphere it isn't reciprocated by the other stands. The JW has always been quiet but the Riverside and BBE has become frustratingly sheepish.

Any sort of fan led movement gets squashed by the club and the overzealous stewarding (just take a look at the police presence in the Darwen End whenever there's any sort of discontent) or by the dreary fans that sit in the JW upper with their flask of tea and blankets.

The atmosphere won't come back to this club unless success comes back or there's a change at board level. Until then, get used to your supporters enjoying a little natter with a coffee and the occasional "Barmy Army" chant fading to the sound of busy traffic or the McDonalds drive-thru speaker.

"Get behind the lads, ffs".

As one of the "dreary fans who sit in the JW upper" I would point out that not everyone goes to football matches to sing and leap about.  Some actually go to watch a game of football.  Surely there is room for everyone at Ewood Park without being met with derision by those who have a different view on things.  Ultimately, 10,000 or so in a modern 30,000 stadium is never going to create the same atmosphere because of the acoustics of modern stadia.  In the sixties, when you could move from end to end at half-time, the noise in the Darwen End always seemed louder because of the roof compared with the more open nature of the Blackburn End.  Football has evolved over the past twenty-five years or so to become a family entertainment which, I suspect, is another reason why the atmosphere in grounds in changing.

[OJRovers]

One of the players (can't remember who) said after the Rochdale game that the 3,000+ fans reminded the team that we are still a big club. I definitely think there is something in this.

[JBiz]

3 hours ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Without a shadow of a doubt. I don't even recognise Ewood Park anymore. It's hollow and eerie. The Burnley game is a perfect example. Quite honestly the atmosphere wasn't even comparable to what it used to be like on a bang average category C game 10 years ago. It was an embarrassment. Subdued is an understatement.

Unfortunately the voices of the Darwen End don't travel very far and whilst they try to create an atmosphere it isn't reciprocated by the other stands. The JW has always been quiet but the Riverside and BBE has become frustratingly sheepish.

Any sort of fan led movement gets squashed by the club and the overzealous stewarding (just take a look at the police presence in the Darwen End whenever there's any sort of discontent) or by the dreary fans that sit in the JW upper with their flask of tea and blankets.

The atmosphere won't come back to this club unless success comes back or there's a change at board level. Until then, get used to your supporters enjoying a little natter with a coffee and the occasional "Barmy Army" chant fading to the sound of busy traffic or the McDonalds drive-thru speaker.

"Get behind the lads, ffs".

Horrendous use of terminology to be quite honest.

How do you expect the atmosphere to be when the teams played consistently poor at home since Big Sam left? It's nearly a decade of defeats.

The question about atmosphere shouldn't be one that hinges on the fans choice of actions, it should be on the shoulders of the players to get a reaction. It's not rocket science. Play well, score goals, win games, feeling/noise improves.

Maybe the questions you ask of the fans, should be directed at those who ironically sang "rovers till I die" every time Burnley or a big city turn up? The ones that can't be bothered on a Saturday against the new Dons...

 

[Stuart]

5 hours ago, philipl said:

Home record to date including league cup:

W1 D0 L3

Away record including beating two fellow promotion contenders:

W4 D0 L1

Many fans are saying the away game atmospheres are the best in years and they are really enjoying those trips. Yet there were several posts saying they didn't even particularly enjoy beating MK 4-1.

Seems like the players feel the same way about playing at Ewood as we feel about going there- alien territory. 

Deja vu much?

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Stuart said:

Deja vu much?

When has it happened before?

[Stuart]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

When has it happened before?

It's being discussed in the other thread that you keep posting in?

[JHRover]

It doesn't help when the club seems to go to lengths to annoy virtually every single element of the support base.

For example, long standing season ticket holders in the BBE Upper told at short notice that their stand would be shut without any consultation and relocated to a completely different part of the stadium much lower down, exposed to the elements. Those existing long standing season ticket holders told at short notice to find somewhere else to sit unless they have kids. Madness. Unheard of.

The area of more vocal supporters in the Darwen End moved around and broken up for the bigger games into fragmented sections in the JW Lower, JW Upper and Riverside. No other club relocates their vocal element for the bigger games. 

Then because of this relocation those supporters who want to stand up, shout, confront the away fans are essentially dumped into areas where long standing season ticket holders are used to their own ways.

An example would be the Burnley game. Shut down the Darwen End, shut down the end blocks of the JW and Riverside, so the Darwen End fans buy tickets in the JW Lower. My season ticket is there. Usually I sit down for the whole game, but against Burnley the influx of supporters from other areas meant everyone was standing up. I didn't mind, I'm quite young, don't mind standing up and don't mind being in an area full of venom towards Burnley, but for older people and people with less hatred of that lot, I can imagine one or two weren't overly pleased that they either had to stand up for 90 minutes or couldn't watch the game. So in one swoop the club has managed to not only splinter the vocal supporters into different areas but then annoy/upset large chunks of their longer standing supporters who don't want their experience wrecked.

Of course all avoidable if the club looked after its own fans of all varieties. 

I actually don't accept the excuse that the home atmosphere could be hurting performances and results. These players should have enough quality to beat Wimbledon and Doncaster without resorting to blaming attendances/atmosphere. Notice how Wigan and Bolton had no such difficulties despite similar ratios of empty seats and away sides that come to raise their game.

 

[philipl]

Even in this division the margins between winning and losing are great. 

Are you telling me Wimbledon wouldn't have been put to the sword with a fired up crowd rather than a low level grumble interspersed with venom directed at the ref? 

[Garage Flower]

I go to the home games for the football, if I'm given something to cheer about I'll do my bit but I'm not that up for jumping about and singing on a Tuesday night after a 10 hour slog on site, mind you we haven't battered a team mid week for sometime have we? 

I go the away days for the day out and the football but usually the day out is coming first, I only go aways at the weekend for this reason. I doubt I'm alone in being like this.

The atmosphere could obviously be better at Ewood park for plenty of reasons detailed above but I think the players should be beating what's in front of them regardless of atmosphere at our last couple of league home games. 

 

 

[Boaty]

19 hours ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

Without a shadow of a doubt. I don't even recognise Ewood Park anymore. It's hollow and eerie. The Burnley game is a perfect example. Quite honestly the atmosphere wasn't even comparable to what it used to be like on a bang average category C game 10 years ago. It was an embarrassment. Subdued is an understatement.

Why does everyone say bang average these days? Where did you get in from? Its cringy.

And for your information the "singers" in the darwen end can hardly be heard elsewhere in the ground. Embarrassing.

They should be made to sit with the other fans in either the Blackburn end or riverside instead of thinking they are special. 

[Leonard Venkhater]

1 hour ago, Boaty said:

Why does everyone say bang average these days? Where did you get in from? Its cringy.

And for your information the "singers" in the darwen end can hardly be heard elsewhere in the ground. Embarrassing.

They should be made to sit with the other fans in either the Blackburn end or riverside instead of thinking they are special. 

I agree there is absolutely no point in having our own fans behind the Darwen End goal. In the current, soulless vacuum, they add nothing.

However, it would be most unwise for the club to force the issue and "make them sit with the other fans".This would just add more negativity....if that is possible!

Anyway, I am looking forward to Shrewsbury-how should it really be pronounced!- and a good sing...

We want Venky's out!!!

[lraC]

The post above by JH Rover suggesting that the club seems to go to annoy virtually every single element of the support base, is pretty accurate.

On Twitter a few days ago, Alan Myers praised the fact that the Shrewsbury allocation had sold out, stating that, after what the fans have had to go through over, the last few years, this is pretty amazing. He also posted that someone at the club once said to him, that this is our opportunity, not to speak to the fans. He didn't point out, who he was referring to exactly, or what particular incident, triggered it, but perhaps the stuffing has been knocked out of the fans who attend home games and given his comments, the fans who attend away games only, are fully justified. I have said this before and had sarcastic comments back, but this club will never succeed under Venkys.

[lraC]

Twitter.msgTwitter.msg

[tomphil]

46 minutes ago, lraC said:

The post above by JH Rover suggesting that the club seems to go to annoy virtually every single element of the support base, is pretty accurate.

On Twitter a few days ago, Alan Myers praised the fact that the Shrewsbury allocation had sold out, stating that, after what the fans have had to go through over, the last few years, this is pretty amazing. He also posted that someone at the club once said to him, that this is our opportunity, not to speak to the fans. He didn't point out, who he was referring to exactly, or what particular incident, triggered it, but perhaps the stuffing has been knocked out of the fans who attend home games and given his comments, the fans who attend away games only, are fully justified. I have said this before and had sarcastic comments back, but this club will never succeed under Venkys.

The attitude of whoever operates that twitter stinks at times i'm glad it's been mentioned. No doubt they are under orders from elsewhere about fan engagement but it highlights the us and them attitude at times compared with other clubs who always appear to reply in a courteous manner as if they are grateful for your interest even if they can't give you the answers you might want.

At Rovers it often comes across as 'why are you even asking' so curt are some replies to sometimes daft but non abusive genuine questions.

I don't think it's rocket science where the minions beneath us attitude real source is at Ewood.

[USABlue]

I think we will struggle here and for the forseeable future.  I am thinking several losses in a row starting here.  3-1 ti the bad guys.

 Only bright spot I'll be in Arkansas for the Bikes Bkues and BBQ rally so won't be able to watch.

[bazza]

Well. I never go to away games. Ewood only these days.

So a couple of hours ago I got a phone call from my brother-in-law asking are we coming down for the match. He lives in Shrewsbury.

So, here we come. No away tickets left so me and him, a PNE supporter, will have to go in with the home fans.

I'm quite looking forward to it but I'll have to have tremendous will power to keep my big fat gob shut. Should I use masking tape or parcel tape? Looking forward to seeing the away following and hearing their shouts and songs.

People throughout the wider country call it Shrowsbury but locals call it Shrewsbury and some even call it Shewsbury.

I think we'll win.  COYB 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

On 19 September 2017 at 23:11, JHRover said:

It doesn't help when the club seems to go to lengths to annoy virtually every single element of the support base.

For example, long standing season ticket holders in the BBE Upper told at short notice that their stand would be shut without any consultation and relocated to a completely different part of the stadium much lower down, exposed to the elements. Those existing long standing season ticket holders told at short notice to find somewhere else to sit unless they have kids. Madness. Unheard of.

The area of more vocal supporters in the Darwen End moved around and broken up for the bigger games into fragmented sections in the JW Lower, JW Upper and Riverside. No other club relocates their vocal element for the bigger games. 

Then because of this relocation those supporters who want to stand up, shout, confront the away fans are essentially dumped into areas where long standing season ticket holders are used to their own ways.

An example would be the Burnley game. Shut down the Darwen End, shut down the end blocks of the JW and Riverside, so the Darwen End fans buy tickets in the JW Lower. My season ticket is there. Usually I sit down for the whole game, but against Burnley the influx of supporters from other areas meant everyone was standing up. I didn't mind, I'm quite young, don't mind standing up and don't mind being in an area full of venom towards Burnley, but for older people and people with less hatred of that lot, I can imagine one or two weren't overly pleased that they either had to stand up for 90 minutes or couldn't watch the game. So in one swoop the club has managed to not only splinter the vocal supporters into different areas but then annoy/upset large chunks of their longer standing supporters who don't want their experience wrecked.

Of course all avoidable if the club looked after its own fans of all varieties. 

I actually don't accept the excuse that the home atmosphere could be hurting performances and results. These players should have enough quality to beat Wimbledon and Doncaster without resorting to blaming attendances/atmosphere. Notice how Wigan and Bolton had no such difficulties despite similar ratios of empty seats and away sides that come to raise their game.

 

I went to the Rochdale game with a bad back. Being forced to stand up to watch the game because of the selfish dickheads " sat " around me made the game hard work for me. That and the other dickheads who spent most of the game taunting the Rochdale fans.

 

[Hasta]

On 20/09/2017 at 07:24, philipl said:

Even in this division the margins between winning and losing are great. 

Are you telling me Wimbledon wouldn't have been put to the sword with a fired up crowd rather than a low level grumble interspersed with venom directed at the ref? 

If I could be bothered I would list several games we should have won but failed to at Ewood over the last 30 years even with a fired up crowd. Unfortunately it's not that simple.

[philipl]

After last night, I suspect we might need to win 15 away games or more to get automatic promotion....

[Athlete]

17 minutes ago, philipl said:

After last night, I suspect we might need to win 15 away games or more to get automatic promotion....

Last night wasn't a league game 

[Bigdoggsteel]

On 9/23/2017 at 13:42, Hasta said:

If I could be bothered I would list several games we should have won but failed to at Ewood over the last 30 years even with a fired up crowd. Unfortunately it's not that simple.

Everyone knows that a fired up crowd gives a team an extra few %. Doesn't always mean you win, but it definitely helps. 

[Hasta]

2 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Everyone knows that a fired up crowd gives a team an extra few %. Doesn't always mean you win, but it definitely helps. 

But PhillipL's point that a fired up crowd would definitely have "put Wimbledon to the sword" is @#/?. We were so poor we needed more than an extra few %.

 

 

[BenRTID]

Why is the Blackpool away game on sale so early, yet Wigan, Bury & Oxford are still not available?