Blues Bar

[unsall]

22 hours ago, JHRover said:

No I very rarely go in and rarely buy any food or drink from the club outlets. I'm a real ale drinker and don't like being ripped off. So I won't be paying £4 or whatever it is for a pint of Fosters or John Smiths.

They could relaunch the Blues Bar. Change the name. Call it the 'Rovers Return' and refurbish it to give it a 'real ale pub' style feel.  If worried about changing habits then what is popular at the moment? Real ale rather than keg beer. Traditional decor and furniture, cask ales on tap, pub grub at sensible prices e.g. not £15 for burger and chips. 

Sheffield Wednesday did it at Hillsborough and opened the 'Hillsborough Tap'.

Give season ticket holders the option of membership for an extra £10 a year. Membership gets you 2 pints per game at a reduced price. Get people into the habit of going in. Market it to local businesses as a place to get a decent lunch during the week. Put a quiz on one night. 

Too much effort though. Just close it.

You’ve obviously not been in blues bar for a while, food is reasonably priced, match day experience is really buzzing, but hardly anyone goes in during the week, seems pretty sensible to only open on match days and functions.

Its also been fully refurbished to a high standard and looks very well.

Also told that plans are afoot to refurbish the Darwen end lounge and open as a Mediterranean restaurant opening every day.

The concourses have been revamped and they are refurbishing all the lounges.

The person telling me this is  very much involved in the club who said they have realised that not much has been done in the last 25 years to upgrade everything as the ground is getting a little tired. 

Believe also a soft drinks bar ( no alcohol) is also in the pipeline in one of the smaller lounges.

This is all done as a joint venture with Rovers and the new catering partner Sodexo.

And believe it or not the plans are still there re the riverside stand inc a hotel, but that is definitely only going to happen if we return to the premier league.

Going back to Blues bar, the atmosphere on match days is brilliant, before and after the game and many times you struggle to get in because it’s packed.

Understand  you going on about Stanley, but you can’t compare the two clubs and facilities , overheads etc. Personally think the management deserves a little credit instead of negative stuff.

 

[DeeCee]

Why no publicity then?

 

[HowieFive0]

1 hour ago, unsall said:

You’ve obviously not been in blues bar for a while, food is reasonably priced, match day experience is really buzzing, but hardly anyone goes in during the week, seems pretty sensible to only open on match days and functions.

Its also been fully refurbished to a high standard and looks very well.

Also told that plans are afoot to refurbish the Darwen end lounge and open as a Mediterranean restaurant opening every day.

The concourses have been revamped and they are refurbishing all the lounges.

The person telling me this is  very much involved in the club who said they have realised that not much has been done in the last 25 years to upgrade everything as the ground is getting a little tired. 

Believe also a soft drinks bar ( no alcohol) is also in the pipeline in one of the smaller lounges.

This is all done as a joint venture with Rovers and the new catering partner Sodexo.

And believe it or not the plans are still there re the riverside stand inc a hotel, but that is definitely only going to happen if we return to the premier league.

Going back to Blues bar, the atmosphere on match days is brilliant, before and after the game and many times you struggle to get in because it’s packed.

Understand  you going on about Stanley, but you can’t compare the two clubs and facilities , overheads etc. Personally think the management deserves a little credit instead of negative stuff.

 

Completely agree ..the people on here calling this a travesty and the clubs fault ..how many times did they actually go to the Blues Bar mid week ? Lots of local pubs are struggling mid week nevermind one stuck in a footie ground . a lot of pubs don't even open Mondays.

Theres very little around the Blues Bar  pub wise to make a pub crawl of it and could completely understand if it was simply kept open say on a Friday night with maybe a band on .

And this Stanley love in ..yes great ideas ..but lets not forget Stanley have a  limited capacity of  around 5500 and are more than willing to give three quarters of the ground to away support. That's their only way to survive and  I maybe wrong but I think Andy Holt has already said they ve lost 145 grand already. 

Meanwhile we re up in arms whether away support should be in Lower or Upper tier ..

I get people on here within reason  hate Waggott ..hate Mowbray even (some cant even post without an Anti Mowbray comment..you know who you are ..).. but come on ..lets not tag everything onto them ..three quarters of this board don't even make it to Ewood on a Saturday so aint making  the Blues Bar on a non descript  Tuesday night in January  ..

 

Edited November 29, 2019 by HowieFive0

[Blackpool_Rover]

How is Blues bar these days? Worth taking a Czech father and brother in law on Saturday or should I just head for the Brown Cow? Would be nice to show them the inside of Blue's but not if its crap. Benefit of course would be avoiding possible trouble.

[Mattyblue]

Always a good atmosphere on a match day.

Though I personally think its latest renovation has made it too generic a sports bar with a load of the Rovers memorabilia/photos that once adorned the walls etc stripped out.

Edited January 7, 2020 by Mattyblue

[Blackpool_Rover]

3 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Always a good atmosphere on a match day.

Though I personally think its latest renovation has made it too generic a sports bar with a load of the Rovers memorabilia/photos that once adorned the walls etc stripped out.

Good to know. Thanks.

[pk1875]

On ‎28‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 18:36, magicalmortensleftpeg said:

Or maybe they’re pragmatic business decisions that have been made because no one is making use of the facilities you’ve listed..

We had 11k on last night. I don’t think you can blame the club for shutting parts of the ground if only 1/3rd of it is full.

 

So why not close the Riverside and Blackburn End? Put all home fans in the Jack Walker Stand (They would fit most games). Less stewarding costs etc?

[Sparks Rover]

2 hours ago, pk1875 said:

So why not close the Riverside and Blackburn End? Put all home fans in the Jack Walker Stand (They would fit most games). Less stewarding costs etc?

Close the Blackburn End?????☹

[HowieFive0]

1 hour ago, Sparks Rover said:

Close the Blackburn End?????☹

May as well just shut up shop if that was to happen.

Quickest way to cut gates even more because a lot in BBurn End will not move into the JW.

Im hoping it was a tongue in cheek suggestion from PK ..which now .. I think it was !

[Mum63]

On 29/11/2019 at 20:19, Claytons Left Boot said:

The John Lewis Suite was open during the week prior to the ground redevelopment, Matt. When I worked in Blackburn, me and the Mrs went for our dinner one day and I was delighted to see Kenny and all the players in there for their mid day meal. I remember, the bar man was temporarily away from the bar and Shearer, fed up of waiting, got up and poured himself a pint. The food was good as well.

I uses to work in thé John Lewis suite thé players and manager uses to always have lunch in there ,it was when they trained on the pitch.met jack Walker a few times .

[Vinjay]

So did the club switch entirely to training at Ewood between the old "training ground" and Brockhall? 

20 hours ago, Mum63 said:

I uses to work in thé John Lewis suite thé players and manager uses to always have lunch in there ,it was when they trained on the pitch.met jack Walker a few times .

Well he was your boss if somewhat indirectly.

[Mattyblue]

The club trained all over.

Even in the summer of 1994 we were sometimes on Pleckgate field. When I lived in that neck of the woods, me and my dad walked down to watch and saw a fella training who my dad was sure was Perry Groves... it was Robbie Slater.

Edited January 9, 2020 by Mattyblue

[pk1875]

On ‎08‎/‎01‎/‎2020 at 08:38, pk1875 said:

So why not close the Riverside and Blackburn End? Put all home fans in the Jack Walker Stand (They would fit most games). Less stewarding costs etc?

 

On ‎08‎/‎01‎/‎2020 at 11:25, Sparks Rover said:

Close the Blackburn End?????☹

It was a reply to the other post

[Sparks Rover]

I know,.

[MarkBRFC]

Change to Blues Bar membership and entry for Home games...

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2021/september/Blues-Bar-membership-and-entry-update/

£3 to get in for non members after 1pm 😳

[rigger]

4 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Change to Blues Bar membership and entry for Home games...

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2021/september/Blues-Bar-membership-and-entry-update/

£3 to get in for non members after 1pm 😳

How much does a beer cost, in the Blues bar ? 

[Wheelton Blue]

19 minutes ago, MarkBRFC said:

Change to Blues Bar membership and entry for Home games...

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2021/september/Blues-Bar-membership-and-entry-update/

£3 to get in for non members after 1pm 😳

I'm sure that it used to be a quid only a couple of seasons back.

[tomphil]

Literally sat at home looking for the next thing to put the squeeze on.

I wonder how many times hes costed up closing the riverside.

[JHRover]

There's a clue in that these changes are being introduced now. Already three games into the season and with match 4 in just 3 days time.

Indicates that this is a Club operating on a whim, disorganised and with no strategy other than scrambling around desperately trying to unearth new ways to squeeze more cash out of regular fans.

Maybe this is the reason our grand a day CEO has been so quiet recently, putting his time to use on a strategy for the club. Back of fag packet stuff, a busy component of the operation = squeeze for more, zero interest in the consequences of the decision. Don't like it then cough up for a membership or go elsewhere.

End result likely to be the same as with attendances at Ewood. Decline but with those going paying substantially more it will be easier to operate and probably similar cash at the end of the day.

Obviously a coherent operation would have introduced these changes months ago and publicised them before the season started rather than introducing them 3 days before our third home league game but then again I suspect Waggott knows he's in bother having demolished the attendances with his pricing so he's now responding to that with this.

[Wheelton Blue]

It's self defeating.

Fancy a quick pint in the Blues Bar before the game? Yeah OK, it's only a quid on top the price of a pint.

vs

Fancy a quick pint in the Blues Bar before the game? There's no way I'm paying 3 quid on top of a pint, I'll do without thanks.

[arbitro]

I laughed at the fact one of the selling points is that you can watch the second half in there and not go back in the ground. And to think that Mowbray wanted away fans in the UDE to prevent them creation an advantage for their team and we are encouraging fan's to stay in the bar.

[RevidgeBlue]

1 hour ago, Wheelton Blue said:

I'm sure that it used to be a quid only a couple of seasons back.

It has always been that way as far as I can remember.

Truly desperate and embarrassing stuff from Waggott.

Edited September 8, 2021 by RevidgeBlue

[simongarnerisgod]

2 hours ago, tomphil said:

Literally sat at home looking for the next thing to put the squeeze on.

I wonder how many times hes costed up closing the riverside.

i think that issue is his pet project and his ultimate aim,the silly **** most likely wants a hotel there,with views of the river darwen and an observatory  so guests can also see the wildlife on higher croft,he`s the kind of weasel who would sanction building a flea pit and then market it at £500 a night

[JHRover]

Waggott got his job - massive salary and prestige of being 'top dog' at a big club in the Championship and without question the most prestigious position he has ever held - because he or Mowbray perhaps persuaded the owners that his appointment was in their interests and would benefit them in some way.

I think since that day, coming up on 4 years now, his sole remit and focus has been on justifying his continued employment and position by doing whatever he can do get more cash through the tills and cut overheads. So at the annual review he can turn up with his spreadsheets, drop them on Mr Desai's desk and show how he has increased income/reduced the need for Venkys to dig as deep into their own pockets.

Waggott's position has never been about growing the club/fanbase, developing the club in any way, strengthening the club or the medium to long term health of the club. All those things take time, effort, money, patience and ability to achieve. He and we don't have that here, where the entire operation limps along on a year by year review and owners whim. 

I'm not necessarily talking about subsidising cheap tickets, giving things away or offering freebies to get people back, but a stop to the relentless price hikes and squeezes on the regulars might be helpful in stopping a year on year decline in attendances.

Waggott works on the numbers and will no doubt think he's doing a good job for the owners - also by not asking them for cash to replace the dilapidated pitch or cleaning the decaying stadium - good for the figures and his position - bad for the Club. 

Anyhow, he's about 67 now, last big payday here, maybe hang on as long as he can whilst his chum handles the football side and then they can both stroll of into the sunset and retirement leaving a rundown, overstretched mess of a club that has done nothing to try and even keep the fans it has let alone get more people in over the last 10 years. There's only so long that can carry on before it becomes terminal. Not that Waggott will ever be seen at Ewood again.

I wonder when he last paid for a ticket?

[Ben Frost]

I've been a paid up Blues Bar member for several years, 60 quid a year. Not sure how many members there are, probably between 100 and 200. So the club has probably had between 6 and 12 grand from us this season just for membership. 

Couldn't get served before West Brom game without a half hour queue. People who I know have paid the £60 were walking out and going to the Fernhurst.

Queued for 25 minutes at West Brom half time, absolute shambles. 

That should be solved by more staff and better trained staff, but there is a national problem in this sector and Sodexo are not immune. 

So I don't agree that this change to £3 is a ploy to squeeze potential BB customers, I think it's to prevent a riot from those of us who have already coughed up 60 quid which so far this season has been for absolutely nothing. We'd be getting served quicker on the concourse, and cheaper. It's £5.50 for a Kronenbourg in Blues on a matchday, utterly ridiculous pricing.