Fixture changes

[Mattyblue]

Purely financial JH. 

Wagott obviously thinks 7,000 Leeds and PNE fans will come regardless of KO time. If the ‘Safety Advisory Committee’ or whatever they’re called have said 12pm or no 7,000 allocation, he’s obviously worked out that our own walk-ons will be minimal at £28 and most of them will still come at 12 anyway, the rest? Bugger ‘em

Edited June 29, 2018 by Mattyblue

[barry_]

It's not fair to apportion blame onto waggot, this time. (although he could've changed it) 

This is about inept security personnel. 

[Mattyblue]

You can blame Waggott for part of it, because it’s the club that want 7,000 sales.

[JHRover]

3 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Purely financial JH. 

Wagott obviously thinks 7,000 Leeds and PNE fans will come regardless of KO time. If the ‘Safety Advisory Committee’ or whatever they’re called have said 12pm or no 7,000 allocation, he’s obviously worked out that our own walk-ons will be minimal at £28 and most of them will still come at 12 anyway, the rest? Bugger ‘em

But how can the 'committee' (whoever they may be) insist on that when there are no reasonable grounds for them to demand it? I could understand if it was Burnley, or if there had been serious trouble against Leeds or Preston in the past, but there hasn't, and also there are plenty of examples recently where such games have taken place, incident free, in afternoons and evenings.

If Waggott seriously thinks that 7000+ from those clubs are going to rock up for a noon kick off and is putting that ahead of the wishes and feelings of Rovers fans then perhaps I've overestimated him. I'm already perplexed by his explanation to close the Darwen End due to bigger away followings (our first 3 home games will probably see about 3000 away fans in total if we're lucky).

[JHRover]

Just now, barry_ said:

It's not fair to apportion blame onto waggot, this time. (although he could've changed it) 

This is about inept security personnel. 

Waggott is (allegedly) running the football club. So he takes responsibility for these decisions. I don't accept that the club is powerless.

[tomphil]

If Leeds aren't going great they'll bring around 3k for a 12pm which has happened a few times before, add in less home walk ons and the minimal in ground spend of ST holders who don't make it having already paid and your looking at 3 or 4 thousand less than might have pitched up at 3pm under the same terms.

That's a fair old gamble with the finances but plays right into the hands of the 'safety committee' who want the least workload possible.

It's a cop out whichever way you dress it up.

[JHRover]

What incentive is there for the police, safety people or staff at Rovers to get more fans on Ewood? None. Why would they want 20,000 on rather than 10,000?

More work and more aggro for the same pay. When on a cushy number you don't rock the boat, you go with the flow.

[barry_]

waggot wanting more away support is pretty appalling.

 

[laughatthedingles]

19 hours ago, 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.

It’s all based on a risk rating system. This is predominantly focused on the away support and is a combination of clubs previous history of trouble, % of arrests to number of fans attending, amount of fans expected etc

Unfortunately for us Leeds and Preston fans have a high % of arrests to number of travelling support. Therefore a boost to their numbers poses quite a high risk.

Edited June 30, 2018 by laughatthedingles

[Mattyblue]

Yet Man United fans have consistently wrecked pubs in Blackburn and Darwen. They have smashed up toilets, seats etc on the ground... So why was the cup tie not at 12pm, TV or not, safety is safety, no?

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, laughatthedingles said:

It’s all based on a risk rating system. This is predominantly focused on the away support and is a combination of clubs previous history of trouble, % of arrests to number of fans attending, amount of fans expected etc

Unfortunately for us Leeds and Preston fans have a high % of arrests to number of travelling support. Therefore a boost to their numbers poses quite a high risk.

So how come we can play United at tea time in the FA Cup and Burnley at night in the League Cup?

I'd like to know how many Leeds fans have been arrested in Blackburn before and after games that have kicked off at 3pm or later. This theory that Leeds is high risk and a safety issue is a recent invention. Prior to the last 3 or 4 years we frequently played them at later times and other than a fracas in Wetherspoons I don't remember reports of large numbers of arrests.

[philipl]

Until proven otherwise, I'd back Waggott running Rovers over many of the posters on this thread..

[tomphil]

This has been happening long before Waggot so no point in pointing the finger at him I don't think. Yes he may have the power to overturn it but it seems he's prepared to run with it for now.

Back to the games will Bolton and Wigan move the Leeds and Preston games to 12pm if they are scheduled for 3pm Sat's ?

Will North End move the Rovers and Leeds fixtures if they were similar ?  Do Preston have a higher number of arrests than Bolton or Rovers over a similar period ?

Very much doubt any of this -- it's a cop out !

[roversfan99]

4 hours ago, philipl said:

Until proven otherwise, I'd back Waggott running Rovers over many of the posters on this thread..

Such a boring, patronising and provocative argument without any substance.

No one is suggesting that they should run the club, just like if someone is to question Mowbray for a transfer/lineup/substitution they arent asking to take over as manager. Think youve forgotten what a messageboard is.

People have valid questions and criticisms and employees of the club dont need apologists to defend them.

Why are we changing our kick off times for games with no real historical incidents of trouble, for no apparent reason? Do other teams do likewise for non-derbies? (id suggest not, if so, I hold my hands up)

Are supporter needs considered when this decision has been made? Particularly home.

How does ensuring home supporters are not inconvenienced rank as a priority as say; getting as many away fans as possible into the ground?

Supporters have the right to feel inconvenienced as paying customers and at least may want to know the reasoning behind what on the face of it seems like decisions made without thought of them. Same as the choice to take away the option of sitting in the Darwen End, again to cater for and convenience away fans.

Waggott is promoting himself as the main decision maker, in the country anyway, so its only right that such questions are made directed towards him.