Rovers becomes first UK football club to host Eid prayers

[jim mk2]

Not sure whether this should be on here or ICBINF but nevertheless an interesting story

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-61300097

The question is, how will those who defected to the dark side cope with it? 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

15 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Not sure whether this should be on here or ICBINF but nevertheless an interesting story

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-61300097

The question is, how will those who defected to the dark side cope with it? 

 

Mm, blood pressure through the roof would be my guess !

[chaddyrovers]

Great work by the club and the people involved in this. Great move by the club. 

[Gav]

Just brilliant, at least we are leading the way in one area.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Totally indifferent.

[Leonard Venkhater]

1 hour ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Totally indifferent

Still waiting for Ewood's first Tridentine Mass?

[glen9mullan]

Think this was really good of the club, Rovers is embedded into the community and it appears there has been a massive uptake and its been well recieved.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, glen9mullan said:

Think this was really good of the club, Rovers is embedded into the community and it appears there has been a massive uptake and its been well recieved.

It can only be a good thing.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

23 minutes ago, Leonard Venkhater said:

Still waiting for Ewood's first Tridentine Mass?

Too damn right....let's see who can swing the finest Rosary in East Lancs,Waggott can be all over that too!!

[Leonard Venkhater]

43 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Too damn right....let's see who can swing the finest Rosary in East Lancs,Waggott can be all over that too!!

He'd be ...er..incensed!

[bluebruce]

4 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

The question is, how will those who defected to the dark side cope with it? 

 

I've no idea who this is referring to?

[RoverCanada]

Apparently the video on Twitter is now at over 1.2m 'views' (how a 'view' is measured on social media is always questionable of course!): 

For comparison, our top highlights videos, e.g., the Gally celebration after his PNE goal, typically get about 20k views.

Certainly has got some traction.

Edited May 2, 2022 by RoverCanada

[Hasta]

It’s popping up on sports feeds all over. The comments from all over the world on it, from people who obviously 

This could be a master stroke at increasing Asian attendance even further, providing the £430 doesn’t put them off.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

49 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

I've no idea who this is referring to?

In this case ignorance is bliss. 

[J*B]

20 minutes ago, Hasta said:

It’s popping up on sports feeds all over. The comments from all over the world on it, from people who obviously 

This could be a master stroke at increasing Asian attendance even further, providing the £430 doesn’t put them off.

There hasn’t been any increase in followers outside of the norm on the Twitter account since the video was posted. Obviously there’s plenty of reasons why the club are doing this, including you would expect integration, hoping that the local Muslim population become fans and ultimately spend money with the club. I’m interested to see the effect on ST sales next season. You’d hope a decent managerial appointment and some good signings would have a positive effect, but I’m sure there’s a hope that these efforts bring an increase in ST sales too. 

[Mattyblue]

It is absolutely pivotal for the future of the club that the pretty much half of Blackburn that has thus far taken very little interest in BRFC, for a plethora of reasons going back decades, does so going forward. In a way we are pushing against an open door as there is big interest in football within the community, just not, as yet, big interest in the Rovers.

More and more of our ST base no longer lives in the town and it is always a challenge to keep a scattered fanbase in the tent, the longer distance fan starts by not making a mid week, that turns into not making an odd weekend game, turns into no ST - we need a solid core of Blues within the town.

The community engagement the club has undertaken this past 12 months has certainly had a big impact in social and traditional media, I imagine the social media team are cockahoop with the amount of ‘impressions’, Yasir is certainly earning his corn . 

Though as J*B says, the proof of the pudding will be in a substantial increase of the Asian community through the gates in the short and medium term. I am certainly seeing more Asian young lads in the Blackburn End, families in the JWL than say, five years ago, but it is an improvement from a very low base.

Because as worthy (and essential) as the engagement is, it can’t exist merely so Rovers can help to bring the disparte communities of the town together or for online acclaim, as the social media bandwagon soon moves on to something else. A club’s number one aim is to win matches, as that is what ultimately improves football clubs, and larger Ewood crowds containing Blackburners from every single neighbourhood and walk of life will be a pivotal part of that.
 

 

[Armchair supporter supremo]

Nice gesture and a very peaceful good natured event, anything that helps bring the community together in a positive way is a good thing

[Herbie6590]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/02/blackburn-rovers-first-uk-football-club-eid-prayers-pitch

[Armchair supporter supremo]

2 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/02/blackburn-rovers-first-uk-football-club-eid-prayers-pitch

Flippin eck zoom in on the photo in that article they nearly all look miserable af, poor buggers it was a bit cold and wet that morning 

[Armchair supporter supremo]

[riverholmes]

30 minutes ago, Armchair supporter supremo said:

Flippin eck zoom in on the photo in that article they nearly all look miserable af, poor buggers it was a bit cold and wet that morning 

They would likely have been listening to or waiting on sermon or speeches in those photos, prior to the prayers, so more likely to be bored than anything, as these things can go on.

Moreover, the Eid prayers are often considered a time of quiet reflection and communion, hence the lack of frivolity. There would have been plenty of smiles and embraces afterwards. I'm sure you'll find photos of them, if you look.

It's a great initiative by Rovers which follows in the steps of Croke Park in Ireland. Whatever one thinks about immigration policies and Islamic traditions (of which there is not just one set) we are here together and must cooperate and live together. Reaching a hand of friendship is what is needed, especially, from institutions and authorities. We know what the alternatives can lead to.

Edited May 3, 2022 by riverholmes

[Mr. E]

At least someone is celebrating on the pitch.

[RoverCanada]

16 hours ago, RoverCanada said:

Apparently the video on Twitter is now at over 1.2m 'views' (how a 'view' is measured on social media is always questionable of course!)

2.5m views now. Not too shabby...

15 hours ago, J*B said:

There hasn’t been any increase in followers outside of the norm on the Twitter account since the video was posted.

Was curious about this and according to here: https://socialblade.com/twitter/user/rovers, the Twitter account has added about 3k followers since that video was posted (the account's saying 289k right now), compared to the usual average of 25/day.

Other comparions: according to that site, we gained about 4k followers during the couple weeks after Brereton first joined Chile in June, plus another 7-9k followers when Brereton got his first two WC qualifying goals in October.

Now, the actual utility of those additional followers is obviously questionable... but can't hurt I suppose.

Some extended scenic shots from the account this morning. Drones can capture some awesome images... (and high-level shots also hide some of the neglect 🙂)

[OldEwoodBlue]

15 hours ago, J*B said:

I’m interested to see the effect on ST sales next season. 

There is more to it from the club's pov.

See Manures worldwide fanbase as an example. If there are fans in other countries who may never come to Blackburn, they can still provide valuable income. Even if Rovers become their second team. Yes I know the concept of having a second team should be illegal 🤣.

Buying shirts, subscribing to Rovers TV, spreading the word, etc. I think it was yourself not long ago talking about some new virtual thing I am too old to understand. Is it buying teams or skins on computer games or something?

Yes the team ultimately needs to perform on the pitch to maintain interest.

The Diaz situation is another example of worldwide fandom.

Maybe generating income from these things are the future for the club and us old gits sitting in the cold moaning about pies & pints are the past for them. Pay the price to come down or don't.

[Mattyblue]

Sounds great in theory OEB, but will the club actually get round to the monetising bit of it? They never particularly bothered making the most of the BBD phenomenon…