v Sheffield Wednesday (h) - 21/04/2024

[Mattyblue]

15 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

So what you are saying is that our players can't perform if there are 7,000 visiting fans at Ewood.  However, they can perform in front of 30 odd thousand home fans at Leeds and 40 odd thousand home fans at Sunderland.   I'm not sure I follow that argument.  At the end of the day we won't agree on this.  For me we need the cash and in the 60 odd years I've supported the club the number of visiting away fans has never really seemed an issue.

Didn’t know I was disagreeing, it is what it is and it won’t change unless we double our ST numbers (ha!) - it’s a ground that will always have lots of spare seats otherwise.

But there obviously is a reason most clubs restrict away followings even if they have more seats available.

[Parsonblue]

37 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Didn’t know I was disagreeing, it is what it is and it won’t change unless we double our ST numbers (ha!) - it’s a ground that will always have lots of spare seats otherwise.

But there obviously is a reason most clubs restrict away followings even if they have more seats available.

I agree with regard to season ticket sales and the new TV deal is more likely to decrease sales rather than increase them.  I looked at Sunderland and Leeds with 40,000 and 30,000 plus on each ground and fans paying £30 + per ticket.  I'm going to have to pay £33 at Leicester and that's an OAP price!  FFP makes it almost impossible to compete income wise over the course of a 46 game season.  Hence, I can understand why we will try to fill the Darwen End whenever we can.  

[J*B]

2 minutes ago, Parsonblue said:

I agree with regard to season ticket sales and the new TV deal is more likely to decrease sales rather than increase them.  I looked at Sunderland and Leeds with 40,000 and 30,000 plus on each ground and fans paying £30 + per ticket.  I'm going to have to pay £33 at Leicester and that's an OAP price!  FFP makes it almost impossible to compete income wise over the course of a 46 game season.  Hence, I can understand why we will try to fill the Darwen End whenever we can.  

Whilst all of this makes sense, our approach is certainly the easy route. 

[Ghost7]

Let's not pretend the grounds with the biggest crowds are the easiest places to play. It might not work because Wednesday are shit but 7,000 fans should spur them on and Waggott couldn't care less. It's a bonus we didn't need to give them.

[arbitro]

One of the caveats around the cheaper season tickets was that the income from filling the Darwen End with away fans four or five times a season would offset the losses from the cheaper prices we paid. It worked really well and the initiative served two purposes. I really don't buy the argument about having lots of away fans and giving our opponents some kind of advantage. I'm sure it works the other way whereby any player worth his salt would want to play in a real atmospheric surrounding irrespective of where the noise comes from. 

[Admiral Nelsen]

17 minutes ago, Ghost7 said:

Let's not pretend the grounds with the biggest crowds are the easiest places to play. It might not work because Wednesday are shit but 7,000 fans should spur them on and Waggott couldn't care less. It's a bonus we didn't need to give them.

Cause and effect going on there though. Maybe the grounds with the biggest crowds are also the clubs that can afford to buy the best players?

 

I'm pretty sceptical of massive away followings making much of a difference. How many times have we brought 4 - 6k to PNE, Wigan and Bolton over the last ten years or so and still underperformed? I'm just looking forward to seeing Ewood a bit more full to honest. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, arbitro said:

One of the caveats around the cheaper season tickets was that the income from filling the Darwen End with away fans four or five times a season would offset the losses from the cheaper prices we paid. It worked really well and the initiative served two purposes. I really don't buy the argument about having lots of away fans and giving our opponents some kind of advantage. I'm sure it works the other way whereby any player worth his salt would want to play in a real atmospheric surrounding irrespective of where the noise comes from. 

Plus the point that big followings only help if you’re doing ok. If you’re losing they can soon get restive.

[Mercer]

Let's not pretend otherwise, 7,000+ Owls' fans are going to give their team a huge, huge psychological lift and they will be super adrenaline charged.  Rovers' fans at home aren't generally the most vociferous.  IMO, it's a huge own goal.

Told this morning it was on some SW related social media yesterday that we'd had given them a further 400 tickets - sorry but haven't got a link and don't know which media but I'm sure those well versed in social media will find it. 

[JHRover]

End of the day Rovers have proven that they are only interested in taking the easy route to get where they want to be.

Its easy handing over the Darwen End to Sheff Wed, Leeds, Preston. Just agree, print off the tickets and watch the cash flow in. No real effort required.

It is justified on the basis that we have the space to do it and we need more people in because home attendances are low.

So what about increasing home numbers?

Sadly for us this is where it falls down. This is where effort is needed, because you have to make serious, sustained efforts to engage and attract new people and get them coming on a regular basis. It takes a plan, it takes effort, it takes imagination.

All lacking at the good ship Ewood, rinse and repeat same old dreary approach each and every year. Other than changes to prices (almost all increasing) what is different about matchday or ticketing now compared to 10 years ago? Nothing. Nothing changes, no imagination, no planning. No singing area, no cheaper area, no safe standing area, no 'ultras' or flag waving area.

No sir, not a jot of interest in any of that as it requires EFFORT.

Emulating Huddersfield, PNE, Bolton and implementing serious price reductions with a view to adding thousands to the gates and engaging new, younger supporters?

No, can't do. Too much risk, FFP, wouldn't work here (no evidence).

This is where the gripe with me lies. Quite happy to take the easy option to grab the low hanging fruit and cash in on away numbers, no willingness to make any effort to fill up Ewood and maybe one day not have 20,000 empty seats sat doing nothing, or maybe not be under pressure to take the away coin every time.

[Hasta]

14 hours ago, Ghost7 said:

 

I disagree, sell out away ends are expected against "the big boys" and in theory is should give them an added advantage, most of the time they don't need it... and the fixture isn't crucial. Sheffield need it. It helped Preston and Lowe confirmed that. It can make a team talk very easy when there's 7,000 fans in the away end. A sensible CEO would avoid it in this type of fixture on the off chance it inspired the opponent to a win.

So why do we get smashed every time we go to Wigan with a full away end?

Should we also restrict the Coventry allocation on the off chance they need a win for the play offs and bring 5000?

 

Edited April 16 by Hasta

[Ghost7]

Yes, we absolutely should. Focus on making up your numbers with home fans.

[M_B]

12 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I do get why its a must not lose, but bigger picture, say we draw, probably seals safety, but that would still leave Eustace yet to win at home having played Sheff Wednesday, Plymouth and Millwall. It would be pretty depressing and wouldn't bode well for next season.

Talk of filling the side with as many big players as possible to stop them. We are playing at home to second bottom, a draw and we are still catchable, a win and we are safe. Anything but a win is a huge let down IMO. A draw helps us limp over the line but lets just impose ourselves on them, win a game that we should expect to win and start to plan for next season.

Well, he's won 2 away matches,that box has been ticked. 

We could do with a win at home on Sunday, but that would only leave the Coventry game to get a home win at 3 o'clock on a Saturday. 

[Penwortham Blue]

1 hour ago, JHRover said:

End of the day Rovers have proven that they are only interested in taking the easy route to get where they want to be.

Its easy handing over the Darwen End to Sheff Wed, Leeds, Preston. Just agree, print off the tickets and watch the cash flow in. No real effort required.

It is justified on the basis that we have the space to do it and we need more people in because home attendances are low.

So what about increasing home numbers?

Sadly for us this is where it falls down. This is where effort is needed, because you have to make serious, sustained efforts to engage and attract new people and get them coming on a regular basis. It takes a plan, it takes effort, it takes imagination.

All lacking at the good ship Ewood, rinse and repeat same old dreary approach each and every year. Other than changes to prices (almost all increasing) what is different about matchday or ticketing now compared to 10 years ago? Nothing. Nothing changes, no imagination, no planning. No singing area, no cheaper area, no safe standing area, no 'ultras' or flag waving area.

No sir, not a jot of interest in any of that as it requires EFFORT.

Emulating Huddersfield, PNE, Bolton and implementing serious price reductions with a view to adding thousands to the gates and engaging new, younger supporters?

No, can't do. Too much risk, FFP, wouldn't work here (no evidence).

This is where the gripe with me lies. Quite happy to take the easy option to grab the low hanging fruit and cash in on away numbers, no willingness to make any effort to fill up Ewood and maybe one day not have 20,000 empty seats sat doing nothing, or maybe not be under pressure to take the away coin every time.

What a post, share your thoughts and sentiments entirely.

[arbitro]

21 minutes ago, Ghost7 said:

Yes, we absolutely should. Focus on making up your numbers with home fans.

Surely doing both is the best option. There are many, many sticks to beat Waggott with but I don't believe maximising the number of away attendees is one of them. His failings with regard to home ticket sales is well documented and mostly true and that point can be rightly laid firmly at his door.

[Exiled_Rover]

13 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

I do get why its a must not lose, but bigger picture, say we draw, probably seals safety, but that would still leave Eustace yet to win at home having played Sheff Wednesday, Plymouth and Millwall. It would be pretty depressing and wouldn't bode well for next season.

Talk of filling the side with as many big players as possible to stop them. We are playing at home to second bottom, a draw and we are still catchable, a win and we are safe. Anything but a win is a huge let down IMO. A draw helps us limp over the line but lets just impose ourselves on them, win a game that we should expect to win and start to plan for next season.

Talk about planning for next year is illogical - we simply don't know where we'll stand until late August and the resolution of that court case.  It's just about getting over the line imo. 

This season has been a disaster - we've sold our crown jewel, we've run off our competent ambitious manager and we still don't know whether the owners can put a penny into the club to keep us running. 

Survive then take a deep breath and brace ourselves for more horrendous news coming out of Ewood / Pune is my advice. 

[roversinmyblood]

Everybody seems to be forgetting how Rovers do things. We never do things the easy way, if we can secure safety early we never do it! 

For this reason, in true Rovers fashion, I predict that we lose both our home matches leaving us fretting like mad and then beat Leicester away on the last day to secure our ultimate safety. 

[roversfan99]

35 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Talk about planning for next year is illogical - we simply don't know where we'll stand until late August and the resolution of that court case.  It's just about getting over the line imo. 

This season has been a disaster - we've sold our crown jewel, we've run off our competent ambitious manager and we still don't know whether the owners can put a penny into the club to keep us running. 

Survive then take a deep breath and brace ourselves for more horrendous news coming out of Ewood / Pune is my advice. 

Absolutely, but even from that perspective. Win and we are 100% safe. Home to 2nd bottom, should be a game we target all 3 points and then get it over and done with.

1 hour ago, M_B said:

Well, he's won 2 away matches,that box has been ticked. 

We could do with a win at home on Sunday, but that would only leave the Coventry game to get a home win at 3 o'clock on a Saturday. 

I know he has won away, but he has yet to win at home, including some games we should be targetting wins in, lets get that monkey off his back on Sunday, seal survival and go from there.

[arbitro]

Hopefully we can cash in even more on a big away following.

 

[ABRAM ROVER]

3 hours ago, JHRover said:

End of the day Rovers have proven that they are only interested in taking the easy route to get where they want to be.

Its easy handing over the Darwen End to Sheff Wed, Leeds, Preston. Just agree, print off the tickets and watch the cash flow in. No real effort required.

It is justified on the basis that we have the space to do it and we need more people in because home attendances are low.

So what about increasing home numbers?

Sadly for us this is where it falls down. This is where effort is needed, because you have to make serious, sustained efforts to engage and attract new people and get them coming on a regular basis. It takes a plan, it takes effort, it takes imagination.

All lacking at the good ship Ewood, rinse and repeat same old dreary approach each and every year. Other than changes to prices (almost all increasing) what is different about matchday or ticketing now compared to 10 years ago? Nothing. Nothing changes, no imagination, no planning. No singing area, no cheaper area, no safe standing area, no 'ultras' or flag waving area.

No sir, not a jot of interest in any of that as it requires EFFORT.

Emulating Huddersfield, PNE, Bolton and implementing serious price reductions with a view to adding thousands to the gates and engaging new, younger supporters?

No, can't do. Too much risk, FFP, wouldn't work here (no evidence).

This is where the gripe with me lies. Quite happy to take the easy option to grab the low hanging fruit and cash in on away numbers, no willingness to make any effort to fill up Ewood and maybe one day not have 20,000 empty seats sat doing nothing, or maybe not be under pressure to take the away coin every time.

Absolutely spot on and to think the club just won the EFL fan engagement award. It's laughable really. 

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Let’s just pray we don’t lose on Sunday or there’ll be lots of “told you so”’s on this board after the game.

i get both sides of the away fans argument but it really shouldn’t affect the Rovers performance. We handled the hostile atmosphere at Elland Rd (which really brewed up with Pears time wasting) and got the result. 

IMO Rovers fans turning up and getting behind the team will have as much, if not more impact as 7000k away fans. 

[M_B]

3 hours ago, roversfan99 said:

Absolutely, but even from that perspective. Win and we are 100% safe. Home to 2nd bottom, should be a game we target all 3 points and then get it over and done with.

I know he has won away, but he has yet to win at home, including some games we should be targetting wins in, lets get that monkey off his back on Sunday, seal survival and go from there.

I thought it was just wins he needed, I didn't realise they were now being categorised,when did that happen? 

Just for the record, will 1-0 do? 

 

[roversfan99]

25 minutes ago, M_B said:

I thought it was just wins he needed, I didn't realise they were now being categorised,when did that happen? 

Just for the record, will 1-0 do? 

 

You speak as if asking for a home win is me being needlessly pedantic.

Any win will do. We are playing 2nd bottom at home, the important thing is to win a very winnable game and seal survival. But its Eustace's 7th go at winning at Ewood, forget the must not lose stuff, lets actually win a game at home. 

[simongarnerisgod]

4 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Talk about planning for next year is illogical - we simply don't know where we'll stand until late August and the resolution of that court case.  It's just about getting over the line imo. 

This season has been a disaster - we've sold our crown jewel, we've run off our competent ambitious manager and we still don't know whether the owners can put a penny into the club to keep us running. 

Survive then take a deep breath and brace ourselves for more horrendous news coming out of Ewood / Pune is my advice. 

venkys continue to "fund" the club,that is horrendously,tragic news

venkys withdraw their support and "investment",that is paaarrtttyyyyyyyyy time

[M_B]

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

You speak as if asking for a home win is me being needlessly pedantic.

Any win will do. We are playing 2nd bottom at home, the important thing is to win a very winnable game and seal survival. But its Eustace's 7th go at winning at Ewood, forget the must not lose stuff, lets actually win a game at home. 

We all want a home win obviously, a win on Sunday would make it 3 in 5 and we'd be starting to hit some really good form.

It's just that it's never been specified before as being a "monkey on his back". I didn't realise it was a thing until now. 

[Upside Down]

12 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

Is he thick? He is if you think he is trying to act in the best long term interests of BRFC, but just happens to make bad decisions time after time. 

I’d say Waggott makes decisions for Waggott, and will be leaving here (at some point) very well compensated.. so who’s the fool?
 

Yes, he tells numerous lies that are easily disproved.

Exhibit A: "We've bought a new bus"