[Archived] Bring the magic back

[Bluerover78]

I remember going to Ewood for the first time almost 30 years ago, and was instantly hooked. The sounds of the turnstiles clicking, walking past the floodlight pilons upto the old blackburn end terracing, the smells in the air and the songs that were sung will live in my memory for ever.  It was magical then as a 9 year old but my fear is today’s youngsters don’t get the same match day experience.

Dont get me wrong some things have changed for the better, although I and many others miss the old terracing, the facilities Uncle Jack gave to us are much improved and are a credit to the town. I am sure the attendances now we are in league 1 are still higher than when I first started watching in the old division 2 but the noise levels are now far worse. We all know the story of the last few years and the divide it has caused between supporters, with boycotts and demonstrations not helping the atmosphere inside Ewood.

My question is Can it be fixed? Will Ewood ever be a fortress again? The biggest teams in the land dreaded coming to Ewood. Granted we had some cracking sides over the last few decades but us fans played our part too. Personally I’d love to see the Darwen Enders relocate to the Blackburn end to re create the old buzz and give the players that extra 5% needed to break a team down. I’d love to see safe standing areas brought back but it’s not going to happen any time soon.  The kids for a quid offer used to attract decent numbers, even giving free tickets to schools as bums on seats looks so much better.  Obviously the club would have to offer them sorts of deals but are there any initiatives us as supporters could come up with to bring the magic back? 

I certainly hope so, I’d love the supporters to unite and become 1 voice again, I know that’s what Uncle Jack would want.

[Dreams of 1995]

The atmosphere in English football grounds has been on the decline for years. There are a number of reasons to this from the ethos of the modern football fan, the introduction of SKY, the disassociation with players and the over zealous policing that more or less treats fans as criminals before they even arrive.

The buzz of football in England is dying. It's commercial now. Clubs would much rather have you sat with a coffee, pie or popcorn than have the ground shake with noise. They give you plastic flags, occasionally allow a 'show' where you hold up a card and slap down life time stadium bans for a mistake you may have made, ie: entering the pitch in a state of sheer joy when a player approaches the fans.

"The English Disease", perhaps the reason for such a concerted effort to abolish rowdy terrace atmospheres, has transformed. It's symptoms are no longer mindless violence but mind numbing monotony; plastic, packaged half and half scarf type nonsense where the fan either pays through the nose for a "VIP experience" or is treat like criminal scum and shaken like a piggybank at every opportunity.

Want a pint? 5 quid. You can have it flat and you're not allowed to watch the game whilst you drink it either. Unbelievable.

 

[JHRover]

Atmospheres around the country have been on the decline for years - a product of modern day football unfortunately.

Having said that many clubs have taken serious steps in recent years to try and halt/reverse this decline and by trying to make home grounds intimidating places to be.

Unfortunately no such efforts at Ewood Park, where misery on and off the pitch over 7 years coupled with a complete and utter indifference to the issue from the owners right down through the club means no efforts are made to rectify it.

Rovers seem quite happy to fragment their most vocal supporters, mess around existing season ticket holders, shut sections of the ground for no reason, roll out the red carpet for the opposition and lets be honest, the matchday 'entertainment' is abysmal.

About time we stopped with the France 98 anthem at half time, stopped with the Final Countdown, tried some new songs, turn the volume up to actually generate an atmosphere as the players come out of the tunnel, employ a proper MC to lead the pre match, half time and post match announcements and try to stir fans up a bit rather than the same old boring rubbish we've had now for 20 years with no change. Other clubs employ people to arrange this sort of thing, not Rovers though!

[Dreams of 1995]

6 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Atmospheres around the country have been on the decline for years - a product of modern day football unfortunately.

Having said that many clubs have taken serious steps in recent years to try and halt/reverse this decline and by trying to make home grounds intimidating places to be.

Unfortunately no such efforts at Ewood Park, where misery on and off the pitch over 7 years coupled with a complete and utter indifference to the issue from the owners right down through the club means no efforts are made to rectify it.

Rovers seem quite happy to fragment their most vocal supporters, mess around existing season ticket holders, shut sections of the ground for no reason, roll out the red carpet for the opposition and lets be honest, the matchday 'entertainment' is abysmal.

About time we stopped with the France 98 anthem at half time, stopped with the Final Countdown, tried some new songs, turn the volume up to actually generate an atmosphere as the players come out of the tunnel, employ a proper MC to lead the pre match, half time and post match announcements and try to stir fans up a bit rather than the same old boring rubbish we've had now for 20 years with no change. Other clubs employ people to arrange this sort of thing, not Rovers though!

The truth about it JH is that the atmosphere won't return to Ewood whilst we are owned by who we are as, ultimately, success won't happen under them. It will take a barnstorming year next year in the championship to even restore crowds to 2013-2014 numbers, let alone restore the crowds and atmosphere we saw in the 'noughties'.

At no other ground is the vocal support so far apart. The BBE is quiet these days and the numbers in the Darwen End are dwindling game by game. The complete apathy of the match day crowd has come about through almost a decade of defeats, coupled with the fact that our 'hardcore' has for a lot of years consisted of blanket over the knee type supporters. They have and will keep the match day attendance ticking over and will support the club through thick and thin but aren't vocal whatsoever.

It is plain for see that there is potential for an atmosphere with Rovers when you go away but, even then, it's met with distasteful looks by a few that would rather sit in quiet. What they consider 'respectful' behaviour unfortunately equates to a tense atmosphere in an empty ground.

I'm by no means asking for the return of hooliganism but quite frankly sitting and the odd bit of clapping does more to create a bad atmosphere than it does a good one. You can feel the tension in the air - the players must feel that too. At Ewood Park for Gillingham the only thing that was "loud" was the slaps on the knee and the sighs when a pass went backwards.

The disassociation with the club has driven the more vociferous fans away and the few that remain are outnumbered by the more conservative. It's a sad reality but the atmosphere you experience at Ewood will remain that way until the club is back in the hands of a person who cares or the blanket over the knee, matchday coffee and chat fan is replaced by a new generation of fan that sings and values the importance of vocal support.

Sadly, the teenage generation nowadays are phone-a-holics, much more concerned with snapchatting the experience than they are belting out a terrace hymn. They love the corporate feel. The terraces are dead.

[AggyBlue]

Aye, it's all the older fans fault that there's no atmosphere at games.

[HowieFive0]

3 hours ago, AggyBlue said:

Aye, it's all the older fans fault that there's no atmosphere at games.

And its the older fans (amongst others) creating no atmosphere at games thats costing us points at home ..sigh  ..some peoples ideas on here are astounding.

 

 

[Skiptonrover]

4 hours ago, AggyBlue said:

Aye, it's all the older fans fault that there's no atmosphere at games.

Don't think well it shouldn't be related to any age thing most older fans I think can't be a**ed with the singing & dancing malarkey & I don't blame them, for me it's a case of turning up if I do & silently watching a game of football & go home nothing more nothing less anything not to attract attention. Of course people are different in the way they like to express themselves.

[Norbert Rassragr]

Football used to be a raucous event, now it's either a depressing fight for survival of a real life X box game. Football is dead in this country, it just doesn't realise it yet.

[jw_]

1 hour ago, Bluebarley said:

Don't think well it shouldn't be related to any age thing most older fans I think can't be a**ed with the singing & dancing malarkey & I don't blame them, for me it's a case of turning up if I do & silently watching a game of football & go home nothing more nothing less anything not to attract attention. Of course people are different in the way they like to express themselves.

I suspect (at least I hope) that Aggyblue was being sarcastic, but either way I am definitely a much older fan and will sing and dance with the best of them. Unfortunately because of my location I now have to do it in the lounge at home where I create my own atmosphere swearing and shouting a at the TV, the missus goes to another room but our cat keeps me company 'cause she's 18 years old and deaf as a post, it's just as well I live out in the bush.

I'd do the same at Ewood, but without the cat.

[Skiptonrover]

3 hours ago, jw_ said:

I suspect (at least I hope) that Aggyblue was being sarcastic, but either way I am definitely a much older fan and will sing and dance with the best of them. Unfortunately because of my location I now have to do it in the lounge at home where I create my own atmosphere swearing and shouting a at the TV, the missus goes to another room but our cat keeps me company 'cause she's 18 years old and deaf as a post, it's just as well I live out in the bush.

I'd do the same at Ewood, but without the cat.

If that floats yr boat crack on.

[Stuart]

8 hours ago, HowieFive0 said:

And its the older fans (amongst others) creating no atmosphere at games thats costing us points at home ..sigh  ..some peoples ideas on here are astounding.

Surely that’s always been the case.

Its always the “youth” (teens, 20s and 30s) that generate the noise. The trouble is the 7 years of Venkys now see the real youngsters, that should keep the cycle going, wearing City tops. Oh, and about 10,000 other things.

[blueboy3333]

8 hours ago, Bluebarley said:

Don't think well it shouldn't be related to any age thing most older fans I think can't be a**ed with the singing & dancing malarkey & I don't blame them, for me it's a case of turning up if I do & silently watching a game of football & go home nothing more nothing less anything not to attract attention. Of course people are different in the way they like to express themselves.

Are you wanted by the police'?

Anyway, how old is too old to sing?

[Paul]

Yep I blame the fans, especially the old gits over 60 - oh, hang on a minute Paul when were you born? Of course, you know those old gits with their blankets. The ones who spent 25 years taking four kids to Ewood, who funded season tickets for 25 years, paid for the replica kit, the away days, the programmes, the sweets, the crisps, fizzy drinks, the petrol, the parking and goodness knows what else. Yep the fans, and of course the parents, are to blame for not putting in the effort. I mean WTF do people think they are doing by turning up to watch a game of football.

There are many reasons why atmosphere and attendance, currently the bulk of responsibility is with the Raos, are in decline but some of these pre-date the Raos and will be with us for a very long time.

Over 60? Old git, blanket on knees, where's my flask stereotype.

When do Wigan tickets go on sale? That's a real question actually though I realise old gits will be as welcome as a fart in a lift for some.

 

[Dreams of 1995]

I'm struggling where people have got the old gits from. Rather a strange jump.

Moreover I am saying that whilst our hardcore, to the death support relies on the elder generation (anyone that denies this is being purposely disingenuous, it does) there lack of willing to jump up and down and sing (fairly understandable) is just as much of a reason to as why atmospheres are dying as it is the younger generation are more concerned with filming the game than they are 'living' it. I think I laid a reasoned portion of 'blame', if you will, at both doorsteps.

I've sat in all 4 stands of Ewood Park this year. The JW upper and Riverside certainly has the older age bracket and it just isn't, or ever has been, vocal or stirred much of an atmosphere. The Darwen End and BBE is dead, again due to the decade of defeats/complete apathy of fans these days, but also because some of the younger generation amongst them simply aren't bothered about singing and would much rather catch the goal on their phone or their "Vlog".

If you took offence to it that's your problem but it's the simple truth that it has contributed to a poor atmosphere at Ewood, regardless of how much money you have spent at Rovers in the past.

[Skiptonrover]

59 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Are you wanted by the police'?

Anyway, how old is too old to sing?

No not that I know of unless you know something I don't & if you do tell me & we will both know. Singing & dancing is upto individual people however they choose to express their delight/disappointment.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Bluebarley said:

No not that I know of unless you know something I don't & if you do tell me & we will both know. Singing & dancing is upto individual people however they choose to express their delight/disappointment.

I Salsa up and down the steps of the JW when we score.

[Skiptonrover]

Good on you, A suggestion for the riverside could be is start a conga that would improve the atmosphere.

[blueboy3333]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/9793689/Football-grounds-arent-full-of-old-white-men-after-all-....html

Some interesting stats. The average age of the Prem football fan in 2013 was 41. Back in the 70's a survey conducted by Man Utd showed that the average age of those standing on the Stretford End was 17. I'm guessing it wasn't much different in the 1980's. Young people just don't go to football in the numbers that they used to. The gangs of young lads from different areas of Blackburn that used to stand on the terraces of Ewood during the 70's and 80's just aren't there anymore.

[Skiptonrover]

True. when you can stream almost everything in the comfort of your own home for next to nothing where's the incentive to embrace fresh air & attend. The technology age is a major reason in number reduction in my view.

[blueboy3333]

Technology plays some part I'd imagine, as do ticket prices. The £51 3-game deal recently announced is hardly a bargain, It's a bit of a joke really.  That said, there were some awful atmospheres and attendances in the mid-80's when those issues weren't relevant and we used to get only half the crowds we get now. I suppose it comes down to success in the end, so we are doing pretty well still getting crowds of 10k considering what has happened since the Venky's rocked up, and where we are now compared to then.

Match day crowds, demographics etc ebb and flow and change with each decade that passes. Maybe one day it will be a predominantly young persons domain again.

[arbitro]

52 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

I Salsa up and down the steps of the JW when we score.

The older ones do a waltz then a foxtrot. The queue in the JW toilets at half time is incredible whilst us old gits empty our incontinence bags.

[JHRover]

34 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/9793689/Football-grounds-arent-full-of-old-white-men-after-all-....html

Some interesting stats. The average age of the Prem football fan in 2013 was 41. Back in the 70's a survey conducted by Man Utd showed that the average age of those standing on the Stretford End was 17. I'm guessing it wasn't much different in the 1980's. Young people just don't go to football in the numbers that they used to. The gangs of young lads from different areas of Blackburn that used to stand on the terraces of Ewood during the 70's and 80's just aren't there anymore.

At £20+ a time its not really suprising. Most people in their teenage years simply can't afford it. That's not limited to Rovers but is a problem around the country.

The additional hurdles Rovers continue to put in place to people who want to come on a match by match basis don't help though. Ticket only turnstiles and price rises on the day of games are ridiculous things to have in this division. Fair enough in the Premier League but in the 3rd division they should have areas where you can turn up with your money on the turnstile at 2:55pm and get in and pick a seat rather than have to walk to the BBE, queue up for 20 minutes in the rain, buy a ticket at an increased price, then go and find your seat.

Darwen End and Blackburn End should have cash turnstiles on matchdays to make it as easy as possible for people to get in at the last minute.

[Paul]

1 hour ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

I'm struggling where people have got the old gits from. Rather a strange jump.

Moreover I am saying that whilst our hardcore, to the death support relies on the elder generation (anyone that denies this is being purposely disingenuous, it does) there lack of willing to jump up and down and sing (fairly understandable) is just as much of a reason to as why atmospheres are dying as it is the younger generation are more concerned with filming the game than they are 'living' it. I think I laid a reasoned portion of 'blame', if you will, at both doorsteps.

I've sat in all 4 stands of Ewood Park this year. The JW upper and Riverside certainly has the older age bracket and it just isn't, or ever has been, vocal or stirred much of an atmosphere. The Darwen End and BBE is dead, again due to the decade of defeats/complete apathy of fans these days, but also because some of the younger generation amongst them simply aren't bothered about singing and would much rather catch the goal on their phone or their "Vlog".

If you took offence to it that's your problem but it's the simple truth that it has contributed to a poor atmosphere at Ewood, regardless of how much money you have spent at Rovers in the past.

The "old gits" is nothing other than another descriptor.

I'm not offended and I'm pointing out that as one of those who now chooses to sit I have in years gone by done my fair share in many ways, jumping up and down, getting my kids there and in many, many other ways the majority know nothing of.

Your post ignores many of the external and major reasons why the atmosphere at Ewood and many other grounds is dying (dead perhaps?) and seeks to blame our own support. This is what I object to for my own part and for others. You say the (fairly understandable) failure of older people to "jump up and down and sing" is partly to blame for the lack of atmosphere. You appear to understand why older people chose not to sing yet still blame them. Makes no sense to me.

Writing of someone else's opinion as "your problem" does not aid your argument in any shape or form.

[JAL]

The magic will never return until the club brings in at least three minimum get you out of your seat attacking players. From what I can see Rovers currently only have one and he's on loan with no view to a permanent move here so the plan seems to be bring in ...Joe Average.... get him some over the top praise ...then move him on for the next Joe Average to get a game and the cycle is repeated as often as is possible.

Do you buy the ticket for this ?

 

[Dreams of 1995]

2 hours ago, Paul said:

The "old gits" is nothing other than another descriptor.

I'm not offended and I'm pointing out that as one of those who now chooses to sit I have in years gone by done my fair share in many ways, jumping up and down, getting my kids there and in many, many other ways the majority know nothing of.

Your post ignores many of the external and major reasons why the atmosphere at Ewood and many other grounds is dying (dead perhaps?) and seeks to blame our own support. This is what I object to for my own part and for others. You say the (fairly understandable) failure of older people to "jump up and down and sing" is partly to blame for the lack of atmosphere. You appear to understand why older people chose not to sing yet still blame them. Makes no sense to me.

Writing of someone else's opinion as "your problem" does not aid your argument in any shape or form.

The problems at Ewood extend way beyond ourselves. It's symptomatic of almost every club in England at the moment. Average age is increasing and younger supporters aren't as interested as they have it all at their finger tips in the comfort of their own homes. Coupled with my reasons listed in my previous post it's all part of the 'problem'.

My post was in response to the issues at Ewood Park. What I have said is true. Our average age of home supporters must be amongst the highest in the leagues - it's certainly noticeable to me and I have been to my fair share of other teams' home grounds in the past 5/6 years. The only one I would say I have found comparable is Walsall.

It does contribute to a quieter, poorer atmosphere. In that respect the higher average age can be blamed, if only in part, for a poorer atmosphere.

External factors have contributed to a rising age of football supporters, such as the pricing out of younger fans (what 21 year old can afford an Arsenal ST for example), or the fact that more youngsters are leaving their home towns to universities or travelling. Combined with the commercialisation of the modern game, the mentioned over zealousness of the stewarding/policing and general abandonment of the terrace culture towards SKY tv we're left with the generation most likely to bounce and sing, the youth, not attending and the generation more likely to take to their seats and watch quietly being the majority in the stadiums.

Then we have the fact that the youth who do attend, as shown by almost every picture you see of a player celebrating, are usually more intent on their phones. I've pointed out lots of external factors to why the atmosphere has died so let's not say I haven't.