There was once a time when you couldn’t drive anywhere near Ewood Park on a matchday without being stuck in traffic. It was nearly impossible to get into the Blues Bar.
Concourses were chaotic and difficult to get through and most importantly, there was excitement in and around Ewood Park. It’s all changed.
Today, if you drive to home games, you can leave your house half an hour before kick-off, find somewhere to park and be in your seat before the teams walk out. The matchday buzz is non-existent. In fact, if you had no interest in football, you would be forgiven for not realising there was a game happening. Bolton Road used to be full of Rovers fans making their way to the ground or to one of the surrounding pubs for a pre-match pint. That isn’t the case anymore.
It used to be a challenge to get into the Blues Bar and have a drink before the game. There was a lively atmosphere, full of excited Rovers fans eagerly awaiting kick-off. Sky Sports News or the early kick-off game would be shown all around. There are now no queues at the bar, a fraction of the atmosphere, and only Rovers highlights from the previous few games being shown on the screens.
The concourses were like a maze, trying to get through masses of people queueing for a pie or a pint. If you went down at 40 minutes for a half-time drink, you’d be lucky to be served before the second half kicked off. Today, it’s very different. Supporters go down for a drink midway through the first half so they don’t have to watch the game. Because of the low attendances, you’d have time for multiple drinks at half-time as the queues are nowhere near as long.
Is it too much to ask for the kiosk staff to wear a uniform like they used to, to proudly represent what was once a well-respected club? Instead, they look unprofessional and uninterested. These are issues that affect most fans and also issues often go under the radar as a result of everything else surrounding the club. Much of it boils down to the dwindling attendances, and right now, who can blame fans for not wanting to watch?
You could argue that for some fans it’s now more convenient. They don’t get stuck in traffic, they can find a parking spot, they can walk to the stadium in peace and buy a pie in the ground without a long queue. But that isn’t really the point. There was something special about a matchday. Something special about 20,000-plus fans all enjoying going to Ewood Park to watch a team of players fighting for the badge.
The less said about the Wrexham game the better, but something has to give very soon at Blackburn Rovers. A huge January transfer window awaits, and Rovers need quality additions if they are to avoid relegation.
The lacklustre matchday experience, combined with poor performances on the pitch, is driving more and more fans away and making Ewood Park feel soulless.
The fans still care and always will, it hurts them to see the club in its current situation. People want to pass down their support to the next generation but they want to support a club they can be proud of.
The Wrexham fans in the Darwen End have seen what can happen when owners care about the club and its people, and invest in its future both on and off the pitch. The issues mentioned earlier can all be fixed and improved, but it needs people to care about them. Rovers don’t have that right now, and haven’t for some time.
