Fixture changes

[AAK]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/june/fixture-changes-confirmed/

Leeds and Preston home games both 12pm kick offs, typical rovers.

[JHRover]

These sort of announcements should be made before the early bird season ticket deadline, or at least there should be a clear warning when buying a season ticket that this is likely to happen.

Waggott's grand plan of filling the Darwen End isn't going to get very far. I doubt either of them will need 7,000+ seats for those games unless they are going strong for promotion.

Notice also that Bolton at home remains a 3pm kick off, despite far more instances of crowd trouble against them over the last few years than Preston or Leeds.

[philipl]

The following changes have been made to the initial Sky Bet Championship fixture list distributed by the EFL on Thursday 21st June...

Bristol City v Blackburn Rovers

This game was scheduled to be played at Ashton Gate Stadium on Saturday 1^st September 2018, but will now be played at the same venue on Sunday 2^nd September 2018 – kick-off 1:30pm.

Blackburn Rovers v Leeds United

This game, to be played at Ewood Park on Saturday 20^th October 2018, will kick-off at 12:00pm.

Reading v Blackburn Rovers

This game, to be played at the Madejski Stadium on Wednesday 13^th February 2019, will kick-off at 8:00pm. 

Blackburn Rovers v Preston North End

This game, to be played at Ewood Park on Saturday 9^th March 2019, will kick-off at 12:00pm.

The following kick-off times have also been confirmed:

Leeds United v Blackburn Rovers

Elland Road, Wednesday 26^th December 2018, kick-off 3:00pm.

Blackburn Rovers v West Bromwich Albion

Ewood Park, Tuesday 1^st January 2019, kick-off 3:00pm.

Queens Park Rangers v Blackburn Rovers

Loftus Road Stadium, Friday 19^th April 2019, kick-off 3:00pm.

Blackburn Rovers v Bolton Wanderers

Ewood Park, Monday 22^nd April 2019, kick-off 3:00pm.

As previously advised, our final game of the season against Swansea City at Ewood Park on Sunday 5^th May 2019 will kick off at 12:30pm.

Please note that all other midweek matches will kick off at 7:45pm whilst, with the exception of the Swansea City home game, all remaining weekend matches are scheduled to kick off at 3:00pm.

[perthblue02]

Looks like PC plod are part of the new management team considering the first couple of home game changes

Edited June 29, 2018 by perthblue02

[tomphil]

So they move Leeds & PNE again but leave Bolton on presumably a bank holiday Monday at 3pm ?

No way will that stay like that.

[JHRover]

Leeds and Preston will have been moved due to the ridiculous safety advice, the same advice that allows 5,000 Rovers fans to travel to Preston on a Saturday for a tea time game and the same advice that allows both Rovers and Burnley to play at home on a Thursday night on TV.

I hope that Sky Sports come along and pick one of those for live broadcast (with Leeds it is highly likely) and the game is then moved back to 5pm. Then it show just what a joke the whole thing is.

[perthblue02]

Just now, JHRover said:

Leeds and Preston will have been moved due to the ridiculous safety advice, the same advice that allows 5,000 Rovers fans to travel to Preston on a Saturday for a tea time game and the same advice that allows both Rovers and Burnley to play at home on a Thursday night on TV.

I hope that Sky Sports come along and pick one of those for live broadcast (with Leeds it is highly likely) and the game is then moved back to 5pm. Then it show just what a joke the whole thing is.

I have a feeling those two games will be shown live outside UK

[JHRover]

Why is the Liverpool friendly not a lunchtime kick off when they have been given all the Darwen End?

[Mattyblue]

Dodged a bullet there, was about to book a train to Bristol yesterday but didn't get round to it.

According to Bristol City's website, it has been moved to 'alleviate fixture congestion'. That makes zero sense, as;

a. they don't have a midweek fixture before it (well possible League Cup that they'd play their reserves in anyway) and b. its only the start of bloody September!

Edited June 29, 2018 by Mattyblue

[Hanks]

It could have been moved to accommodate Bristol Bears, although the Rugby fixtures are not out yet.

[JHRover]

Bristol City away game moved at the behest of Bristol City to 'aid the team's recovery and to alleviate fixture congestion'.

Looking forward to Rovers moving a few games when we're struggling with injuries with important games coming up.

[Mattyblue]

26 minutes ago, JHRover said:

These sort of announcements should be made before the early bird season ticket deadline, or at least there should be a clear warning when buying a season ticket that this is likely to happen.

Waggott's grand plan of filling the Darwen End isn't going to get very far. I doubt either of them will need 7,000+ seats for those games unless they are going strong for promotion.

Notice also that Bolton at home remains a 3pm kick off, despite far more instances of crowd trouble against them over the last few years than Preston or Leeds.

Leeds may still bring it if they've had a decent start under their new manager.

If PNE are going for promotion then they may have a decent stab at it, otherwise by the time March comes around, they ain't bringing close to 7k for a 12pm dead rubber at nearly £30.

As always though, the rules are made up as they go along. Man Utd cup tie was fine to kick off at 4pm with a full Darwen End...  TV got involved.

Rovers and Burnley can't play at the same time... until TV get involved.

Edited June 29, 2018 by Mattyblue

[Craigman]

More likely the Bristol City game moved, as the Downs Festival is in Bristol on the 1st September, and a lot of fans would be going there.

[JHRover]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

Leeds may still bring it if they've had a decent start under their new manager.

If PNE are going for promotion then they may have a decent stab at it, otherwise by the time March comes around, they ain't bringing close to 7k for a 12pm dead rubber at nearly £30.

As always though, the rules are made up as they go along. Man Utd cup tie was fine to kick off at 4pm with a full Darwen End...  TV got involved.

Rovers and Burnley can't play at the same time... until TV get involved.

It gives an insight in the football hierarchy these days. Top of the pile are Sky Sports. Then come the clubs and the police who do things at their own convenience, then bottom of the pile are the supporters, those same people Rovers are trying to encourage to cought up £400 a piece for season tickets whilst chopping and changing the fixtures to less convenient and enjoyable times (for most people).

A Rovers representative said at a Fans Forum meeting a couple of years ago that when Rovers are giving the whole Darwen End to away fans that the police INSIST on an early kick off. That was the justification they used for moving Leeds and PNE previously. Yet since then we've played Man Utd in the cup at 4pm on TV and are shortly going to play Liverpool at 7:45pm on a Thursday evening, so that statement was clearly a lie.

[roversfan99]

Waggott has already shown himself to be someone who considers the wants and needs of others (away fans etc) even if it means affecting home fans in the process, as shown with the Darwen End closure, so this comes at no surprise, even if it is needless and frustrating.

[Doaksie]

What's the story with the confirmation of the Leeds Boxing Day fixture? Is that just that it will definitely be a 3pm on that day, and WON'T change now?

Similarly, the home Leeds fixture is police advice I guess? Nothing to do with being televised, at this stage anyway?

Hoping to do them both (with a sibling rivalry re-ignited this season). Would be handy to know the away game is set in stone now.

[Mattyblue]

6 minutes ago, Doaksie said:

What's the story with the confirmation of the Leeds Boxing Day fixture? Is that just that it will definitely be a 3pm on that day, and WON'T change now?

Similarly, the home Leeds fixture is police advice I guess? Nothing to do with being televised, at this stage anyway?

Hoping to do them both (with a sibling rivalry re-ignited this season). Would be handy to know the away game is set in stone now.

They also confirmed NYD, Good Friday and Easter Monday as 3pm too.

Think they are just saying that though they aren’t Saturdays, they are 3pm KOs.

Doesnt mean Sky won’t move them nearer to the time - Leeds being the prime candidate.

[arbitro]

Quite recently we had Liverpool at Ewood for a 7.45 kick off with no trouble. We also had the Rags on a Sunday afternoon and Dingles for 7.45 midweek kick off. If we had an FA Cup replay against Leeds or Preston they would be midweek evening kick offs too.

I would love Rovers to give us the truth as to why these games are allowed to be moved with scant regard to fans, both home and away.

[Doaksie]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

They also confirmed NYD, Good Friday and Easter Monday as 3pm too.

Think they are just saying that though they aren’t Saturdays, they are 3pm KOs.

Doesnt mean Sky won’t move them nearer to the time - Leeds being the prime candidate.

I see. Appreciate the knowledge. I was just confused as to why confirm a game as a 3pm, on the day it was originally intended.

Had got my hopes up that the Boxing Day fixture was now set in stone. Sky don't make it easy for people booking flights, accommodation etc with their late changes. As always, the fan in the ground is at the back of the priority-list

[tomphil]

We can accept the TV changes as awkward as they are as it's been the same for years and sadly their names are over the door in football and the revenue is vital.

Just changing to save the public servants a few quid and hassle is disgraceful. They are giving plenty notice this time at least although they'll be subject to change again. If Leeds are doing well and TV want it they'll probably insist it's Thurs evening !

Edited June 29, 2018 by tomphil

[MarkBRFC]

33 minutes ago, JHRover said:

 

A Rovers representative said at a Fans Forum meeting a couple of years ago that when Rovers are giving the whole Darwen End to away fans that the police INSIST on an early kick off. That was the justification they used for moving Leeds and PNE previously. Yet since then we've played Man Utd in the cup at 4pm on TV and are shortly going to play Liverpool at 7:45pm on a Thursday evening, so that statement was clearly a lie.

It would be nice if someone in the fans forum questioned Rovers on that answer, as has been shown its complete nonsense.

[Mattyblue]

End of the day if it is down to ‘supporter safety/public order’ on police advice we just have to live with it - though we had no issue for twenty odd years.

However, why do safety/public order worries go out the window if TV want to show it?

Edited June 29, 2018 by Mattyblue

[barry_]

It's not the police. 

It's the inept security officer we have at Ewood (can't recall his name... bald headed guy). 

It was the same the last time we were in the Championship. 

The flawed logic behind it is that at 12, less alcohol would be consumed so less trouble. 

All you apologists for the company line quite literally make me sick. 

The club couldn't give 2 f**** about the people who continue to support the club. 

[Mattyblue]

What apologists? Every post is in agreement with what a load of nonsense it is.

[JHRover]

Its all part of the blame deflection game. Avoid any one person or group being held responsible. The ultimate cause of it all is to make life easier for a select group of people who are paid good salaries to do the job but want as easy a time as possible in doing it. I think that applies to both the police and to those at Rovers anxious to get by with minimum fuss and aggravation. These people aren't football supporters, certainly not Rovers supporters, and for them football is a job nothing more. Being at Ewood on a Saturday isn't pleasure, its work. Better clocking off at 2:30pm with the afternoon to enjoy and less 'risk' of trouble than clocking off at 6pm.

When it suits the club e.g, when Sky Sports come along with their chequebook then the game changes.

We're not alone in showing such disregard for home supporters but I do wonder how many other Championship clubs have already made 2 home games into noon kick offs, especially when there is no history of any violence or crowd trouble between the clubs in question. 

I had half hoped that having a CEO who seems to talk some sense would prevent such things happening, but Waggott has already made it clear which side his bread is buttered by his desire to pack the Darwen End with away fans.

Even if there was some sort of rule in place which prevented 3pm kick offs when there was a full away end (which there isn't) the club could get round it by not allocating away clubs 7000+ tickets, which is a ludicrously high number for any club to allocate, instead limiting it at 5,000 which is still way above most clubs' away allocations.

Rovers presumably don't understand that these games will now be seen by even less home fans as not many will pay £25 and get to Ewood for noon.