You’ve lost that loving feeling?

[Mattyblue]

That’s just not the case unfortunately. We lost nearly 10,000 ST holders on relegation (a ridiculous amount not seen elsewhere, the Ke*n effect), a load of those will never step foot in Ewood again. Not a protest, not a boycott. They’ve just moved on in life.

Now that doesn’t mean there isn’t a new generation of floating fan (or long-standing floater) that ‘pick their games’ who wouldn’t be straight on the ST bandwagon on promotion, but many of those long departed ST holders from a decade ago wouldn’t be a part of it…

Edited February 11, 2023 by Mattyblue

[Sweaty Gussets]

5 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

That’s just not the case unfortunately. We lost nearly 10,000 ST holders on relegation (a ridiculous amount not seen elsewhere, the Ke*n effect), a load of those will never step foot in Ewood again. Not a protest, not a boycott. They’ve just moved on in life.

Now that doesn’t mean there isn’t a new generation of floating fan (or long-standing floater) that ‘pick their games’ who wouldn’t be straight on the ST bandwagon on promotion, but many of those long departed ST holders from a decade ago wouldn’t be a part of it…

That's got nowt to do with what I posted. 

[Mattyblue]

Wrong end of the stick then, I thought you were saying ‘every fucker would be back like a shot if we got to the POs/promotion?’

Who are the fuckers that are coming back then if not lapsed fans?

[Sweaty Gussets]

1 minute ago, Mattyblue said:

Wrong end of the stick then, I thought you were saying ‘every fucker would be back like a shot if we got to the POs/promotion?’

Who are the fuckers that are coming back then if not lapsed fans?

What's your definition of a 'lapsed' fan? I know a load of Rovers fans who stopped going specifically because of Kean, he's long gone but they've never come back. If we got back in the Prem would they return. Yes, some would, like a shot. They all turned up for the Oxford, they would all turn up for the PO's and some would get a ST if back in the Prem. 

There aren't 10,000 'lapsed fans' not going out of principle. And habits can be broken. Just like they got out of the habit of going, they'll soon get out of the habit of not going if there is a successful team on the pitch. 

[Mattyblue]

Ok, 10,000 fewer ST holders than we used to have. And I know most aren’t not going out of principle, but as JW always said it’s much easier to keep fans in the tent than trying to get them back.

Once that habit is broken and you realise just how much of your weekend you used to give up, new hobbies, £4/500 in your pocket to go towards a holiday etc instead, it’s bloody difficult to get the fuckers back. 

Some will, of course, but unlike you, most ex-ST holders I know won’t ever be buying another. But it’s a ‘churn’ there will be a load of ‘new’ fans buying a ST for the first time on a promotion.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Mattyblue

[Sweaty Gussets]

2 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Ok, 10,000 fewer ST holders than we used to have. And I know most aren’t not going out of principle, but as JW always said it’s much easier to keep fans in the tent than trying to get them back.

Once that habit is broken and you realise just how much of your weekend you used to give up, new hobbies, £4/500 in your pocket, it’s bloody difficult to get the fuckers back. 

Some will, of course, but unlike you, most ex-ST holders I know won’t ever be buying another. But it’s a ‘churn’ there will be a load of ‘new’ fans buying a ST for the first time on a promotion.

 

 

What were the ST numbers this year, about 8k??

If by some miracle we got promoted this season, how many do you think we'd sell if prices stayed about the same?

 

[Mattyblue]

Hmmm, very difficult as it’s been so long without even a play off sniff to gauge what the interest is at full price.
 

But at £430 to £530, I’d say c14k.

[Sweaty Gussets]

9 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Hmmm, very difficult as it’s been so long without even a play off sniff to gauge what the interest is at full price.
 

But at £430 to £530, I’d say c14k.

I was going to say similar. Given most teams in the Prem will travel in numbers to Ewood we would soon be back to 20-25k crowds most weeks. We'd still be bigger than Burnley!

 

[wilsdenrover]

41 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

What's your definition of a 'lapsed' fan? I know a load of Rovers fans who stopped going specifically because of Kean, he's long gone but they've never come back. If we got back in the Prem would they return. Yes, some would, like a shot. They all turned up for the Oxford, they would all turn up for the PO's and some would get a ST if back in the Prem. 

There aren't 10,000 'lapsed fans' not going out of principle. And habits can be broken. Just like they got out of the habit of going, they'll soon get out of the habit of not going if there is a successful team on the pitch. 

I agree with that but would add I think some fans would return under different ownership/senior management whether that meant a successful team on the pitch or not

[Upside Down]

6 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

I agree with that but would add I think some fans would return under different ownership/senior management whether that meant a successful team on the pitch or not

That is true. People have found other things to do in life but if the reason they left in the first place has been resolved then I think quite a few would regain interest. 

[wilsdenrover]

I’m becoming seriously tempted to make a trip to Ewood 

[rigger]

1 hour ago, wilsdenrover said:

I’m becoming seriously tempted to make a trip to Ewood 

Once preston station is back open at the week-ends.

[wilsdenrover]

8 minutes ago, rigger said:

Once preston station is back open at the week-ends.

I’d be driving 😀

Having said that, all our home matches might be on days when my other half has the car for work…

Edited March 4, 2023 by wilsdenrover

[Sweaty Gussets]

17 minutes ago, rigger said:

Once preston station is back open at the week-ends.

We play in Blackburn

[rigger]

10 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

I’d be driving 😀

Having said that, all our home matches might be on days when my other half has the car for work…

I enjoy a beer before during and after a match, so driving back is a No-No  

[rigger]

1 minute ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

We play in Blackburn

But we don't all live there.

[wilsdenrover]

2 minutes ago, rigger said:

I enjoy a beer before during and after a match, so driving back is a No-No  

I’ve heard of nursing a pint but that is quite some feat 😁

[rigger]

1 minute ago, wilsdenrover said:

I’ve heard of nursing a pint but that is quite some feat 😁

You want to see me at not buying a round.

[wilsdenrover]

Just now, rigger said:

You want to see me at not buying a round.

It’s not the old ‘I’m just popping to the loo’ routine is it!

[rigger]

3 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

It’s not the old ‘I’m just popping to the loo’ routine is it!

As with a lot of things in life, it's all about the timing.

[R0verb0y]

On 04/03/2023 at 17:35, rigger said:

Once preston station is back open at the week-ends.

For non-drivers, there are also buses!

Edited March 5, 2023 by R0verb0y
Clarification.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

On 04/03/2023 at 17:58, rigger said:

You want to see me at not buying a round.

I have the image of “ Tommy “ in “ Early Doors “.  The old guy that sits on his own in the corner of the pub. I never really understood drinking before a game. Especially at my age now. I’d be up and down to the toilet disturbing everybody.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[R0verb0y]

4 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I have the image of “ Tommy “ in “ Early Doors “.  The old guy that sits on his own in the corner of the pub. I never really understood drinking before a game. Especially at my age now. I'd be up and down to the toilet disturbing everybody.

You and me both, these days @Tyrone Shoelaces! That's why I've now swapped to an aisle seat.

Meanwhile, back on track of the missing season ticket-holders, I have one for the Riverside, but at my age and increasing infirmity, I sometimes get ready to go to a game but find that my normal pace is so slow these days that I can't do as much as I used to be able to do.

E.g. last Saturday morning, I set off to go to town, then Ewood with three jobs to do: return a book to the central library; pay a cheque into my bank; then turn up at Ewood. I left home about 10.45 a.m. but found my walking pace between the first two jobs ‐ coupled with waiting to be served at the library and the bank - took me so long that I didn't emerge from the bank until 12.05! (Rather than the 11.30 I could have managed a couple of years ago. And thought I still could!)

By then, I decided that traffic "going down the Bolton Road" would then have been so heavy that by the time I got to Ewood, I'd have missed most of the first half. So I called it a day and got a taxi - my usual mode of transport these days - back home and followed the game on Radio Lancs and - obvs! 😉 - here!

I guess that the fact that I have a season ticket means that I would have been included in the attendance figure, even though I wasn't there. My season ticket works as much these days - together with my membership of the 1875 Club (another "Wraggott Wrip-off🤔?) - works as much as a kind of insurance policy premium, getting me first dibs for tickets at away grounds I've not seen us play on, as guaranteeing me that aisle seat.

[BRFC4EVA]

On 16/01/2023 at 11:04, Tom said:

I wasn’t going to make a thread on this as I didn’t think it warranted it but just wondered if anyone has had the same and conquered it?

Does anyone else just feel utterly fed up, maybe not even that maybe it’s just absolute apathy.

I read the transfer thread to try and get a bit of a spark of interest but there’s not much to get hyped about.

I don’t know if it’s just me but for the first time I recall I haven’t got a season ticket, despite being able to afford and being a 30 minute stroll away, I’ve been to two games all season (West Brom and Brum home so very enjoyable occasions) and watched 10 or so on TV but even then it’s hard to really take much interest as you just know as soon as we concede it’s game over.

I don’t blame the manager (solely) for this as the rot had set in for me already but after a lifetime of going to Ewood, and over a decade moderating on here I just don’t know if it’s passing me by now! 
 

Anyone had a similar rut and come out the other side?

A couple of months later Tom, how are you feeling about it all? Good run, fa cup 1/4 etc?

[Upside Down]

11 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I have the image of “ Tommy “ in “ Early Doors “.  The old guy that sits on his own in the corner of the pub. I never really understood drinking before a game. Especially at my age now. I’d be up and down to the toilet disturbing everybody.

Maybe that's why everybody is hoovering up the white dust before the match nowadays.