Following your team from afar ...

[sympatheticclaret]

As I mentioned on another thread, eighteen months ago, I attempted to trace 51 lads who'd played u19's ( Colts ) Rugby at Blackburn Rugby Club between 1980-83, and with the help of various contacts, social media etc, I tracked down 47 of them. We had a fine well lubricated re-union in October 2017, but I was amazed that out of the 47 I traced, only 4 of them still resided within the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen.

Of the others, 10 now lived in the Ribble Valley, 14 lived in other areas of Lancashire  ( Including Greater Manchester, Merseyside etc ), 12 lived in other parts of England & 1 in Glasgow. The expats. were France ( 2 ), New Zealand ( 2 ), and 1 each for Dubai, Italy and Sweden, leaving 4 untraced ....

They virtually all kept up with information from home including Rover's fortunes, by way of family texts, streaming games, Facebook, Whatsapp, Facetime etc which makes us all realise how fortunate we are in the modern age .... has anybody any memories of going to great lengths to find ( or avoid ) scores from " Back in the Day " .... ?

 

 

[Mattyblue]

Not the point you are making, but a fine example of how Rovers MUST engage outside the borough of BwD, as more and more of our support now lives outside the town of Blackburn. My own group of mates from school are another example, out of about 10, two still live in Blackburn and one of them is about to move.

Surely the club's database must tell them that but they don't seem to have grasped it.

[Herbie6590]

35 minutes ago, sympatheticclaret said:

As I mentioned on another thread, eighteen months ago, I attempted to trace 51 lads who'd played u19's ( Colts ) Rugby at Blackburn Rugby Club between 1980-83, and with the help of various contacts, social media etc, I tracked down 47 of them. We had a fine well lubricated re-union in October 2017, but I was amazed that out of the 47 I traced, only 4 of them still resided within the Borough of Blackburn with Darwen.

Of the others, 10 now lived in the Ribble Valley, 14 lived in other areas of Lancashire  ( Including Greater Manchester, Merseyside etc ), 12 lived in other parts of England & 1 in Glasgow. The expats. were France ( 2 ), New Zealand ( 2 ), and 1 each for Dubai, Italy and Sweden, leaving 4 untraced ....

They virtually all kept up with information from home including Rover's fortunes, by way of family texts, streaming games, Facebook, Whatsapp, Facetime etc which makes us all realise how fortunate we are in the modern age .... has anybody any memories of going to great lengths to find ( or avoid ) scores from " Back in the Day " .... ?

 

 

Likely Lads plot...”England F..”

[Neil Weaver]

Just now, Herbie6590 said:

Likely Lads plot...”England F..”

Bit of a classic that one, listened to it a few days ago and it's on iplayer (audio) for another few days...... No Hiding Place

[sympatheticclaret]

Just now, MCMC1875 said:

Wedding do at Foxfields when Rovers played Palace in play offs. Radio on every table.

Late May/ Early June 1989, I was in the Town end with a couple of Rovers mates for the 1st leg ... did the marriage last ?? ?

Funnily enough, our reception was at the Foxfields, 29th July the same year, Pearl Wedding this time, and our son's getting married on our Anniversary !!

[Paul]

31 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Not the point you are making, but a fine example of how Rovers MUST engage outside the borough of BwD, as more and more of our support now lives outside the town of Blackburn. My own group of mates from school are another example, out of about 10, two still live in Blackburn and one of them is about to move.

Surely the club's database must tell them that but they don't seem to have grasped it.

Exactly what I was saying 10-12 years ago or more.

All this get the kids in free etc. Make them a Rover for life is all very good until they move away. It does absolutely zero for future attendance.

In the 90s 30-40 people, mainly kids, left our village for Ewood every Saturday. Today it's 5-6. Why? All moved away. A huge investment by Williams in future attendance but mostly wasted.

[old darwen blue]

I got married on the day we played Forest on our first home game in the premier league. Had a radio on everywhere except the church. We drove past Ewood in the White Rolls on the way to the reception at the moat house and got plenty applause from the Rovers fans going to the game. 

 

 

WTF was I thinking missing that game, should have cancelled the wedding!

[JHRover]

People say that we've a small catchment area in Blackburn with it not being a city etc. etc. 

We need to look beyond that and realise/accept that our catchment area isn't Blackburn with Darwen. It's also Hyndburn, Clitheroe, Whalley, Rossendale, Bamber Bridge, Lostock, Leyland, Euxton, Chorley - all within 20 minutes drive of Ewood Park. 

So whilst you might 'only' have 150,000 people in BwDBC you've another 200,000+ in these areas on the doorstep. Most of which are heavily populated with Rovers fans already and that needs building on.

It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when the club and people involved in it focus all their efforts on the town of Blackburn rather than the areas around it.

We've competition in these areas - Dingles, PNE, Bolton and Stanley - not to mention the big boys - but we need to make it more attractive than the others.

[perthblue02]

Sneaked out of my own wedding reception with my Auntie and Uncle and two cousins who had come over for the wedding, got a taxi to a sports bar in Perth that was showing Rovers v Spurs (League match 2009), after the match taxi back ,we won 2-1,  all good and still married

Edited May 6, 2019 by perthblue02

[sympatheticclaret]

1 hour ago, perthblue02 said:

Sneaked out of my own wedding reception with my Auntie and Uncle and two cousins who had come over for the wedding, got a taxi to a sports bar in Perth that was showing Rovers v Spurs (League match 2009), after the match taxi back ,we won 2-1,  all good and still married

Now that's devotion to the cause .... and an understanding spouse, I fancy !!

[old darwen blue]

1 hour ago, sympatheticclaret said:

Now that's devotion to the cause .... and an understanding spouse, I fancy !!

You fancy his wife?

Stick to your sister. 

[deryck guyler's spoon]

I watched my first game on ifollow (Swansea) and it was pretty good and worth the money. With daylight saving coming in here for the winter it was on at a decent time and I was able to watch straight after enjoying Adelaide Utd's progress to the A league semi finals. Sadly, of course, the days of watching Rovers live on Foxtel in the wee small hours are gone and I mostly wake up on a Sunday morning and go straight to google for the score.

[perthblue02]

2 hours ago, sympatheticclaret said:

Now that's devotion to the cause .... and an understanding spouse, I fancy !!

Oh yes, the art of negotiation , once She said she wanted it to be a Saturday around that date, the Rovers clause was inserted .

Quite a memorable day with relegation threatened Rovers beating Spurs with a last minute Andre Ooijer goal

[philipl]

Got married then managed to get the result at the reception. Lost 0-2 to Southampton at home and Roy Hodgson had been fired straight after the game. Still remember the double shock and completely lost my thread in my Groom's speech!

 

[MarkBRFC]

Weddings during the season, never heard anything like it.

I was given several dates by the misses and strategically arranged mine during the September International break in 2012.

One of my best mates who is a Port Vale fan was fuming, they won 6-2 that day ?

[Mattyblue]

I was at a wedding when Stoke away was on this season.

Our table didn't hear a word of the speeches as we were refreshing Twitter for updates as that mad last 10 minutes was going on. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Mattyblue

[oldjamfan1]

Not entirely on topic but all these posters talking about their wedding day being on the same day as a Rovers game made me think of the late great Bill Shankly.

Shortly after his famous quote "Football isn't a matter of life and death, its more important than that!", a journalist asked him whether it was true that he had celebrated his wedding anniversary by taking his wife to watch Rochdale.

"Don't be so bloody ridiculous son" he replied, "who gets married during the football season? It was her birthday. And anyway, it was Rochdale reserves!"

 

[Crimpshrine]

I lived in London for a number of years. When Rovers played evening matches - no internet, couldn't get radio Lancs etc, I used to work late so that I could call Clubcall every 10 minutes using the office phone.  

[JacknOry]

Just now, Crimpshrine said:

I lived in London for a number of years. When Rovers played evening matches - no internet, couldn't get radio Lancs etc, I used to work late so that I could call Clubcall every 10 minutes using the office phone.  

Haha my mate used to always be on clubcall to get the latest transfer rumors.