Blackburn End: Waggott Out

[ABBEY]

2 hours ago, TugaysMarlboro said:

I did send a tweet to Elliott Jackson a few days ago asking if he would contact Swag regarding the BBE closure.

Mercer summed it up well, I shouldn't have to contact him to ask questions of the club. Regardless, i've not heard back from him at all. 

Is he a Rovers fan?

Me too ✋️ 

[DeeCee]

I've forwarded my undelivered email to Lyndsey Talbot.

[aletheia]

Investigative journalism? Sadly, didn't make any difference. Henry Winter and a guy from the Daily Mail whose name I can't remember now.

Not to mention stuff from Glen, Salgado and knowldegeable posters on here etc.

[NeilInBristol]

https://www.rovers.co.uk/videos/

 

JDT has a massive dig.  We missed the supporters in the BE!! Yes  JDT!! He is not a yes man. He loves giving these interviews to be honest and

[chaddyrovers]

On 25/09/2023 at 20:56, ABBEY said:

cheers , last person I expected welcoming ha 

should of said to cardiff.. £5 adults and kids free. 

More than happy to welcome you back to the Forum Abbey 

Rovers could have offered free tickets to schools, families financially struggling at the minute, etc. Plus reduce the food prices like Newcastle did yesterday. 

[Upside Down]

11 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

‘The Venky’s’… say no more.

How hard can it be to spell the word cunts?

Journalists these days...

[lraC]

10 hours ago, aletheia said:

Investigative journalism? Sadly, didn't make any difference. Henry Winter and a guy from the Daily Mail whose name I can't remember now.

Not to mention stuff from Glen, Salgado and knowldegeable posters on here etc.

David Conn? 

[aletheia]

Good journalist but not him. Nick Harris? Rob Harris?

A primer here:-

https://ewoodpark.jimdofree.com/the-venky-s-reign-of-error-the-protest-movement-video-s-key-players-media-articles-chronology-of-events-and-photo-s/

[Waggy76]

It is time all corners of the ground turned on Waggott and made things very very unpleasant for him !

[1864roverite]

There just isn’t any appetite for it! The fans are behind the team when they need it. At 3-1 down that was the right time to begin venting anger. It’s now 3 weeks until we play Cardiff at home so he is on easy street for the time being🤬

[roversfan99]

Why didnt you start it yourself, or was you tucked away in the hospitality near him again?

[1864roverite]

31 minutes ago, roversfan99 said:

Why didnt you start it yourself, or was you tucked away in the hospitality near him again?

No I was in my usual seat! I will be at Coventry on Wednesday supporting the team as usual 

[roversfan99]

Just now, 1864roverite said:

No I was in my usual seat! I will be at Coventry on Wednesday supporting the team as usual 

So when you said 3-1 was the right time to "vent anger" towards Waggott. Did you?

[1864roverite]

No I continued to back the team because that is the priority. Now I think it’s time to dust off the venkys out banners alongside Waggot out banners.

[Mattyblue]

It’s because most fans only have a vague idea who he is. Case in point when he finally fronted up in the summer banging on about the infamous bus a load of fans were commenting on social media that it was the first they’d ever heard his voice (in six *years*, compare that with John Williams).

So of course there’s not going to be some mass revolt against a Venky yes man that spends most of his time lying low.
 

Edited October 1, 2023 by Mattyblue

[Oldgregg86]

I know the venkys and protests have been done to death with most including myself agreeing it’s a pretty futile exercise currently but how bad would things have to get or what would be a turning point to get them started back up where the fans actually might come together and give it a united effort.  I’ve found when other clubs protest the vast majority of fans are behind the protests. Rovers fans have always been split 50/50ish . Will there be a point where we all get behind them and what will be the breaking point to get us all to stand together 

Edited October 1, 2023 by Oldgregg86

[Waggy76]

2 minutes ago, Oldgregg86 said:

I know the venkys and protests have been done to death with most including myself agreeing it’s a pretty futile exercise currently but how bad would things have to get or what would be a turning point to get them started back up where the fans actually might come together and give it a united effort.  I’ve found when other clubs protest the vast majority of fans are behind the protests. Rovers fans have always been split 50/50ish . Will there be a point where we all get behind them and what will be the breaking point to get us all to stand together 

Venkys protests have been done and futile cos they are 1000s of miles away and will never return...

So , we are left with the CEO to vent our spleen at  .. Make this bastards life hell on earth , hound him out of the club !

[DeeCee]

On 28/09/2023 at 14:45, DeeCee said:

I've forwarded my undelivered email to Lyndsey Talbot.

I got a reply........  

 

Despite some of your personal comments aimed at Mr Waggott, and the fact that your email has not been received due to technical issues that have been publicly broadcast, we now wish to respond with some of the facts behind the decision of closing down not only the Blackburn End but also the Riverside for the second time this season.

 

There are a number of factors to consider when creating the operational plan for a matchday and the decisions made are based on these. Initially we review what the anticipated attendance is going to be and then measure this against the financial cost of opening the entire stadium.

 

For the first round of the Carabao Cup; BRFC V Walsall, we attracted an attendance of just over 6,000 supporters. For this fixture the capacity for the Blackburn End was less than 50% capacity of the lower tier. Due to the make-up of the stadium, once the decision is made to open a stand, the staffing of that area remains the same whether the stand is at capacity or accommodating fewer than 500 supporters. 

 

For the Cardiff game, we anticipated an attendance of circa 4000-5000 which is just over a third of the capacity for the Jack Walker Stand and less than one sixth of the whole stadium and therefore the Jack Walker stand would adequately cater for the expected demand. 

 

We do appreciate that many of our long-standing supporters sit in the Blackburn End and would argue that this stand is affectionately referred to as the home end, but the Jack Walker Stand can be relied upon to accommodate all supporters with ease. This provides a better backdrop for the broadcast footage based on top of the Riverside Stand and ultimately it will help us to manage costs at a time when all costs have to be carefully considered under Financial Fair Play rules. 

 

I’m sure you can appreciate and understand why the Club has taken the relevant measures on this occasion. Of course, these decisions will be reviewed on a match-by-match basis should we progress further in the competition, as we hope to do.

 

 

 

Thanking you for your continued support.

 

 

Kind regards

 

Christina Haines

On behalf of Steve Waggott

 

And sent this one back : 

 

Thank you for your reply.

Does Mr Waggot realise that his decision took perhaps 2,000 supporters off the attendance figure, plus their spend in the shop/concourses, reduced the already declining atmosphere and must have de motivated the players, having to play in a ground that was empty on three sides - less the 300 travelling fans!

Surely it would have been better to house thse fans in the end of the JW stand and open the BBE for home supporters, most of who were there before Steve Waggots arrival and will be there long after his departure?

That is of course, if the club still exists after the perennial cost cutting that he is implementing for this once great club.

Regards,

 

Wonder if I'll get a reply to this one ? 😁

[Mattyblue]

Still trying to get my head round why having 500 fans in the Blackburn End needs as many staff as 5000.

[JHRover]

6 minutes ago, DeeCee said:

I got a reply........  

 

Despite some of your personal comments aimed at Mr Waggott, and the fact that your email has not been received due to technical issues that have been publicly broadcast, we now wish to respond with some of the facts behind the decision of closing down not only the Blackburn End but also the Riverside for the second time this season.

 

There are a number of factors to consider when creating the operational plan for a matchday and the decisions made are based on these. Initially we review what the anticipated attendance is going to be and then measure this against the financial cost of opening the entire stadium.

 

For the first round of the Carabao Cup; BRFC V Walsall, we attracted an attendance of just over 6,000 supporters. For this fixture the capacity for the Blackburn End was less than 50% capacity of the lower tier. Due to the make-up of the stadium, once the decision is made to open a stand, the staffing of that area remains the same whether the stand is at capacity or accommodating fewer than 500 supporters. 

 

For the Cardiff game, we anticipated an attendance of circa 4000-5000 which is just over a third of the capacity for the Jack Walker Stand and less than one sixth of the whole stadium and therefore the Jack Walker stand would adequately cater for the expected demand. 

 

We do appreciate that many of our long-standing supporters sit in the Blackburn End and would argue that this stand is affectionately referred to as the home end, but the Jack Walker Stand can be relied upon to accommodate all supporters with ease. This provides a better backdrop for the broadcast footage based on top of the Riverside Stand and ultimately it will help us to manage costs at a time when all costs have to be carefully considered under Financial Fair Play rules. 

 

I’m sure you can appreciate and understand why the Club has taken the relevant measures on this occasion. Of course, these decisions will be reviewed on a match-by-match basis should we progress further in the competition, as we hope to do.

 

 

 

Thanking you for your continued support.

 

 

Kind regards

 

Christina Haines

On behalf of Steve Waggott

 

And sent this one back : 

 

Thank you for your reply.

Does Mr Waggot realise that his decision took perhaps 2,000 supporters off the attendance figure, plus their spend in the shop/concourses, reduced the already declining atmosphere and must have de motivated the players, having to play in a ground that was empty on three sides - less the 300 travelling fans!

Surely it would have been better to house thse fans in the end of the JW stand and open the BBE for home supporters, most of who were there before Steve Waggots arrival and will be there long after his departure?

That is of course, if the club still exists after the perennial cost cutting that he is implementing for this once great club.

Regards,

 

Wonder if I'll get a reply to this one ? 😁

Probably not, it seems their response has been a simple copy and paste job so far so I'd be surprised if anyone has the aptitude to respond to specific questions.

[Hasta]

 

3 hours ago, DeeCee said:

we anticipated an attendance of circa 4000-5000

Absolute bollocks. You simply wouldn't expect a lower home attendance against a Championship club in round 3 than you got against a league two club in the first round, especially on the back of an almost record victory in round 2.

They surely anticipated an attendance similar or slightly above what we got against Walsall, but to say as much now shows how absolutely stupid the decision was. The fact that they started reducing their apparent 'anticipated attendance' the closer it got to the game tells us all we need to know.

Again, if they just come out and said "We thought it made financial sense but we were wrong. It was a one-off and won't happen again" you'd just file it and move on. But he is just bullshitting on expected numbers to try and justify the decision. 

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Hasta

[Rogerb]

What they will say is that from a stewarding point of view if they are opening the stand they need a certain number which includes allowing for walk ons on the night in addition to advanced sales. Catering wise not all outlets need to open but as they have hived this off the club doesn't make any saving there. I fully expect the Riverside to be permanently closed within the next three years being the least occupied area on a match day. The same reasoning will be given. This Cardiff experiment is the thin end of the wedge.

What they fail to grasp is that they are devaluing the match day experience for the supporters. The closing of the Darwen end for home support. The moving of the family stand. None of these closures has affected the bottom line. We are still losing 20 million a year despite these alleged savings. If you have pissed off a sufficient number who now no longer come because they can't sit where they want then you have defeated the object. For whatever saving may ultimately be made it's a drop in the ocean in the way the club is being run.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Rogerb
Added text

[Mattyblue]

Swag really is the perfect operator for these penny wise, pound foolish owners.

[Hasta]

17 minutes ago, Rogerb said:

What they will say is that from a stewarding point of view if they are opening the stand they need a certain number which includes allowing for walk ons on the night in addition to advanced sales.

You need only a few of the turnstiles open near the JW/BBE corner open. Everyone enters from there. Therefore you dont need the lads and lasses behind the other set of turnstiles. You only need half the catering outlets open.

The line "the staffing of that area remains the same whether the stand is at capacity or accommodating fewer than 500 supporters. " simply won't be true. It may well be you still need a significant percentage, but it doesn't need to remain the same. Therefore he's lying again.

He's arrogant and smug so won't admit he's made a mistake here, but I just hope deep down he acknowledges he's knocked 1000+ off the gate.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Hasta

[lraC]

44 minutes ago, DeeCee said:

I got a reply........  

 

Despite some of your personal comments aimed at Mr Waggott, and the fact that your email has not been received due to technical issues that have been publicly broadcast, we now wish to respond with some of the facts behind the decision of closing down not only the Blackburn End but also the Riverside for the second time this season.

 

There are a number of factors to consider when creating the operational plan for a matchday and the decisions made are based on these. Initially we review what the anticipated attendance is going to be and then measure this against the financial cost of opening the entire stadium.

 

For the first round of the Carabao Cup; BRFC V Walsall, we attracted an attendance of just over 6,000 supporters. For this fixture the capacity for the Blackburn End was less than 50% capacity of the lower tier. Due to the make-up of the stadium, once the decision is made to open a stand, the staffing of that area remains the same whether the stand is at capacity or accommodating fewer than 500 supporters. 

 

For the Cardiff game, we anticipated an attendance of circa 4000-5000 which is just over a third of the capacity for the Jack Walker Stand and less than one sixth of the whole stadium and therefore the Jack Walker stand would adequately cater for the expected demand. 

 

We do appreciate that many of our long-standing supporters sit in the Blackburn End and would argue that this stand is affectionately referred to as the home end, but the Jack Walker Stand can be relied upon to accommodate all supporters with ease. This provides a better backdrop for the broadcast footage based on top of the Riverside Stand and ultimately it will help us to manage costs at a time when all costs have to be carefully considered under Financial Fair Play rules. 

 

I’m sure you can appreciate and understand why the Club has taken the relevant measures on this occasion. Of course, these decisions will be reviewed on a match-by-match basis should we progress further in the competition, as we hope to do.

 

 

 

Thanking you for your continued support.

 

 

Kind regards

 

Christina Haines

On behalf of Steve Waggott

 

And sent this one back : 

 

Thank you for your reply.

Does Mr Waggot realise that his decision took perhaps 2,000 supporters off the attendance figure, plus their spend in the shop/concourses, reduced the already declining atmosphere and must have de motivated the players, having to play in a ground that was empty on three sides - less the 300 travelling fans!

Surely it would have been better to house thse fans in the end of the JW stand and open the BBE for home supporters, most of who were there before Steve Waggots arrival and will be there long after his departure?

That is of course, if the club still exists after the perennial cost cutting that he is implementing for this once great club.

Regards,

 

Wonder if I'll get a reply to this one ? 😁

Once again, that figure contradicts an earlier reply, one of our posters on here got, as he was told a similar number to Walsall was expected. He has therefore by default knocked around 2,000 himself, so would love to know how he explains that one.

I know Glen and also the trust have meeting with him in the not too distant future, so assuming they can take a copy of contradicting posts from here, he should have some explaining to do.