Attendances

[arbitro]

Just now, Paul said:

Sounds very good. We live approximately 6 miles from Ewood and often don't get out of the car parks till 5.15 or later.

If I'm home by 6.00 it's good.

Although the bus doesn't pick up anywhere on the way the driver usually drops off several people close to their homes on the way back. It's a really good service and the Heifer bus is usually full. I have to stress though that these buses are organised solely by a couple of supporters with no input from the club.

[Paul]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

I’ve been at Ewood every step of our decline, like 10,000 or so others. I’m enjoying our recovery (of sorts), and wish there were more there to see it. But I’m aware that there is also the floating fan that isn’t as committed as me, chaddy, JH, Paul etc, so they need enticing in.

As ‘well, they should just turn up, I do’ isn’t a solution

I agree but that is, for me, a different thing to matchday experience. I think matchday experience is directly related to what happens inside the ground. Possibly I'm misinterpreting this.

Other than winning every match there is nothing to change inside the ground 

[Mattyblue]

Just now, arbitro said:

Although the bus doesn't pick up anywhere on the way the driver usually drops off several people close to their homes on the way back. It's a really good service and the Heifer bus is usually full. I have to stress though that these buses are organised solely by a couple of supporters with no input from the club.

A lot of this goes back to when the club decided to de-affiliate from supporters clubs 20 years back of whenever it was. Most withered on the vine, losing that connection to the club in the region.

Most decently sized clubs have a network of affiliated branches, London Branch aside, we have nowt. 

Edited May 19, 2019 by Mattyblue

[HowieFive0]

Just now, Paul said:

Sounds very good. We live approximately 6 miles from Ewood and often don't get out of the car parks till 5.15 or later.

If I'm home by 6.00 it's good.

The one from Accy similar to Arbitros Darwen Fun Bus ..leaves Accy 1-45pm ..drops outside Ewood WMC and then leaves from the spare land in front of the Fox n Hounds (is that the same as behind the old Albion Pub ?) and back into Accrington before 5-30pm. Used it for well over 20 years and cant remember the last time I actually drove to Ewood on match day.

And in "theory" the more people bussed in the quicker they are away with less cars being used ...

[Paul]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

There you go then, you've answered your own question. That's one way things could improve. 

Nope. Matchday experience is what happens inside the ground. Getting there is different, that is a transport issue. Customer experience is a big thing in retail and entertainment but very, very few places extend this beyond their premises. That would mean Rovers going above and beyond, which would be a good thing.

The bus thing is very, very difficult. There is zero traffic on LBR prior to a game and I can drive straight in to a car park. The traffic issue is twofold; stopping the traffic while pedestrians clear the area - entirely understandable - and locking cars in after the match - probably a police issue.

As this discussion initially compared Stanley and Rovers I presume Stanley bus fans in from all over Lancashire?

[K-Hod]

Just now, Paul said:

I agree but that is, for me, a different thing to matchday experience. I think matchday experience is directly related to what happens inside the ground. Possibly I'm misinterpreting this.

Other than winning every match there is nothing to change inside the ground 

It doesn’t sound like you like to have a drink at the match, but for those that do, things could be a lot better.

[Paul]

Just now, K-Hod said:

It doesn’t sound like you like to have a drink at the match, but for those that do, things could be a lot better.

Never. Possibly 2-3 cups of coffee per season when I'm very bored by a performance!!

[HowieFive0]

Just now, Paul said:

Nope. Matchday experience is what happens inside the ground. Getting there is different, that is a transport issue. Customer experience is a big thing in retail and entertainment but very, very few places extend this beyond their premises. That would mean Rovers going above and beyond, which would be a good thing.

The bus thing is very, very difficult. There is zero traffic on LBR prior to a game and I can drive straight in to a car park. The traffic issue is twofold; stopping the traffic while pedestrians clear the area - entirely understandable - and locking cars in after the match - probably a police issue.

As this discussion initially compared Stanley and Rovers I presume Stanley bus fans in from all over Lancashire?

Cmon Paul lets not get silly. People just saying there are ways n means of getting the attendances up. 

Youre talking like you don't know the demographics of who and where Rovers fans come from ..something aimed at Waggott on many occasions ..im sure youre more switched on than that …?

 

Edited May 19, 2019 by HowieFive0

[Mattyblue]

Stanley have real ale marquees, live bands, £1 a pint after a win, an ‘ultras section’ where the club work with the fans on flags, banners etc. Free shirts and tickets for every kid in Hyndburn.

Not bad for a club struggling to attract 4 figure crowds two years ago. Good job Holt didn’t just think ‘bugger it, we are a small club, nowt we can do’

Edited May 19, 2019 by Mattyblue

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Paul said:

Nope. Matchday experience is what happens inside the ground.

Nope. Matchday experience is what happens on matchday and is connected to the match. The clue is in MatchDAY. 

 

Just now, Paul said:

Getting there is different, that is a transport issue.

Nope.  PNE put on coaches for home fans and advertise them on their website. They want to help with the matchday experience for their fans.

[gumboots]

15 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

Nope. Matchday experience is what happens on matchday and is connected to the match. The clue is in MatchDAY. 

 

Nope.  PNE put on coaches for home fans and advertise them on their website. They want to help with the matchday experience for their fans.

On 14/05/2019 at 17:49, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Sorry I can't get rid of this. For some reason the editor won't clear it

I keep going back to talking about the AJBell. They run the buses from the Trafford Centre to the stadium free on match day and cars are held in the car parks for 20 mins after the match. Increasingly the buses are being used as car parking near the ground is more limited as development takes place. Does it increase crowds? I don't know but it certainly improves the matchday experience as a whole. Buses leave from 2 hours before the match so you can get there early and eat, drink etc, or chat with players in the shop where those not playing because of injury help out and youngsters can have photos with other players designated to be in the Shark truck that week. A marquee has live music. After the match buses run for an hour after the match so you can stay behind for a drink afterwards if you so wish or get away quickly if you need to as the buses have priority for 20 mins. Now Rovers can't do it for free necessarily and they'd need to look at pickup points and whatever but although people say parking is easy since the changes in road layout and the closure of some car parks we've found it less so on the occasions we've attended. A bus service from the Ribble Valley even if it started in Whalley not Clitheroe might be a good idea. And there are other areas like Chorley that might benefit from a similar service. Like it or not, travel is part of the matchday experience and the easier it is, the more likely people are to go to matches and keep going. 

[47er]

Given the horrendous difficulties parking around Ewood,we should have more transport options for fans than just about any other club. Rovers should be much more proactive than we are.

[darrenrover]

8 minutes ago, 47er said:

Given the horrendous difficulties parking around Ewood,we should have more transport options for fans than just about any other club. Rovers should be much more proactive than we are.

Using Chorley as an example: Rovers could arrange a bus starting at a pub in the centre of town with pick ups and drop offs at other pubs en route (eg Dressers Arms, Hoghton Arms etc). The point is Rovers need to do something rather than just shrugging their shoulders. 

[Sparks Rover]

24 minutes ago, 47er said:

Given the horrendous difficulties parking around Ewood,we should have more transport options for fans than just about any other club. Rovers should be much more proactive than we are.

I've been going for years and you can park anywhere on moorgate street and walk down.  I dont understand.  Ok if there are disabled then that's different but if you cant be arsed walking for 10 minutes each way then I don't know. 

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Using Chorley as an example: Rovers could arrange a bus starting at a pub in the centre of town with pick ups and drop offs at other pubs en route (eg Dressers Arms, Hoghton Arms etc). The point is Rovers need to do something rather than just shrugging their shoulders. 

Rovers missed a trick by not putting on coaches when the trains were on strike each Saturday 

[gumboots]

53 minutes ago, Sparks Rover said:

I've been going for years and you can park anywhere on moorgate street and walk down.  I dont understand.  Ok if there are disabled then that's different but if you cant be arsed walking for 10 minutes each way then I don't know. 

Very different if you're female attending an evening match on your own or even a 3pm match in winter walking back to the car after a match. Much safer feeling getting on a bus at the ground

[Sparks Rover]

Just now, gumboots said:

Very different if you're female attending an evening match on your own or even a 3pm match in winter walking back to the car after a match. Much safer feeling getting on a bus at the ground

I can tell you that you are not alone walking up livesey branch road after a game, we come at about 2 15 every game and park near the top of moorgate.  A lady alone would be very safe indeed no matter what time of day.  

Some people just make problems 

Edited May 19, 2019 by Sparks Rover

[JHRover]

1 hour ago, MCMC1875 said:

Diabolical performance by BWD borough council who destroyed the car parks at Ewood and have staff up and down Livesey Branch Road dishing out tickets on match days.

Ah the good old council. Rather than putting empty land at Ewood to use by allowing people to park there in safety they build a gypsy camp there and leave the rest to fall into rack and ruin. Then put extra parking wardens on duty and drop them all off ahead of the game to try and issue some fines to boost the coffers. Trying to exploit Rovers fans for extra cash. Disgusting. Meanwhile the town goes to the dogs.

The council are complicit in the difficulties.

[Paul]

6 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

Nope. Matchday experience is what happens on matchday and is connected to the match. The clue is in MatchDAY. 

 

Nope.  PNE put on coaches for home fans and advertise them on their website. They want to help with the matchday experience for their fans.

I don't agree with this. To my mind what the club do in and around the ground is the matchday experience. This the club can influence directly.

Transport to the ground is a different issue. Yes buses from various areas is a good idea but only impacts matchday for an extremely limited number of fans. As an exampke this might benefit 50 Chorley based supporters.

Would busing fans to the ground help attendance? It's impossible to know without trying it. People are wedded to their cars and persuading them to use public transport, park and ride etc. is extremely difficult. A trial which carefully monitored users - existing ST holders against "others" - would be interesting.

The original post I responded to stated clearly the experience at Ewood is inferior to that of the Crown Ground. The point being made is the matchday experience at Ewood needs improving for the 12,000 or so people in the ground.

[Paul]

3 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

I've been going for years and you can park anywhere on moorgate street and walk down.  I dont understand.  Ok if there are disabled then that's different but if you cant be arsed walking for 10 minutes each way then I don't know. 

Yep. Never had a problem parking near the ground for £3 just off LBR. Currently we chose to use the DE car park which is £200.

Parking is only an issue if you chose to make it one. Some sections of on steet parking for matchday have been relaxed. I don't know how widespread this is as I only notice the area I drive through.

[Mike E]

10 hours ago, arbitro said:

I pay £3.50 fare from Darwen and I think the double decker bus is around £180 to hire. We are dropped off at Ewood WMC and picked up behind the old Albion pub. It does seem we given priority over traffic afterwards and quite often are back at the Craven Heifer pub before 5.20.

I might have chatted to you quite a few times and never known. I get the bus from Park Inn at top of Watery Lane (when I go).

Have to echo another post, if that bus weren’t an option, my dad simply couldn’t get to Ewood. Any other option is too much hassle.

[BobdaBuilder]

The majority of Rovers fans will of been taken to their first game by a family member, who was probably taken to their first game by another family member.

To look at this you need to put yourselves in the position of someone who has never been to a match at Ewood or potentially any other sporting event anywhere.

Going to your first game, without being taken, isn't as straight forward a process as it could be, granted the Internet probably makes it easier than it was 20-30 years it's easy to find ticket info online and buy tickets.  But where would you sit, where would you feel safest with your kids, how much swearing will there be, will the traffic be bad, where will I park, will there be problems with away fans as I go back to my car.

All things that once you've been to a couple of games probably don't seem like an issue, but if you never been they are all reasons why you might take the kids to the cinema instead.

A simple to use well publicised park and ride that you can pre-book and guarantee a simple and straight forward match day experience has got to help, the first time fan, but it's not going to instantly add thousands on to the average gate.  I'd probably go as far as to say it probably wouldn't get that much use on a matchday as there is so much on street parking, so would no doubt be cancelled as a failure.

 

Edited May 19, 2019 by BobdaBuilder
missed a bit

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

13 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

A lot of this goes back to when the club decided to de-affiliate from supporters clubs 20 years back of whenever it was. Most withered on the vine, losing that connection to the club in the region.

Most decently sized clubs have a network of affiliated branches, London Branch aside, we have nowt. 

A strange decision that to this day makes no sense.

[Paul]

18 hours ago, HowieFive0 said:

Cmon Paul lets not get silly. People just saying there are ways n means of getting the attendances up. 

Youre talking like you don't know the demographics of who and where Rovers fans come from ..something aimed at Waggott on many occasions ..im sure youre more switched on than that …?

 

Yes it was a tongue in cheek, somewhat silly remark. My response was to a post regarding PNE busing fans in and there had been, at that point, no examples of what Stanley do. Now I understand there is an ultras section, live music, real ale marquees and cheap beer after a win. This is a different proposition.

I have some understanding of our demographic in that the town has a wide ethnic mix, low income base and small population. I don't know more but given this I'd argue attracting more fans from the town will be difficult and achieving the 20,000 often cited here needs 40-50% of those fans to come from outside Blackburn.

I live halfway between Chorley and Blackburn. At our peak around 30-35 fans left my village from 2.00pm onwards. With one exception these were families - I took four kids, another family was six in total. That's eleven from two households. Today I'm aware of four, yes 4, who go to every match. Three are me and two sons.

I'm still in touch with the majority of parents and know their children have moved and are spread across the UK. As an aside this is why free child tickets etc. have an immediate effect but low long-term impact.

Going back to demographics the Stanley initiative addresses, for me, a very narrow demographic. At 64 I don't want to stand in a tent, drinking beer listening to a local band. I enjoy each of those things but not at Ewood on matchday. I'd suggest the supporter this is aimed at would be 18-25, possibly 30 at a push.

Thinking about the out of town fan and people I know with an interest in football. None go to football to drink, many will not, including myself, drink and drive at all.  I may well be wrong but I think this would be commonplace amongst many of the target fans.

Taking this deeper. I started watching Rovers in I think '82 possibly '83 when we moved to the area. It's a long story but I wandered in to Ewood one Saturday and immediately was hooked. I had 3-4 seasons alone and then took children for around 13-14 seasons. A beer tent and rock music is the last thing I needed with up to four kids in tow. By the end of this I'd hit early 40s and life had changed.

My argument would be the majority who regularly question the club's commitment to or understanding of where the support would come from and how to attract them don't consider much of this. Those making this criticism look only at a narrow demographic, ignore out of town support and believe free child tickets build the future fan base, it doesn't.

In the era of 20,000+ home fans the crowd could be split in to core support, floating Rovers fans and those who simply wanted PL football. The only solution to returning to those levels of support is PL football. Everything else is window dressing.

Edited May 20, 2019 by Paul

[Stuart]

Just now, Paul said:

Yes it was a tongue in cheek, somewhat silly remark. My response was to a post regarding PNE busing fans in and there had been, at that point, no examples of what Stanley do. Now I understand there is an ultras section, live music, real ale marquees and cheap beer after a win. This is a different proposition.

I have some understanding of our demographic in that the town has a wide ethnic mix, low income base and small population. I don't know more but given this I'd argue attracting more fans from the town will be difficult and achieving the 20,000 often cited here needs 40-50% of those fans to come from outside Blackburn.

I live halfway between Chorley and Blackburn. At our peak around 30-35 fans left my village from 2.00pm onwards. With one exception these were families - I took four kids, another family was six in total. That's eleven from two households. Today I'm aware of four, yes 4, who go to every match. Three are me and two sons.

I'm still in touch with the majority of parents and know their children have moved and are spread across the UK. As an aside this is why free child tickets etc. have an immediate effect but low long-term impact.

Going back to demographics the Stanley initiative addresses, for me, a very narrow demographic. At 64 I don't want to stand in a tent, drinking beer listening to a local band. I enjoy each of those things but not at Ewood on matchday. I'd suggest the supporter this is aimed at would be 18-25, possibly 30 at a push.

Thinking about the out of town fan and people I know with an interest in football. None go to football to drink, many will not, including myself, drink and drive at all.  I may well be wrong but I think this would be commonplace amongst many of the target fans.

Taking this deeper. I started watching Rovers in I think '82 possibly '83 when we moved to the area. It's a long story but I wandered in to Ewood one Saturday and immediately was hooked. I had 3-4 seasons alone and then took children for around 13-14 seasons. A beer tent and rock music is the last thing I needed with up to four kids in tow. By the end of this I'd hit early 40s.

My argument would be the majority who regularly question the club's commitment to or understanding of where the support would come from and how to attract them don't consider much of this. Those making this criticism look only at a narrow demographic, ignore out of town support and believe free child tickets build the future fan base, it doesn't.

In the era of 20,000+ home fans the crowd could be split in to core support, floating Rovers fans and those who simply wanted PL football. The only solution to returning to those levels of support is PL football. Everything else is window dressing.

Which is why we need to do the right things as a club to get us there. Certainly while Venkys are propping up their mistakes.

But in the meantime, it doesn’t mean the club shouldn’t try to do something different. We could be another decade or more out of the top flight. We will still need to attract fans - possibly even more so.

The big problem is that what ever short term offer they make, you won’t get a stadium full of people all paying £400+ so they also need to get smarter at getting bums on seats while subsidising it through sponsorship.