Attendances

[AAK]

14 minutes ago, Bad Boy said:

This did not work in the new thread I initiated (probably due to me being a ‘newbie’) so I have pasted it here.   Mods please remove the new thread I started.  Thank you.  Here goes:

This is an attempt to bring together discussions on a number of related issues.

There can be few who can disagree the atmosphere at Ewood resembles a morgue (unless we are 3 up?).  We have the issues of parts of the ground being closed; I understand the logic behind this but the application was not what should be expected of a professional organisation.

This is not one for me as a bloke in his early 50’s but we need to come up with a proposal that the Club will support and one that builds atmosphere and lifts the players.  Please note I am not saying anything about the football on the pitch.

I understand the Club would be receptive to a fans initiative for say a safe standing area in the top corner (JW End) of the BBE Lower.  This could, for example, be two blocks of say 15 to 20 seats depth.

If for example this came from the fans (Fans Forum) with a suggestion that the fans play their part via crowdfunding a proportion of the cost (and new flags) it could well fly.  Shrewsbury fans did this; if they can surely we can?

Despite past actions and how these have been received the Club are desperate to improve the atmosphere and surprise surprise they know they do not have all the answers.

is anyone prepared to take the initiative?  Yet another poll perhaps?

Whats the point, the club treat us with contempt, and couldnt care less. Nobody can be assed anymore, weve tried for 9 years now, most have given up and dont go anymore.

Edited October 29, 2019 by AAK

[Sparks Rover]

33 minutes ago, Bad Boy said:

Sorry AKK but that’s is not true. Maybe if you tried to engage you would be surprised.

Which bit‘s not true? The club treating the fans with contempt or that nobody can be arsed anymore?

[JHRover]

I'm afraid the club has dug its own grave in relation to attendances and atmosphere at Ewood and it is going to be very difficult to turn that around now from what amounts to a prolonged decline. Some will try and put their heads in the sand and say the decline is mostly natural and a result of life outside the Premier League but I don't entirely buy that cop out of an excuse which seems to be based on 30-40 year old attendance figures for the pre-Jack Walker era (lets be honest such figures have little to no relevance in 2019 given the changes in society, football and stadia)

When the club was managed by competent people like John Williams there was a recognition that ongoing efforts needed to be made by the club to boost attendances and the atmosphere. The club came up with the idea of putting home fans behind both goals by opening part of the DE Lower up to home fans and making it 'different' to the rest of the ground by making it cheaper and offering unreserved seating and essentially an unofficial standing area. This lasted reasonably well for 7-8 years despite zero efforts from the club to promote it or encourage people to take flags etc. in there.

I went in a couple of times. Not my cup of tea for a number of reasons but i got why some people liked it and that was the obvious place to try and grow and develop a singing/standing/banners and flags area - otherwise empty and right next to the away fans where the atmosphere is easiest to generate between opposing fans.

Sadly the money focused people thought they could save a few quid by shutting that stand down. No effort at all made to relocate this area to an adjacent stand. The Lower JW corner unsuitable for such an idea anyway due to its location and size. This followed similar efforts to save a few quid by shutting down the BBE Upper and forcibly relocating season ticket holders in both the BBE upper and JW lower, in the process annoying plenty of people.

The folk who are paid to 'manage' matchdays at Ewood quite happy with this new arrangement. Less areas to police. A wrecking ball swung at the most 'troublesome' area of home fans with those numbers plummeting and the diaspora of those remaining across the other 3 stands making them much less of a 'problem' for them to manage. Much better, much easier, much less hassle. Same salary at the end of the day. Why should they care?

All this has happened irrespective of results and performances on the pitch (in the main these have been atrocious) and pricing of tickets (which have been escalated massively under the latest bloke claiming to be in charge). 

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out why gates and atmospheres have dropped through the floor. Sadly there still seems to be a complete ignorance or refusal to accept that decisions made in the offices at Ewood are arguably the single biggest factor in all this. In 2016 they went for the triple whammy of allowing Lambert to walk out, antagonizing fans by appointing a failed dingle manager and then shutting down stands for good measure.

What are they doing to address all that? Any fresh ideas? Nope. Just questioning fans commitment whilst continuing to serve up rubbish and then introducing punitive extra charges for good measure, moving away fans as far away as possible. Anyone who looks at what Huddersfield have done with what was their away end or even Reading whose gates are barely and better than ours in truth would be able to learn a thing or two.

Sadly cheap and easy with minimal effort is the way of things these days. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by JHRover

[gumboots]

Other clubs of all kinds are looking at initiatives to improve crowds. Season tickets at Clitheroe were reduced to £30. Yes its non league buf its increased crowds by 10% this season. Sale offer their free buses. They're riding the wave of good publicity from allowing Ben Curry to go and watch his twin play in Japan. Clubs like Accrington have been quoted before as doing drinks at cheap prices, giving schoolkids shirts etc. Rovers have to look at ways of doing things differently. Crowds have to be wooed and won nowadays. Its not a given that your dad takes you when you're little and you become a fan for life as used to happen. Good initiatives can improve situations even when the team isnt doing great on the pitch. It's all about the all round experience which has to draw you in. Success on the pitch is part of it, but better crowds can help performance so you have to get people in and improve your chances of success. 

[OldEwoodBlue]

Sheff Wed initial allocation 2978

Still loads left. Wonder why ?

[JHRover]

Another big away crowd falling by the wayside. Why again did Waggott say the Darwen End home area was being closed?

[Guest]

3200 Sheffield Wednesday fans (at a guess by the weekend) x £40.00 = £128,000
5900 Sheffield Wednesday fans (last year) x £24.00 = £141,600

What was the point in the £40 price for Sheffield Wednesday fans again?

[MarkBRFC]

It's a strange one anyway, £40 or not Sheff Wed haven't bought more than 3k here for years.

[tomphil]

You'd expect around 2.5k unless they are on a good roll so if that number is halved on Sat it's two fingers to it.  If it is on or around a similar number they've bitten the bullet but more fool them making a rod for their own backs because it'll probably be dearer next season.

Either way Waggot and Cheston shrug their shoulders and enjoy a nice expensive bottle of red on Saturday evening win lose or draw. Tony rushes home to do the family tombola night with the Mowbray clan in front of the log burner in the front room. 

[MCMC1875]

On 27/10/2019 at 09:09, Mattyblue said:

Bundles don’t work here, they never have, but the club keeps on with them.

 

Bundles have never worked.

I bet single tickets for £20 (no tax) would have more success than 3 for £45.

Just suppose you get a free Saturday unexpectedly, you have £20 spare. Ewood! £45 is a big wedge to a lot of people. Lots of people can't guarantee 3 free Saturdays. Imagine a local Combination fixture gets rained off on Saturday morning. 11 lads decide to go to Rovers. A bundle is no good.

Edited October 30, 2019 by MCMC1875

[MCMC1875]

Ever since Waggott said he wanted the Darwen End for away fans and moved Rovers fans, he has discouraged big crowds either by pricing, moving kick off times or by moving fans upstairs.

[tomphil]

It hasn't made a blind bit of difference to the home form in fact its gone worse.

Would the team prefer 400 hundred home fans down that corner when they are kicking that way ?   I'd wager 100% they would.

Just like the signing of certain players and the investing of money the NON football decisions rule at Ewood.

[MCMC1875]

2 minutes ago, MCMC1875 said:

Bundles have never worked.

I bet singles for £20 (no tax) would have more success than 3 for £45.

You get a free Saturday unexpectedly, you have £20 spare. Ewood! £45 is a big wedge to a lot of people. Lots can't guarantee 3 free Saturdays. Local Combination fixture gets rained off on Saturday.11 lads decide to go to Rovers. Bundle doesn't work.

By the time the Combination team has found out the match category, added the tax and remembered if they are 1875 members, they've probably gone to the pub instead.

[JHRover]

30 minutes ago, MCMC1875 said:

Ever since Waggott said he wanted the Darwen End for away fans and moved Rovers fans, he has discouraged big crowds either by pricing, moving kick off times or by moving fans upstairs.

Since he made that claim we've had 2 matches out of more than 30 where the away following has taken up all or most of the Darwen End. Leeds and Preston at home. I'd be surprised if either sold out this season with Waggott's pricing. 

[JHRover]

I remember playing Cardiff at home 1st game of the season on a Friday night live on TV just after they had been relegated. Darwen End lower divided between home and away fans. BBE upper open. 15,600 on. Maybe 2000 or so Cardiff fans on so 13000-14000 home fans. All areas of ground open. Felt good that night. The ground felt good and it was a good atmosphere.

Now we are down to 10,000 with two stands closed it feels awful.

[Hasta]

17 hours ago, JHRover said:

One of the most frustrating things about the membership scheme is there is no benefit to be had when buying cup matches. All my league home games are covered by my season ticket. I never buy additional home tickets. When we get home cup matches there should be a benefit to members.

First home cup game of the season should be free to season tickets regardless. It used to be back in the early 90's.

Yes there is a chance it would be Man U, Liverpool or Burnley. But in reality it will be Colchester or Mansfield.

[Hasta]

3 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

It's a strange one anyway, £40 or not Sheff Wed haven't bought more than 3k here for years.

Last year. That's over 3000, closer to 4000.

Looks like over 3000 in 2015 as well.

Edited October 30, 2019 by Hasta

[Stuart]

3 hours ago, JoeH said:

3200 Sheffield Wednesday fans (at a guess by the weekend) x £40.00 = £128,000
5900 Sheffield Wednesday fans (last year) x £24.00 = £141,600

What was the point in the £40 price for Sheffield Wednesday fans again?

In my view to boost sales of the three game offer.

”All about creating (the illusion of) value”.

People ask why Waggott isn’t seen as on the fans‘ side. They need to look at what he does with his pricing policies and not what he says.

- ST prices have increased

- Shirt costs have increased

- Walk-on costs have rocketed

- Food/drink prices have rocketed

Meanwhile we have 1875 club incentives, tacky £350 lottery tickets to win 10k, pithy bundles trying to incentivise fans to buy into the higher pricing policy. “Buy a ST it’s cheaper” while putting up the price of everything else to make it appear so. While ignoring the fact that your average Blackburner doesn’t have a big wallet - and they aren’t even spending it in the pub (which is why the pub trade is shrinking as quickly as the Rovers fanbase!)

If he doesn’t, can’t, or won’t try to understand - let alone increase - his catchment area, and look at a lower margin, higher volume model then we are never going to see the fanbase grow.

Fortunately-well-off (I can afford it so should they) or die-hard (I’d rather follow Rovers and go without) fans may take a different view but they are already here!

If you want to attract more affluent out of town folk then you need to make the brand a lot more appealing and floundering around with a manager whose ambition or ability will see us 14th at best isn’t going to work either.

Billionaire owners and we are scratting around trying to increase revenues by tapping up the same beleaguered fans. Is it any wonder there is no atmosphere at Ewood and more vociferous fans would rather give their money to away clubs than to Rovers?

[Rogerb]

As of first thing this morning Wednesday have sold 2612 source Owls talk

Edited October 30, 2019 by Rogerb
Spelling

[tomphil]

Looks like it is justified then but i suppose you can find enough out of half of a city that size keen enough at the end of the day.

Personally i don't care how loyal or passionate a fan you are or whether you can afford it you have to be off your rocker to pay that for a second tier football match.  Asking to be ripped off time and again and playing right into the hands of the suits half of who are laughing at it and just thinking about their own bonuses or payrises.

Times like this fans should stick together and stick two fingers up at it but there is nowt more weird than people.

Then again they probably think it is a nailed on 3 points they don't even half to worry about going several goals behind !

Edited October 30, 2019 by tomphil

[tomphil]

6 hours ago, JHRover said:

I remember playing Cardiff at home 1st game of the season on a Friday night live on TV just after they had been relegated. Darwen End lower divided between home and away fans. BBE upper open. 15,600 on. Maybe 2000 or so Cardiff fans on so 13000-14000 home fans. All areas of ground open. Felt good that night. The ground felt good and it was a good atmosphere.

Now we are down to 10,000 with two stands closed it feels awful.

Think they brought about 1800 that night, great effort from them.

That was when GB had spent the summer coming out with similar soundbites to Mowbray and made a couple of positives signings so hope was up. It evaporated within about ten mins when it was clear he'd set up for a draw at home first game of the season. Compounded totally when the centre back playing at right back got injured, went off and he left the RB on the bench and moved Lowe to right back.

You have to ask why there wasn't a similar buzz first home game this until you realise we've seen and heard it all before, when you know you know. Therefore something needs doing on and off the pitch if they want to get more in.

[Hasta]

There is a firework display on after the game on Saturday. My mate has just said he might move his seat and take his two kids with him (aged 6 and 8).

£11 each for under 11 in the BBE. It's £5 against Barnsley. That's over double the price for under 11's to come and watch a firework display.

Now if I remember rightly there were quite a lot of people stopped behind for the fireworks last time they did this. There were also probably parents who attended to bring the kids because of the fireworks.  It should be free for kids with a paying adult for something like this, not doubling the price.

Edited October 31, 2019 by Hasta

[Sparks Rover]

This type of marketing actually turns me off, like tonight in Tesco , Pasta n Sauce £1.10 each or 3 for £1.80 cheeky gets trying to force you into something. I hate that type of shit. I just don’t buy it then on principle. Just price 1 at a reasonable price and I’ll always buy

[Scotland1]

Sunderland have a great promotion on. Yet again.

Spend 50 quid in there megastore get two match tickets free.

Surely we should be looking at similar.

Over to you Rovers and Waggott.

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by Scotland1

[Sparks Rover]

29 minutes ago, Scotland1 said:

Sunderland have a great promotion on. Yet again.

Spend 50 quid in there megastore get two match tickets free.

Surely we should be looking at similar.

Over to you Rovers and Waggott.

 

Waggot expects you to pay £40 to get in and £45 for a shirt. Good deal that