[Archived] 2,025 Empty Seats ?

[John Howarth]

The ground yesterday looked pretty full from where I was sat in the CIS stand, but with a gate of 29,342 there must have been somewhere 2,025 empty seats. I saw a few towards the back of the Blackburn end and the Jack Walker stand and the Darwen End looked to be virtually a sell out. Can somebody advise me if the empty seats are in the CIS stand (or Riverside). The last time we got over 30,000 was against Liverpool on September 13th 2003, when we lost 3-1

[BRFC4EVA]

The ground yesterday looked pretty full from where I was sat in the CIS stand, but with a gate of 29,342 there must have been somewhere 2,025 empty seats. I saw a few towards the back of the Blackburn end and the Jack Walker stand and the Darwen End looked to be virtually a sell out. Can somebody advise me if the empty seats are in the CIS stand (or Riverside). The last time we got over 30,000 was against Liverpool on September 13th 2003, when we lost 3-1

Well for a start i dont think that we can acutally get capsity crowds in terms of our quoted full house of 31,367. The most we have had in the past is 30,800 which must have been sold out considering the fixture, so i presume that around 500 seats are taken my media, policing etc etc. So the crowd was prob about 1,450 under the max!

[roversWASmylife]

I was sat in the Riverside and there was an empty seat infront of me.

[blue phil]

There were a few empty seats in the far sides of the JW Upper - not many though . Riverside seemed full ....well until a few minutes from the end , of course

[RevidgeBlue]

I was in the Riverside for a change which seemed completely full as did the Jack Walker stand opposite apart from the Executive style seating in JW upper central in which there were quite a few spaces.

Wouldn't have thought there was anywhere near 2100 empty seats overall though.

Quite a bit of the capacity must be taken up by directors seating and the seats occupied by both benches and the numerous back up staff?

[Roar of the Rover]

Blackburn End upper near the corners had quite a few empty seats, i've also heard the club has to keep some empty seats for safety reasons.

[USRoverME]

Also, (and mind you as an American I'm also thinking in terms of how attendance is calculated over here) does the reported attendance mean actual bums in seats, or if someone purchases a seat, but can't make it, does that still get included in the attendance?

[trueblue]

Also, (and mind you as an American I'm also thinking in terms of how attendance is calculated over here) does the reported attendance mean actual bums in seats, or if someone purchases a seat, but can't make it, does that still get included in the attendance?

I should think the numbers quoted are the actual figures through the turnstiles being as though we have the super-duper new barcoded ticket and magnetic-strip season ticket system

[Quack]

Agree with Roar - some of the outer most seats in BBE upper were empty - but a lot better that the usual completely empty block that has been the case for most games this season. Also some of the central upper JW ( the posh seats!) were empty.

[only2garners]

There were one or two rows at the front of the top tier of the Darwen End empty - presumably for safety reasons although I don't know why as both tiers were Liverpool fans. There were also plenty of odd groups of seats free. From where I sit at the front of the top tier at the Blackburn End there were some 50 or so seats in odd twos and threes in the bottom tier of the Jack Walker Stand. My guess is that, as well as lots of Rovers fans back in East Lancs for Christmas there are as many away elsewhere with family or on holiday on the day, so presumably plenty of season ticket holders don't make it. I can believe that there were 2,000 empty seats judging from what I saw.

[Tris]

There were one or two rows at the front of the top tier of the Darwen End empty - presumably for safety reasons although I don't know why as both tiers were Liverpool fans. There were also plenty of odd groups of seats free. From where I sit at the front of the top tier at the Blackburn End there were some 50 or so seats in odd twos and threes in the bottom tier of the Jack Walker Stand. My guess is that, as well as lots of Rovers fans back in East Lancs for Christmas there are as many away elsewhere with family or on holiday on the day, so presumably plenty of season ticket holders don't make it. I can believe that there were 2,000 empty seats judging from what I saw.

Think there are two rows left free at the front of the Darwen End so that's 360 seats. Presumably cos the idiots insist on standing up all game and Rovers don't want to be picking up bodies from down below if there's a surge.

Which is a shame - that's 13,000 quid in revenue for the club.

Quite a few small gaps of a seat or three in the JW upper and lower, so probably a totally accurate figure of 29,342.

[USRoverME]

I should think the numbers quoted are the actual figures through the turnstiles being as though we have the super-duper new barcoded ticket and magnetic-strip season ticket system

quite possibly, but I've seen those same tickets for events here inthe states, and they always still report the 'attendance' based on the tickets sold, as its always a higher number!

[Presty On Tour]

i dont understand how fans could leave the game early against the scousers.

i mean 1-0 up, fighting for the victory and nail bites galore and there are fans heading for the exits!!

why? beat the traffic? dentist appointment? mummy doesn't want me out past 5pm?

the worst bit about it is the riverside stand exits are located at either end and on tv you can see people streaming out, a good way of seeing yourself on the box i suppose.

if we were getting a hiding fair enough, leave but how can you want to leave when the game is comming to the climax of a awsome result.

[thenodrog]

i dont understand how fans could leave the game early against the scousers.

i mean 1-0 up, fighting for the victory and nail bites galore and there are fans heading for the exits!!

why? beat the traffic? dentist appointment? mummy doesn't want me out past 5pm?

the worst bit about it is the riverside stand exits are located at either end and on tv you can see people streaming out, a good way of seeing yourself on the box i suppose.

Exactly the same people leave at exactly the same time during a match whatever time the KO. I can set my watch by them. It's effin weird. I wouldn't mind so much if the dozy bgugres would wait until a stoppage in play but they soddin well dont. Downright rude and in totally considerate imo.

We even have a bloke and his daughter (middle of the row in front of us) who both go to the toilet ( I assume) after 35 mins of the 1st half returning 5 mins later, they leave after 35 mins of the second half too. The whole row has to stand up for them (blocking the views of those behind) three times EVERY piggin match! Maybe Freud would have a complete and considered explanation for such people but I'm not as clever as he was I just have a single word for them!

[American]

quite possibly, but I've seen those same tickets for events here inthe states, and they always still report the 'attendance' based on the tickets sold, as its always a higher number!

Not necessarily. In baseball, for example, one league (I think the AL) counts tickets sold while the other counts people through the turnstiles.

[Drakefyre]

A lot of box scores include both:

A: 25,678 (19,435)

Where the first number is tickets sold and the second number is people in the stadium.

[LeftWinger]

i've also heard the club has to keep some empty seats for safety reasons.

Well we're usually extremely safe then

[CircoW]

quite possibly, but I've seen those same tickets for events here inthe states, and they always still report the 'attendance' based on the tickets sold, as its always a higher number!

Rovers do base the attendance on tickets sold, not the amount of people through the turnstiles.

Probably for the best, judging on the amount of times the turnstile I use has not been working properly this season!

[Barmitzvah Boy]

Looking on from the Jack Walker Upper the big problems with empty seats were:

1. BBE Lower: there were a lot of empty seats especially near the front corners, I expected the BBE Lower to be full but sadly not;

2. BBE Upper: a big gap to the left of centre as you view the stand;

3. JW Upper: quite a few in the top areas of the more expensive seats;

4. Darwen End Upper first one, or two, rows empty for safety reasons (the Rovers Hd of Safety John Newsham says it is to stop suicides after Rovers score).

[Fife Rover]

Not necessarily. In baseball, for example, one league (I think the AL) counts tickets sold while the other counts people through the turnstiles.

Don't know why, but I have always assumed that all clubs routinely report their attendance figures a few K short for income tax purposes.

[Al]

My dad is disabled and not able to go through the turnstiles. He shows his season ticket and is allowed through a gate. There must be more who do this (wheelchairs etc.) and I'm not sure how these are added to the gate. May account for some of the 'missing' 2000.

[MCMC1875]

How many gates of 30,000+ have there been at the new Ewood?

[Ozzie Rover]

Watching the game in Melbourne Australia, it looked great did not notice many empty seats but the sound was very load in the Liverpool Supporters end.

Anyway a great morning in Melbourne.

[roversmum]

My dad is disabled and not able to go through the turnstiles. He shows his season ticket and is allowed through a gate. There must be more who do this (wheelchairs etc.) and I'm not sure how these are added to the gate. May account for some of the 'missing' 2000.

The gates have got ticket scanners too.

[John Howarth]

How many gates of 30,000+ have there been at the new Ewood?

The two most recent games were 22nd December 2002 against Manchester United (30,475) and 13th September 2003 against Liverpool (30,074)