Championship - 22-23

[Exiled_Rover]

7 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

It’s an absolute boom time for attendances in this country… with one notable exception.

Middlesbrough?

Lots of empty seats there yesterday.

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, JacknOry said:

They also dont have half a dozen clubs all vying for their support and attract a much larger hard core in a slighlty more affluent area. But carry on defending the club on every possible angle as usual. 

Even with that they still made some effort to get people into the ground. 

None of that to be seen at Rovers. The upper management of this club is nothing other than a total disaster. 

[Mattyblue]

15 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Middlesbrough?

Lots of empty seats there yesterday.

24,000 for a team 21st in the Championship? Seems a pretty decent crowd to me…

[Exiled_Rover]

33 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

24,000 for a team 21st in the Championship? Seems a pretty decent crowd to me…

What else is there to do in Middlesbrough?

[only2garners]

49 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

24,000 for a team 21st in the Championship? Seems a pretty decent crowd to me…

For a catchment area at least twice the population of Rovers?

[Mattyblue]

It’s a decent crowd for a struggling Championship club and another example of how crowds are booming across the top three divisions.

Why aren’t ours?

[chaddyrovers]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

I’ll point you to my first paragraph in my previous post as to why. Get a new CEO in, one with an actual remit and plan to grow crowds and I may just do that.

well since you edited your original after I already reply to it but there you are. 

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

I will not engage with Swag because I don’t respect him or the job he is doing. His remit is not to increase crowds, so why would I waste my time?

You don’t think they are daft prices? 8,500 STs is not abysmal? Then why did you bang on about how you were going to discuss your plans for ticket sales all week before you went to meet him? He dazzled you with a load of goss and ergo you enjoyed an afternoon at the club, your agenda firmly in your pocket as a result. It is the likes of Glen that can actually get something out of a canny operator like him. You were out of your depth unfortunately.

I was actually trying to give you credit! That you actually realised that our crowds urgently need sorting. But hey ho, lesson learnt. I’ll just let you carry on in your role as club spokesman…

No effort to change things or even engage with him at all apart from moan at all who do email and engaged with the club and Waggott

I am happy to pay the price given it was the same price as the season before. I wasn't it expecting to be cheaper either. I can commit to all 23 games and its around 17 pounds per game which I think is cheap Matty for me. I can understand and sympathy with others who can't commit to all 23 games for different reasons or the price not being affordable for them. 

I have look through the Waggott and season ticket threads between the timeline of me saying I am meeting with Waggott and when the meeting took place and nowhere did I mention that I would discuss my ideas for season tickets and match day tickets. So where did I say this? 

Waggott answered all my questions and its was very good open conservation with him. I wasn't out of my depth at all as you have posted but I find quite remarkable that someone who doesn't know me can make that sort of comments. I don't need credit form you Matty thanks. 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

11 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

It’s a decent crowd for a struggling Championship club and another example of how crowds are booming across the top three divisions.

Why aren’t ours?

12 years, of more or less solid, alienation and demoralisation. It’s a wonder we get the gates we do.

[Mattyblue]

Don’t disagree there TS. But it needs addressing, urgently, but it will take a new CEO with a new remit to start the recovery.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Mattyblue

[only2garners]

23 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

It’s a decent crowd for a struggling Championship club and another example of how crowds are booming across the top three divisions.

Why aren’t ours?

The fact that Boro are struggling is a bit of a red herring here. The posted gate of 24,000, like every other attendance, will include season ticket sales, whether the fans who bought them turn up for games or not. I presume there was a lot of positivity around Boro in the Summer, They thought they had a good manager and had bought a number of players. I imagine yesterday's 24,000 was well over the number who actually showed up, as it often is at Ewood.

They had sold 18,000 season tickets by June, sp presumably a few more than that now. So a bit over twice what Rovers sold, for a catchment more than twice Rovers'.

[Mattyblue]

Come on O2G, gates are well up across the leagues. But they aren’t here.

A ‘good’ Boro gate at this level is c25k. I’m obviously not expecting those kinds of crowds here, so it’s a pointless comparison. But they are seeing crowds at the higher end to what they have been used to. As is club after club in the top three divisions. 

But here over the past couple of years we are seeing crowds at the lower end to what we have been used to. 11/12,000 is poor, and we are capable of much better if it wasn’t priced at such prohibitive levels. As plenty of other similar sized clubs are showing.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Mattyblue

[roverandout]

1 hour ago, Mattyblue said:

Come on O2G, gates are well up across the leagues. But they aren’t here.

A ‘good’ Boro gate at this level is c25k. I’m obviously not expecting those kinds of crowds here, so it’s a pointless comparison. But they are seeing crowds at the higher end to what they have been used to. As is club after club in the top three divisions. 

But here over the past couple of years we are seeing crowds at the lower end to what we have been used to. 11/12,000 is poor, and we are capable of much better if it wasn’t priced at such prohibitive levels. As plenty of other similar sized clubs are showing.

I remember our last second tier journey 20 or so years ago we were getting 20,000. Or so. I think we could do it again 

[Mattyblue]

In 2000/2001 we had kept hold of a big percentage of our PL support.

Whereas Venky’s and Kean obliterated it in 2012, and we have never recovered.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Mattyblue

[JHRover]

The problem is that there is no responsibility or accountability for it.

Any other club and the ownership would be taking executives to task for falling crowds - here our owners don't know nor care.

I think it is quite obvious the basis on which Waggott was employed and I suspect only because he was able to advance a money-saving agenda did they agree to take him on. 

Things like cutting ticket prices, promotions and serious efforts at growing numbers all cost money in the short term but importantly reap rewards in the long term. Waggott isn't paid to improve things long term, he won't be here anyway, and will be back in Kent enjoying his retirement in the next couple of years.

You only have to look at the miniscule effort being made to 'grow' the fanbase - which basically amounts to putting on ONE free bus to drive around Blackburn and pick primary school age children up. I mean its a start, but it is tragic if this is seen as a serious effort at turning around our falling gates. You need dozens of those sort of buses, reaching out way beyond Blackburn into Rovers' supporting communities who are out of the habit, you need to be targeting teenagers and young adults - people who have the means and will to go to games on their own or with their mates.

We'll get the usual excuses - London clubs fans have more money, NE clubs have less competition and bigger catchment areas - not interested - lets look at more relevant stuff - Blackpool, PNE, Bolton - local clubs, similar populations, similar economies, similar standard of football - yet putting us to shame on attendances. There's no excuse for that. No amount of spiel from Waggott can account for that - put simply it is pricing and strategy - both of which he has got wrong yet he continues in place wreaking more havoc. 

[Upside Down]

8 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Come on O2G, gates are well up across the leagues. But they aren’t here.

A ‘good’ Boro gate at this level is c25k. I’m obviously not expecting those kinds of crowds here, so it’s a pointless comparison. But they are seeing crowds at the higher end to what they have been used to. As is club after club in the top three divisions. 

But here over the past couple of years we are seeing crowds at the lower end to what we have been used to. 11/12,000 is poor, and we are capable of much better if it wasn’t priced at such prohibitive levels. As plenty of other similar sized clubs are showing.

11-12000 should be the absolute minimum for season ticket sales. Anything less than that should be considered for being the total disaster that is it.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

18 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Come on O2G, gates are well up across the leagues. But they aren’t here.

A ‘good’ Boro gate at this level is c25k. I’m obviously not expecting those kinds of crowds here, so it’s a pointless comparison. But they are seeing crowds at the higher end to what they have been used to. As is club after club in the top three divisions. 

But here over the past couple of years we are seeing crowds at the lower end to what we have been used to. 11/12,000 is poor, and we are capable of much better if it wasn’t priced at such prohibitive levels. As plenty of other similar sized clubs are showing.

I’m sorry but there are people who were Rovers fans who wouldn’t go if it was free now. That’s the damage that 12 years of the Chicken Chokers have inflicted.

Edited October 17, 2022 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Mattyblue]

Indeed there is, and alas many of those are now well out of the habit and won’t be seen again.

But there are also a hell of a lot that can’t/won’t pay £430 to £530 for second tier football.

Edited October 17, 2022 by Mattyblue

[smiller14]

The Oxford game attendance showed people can be brought back into the fold, albeit that was a one-off game. However, they won't pay north of £400 for a season ticket, especially given we haven't ever made the play offs - those waverers just won't bother.

[Tricky]

Norwich look to be on a losing run currently, what's caused that? 

Great time to play them, we just don't for a while yet unfortunately 

[longsiders1882]

8 hours ago, Tricky said:

Norwich look to be on a losing run currently, what's caused that? 

Great time to play them, we just don't for a while yet unfortunately 

Never mind Norwich - your run has taken you top of the league, you are the team to catch now.

[oldjamfan1]

9 minutes ago, longsiders1882 said:

Never mind Norwich - your run has taken you top of the league, you are the team to catch now.

I know it’s a bit early for this talk Longers but hypothetically would you settle for the top two as it stands finishing in those exact same positions in May? 

[longsiders1882]

2 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

I know it’s a bit early for this talk Longers but hypothetically would you settle for the top two as it stands finishing in those exact same positions in May? 

100%. Be a bit painful obviously. As it goes I would love the three promoted teams to be us, you and PNE; proper old Lancashire clubs and founder members of the League - but obviously us as champions 😂

[Blue blood]

8 hours ago, Tricky said:

Norwich look to be on a losing run currently, what's caused that? 

Great time to play them, we just don't for a while yet unfortunately 

I could be wrong but I think they weren't too convincing earlier in the season too, especially at the start, but then their individual quality started to get them some points. So I think it might be a case that it hasn't clicked properly all season and they rely on individuals bailing them out. 

 

As for Waggot by any stretch he's a dud. Crowds, sacking an underperforming manager, recruiting the current one (I think it was GB who did it according to reports), tying players down to contracts, the training ground debacle. On any level he's an utter failure. 

 

Back to the Championship. Interesting to see Luton still punching above their weight. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, Blue blood said:

I could be wrong but I think they weren't too convincing earlier in the season too, especially at the start, but then their individual quality started to get them some points. So I think it might be a case that it hasn't clicked properly all season and they rely on individuals bailing them out. 

 

As for Waggot by any stretch he's a dud. Crowds, sacking an underperforming manager, recruiting the current one (I think it was GB who did it according to reports), tying players down to contracts, the training ground debacle. On any level he's an utter failure. 

 

Back to the Championship. Interesting to see Luton still punching above their weight. 

Yeah Luton like to do some punching.

[BRFC4EVA]

Our position really does hammer home the point though doesnt it?

If you are going for promotion all this avoiding defeat stuff is largely bollocks. People always love these runs of 10, 12 or 15 games unbeaten etc, but if half of them are draws..?

The key is winning games and don't worry about loosing along the way!