Attendances

[arbitro]

8 hours ago, Mike E said:

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.

I remember the bus stopping for people from the Park to get on but not recently. Quite a few get off at the top of Watery Lane and further down at the Function Room.

I know of at least two contributors to this site who are usually on the bus.

[Paul]

26 minutes ago, Stuart said:

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.

I very much agree with you except on price as it's currently possible to get an ST at £319-£349, £14-15/match in round figures. Matchday comparable prices are £22-27 so an ST is, for me, outstanding value offering savings of £7-12. Just how much do people expect? I don't understand or know Stuart, do you? I really cannot understand why at £15 price is an issue. It's £10 at Chorley stood on an open terrace watching through the back of someone's head! I like going to Chorley on a warm, sunny Saturday when Rovers are away and I have , literally, nothing else to do - twice last season. Re matchday prices, yes, I would think twice about paying £27 which is why I've had an ST for 35 years - price just doesn't come in to it.

We need to do all we can to get more people in to Ewood but I cannot understand how buses and beer will have a significant impact.

One idea I've never heard explored is this - credit union loans. When I was active with Rovers Trust this was a topic we explored but never really managed to progress. I don't know if it has potential but it might be easier for those with a poor credit history, suspicion of major banks etc.

On the busing issue I would make another point. The No.24 Chorley-Blackburn service leaves the town centre and passes through east Chorley, Lower Wheelton, Higher Wheelton, Brinscall, Withnell, Abbey Village, Feniscowles so covering virtually all the villages between Chorley and Ewood - it stops at Ewood and takes 45 minutes from Chorley bus station. In all my time of going to Ewood I have, without a word of exaggeration, heard ONE person mention this ONCE ** - that's in 35 years. When a public service appears to be underused would the club really be able to offer a viable alternative? Perhaps a free journey for those showing the driver an ST?

** I do know the route changed some years ago but don't know when, today it stops at Ewood.

Edited May 20, 2019 by Paul

[Rogerb]

13 hours ago, Paul said:

 

On the busing issue I would make another point. The No.24 Chorley-Blackburn service leaves the town centre and passes through east Chorley, Lower Wheelton, Higher Wheelton, Brinscall, Withnell, Abbey Village, Feniscowles so covering virtually all the villages between Chorley and Ewood - it stops at Ewood and takes 45 minutes from Chorley bus station. In all my time of going to Ewood I have, without a word of exaggeration, heard ONE person mention this ONCE ** - that's in 35 years.

I use this service periodically. There is at most ten on the bus going to ewood and there is no service for a night match

[gumboots]

On 19/05/2019 at 16:44, Sparks Rover said:

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 

It's not just about being safe. It's about feeling safe. And I'm not making a problem because I personally don't have one. I'm merely pointing out that there are potential advantages to a bus service for those coming on their own from further away. We ought to be encouraging as many people as possible to use public transport for all sorts of reasons

[Mattyblue]

Sharpe still parroting the disproved line that it was the police that asked for noon KOs last season...

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/17691039.rovers-looking-closely-at-home-and-away-ticket-prices/

 

[tomphil]

Good to see Waggot publically stating he's looking at these things instead of the silence we used to have at least

[Mattyblue]

Something we’ve been calling for on here for years.

‘Negative brfcs’ ahead of the curve... again.

[gumboots]

Sale Sharks do a seat exchange scheme. If you ring them up to 72 hours before a match to say you can't attend, they cancel your ST for that match so nobody can use it but issue an extra ticket for a game of your choice. On that day you go along on your ST but get an extra ticket to take a mate or family member who does not have an ST. Might not work at Ewood but the kind of imaginative thinking that might encourage more to commit to an ST if their concern is missing too many games and therefore not getting value

[tomphil]

Basically if you buy an ST but have to miss a lot of games they should perhaps tot it up at the end of the season and either give you 10% off renewing again or club cash points ?

Although you don't want to encourage people not to turn up if they can't be arsed but many games get jerked about these days so surely the committed fan is entitled to something back for missing out !

Edited June 8, 2019 by tomphil

[OldEwoodBlue]

Just now, tomphil said:

Although you don't want to encourage people not to turn up if they can't be arsed but many games get jerked about these days so surely the committed fan is entitled to something back for missing out !

so only fans who have STs are committed fans.... ?

although they are so committed they can't be arsed to go yet deserve something back ?

What are you talking about man ?!

 

Our most committed fans are those who go to all the away games paying lots of money in the process yet refusing to go to Ewood whilst the Chicken Farmers reside in office.

 

[Mattyblue]

Are they hell! A lot of those fans will go to games up north and the midlands for a day out on the ale. You honestly think they give a shite about the owners either way?

 They think Ewood is a crap experience in a not much more than third full ground.

It’s your Birdy’s that win any ‘commitment’ competitions hands down.

Edited June 8, 2019 by Mattyblue

[Stuart]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

Are they hell! A lot of those fans will go to games up north and the midlands for a day out on the ale. You honestly think they give a shite about the owners either way?

 They think Ewood is a crap experience in a not much more than third full ground.

It’s your Birdy’s that win any ‘commitment’ competitions hands down.

These are the same people who are happy to be packed into an away end as it makes a great atmosphere. Yet don’t want to be packed into the BBE and would rather sit in 10% of the opposite stand.

In my humble opinion, clubs like ours (not withstanding the noble yet relative minority of protester stay-aways) really need German-style safe standing with unreserved spots.

[Mattyblue]

Why have my and OldEwoodBlue’s posts been deleted?

There was nothing remotely antagonistic in them?

[tomphil]

58 minutes ago, OldEwoodBlue said:

so only fans who have STs are committed fans.... ?

although they are so committed they can't be arsed to go yet deserve something back ?

What are you talking about man ?!

 

Our most committed fans are those who go to all the away games paying lots of money in the process yet refusing to go to Ewood whilst the Chicken Farmers reside in office.

 

That's their choice you pilchard i'm not sure that counts as more committed than those who've bitten the bullet and done both eh ?

Then again in your mind it probably is !

I'm clearly on about fixture changes etc and people who might consider buying one but are put off because they know they have to miss games even before the moved ones, man !

[tomphil]

35 minutes ago, Stuart said:

These are the same people who are happy to be packed into an away end as it makes a great atmosphere. Yet don’t want to be packed into the BBE and would rather sit in 10% of the opposite stand.

In my humble opinion, clubs like ours (not withstanding the noble yet relative minority of protester stay-aways) really need German-style safe standing with unreserved spots.

Exactly !

There was a time it was justified and you can never be sure it won't be again but trying to paint it as some kind of moral crusade now is ridiculous. Nearly as ridiculous as the empty seats every other week when the clubs finally on an even keel again and at least has a chance of pushing forwards.

Be great if the CEO came up with something to pack that BBE lower and bring the away style atmosphere to Ewood, said it many times but the BBE end was the heartbeat of Ewood and something a lot of other clubs have lost these days, that traditional end behind the goal.  It can still make a difference when it's on form but that is rare these days.

Start there Stevie boy and work outwards.

[K-Hod]

17 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Why have my and OldEwoodBlue’s posts been deleted?

There was nothing remotely antagonistic in them?

There wasn't in yours, but there was  plenty in OldEwoodBlue’s and you quoted it, so unfortunately, it was collateral damage.....

Edited June 8, 2019 by K-Hod

[47er]

Is it not possible to wipe just the offending comments from someone who has merely quoted a post or would it take up too much time?

[K-Hod]

12 minutes ago, 47er said:

Is it not possible to wipe just the offending comments from someone who has merely quoted a post or would it take up too much time?

But then it would look like Matty wasn't talking to anyone, if I removed the quote from his post....

[Mattyblue]

I often am on Attendance threads...

[gumboots]

2 hours ago, tomphil said:

Basically if you buy an ST but have to miss a lot of games they should perhaps tot it up at the end of the season and either give you 10% off renewing again or club cash points ?

Although you don't want to encourage people not to turn up if they can't be arsed but many games get jerked about these days so surely the committed fan is entitled to something back for missing out !

Something like that might work. If you're committed enough to be prepared to buy a ST then, if you miss a match, it's not often that you can't be bothered to go. It's because something makes it nigh on impossible for you to be there, either work, or travel, illness or family obligations.  Doing something to reward you for buying the ST and committing cash to the club in advance would be feelgood. The Sharks idea is to get more people into the ground as they currently have one of if not the lowest attendances in the league so a free ticket for someone else for a future match of your choice is good for them. 

When my kids were at home it was easy enough to pass season tickets to someone else (yes, I know you're not supposed to but everyone does) but now they don't live close enough to be able to attend if we can't.  But being able to get a free ticket for them if I couldn't attend a ST match would mean we could have a family outing again. 

[tomphil]

I could probably only get to 5 or 6 at home guaranteed at the min and maybe 10 maximum and that's 3pm Saturdays so i'm being a bit selfish looking at it like that but i'm sure there's a few in the same position.  Price isn't really an issue at the min IF I could guarantee 10 games or more but I can't so a bit of something else might make it more worthwhile.

[only2garners]

I can empathise with the sentiment and could benefit from such a scheme myself. I already know I will miss several games this coming season as I’m away for the second half of August and 6 weeks in Feb/March.

But just offering a free ticket for a future game for any you miss will mean hundreds suddenly unable to get to Ewood on a cold wet Tuesday night at home to Charlton but all wanting to bring a mate to PNE at home on a Saturday

[tomphil]

1 hour ago, only2garners said:

I can empathise with the sentiment and could benefit from such a scheme myself. I already know I will miss several games this coming season as I’m away for the second half of August and 6 weeks in Feb/March.

But just offering a free ticket for a future game for any you miss will mean hundreds suddenly unable to get to Ewood on a cold wet Tuesday night at home to Charlton but all wanting to bring a mate to PNE at home on a Saturday

That's the problem it would surely throw up especially in a dismal run or season petering out to nothing so just some modest gesture might be better.  The angle I was coming at it from though was to try and tempt a few more to buy STs who might be in two minds rather than just reward people for buying them or compensate non attending.

Best tried and trusted way in these parts is back to the old school heavy discounts for everyone or a pledge/cash back offer of some sort. Always gets a few thousand extra, combine it with backing up the words of some decent signings and getting rid of non contributors and you're on to a winner, in relative terms.

[gumboots]

4 hours ago, only2garners said:

I can empathise with the sentiment and could benefit from such a scheme myself. I already know I will miss several games this coming season as I’m away for the second half of August and 6 weeks in Feb/March.

But just offering a free ticket for a future game for any you miss will mean hundreds suddenly unable to get to Ewood on a cold wet Tuesday night at home to Charlton but all wanting to bring a mate to PNE at home on a Saturday

I did say it might not work at Ewood. It was more about the idea of some kind of incentive other than lower match day prices as opposed to walk on prices. The problem is that if you're going to miss lots of games the price difference gets smaller so buying a season ticket if you know you'll definitely miss 6 games becomes less enticing as you know events over a season will cause you to probably miss another couple. Compensating for that in some offer would perhaps entice a few who are going to be borderline. I don't know but its just a more imaginative idea than some I've heard. And you can't just choose on the day at Sale. You have to give 72 hours notice and of course you could block certain high demand matches from free tickets if you made that clear when the scheme was set up. But it wouldn't have to be ticket exchange. It could be other rewards like money off friends tickets or off your next season ticket, discounts in shop, or whatever you think might make wavering fans commit

[only2garners]

I too would love to find a way of encouraging more people to take out season tickets rather than picking a few games a season. Everyone these days has lots of other pressing demands on their time, be it working, looking after children, family events or like me being retired and able to travel for longer periods.

Tomphil - It would be great to have an incentive for those marginal fans to get them over the line, but any scheme like that would just give an incentive for many existing ST holders to attend fewer games.

I can’t see giving fans a good reason to pick and choose working. Another point we have to contend with is all the midweek games on the Sky red button. It’s difficult enough for many to get to midweek games as it is and a real problem for anyone with young kids, so offering any sort of “incentive” is just going to greatly depress actual attendances, further downgrading the match day experience.

I would be delighted if a scheme could be found though.