Fans Forum/Roverstore/Commercial Chat

[Mike Graham]

2 minutes ago, JHRover said:

I was always under the impression that Blues Bar was separate to the other hospitality facilities - Premier Suite, Red Rose Suite, Jack's Kitchen - in that it was still under the control and management of the Club whereas Sodexo control the rest and also the catering kiosks around the ground. 

I think this is why there is a fee to get into the Blues Bar, why their choice of beverages is wider than the other bars and why certain promotions apply in the Sodexo ones but not Blues Bar

I might be wrong on that or it might have changed more recently.

Either way of course it is another example of the club washing its hands of any responsibility and farming it out to a third party like they've done with everything else, or if it is still under the club's control it shows just how little pride there is down there, they'd sooner the place be a bland neutral venue than one that reflects our great history that this rabble are wrecking.

Sodexho have the Blues Bar contract and hire it out rather than the Club.  It is similar to the contracts Sodexho have at Preston, Wigan and Newcastle United.

[wilsdenrover]

3 minutes ago, J*B said:

I’ve no idea the dates when the imagery was taken down - other than believing what Duncan has stated, some were taken down pre COVID and there was some additional imagery that may or may not have been taken down more recently.

Let’s look at it a different way: If the murals haven’t been taken down to facilitate Liverpool Legends Evenings, why have they been taken down? They were in perfectly good condition and whoever has taken them down has been paid to do so. We’re in financial armageddon, who has approved that cost? 

Putting aside the whys and when of them being removed, who on earth thought it acceptable just to dump them behind a stand.

 

[J*B]

5 minutes ago, Mike Graham said:

As far as I know the murals were taken down about 4 years ago, not for the Liverpool event.  I am not defending it just trying to deal with facts.

There’s multiple fuck ups from the club here and to be totally honest, when the murals where taken down isn’t the biggest. Although seeing imagery of club legends stacked behind the Riverside rotting in the rain does tell its own story of Venkys. 

Let’s look past when the murals being taken down happened and concentrate on the bigger questions:

1) Why is a Liverpool Legends Event booked at Blues Bar? Who has approved it, who didn’t think to sense check it, how many other similar events are proposed? 

2) The imagery has been removed and painted magnolia. Does this improve the experience for Rovers fans in Blues Bar?

[Mike Graham]

Just now, wilsdenrover said:

Putting aside the whys and when of them being removed, who on earth thought it acceptable just to dump them behind a stand.

 

Exactly.  They could have had a far wider audience displayed in various areas of the stadium. 

[Mike Graham]

1 minute ago, J*B said:

There’s multiple fuck ups from the club here and to be totally honest, the murals aren’t the biggest. Although seeing imagery of club legends stacked behind the Riverside rotting in the rain does tell its own story of Venkys. 

Let’s look past when the murals being taken down happened and concentrate on the bigger questions:

1) Why is a Liverpool Legends Event booked at Blues Bar? Who has approved it, who didn’t think to sense check it, how many other similar events are proposed? 

2) The imagery has been removed and painted magnolia. Does this improve the experience for Rovers fans in Blues Bar?

1.  No idea.  It will be raised tomorrow

2. No idea. However they were replaced with a wide range of Rovers action photographs across all the wall panels.

[wilsdenrover]

4 minutes ago, Mike Graham said:

Exactly.  They could have had a far wider audience displayed in various areas of the stadium. 

Or raffled them off etc etc.

Short of burning them in the centre circle they picked the worst option available.

[J*B]

2 minutes ago, Mike Graham said:

1.  No idea.  It will be raised tomorrow

2. No idea. However they were replaced with a wide range of Rovers action photographs across all the wall panels.

Just for clarity I’m not expecting you to know the answers to these questions Mike, I’m simply expressing how much of a disgrace I think this entire fiasco is. Especially considering the amount of work fans are putting in to try and create the next generation of Rovers fan. Which, as a reminder, is actually the clubs job. 

[J*B]

9 minutes ago, Mike Graham said:

Sodexho have the Blues Bar contract and hire it out rather than the Club.  It is similar to the contracts Sodexho have at Preston, Wigan and Newcastle United.

Just to be clear, as you suggesting it makes no difference to the club whether Rovers fans drink in Blues or the Working Men’s Club before a game? 

[Mattyblue]

Whilst your raising these queries re the club’s batshit decision making, Mike, can you also ask why those superb history timeline murals at either side of the Jack Walker were removed (again around Covid time), we are now left with grey panels as we arrive at the ground, most inspiring.

I just can’t fathom what’s been going on (and continues to go on) down there.

Edited January 2 by Mattyblue

[Mike Graham]

1 minute ago, J*B said:

Just to be clear, as you suggesting it makes no difference to the club whether Rovers fans drink in Blues or the Working Men’s Club before a game? 

No, far from it.  Rovers get a % of the profits, and have to pay a % if there are any losses.  There have a clear commercial interest.

[Mike Graham]

1 minute ago, Mattyblue said:

Whilst your raising these queries re the club’s batshit decision making, Mike, can you also ask why those superb history timeline murals at either side of the Jack Walker were removed (again around Covid time), we are now left with grey panels as we arrive at the ground, most inspiring.

I just can’t fathom what’s been going on down there.

I could not agree more re the timeline murals on the walkways.  They looked brilliant.

[Mike Graham]

9 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Or raffled them off etc etc.

Short of burning them in the centre circle they picked the worst option available.

I would have bought a couple for the side of my garage to piss the neighbours off.

[J*B]

1 minute ago, Mike Graham said:

No, far from it.  Rovers get a % of the profits, and have to pay a % if there are any losses.  There have a clear commercial interest.

Then even if it’s under Sodexo’s rule, it’s in Rovers interest they’re not taking down the murals and painting it magnolia! I despair I really do. 
 

3 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Whilst your raising these queries re the club’s batshit decision making, Mike, can you also ask why those superb history timeline murals at either side of the Jack Walker were removed (again around Covid time), we are now left with grey panels as we arrive at the ground, most inspiring.

I just can’t fathom what’s been going on (and continues to go on) down there.

Another fantastic point. 

[Hasta]

We went in the Blues Bar straight after the Preston game at 2.30pm.

They rang ‘last orders’ and turned the TV’s off at 3.30pm. It was still busy.

Edited January 2 by Hasta

[wilsdenrover]

3 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

Whilst your raising these queries re the club’s batshit decision making, Mike, can you also ask why those superb history timeline murals at either side of the Jack Walker were removed (again around Covid time), we are now left with grey panels as we arrive at the ground, most inspiring.

I just can’t fathom what’s been going on (and continues to go on) down there.

I’d be showing SW…

1) the discarded photo of Jack Walker

2) Desai’s quote about honouring his legacy

and asking him to square that circle.

[wilsdenrover]

2 minutes ago, Mike Graham said:

I would have bought a couple for the side of my garage to piss the neighbours off.

You don’t live next door to dingles do you? 😁

[Mike Graham]

6 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

You don’t live next door to dingles do you? 😁

No dingles near me, just Bolton.  Surprisingly the next best supported team to Rovers in Hoghton* is Bolton.

 

* Gregson Lane and Coupe Green are not in Hoghton despite the best efforts of some local residents and estate agents trying to inflate house prices. 

Edited January 2 by Mike Graham

[tomphil]

It wasn't when i used to go in the Black Horse about a decade ago it was majority PNE.

[only2garners]

6 minutes ago, tomphil said:

It wasn't when i used to go in the Black Horse about a decade ago it was majority PNE.

As Mike correctly says the Black Horse is in Gregson Lane, not Hoghton.

[tomphil]

12 minutes ago, only2garners said:

As Mike correctly says the Black Horse is in Gregson Lane, not Hoghton.

That may be correct but i don't recall a sign on the door saying only residents of Gregson Lane allowed in.

[Polky]

29 minutes ago, tomphil said:

It wasn't when i used to go in the Black Horse about a decade ago it was majority PNE.

If I remember correctly, they had a North End shirt on the wall, until the latest refurbishment a few months ago.

[tomphil]

4 minutes ago, Polky said:

If I remember correctly, they had a North End shirt on the wall, until the latest refurbishment a few months ago.

Probably but not been in for 6 years or so although i remember most of the local young lads used to be Preston or the usual plastic tv teams (sometimes one and the same 😁)

Quite a few Rovers but of the over 35 variety, landlord was Chelsea if i remember right.

And it was always regarded up our way as the Black Horse in Greggy Lane, Houghton !

[DaveyB]

On 01/01/2024 at 22:03, JHRover said:

This would be unthinkable at any other Football League club. I include Accy Stanley in that who I can't believe would plunge to such depths.

A quick look on the tour management’s website shows that Mansfield, Wigan & Stoke are all hosting similar events, so perhaps not quite as unthinkable as it maybe should be

(Fwiw I’m not defending the club here, just pointing out that we’re not unique in this)

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, DaveyB said:

A quick look on the tour management’s website shows that Mansfield, Wigan & Stoke are all hosting similar events, so perhaps not quite as unthinkable as it maybe should be

(Fwiw I’m not defending the club here, just pointing out that we’re not unique in this)

That's the level Venkys have taken us to. Wigan, Mansfield and Stoke.

Before them we were competing with Liverpool for European places.

[Mattyblue]

How about hosting a Blackburn Rovers legends night? We do have them, but maybe the club doesn’t know, they should have a look through that merchandise they’ve dumped at the back of the Riverside for some ideas.