[Archived] Season Ticket Sales?

[CAPT KAYOS]

Read last weekend that since 1996 'Boro have spent £50 million on strikers alone. That obviously includes those mentioned above plus some other rubbish. Then of course you've got wages on top as well.

So, take Ravenelli (Steve Gibson was daft enough to), let's say he was on £30,000 a week (sounds about right I'd imagine) on a four year contract - that's another £6 million. Let's just say that since 1996 'Boro have spent well over £100 million on strikers who by and large have been pony.

So it stands to reason that any striker that Blackburn Rovers buys, who doesn't cost a huge amount of money, is bound to be a bad player. Let’s not even give Dickov a chance eh?

Let's go and buy an "exciting" player, who costs an absolute fortune, he's just bound to be successful - as 'Boro have shown over the years (I'll not mention Davies or Grabbi as I don't feel that way out).

Agreed BobF as Usual

As Tris - says the so called star player snuffles the income from over a 1/4 of the crowd.

What boro have bought is nothing different to Cole - regardless of what I think of Souness or Cole or anybody else - do we need another disruptive influence in the team. Just look at what they spent on strikers over the years.

Yes it might be a short fix - and a 'star buy' is probably what the club needs short term but there has to be a balance between that and whether the player is considered 'bothered' enough to give his all -otherwise we could end up with another Yorke.

Viduka - possibly the type of player we needed-blows hot and cold - disruptive yes - worth the money (wages) - questionable?

Kluivert - has anybody seen this guy play recently - has the technique but can't be bothered - trying to hog himself round the Premiership to get the best wages he can - probably for the least effort - worth the money - no way Jose - however - S/T / Match Ticket sales might just pay his wages and also on a free.

Hasselbaink - now we all know this guy can't hit a cow's rear end with a Newcastle Fans head never mind a banjo at Ewood Park - worth the money(wages) -again questionable?

Fowler - no way.

It looks like its going to be a 'suck it and see' for the Rovers fans -at least until January anyway - as Bob F says lets give the likes of Dickov and crew a chance before we condemn ourselves.

No I'm not happy with whats going on - but hey! my Season Ticket card turned up yesterday - now the anticipation starts until the end of August when all my fears are confounded.

[Alan75]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.

The board new the situation regarding Cole / Souness at the end of last season - why wait untill now for a clear the air meeting to decide Cole is surplus to requirements, be it that they are backing the manager.

Could it be that they feared the effect it would have on season ticket sales.

[waggy]

latest on the season ticket front at work,saw a driver who is a season ticket holder and asked if he was re-newing.

the all too familiar answer came back,NO I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO SPEND £350 ON.

with this weeks revalations i would not be suprised if people ask for refunds.

[Manchester Blue]

Agree with BobF and the Capt. People are complaining saying that they can't relate to the players and they are overpaid etc. Then we moan that boro are buying Viduka & Hasselbaink. Hmmm that will improve relations between fans and players no end.

[Dan Furness]

they are easy to use, same as the passes we use at work

we use stuff like it at work and im always getting LOCKED inside buildings

its worse when you leave the keys in office and try get back in

[jim mk2]

Read last weekend that since 1996 'Boro have spent £50 million on strikers alone. That obviously includes those mentioned above plus some other rubbish. Then of course you've got wages on top as well.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating or some other such cliche.

Middlesbrough have brought in star names and season ticket sales have gone through the roof. In the past two summers, we will have offloaded Dunn, Duff and (as looks likely) Cole, our biggest stars. Meanwhile season tickets sales have slumped.

I wonder if the two events are related?

[bob fleming]

It's a tricky one Jim.

Seeing how we finished 6th and still lost season ticket sales then I'd say no. Dunn (who most on here at any rate, slag off as not being good enough) was sold at the beginning of that close season, Duff at the last minute at the end. So we'd have probably lost ST sales anyway.

You say that Boro have sold 25,000 Season Tickets this season. Let's call that £11 million worth. I wonder what they're paying JFK and Viduka? £50,000 each a week? That's £5.2 million a year. Plus they still have to pay the rest of their squad. Was there a fee for Viduka? Can't remember for the life of me.

It doesn't add up. Steve Gibson is bank rolling them big style - and good for him. Unfortunately, it would appear that we are now operating in something called "the real world" as it appears to me that the money from Jersey isn't what it used to be.

Don't get me wrong Jim - I'd love us to go out and buy a "big name signing" or someone to "excite" the fans. But if the money isn't there what should we do? Gamble the long term future of the club in an attempt to bring back ST's holders who even then might not come back anyway? These missing fans certainly wouldn't give confidence to the board to go down this route.

Or maybe Jim, the Board have been reading your posts and aren't prepared to back him anymore? Perhaps they've set aside some money to pay his contract up when they sack him.

[waggy]

how about this message board doing it's bit,to boost the season ticket sales,i would say 25% off this board will not see rovers play LIVE.how about all you ex-pats , and far away fans clubbing together and buying a block off season ticket's for rover's to donate to say BLACKBURN ORPHANAGE.

this would mean you were doing your bit to help your club,and benifitting youngster's from your home town.

just a thought,but not a bad idea.

[roversWASmylife]

SEASON TICKET ARRIVES

Includes fixture list and half price match day programme vouchers.

3 simple steps to using the card.

1. Simply hold the card FLAT in front of the reader to activate turnstile.

2. When the card is valid the light will illuminate

3. Walk through the turnstile when card is validated

Will it be that simple

Season ticket has arrived.

In my opinion the club have done there best with it. The card looks alright, but comes with a little case, I presume that this is so that you don’t lose it, but we all will.

Test match will be the Porto game, we`ll wait and see.

[Blue blood]

Viduka and Hasslebamk may be out of our limits but we do need something to excite the fans. As I remember quite a few people were optimistic about Yorke coming, and he didn't break the bank. Okay, so he flopped, but the point is that you don't always have to spend loads to attract a big name and create optimisim. After last season the fans need something encouraging.

Regarding the 6th place finish, had we not sold Duff and Dunn, both of whom were considered Rovers through and through, it would have been highly likely that season tickets would have increased/stayed the same. As it was both had to go but would have been interesting to see the effect on season tickets if we'd have got Ferguson pre-season to counter-act the loss of these two.

[SouthAussieRover]

latest on the season ticket front at work,saw a driver who is a season ticket holder and asked if he was re-newing.

the all too familiar answer came back,NO I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO SPEND £350 ON.

with this weeks revalations i would not be suprised if people ask for refunds.

I guess they will take out a subscription to Rovers World then?

Such a bargain don't you think Waggy?

After all rather than watching Souey's choices you get to listen to it?

[waggy]

mine came through the post to-day,looking forward to the half price programmes,in fact i'm looking forward to the season.over 3 weeks since i saw a live game.

sar i quite like roversworld,and will no doubt be re-newing.doubt if the driver from work will be.

also i'm quite dissapionted about the response about our far flung fans doing there bit,but when paul said we had 2o odd payer's when 90 odd pledged to support the site,even our far flung fans are just like the one's nearer home.

[stuwilky]

Was at Ewood this morning buying my tickets for the Nob end match.

Cheekily said to the bloke, "any idea how season ticket sales are going?" I actually got a reply. He said "we've just passed 12,000"

Not as bad as initially feared but still pretty poor.

[ABBEY]

BUT was the figure being passed going forwards or backwards??

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Ipswich town have shifted 16,500 in Div 1.

[Ewood Spark]

Ipswich town have shifted 16,500 in Div 1.

SG194 get hold of an atlas and have a look where Ipswich is. You will notice that it is in a reasonably remote part of the country ie difficult to get to Old Trafford /Highbury/Anfield etc..etc. Notice also that it is the county town of Suffolk and as such is a centre of gravity for a relativly large population. Suffolk is also incredibly flat and as such does not lend itself to the geographicaly induced insularity and parochial prejudices prevelent in Lancashire valley towns. If you live in Suffolk and follow football you are more than likely going to follow Ipswich Town. Now imagine a Lancashire where only Blackburn Rovers existed and where all the inhabitants of the surrounding towns naturally looked to Blackburn as the regional capital.....is the penny begining to drop yet?

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Dont need an atlas to know where Ipswich is my friend...visited the ground on more than a few occasions in the past.

Just stating facts, no need to make silly comparisons anymore to try and explain our fall in support nor is there the need for the boring lecture and smart arse comments ok sunshine.

Chin chin.

Edited July 19, 2004 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[SouthAussieRover]

But its a valid point SG.

Not much in the Ipswich area..oh why do I bother.

Only 28,000 at Ewood first home game..blah,blah,blah.

[roversmum]

Dont need an atlas to know where Ipswich is my friend...visited the ground on more than a few occasions in the past.

Just stating facts, no need to make silly comparisons anymore to try and explain our fall in support nor is there the need for the boring lecture and smart arse comments ok sunshine.

Chin chin.

Pot, kettle and black spring to mind........

Good points by Ewood Spark imo.

Edited July 19, 2004 by roversmum

[ABBEY]

But its a valid point SG.

Not much in the Ipswich area..oh why do I bother.

Only 28,000 at Ewood first home game..blah,blah,blah.

SAME argument when i was in newcastle and middlesbro.

[Ewood Spark]

Dont need an atlas to know where Ipswich is my friend...visited the ground on more than a few occasions in the past.

Just stating facts, no need to make silly comparisons anymore to try and explain our fall in support nor is there the need for the boring lecture and smart arse comments ok sunshine.

Chin chin.

SG194 if you want to beat yourself up over Rovers season ticket sales then thats up to you....but if you want to convince the rest of us to don the sack-cloth and ashes at least try and come up with relevant facts not just spurious tittle-tattle.

[Nuclearsox]

My Deanocard finally arrived yesterday. I was beginning to think I wasn’t getting one after my poor performances last year but they are obviously short of numbers and have been forced to give me a seat again.

One thing troubles me about the Deanocard. Whose idea was it, as if I didn’t know, to make it the same size as a normal credit card but ever-so slightly thicker? It’s an ideal size for jamming in a Natwest Servicetill on a Saturday night and trying to withdraw £10 to get a greasy kebab from Ahmed’s with extra chilli sauce and raw onions. There’s going to be some weeping and wailing when I realize my season ticket is bunging up a servicetill and I can’t get a kebab. I don’t actually like Ahmed’s kebabs (The chilli sauce makes my eyes bulge out and my nose run and the onions make my breath smell and the lower half of my face pucker up) but Saturday night wouldn’t be the same without one.

The Deanocard is clearly just the latest ploy designed solely to ruin my Saturdays (crap football and closing The Moorings being the previous two attempts). They are getting increasingly evil and cunning.

On the positive side though, if you’re ever in St. Annes on a Saturday night and a hideous-looking, foul-smelling monster, wearing a brfcs.com badge is staggering towards you, you can be fairly sure the servicetill is working.

...unless it's just Scotty making his way home again.

Edited July 21, 2004 by Nuclearsox

[Claytons Left Boot]

The latest figure seems to be 12,000 sold which is what we achieved for our first season in the PL in the summer of 1992.

Pretty poor although it could jump to around 14,000 by the start of the season.

True supporters take the rough with the smooth - I would still get mine if we were in the old 4th Division as would most folk on here. It's quite amusing reading some of the excuses on here though - can't remember too much complaining or excuses around 95/96.

[USABlue]

Read last weekend that since 1996 'Boro have spent £50 million on strikers alone. That obviously includes those mentioned above plus some other rubbish. Then of course you've got wages on top as well.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating or some other such cliche.

Middlesbrough have brought in star names and season ticket sales have gone through the roof. In the past two summers, we will have offloaded Dunn, Duff and (as looks likely) Cole, our biggest stars. Meanwhile season tickets sales have slumped.

I wonder if the two events are related?

You have no proof and no pudding jim. COuld it not simply be that Boro are on the up under McClaren that their sales went up cos of success rather than a few past it big names. Could it not be that it is wholly related to winning their first ever bit of silver.

[roversWASmylife]

True supporters take the rough with the smooth - I would still get mine if we were in the old 4th Division as would most folk on here. It's quite amusing reading some of the excuses on here though - can't remember too much complaining or excuses around 95/96.

Well said.

I can’t think much more what the club can actually do to attract more season ticket holders than the current number of season ticket holders that we have at present.

I know several people who haven’t renewed, some are genuine reasons, and others are because they don’t want to watch another season like we have had.

It is understandable, if people don’t want to sell out x amount of money to see another repeat of last season, then that’s there choice.

But in my opinion, we will not have a season like we have just had.

We performed badly last season, the table doesn’t lie. However the club have done incredibly well and really bent over backwards to give Rovers fans the opportunity to carry on watching football at Ewood.

People have there reasons for going to football and watching them, but I’m sure there will be flocks of Rovers fans coming back when we soon get back to how we know we can really play.

As a fan, I’ll stick by the club and support them all my life. I’m sticking by them and fingers crossed we’ll be rewarded.