Summer transfer window 2021.

[Wheelton Blue]

30 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I don't understand how people can go and watch Clitheroe or Accy Stanley or Chorley personally. If I wasn't watching Rovers that would be me done with live football.

Same here. It's Rovers or nothing.

[Wheelton Blue]

3 minutes ago, gumboots said:

I wouldn't go to another league club, but we used to go to Clitheroe if Rovers weren't at home on the same day, so it's not a shift of allegiance. And I find it insulting to suggest, as unsall did, that it's the loss of premiership football that lost fans and they'd come back if we were in the Premier League. Many would be back, if not as season ticket holders as walk ons, if there was any ambition,  any competence, any sign that matters were on the up. Nobody expects miracles. Basic ability to run a Championship club would be a good start. 

Of course it's the loss of Premiership football which is the predominant reason many have disappeared.

That happens at most clubs.

The way the club is mismanaged simply compounds the issue with Rovers.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

3 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Same here. It's Rovers or nothing.

Don’t see an issue with supporting your local town/village team and wish that many more glory hunting fans did so. I guess that’s one of the problems that Rovers and other Lancashire clubs have with too many “locals” latching on to the likes of Liverpool, City, United etc. 

[Mattyblue]

7 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Of course it's the loss of Premiership football which is the predominant reason many have disappeared.

That happens at most clubs.

The way the club is mismanaged simply compounds the issue with Rovers.

1999 we lost around 2,000 ST holders on relegation.

2012 we lost around 8,000 ST holders on relegation.

Many clubs these days often lose very little of their ST base on a PL drop… the collapse of crowds that got underway here in 2012 points to a deep, deep malaise and rot at BRFC… this summer’s further fall through the floor (in contract to nearly every other club) suggests we may have permanently wrecked our support base, which is an existential crisis for a club operating in an environment with Blackburn’s demographics and regional competitors. 

Edited July 21, 2021 by Mattyblue

[Wheelton Blue]

I'll turn it around then.

If we somehow got promoted back to the PL under the present incumbents, do you think our attendances would stay as-is or would we see an big increase?

I'd wager the latter.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Transfer thread!!

[Mattyblue]

5 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

I'll turn it around then.

If we somehow got promoted back to the PL under the present incumbents, do you think our attendances would stay as-is or would we see an big increase?

I'd wager the latter.

Of course they’d increase, but if we sell 4/5000 this summer, and we somehow miracle up a promotion, there’s not a chance we’d get anywhere close to the 15,000 to 20,000 ST holders we had prior to Venky’s.

We have a limited fanbase and catchment area and thousands have gone for good.

 

Also, noted BDS - mods, feel free to move to ST thread.

Edited July 21, 2021 by Mattyblue

[chaddyrovers]

8 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Whether it needs to put us in an embargo or not, they are the rules. Not only did we not submit them within 9 months, which a few other clubs also did and also seemingly went under embargo. But unlike them, even though we knew that we couldnt register players until the accounts were submitted, we still waited until the very last second! Missing out on targets in the process. And to rub salt into the wounds, they didnt even have the decency to explain and be transparent.

Your continued desire to defend actions that are to the detriment of our football club is crazy.

The EFL had placed Rovers under a Profit & Sustainability embargo following the submission of their financial forecast in March. The financial results were then tracked against that forecast and until those were met, the club were subject to an embargo.

In essence, Rovers had to prove the projections that would see them fall within the P&S framework worked in reality.

The club took advantage of a three-month Government-agreed extension to accounting dates to submit their figures for the year to June 30 2020. Those showed losses of £21.9m for the 2019/20 season, a rise of £3.7m for the previous year.

The Rovers accounts were signed off in December 2020 for the year to March 2020, but weren’t made available on the Companies House website until July.

Clubs can be placed under an embargo, and sanctioned, for late filing of their accounts, as Derby County have been, but Rovers’ accounts had been with the EFL since March, and their publication in early July was due to a backlog on the Government system.

Why Blackburn Rovers were placed under a transfer embargo | Lancashire Telegraph

The EFL wanted to keep everything away from the media until final decisions were so what could Rovers say public until final decisions were made? Its quite shocking the length you keep going to continuous knock the club you support.  

[phili]

3 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

I'll turn it around then.

If we somehow got promoted back to the PL under the present incumbents, do you think our attendances would stay as-is or would we see an big increase?

I'd wager the latter.

It depends on how long it takes to get promoted. If we somehow manage to get 5,000 season tickets sold this season, there are an awful lot of people who are now used to not attending and doing something else than watching Rovers.

Also it seems we have the lowest sales and viewing figures for digital matches last out of all of the Championship. I would say at the minute we'll be lucky to get back to 8,000 season ticket sales if we get back to the Premier League with the present incumbents in charge.

I think in the 60's people said the same after the FA Cup ticket fiasco, they'll be back within the season. Most who stopped attending never came back!

[davulsukur]

18 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Transfer thread!!

Barely even a rumour around at the moment regarding Rovers transfer business.

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, unsall said:

Don’t keep going on about superfan, I’m just a fan from a long time back who’s seen the good the bad and the ugly, I just support the TEAM regardless of who’s the owner/ manager, I know a lot of the points you and others are saying is right, but to constantly post every day, about the manager etc is pointless.

The difference with me and others It doesn’t influence me buying a season ticket if we haven’t bought x number of players or who the manager is.

Obviously we need 4/5 more players and I think we will get them in, we have some very talented young players, and hopefully John Park has some good contacts.

Its so easy for some fans on here to say they are fed up watching Rovers and are going to watch a local amateur team,

I respect yours and other’s opinions we are all different that’s what makes the world go round, but you have to understand others who are far less critical and are naturally half glass full, as against half empty, fingers crossed for some signings shortly..

I totally agree with the above statement. It doesn't matter who the manager or owner is that will never stop me attending games as ST holder. This is my club and the club I have supports for over 30 years now

59 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I don't understand how people can go and watch Clitheroe or Accy Stanley or Chorley personally. If I wasn't watching Rovers that would be me done with live football.

All that said, I think you have to realise that not everyone can dismiss last season as though it never happened and erase it from their memory banks and approach the season with the same sort of enthusiasm as if it were August 1994 like Chaddy. I applaud him for his loyalty BTW.

 

Thanks Rev for that. I agree with you that it is watching Rovers or England otherwise its nothing for me anymore. Before the pandemic starts Ive been to watch odds games with friends who supports other teams but within in honest never enjoyed cos I don't support or have passion for that team or never say die attitude for that club like mine is Blackburn Rovers

59 minutes ago, RoversClitheroe said:

Anyway back to the topic.

We are still yet to replace any of the players that have left. 

We are extremely thin in midfield, we only have 1 fit senior CB. (Can't ever class Ayala as fit) Wharton for me is good enough but needs to get fit, are Carter and Magloire good enough?

 

Yes I think Carter is good enough. He was very good at Burton from match reports and Hasselbaink were full of praise of him. 

[Bigdoggsteel]

8 minutes ago, davulsukur said:

Barely even a rumour around at the moment regarding Rovers transfer business.

I know, but when there are loads of posts here, you think something is happening! 

[Parsonblue]

13 hours ago, unsall said:

Think everyone knows Venkys have been disastrous especially the early days, better now than the Anderson/Shebby days but painful to communicate and get things done. But honestly you’d think we are bottom of the div2, people have short memories re owners, apart from Jack the owners/directors have never speculated to accumulate. 
The amount of times back in the 60s we have been hovering around the top of div 1 and then bang, sell, sell.

Top of the league in 64 in Feb sold Fred Pic,  then it was Mike England, Keith Newton and so on, so crap owners is nothing new, just that every supporter has their own views, I still get excited at the start of every season regardless of the kit late, signings late, but unfortunately most aren’t like me and a bit depressing on here with constant criticism, my motto support thick/ thin, good times and bad times. 
Mate heard Duncan Mckenzie talking recently said Rovers sold him for a few quid and then we missed out of promotion by 1 goal, it’s always gone on at good old Rovers, anyway always the optimist COYB😀

I watched that 64-65 team and yes it was a cracking side - one of the best I've seen at Ewood.  But Pickering wanted away due to the wage situation at Ewood.  Local businessmen who had limited finances were suddenly thrust into a situation were it was impossible to compete with the big city clubs in terms of wages. 

The likes of Bill Bancroft and Bill Fox did a great job - often under appreciated at the time I admit - to keep us competitive on little or no money.  John Williams and Tom Finn ran the club superbly on limited finances compared with other Premier League clubs.

The owners made mistakes when they first got involved with the club and whilst one could understand initial mistakes the fact that ten years later the club continues its downward spiral suggests that they still haven't a clue how to run a football club.  Throwing £20 million a year at it and not coming close to getting anywhere near the play-offs, let alone promotion, is not a sign of good ownership it's a sign of complete incompetence.  

After 60 years of supporting this club I feel totally despondent about the future of this club.  I've renewed my season ticket more out of habit than anything else.  For the first time in more years than I care to remember I will not spend money renewing my away travel season ticket - partly due to Covid and partly due to the mind-numbing football that we play.

Our squad this season is weaker than last and frankly if we finish fourth from bottom I will view that as an excellent outcome.

As many on here will tell you, I've been one that has been prepared to give the owners time to get it right but, sadly, I've come to the conclusion that they will never get it right because they just aren't interested in the club. 

[Leonard Venkhater]

44 minutes ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Of course it's the loss of Premiership football which is the predominant reason many have disappeared.

That happens at most clubs.

The way the club is mismanaged simply compounds the issue with Rovers.

I also think there is an added issue about the actual manner in which our hard-won premiership status was p****d down the toilet by the arrogant, kamikaze "decision making" in the first 18 months of this Venky nightmare...

[davulsukur]

28 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I know, but when there are loads of posts here, you think something is happening! 

Ha, true that.

[islander200]

1 hour ago, gumboots said:

I wouldn't go to another league club, but we used to go to Clitheroe if Rovers weren't at home on the same day, so it's not a shift of allegiance. And I find it insulting to suggest, as unsall did, that it's the loss of premiership football that lost fans and they'd come back if we were in the Premier League. Many would be back, if not as season ticket holders as walk ons, if there was any ambition,  any competence, any sign that matters were on the up. Nobody expects miracles. Basic ability to run a Championship club would be a good start. 

Not talking about you and appreciate totally that many fans have stopped going due to the ownership.

However Unsall is correct many fans stopped going because we lost our place in the top division.When we have played big clubs in the cups, United and Liverpool then the stadium was a sell out 

[tomphil]

13 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Not talking about you and appreciate totally that many fans have stopped going due to the ownership.

However Unsall is correct many fans stopped going because we lost our place in the top division.When we have played big clubs in the cups, United and Liverpool then the stadium was a sell out 

That isn't the argument now though is it.

The issue is for the last few years the hardcore who stuck with it through Kean etc is being eroded away. Combination of factors but the biggest one over the last few years is the mind numbing manager who wouldn't know ambition if it smacked him in the face.

If the hardcore feel they are being played a lot will only stick it for so long. Forget about Premier league fans every club of our ilk has them.  They are long gone but we can't and don't seem arsed about keeping the ones that really matter.

If someone has had an ST for the last decade and just says enough is enough you don't call them a bad fan.  You look at why they are saying this and what you can do, within reason, to try and persuade them otherwise.

 

[Mattyblue]

40 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Not talking about you and appreciate totally that many fans have stopped going due to the ownership.

However Unsall is correct many fans stopped going because we lost our place in the top division.When we have played big clubs in the cups, United and Liverpool then the stadium was a sell out 

United was nowhere near sold out in home areas (only about 15/16k Rovers fans were there).

Most clubs don’t lose many ST holders on relegation, indeed we didn’t in 1999… yet 2012 we lost nearly half.

I would have expected to lose some, of course, but nearly HALF?! That is unheard of and it wasn’t because of all those PL glory hunters jumping ship, but the shenanigans of 2011/12, confirming Kean was being kept on just as they went on sale etc. 
 

This club has been a basket case for a decade and the chickens (to coin a phrase) have finally come home to roost this summer.

Edited July 21, 2021 by Mattyblue

[martonrover]

37 minutes ago, islander200 said:

Not talking about you and appreciate totally that many fans have stopped going due to the ownership.

However Unsall is correct many fans stopped going because we lost our place in the top division.When we have played big clubs in the cups, United and Liverpool then the stadium was a sell out 

There’s always going to be a drop off after the loss of Premiership status, but look at the attendances from 1999 - 2001, and that will tell you the current disinterest is not just about divisional status.

A lot of folk (myself included) could stomach being in the Championship, providing we were well run and competitive.

[unsall]

1 hour ago, Parsonblue said:

I watched that 64-65 team and yes it was a cracking side - one of the best I've seen at Ewood.  But Pickering wanted away due to the wage situation at Ewood.  Local businessmen who had limited finances were suddenly thrust into a situation were it was impossible to compete with the big city clubs in terms of wages. 

The likes of Bill Bancroft and Bill Fox did a great job - often under appreciated at the time I admit - to keep us competitive on little or no money.  John Williams and Tom Finn ran the club superbly on limited finances compared with other Premier League clubs.

The owners made mistakes when they first got involved with the club and whilst one could understand initial mistakes the fact that ten years later the club continues its downward spiral suggests that they still haven't a clue how to run a football club.  Throwing £20 million a year at it and not coming close to getting anywhere near the play-offs, let alone promotion, is not a sign of good ownership it's a sign of complete incompetence.  

After 60 years of supporting this club I feel totally despondent about the future of this club.  I've renewed my season ticket more out of habit than anything else.  For the first time in more years than I care to remember I will not spend money renewing my away travel season ticket - partly due to Covid and partly due to the mind-numbing football that we play.

Our squad this season is weaker than last and frankly if we finish fourth from bottom I will view that as an excellent outcome.

As many on here will tell you, I've been one that has been prepared to give the owners time to get it right but, sadly, I've come to the conclusion that they will never get it right because they just aren't interested in the club. 

Yep always noticed you were a glass half full, glad you’ve renewed your season ticket, and yes it is a roller coaster ride following Rovers, keep the faith and hope we can bring in a few decent signings.

[unsall]

2 hours ago, gumboots said:

I wouldn't go to another league club, but we used to go to Clitheroe if Rovers weren't at home on the same day, so it's not a shift of allegiance. And I find it insulting to suggest, as unsall did, that it's the loss of premiership football that lost fans and they'd come back if we were in the Premier League. Many would be back, if not as season ticket holders as walk ons, if there was any ambition,  any competence, any sign that matters were on the up. Nobody expects miracles. Basic ability to run a Championship club would be a good start. 

No problem, wasn’t having a dig at you personally, just there are different levels of support, some go every week regardless of what drivel we are playing or who’s in charge others go and watch when all is going well and then fall by the wayside when it goes pear shaped, I’m just one of them who supports through thick and thin, anyway last post on this, need to concentrate on our new signings in this thread😜🤞⚽️

[roversfan99]

4 hours ago, unsall said:

Don’t keep going on about superfan, I’m just a fan from a long time back who’s seen the good the bad and the ugly, I just support the TEAM regardless of who’s the owner/ manager, I know a lot of the points you and others are saying is right, but to constantly post every day, about the manager etc is pointless.

The difference with me and others It doesn’t influence me buying a season ticket if we haven’t bought x number of players or who the manager is.

Obviously we need 4/5 more players and I think we will get them in, we have some very talented young players, and hopefully John Park has some good contacts.

Its so easy for some fans on here to say they are fed up watching Rovers and are going to watch a local amateur team, what that really means is that Rovers are just a middle of the road championship side and I’ll be back when/if we get back to the premiership, nothing has changed, we are a small town with a hard core of 5000 fans and fans flock back when things are going well.

I respect yours and other’s opinions we are all different that’s what makes the world go round, but you have to understand others who are far less critical and are naturally half glass full, as against half empty, fingers crossed for some signings shortly..

Based on historical references you are clearly a fan who has been around for a lot longer but I have had a season ticket for 20 years consecutively and have renewed again this year, including under Kean, under Coyle and in League 1. So I have supported through thick and thin, as I would presume that you would agree.

The stuff about different types of supporters is obviously for another debate but briefly, it is the case at every club. I am like you someone who renews regardless, but I don't look down upon those who do not share that mentality. It may be financial restrictions, families and personal circumstances, or indeed a link to how well we are doing on the pitch, the thing that Waggott and co do not do is appreciate that people are different, embrace that and try and get as many in as possible from whatever category that may be, fair weather or hardcore. I certainly don't have the right to look down upon people who don't share my attitude towards my attendance not depending on what is happening on the field.

My point is that you aren't offering constructive reasons to be optimistic at this moment in time, you are just counteracting constructive points by saying how you support through thick and thin, which whilst noble is totally irrelevant. To bring it back to this thread, we have been under a totally unnecessary embargo, have no new signings, a very thin squad and our best player and many other key assets are going into their final years, these are all constructive, valid issues that people have flagged up. If you can't cope with such "depressing" posts then maybe a message board whereby people talk about what is happening is not the ideal place for you.

2 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

 

The EFL wanted to keep everything away from the media until final decisions were so what could Rovers say public until final decisions were made? Its quite shocking the length you keep going to continuous knock the club you support.  

If it is shocking to complain about the repeated negligence regarding the running of our football club rather than staunchly defend such incompetence, then yes I am shocking.

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Transfer thread!!

To be fair, there is zero to talk about. Even rumour wise, the only thing of note is Nixon's weekly fabricated swap deal that exists only in his own head!

[unsall]

28 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Based on historical references you are clearly a fan who has been around for a lot longer but I have had a season ticket for 20 years consecutively and have renewed again this year, including under Kean, under Coyle and in League 1. So I have supported through thick and thin, as I would presume that you would agree.

The stuff about different types of supporters is obviously for another debate but briefly, it is the case at every club. I am like you someone who renews regardless, but I don't look down upon those who do not share that mentality. It may be financial restrictions, families and personal circumstances, or indeed a link to how well we are doing on the pitch, the thing that Waggott and co do not do is appreciate that people are different, embrace that and try and get as many in as possible from whatever category that may be, fair weather or hardcore. I certainly don't have the right to look down upon people who don't share my attitude towards my attendance not depending on what is happening on the field.

My point is that you aren't offering constructive reasons to be optimistic at this moment in time, you are just counteracting constructive points by saying how you support through thick and thin, which whilst noble is totally irrelevant. To bring it back to this thread, we have been under a totally unnecessary embargo, have no new signings, a very thin squad and our best player and many other key assets are going into their final years, these are all constructive, valid issues that people have flagged up. If you can't cope with such "depressing" posts then maybe a message board whereby people talk about what is happening is not the ideal place for you.

If it is shocking to complain about the repeated negligence regarding the running of our football club rather than staunchly defend such incompetence, then yes I am shocking.

To be fair, there is zero to talk about. Even rumour wise, the only thing of note is Nixon's weekly fabricated swap deal that exists only in his own head!

I’ve just as much right to be on this message board as others, including you,so sorry I might hang around a bit longer.

I don’t need to explain constructive points, because at the moment there is little action, apart from signing long term contracts for our young lads, very important in my view,but if no signings appear I will be very disappointed but continue to support the team, but I think there will be a few astute signings in the next few weeks.

Im one of those who think the academy is brilliant and to keep cat 1 especially when we went in div1 is a big positive.

So a few signings hopefully, more season tickets sold and a new kit to look forward to. Keep the faith⚽️

[K-Hod]

4 hours ago, Uddersfelt Blue said:

Don’t see an issue with supporting your local town/village team and wish that many more glory hunting fans did so. I guess that’s one of the problems that Rovers and other Lancashire clubs have with too many “locals” latching on to the likes of Liverpool, City, United etc. 

Accy Stanley are in the league below us though 👀.

[roversfan99]

20 minutes ago, unsall said:

I’ve just as much right to be on this message board as others, including you,so sorry I might hang around a bit longer.

I don’t need to explain constructive points, because at the moment there is little action, apart from signing long term contracts for our young lads, very important in my view,but if no signings appear I will be very disappointed but continue to support the team, but I think there will be a few astute signings in the next few weeks.

Im one of those who think the academy is brilliant and to keep cat 1 especially when we went in div1 is a big positive.

So a few signings hopefully, more season tickets sold and a new kit to look forward to. Keep the faith⚽️

I was just saying that I don't see the need personally for the constant mentions of how you support the team. It is irrelevant, we all support the team.

For example, you mention the academy which is obviously a positive. I am not sure that anyone would say otherwise. Our first team already has a healthy number of academy graduates in it and obviously it is very much positive going back to before Venkys saddled our football club. Nyambe, Lenihan, Travis and Rankin Costello are all key members of our squad. For me, Buckley has yet to establish himself as a Championship calibre player or warrant an extended run, and the likes of Butterworth, Pike, McBride and Vale all seem very highly rated but have yet to start a game for us between them so I am wary of us becoming too reliant on them at this stage, and at least some if not all of them could benefit from loans elsewhere. Carter is an interesting one, looked nowhere near ready for our first team when he has played, but seemingly has done really well at League 1, but I personally think that with Wharton (a graduate who does now look ready off the back of loan deals) not set to make the start of the season and Ayala made of glass, I feel we need to make a senior signing to replace Harwood Bellis. We need some real experience to help our currently extremely young squad.

What makes you so confident that we will make some astute signings? Mowbray's record is at best, hit and miss. And would you not agree that in an ideal world, they would have been signed earlier to do pre-season with us and gain an understanding of their team mates, and that the owners negligence to meet the sustainability requirements through the accounts has hindered this?