[Archived] Bring the magic back

[blueboy3333]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/oct/07/football-league-supporters-chandeliers-roy-keane

Shaun Harvey is a huge tool.... but is he right to schedule games with shorter distances between clubs for the weekends in order to maximise attendances?

[JHRover]

10 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/oct/07/football-league-supporters-chandeliers-roy-keane

Shaun Harvey is a huge tool.... but is he right to schedule games with shorter distances between clubs for the weekends in order to maximise attendances?

No. Not unless he can provide solid evidence in public to prove it is overwhelmingly better for the majority of clubs, which I suspect is very difficult to do. As ever the loyal fans who dedicate the most time and money to supporting their clubs get shafted as they sit on gridlocked motorways on Tuesday rush hours travelling hundreds of miles and not getting home until 2am due to closed motorways whilst the prawn sandwich brigade at the League and executives at clubs who only care about numbers and £££s don't give a stuff. They're on all expenses covered complimentaries probably with hotels thrown in and get paid to sit there looking important, whilst average fans who actually do it for a hobby/passion can get stuffed.

[Skiptonrover]

29 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2017/oct/07/football-league-supporters-chandeliers-roy-keane

Shaun Harvey is a huge tool.... but is he right to schedule games with shorter distances between clubs for the weekends in order to maximise attendances?

If it was down to me I'd do away with all the midweek games altogether extend the season shelf life to compensate. Somewhat of radical measure I think as a experiment if it ever went ahead it would boost attendances, people (some) simply cannot get to the midweek games due to transport, working & domestic issues.

[MCMC1875]

9 hours ago, Hasta said:

Blackpool proves it can be achieved. I'm sure there are plenty of other examples of clubs who at the start of the season had a disillusioned fan base who then achieved success come May.

Burnley hardly crammed an extra 10,000 in to get where they are. They just got a good board structure supporting a good manager.

No chance of that then.

[Pedro]

In terms of the Rovers match day experience, there needs to be more supporter interaction.

They should do away with the Rovers Return it's become white noise (prizes are only a couple of hundred now - it used to be £2000) swap it with a crossbar challenge from the edge of the box or chipping into a bin or knocking down a target or something for a jackpot amount - it would cost peanuts to set up, will generate much more money and is self funding.  The fans love the crossbar challenges - especially when a fat lad slips when kicking!  There's no reason why they can't have fans from the opposition joining in either - it'll increase revenue and interest.

Secondly, I used to love it when in the early 90's  the players would kick balls into the crowd - I still have one somewhere! It's a cheap ball but it used to be so exciting trying to get one - it's not even signed. Maximum cost to the club, £20-30 a week.

Maybe they could do a golden ticket, where a season ticket holder is chosen at random and gets the chance to have a meal and sit in the box the next home game? Again, absolute minimum cost and effort.

Pre match, there is absolutely nothing going on. Maybe a kick the ball through a target with lots of holes and win something or a footgolf kind of challenge against a current or ex player. This is where the penalty shootout competition should be or change to because again, it is tedious.  Again, it isn't costly and Rover the dog and his assistant can just run it.

All of the above is a bit of low-cost fun and will help fill a couple of pages in the programme. Most importantly get the fans either happier, onto the Ewood pitch and interacting. 

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

In terms of the Rovers match day experience, there needs to be more supporter interaction.

They should do away with the Rovers Return it's become white noise (prizes are only a couple of hundred now - it used to be £2000) swap it with a crossbar challenge from the edge of the box or chipping into a bin or knocking down a target or something for a jackpot amount - it would cost peanuts to set up, will generate much more money and is self funding.  The fans love the crossbar challenges - especially when a fat lad slips when kicking!  There's no reason why they can't have fans from the opposition joining in either - it'll increase revenue and interest.

Secondly, I used to love it when in the early 90's  the players would kick balls into the crowd - I still have one somewhere! It's a cheap ball but it used to be so exciting trying to get one - it's not even signed. Maximum cost to the club, £20-30 a week.

Maybe they could do a golden ticket, where a season ticket holder is chosen at random and gets the chance to have a meal and sit in the box the next home game? Again, absolute minimum cost and effort.

Pre match, there is absolutely nothing going on. Maybe a kick the ball through a target with lots of holes and win something or a footgolf kind of challenge against a current or ex player. This is where the penalty shootout competition should be or change to because again, it is tedious.  Again, it isn't costly and Rover the dog and his assistant can just run it.

All of the above is a bit of low-cost fun and will help fill a couple of pages in the programme. Most importantly get the fans either happier, onto the Ewood pitch and interacting. 

Good suggestions, yet all of that requires someone at the club to take responsibility and put the effort in. You mention the programme, which is itself a disgrace, like everything else just scraping by with the bare minimum amount of effort required.

Amazing that supporters who come on here can make a number of sensible suggestions off the top of their head in a matter of minutes yet those paid to do it just cart on with the some old tired routine.

[Bluerover78]

Totally agree with this post, I know they have the fan zones now but these sort of events before the game and at half time, introduced by a decent mc to get the crowd going are the sort of things that can get the crowds out of their slumber. Also a change to the music the teams run out to, it all seems dated now.

[arbitro]

There are some good suggestions but in my opinion the thing which gets the crowd going more than anything is some good, pacy play with the occasional end product. This is something we have seen too little of over the past decade.

[Mattyblue]

The FanZone now seems to consist of a big screen with nowt on it.