Darwen End Closure / New Singing Section

[blueboy3333]

Just now, pk1875 said:

I honestly think Waggot is a good business man and will generate additional income through sponsorship and corporate which is good for the club, however the club could do with an Alan Myers type of guy to interact with the fans. Myers was very pro active during his time here, we could do with someone of a similar mould.

Any half decent 'businessman' could do that to be fair. Just because the commercial side has been criminally neglected for years at Rovers doesn't mean the deals the club are doing now are due to his unique skill-set.

He needs to start implementing ideas that increase attendances (I very much doubt he met his ST target for this summer) and further generate interest and income. If that's an impossible task then fair enough but he is not even trying. I'm not sure a 'Myers' type guy would change much. The social media and 'PR' side of operations appear to be good. We need do-ers, not talkers. 

[SBlue]

I don't think things are all that bad, but what an opportunity lost vs. Oxford.

Season tickets should have been available and shouted about before the match, during half time and throughout the celebrations afterwards.

Amount of booze and goodwill going around absolutely hundreds of new direct debits could have been set up.

Shame.

[tomphil]

Similar things at Preston they got some good crowds for a few years in league one but since they came back to the championship they only get around 10k home fans for most games despite doing quite well.

Money related or just the hardcore is the hardcore and most others are just part time or casual fans ?

[Paul]

We usually access the ground via the disabled entrance between the DE and JWL. Last night, first time this season, we used turnstile L and had to submit to a body search.

I'm not sure who I'm more angry with; the idiots who think it necessary to bring flares etc. in to the ground or the club for thinking it necessary to search a 64 year old man.

I hadn't expected this as a consequence of closing the DE. Never been searched at Ewood in 35+ years as an ST holders.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Paul

[JHRover]

6 minutes ago, Paul said:

We usually access the ground via the disabled entrance between the DE and JWL. Last night, first time this season, we used turnstile L and had to submit to a body search.

I'm not sure who I'm more angry with; the idiots who think it necessary to bring flares etc. in to the ground or the club for thinking it necessary to search a 64 year old man.

I hadn't expected this as a consequence of closing the DE. Never been searched at Ewood in 35+ years as an ST holders.

I was also searched on the turnstiles of the Jack Walker lower tier on Saturday v Forest. Not impressed in the slightest. A season ticket for 22 years and for the first time for unknown reasons I am being searched on arrival. 

[Mattyblue]

Does turnstyle L take you to the Darwen End side of the JW lower?

If so, I would imagine we can work out why...

[K-Hod]

The searches were obviously incredibly effective. A firework or smoke bomb definitely didn't go bang in the away end after about 30 seconds of the game.....

[Paul]

8 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Does turnstyle L take you to the Darwen End side of the JW lower?

If so, I would imagine we can work out why...

Yes it does. I'm very keen not to point a finger but fans have been moved from the DE to the JWL. I have seen flares amongst home fans on the DE in previous seasons.

[Paul]

11 minutes ago, K-Hod said:

The searches were obviously incredibly effective. A firework or smoke bomb definitely didn't go bang in the away end after about 30 seconds of the game.....

I didn't arrive till four minutes in to the game so I don't know about this. However this is away fans, different section, different turnstiles.

While having a fundamental objection to being searched at away games I understand why it is. The fault lays with a very small minority and thousands have to submit to the consequences.

Stewards should be able to look at supporters in their early 60s and make a sensible judgement.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Paul

[Mattyblue]

I await the ex DEnders to post that we are trying to ‘divide the fan base’, but I assume those entering the DEnd last season were searched, so they’ve just moved the practice over.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Mattyblue

[JHRover]

I also enter via Turnstile L.

I assume that the near 8000 strong Leeds contingent will be all getting searched on the turnstiles before our game against them?

 

[tomphil]

They'll be handed welcome to Blackburn leaflets and encouraged to drink and spend as much as possible at the bars and kiosks whilst they're here, don't worry about the mess and damage we'll clean that up when you've gone. We've already moved the home fans and ko time to accommodate as many of you as possible so it's the least you can do in return.

Behave and we might think of giving you another home section next season.

Enjoy your big day out.

regards

SW/MC

[old darwen blue]

On 04/10/2018 at 10:39, tomphil said:

They'll be handed welcome to Blackburn leaflets and encouraged to drink and spend as much as possible at the bars and kiosks whilst they're here, don't worry about the mess and damage we'll clean that up when you've gone. We've already moved the home fans and ko time to accommodate as many of you as possible so it's the least you can do in return.

Behave and we might think of giving you another home section next season.

Enjoy your big day out.

regards

SW/MC

I was going to put a laugh emoji to that post but after pausing to think about it thought that it’s probably accurate. 

Yes we did get a cursory search in the Darren End many times and for those moaning about being searched for the first time, don’t be so soft. It takes seconds and I believe it’s one of the conditions upon entering the ground. 

[JHRover]

Can see the Leeds game being absolute chaos for a number of reasons.

Them bringing 7,600 is always going to see the people at Rovers struggle to cope. Factor in that there are no trains and the kick off is at noon and the area around Ewood will grind to a halt as they try to accommodate the travelling coaches and cars.

Of course with a 30,000+ capacity Ewood and the surrounding area is perfectly capable of hosting such games but the prospect of 20,000+ v Leeds will send them into panic mode.

I also predict that to increase the away allocation to 7,600 this will mean that segregation between home and away fans will be moved from the Darwen End and into the Riverside/Jack Walker stands. The 400 or whatever empty seats I think will be the front rows which are usually kept empty. 

I hope any season ticket holders are not going to be affected by segregation being imposed in the home ends.

[JHRover]

35 minutes ago, old darwen blue said:

 

Yes we did get a cursory search in the Darren End many times and for those moaning about being searched for the first time, don’t be so soft. It takes seconds and I believe it’s one of the conditions upon entering the ground. 

I accept that it is included in the terms and conditions and that if I wish to enter the ground I have to go through a search should one be requested.

It's not really a question of 'being soft' but something which as a longstanding home season ticket holder who has never been in any sort of trouble I wonder why I am suddenly now being subjected to it.

I know the answer - because they've chosen to move the Darwen Enders into the JW Lower and they're worried about flares etc - but why should my match day experience be affected? The people around me are pensioners who have been going for decades - are these people suddenly being searched on arrival before being allowed in?

The system for doing it is also flawed - they aren't searching every person every time but are picking odd ones out as they see fit - the difficulty is that queues then quickly build up ahead of kick off as stewards are blocking the turnstiles whilst searching people.

I don't notice stewards searching people on the Riverside or Family Stand so again I wonder why I am suddenly being subjected to searches when there is no recent history of any trouble from people in the JW Lower tier.

[Paul]

2 hours ago, old darwen blue said:

I was going to put a laugh emoji to that post but after pausing to think about it thought that it’s probably accurate. 

Yes we did get a cursory search in the Darren End many times and for those moaning about being searched for the first time, don’t be so soft. It takes seconds and I believe it’s one of the conditions upon entering the ground. 

@JHRover has this exactly right. I too know it's a condition of entering the ground. However I'm 64, retired, usually have a disabled supporter with me, ST holder for 34 years, no criminal record and I have never previously been searched at Ewood.

The ex DE fans arrive in the JWL and we now get searched because there are complete idiots who might bring flares etc. into the ground. I object to being searched. If someone is caught hopefully it's a lifetime ban for endangering other supporters.

If the search is seconds it shows how cursory and therefore pointless it is.

[only2garners]

Paul - sadly I’ve seen at away games that being a Rovers fan over 60 is no guarantee that they might not be happy to do something stupid.

Given  that some time soon someone is going to be seriously injured by a flare somewhere it’s regrettable but unsurprising that Rovers are keen to be on the look out.

I’m sure there will be searches of Leeds fans but sadly I’m fairly sure at least one will get through.

[Stuart]

On 04/10/2018 at 08:06, Paul said:

We usually access the ground via the disabled entrance between the DE and JWL. Last night, first time this season, we used turnstile L and had to submit to a body search.

I'm not sure who I'm more angry with; the idiots who think it necessary to bring flares etc. in to the ground or the club for thinking it necessary to search a 64 year old man.

I hadn't expected this as a consequence of closing the DE. Never been searched at Ewood in 35+ years as an ST holders.

Despite these humiliating searches (unusually very badly targeted) they never seem to stop idiots bringing in pyrotechnics.

The banger that went off at the start of the game in the DE on Weds was a reminder just how easy it would be for someone to do some very real damage indeed at a game. Frightening really.

I don’t like it but until they start handing out jail time and/or huge fines for carrying fireworks, flares and other incendiary devices in public the morons will continue to think it is funny/clever and searches will continue to be necessary.

[Paul]

18 hours ago, only2garners said:

Paul - sadly I’ve seen at away games that being a Rovers fan over 60 is no guarantee that they might not be happy to do something stupid.

Given  that some time soon someone is going to be seriously injured by a flare somewhere it’s regrettable but unsurprising that Rovers are keen to be on the look out.

I’m sure there will be searches of Leeds fans but sadly I’m fairly sure at least one will get through.

You may well be right o2g. From time to time it passes through my mind just how easy it is to smuggle anything in to a football ground. If I'm going to be caught up in a terrorist attack I've always felt a football stadium is the place I'm the most vulnerable.

The searches are pointless. I've been in queues when people had to dump water bottles. Stick the bottle in a back pocket and the stewards miss it. Same applies to bag searches.